Leashed in the Streets
A chilling sensation crawled up my spine. His voice was so cold that it sent a sharp shiver through me. There wasn’t even a hint that he was teasing me.
“What are you doing? I said we’re going for a walk. Move ahead. Or would you rather follow behind?”
The metallic clink of the collar cut through the air. I could feel the leash attached to my neck, gripped firmly in his hand. He didn’t pull hard enough to choke me, but the strength behind it was unmistakable. He was leading me.
“Hey, hey, Kang Juhyuk…! This… this isn’t right. Just a second, please, take it off…”
“Walk. Forward.”
Until now, it had only been embarrassing. I could have passed it off as a choker, some kind of fashion accessory. But not anymore. Anyone could see it for what it was—a dog collar. A leash. Out here on the street, we’d look like a couple indulging in some obscene play. Maybe even worse.
“Wait, just wait! I’ll go, so just tell me why you’re doing this all of a sudden…”
“I got turned on seeing all those pretty girls. Since I can’t fuck you, I figured a walk would do instead.”
The flat, emotionless tone made him sound less like a person and more like a demon. Even if he was the master and I was the pet, we were still out in public. Shouldn’t he feel ashamed too? What if someone saw us?
“If you’re that embarrassed, we can stick to the darker streets. Or I can walk ahead and you can hide behind me.”
“…”
I didn’t want to walk. Not in front, and certainly not being dragged along like a dog. But his pull forced my feet to move. If I made a scene and someone looked our way, I’d probably faint on the spot.
Cold sweat poured down my back as I followed him. Step by step. The leash clinked with every movement.
“Haa, haa…”
“Is the collar too tight? Want me to loosen it?”
“N-no, it’s not that…”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it rang painfully in my ears, making my head spin. I hadn’t even taken ten steps and my legs were already trembling. Without the leash holding me up, I might have collapsed.
I still didn’t understand why he was suddenly angry, but I needed to calm down. He’d been in a good mood just moments ago. Think back, Haeun. Step by step.
“Mmph… haa…”
Right. I’d gotten cocky and made that bet. I’d even said he could touch me anywhere except the sensitive spots. But he hadn’t seemed interested in touching me at all. Instead, he’d started taking weird photos, tried to stick a tattoo sticker on me while pretending it was for waxing, and said all those humiliating things…
Ah.
“Wait, wait! Kang Juhyuk! Let’s go home. Take this off. I-I changed my mind, okay?”
“…About what?”
The fact that he’d given me a choice after winning the bet meant there was a specific answer he wanted. It was obvious. What he really wanted wasn’t just rape—it was something that wasn’t quite rape. Something he could justify. He’d done it before, too. Twisting things until he had an excuse, then taking me anyway. He just wanted to hold me without any consequences. If I told him it was okay to touch me, he’d probably settle down right away.
“Y-yeah, I just… suddenly, um… it’s cold. I want to go home and sleep under the blanket. I get scared sleeping alone, so if you’re with me…”
“Walking will warm you up. One lap around the block and you’ll sleep even better.”
“N-no, that’s not it…! The photos! You said you wanted to take photos earlier! Let’s go home and do it there! I-I’ll even pose sexily if you want. So let’s just go home and—please, just take this off…”
“We can take photos here. Night mode works fine these days.”
I kept glancing around nervously, heart pounding, begging him as he walked ahead. But he only gave the leash another sharp tug and looked back, dismissing my answer as wrong.
What the hell did he want from me? Was he seriously going to make me walk all the way home like this? With a dog collar on?
No. Absolutely not. If anyone saw me, I’d never stop dreaming about it.
“Please, Kang Juhyuk! I can’t walk like this… I’m scared. I’m really scared. It’s too embarrassing…”
“Embarrassing?”
“It’s a dog collar, of course it’s embarrassing! You jerk… Ah, I didn’t mean to insult you…”
“…Want me to take it off?”
“Yes, please. Please take it off…”
“…”
He stared at me as I trembled and sweated, then suddenly pulled out his phone and snapped a photo. Without another word, he reached over and unclipped the leash from my neck. The hated metallic sound hit the ground, and my shaking legs gave out. I sank to the pavement, clutching myself and gasping for breath. My heart wouldn’t stop racing.
Haa, haa. I didn’t even know if I hated him anymore. I was just relieved. Relieved that no one had seen.
“Hey, you’ll ruin your stockings sitting like that. Get up.”
His voice was suddenly warm—too warm. The kind of gentle tone that would’ve made me sick any other time. Even now, when I should’ve been terrified, that warmth and the cool touch of his hand against my skin somehow balanced the heat and cold inside me.
“If you hated the collar that much, you should’ve said so. There were other options.”
He pulled me to my feet, and I leaned against his chest, breathing hard. The collar came off easily under his fingers. He was a criminal who deserved to be kicked in the balls and reported to the police, yet I couldn’t even stand without clinging to him. My legs were still shaking. I couldn’t go home alone like this. My heart was pounding too hard. I could barely breathe.
“Haeun, follow me. Breathe in deep. Hold it. Then let it out slowly. Again. Good.”
He patted my back, guiding my breathing into a steady rhythm. In… hold… out… In… out…
Gradually, my racing heart calmed and my legs steadied. But as my mind cleared, it screamed at me to kick this psycho away.
What are you doing, Seo Haeun? The man you’re holding is a complete lunatic.
“Haa, haa… Kang Juhyuk. Let go for a second…”
“…Guess you’re not calm yet. Breathe in deep… hold…”
Just a little longer. Once I’m steady enough, I’ll kick him. If I do it now, it won’t even hurt him. Clinging to that thought, I followed his instructions and held my breath.
Just as I was about to exhale—
“Huu…”
“Ugh… mmph!”
His breath suddenly filled my mouth. All the air I’d been holding escaped in a rush. My body, which had started to regain tension, went limp again against him. The cold sweat had dried, leaving me shivering, but his chest was warm and steady beneath my cheek.
“Mmph… chu…”
He breathed into me again—minty, slightly bitter, with a hint of alcohol. His tongue brushed mine, his lips rough but his chin smooth tonight.
“Pha, haah… mmph…”
His cold hand had slipped under my skirt, kneading my ass and stealing what little warmth I had left. I didn’t even try to push him away. I was too busy swallowing the breath he gave me to think about anything else. Even when his fingers slid under my stockings and pinched my bare thigh, I couldn’t tell if it hurt or if I was ashamed. The mint scent was too overwhelming.
“Huu… hee, haa… haah…”
“…Seo Haeun.”
“Hnn, mm…”
“Say it clearly. ‘I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend in front of others.’ Now.”
“I’ll pretend to be your girlfriend in front of others… Ah. Right…”
Only after turning my brain to mush did he finally whisper the simple answer I’d missed. It seemed so trivial that I felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. But… there was no way he’d get this upset over something so small.
“Say it again. ‘I keep my promises.’”
“…I keep my promises…?”
“Good. Next. ‘I don’t take back what I say.’ Repeat.”
“I don’t take back what I say…”
“Well done. …Make sure you keep that promise when we get back, got it?”
“Huh…?”
Maybe I was the idiot after all. My head was blank. I couldn’t even remember what I’d said earlier. But… I had a feeling I’d said something I shouldn’t have.