A "Normal" Daily Life
A "Normal" Daily Life
"Ugh..."
Seoyun frowned, looking uncomfortable, and slung her eco-bag, stuffed with major textbooks, over her shoulder.
Looking at her like this, she was undoubtedly a cute female college student in her early 20s.
It was hard to believe that until just a moment ago, she was a pervert who enjoyed pet play; her innocent beauty stood out.
"Hurry up and go~ You're going to be late."
"Yes, Master-nim. Um... am I going alone?"
"Yeah. I have a lot of busy things to do today."
In the morning, he had to meet the interior contractor for the [Punishment room], and in the afternoon, he had an annoying appointment.
Junwoo, who had explained his situation to the professor in advance, was exempted from absence by doing an additional assignment.
"Um... are you really okay with me going?"
Seoyun stood in front of the shoe rack, reading Junwoo's expression.
She couldn't stay still, fidgeting with her hands and showing signs of anxiety.
Having lost her autonomy, she felt fear at the thought of 'doing something alone.'
Since she would receive a harsh punishment she'd regret if she made even a small mistake, it was only natural for her to show such a timid reaction, terrified as she was.
"I told you to go, didn't I?"
"Ah... yes..!"
"Oh, wait a second~ I almost forgot that."
"Ye... yes?"
Junwoo suddenly approached Seoyun.
Startled, she flinched and took a step back.
"You didn't say goodbye."
"Yes..?"
Junwoo, smiling brightly, stroked Seoyun's hair and kissed her on the lips.
"Eut..."
It was closer to a peck where their lips touched than a wet, tongue-twisting kiss.
Seoyun blinked her eyes, flustered.
"From now on, when you go out, you have to say goodbye with a kiss."
"Yes... I understand, Master-nim."
"And keep in touch when you're out. You have to get permission from me for everything. You know that without me saying it, right?"
"Yes, Master-nim..! I... I can do it well!"
"Good. Now hurry up and go~ You're going to be late."
"Yes..!"
Junwoo, who had been acting violently just a moment ago, had returned to the appearance of a sweet boyfriend.
Only then did Seoyun, relieved and having regained her smile, leave the house.
"I'll be back, Master-nim..!"
"Yeah. Have a good trip."
Seoyun leaving the house with a bright smile.
Junwoo, who had waved his hand until the front door closed, stroked his chin with a cold, expressionless face.
"Sseup... she wouldn't run away, would she..?"
Although he had matched the atmosphere as much as possible, he was constantly doubting Seoyun's true feelings.
She wasn't completely brainwashed yet.
Since he didn't know what she was thinking, he was full of worry.
Of course, as long as he had her weakness, she wouldn't even be able to think about running away.
"Sigh, whatever."
Junwoo, clearing his head of distracting thoughts, entered Seoyun's room.
Looking around the narrow, square room of about 5 pyeong, he pondered how to decorate the [Punishment room].
Just then, the interior contractor called.
"Yes, hello. Yes, yes~ Oh, you're coming now? That's great for me~ You'll finish all the work in the morning, right? Yes, thank you. I'll be waiting."
Estimate, work speed, work method.
After exchanging simple conversation, Junwoo hung up the phone with a smile full of ecstasy.
"I wish it would be evening soon~"
What kind of expression would she show when Seoyun returned?
He was already looking forward to it.
"Eut..."
Seoyun, who took a taxi to avoid being late, fortunately arrived at the lecture hall without being late.
Wiiiing—
Just then, her phone vibrated.
A message had arrived from Junwoo.
[Did you arrive?]
Junwoo, who had been watching the [GPS Location Tracking App] signal, sent the message right on time.
[Yes.]
[Good. Wait for me when school is over. I'll come pick you up.]
[Yes. I understand.]
[If I send a message, you must reply within 10 seconds, no matter what. You know that, right?]
[Yes.]
Just a few days ago, they were a couple who playfully used emojis and exchanged profanity, but now they were having awkward conversations while politely using honorifics.
Seoyun, who briefly looked back at their old messages, swallowed a bitter smile and walked toward the back of the lecture hall.
She always insisted on sitting in the back because she didn't like standing out.
For some reason, the gazes of her friends looking at her today felt unpleasant.
"What's up with her..?"
It wasn't just their eyes that had changed.
She saw female students covering their mouths and whispering, and male students openly sneering and talking about her as gossip.
Could it be that the graduating senior leaked the nude photos?
Seoyun, feeling like she was going crazy with anxiety, looked around with a tearful expression.
She felt a sense of dissonance, as if she were the perpetrator instead of the victim of a crime.
It was a moment where she wanted to kick her chair and leave the lecture hall right then and there.
"Seoyun~"
Someone approached with a bright smile.
It was Lee Jueun, a classmate who usually disliked Seoyun.
She was the worst of the worst, spreading strange rumors to ostracize her and always bullying Seoyun like a predator eyeing its prey.
The reason for the bullying was that a male student she liked had confessed to Seoyun and been rejected.
She was a master at playing the victim by using human psychology, and thanks to that, she was a slippery woman who always escaped controversy.
This time was no different.
Jueun had spread rumors by linking Seoyun to the 'missing person case' that was currently a hot topic at the university.
As the rumors spread like wildfire among students who wanted sensational information, Seoyun's image was damaged.
"Seoyun, did you hear about that?"
"Huh?"
Jueun sat next to Seoyun, pretending not to know anything.
"Who was that graduating senior who got your number a while ago? I can't remember his name~"
"Ah..."
Seoyun flinched and opened her eyes wide.
Could it be that the photos Junwoo took and sent were actually leaked?
Not knowing why she was mentioning him out of the blue, she carefully opened her mouth, pretending it was nothing.
"Th-that senior... why..?"
"Are you asking because you really don't know? He suddenly went missing last night~"
"Uh..?"
Seoyun, eyes wide at the completely unexpected answer, was quite flustered.
"You didn't know? They say he disappeared without a trace in a blind spot where there are no CCTV cameras~"
"I, I didn't know... I'm hearing it for the first time..."
"Well~ You don't contact anyone, so~ Oh, sorry. Is this a secret~?"
"No... it's okay..."
There was a group messenger for freshmen, excluding Seoyun, who was an outcast.
Usually, it was a communication space for exchanging assignment information or chatting about trivial daily life, but until yesterday, it had become a huge topic of conversation because of the suddenly missing graduating senior.
He was a person who often got into trouble due to his bad conduct, but he hadn't done anything bad enough to be suddenly killed.
The police were also treating it as a case of someone going missing while drunk and were searching for him.
"Well, actually, I don't know much because it's just a rumor I heard~ I just said it because I wondered if you, Seoyun, might have killed him secretly."
"Wh-what are you talking about... I have no reason to do that..?"
"No reason, my foot~ That senior was a womanizer, so he was bothering you, right? He kept sticking to you annoyingly, so did you just snap in a fit of rage and do it~?"
"N-no, it's not like that..."
Given Seoyun's personality, she wouldn't have been able to say she disliked it and would have done whatever the senior wanted.
If it hadn't been for Junwoo's help, she might have become that senior's pet, suffered all sorts of humiliation, and then been discarded.
"Well~ Anyway, that's what they say~"
"Umm..."
The depressing conversation ended.
Jueun waved her hand at Seoyun with an unpleasant, smirking smile.
"The lecture is about to start~ See you later?"
"Yeah..."
Jueun, who always spoke condescendingly and ignored others.
Her words and actions were unpleasant, but she was also the only friend who talked to Seoyun at the university.
Seoyun opened her major textbook as she heard the bell signaling the start of the lecture.
Even as the professor came in and called attendance, her mind was full of thoughts about the missing graduating senior.
Why on earth.
How.
Suddenly..?
Could it be that Junwoo..?
She tried to make a reasonable suspicion, but it was just circumstantial evidence.
Seoyun, who didn't want her relationship to sour any further due to unnecessary suspicion, shook her head from side to side to shake off the distracting thoughts.
While Seoyun was attending lectures at the university, Junwoo was supervising the interior construction of the [Officetel].
He checked meticulously, nitpicking from one to ten, whether the construction was being done properly and if the soundproofing effect was certain.
It was enough for the workers to be annoyed, but Junwoo paid the workers an additional 300,000 won per person as a bonus, saying they were suffering in the hot weather.
"Oh my, boss~ Thank you~"
Financial therapy makes people humble.
It only took 300,000 won for Junwoo, who was called a son of a bitch in their hearts, to be called "boss."
"Boss~ The soundproofing test is done, but... are you really not going to install windows? It would be fine if you put up blackout curtains~"
"No, it's fine. I'd feel sorry if the sound leaked out and caused a nuisance to other houses."
"It would be fine if you plastered the window frames with silicone mold~ Well, if our boss says no, I won't force it..."
Junwoo refused to the end, even though they offered to install it without extra charge.
