The Ex-Fiancé's Shocking Secret
That moment, Sea urgently snatched my wrist. Led by her hand, we quickly ducked into the depths of a narrow, dark alley. The cold sensation of the brick wall pressed coolly against my back. Sea burrowed tightly into my broad chest, holding her breath tensely. Outside the silent alley, the clicking of high heels slowly passed by. As the footsteps gradually faded away, the stiffness in her body eased just a bit.
Sea pushed lightly on my chest with both hands and cautiously opened her mouth.
"Just so you don't misunderstand—I'm not hiding because I have any lingering feelings."
"Then why did we hide?"
"Just being considerate so you wouldn't get worn out if we got tangled up again."
Her pouty lips and ridiculous excuse looked especially cute. I just figured inwardly that bumping into her ex-fiancé felt awkward and uncomfortable for her.
"Got it. I'll pretend to be totally moved by your deep consideration."
While laughing and peeking outside, my gaze locked onto one spot again. The ex-fiancé had been hovering around the taxi stand for a while now. But the closer I looked, the more off it seemed. The rounded shoulders and the drape of the clothes screamed woman's slender silhouette, no matter how you sliced it. Hell, it was obviously a woman to anyone with eyes.
"Hey, Han Sea."
"Huh? Why, what's up all of a sudden."
"Your ex-fiancé got a cross-dressing hobby or something?"
At my question, Sea's eyes went wide as saucers, shaking wildly.
"What, what? Cross-dressing? Where's this coming from."
"That outfit looks like women's clothes to anybody."
"Hey, in this day and age, who's dividing clothes by gender anymore!"
Sea raised her voice sharply, snapping at me like she'd been caught red-handed.
"That's a massive prejudice and discriminatory remark, you know?"
Her righteous bullshit momentum left me at a loss for words.
"Yeah? Maybe."
Right then, the ex-fiancé's phone voice carried clearly into the alley.
"Aing, unnie. I'm at the hot springs right now."
It was a thin, high-pitched woman's voice dripping with nasal aegyo.
"Hey. She just said 'unnie'...... and that tone's way too high."
I stepped out one pace to catch the voice better. That instant, pale-faced Sea leaped up desperately. She clapped both hands over my ears.
"Hey! Don't listen anymore!"
"Mmph. What the hell."
"When that kid gets super stressed, female hormones come out of her body!"
At the utterly absurd logic, my eyes nearly bugged out.
"......What the fuck did you just say?"
"So don't look! She's pitiful in her own way—please just don't stare and let's go!"
Sea started dragging me forcibly toward the opposite end of the alley in that bizarre ear-covering pose. Stunned with my jaw on the floor, I got helplessly hauled to our next date spot.
But with every step, my head kept swiveling back. Gotta check if that weird-hormone ex was tailing us. Sea seemed seriously anxious about it.
As my eyes scanned every inch around us, suddenly Sea shoved my back hard, barging us into a huge souvenir shop. Moments later, her hands clutched oversized goofy sunglasses and a floppy bucket hat. Ignoring my say-so, she slammed them ruthlessly onto my face.
"Hey. I can't see shit!"
Frustrated, I bellowed and yanked at the wide brim. That moment, Sea shot up on tiptoes and clamped my cheeks firmly with both hands.
"Put 'em on so you don't look anywhere else."
"Look only at me all day today."
Her bold stubbornness shoved right in my face turned me into a honey-mute. Eventually, looking like total clowns, we emerged and stopped before a street magic show swarmed with crowds. But across the throng, there she was again. I went full defensive, glaring daggers her way.
Just before our sharp gazes clashed head-on in midair, Sea yanked my right arm sky-high and hollered into the void.
"Here! This guy's dying to be a magic assistant!"
"Hey! Since when!"
I freaked and protested wildly, but cheers and applause thundered around us. Buffeted by enthusiastic hands, I got dragged helplessly onstage center. Sea claimed front-row dead center—probably to pin my gaze from wandering.
The magician sidled up to my hesitant self, dramatically flashing empty hands. Then he yanked a bright red rose from the edge of my giant sunglasses. Bucket hat flopping, I dazedly took the flower.
Stiffly thrusting my arm per his flashy cues, onlooker laughter exploded. Me, stiff-faced with rose aloft, looked amateur-hour clumsy to everyone.
"Whoa! Nailed it! Dojin's awesome!"
She bounced madly in place, clapping like a maniac to chain my eyes to her. Up onstage as impromptu clown assistant, I peered down with a what-the-hell expression.
Now we sat side by side, pedaling duck boats leisurely in the cool breeze. Just ten-odd minutes ago, lakeside-strolling Sea startled again, freezing mid-step. Then she pitched a desperate fit about hopping on a duck boat right now like something was chasing her. Shoving my back to the dock, we'd fled duck-like to the lake's heart.
But right next door on the water, the ex-fiancé's solo duck boat drifted leisurely our way. As I squinted suspiciously, head turning, seatmate Sea went berserk—pedaling furiously like a maniac. The hefty duck boat rocketed forward like a speedboat, slashing white waves viciously.
"Hey!"
Terrified by the velocity, I death-gripped the safety bar.
"What the—! We'll flip!"
Ignoring my scream, Sea bored ahead with scary intensity.
"I'm on a massive lower-body workout high!"
She smacked my thigh with a sharp slap like a drill sergeant, yelling fiercely.
"Pedal, you! No slacking—mash it!"
"We're on a date trip, not leg day!"
"Shut up and full-throttle to that bridge underside!"
Dreading an instant capsize, I synced her insane pace, grinding pedals madly. Our serene lake date devolved into thigh-shredding extreme sport. Gasping raggedly, we scraped into the bridge shadow—my legs total jelly. Swept in her competitive rampage, that stalking weirdo ex vanished from my brain.
Legs pudding, I couldn't walk straight—had to lean on her shoulder.
Now the chaotic trip wrapped, we sat on the flight home to Korea.
"Heading home. We packed in a ton today?"
"Yeah. Right? Gotta hit this course in Japan."
Pre-takeoff cabin buzzed with excited chatter and bustle.
"Excuse me."
The thin high-tone voice tickled my ear—familiarly so. No suspicion, I scooted my legs to let her slide inward. Our eyes met casually—and my breath hitched.
Japan trip stalker, Sea's hormone-weird ex-fiancé.
But this close? Shoulders and arms too slim for "man." Soft waistline, blatant curves under clothes. No denying it—pure woman beside me.
"Excuse me."
At my low murmur, she jolted rigidly, head snapping over.
"Uh, um. Who......"
Clocking my face dead-on, her big eyes quaked like an earthquake.
"Kim Jaewon, right? Sea's ex-fiancé."
"Ah.. N-no. W-wrong person!"
Cold sweat beading her forehead, she flailed hands dodging my stare.
"Weird. Pretty sure it was a guy."
"I-it's a misunderstanding! Ah! Right—I'm Kim Jaewon's twin little sis!"
"Oh yeah? Twin sis matches bro's face and voice perfectly."
My sarcasm pulled Sea—earbuds in, fiddling across the aisle—to turn.
"Dojin, trouble? What's wrong?"
Her gaze hit the woman—and bleached paper-white.
"Hey Han Sea. Your ex-fiancé's straight-up a chick."
"Huh? No way! He's legit a dude!"
"Quit bullshitting. She's woman to the bone—why the lies."
Cornered by my razor probe, the woman fake-coughed twice.
"Y-yeah, folks say I seem girly a lot. Haha."
Forcing a gravelly tone awkwardly, eyes averted. Her ham-fisted act left me gobsmacked.
Then flailing Sea piped up desperately again.
"Ah! She—she got this wild, super-famous surgery abroad! State-of-the-art tech creating from nothing!"
Sea's wild-ass Hail Mary made the woman herself blanch beet-red.
"Th-that's...... a bit much."
Seeing her fluster at the self-own excuse, I finally blew my pent-up fuse.
"You really take me for a total moron?!"