The Truth Behind the Rumors (3)
Park Do-hee stared at Seo Joo-hwan with a dazed expression before stammering out, “I-I won’t make you drop out. Just… just stay away from Ha-yeon unnie…”
“Ha. Look at this crazy bitch.”
Seo Joo-hwan let out a hollow laugh, cutting her off. He soon fixed her with a glare and continued. “Why the hell do you care about me and Ha-yeon? If we break up, we just pretend we don’t know each other and move on? We’re fine with how things are—why are you throwing a fit?”
“……”
“And what’s this about having dirt on me? Do I have to put up with your bullshit delusions?”
“D-Delusions? What do you—”
Park Do-hee couldn’t finish her question. Seo Joo-hwan’s face had hardened into a rigid mask as he glared at her. He clicked his tongue in disbelief, then spoke in a dismissive tone. “You still don’t get it, do you? What makes you think you’re in any position to talk to me like that?”
“……”
“Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to like an idiot?”
Seo Joo-hwan spat the curse through gritted teeth, his glare sharpening. Maybe it was because he usually went around with a smile, but without it, his face looked chillingly cold. His sharp eyes gleamed with icy menace, and his clenched jaw jutted out, giving off a feral vibe.
Fuck. It’s been a while since I’ve been this pissed off.
Since his regression, this was the first time his anger had boiled over like this—after Baek Jeong-gi, that is. How much of a joke did she think he was to plan and pull off something this stupid? The fact that he might’ve actually had to drop out without those items only fueled his rage.
Guess smiling all the time made her think I’m a pushover.
Before his regression, people’s views of Seo Joo-hwan generally fell into two categories. A walking disaster who spread bad luck just by being around. Or a diligent, polite guy. The former came from classmates or coworkers who’d been on the same team—they’d suffered indirectly from his misfortune and didn’t want to get tangled up with him. The latter was from people he hadn’t teamed up with, or those he’d kept at arm’s length before things got too close. They saw him in a pretty positive light since they hadn’t taken any hits. Truth be told, even the first group mostly liked him as a person—they just avoided him because of the bad luck. He was diligent in everything, polite to everyone, and considerate in his words and actions.
In short, both sides agreed he was a good, kind guy. But that was only because they didn’t know him deeply. Already branded as a jinx, of course he’d only show his good side. He’d never seen himself as some saintly pushover. Just decently kind, decently selfish, decently bad. He could play the sucker for people who treated him with goodwill, but he could get vicious with those who came at him with malice. Even back in school when he got bullied, he’d always hit back—if they landed three punches, he gave at least one in return.
“What the hell were you thinking? Trying to turn an innocent guy into a rapist? Drop out, expulsion. Fuck, you really planned to systematically ruin someone’s life?”
“I-I just wanted Ha-yeon unnie to—”
“Shut your mouth. I’m not asking for excuses, so zip it.”
Under Seo Joo-hwan’s blazing intensity, Park Do-hee swallowed dryly, unable to say a word. Her head spun from the sudden reversal. But his next words snapped her back to reality.
“If you were willing to ruin someone else’s life, you must’ve been prepared for yours to get ruined too.”
“……”
“If not, I’ll show you what happens.”
The moment he finished speaking, Park Do-hee dropped to her knees on the floor and shouted, “I’m sorry!”
“…You think a sorry will cut it?”
Even seeing her on her knees, Seo Joo-hwan didn’t budge an inch. She’d crossed the line ages ago. Sure, she’d framed it like she was doing it for Jeong Ha-yeon, but if that was true, why had she been badmouthing her behind her back? It looked like jealousy—trashing Seo Joo-hwan to split them up, then trash-talking Jeong Ha-yeon to isolate her.
I gave her plenty of chances.
He’d known she was spreading rumors but hadn’t confronted her right away—instead, he’d followed her home, holding back. He was pissed, but he’d tried to resolve it with words. Yet she’d blown it and tried to trap him instead.
Meanwhile, faced with his unyielding attitude, Park Do-hee felt the world go white.
What do I do?
She didn’t know how he’d recorded it, but the phone he’d shoved in her face earlier had all the evidence. Even her threats. If that got out—even as a rumor—dropping out would be the least of her worries. The worst scenarios flashed through her mind in real time.
F-First, play it cool. Find an opening somehow…!
She made a snap decision. Survive the immediate crisis first. This wasn’t her only shot.
“I-I’m sorry! Really, I won’t do it again!”
She clasped her hands together, begging. He didn’t seem the type to forgive easily, but he was still a guy. Stimulate his lust, and he’d crack for sure.
“I’ll do anything! Just give me one chance!”
Park Do-hee spat it out and subtly gauged his reaction.
“Anything?”
“Y-Yes!”
She nodded furiously, convinced men were all the same. Her friends were right. Just offer anything, and watch the reaction. She hated the idea of messing around with a guy like this, but first things first—get past the crisis.
*
Seo Joo-hwan eyed Park Do-hee with a blank expression. Her ulterior motives were plain as day.
Because he’d activated the evil eye ability.
The pink’s completely gone, and gray’s kicked in.
Gray meant conflict, confusion. Probably sparked when he called out her delusions earlier. Had she sensed something off from what she’d imagined?
Two red lines. Two yellow ones.
For some reason, the red for hostility had dropped by one. Maybe her momentum had broken. Or doubt had crept into her own motives. The yellow for admiration held steady, though. Still a mystery what she admired.
Seo Joo-hwan hesitated briefly.
What to do with her.
Forgiveness wasn’t on the table. If you try to wreck someone’s life and fail, you pay the price—that was his philosophy. Especially if it stemmed from pointless malice.
He made his choice. The answer had been set from the start.
In a flat, even tone, Seo Joo-hwan said, “Hand over the phone first.”
“P-Pardon? Oh… sure.”
“Unlock it.”
“H-Here.”
He took the phone and checked the gallery and recordings. Aside from the recent audio, nothing special. He deleted the recording first.
“Open the cloud. Email too.”
“…Okay.”
As expected, the linked cloud account had the files uploaded. He wiped them all.
“Anything else?”
“N-No, nothing. Really.”
“Doesn’t matter if there is. I’ve got solid proof on my end.”
“……”
“You said there’s a camera in the room? Bring it.”
Park Do-hee hesitated, fidgeting. When Seo Joo-hwan scowled fiercely, she shrank back and mumbled, “Th-There isn’t one.”
“What?”
“…No camera or anything. I just said it to make the threat sound stronger.”
“Ha.”
Seo Joo-hwan let out another hollow laugh. She’d yelled it so boldly, and it was all a lie? When he shot her a doubtful look, she just kept pleading for him to believe her.
“Why the hell should I trust you?”
He had no intention of taking her word for it rashly. A camera wouldn’t change much—he wasn’t planning violence or anything. Just caution. He grabbed his clothes, got dressed, and left her place. Of course, she trailed after him. He headed to a motel near 1st Street. Just in case, he made her pay.
“…I’ll go wash up.”
Park Do-hee knew exactly what her “I’ll do anything” meant. That’s why she’d said it. But the disgust was another matter.
A guy’s dick…
She had no experience with men. Only women. Back in middle school, she’d come out as into BL and GL and gotten ostracized. When she changed classes and made new friends, they helped her realize her orientation. What started as a hobby solidified into her sexual identity. And her friends had always said real men were dirty, selfish creatures. She’d taken their words to heart. Women’s bodies were far softer and more beautiful than men’s bulky, pot-bellied frames.
Or so she’d thought…
…Why is a guy’s body so pretty?
Park Do-hee felt a strange unfamiliarity seeing Seo Joo-hwan stripped bare. Every guy she’d seen before was either overly muscled or fat and sloppy. But his? Muscles defined yet not excessive—sleek, even. Like something out of a comic she’d never seen in real life.
As he stripped quickly and approached, she said, “…Oppa, you’re not washing up?”
Seo Joo-hwan snorted.
“You think I’m here to date you? No interest in washing up just for you.”
“……”
“I’ll clean up after. Don’t worry about it.”
“…Okay.”
He jerked his chin at the bed.
“Got it? Get on and spread your legs.”
“……”
His mocking tone filled her with humiliation.
Men really are dirty and low…