Sneaking Out of the Gaslighting Room

Sneaking out of the room after I'd finished gaslighting her, I glanced toward the living room and immediately frowned. Jeong Sua and Kang Suho were playing games together. 'Weren't they supposed to be fighting...' As expected, the bond between childhood friends wasn't something that crumbled so easily. Ha... I'd hoped this would be the perfect chance for them to cut ties completely. That clueless bastard.

'They're in the middle of filming some sweet, innocent romance with Jeong Sua. If you had any sense, you'd fuck off already.' They say the ground hardens after rain, and sure enough, the two of them were chattering even more noisily today, completely absorbed in their game.

I wanted to join them too. It must have reached her like telepathy, because Sua spoke up right then.

"Should I invite Oppa to play with us?"

Her thoughtfulness was genuinely kind. As expected of my angel. I'd have to corrupt her so thoroughly that she could never return to heaven, keeping her by my side for the rest of her life.

"Ah... um... that's a good idea, but... Hyung's probably studying in his room right now."

Wow, look at this Kang Suho bastard. His reaction made it obvious he didn't like the idea of me being with Jeong Sua. Too bad for him—our Sua would never like a guy like you.

"Just in case, I'll go ask him myself. He might get sulky if we leave him out."

"Hyung getting sulky?"

At Kang Suho's words, the two of them paused in thought for a moment before bursting into laughter. The very idea of me getting upset was apparently so ridiculous that it came out as a snort. They really did get along well.

"I'll go ask Oppa."

As Sua stood up from the sofa, Kang Suho rose right after her.

"I'll come with you."

"Huh? I can just go by myself and ask quickly."

"Hyung hates being interrupted more than anything. He might do something nasty to you."

Kang Suho had started badmouthing me to Sua. This was exactly why I called the guy disgusting. It might look like the cool protagonist looking out for her, but in my eyes he was nothing but a filthy bastard who took every chance to smear me.

I'd expected the two of them to head straight to my room, but Sua simply stared at him. Then she offered Kang Suho a gentle smile and said,

"Oppa isn't that kind of person, Suho."

"Uh... uh?"

"It seems like you have a tendency to speak badly about Ijin Oppa, Suho. That's not a good habit, so shouldn't you fix it?"

Sua pointed out his fault while being careful not to hurt his feelings. Kya, this was exactly why I raised her favorability. The kiss must have boosted it significantly, judging by how she was shielding me on her own.

"S-sorry... I'll try my best to fix it."

"Good. The way you reflect on things right away like that is one of your charms too, Suho."

Kang Suho smiled at her praise, but he looked slightly hurt. The sight of her defending me—what kind of emotions was he feeling while watching it? It had to be pure agony. His closest friend and the girl he liked was paying attention to another man instead of him.

All my old frustration melted away in an instant. The moment I saw them moving, I slipped back into my room without being noticed.

Knock knock.

I'd barely sat down and opened my workbook when the knock came.

"Come in."

I told Jeong Sua to enter. Why? Because I wanted her to see me studying when she walked into my room. The image of a man working hard at his studies had a certain sex appeal, didn't it? Something you wanted to show a girl. Or was I the only one who thought that?

If the vice president was handsome, fit, and knowledgeable, a horny bitch would spread her legs immediately and beg to get fucked.

Jeong Sua opened the door, started to speak, then closed her mouth the moment she saw my face. As if ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠changing her words at the last second, she opened her mouth again.

"Oppa. You wear glasses too?"

"Ah, these? Only when I'm studying at home. The text has been hard to see lately."

"Hmm..."

Sua kept nodding as she stared at me. Not a bad reaction. It was worth buying them after seeing that internet post asking, 'Isn't a guy with glasses kind of sexy?' This was how you seduced a woman like Kang Suho's girl. Not by sitting still and waiting for a pretty girl to fall into your lap.

"It must be because you study so much."

These days, wearing glasses usually got comments like 'Stop playing games' or 'Put your phone down.' But Jeong Sua didn't say any of that. Instead she brought up studying. This was the image of me she held in her mind.

I was working hard to plant the impression that I was a more mature man than Kang Suho. If Kang Suho had been the one wearing glasses? She would have told him to stop playing games, one hundred percent.

Sua plopped down on my bed as if she owned the place. For someone who'd supposedly come to ask about playing games, she didn't seem in any hurry to leave. Soon she was running her hand over my blanket. It felt strangely erotic—like a girlfriend who'd entered her boyfriend's room and was absently touching things saturated with his scent.

"Then I also..."

But the erotic atmosphere shattered the instant Kang Suho sat down beside Jeong Sua. Would you please just disappear already.

"What are you two here for?"

"Oppa, play games with us."

"Kid. Can't you see I'm studying right now?"

"Yeah, Sua. Didn't I tell you? Hyung's studying, so let's not bother him and head out."

When I brushed her off, Kang Suho jumped in as if he'd been waiting for it. His intentions were painfully obvious. Still, this was all part of my advanced strategy. I already knew that once Sua sat on my bed, there was no way she'd leave easily.

"Oppa, don't be like that. Play with us, please? Pretty please?"

"Sua...?"

The proper, well-behaved ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Jeong Sua refusing to give up even after I'd mentioned studying left a flustered look on Kang Suho's face. In other words, she had started acting cute and spoiled with me. This was exactly why building that reliable, mature image was so useful.

"Hmm... If you're going to beg like that... I guess I can play for a bit to relieve some stress."

I took off my glasses and set them on the desk. It was annoying, but I made sure to give the impression that I was reluctantly agreeing for her sake.

"Hehe. Thank you, Oppa."

All that buildup had been for the sole purpose of hearing those words from her.

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up and get out. Stop camping on my bed."

Sua scampered out of the room looking delighted. She seemed thrilled by what I'd done for her. I tried to follow her to the living room, but Kang Suho was still sitting on the bed in a daze, so I couldn't.

"What are you doing? Come out already."

"Hyung..."

"What?"

"You... don't like Sua, right?"

Oh, this guy actually had decent senses for once. Even the usually clueless Kang Suho must have noticed that I liked Jeong Sua. It didn't matter if he found out. I'd been showing it openly in front of him lately anyway, and he must have thought Sua's reactions toward me were strange too.

"Is it wrong if I do?"

"It's not that, but... I liked her first..."

"So you're saying if I had any sense, I should back off because you liked her first?"

"I didn't put it like that..."

"It's basically the same thing, isn't it?"

"......"

Silent affirmation. The moment Jeong Sua was gone, the first thing out of his mouth was that he'd liked her first so I should back off. It was truly disgusting that someone like this shared my blood.

"Isn't that for the kid to decide?"

"That is... true, but..."

Even knowing that, he couldn't stand watching me get closer to Jeong Sua? And the best argument he could muster was that he'd liked her first so I should step back? What a pathetic, disgusting bastard. I wanted to punch his eyes black and blue.

But if I did that, Sua definitely ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠wouldn't like it, so I held back. The good-guy image I'd worked so hard to build would collapse. In a situation where throwing a punch would only make me lose more, I didn't use my fists. Instead, I decided to tell him something far more vicious.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen."

"Why?"

I slowly curled my lips into a smirk. Kang Suho's face flooded with confusion at the sight.

"Because I kissed the kid."

Before long his complexion turned deathly pale and his eyes flew wide open. I bared my teeth at him and laughed with everything I had.

I suggested a bet to create some time alone with Jeong Sua. The loser would have to go to the convenience store and buy snacks.

"Suho, are you okay?"

"Uh... y-yeah. I... lost, huh..."

Kang Suho hadn't been able to focus at all during the game. Making him come in dead last was child's play for me. Even though it was just a game, he looked completely crushed. Jeong Sua reached out worriedly and placed her hand on the back of his, but he flinched violently and yanked it away on reflex.

"Suho...?"

Sua looked bewildered.

"Ah... t-this... it's not that I avoided it on purpose... ugh! I'll go buy the snacks!"

Kang Suho fled the house like he was running for his life. He seemed unable to process the situation and was in complete chaos.

Whether he's confused or not, that's not my problem.

With this, I'd successfully gotten Kang Suho out of the house just as I'd wanted. I slowly approached her. Her face was still colored with confusion. The reason Kang Suho had run away was obviously what I'd told him, but Jeong Sua, unaware of the full context, seemed to think it was her fault. And I planned to make her believe exactly that.

"Weren't you two reconciled?"

"We were... He clearly said he'd treat me like usual... Hic. Haaang!"

Her face crumpled like a gradient, and in the end Sua burst into tears. She seemed shocked by the fact that her closest childhood friend had pushed her away. I pulled her into my arms and patted her shoulder. She cried even harder, burying her face in my chest.

Sua, Kang Suho has changed a lot, hasn't he? It's okay. You'll change too. Soon enough I'll make sure you don't spare a single thought for someone like Kang Suho, and the only time you'll cry is when my cock is buried inside you.

"Hic... I'm sorry, Oppa... Your clothes are all..."

The moment her tears stopped, Jeong Sua immediately worried about my shirt. She looked sorry that she'd not only cried in front of me but had left tear stains on my clothes. I gently tapped her head and spoke affectionately.

"Don't worry. Clothes can be washed. More importantly, won't you tell me what happened ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠between you two?"

I was curious how they'd ended up clashing like this. Jeong Sua hesitated, clearly debating whether to speak. But the hesitation didn't last long. Perhaps she felt guilty for showing such an unsightly side in front of me, because she ended up telling me everything that had happened between them.