Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Mocking the Sweet Guy?
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Is she mocking me by calling me a sweet guy?
After that day, Ji-su started treating Ji-hoon noticeably better, almost like they were back in the early days of their marriage.
She even initiated intimacy, something she'd refused so adamantly before.
But Ji-hoon pushed her away, claiming he was tired.
He knew mixing bodies could weaken his resolve.
He wanted to keep both his body and mind pure until the revenge was complete.
Looking absurdly rejected, Ji-su turned her back with a pouty face and fell asleep. Seeing that, Ji-hoon's heart stung just a little, but there was no helping it.
Everything was going according to plan.
Now, just one last puzzle piece to arrive...
'It should be about time for contact...'
Ji-hoon quietly turned on his phone screen.
He was waiting for someone's message.
For the next few days, Ji-hoon spent his days ordinarily.
Waking up in the morning, eating, occasionally helping at his parents' house.
The only change was that he no longer talked much to his wife like before.
Instead, now Ji-su chattered away beside him.
She prattled on about everyday things, like what she did meeting friends today or what she saw shopping.
If Ji-hoon gave no particular response, she'd say with a pouty face,
"Oppa! Are you still mad about that night I stayed out? I'm sorry too, so I'm reporting everything I do every day!"
Even to that, Ji-hoon remained silent.
Ji-su eventually sighed deeply and asked,
"How long are you going to keep this up? I said I was wrong! I was mad too, so I did it to piss you off! And the stay-out was really because I drank too much with friends and passed out!"
Her excuses didn't resonate with Ji-hoon at all.
Maybe because of the seed of suspicion that had once taken root.
He no longer felt that strong love for his wife like before.
All her actions just seemed fake.
That venomous look she'd shown during their fight.
Thinking that was her true face made his affection wane.
That very day, Ji-hoon contacted his father.
To get the payment details for the card his wife used that day.
It was clearly stamped there.
[Payment: J Bar, 23:48]
Ji-hoon immediately scoured the internet for a private investigator.
He handed over his wife's photo, the location of J Bar, and the date, requesting they track her movements that day.
The fee was 5 million won.
A bit pricey, but his life was on the line.
Yes, the contact Ji-hoon had been waiting for was news from that agency.
The agency that received Ji-hoon's request immediately began the investigation.
For these seasoned pros, this job was easier than expected.
A clear photo and precise card payment record.
One day was plenty.
On the day of the request, the agent headed straight to J Bar.
As he opened the door, a young boss lady in sexy attire greeted him.
The agent showed Ji-su's photo right away and pressured her.
"This woman drank here last night and went missing."
The boss initially refused to share CCTV firmly.
The agent said, as if he'd anticipated it,
"If I call the police now, it'll be hard to stay in business, right? Just show me and I'll let it slide quietly. Promise."
At that, the boss reluctantly sighed.
"...Keep your promise. Just that time frame, right?"
The agent nodded with a smile.
The boss operated the counter computer and brought up the screen.
There was the client's wife, Ji-su.
"Oh! That's her. Can you angle the screen this way?"
As it switched to a better view, the agent inwardly shouted bingo.
Two men, two women.
Drinking together happily.
Nothing more to see.
"Can I take a copy of this footage?"
The boss nodded reluctantly.
The agent copied it to a USB, then tracked from the bar entrance CCTV.
He went around nearby shops, this time using a different tactic.
"My cat ran away... Could I see your CCTV from that time?"
The sympathy ploy worked well.
After a few stops, their destination was a motel.
Luckily, the request came the next day, so the motel entrance footage was still there.
But motels are infamous for not sharing CCTV.
The agent returned to the office and changed into a disguise.
Donning a police uniform prepared in one corner and grabbing a fake ID.
He went back to the motel, mentioning a missing person case to demand CCTV.
The result was successful.
Time entering the motel.
Corridor CCTV going into the room.
Next morning, the man exiting first, the woman much later.
With all evidence footage secured, the agent said "Thanks for cooperating" and smoothly left.
Back at the office, he organized the evidence neatly for a glance.
Looking at the monitor, he clicked his tongue.
"Tsk tsk... She looks so young, what the hell is she doing leaving her husband? Well... People like us make a living off this, so nothing to say..."
As a fellow man, he felt inwardly bitter.
The agent finished the report and picked up the phone.
He called the client.
"Yes, boss. Evidence collection complete. Where shall we meet?"
And so, all the evidence was gathered.
The document envelope handed over by the agency agent.
Ji-hoon took it and flipped through page by page.
He bit his lip hard.
But the shock wasn't as big as expected.
It was the worst scenario he'd simulated in his head countless times.
Who said women's intuition is scary?
That's just endlessly suspecting men and hitting occasionally.
The real scary thing is men's intuition.
Men who eat wrong restaurant orders without batting an eye have sharp intuition.
That means clear circumstantial evidence has been caught.
The ring gone after the stay-out.
The sudden attitude change.
Unprompted detailed reports. And even attempting intimacy she'd refused.
Anyone could see this was a blatant red flag.
Ji-hoon frowned at the timeline-sorted evidence photos.
Because next to his wife was a familiar face.
Her friend who often called her out, Yuri.
'I had a bad feeling, and here she pops up?'
Why is bad intuition never wrong?
A hollow laugh crept onto Ji-hoon's lips.
Seeing Ji-hoon smile silently, the agent misunderstood.
'Tsk tsk, must've gone mad from the shock.'
"Well... I'll be going then."
To the agent's words, Ji-hoon bowed his head.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Sure."
The agent bowed too and left.
Left alone at the Han River convenience store table, Ji-hoon.
A cool river breeze blew.
He pondered for a moment, then checked his wife's Instagram for final confirmation.
He found Yuri in her followers and sent a DM.
[Don't tell Ji-su, but give me your number. Important matter.]
Yuri was puzzled by the sudden contact from Ji-hoon but felt uneasy yet sent her number.
A call came right away.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Yuri. This is Ji-su's husband, Kim Ji-hoon. First time since the wedding."
"Yes... What is it...?"
"Oh! I want to surprise Ji-su secretly and need help. I'll pay generously, can you assist with the event?"
At that, jealousy stirred in Yuri.
'Hmph, did this bitch save a country in her past life? Landing a husband like this.'
Not in the best mood.
"Ah~ So that's why no telling. Of course, I'll help."
"Haha, are you busy now?"
"No, just finished school classes. Why?"
"Then can we meet briefly to talk?"
"Um... Sure. Where?"
"No need. I'll come. Just tell me location."
"Oh, I'm in front of school."
"Got it. See you at the school gate."
Hanging up, Ji-hoon's eyes gleamed coldly.
The last puzzle: meeting Yuri.
Parking in front of the university gate, the appointed spot, soon a dolled-up Yuri got into the passenger seat.
I smiled and pulled out.
"Oh my~ You're so sweet~!"
What? Is she mocking me as the sweet guy?
Yuri chattering in the passenger seat exuded sexiness beyond her age.
The kind where a so-called JAV fan uncle would go, "Heh heh~ Can't handle that?" She radiated allure disproportionate to her years.
Popular with men, no doubt.
Of course, just for a one-night stand.
"But... where are we going?"
"Oh, somewhere quiet to talk. There's a pretty cafe on the outskirts. Thinking of renting it for the event."
My words made Yuri's eyes sparkle.
"Oh wow~ Sounds great~ I'll check it out good!"
The car headed to Seoul's outskirts, to a deserted area.
The sun was setting.
Entering a mountain road, not a soul or another car in sight.
Starting to feel uneasy, Yuri asked,
"Hmm~ A cafe here too? Oh~ Must be one of those forest cafes in the mountains. Ho ho."
Friend's husband.
That fact erased all her doubts.
I smoothly pulled over to the roadside.
As the car stopped, Yuri looked puzzled.
"Huh? Here? It's just a road...?"
Instead of answering, I turned off the engine and unbuckled.
Clunk.
I slowly turned my body toward her.
And said with a face devoid of any smile,
"You fucking bitch."
At my curse, Yuri's face went stark white.
Her eyes shook wildly, lost.
"W-Why... suddenly...?"
Yuri asked in a trembling voice.
Darkening time.
Deserted road.
Only occasional cars with headlights whooshing by.
A man who'd smiled kindly minutes ago switching faces and spewing curses.
Any woman would be terrified.
No, honestly, even a man would freak.
Instead of replying, I turned to the back.
To grab the document envelope tossed there.
Flinch.
Yuri shuddered in fear.
Thinking I was pulling something out, maybe.
I straightened up, pulled out a few photos from the envelope, and tossed them onto her lap.
I said in a voice forcibly suppressing anger,
"Explain."
Short and curt.
Yuri looked down at the photos.
And froze solid.
In them, she and her friend Ji-su were drinking with strange men.
One word flashed in her mind.
'Fuck, I'm screwed!'
Color drained from Yuri's face as she alternated between the photos on her lap and my face.
I could almost hear her brain spinning fast.
Scrambling for an excuse to escape.
Moments later, she spoke.
Her voice still quivering faintly.
"Th-This is a misunderstanding. That day... I really liked that guy... So I begged Ji-su to stay with me, just once, to hang out together."
Even then, she covered for her friend.
Yuri had a one-night with that man, thinking Ji-su helped and went home first.
Ji-su hadn't said anything, so she assumed that was it.
"Ji-su just drank and sent me off first, then got home fine on her own! Really!"
What bullshit is this?
Ji-hoon was baffled by Yuri's words.
I silently pulled another photo from the envelope.
And shoved it in her face.
Motel entrance CCTV.
Ji-su and the man entering arm-in-arm, intimately.
Yuri's eyes widened impossibly at the photo.
Her mouth gaped.
The mouth that had just shielded her friend couldn't utter a word.
Completely speechless.
Only one thought echoed in her head.
'This crazy bitch... What the hell has she been up to? This level of slutty wasn't in the plan?'
Horror at her friend filming an unimaginable trash drama on the stage she'd set.
It was plain on her face.