Councilor Kwon Na-hyeon
"Report."
I asked without looking at Kwon Na-hyeon sitting in the passenger seat. It was a clear display of disregard, the attitude of a superior.
"Luckily, there was a city councilor who was on the same page."
She reported the progress calmly. But since only a day had passed, there couldn't have been much progress. I knew that, and so did she. Yet neither of us brought up the topic of time.
"Hmm."
I exhaled lowly, as if annoyed.
"Still, don't worry. There's still the next vote. We have plenty of time."
It's not like a waste disposal site is being built in my administrative district, so honestly, I didn't care.
"Is that so."
I answered calmly and glanced at Kwon Na-hyeon.
"……."
She smiled brightly. It was a smile that anyone could see was elegant and graceful. Her acting was so refined that it was hard to believe she was a year younger than me.
I lowered my gaze to the chest area of the blouse she was wearing.
"Oh my."
Her fingertips drew an arc as they rose to cover her chest. Every gesture was so charming that it drew the eye.
"You can't become a sponsor if it's not possible~."
She said as if scolding me. It didn't feel like Yoo-na's older sister.
"So?"
I looked up at her indifferently.
Kwon Na-hyeon's lips trembled slightly. No matter how much she pretended to be an adult, a seasoned politician, she was only 26 years old.
"What are you doing? Get out."
"……."
It was obvious sexual harassment. If it were real, it would be a statement and situation that could ruin one's life. But I didn't care.
If sponsorship was cut off, she would be the one who 'failed'.
A small crack appeared in her elegant mask.
When I reached out, she flinched and instinctively pulled away.
"Why, afraid I'll touch you?"
"……."
Crack. The crack in her elegant mask widened a bit more.
Click. I unbuckled Kwon Na-hyeon's seatbelt.
"Don't misunderstand."
"There's no way I'd misunderstand."
She answered as if nothing was wrong, but her fingertips were trembling.
"And if I say I'm going to touch you, can you refuse?"
Absolute superior.
"……."
Kwon Na-hyeon opened her mouth to answer, but no words came out. Shock and fear. Those must be the emotions she was feeling.
"Why no answer?"
"That's…"
"Or I'll withdraw the sponsorship. Since you haven't done anything, return the sponsorship money. Two years… you've probably accumulated quite a bit?"
Absolute evil. A subtle threat that you'd only see in dramas or movies.
"I'm sorry. Since this is the first time the sponsor has given me a task, there might be a small mistake, right?"
She was speaking with as much composure as possible.
"Councilor Kwon Na-hyeon."
"Yes~."
I spoke with a blank expression. Fear settled on the face of the 26-year-old second-year city councilor.
"Interesting. The way you're trying to climb up."
There was no need to drag it out.
"Climb up~? There's no way."
No matter how much she pretended to be composed, she couldn't hide the trembling at the end of her words. She probably hadn't experienced this kind of threat and shackles in her life.
I maintained silence for a while without saying anything. The superior's silence. I knew well how much pressure it exerted.
"Well, it doesn't matter."
At my words that finally broke the silence, I heard a faint sigh of relief from beside me.
"Look at this. Because there's something Kwon Na-hyeon needs to do."
"……."
Had the mental exhaustion been great? She had a face that wanted to get out of this place as quickly as possible without answering.
Flicker! 1 second. 2 seconds. 3 seconds. The 3rd floor arrived. As expected, the suggestion was simple.
— To succeed, he is necessary.
"……Suc…ceed……he……."
— His sponsorship is absolutely necessary for success.
"……Suc…cess…spon…sorship…necessary……."
— Success is impossible without his sponsorship.
"……Suc…cess…his…spon…sorship……."
Suggestions of success following failure. It further heightened the anxiety. Failure without his sponsorship. Success only with his sponsorship. Suggestions that seemed similar but were different. But because of that, they would be embedded even deeper in her heart. My existence.
— What do you have to do to succeed?
"……His…spon…sorship…must…keep…receiving……."
I smiled in satisfaction.
Whoosh!
§ <Kwon Na-hyeon>
Irritation surged with all its might. I frowned while looking at the bathroom mirror. A guy who seemed about my age was doing all kinds of power trips. I wanted to kill him.
"Hoo…"
Calm down. I can't break down here. As long as his sponsorship doesn't stop, I can succeed. An unknown confidence settled in one corner. In return, anxiety also rose. If his sponsorship stopped, I'd fail. Without even reaching the threshold of success.
"You can do it, Na-hyeon. You can do it."
I gathered my resolve while looking in the mirror and put on that usual smile. Then I entered the city council chamber.
The murmuring sounds of them chatting among themselves. How many of them were truly sincere about national affairs? How many councilors were just empty shells satisfied as long as they could keep their positions.
- Then, we will lift the second recess and resume. Councilor Kwon Na-hyeon, please come up.
At the moderator's words, I bowed in greeting and took the stand. The stenographer to record my words was the first to catch my eye. Behind them, the councilors and local newspaper reporters.
I can do it. With more passion than before, I opened my mouth toward them.
§
"Damn, this is so fun?"
This is why being the superior is worth it. Even the plan Yoo-na drew up drew out my fun.
<○ The master-servant relationship must be clearly established>
Recalling a line from the plan, I chuckled. Since I'd decided to be the villain, I had to do it properly.
Glamping site. A place located on the outskirts of the city. Each tent was quite far apart, and there was even a wooden fence. A private place where we'd never be caught.
Sizzle!
The pork belly was browning nicely.
"Hiss, is this not it?"
While grilling, I wondered if this was really a place a villain would choose.
"Well, whatever."
Anyway, being private was what mattered.
Vroom!
The sound of a car approaching from afar. There were other guests besides us, so it could be their group.
Thud!
"You're here."
Seeing her standing right in front, it was definitely Kwon Na-hyeon. Kwon Na-hyeon entering through the wooden fence gate. White blouse and black slacks.
"You're here?"
I asked with my expression wiped clean.
"Hello~."
"Report."
I cut her off with a wave of my hand as she greeted politely.
"First…"
Before speaking, I saw her swallow slightly.
"The results aren't bad. Fortunately, some people listened to me and changed their votes……."
"So."
I slowly shifted my gaze from the charcoal to look at Kwon Na-hyeon. A chillingly cold expression.
"Did it work?"
"……."
It didn't.
"Sponsor……."
She called me cautiously. I looked at her as if to say 'speak'.
"Is opposing the waste disposal site really that… important?"
Huh? No, it doesn't matter at all. Whether it's built or not.
"What does it have to do with you?"
She paused at my question.
"But I'm a city councilor……."
"If you were going to do as you please, why did you accept the sponsorship?"
"……."
Bathed in the crimson glow of the charcoal, she lowered her head without a word.
"I'm sorry~."
But soon she put on her mask again and spoke. Still standing politely in front of me.
I silently wrapped a large piece of pork belly in lettuce and put it in my mouth. Meanwhile, she waited quietly.
Glug. I poured soju into a plastic cup and downed it.
Kuh.
"By the way… I found one decent friend."
"……."
She waited quietly, as if she didn't understand what I meant.
"I was thinking of sponsoring that friend a bit more."
"……!"
According to the business card, she had graduated from a good university in Seoul, so she caught on immediately. Of course, the university didn't matter. Anyone would have noticed. That if she messed up, the sponsorship would be cut off.
"W-wait a moment, Sponsor."
She stuttered for the first time out of embarrassment.
"Hehe~, today there were people who agreed with me though……."
"……."
Seeing my expression, she stopped talking. Her orange-tinted eyes reflected in the flames wavered.
"Have you… made up your mind?"
I leaned back in the camping chair and crossed my legs. My gaze swept from her face downward. As if she got goosebumps, she slowly covered her body.
"Ah, I'm still just thinking."
"……."
In this situation, she had no choices.
"What… do you want?"
Her body trembled slightly, as if she hadn't steeled herself.
"Why, if I tell you to do it, can you?"
"……."
I chuckled at the silence and leaned forward, looking at her.
"No matter what your dream is, without me, you probably can't 'succeed', right?"
"……."
Still no answer. She just wore her smiling mask. Crack. The mask was cracked all over.
I slipped my foot out of the slipper.
"Lick it."
"……!"
She froze with the mask on.
"I think we need to clearly establish the master-servant relationship."
"……."
"I don't need stupid slaves."
Kwon Na-hyeon's lips curled up. The cracked mask was perfectly attached again.
"Of course~, since they elected me to work for the citizens, I should work like a slave~. That's what you mean, right?"
She was trying to find a way out somehow. Na-hyeon~, Na-hyeon~. You know it.
"Hmm? Seems like you misunderstood?"
I said while moving the meat aside before it burned.
"I'm the master, and you're the slave. Is that so hard to understand?"
"……."
"If I say lick, lick. If I say crawl, crawl."
Her eyes burned fiercely behind the smile. It probably wasn't because of the charcoal.
"The exit is over there."
If you don't like it, leave~.
I kindly pointed to the fence gate with my hand.
"……."
Only then did she turn around, her face flushing as if about to explode.
"The sponsorship was appreciated. Even if I can't repay it right away, I'll definitely return the sponsorship money soon."
Her eyes trembled at the corners, yet she maintained her smile. Politicians really aren't just anyone. Whew, I couldn't do it.
Creak. Eventually, she opened the door and left.
§ <Kwon Na-hyeon>
Bang!
I slammed the steering wheel hard.
"Fuck, that bastard! Just because he has a little money…!"
If it had been an old grandpa, I could have cursed him out refreshingly! But seeing someone who looks similar to me acting like that pisses me off.
Shame, humiliation, anger.
Why! You're similar to me too!
I shouted angrily inside the car.
"Hoo, hoo."
After shouting, I felt a bit better.
"Ha, sponsorship? Screw it."
Having lost my father at a young age and living alone, what kind of life had I lived? This much was nothing.
"……."
As the tsunami of anger swept past, my calmed mind calculated the future.
And then… 'failure' and 'success'. Everything depended on that sponsorship.
Certainly…, if there was sponsorship, there'd be no frustration over money……. No worries about election expenses. Other miscellaneous supplies. Even clothes and cosmetics for maintaining dignity.
The city provides some, but……. It's on a different level from personal sponsorship. You can tell by looking at other councilors.
"Aaah~! Seriously!"
I got annoyed at the hopeless situation. The only person sponsoring the independent her… was that guy.
"Haa."
Contrary to what she said about leaving, the car engine wasn't even started yet.
"Hoo, I'll endure it. I'll endure it."
Because I have a dream. At least that law, I will…….
I opened the car door and got out. Warm during the day but still chilly at night.
"……."
The wooden fence gate. The moment I open this and enter, there was no turning back. Either open it and run toward 'success', or turn back and give up everything to 'fail'.
Creak. The answer was already decided anyway.
"Sponsor~."
I entered with a bright smile.
"Hmm? Weren't you leaving?"
He looked at me indifferently. I wanted to punch that chin just once! Just one hit.
"Oh my~, how could I leave behind a sponsor who sponsors me for national affairs?"
He looked at me in disbelief. Hey, I'm the one who's more dumbfounded. You drive around in a shabby car but spend so much on sponsorship? Are you doing some commoner cosplay?
"Ha, interesting. In the end, it's about money?"
"There's no way. With that money, I'll work harder……."
"Whatever."
That bastard for sure.
"Then lick."
"……."
He stuck out the foot that had been in the slipper. Did he wash it? He must have.
"I didn't wash it. I've been moving all day, so it's full of sweat."
Ah~, you bastard!
"So our clean councilor will clean it with her tongue. You'll do it for a citizen who's worked hard, right?"
Please! If there's a god, just one hit…!
"Of course~, you must have worked hard~."
Kwon Na-hyeon smiled with the most careful smile of her life. Because she wanted to 'succeed' in her dream.
She slowly knelt on the wooden deck.
"……."
Close my eyes tight. I can do it. It required more resolve than speaking in front of councilors.
26 years old, for the first time in her life, she politely lifted a man's foot.
"Stick out your tongue and clean it. It's cleaner that way."
"Yes~. Of course."
I'll kill him. Definitely!
"Chuu…"
She stuck out her pink tongue and put it between the toes.
Ah…. I want to kill him.
"Chup…, chup…. chuup…. um…. um…."
He looked down at her and curled his lips. Intense shame and humiliation.
"As expected, since you're a dog, you lick well."
In 26 years of living, nothing had been this humiliating.
"Chuuup…, um…."
But now was the time to endure.
"Is that enough?"
There was a musty taste in her mouth. Yet she smiled brightly.
"The other side."
He took out the other foot and placed it in my hand.
Fuuuuck~. I'll kill him.