#19. Photo
#19. Photo
Han Na-eun.
She, who had caused ripples in my once-calm heart, didn't contact me for a while.
I figured she'd either report me or call me out to chew me out, but my phone stayed dead silent.
Whew... Just in case, I'd even prepared a suicide note in my drawer...
I'd already set aside the income from my novels to donate back to society.
Since I'd die dishonorably from my wrongdoing, maybe doing some good even in death would get me a reduced sentence in hell or something.
But making a fool of my worries, Na-eun showed up at school like nothing had happened at all.
She attended every class—always there when roll call happened—but the moment class ended, she'd bolt out of the lecture hall like she had some emergency.
"Hey. Minho-ya. Wanna grab some food?"
"Yeah."
Hwi-min tapped my shoulder as Reinforced Concrete Class wrapped up.
Just like always, I watched Na-eun's back as she dashed out the second lecture ended, then dragged my feet with Hwi-min toward the cafeteria for some school grub.
"What're you gonna eat?"
Pork cutlet or spicy pork stir-fry.
Man's day today, huh.
Staring at the no-frills guy favorites, I fell into deep contemplation.
"I'll have the spicy pork."
Hwi-min answered while swiping his card at the reader.
"I'll go pork cutlet. Whatever."
We grabbed our trays and were hunting for a seat when a familiar silhouette caught my eye.
"Why not go eat with her?"
Hwi-min had spotted Na-eun too and asked me.
"Nah. Just us."
"Why? We're in the same Urban Planning group anyway. Let's eat together."
No, really, I'm good.
Hwi-min plopped down across from Na-eun without waiting for my full answer.
Na-eun was grinning at her phone all by herself.
Watching some funny video or something?
"Na-eun-ah. Mind if we sit here and eat together?"
Spotting me and Hwi-min, she flinched like a middle schooler caught playing games behind her mom's back.
"Ah... Sit down. Eat together."
I was still standing there glaring at Hwi-min, who just shrugged.
"What. Dude. You two are close, right?"
Yeah. So close I spanked her ass and even hired her as an Erotic Novel Heroine.
Letting out a deep sigh, I sat next to Hwi-min.
Na-eun gave me this weird look.
Like she was holding back a laugh.
...This is making me uneasy.
Ever since I realized Na-eun wasn't your typical straight thinker, I hadn't been able to relax even a bit.
The total lack of reaction was seriously unsettling.
Like staring at a time bomb that could go off any second?
"Minho oppa."
"Yeah?"
"How's the competition prep going?"
Hwi-min tilted his head at her question.
"Minho. You're doing a competition? You?"
...Nooo. Can't exactly say I'm too busy writing Erotic Novels for an excuse.
"Nah, nah. I was gonna do that one from Surim Architectural Firm for a sec, but I dropped it. Not my style."
"Really?"
Na-eun's eyes curved into crescent moons.
"What was the theme?"
Truth be told, I'd blurted out the first thing that came to mind back then and hadn't even read the guidelines.
"Uh... something like... future library and archive space design? I think?"
"Hmm~ I see~"
With that, Na-eun picked up her phone again.
Like an urgent text came in, she hammered away at the keyboard, then set it down—and that's when my phone buzzed.
[Message from Han Na-eun-nim (2)]
...What the hell.
I opened our chat, and my face went rigid.
[Surim Student Competition. PDF]
One file that looked like this competition's guidelines.
And one teasing text from Na-eun who sent it.
[ㅎㅎ Check it out.]
Gulping, I clicked the file open.
And the theme for this Surim competition was... Dusung-dong Regeneration Project.
Totally different from any library bullshit.
"You said you were so busy that day and just bounced, then said you quit? Kinda disappointing, oppa."
We'd barely exchanged words, but my tier-one cafeteria pork cutlet started tasting like crap.
"Lee Min-ho, didn't you say you were gonna Tal-geon? Still got regrets about Design Class?"
Hwi-min snickered and teased me.
"You. Always bitching about how you hate it, but deep down you love Design~"
"No, asshole. Don't say creepy shit like that."
Ugh. No, really, that wasn't it.
If I'm gonna job hunt at a design firm, might as well just work convenience store part-time.
Design firm...
By fourth year, we all inevitably learn the ugly truth about those places.
Some kids watch architects in dramas or movies and dream big.
I just wanna tell 'em one thing.
...Run while you can.
Dead serious.
Back in second year, seeing freshmen made me happy just to have underclassmen... but now when I see first-years...
Ahh... More foolish souls taking the wrong path.
That's all I think.
'Tal-geon happens in intelligence order' ain't a saying for nothing.
"Minho oppa, what'll you do if you Tal-geon?"
Na-eun poked at her pickled radish with her chopsticks and asked.
"Dunno. Play it by ear then."
Probably keep writing Erotic Novels, whatever.
Honestly, I was already pulling in way more than a design firm's starting salary.
No way was I gonna scrape by on peanuts with overtime hell.
"Na-eun-ah. For tomorrow's Urban Planning class. Got any theme ideas?"
Silence fell, so Hwi-min brought up Urban Planning—the one overlap for all three of us.
"I was thinking... um... maybe lean into urban landscaping?"
"Got a specific city in mind?"
"Using New York as reference could work, I think."
Agh... This kinda talk. Hate it.
But Han Na-eun, you.
You're already living the successful life with Erotic Illustrations.
Got a luxury Officetel packed with dolls, living happily—why act like you're serious about architecture?
"So, study Central Park and park distributions or something?"
"More or less."
"Not bad."
"I was thinking Chicago..."
Classic Hwi-min-ssi, dead serious about architecture.
Felt like he'd already mapped out the whole Presentation structure.
As he started explaining all gung-ho, Na-eun looked burdened.
Yeah. That's normal.
Wi-i-i-ing.
Hwi-min's phone buzzed, and he rushed out to take the call.
"You guys eat without me. This is Professor-nim, gonna take a while."
"Sure~"
Na-eun flashed Hwi-min a bright smile and answered.
Just us two left.
Na-eun still had food left but stared at me like she'd finished.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"I've been悩ing about something lately."
...Na-eun-ah.
This ain't the place for that talk in the student cafeteria?
She gonna yell 'This guy's a rapist!' or some shit?
Peak lunch rush, packed with people.
If she screams here, how many beatings would I take?
"...Spit it out."
"You know Han Gyeo-ul Author-nim, right?"
"Yeah."
Relief she didn't call my real name, but that's another name of mine.
Still can't let my guard down.
"Why hasn't he submitted an illustration request?"
...Truth is, the timing was a tad overdue already.
I write 20-30 chapters per Heroine on average, so sending after chapter 1 usually means illustrations wrap up mid-to-late.
But this time it was delayed because...
I'd clocked HNE Author as Na-eun, and had to tweak the Han Na-eun character's direction in the novel.
...Wait, if I'd stuck to the original concept, I'd have basically told Na-eun to illustrate herself?
Imagining her in her bedroom using herself as a model for Erotic Illustrations... kinda hot, actually...
Whoa.
Barely suppressed the urge to slap my own cheek.
These fantasies kept bleeding into reality.
Novels are novels. And mine are straight-up Erotic Novels.
Projecting that onto real life? Insane.
"He'll request soon. Didn't you say you're collabing?"
"That's why... this time, I'm gonna reach out first using the photos you took."
"You. You don't even know the character."
"Doesn't matter if I don't know the story. Platinum blonde bob, curvy body. Eye color? That's for final coloring."
...But seriously sending your own photos to the author?
"Na-eun-ah. You're really sending those pics?"
Super risky move, I thought.
Sure, no explicit shots of privates or anything, but what if that author creep leaks 'em?
"Yeah."
"Hey. What if they spread online..."
"He won't even know it's me anyway."
Fair point.
"Still, better not."
"You're worried about me after what you did?"
...Fuck, speechless.
"Anyway, gonna send it."
Hey. If you're just gonna do whatever, why bring up '悩ing'?
"Gonna head out first. See you tomorrow, oppa."
Na-eun bounced, and I shoved cold pork cutlet in my mouth.
Got home, checked my email, and I was shaking with rage.
Na-eun lied to me.
'Cause the photo HNE Author attached wasn't one I took.
In the pic, Na-eun...
Had her top flipped up completely, tits fully out.
Her pink nipples and areolas, no mosaic at all.
Only her eyes were mosaicked.
[Please fuck this pathetic me♥]
The writing on the placard around her neck was crystal clear.
Hell, double peace sign with her hands.
[How about trying this pose for the new character?]
Casual email tone, like she knew nothing.
...No way this chick's a Virgin.
Han Na-eun.
Daring to fake being a Virgin when you're not?
She'd touched the reverse scale of an Erotic Novelist like me.