#6. Provocation
#6. Provocation
Huin Station.
Huin Station, you say?
Why the hell is he calling me out to Huin Station?
Huin Station wasn't in the bustling downtown.
It was some ambiguously straddling spot between the city center and residential areas.
The only memory I had left from the one time I'd been there...
Was that it was packed to the brim with a ridiculous number of motels.
Calling out the girl who got caught drawing naughty illustrations to a motel district...
This wasn't the time to be sitting around.
He said tomorrow right away, didn't he?
I frantically started rummaging through my closet.
It was as good as the long-awaited person to fulfill my lengthy wish finally showing up.
I couldn't let this chance slip by.
Was I finally going to lose my virginity?
Damn... what underwear should I wear?
To really play up the virgin vibe, should I go with something plain and simple?
The heroines in [I Imprisoned Her] always wore plain cotton panties without any patterns at first.
But at the same time, I thought that showing up in such plain underwear might make it feel like I was actually committing a crime, which could end up turning him off instead.
Then... should I wear this?
Black lace panties with cutouts here and there.
My secret weapon that I'd bought just in case a day like this ever came.
...But if I wear this, won't he think I'm a slut?
I didn't like the idea of the first guy treating me like some well-used slut who's been around the block.
The opportunity had come so suddenly that I couldn't hide my confusion.
Thump thump.
I could feel my heart racing fast.
I had to prepare properly. Properly.
Oh yeah, for times like this!
I had my own personal Bible.
I opened my phone and reverently started rereading [I Imprisoned Her] from the beginning.
All the wisdom for the optimal situation was contained right here.
Yeah... this is it. This is the one!
The first heroine in the novel.
Kang Suyeon.
All I had to do was mimic her demeanor exactly.
After finishing a full reread of the first blackmail scene, I steeled myself to dress as similarly to her as possible.
Skin-tight skinny jeans.
And a ribbed polo knit that hugged every curve of my body.
Luckily, I had both at home.
I quickly tried them on and gazed at my reflection in the mirror with a satisfied smile.
The light orange knit had been sitting in my closet for quite a while, but it still fit perfectly—thank goodness.
Alright then... while I'm at it...
For Han Gyeo-ul-nim, I struck a pose from the first illustration I'd drawn: Kang Suyeon.
I undid the button on my pants and pulled them down to mid-thigh, where the underwear line was blatantly visible, and hiked up the knit until my bra was fully exposed.
Then, in that state, I planted both hands on the floor like a cat.
Hmm... 90 points! I'd give it a solid 90.
Of course, unlike the illustration, I didn't have massive tits, so it lacked volume, but I thought everything else was perfect.
Done. It's done... I'm finally...
My heart fluttered so much I could barely sleep, but what awaited me was...
"...You want to go in here?"
"Yeah."
...Why the hell do I have to go in here?
"What? You hate pizza?"
The place Minho Oppa had dragged me to, after passing all those motels...
[School Pizza Huin Branch]
"...No."
"Then quit whining and get in."
...Eat first and then do it? Is that the plan?
Judging by his forceful attitude, it probably wasn't just some lame dinner and done.
I decided it wasn't time to let go of the thread of hope yet and quietly followed his lead.
"What do you want to eat."
"...Not in the mood to eat anything right now."
Being all obedient wasn't the way to go.
Kang Suyeon in the novel had whined at Lee Jin-seong to the point where it felt excessive at first.
"Then I'll order what I want."
Yes! That's it!
More... more... push harder, rampage! Minho Oppa!
"One pepperoni pizza here."
...Honestly, if we had to eat pizza, I would've preferred bulgogi, but whatever.
Don't be too honest and screw things up, Na-eun.
"Han Na-eun."
Minho Oppa called my name in a low voice.
This tingling in my hands and feet.
It's the best. For real.
"You weren't maybe wanting something other than pizza, right?"
...His tone sounded like he was genuinely worried about me, and my excitement deflated instantly.
Why the fuck are you worrying about that?
Worry about how to fuck me good instead.
Eh, no way he's some impotent loser who can't even get it up on a golden opportunity like this?
Yeah yeah, Na-eun. Don't doubt him.
"No. I said I'm not hungry."
"Yeah?"
Suddenly, Oppa looked deep in thought.
Pondering how to fuck this annoying bitch up?
Yeah, right? Please say yes.
Half tense, half expectant, I waited for his response and let out a sigh of relief at his next words.
"Then just eat it. I already ordered."
His forceful attitude warmed my heart.
Thanks, I'll dig in.
Soon the ordered pizza arrived, and Oppa naturally placed a slice on my plate.
...Does Minho Oppa have a lot of dating experience?
Honestly, it'd be weirder if he didn't—he was 25 or 26, as far as I knew.
Without a word of thanks, I took a bite of the pizza and got straight to the point.
"So why'd you call me out today?"
I asked him with a tone full of irritation.
"To eat."
"Huh?"
For a second, I thought I'd misheard.
He dragged me all the way to Huin-dong just to eat and leave?
"Just thought I'd eat with you."
He answered flatly while chugging his cola.
"That's it?"
So not eat me, but eat food?
I was so let down I had to ask again.
"...If you pay, maybe coffee after?"
I suddenly felt dizzy.
Eat and then coffee?
What, are we on a blind date or something?
It was so absurd I let out a hollow laugh.
"Not feeling it. If you wanted to eat with me, why drag me all the way out here?"
If food was really the goal, why call me to this motel-infested shithole?
Full of eateries everywhere—why pick this neighborhood?
"'Cause it's close to home."
"What?"
"'Cause it's close to home. What, you live far?"
"No... it's like a 20-minute walk."
"I'll cover the pizza. Good enough, right?"
What the fuck is 'good enough' supposed to mean!
Ha. So he really dragged me to this maggoty-ass neighborhood just 'cause it's near his place?
Suddenly, I felt pathetic for putting on a fashion show by myself at home.
No, I was the idiot for getting my hopes up.
Han Na-eun, you fucking moron.
Yeah... even if he has dirt on me, what guy drags a girl straight into a motel on the spot?
That'd be some sex-crazed animal.
...And here I am looking for one—that makes me even worse.
Switching my mindset like that eased my mind a bit, but I couldn't hide the disappointment.
Fine... just score a free meal.
What riches was I expecting anyway...
I nibbled at the pizza and figured I'd ask about the things that'd been bugging me before leaving.
"How'd you know I'm the HNE Author?"
What he'd seen was an unpublished illustration.
That meant he'd figured out my identity purely from my art style...
Did anyone pay that much attention to my work?
Minho Oppa flinched slightly at my question and answered in a small voice.
"...The novel with your illustrations on the cover. I'm a fan too."
The novel?
A fan of [I Imprisoned Her]?
I couldn't help but snicker.
Liking that? Minho Oppa, you're a hopeless perv too.
But if he's a fan of that novel, then this situation should totally overlap with the story—yet all he does is drag me to a pizza joint?
What a pussy.
Wait. If he's a fan of that novel...
Maybe I don't have to let go of hope yet.
Yeah. No way a fan of that mega-perv novel is normal.
This might actually be good?
Should I poke at him a little from my side?
"I do the illustrations but I don't know the story, so what's the novel about?"
The moment I said I didn't know the plot, Minho Oppa's face darkened rapidly.
"It's just... like the stuff in your drawings—not something to spell out here."
"Oh yeah? Probably some shit where you grab girls' weak spots and blackmail them, just like you, Oppa."
He didn't have much to say, just nodded.
"Does the protagonist in the novel say 'let's eat pizza and grab coffee' like you? What a lame-ass erotic novel. For real."
Any true fan would've flipped out at that?
[I Imprisoned Her] had zero scenes of calling a girl out for pizza and going home.
At best, he'd roll her around on a motel bed.
In the worse cases, you could frequently see exposure play in broad daylight parks.
After my snide remark, I slurped my cola hard through the straw.
Come on, Minho Oppa. Let's see if you're really into the novel.
Kung!
Minho Oppa slammed his fist on the table.
"You. Want me to tell you the plot myself?"
Kyaa. Han Na-eun. Spring's finally coming for you.
Haa... Han Gyeo-ul-nim. Thanks to you, I think I can finally achieve enlightenment with my fated partner!
Looking at Minho Oppa's pissed-off face, I cheered inwardly.