#79. Illere
#79. Illere
"...So. You want me to use you as a character in my novel?"
"You've already made a total pervert bitch using my name."
...Well, that's true.
I was about to say something like, what kind of ridiculous bullshit is that, but then I realized I was already a criminal with priors.
I was a villain who'd serialized over 30 chapters of an Erotic Novel using my girlfriend's name.
Hmm... Illere...
With Na-eun's help, writing itself might actually get a whole lot easier.
After setting up characters with specific jobs, the thing I watched most was vlogs from people actually working in those fields.
What time they wake up, what time they get off work, what their daily tasks are like.
Of course, it's impossible to catch every single tiny detail, but referencing that stuff lets me outline the big picture at least.
In that context, if Na-eun, a real working Illustrator, gave me immediate feedback right there, the realism would be top-notch.
But [Imprisoning Her] is an Erotic Novel.
Not some job promo ad.
It means making scenes that get you hard using the Illustrator job, and right now, I'm drawing a blank...
"Outfit?"
"Outfit?"
"You know every character has a signature outfit."
Not taking her words lightly, I asked Na-eun in a serious tone.
"I'm a freelancer."
"I know that."
"I always wear tracksuits."
No. What the hell am I supposed to do with that.
"Then Illere is rejected! You little shit!"
I straightened my hand into a chop and lightly smacked the top of her head.
"Ow. Why. Use me. Use me."
Na-eun whined at me like a sulky kid throwing a tantrum.
"Hey. How the fuck am I supposed to write a sex scene with a girl who holes up at home in tracksuits fiddling with her tablet all day."
"...For someone who says that, Yoo Soyeon was a meek librarian."
"Hey! Soyeon is!"
Uh...?
Hold up.
How does she know Yoo Soyeon is a librarian?
When I commissioned the illustrations, I did give a rough description of the characters, but something felt off.
How many commissions has Na-eun even done? She remembers the characters' names and personalities?
Sure, she might remember their images, but still.
Suspicious... super fucking suspicious...
Her perfectly timed remark hit right in the sweet spot, so I had no choice but to ask her again.
"Na-eun."
I grabbed her shoulders with both hands, and she flinched.
"W-Why... why."
"You read it."
"What."
"Imprisoning Her."
Her eyes were shaking—no one could miss it.
"Ah. I've told you like ten times I don't read that bottom-feeder pervert shit that only total fucking degenerates read."
She was trying her best to play it cool, but her tone was weird somewhere.
"Yeah? Then bring your phone."
My sudden demand left Na-eun looking extremely flustered.
"...Why my phone."
"Nothing else. Just let me check your Novel World reading history."
Na-eun's already pale face went a shade whiter.
"...No. Who are you to ask?"
"Me? Your boyfriend. What's the big deal."
"Ah. No. Seriously, no."
The casual speech that pops out whenever she's desperate.
My inner detective was yelling 'Gotcha, you bastard!'
"Yeah? Now you're making me even more curious."
I whipped around and started marching ttubeok ttubeok toward Na-eun's phone on the dining table.
Na-eun must've guessed what I was up to because she threw both arms around my waist.
"Ah. Seriously, why are you doing this."
"You. I've been fucking suspicious of you for a while now."
Na-eun tried her hardest to stop me, but there was a clear physical gap between us that couldn't be bridged.
158cm. No exercise. She couldn't block my build.
In the end, I made it to the table and snatched her phone.
Right as I was about to swipe to unlock the screen.
"...If you open that, you won't see my face anymore."
"...What?"
"If you open that, I won't see your face anymore."
Her somewhat extreme words made me freeze.
"No. Na-eun. I'm not trying to look at your private SNS or call logs. I just wanna see your novel reading list. That's so bad?"
I turned my head to look down, and her face was red as a ripe apple.
"...What. Why are you like this."
"Get out."
"...You were just telling me to fuck off a minute ago."
"Get out."
Cutting me off, Na-eun pointed at the front door with her finger.
Seeing her actually pissed off like that, I gently set the phone back on the table.
I raised both hands above my head, signaling I'd obey, and turned toward my bag.
Na-eun was still glaring at me, clearly super mad.
Was asking to see her novel list that rude?
It didn't seem like it... didn't feel like it.
Everyone has their sensitive spots, I get that, but honestly, this one was hard to swallow.
"Alright, I'll head out then. Na-eun?"
I crammed my feet into my shoes at the door, and Na-eun whipped her head away.
What the hell made her so mad she couldn't even say goodbye.
For now, I figured I should leave her alone to cool off and hit her up later tonight or tomorrow.
Even after leaving Na-eun's Officetel, her angry face kept floating in front of my eyes.
What part pissed her off that bad.
Hmm...
From all the dating advice I've picked up from various media, nothing seemed off.
I shook my head hard while deep in thought.
"Nah. Whatever."
My girlfriend is Han Na-eun.
A being beyond normal common sense.
I concluded that asking her straight up was a hundred times better than me misunderstanding alone.
After Minho oppa left like that, I was alone in the house.
I was lamenting my own stupidity.
"Han Na-eun, you fucking idiot."
I really was an idiot.
I'd sworn to myself to never get caught, then stupidly brought up Yoo Soyeon right away.
But honestly, I was so fucking pissed I couldn't hold back my retort.
How could I hold back?
Yoo Soyeon's outfit in [Imprisoning Her] wasn't even much of an outfit.
Just everyday clothes.
Not blatant office wear like Kang Suyeon—just some daily look you'd see on high school girls out in the city.
Even an Illustrator like me could draw something similar without much thought, so it pissed me off that he used it as an excuse to dismiss my idea.
How many times has he ignored me today alone?
He doesn't even know how much I love his novels or think about them.
He doesn't know I'm a hardcore Lee Jin-seong fan.
I hate you, oppa.
I hate you.
Honestly, if he'd just said he'd consider it, I was ready to spend a hot night with oppa.
Tomorrow's Saturday.
No classes, so I was gonna tell him to stay over and enjoy ourselves properly at my place.
I even got home earlier than oppa and bought ingredients at the market for us to have breakfast together.
I picked up my phone and logged into Novel World.
[Han Na-eun]
A notification that the final episode written for me by oppa under my name had been uploaded.
I slowly scrolled down.
Han Na-eun and Lee Jin-seong in [Imprisoning Her] looked blissfully happy.
Lee Jin-seong truly saw Han Na-eun as his possession, and Han Na-eun pledged eternal submission to Lee Jin-seong's cock.
As expected, it ended with a creampie.
Lee Jin-seong's massive cock ruthlessly ravaged Han Na-eun's pussy and irresponsibly dumped his load inside.
And Han Na-eun felt deep gratitude for it.
Compared to that, I...
Snapped at Minho oppa with informal speech and basically kicked him out like "get lost."
Oppa didn't do a single thing wrong, really...
I just lashed out at him for no reason because I didn't want him knowing I'm a fan.
I missed oppa.
I wished he'd come back here.
But after chasing him away, asking him to return would be gross, right?
If oppa did the same to me, I'd think, what the fuck is this bitch doing.
Aah... Still, I should apologize.
What should I send.
Sorry for being too sensitive earlier?
Sorry for getting too emotional?
Both seem fine...
I was biting my nails, agonizing over a first message, when my phone buzzed.
[Lee Min-ho]
I'd been feeling bad for speaking harshly, and here he was contacting me first...
I thought my boyfriend was too good a person to have created a psychopath like Lee Jin-seong.
Phew... Wonder what he sent.
I gotta apologize properly.
I swiped with my thumb to unlock the screen...
[You on your period or something.]
...Should I just say yeah?