Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: The Outsider Hostage to the Secret Pact
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ —Emotional Relationship Monopoly and Distribution Agreement—
Three days before Jeong Yi-an was called out under the pretext of going shopping for swimsuits with his friends.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ On a summer night when a drizzling rain fell like a humidifier, turning the whole neighborhood damp and clammy,
two female students met inside a large sedan parked along a deserted roadside.
"Then, miss. I hope you have a good time with your friend."
After the driver gave a polite bow and closed the door,
all that remained inside the car were the two female students, exchanging smiles.
But both of them knew all too well that it was only their expressions that were smiling.
A few seconds of silence stretched on even after the driver had left,
until Han Si-a—the beautiful girl with cold features and jet-black hair cascading down to her waist—finally broke it by opening the conversation with the other girl.
"I saw what you did to Jeong Yi-an at the café last time. I get that you were overcome with emotion after hearing about what he did, but I think we need to talk about you getting overly physical right in front of me."
The girl listening beside Han Si-a was Yoo So-mi: a student whose light-dyed hair still gave her an innocent look, though her figure was distinctly Western in its curves.
Han Si-a had witnessed Yoo So-mi's physical contact with Jeong Yi-an at the café last time and felt the need to put a stop to it at least once.
But Yoo So-mi averted her gaze just slightly from Han Si-a's stare and shot back boldly.
"Hmm... well? It might've been a tad provocative in front of you, sure, but considering we're best friends, I don't think it was over the top?"
Han Si-a responded to Yoo So-mi's direct denial of her view as if she'd expected it all along.
"Climbing onto Jeong Yi-an's lap while he was sitting in that chair, rubbing your chest against him, wrapping your arms around his neck, and gazing up at him all desperately like you were begging for a kiss—that's not over the top? Isn't that basically sex already?"
Even as she cornered her opponent with some pretty explicit language, Han Si-a's face still held a smile.
But apparently, the expression she'd used was too stimulating for the other girl.
Yoo So-mi jumped in shock at Han Si-a's words and let out a shrill shriek.
"Kyaaah!! Si-a, what are you even saying?! Th-that's something you do when you're making a baby!!"
She was so embarrassed by what she'd just heard that she covered her face with both hands, twisting and squirming in her seat.
The car interior was too dark to make out her complexion, but anyone could tell her face was beet red by now.
But Han Si-a, watching her, hardened her expression in stark contrast and eyed her suspiciously.
"So, does that mean as long as you don't get pregnant, it's not sex...?"
"La-la-la-la!!! I can't hear you!!! Girls don't say stuff like that!!!"
But Han Si-a's words couldn't continue as Yoo So-mi plugged her ears and pretended not to hear.
.
.
.
Once they'd both calmed down a bit, Han Si-a spoke again in a composed tone.
"So-mi. Up until now, I've seen Jeong Yi-an as a future business partner. It's hard to find someone as exceptional as him in our generation, so I figured he'd be a huge help when I start my company."
"So... your thinking's changed a little now?"
"Yeah. It feels like such a waste to limit him to just a business partner. Now I want to have him completely in my grasp. Not as some independent partner, but as my right-hand man, my proxy, my extension. He needs to be someone I can entrust with every aspect of my life, not just business matters."
Han Si-a had been deeply impressed by Jeong Yi-an's exploits in the recent incident.
The culprit had targeted only Yoo So-mi on the surface, at least, making it awkward for her parents to get directly involved.
The police had no clear justification to act,
and to get justification, they needed to catch the perp first and check the saved data,
but catching a criminal hiding behind internet anonymity required police action—
an endless loop of frustration that a mere high schooler had broken through.
In her eyes, at least, Jeong Yi-an had seemed like a secret agent from the movies, operating from the shadows in a black suit.
If she could make him her direct subordinate, her own personal asset, Han Si-a felt like she'd give anything in return.
And at Han Si-a's words, Yoo So-mi asked again, looking a bit puzzled.
"So... does that mean you want to become lovers or best friends with Yi-an??"
"Well... I do think there needs to be a clear hierarchy between us, so maybe not exactly lovers or best friends? But if that's what it takes, I'd even marry Jeong Yi-an, no problem."
"..."
A dark cloud settled over Yoo So-mi's face.
The reason was that Han Si-a's possessiveness was far more intense than she'd anticipated.
As Yoo So-mi's emotions grew complicated, leaving her without a retort, Han Si-a continued.
"But like I said last time, my family meddles a lot in dating... I can't make a move until after I graduate, start my company, and gain independence. But lately, watching you and Jeong Yi-an..."
"Watching us?"
"Before the year is out, all I can see is you getting pregnant, the two of you holding hands and dropping out of school. Jeong Yi-an would probably spout nonsense like 'It doesn't matter, I'm gonna strike it rich with Bitcoin.'"
Han Si-a's expression was deadly serious, even carrying a hint of gloom.
She was genuinely worried about Yoo So-mi and Jeong Yi-an speeding toward a dropout ending.
But Yoo So-mi bristled at the words and raised her voice instead.
"You don't need to worry about that at all! As his best friend, I make damn sure to draw a clear line and not invade lover territory!!!"
Han Si-a scowled, clearly unable to agree even slightly with Yoo So-mi's claim,
but Yoo So-mi pressed on steadfastly.
"I'm actually more worried about you, Si-a. You talk all rational and logical, but the second you're alone with Yi-an, you turn into someone else, and it feels like you're gonna cross some line. Like that time you took a 'best friends-only access forbidden' level photo to send him, or how you're weirdly reluctant to talk about what happened at Daegwallyeong..."
Han Si-a opened her mouth to protest but hesitated and closed it again.
Listening to Yoo So-mi brought the Daegwallyeong incident flashing back to her mind.
No matter how tipsy she'd been, seeing Jeong Yi-an's abs right in front of her had made her lose all reason, and truth be told, when she'd pounced on him, she hadn't thought once about stopping midway.
So if asked which of them was more likely to hit the 'speeding violation & dropout' ending, she had to admit it might be herself.
Han Si-a averted her gaze with her mouth shut, her thoughts having reached that point,
and Yoo So-mi, catching it, changed her expression entirely and spoke up.
"What? Did something happen between you two while I wasn't around? Daegwallyeong? So something did happen there, huh?"
Yoo So-mi's eyes had a hint of menace.
Feeling a chill from that look, Han Si-a hurriedly prepared an excuse.
"No! I was the one who got kicked out of Yi-an's room, all rolled up in his blanket!!"
"..."
Upon hearing Han Si-a's words, the menace faded from Yoo So-mi's face, replaced by solemnity.
Han Si-a herself looked a bit forlorn, as if acknowledging her experience had been pathetic.
Yoo So-mi gazed at her and offered careful words of comfort.
"...That must've been pretty shocking. Yi-an's so weird, right? He clearly reacts physically, but he never lays a hand on us—it's kinda disappointing, you know? He's a young guy full of vigor; you'd think he'd want a little more, this and that."
"Right? We're the same age, but he treats us weirdly like kids, and it bugs me. Meanwhile, actual old guys don't even think about their age before coming on to us."
At that moment, a strange rapport formed between the two girls.
It dawned on them that their worry about a 'speeding violation & dropout ending' might just be a case of 'chugging kimchi soup when no one's even offering rice cakes.'
With that, the rest of the conversation flowed smoothly.
"So, So-mi, you don't have any plans to do anything with Jeong Yi-an right now, right?"
"Of course not! Lovers are weird. Rumors would spread at school, tons of pointless restrictions—it'd suck. As best friends, we can do pretty much everything lovers can anyway."
Han Si-a recoiled slightly at Yoo So-mi's words. She couldn't quite grasp how far her concept of 'best friends' encroached on lover or even marital territory.
But she seemed to have no intention of rushing into a 'speeding violation & dropout ending' right now, so Han Si-a relaxed for the moment.
"Well, same here. If I gobbled him up now, my parents might actually try to kill him. I can't do anything until I start my company and get independent either."
Yoo So-mi paused, ears doubting what she'd heard. 'Did she just say "gobble him up"?'
But she didn't seem positioned for a 'speeding violation & dropout ending' anytime soon either, so Yoo So-mi relaxed too.
Having confirmed that the only other woman close to Jeong Yi-an besides herself wasn't an enemy for now, the two could remain friends.
As long as they didn't interfere with each other's visions of a happy future.
So Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi thought simultaneously.
Even so, if anything were to disrupt their futures,
it could only be some third woman appearing out of nowhere to snatch Jeong Yi-an away.
"...", "... "
The two girls' gazes met.
Han Si-a somehow knew exactly what Yoo So-mi was thinking.
"So-mi. We seem to be on the same wavelength—how about teaming up with me?"
And Yoo So-mi responded to Han Si-a's words with a bright smile.