The Department Goddess Who Rejected My Confession: Kim Juhee (1)

"What?!"

Rui's outrageous claim knocked the breath out of me. Her face, though, couldn't have looked more bored, while Kim Juhee's had gone the color of dirt.

"Why are you suddenly yelling? You throwing a fit at me? Because I said I won't go to a motel?"

Kim Juhee snapped it straight at me.

Wait. A motel? What business did she have going to a motel with me? This was the same Kim Juhee who had once cut me down with, A guy like you wants to date me? Please. I can't even.

"No. Someone like me, a motel with you? As if."

I waved it off, and Kim Juhee shoved her face in close.

"And what concept is this supposed to be? Hyeongju, get a grip."

Hyeongju? My name was Dong Taeyang. And hold on — how was I looking down at Kim Juhee? She had to be over five-seven.

Only then did I notice what had changed. I was taller. My hands were bigger. The features under my palm were not my own.

(Only just noticed? Right now you're inside that female's mate.)

A female's mate? Kim Juhee's boyfriend?

(Correct!)

So this damn— no, this fairy could read my thoughts.

(So don't go spinning that head of yours however you please. Got it?)

Rui said it through a cackle. Damn it. I had definitely gotten tangled up with something nasty.

(Want me to show you what nasty really looks like?)

No. I absolutely decline. More to the point, what am I supposed to do now?

(I told you to fuck this female, didn't I?)

Rui said. So crude — female this, female that.

(A female's a female. What else am I supposed to call her?)

But are you serious? Fuck her — you mean have sex, right?

(Stop asking and do something.)

Rui tipped her head. She was starting to look annoyed, and Kim Juhee seemed to be in much the same mood.

"Hey, you..."

"Juhee, let's go eat. I'm hungry."

All I could think was that I had to get out of this, and before I knew it I had grabbed Kim Juhee's wrist and pulled. In that instant—

Ding!

A status window opened in front of my eyes.

(Oh? Even a grub can roll if you shove it. Our gallery master actually has a useful ability?)

This is my ability?

(Yeah. Level 1, though, so the information's limited.)

So this was mine, and according to it Kim Juhee preferred being led. I had never led anyone in my life, but grabbing her arm and hauling her along had to count. She was following with her head down, quiet as anything. Anyway — time to pick a menu.

"What do you want to eat?"

I asked her.

"Dunno."

I thought for a second, then opened my mouth.

"Donkatsu or jeyuk? Pork cutlet, or spicy stir-fried pork?"

What a magnificent pair of choices. Both of them Korean soul food, if you asked me.

"I hate both."

What?! Her answer hit like lightning out of a clear sky. I couldn't make sense of it. She hadn't even said it was hard to choose. How could she hate both?

"Then tell me what you want, Juhee."

"Ugh, I don't know. Just handle it."

And what was I supposed to do with that? She had kicked aside a perfectly good choice and thrown a tantrum on top of it. My mood went straight to hell. Hmm. What do women even like to eat? Places the morons on the gallery were always going... Ah. Pizza, or a pasta place. Right. Enlightenment.

"Then want pizza? There's a really good spot nearby."

I said it while lightly taking her wrist. But—

Smack!

Kim Juhee shook my arm off. I stared, round-eyed, and she said,

"No."

You told me to handle it! Same rotten personality, then and now. Filthy bitch. That was when Rui cut in.

(Tsk tsk. Should've picked pasta. Fifty-fifty, and you still miss.)

Oh, yeah? I took Kim Juhee's wrist again.

"Then how about pasta?"

Smack!

"Hey, Choi Hyeongju! I said handle it!"

Genuinely furious, Kim Juhee flung my hand away.

Ha...

Hey. Love Fairy Rui.

(Hm...?)

You said pasta.

(Haha, guess it was neither... A crisis is what makes success shine. Do your best, gallery master.)

The instant she finished, she vanished. Ha. Love Fairy, my ass. Love-Fairy Failure suited her better.

(Hey! Even so, calling this cute body a Love-Fairy Failure is a bit much!)

Rui popped back in and was gone again at once.

My head was pounding, but if I wanted to live I had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to break this open. What do I do? She said to handle it, I offered, and she shot every option down. Handle it... handle it... Huh? Did she mean I was supposed to judge for myself and make the call, too? Was that what being led actually was? Fine. Try it once.

"We're having jeyuk. You told me to handle it, so no complaints. Follow me."

I said it flat, then walked on ahead as if I didn't care whether she came. In truth I was crawling with nerves. I had acted tough, but at heart I was still an incel loser. Is she following? What if she isn't? Do I go back and coax her...?

I had only gone a few steps when—

Slip—

Kim Juhee's arm wrapped around mine. A sidelong glance showed her blushing, her arm linked through mine. This works? So a man really does need drive. And, haa... soft. So this is what a woman's skin feels like.

"Hyeongju, aren't we going?"

Crap. I had felt her up without meaning to.

"Ahem. Yeah. Let's go."

Before long we reached a restaurant I used to haunt back in my own body.

"Ma'am! Jeyuk for two!"

I ate like a man starved — munch, smack, gone.

"Ah, I'm full."

I patted my stomach as I said it. Kim Juhee, meanwhile, only picked at hers with her chopsticks.

"Why aren't you eating?"

"...I'm full."

Full of what? She hadn't eaten a thing. Hmm. Force-feeding her would be bad manners...

"Yeah? If you're done, let's go."

Scrape. I shot up out of the chair and strode to the register.

"Check, please."

I pulled a card from the wallet. It was Choi Hyeongju's money anyway, so I swiped it without a second thought.

(Well, well. Not bad.)

Rui said, having appeared again. This much was nothing. But what now? What do couples usually do after they eat?

(Sex.)

Rui said. No, fuck. I wanted to, too. But how do you just jump straight into sex?

(Say, "Want to rest a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bit before we go?" Or, "Want ramen, then head out?" Classic pattern.)

Really? That actually works? Isn't that only in dramas?

(Gallery master, I am a Love Fairy.)

Which is exactly why I trust you less. Don't you remember what just happened?

(Food is a different matter!)

Is it? Eh. Nothing to lose. Fine — try it once.

"Juhee. We're full anyway. Want to rest a bit and let it digest?"

"Should we?"

Oh? It worked?

(See? What did I tell you? Hehe.)

"Where are we going?"

Kim Juhee asked. A clean-looking motel happened to catch my eye. I pointed.

"How about there?"

Her gaze followed my fingertip, and then the muscles of her face twisted into something vicious.

"You — I said I didn't want to! Do my words not sound like words to you? Do I look easy? Do I look like a pushover?"

She fired without a breath in between. Ha, fuck. I was the crazy one for trusting a Love-Fairy Failure.

"Why are you just standing there with your mouth shut? Filthy bastard. Head stuffed with nothing but sex. I can't do this anymore. Let's break up. Get lost, right now!"

At the relentless barrage, the string of my reason snapped.

"What? Filthy? What makes you so great that you talk like that, then and now? Want me to show you what filthy really is?"

I grabbed her wrist and yanked.

"Kyaa! That hurts!!! Let go!"

Wait. What am I doing? I had lost my temper for a second and— Her shriek snapped me back. But if I let go of this hand, is there another way? Fuck. I don't know anymore. All or nothing. Break up with Kim Juhee like this and I die anyway. Then I have to see it through.

"Shut up and follow me."

I dragged her into the motel. But the moment we were actually inside, she went quiet.

"A short stay, please."

"Lot ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of shouting out front just now. You two fighting?"

The woman at the counter stuck her nose in. Afraid Kim Juhee might say something she shouldn't, I opened my mouth fast.

"What are you—"

"No, ma'am. Nothing happened."

But Kim Juhee answered a beat quicker. What? Nothing happened? Was she the type who cared that much about other people's eyes? If not... A smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth. Did I actually have a talent for handling women? Call it proof: she followed me quietly all the way into the room.

(Talent, my ass. That confidence is disgusting to look at.)

I did my best to ignore Rui and perched on the edge of the bed. Kim Juhee stood in front of me, hesitating. I looked her straight in the eye.

"Why do you hate the idea of sex with me that much?"

Pure curiosity. We were dating, and she still hated it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠that badly. I wanted the reason.

"If I tell you, will you just let me go?"

Her voice trembled. Well, well. Walked in on her own two feet and now she's playing the victim?

(You dragged her in yourself.)

Fairy, you little— ma'am, you're in the way, so please be quiet.

(You were about to call me a little shit just now, weren't you?)

I ignored her and spoke to Kim Juhee.

"Let's hear it."

Gulp. She swallowed once and opened her mouth.

"Th-the truth is, I've never done it. Not even once."

"Sex?"

"Huh...? Y-yeah..."

Yeah?! Kim Juhee was a virgin? A girl this pretty, still a virgin at twenty-three? Holy shit. Jackpot. I cheered where she couldn't hear it.

Meanwhile Juhee looked at the silent Choi Hyeongju and thought, God, why am I saying this crap here. And why am I asking Choi Hyeongju for permission in the first place? Something was wrong. She turned as she spoke.

"Pretend you didn't hear that. I'm leaving."

"Freeze."

The hand she had on the doorknob locked where it was. What are you doing, Kim Juhee. Just pull it and walk out! But contrary to the thought, her feet wouldn't move. Why...? Strangely, Choi Hyeongju as he was now — nothing like usual — kept rising in her mind, and her heart pounded with it. Then his voice came.

An absurd demand. Juhee bit her lip. There was clearly no reason to obey. And yet—

Step. Step.

Her feet were already carrying her toward him. Soon she stood before him.

Thud.

Ah... I don't even know anymore...

Kim Juhee knelt in front of me.