Crossroads (3)
Han Taeyang had always harshly criticized Kim Min-jun. He would constantly tell her that the bastard didn't actually like her, that he was just using her as a substitute for Baek Seol-ah. To be honest, lately, even Seo Ah-hyun herself couldn't completely deny those words.
...It wasn't like that from the start, though.
Whether it was the lingering regret of their once-harmonious past, or an attempt to defend her lover's honor, Seo Ah-hyun wanted to deny at least the first part of Han Taeyang's harsh criticism.
It wasn't that Kim Min-jun had never liked her. At least, that was how it felt to her.
"I love you, Ah-hyun."
"Yeah... Me too."
There was definitely a time in the past when they exchanged affectionate words like any fresh, young couple. The shy expression Kim Min-jun wore back then, the blush on his cheeks—that certainly couldn't have been fake.
That much is certain. Min-jun... he definitely liked me. I'm sure of it.
Though it had become increasingly difficult to assert herself lately, Seo Ah-hyun could still declare this with absolute certainty. His affection, his love—even if it hadn't been entirely pure from the very beginning, it had been real.
However.
"..."
When did it all start to go wrong? When did Kim Min-jun, who had happily started dating her, begin to warp?
Even if she didn't know the exact moment, she knew the catalyst and the cause all too well. How could she not? Her own boyfriend had constantly been looking elsewhere.
Seo Ah-hyun raised her head, letting the rain pelt her vacant eyes. To be honest, the cheek Kim Min-jun had slapped didn't even hurt that much, considering he specialized in magic. Physically... that was.
Sshhhhhhh—
Streams of rain pouring from the high heavens beat down on her flushed cheek. It was already stinging, but the rainwater irritated it further, like pouring oil onto a fire.
"Haha..."
Seo Ah-hyun let out a self-deprecating chuckle as her thoughts drifted deeper. She was reminiscing about a time further back than the present, yet more recent than a year ago.
Baek Seol-ah.
The name she silently uttered belonged to her friend and the top student of their year at Cheonun Academy. It wasn't like Seol-ah had done anything wrong, but she was ultimately the root cause of everything. Every time Seo Ah-hyun saw Baek Seol-ah or spoke with her, she found it incredibly difficult to control the turbulent emotions stirring in her heart.
After all, she was the one Kim Min-jun had quite publicly harbored a one-sided crush on during their first year. And though Seo Ah-hyun hadn't known it then, Kim Min-jun had probably never let go of those feelings. He had merely hidden and suppressed them because Baek Seol-ah had gotten a boyfriend, Lee Hyun-seong. If anything, his feelings for Baek Seol-ah had only grown larger, never smaller. Over time, the love he harbored deep inside had twisted into a dark obsession.
It was more than enough to warp his original nature in a terrible direction.
Seo Ah-hyun still remembered it vividly. The night they first slept together and made love. In the early hours of the morning, when the alcohol hadn't fully worn off, she had caught him staring at a photo of Baek Seol-ah on his phone. Believing his girlfriend was fast asleep beside him, he had sat on the edge of the bed and bitterly muttered to himself.
Naked under the sheets, Seo Ah-hyun had flinched, holding her breath in sheer terror. She had only woken up from her sleep, but the emotion she felt was too vivid to mistake. Only then did she realize the truth: Kim Min-jun still harbored lingering regrets for Baek Seol-ah. And that regret hadn't faded in the slightest, even after they had shared their bodies and souls.
How much did I cry alone in my room the next day?
To say she wasn't devastated would be a lie. Yet, even so... Seo Ah-hyun wanted to support him. She genuinely believed that one day, he would be able to move past his old love.
"...What an idiot."
It was a massive delusion. Whenever Han Taeyang treated her like an idiot, she would fly into a rage. But now, she couldn't even deny it. Just as he said, a certified idiot was standing right here.
Move past his old love? If anything, his obsession only worsened. The affection he once held for her—though admittedly less than what he felt for Baek Seol-ah—had completely cooled. It started with his gaze turning cold. Then, once he realized his girlfriend, whom he couldn't overpower physically, was walking on eggshells around him, his behavior turned overtly abusive.
From then on, even when they went on dates, she felt completely hollow inside. Even when they slept together, harboring a faint hope that things might change, it was nothing more than a mechanical release of his sexual desires.
And finally, claiming he lacked stimulation... he casually made a request—no, a command—that was hard to believe even after hearing it with her own ears.
That was exactly what happened today.
Seo Ah-hyun sneered at herself as she recalled how her mind had gone completely blank, and how she had forced herself to gather her wits to refuse—only to be slapped across the face.
Stupid bitch.
She should have slapped him right back. Or at least hurled a barrage of curses at him. No matter how timid she was, how could she just stand there with tears welling up in her eyes after being treated like that?
"Ugh..."
Seo Ah-hyun squeezed her eyes shut, letting out a heavy sigh from the depths of her lungs. Rainwater trickled over her closed eyelids and slowly ran down the bridge of her nose. She had never hated her own timid personality as much as she did today. She was exhausted from walking aimlessly. She didn't want to take another step.
She faltered.
Seo Ah-hyun stopped in her tracks at some random spot on campus, her hazy eyes blinking.
"Hey, what the hell are you doing standing out in the rain like an idiot?"
"..."
It was right then. At the exact moment she wanted to just stand there, get soaked to the bone, and melt away like a sugar cube. Seo Ah-hyun suddenly realized that the water drenching her pitch-black hair had weakened. ...And a familiar voice drifting into her ears was a bonus.
Seo Ah-hyun turned around as if possessed. And the moment she saw the man standing there, shielding her from the downpour with his school uniform jacket—
"...Ugh, h-hic."
Completely unable to hold it back, inevitably...
Her tears burst forth in a sudden torrent.
"Hic... ugh. Han Taeyang, w-what... what do I do now? I really, really don't know anything anymore..."
"..."
"Ugh, waaaah!"
Seo Ah-hyun, who had been standing there blankly in the rain all this time, burst into tears the moment I approached, as if all her bottled-up emotions had finally exploded. Showing a vulnerability I had never seen before, she looked up at me, then began to sob uncontrollably, unable to handle the tears streaming down her face.
...What a fucking psychopath.
I thought to myself, looking down at her coldly.
It was an incredibly harsh thought. But of course, my words and gaze weren't directed at Seo Ah-hyun. The real psychopath was someone else entirely; there was no way I would refer to this pitiful girl that way.
I instinctively reached out, but hesitated, unable to bring myself to wrap my arm around her shoulder. Gritting my teeth, I muttered,
"Seo Ah-hyun."
"Ugh... hic... ugh..."
"Where is that bastard Kim Min-jun right now?"
My question was short and to the point. I asked her with cold, sunken eyes. My business was simple. I just wanted to find that bastard right now and shatter his jaw.
The words Seo Ah-hyun sobbed out in her trembling voice were fragmented, but piecing those shards together made the cause and effect of this situation painfully clear.
Kim Min-jun had finally crossed the line. As if gaslighting, manipulating, and physically abusing his girlfriend for nearly half a year wasn't enough, what did he say?
He doesn't get a dopamine rush from a normal relationship anymore, so she should go get fucked by another guy...? That crazy motherfucker.
Even as the Golden Boy of an NTR novel, this was a level of sheer lunacy that left me utterly dumbfounded, transcending mere disgust.
This was entirely different from Baek Seol-ah and Lee Hyun-seong's case. It made Netorase (NTS) look downright tame.
In the first place, why did Baek Seol-ah reluctantly accept Lee Hyun-seong's unpleasant request? For starters, Lee Hyun-seong had begged her on his knees. That was the biggest difference. He understood his own pathetic position better than anyone, and he was fully aware that he deserved to be rejected. He had probably even prepared himself to be dumped.
Furthermore, the underlying emotion driving that Netorase play was, for better or worse, his love for Baek Seol-ah. Because he loved her, he wanted to see the woman he loved embraced by another man. Even if it was a twisted form of affection and lust, the core foundation remained unchanged. Baek Seol-ah knew this all too well, which is why, despite despising Lee Hyun-seong, she ultimately surrendered her body to me. The fact that they still remained a lovey-dovey couple was proof of that.
On the other hand, what about Kim Min-jun? How was he any different? It could be summarized in a single word. My expression turned freezing cold.
Degradation.
This went far beyond the realm of a mere sexual "play." It was pure malice, treating Seo Ah-hyun like a common whore. He simply wanted to derive pleasure from watching her virtue drag through the mud.
At this point, I couldn't just remain a bystander. I asked Seo Ah-hyun for Kim Min-jun's location, ready to hunt him down this very second.
"N-No, don't. Don't do it, please."
As if reading my mind, Seo Ah-hyun's face went pale as she grabbed my arm. Her grip was entirely devoid of strength... a fragile touch, completely lacking any mana.
I grimaced, and Seo Ah-hyun shook her head frantically, trying her best to stop me.
"Seriously, don't... You know Min-jun might actually die if you hit him for real..."
"...Are you seriously worrying about your boyfriend in a situation like this?"
"No, the one I'm worried about is—hic."
Seo Ah-hyun tried to say more in response to my question, but I didn't want to hear it. With an irritated scowl, I threw my school jacket over her head. Then, I grabbed her slender wrist—the one holding onto my arm—in a firm grip and spoke.
"I've always told you, you're a foolish bitch. Those words fit you perfectly. How do you never change, Seo Ah-hyun?"
"...Ah, ugh."
"You still want to look out for that bastard even after he told you to go get fucked by another guy? Wow, what a legendary pure-love story we have here. Truly magnificent."
I hated everything about this. Every single detail. Naturally, my tone grew harsh and twisted. Pressuring Seo Ah-hyun even further in this state might not be the best choice, but frankly, I couldn't hold back. I was already exercising immense self-control by holding back worse curses and settling for mere sarcasm.
...No, actually, changing my approach entirely might be a better way to handle this.
I closed my slightly parted lips for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.
"If you love Kim Min-jun that much, why are you crying like a pathetic loser? Just do what he wants."
"...What?"
Startled by my sudden shift in attitude, Seo Ah-hyun froze, her eyelashes trembling slightly. I didn't care. Having already shifted my mindset, I leaned in close, looming over her. Seo Ah-hyun instinctively shrank back, her eyes locked onto mine as she stiffened.
Forcing down a brief flash of hesitation, I suddenly reached out and grabbed her breast.
"...!"
"Well, it's a bit on the smaller side, but better than nothing. Still feels pretty good to squeeze."
My rough hand slowly kneaded her petite breast, feeling its soft yield. As those casual words slipped from my mouth, Seo Ah-hyun tried to pull away, but—
"Ah...?!"
"Where do you think you're going? Your precious boyfriend gave you an order, so you'd better follow it diligently, right, Seo Ah-hyun?"
"W-Wait, Han Taeyang... Ah, ugh."
I wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her close so she couldn't escape. Maintaining our intimate proximity, I kept my hand firmly on her breast. Through her rain-soaked school blouse, I could feel the thin texture of her underwear. With a sly touch, I slid her bra aside, exposing her bare skin.
"H-Han Taeyang. Don't do this... I know what you're trying to do, but I'm really having a hard time right now. Please."
"..."
Perhaps because we had known each other for well over a year, Seo Ah-hyun caught me off guard with her words, avoiding my gaze with a sorrowful expression. It felt strange that she wasn't even slapping my hand away, despite me kneading and fondling her breast so shamelessly. I stared down at her with a complicated gaze as she stood there, trapped in my hold, letting out soft, trembling whimpers.
"Know what I'm trying to do? Don't flatter yourself. All I'm thinking about right now is fucking you. I guess I should thank Kim Min-jun for this."
"..."
Realizing that showing hesitation wouldn't help, I quickly wiped the emotion from my face and continued my act. Fortunately, after a year of practice, my acting skills had become quite polished. Even if Seo Ah-hyun had somehow seen through my attempt at shock therapy, she was already pushed to her absolute limit. If I kept up the pressure, she would lose the ability to think rationally.
And by then, she would start to feel genuine fear. Fear that I might actually violate her. Fear that the delinquent she thought she knew was indeed taking advantage of her despair to ravage her.
"P-Please... Han Taeyang. Hic."
"I've never fucked a girl outdoors in the pouring rain before. Well, I guess it'll be a fresh experience."
"Ah... ugh..."
"What are you waiting for? Take it off, Seo Ah-hyun. I'll fuck you as much as your boyfriend wants, then send you right back to him."
In the end, Seo Ah-hyun gasped, her eyes trembling at my relentlessly harsh and aggressive attitude. Unable to withstand the crushing pressure any longer, she squeezed her eyes shut, and—
Slap!
"..."
"Ugh..."
It was a reaction she probably hadn't even anticipated herself, but it was a far better response than I could have ever hoped for. With a face pale as a sheet, Seo Ah-hyun had slapped me across the cheek. Her hand was trembling violently. Of course, since it was purely a reflexive strike, her expression immediately filled with horror and guilt. She really was consistent to a fault.
"I-I'm sorry, Han Taeyang. I... that was..."
"...See? You can do it when you try."
"Huh? W-What?"
It didn't matter. I didn't care whether she apologized or not; I simply grinned. That was enough of the greasy, golden-haired delinquent act—it had been a while since I last pulled it off. I rubbed my stinging right cheek, wondering if the inside of my mouth had torn. Unlike Kim Min-jun, this girl had actually infused her slap with a decent amount of mana.
If Kim Min-jun had taken that hit, he'd be out of commission for at least four weeks.
It stung quite a bit, but in the long run, it wasn't a bad thing. Satisfied with the result, I continued.
"Look at you, knowing how to hit someone. Up until now, you've been acting so pathetic, like you couldn't even flick someone's forehead unless it was an official ranking match."
"...Ah, that..."
"Are you finally awake now? Huh, Seo Ah-hyun? Do you know what you need to do when you go back?"
"..."
"Ugh, tastes like blood."
I grimaced at the metallic taste in my mouth and spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva. Seo Ah-hyun's face grew even paler at the sight, but I just shrugged nonchalantly.
"Hey, if you can hit me like that but don't even dare to lay a finger on the bastard who actually deserves it, I won't let you off easy. I'll make sure to pay you back double."
"..."
No further explanation was necessary. Seo Ah-hyun seemed to have caught onto my intentions long ago. I only hoped this shock therapy would prove effective, and that she would pay Kim Min-jun back in full as soon as possible.
Well, it won't be easy right away.
I knew her too well. It wasn't a simple matter that she could resolve overnight. But even if it took a few days, I was determined to make sure she saw it through.
"For now, Seo Ah-hyun, don't meet that bastard Kim Min-jun for a while, just stay by yourself..."
Just as I was about to wrap things up and leave—
Gush!
"...Huh?"
With a sound effect straight out of a cartoon, Seo Ah-hyun burst into a massive fit of tears. The torrent of water streaming down her cheeks was incredibly fast. Feeling suddenly awkward, I scratched my cheek.
"I mean, you don't have to cry again... Ow."
"...!?"
The only problem was that the cheek I had habitually scratched happened to be the exact spot she had just slapped. My fingernail brushed against the tender skin, causing me to let out a sharp hiss of pain.
"Ugh... hic... ugh..."
"Hold on. Just a second, Seo Ah-hyun. I get how you feel, but stop crying first. Just calm down—oof."
My urgent attempt to calm her down by waving my hands was completely useless. With a flushed face and tears streaming down her cheeks, Seo Ah-hyun suddenly threw herself into my arms. I let out a soft gasp at the small but surprisingly heavy impact.
And then.
Seo Ah-hyun clung to my back for a very long time... sobbing her heart out.