Adult Romance Thriller (2)
Pleasant classical music caressed her ears while the carpet softly swallowed her footsteps, and Lexy already felt as if she'd stepped into heaven.
Wow, this is sooo good.
She had never set foot in a place like this in her entire life. The honest truth was that she had never even dared to try. All she had ever done was vaguely imagine what it might feel like to dine somewhere this luxurious with Kang-jun.
"Table for two?"
"Yes."
"Shall I show you to a couple's room, then?"
Belita slid her sunglasses down the bridge of her nose with one finger and regarded the manager.
"That won't be necessary. A man and a woman just came in a moment ago, right?"
"Ah, you mean the couple?"
The word couple soured her mood instantly. Still, that was how outsiders would see them, and picking a fight over it would be pure ignorance—something the elegant, clever woman Belita believed herself to be could never allow.
"Ah, well, that, uh, couple. Yes."
"They went into couple room number five. If they're acquaintances of yours, shall I let them know?"
"No! That's fine. …Just seat us somewhere with a good view of it. Ah, somewhere they won't be able to see us easily from over there."
The manager's eyes widened slightly and he tilted his head, but he led them to a table that more or less matched Belita's lengthy list of demands.
Lexy, far more interested in the surroundings than in any actual surveillance, sat down and immediately began gushing.
"Waaah, this place is seriously amazing, Unni!"
"What? Un—ni?"
"Ah, I mean, Senior…."
The moment Lexy's spirits visibly deflated, Belita's resolve softened. She gave the girl a quick once-over and granted permission to call her Unni after all.
"Yes, Unni! Heehee."
"Hey—on the condition that you keep your eyes wide open and watch that room! Got it?"
"Yes ma'am!"
A waiter approached just then. Belita waved him off, saying they would call when ready. The instant Lexy saw the prices, her pupils shook as if an earthquake had hit.
"Huuuh…. Unni, I, uh, don't actually have any money…."
"What?"
Belita's sudden glare made Lexy shrink into a full turtle-neck posture.
"I-I'll just get the cheapest thing…."
Ugh. Belita studied Lexy's penniless face with care. Everything about her screamed knock-offs and cheap goods; poverty radiated from her in waves. Suddenly the idiot looked a little pitiful.
No money, and dumb as a rock. …God, she's useless in every single way.
"Order whatever you want. I'll pay."
"F-for real?! You mean it, Unni!"
"I already said so, didn't I? I've got money. Don't worry."
Waaah. Lexy beamed with pure delight and clapped lightly. Then she opened the menu and began agonizing over which dish would be the most expensive and delicious. She took so long that Belita finally snatched the menu away with a glare.
"For fuck's sake, just get the course meal! We came here to stake them out, not to eat!"
"Ah, yeees…."
Even so, the thought of free expensive food made a silly grin spread across her face.
The waiter soon returned and took their order. The two of them went back to staring holes through couple room number five. After a while Lexy called out again, "Unniiii."
"What now!"
"Could I maybe take just one selfie? This place is too nice."
"Why would you photograph this? It's not even that great."
"I've never been somewhere like this before…. I just want one picture as a keepsake."
Once again her spirits drooped, so Belita relented—on the strict condition of a single shot. Lexy giggled and said she wanted both of them in the frame.
"Then take it when I tell you."
"Okay."
"…Now. Shoot!"
Click.
Belita craned her neck like a giraffe, trying to peer into the couple room the moment the door cracked open for the food. Unfortunately the angle was wrong; all she could see was a stretch of wall.
Fuck, I specifically asked for a better view.
In the end the door slammed shut again before she could properly spy inside. Naturally Lexy couldn't see anything either.
"Hey, I told you to watch properly!"
"From here you literally can't see a thing."
"Ugh, zero sense! You should've pretended to go to the bathroom and snuck a peek!"
"Ah, aaaah—!"
Lexy clapped her hands together as if she'd just discovered a brilliant idea and burst into exaggerated admiration.
"Unni, how are you so, so smart? Wow, you are truly, truly, brilliant!"
This round of praise carried a completely different tone from her earlier pure wonder. No, fuck, her acting is pure garbage—!
"Hey, the acting is obvious!"
"I-it showed?"
"For fuck's sake. I'm canceling the free meal."
"Ah, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Unni. I won't let it show next time! I really don't have any moneyyy…, okay?"
Lexy begged so pitifully that Belita, despite thinking she was a complete idiot, felt sorry enough to reinstate the offer.
Around then Belita casually produced the nasty little plan she had been nursing for a while.
"Hey, then do one thing I tell you."
"Yes! Yes! Order me around all you want! I'll do anything! I can even dance right here!"
"Later, that pink-haired one—you hold her down for a bit."
"The pink head? …Why?"
Lexy's eyes suddenly sharpened as she asked for a reason. Belita, who had expected a simple obedient yes, flinched.
This bitch was a total airhead until two seconds ago—why the hell is she sharp now—!
"So we can extract Kang-jun, obviously."
"Aaaah! …Then what about me?"
"You… uh, call me! I'll be waiting at the entrance!"
"Ah! Got it! Then give me your number!"
Shit, done. She asked.
Belita took Lexy's phone and deliberately mistyped one digit of her own number before handing it back. Idiot Lexy immediately dialed it.
—Rrring, rrring.
She stared fixedly at Belita's phone lying on the table. The ringtone never came. Her eyes slowly rolled upward.
"I think the number's wrong…?"
This fucking bitch. Was all that stupidity just an act the whole time?!
"Type it again."
Lexy wore a triumphant little smile as she held the phone out once more. Damn her. This time Belita had no choice but to enter it correctly.
"Ah, …I must've pressed one digit wrong by accident. Here."
The moment the call button was pressed, Belita's phone trilled. Lexy hung up and giggled.
"It went through properly this time!"
"Uh, yeah…."
Belita felt a flicker of anxiety. What if Lexy suddenly refused? …Truthfully, her real plan had been to bolt with only Kang-jun.
Unfortunately, the semen tank's suspicions never reached that far. She was already drunk on her own cleverness for having seen through Belita's scheme. She happily imagined bragging to Kang-jun later and watching his surprised face.
Hmph, I can pull things off when I want to—!
Their course meal arrived in due time. Excitement filled Lexy's eyes. Free high-end cuisine she had never even dreamed of!
"Thanks for the meal, Unnii!"
"Hey, don't just stuff your face—keep watching properly! Got it?"
"Yes."
She snapped one more photo, then began tasting each dish with a cheerful little hum. Plate after plate arrived, and Lexy kept gasping oh my, oh my as if she might die of happiness.
The two of them soon fell into a food trance, declaring this delicious and that delicious. Before long a dessert cart rattled into the couple room. Lexy, elegantly slicing her meat with a knife, pointed with her finger.
"Hey, hey, go now! Hurry!"
Ah shit, then what about this?
Panicked Lexy, too heartbroken to leave the meat, frantically stuffed her cheeks until they bulged. Then she looked at her Unni with a resolute gaze and said she would be right back. She might be an idiot, but she had loyalty.
Right, at least she has that much. …Unni will buy you another course meal later.
Belita timed her call to Kang-jun perfectly. Rrring, rrring.
Just try not answering. I'll barge straight in.
Fortunately the call connected this time.
"—Yeah, what."
"Oh my, Kang-jun! It's been so long!"
The moment she heard his voice, Belita melted like cheese in a microwave. Only seconds earlier she had been ready to rip every hair from her scalp.
"—Why'd you call?"
"C-can you meet me right now?"
"—Right now?"
"Yeah. Where are youuu?"
"—Why?"
"Come on, just come out real quick."
"—Okay."
Yes—!
Belita rose with a triumphant smile, shoving her chair back—then suddenly noticed something odd about the conversation.
But why didn't he ask where I am?
No, the whole exchange had felt strange. As if he already knew her location.
No way—.
Belita truly thought no way. The couple-room door slid open and Lexy reflexively flattened herself against the wall. Kang-jun walked straight toward Belita with perfect accuracy. By the time she managed an uh, uhh, he was already standing right in front of her.
"What?"
"Ah, no, that is…."
She hurriedly shot a glance at Lexy, signaling her to grab the pink head. Okay—! Lexy drew a solemn circle with her fingers, slipped into the couple room, and slammed the door shut.
In a rush Belita seized Kang-jun's arm and marched him outside. She bundled him into her car. Surprisingly, he followed her lead without resistance.
"Haa, haa."
The instant she dropped into the driver's seat and gripped the wheel, a thrilling tingle shot through her fingertips—exactly the feeling of a bodyguard protecting a VIP. Yes, this is what espionage feels like—!
Belita fired the engine and fled the place as fast as possible. Then she drove farther still. As far as she could.
Sorry, idiot Lexy. Unni will definitely…. Ah crap—!
Right on cue, Lexy's call came in. Belita agonized over whether to answer, then finally stabbed the button.
"Hello…!"
"—You evil biiiitch! Why didn't you pay the biiiiill—!"
"Ah, sorry. I forgot. Really sorry. …But calling your senior a bitch?"
"—Ah, s-sorry, Senior. But you still should've paid before leaving! I seriously have no money! What am I supposed to do, for real!"
"Ah, just pay it for now. I'll reimburse you later. Send me your account!"
"—You mean it, you really mean it? For real! If you don't pay I'll chase you all the way to hell!"
This bitch, all the way to hell?! Over something this small she's making savage threats like that?!
"Ah, I'll pay! Just take the money! Of course I'll pay! …Ugh, it's not like you're a beggar."
"—For real! I'm recording this!"
"Ah, do whatever you want!"
"—…So I just come outside right away, right? You'll be waiting at the entrance?"
"Yeah. So hurry up. I'm hanging up."
"—Yes!"
The second the call ended Belita powered her phone off. Hmph, suffer a little, you idiot beggar.
Not long after the line went dead, Kang-jun spoke.
"So, why have you been tailing me this whole time?"
"…Wh-what?! You knew?"
"How could I not know. You came because you had something to say, right? I was waiting on purpose."
Kang-jun gave her a crooked smile. In that moment Belita realized yet another mistake. Ah crap.
"Right, what about your car? You drove here."
"Ah, I handed the keys to Senior for a bit. Told her to drive it to the office. Her car's already there anyway."
"…You knew this would happen?"
"Well, more or less."
Belita suddenly felt profoundly wronged. After all that frantic scheming, it turned out he had known everything. …Still, since Kang-jun was sitting beside her, the operation counted as a success. All roads lead to Seoul, right?
The real loser was Lexy. Vacation wasted, money wasted, and she never even got to meet Kang-jun—left alone at the restaurant….
I feel a little bad….
A twinge of guilt stirred in Belita's chest, but one glance at Kang-jun in the passenger seat wiped it clean away. Whatever, fuck it, life is a solo journey—!
"Want to grab a coffee for dessert?"
"Sure, whatever."
Just then Kang-jun's phone buzzed.
Lexy had uploaded a photo. A selfie taken from the passenger seat of Kang-jun's car, angled so the pink head was clearly visible.