Possessed in "The World Is Already Under Hypnosis" (2)
I had no idea exactly where Paradise City was located. The novel never described that properly either. But there was no doubt it was in South Korea. So, if I hopped on the subway, I could probably reach a city I knew. I followed the signs toward Paradise Station.
Moving around in a skirt felt incredibly embarrassing and awkward. I kept feeling like it might slip off, so I unconsciously pressed down on the hem as I walked, and every guy passing by seemed to be eyeing me suspiciously.
'I just want to see Mom soon. Sniff... Will she believe I'm her son?'
I looked like a total innocent beauty on the outside, but maybe I could convince her somehow by sharing childhood memories that only she and I knew. That vague hope kept me going.
Anyway, I just wanted to escape Paradise City. It was too dangerous here. If I ran into Kim Hoyoung... that would be a nightmare. Still, the city seemed pretty big, and Kim Hoyoung was mostly a jobless bum who stayed home playing games, so as long as I didn't go looking for him, avoiding him shouldn't be too hard.
"So this is... the building that woman Park Jisoo built."
When I arrived at Paradise Station, my eyes were immediately drawn to the towering skyscraper that stood out like a sore thumb among the surroundings. The sign reading Hypnosis Clinic and the ridiculous Gae Ddogi Internal Medicine plaque confirmed it—this had to be the exact building from the novel.
"Is this clinic really that effective?"
"For real~ Once you go here, all your stress melts away! Better than my husband, even?"
Two middle-aged women who looked like they had some money chatted as they headed inside.
"Whoa, fuck, this thing is insanely tall. Damn... how much did this building even cost? And they do all those filthy things here."
"Looking for something at our company?"
Oh shit. I'd been staring too obviously. Seeing a place straight out of the novel had gotten me too curious.
"Ah, no, nothing at all. Sorry for staring."
"It's fine. No need to be shy—feel free to come in."
Was she crazy? Why would I step into a building directly linked to the one person I wanted nothing to do with? And this woman who came out... glasses, short bob haircut. She had an instantly intellectual vibe. Crisp business suit, sharp tone. Could she be... Park Jisoo?
She's pretty. Wow, just normally pretty. Even a mere side character like her is this hot? Actress-level, easy.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"Oh, it's nothing. Um... excuse me, but may I ask your name?"
"I'm Park Jisoo, but... why do you want to know?"
Bingo! It was her. Which meant hanging around her was dangerous. Among all the characters, she was one of the top two in smarts—a real person of interest. Look at her already scrutinizing me like I'm suspicious. It almost felt like she was reading my status window through those glasses.
For someone like me who wanted zero connection to Kim Hoyoung, getting noticed by Park Jisoo was the last thing I needed. This woman made bank pimping out sex slaves to him, after all. Too risky.
"You're pretty cute yourself. Interested? Why don't you come in for a consultation? We have a clinic program that's getting rave reviews from women lately."
"No thanks! I'm not into that stuff! See ya!"
"Wait, at least take my card—"
That look she just gave me... she eyed me like merchandise. Terrifying. If I'd taken the card, I'd probably end up shipped to Kim Hoyoung's house and raped. Ugh... I'm a guy! I'd rather die than have sex with another dude—dead serious!
"Huff... huff...! Don't get sidetracked by useless crap. Just hurry home. Sigh... Huh? Women-only car...?"
I bolted into the station like a bat out of hell. Paradise Station didn't look much different from any other subway station in Korea I knew. But then I spotted the women-only car. The other cars were packed like sardine cans, total chaos, while this one was nice and empty.
"Right now... I'm a girl. Yeah. No one will think it's weird, right?"
Figuring it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, I stepped into the women-only car with my heart pounding. Ah, it kinda smells nice and fragrant in here. Nah, probably just my imagination? A guy like me riding in the women-only car. And yet, no one called me out. They all saw me as a girl. Mmm... feels kinda guilty, though.
'No... no, it's fine. With this skirt and these boobs sticking out, it'd be weirder if I didn't ride here. Don't overthink it—act natural.'
No one was even looking at me, so there was no need to act all awkward on my own. I sat in an empty seat and placed my hands over my skirt. Like this, just like this—I'd head far away and never come back to Paradise City. I'd figure out how to return to my original world somehow. Escaping the city came first.
'Easier than I thought. Just hop on the subway and go. Kim Hoyoung doesn't even know me, so he won't come chasing.'
"Hoyoung-nim, you know~"
"!!"
The discordant name jolted me awake just as I was about to doze off. My eyes snapped open.
"Sucking Hoyoung-nim's dick while masturbating back then was so fun~"
"Ah~ I miss it. Wonder if he'll take us to the hot springs again."
"Idiot! Hoyoung-nim's way too busy for that. We've already been fucked once, so we're just used goods now, right?"
"Hahaha! True! As if trash like us could travel with Hoyoung-nim. Hahaha!"
What the hell were these crazy bitches? Talking that vulgar shit on the subway?
Wait. Seeing that blue-eyed mixed girl, it clicked. Early in the story—Kang Ji-hyo and Leina! The idiots who tried to accuse Kim Hoyoung of groping in the women-only car and ended up getting raped instead. The ones who fought over his dick at the hot springs and even got nosebleeds... total morons.
Ah, so Kim Hoyoung forgot all about them after that, but they were still stuck in the past.
"Hoyoung-nim, you know~"
"Hoyoung-nim's right there~"
Kang Ji-hyo and Leina kept spewing lewd stories at a level that'd embarrass anyone listening. And their conversation was nothing but Kim Hoyoung, Kim Hoyoung... no talk about themselves? How long were they gonna obsess over him? Didn't repeating the same crap get boring?
"When I die, I wanna be killed by Hoyoung-nim~"
"Me too, me too!"
Crazy bitches. Was that really something to say?
"If possible, choking to death on Hoyoung-nim's dick would be ideal~"
"For me, getting crushed under Hoyoung-nim's ass and suffocating! Perfect death for a slut like me! Hahaha!"
"Oh, that's not bad either."
"Dreaming like this feels so good~"
Were they seriously saying this stuff sober? It wasn't even about wanting to date him—they were blushing like schoolgirls over asphyxiation fantasies?
...And why the hell were they yelling it out loud? Didn't they care about drawing stares?
"…………"
But no one batted an eye at their X-rated talk. No one gave a damn.
...Except me.
"Hey, Leina. That girl over there seems kinda off, doesn't she?"
"Ah, I noticed too. She's been sweating bullets and looking uncomfortable, like we shouldn't even be talking about this."
Damn it.
"Yeah, yeah. Hey, you! Yeah, you—don't play dumb. We know you're eavesdropping."
"You aren't hypnotized or something, are you?"
"…………"
Fuck. These psychos were sharp. Or... maybe it was me, with the cold sweat pouring down my pale face. Anyone could tell I was panicking.
"You, the cute one over there. Answer us, or we'll get rough."
"M-Me? You're talking to me?"
No choice. Time to improvise with every scrap of novel knowledge I had.
"Yeah, you. You're not hypnotized, are you? Be honest."
"No way! How could that be? Hahaha..."
"Sounds like a lie, right, Leina?"
"Totally. One hundred percent. We should call the cops..."
Cops? Oh, right—that useless Kim Dahyeon? The one who forgives murderers but won't tolerate anyone harming Kim Hoyoung.
"What are you talking about? I am properly hypnotized! Treating me like a micro-brained freak? That really offends me!"
"Huh? She knows the term 'micro-brained'?"
"So she is hypnotized?"
Knowledge really was power. Leina and Kang Ji-hyo both tilted their heads, holding off judgment. Hahaha. Ask away. I knew even more than they did.
"There's no way I'd undo the great hypnosis that Hoyoung-nim bestowed on me. That'd be way too insolent."
"Ehh... yeah, true. But why'd you look so uncomfortable listening to us earlier?"
"Yeah, yeah. She totally gave us that 'crazy bitch' stare."
Damn, these bitches were perceptive. How to dodge this one?
"Oh, that? Yeah... I was just jealous hearing how you've actually met Hoyoung-nim in person. Hahaha!"
"Really? Want us to hook you up with him?"
"!!!!"
Are you insane?!
"Why the shock? You said you were jealous, so I was being nice."
Leina's smirking eyes felt like a test.
...Calm down. Don't fall for it. It's a trap. Those two weren't close to Kim Hoyoung at all. The only ones who could meet him freely were family, Himeko, Park Jisoo—useful women like that. Fucktoys discarded after one go couldn't possibly arrange a meeting with him.
In other words, bluff. A lie to probe me.
"Whoa, really?! I-I'd be honored to meet Hoyoung-nim! B-But a worthless nobody like me might just bother him..."
"Hahaha! You actually believed that? It was a joke~ As if sows like us could just waltz up to Master. We only get chosen—we don't do the choosing, right?"
"Y-Yeah."
Phew. Fishing expedition, as expected.
"Sorry for doubting you~ I thought you were some psycho trash resisting Hoyoung-nim's hypnosis. My bad~"
"Hahaha..."
Whatever—doubt cleared, good enough. Honestly, not just them, but the other passengers had started glaring at me like I was a spy or something. Whew... well, I kinda was spy-adjacent.
"Glad we cleared it up..."
"Yup~ To celebrate, how about masturbating for everyone?"
"Huh?"
"Why so surprised? Public masturbation's normal for anyone, right? Sure, micro-brains whine about it being embarrassing or whatever nonsense, but you're definitely hypnotized, yeah? So it shouldn't faze you at all."
"…………."
Fuck.