Trap (2)
Trap (Part 2)
Kim Ye-rim forces a smile as she steps out the front door, dismissed unilaterally by Kang Cheol.
The smile she had struggled to maintain gradually hardens as his house grows smaller in the distance.
Though Kang Cheol was wearing a turtleneck sweater to hide it, she could tell it was hastily purchased—the ill-fitting sweater didn't suit his small frame.
'That mark on Oppa's neck... it was a hickey, wasn't it?'
The oversized turtleneck meant for his petite frame had slipped down slightly, revealing small, vivid red marks etched onto Kang Cheol's neck.
And not just one.
There were two, maybe even up to four, reddish bruises.
It was unlikely to be bug bites—insects were hard to come by in this winter weather, and even if one had survived the cold wave, it couldn't have left marks that size.
'Besides, if it were bug bites, there'd be no reason to hastily buy a turtleneck to hide his neck...'
To anyone, Kang Cheol's behavior seemed unnatural, and he had visibly panicked when she showed him the photo.
As she had told him, she hadn't meant to interrogate him.
Though she hadn't told him yet, she knew Kang Cheol was sacrificing himself for her and her family. She showed him the photo out of pure curiosity and concern—worried that Selena Kim might have done something to him again—not to hurt his feelings.
Shhk
She pulls out her smartphone from her pocket again and checks that same photo.
"What on earth is this that made Oppa so flustered?"
Ding~
"...Huh?"
The timing was uncanny.
Just as she took out her phone to check the photo again, another picture was sent beneath the mysterious one.
If she hadn't checked from the beginning, she might not have seen it.
But since she already had the message window open to view the photo, she unintentionally saw the newly sent image, which showed...
[(Kang Cheol collapsed, covered in red hickeys and bite marks, with semen dripping from between his thighs. Three sperm symbols were drawn on his inner thigh.)]
"Wh-what the fuck?!"
It was horrific.
Even in hardcore AV genres, men aren't treated like this.
In the photo, Kang Cheol seemed heavily intoxicated by something, his pupils dilated and unfocused, his body brutally marked with unmistakable signs of violent assault.
And not just any violence—sexual violence!
Grind!
Uncontrollable rage makes her grit her teeth, producing a sinister grinding sound as if her teeth might shatter.
Again. Without her knowledge, her lover Kang Cheol was being tormented yet again.
Simultaneously, she realized.
The meaning behind the sperm symbols in the mysterious photo sent to her yesterday was none other than the number of times Selena Kim had raped Kang Cheol!
"I'll kill her... Selena Kim!!!"
As she feels an intense rage she's never experienced before, pondering how to confront Selena...
Ding~
[If you want to see me, come to --------, Kim Ye-rim-ssi ^^]
As if reading her mind, Selena Kim sends her an address with confidence.
Unaware of the trap awaiting her there, Kim Ye-rim heads to the address Selena provided. About ten minutes later, Kang Cheol also receives the same address from Selena.
Of course, only the address was the same.
Different unit numbers were written for Kim Ye-rim and Kang Cheol, and unaware of this, they step into the horrifying trap set for them...
-----------------
"Excuse me. Um... should I call you Security Chief-nim?"
"Yes. You can just call me comfortably, Kim Ye-rim-nim."
"Phew... Okay, that's settled then. When can I meet that bitch Selena... I mean, Selena-ssi?"
"Selena-nim is currently with an important person. You'll be able to meet her once she's finished with that matter."
Kim Ye-rim wanted to confront Selena immediately and give her a piece of her mind, but reality wasn't so accommodating.
The status difference between Kim Ye-rim, an ordinary streamer, and Selena, who represents an entire company, was stark. Despite acting through text as if they could meet right away, Selena hadn't shown her face even after Ye-rim arrived at the designated location, only telling her to wait.
'But what do I do now...?'
When she saw the photo Selena sent and came here, she was ready to cause a scene regardless of consequences. But now that she's here facing reality, her boiling anger gradually subsides, leaving her at a loss for what to say when she finally meets Selena.
'Should I tell her to let Oppa go?'
Frankly, in a country that encourages men to have relationships with multiple women, would her words carry any weight when she's merely a girlfriend, not even a spouse?
Moreover, the reason Kang Cheol couldn't break free from Selena's threats until now was because she and her family were receiving support from Selena.
'Is this the frustration Oppa has been feeling all this time...?'
Having come all this way, she feels sorry for Kang Cheol, who must have endured this frustration and pain in the face of overwhelming reality.
Then.
"Kim Ye-rim-nim. I need to return to my duties now, so I'll send someone in to attend to you in my place."
The Security Chief, who had been watching Kim Ye-rim struggle with her frustration, announces this matter-of-factly, then opens the door to let a man in.
"W-wait a minute?! I'm fine alo..."
Flustered by the Security Chief's mention of sending someone to attend to her—she's not some chaebol heir—she turns her head and...
Makes eye contact with the young man entering the room.
"...is fine..."
He looked similar.
That characteristic bright smile and small, delicate, petite frame unique to Kang Cheol.
Clearly, the man before her must be an employee of this hotel or Selena's company, but he resembled Kang Cheol.
"Then. I hope you have a pleasant time..."
The Security Chief leaves them with that meaningful line, looking at Kim Ye-rim who seems frozen at the man's appearance, then exits, leaving just her and the man alone.
In this situation where a man and woman are left alone together...
"Hello~ Do you happen to like FPS games?"
Grin~
The sinister viper, who had already copied Kang Cheol's behaviors and received all information about the target Kim Ye-rim, smiles reminiscent of Kang Cheol as he looks at her...
-------------------
"Welcome, Kang Cheol~ We meet earlier than expected? Did you miss me that much~?"
As I enter the room, Selena greets me enthusiastically, and the faint scent of scented candles tickles my nose.
Wondering if Selena might have pulled some trick in the room, I don't approach her but scan the room from the doorway. All I see is the luxurious hotel view and Selena sipping wine while watching me.
The only unusual thing is the scented candle slowly melting on the table, emitting a subtle fragrance throughout the room—probably placed to soften the atmosphere since I was coming.
As if a scented candle could help in a situation that's already gone this far! It might have worked right after our amusement park date, but not now!
Still, unlike my concerns, she doesn't seem to have set up any tricks in the room. I speak to her as she waits for my response.
"Cut the bullshit and just state your business. I'm done with this friends or whatever nonsense. I tried to think well of you, but you've crossed the line! I won't listen to your threats against Ye-rim and her family anymore! So our connection ends here!"
A unilateral declaration.
Actually, I could have done this over phone or text, but I thought it was right to settle things with Selena face to face.
"Ending our friendship too... Fine, let's do that~ I didn't care much for being friends anyway!"
'...She's accepting it this easily?'
I came prepared with a stun gun and pepper spray, expecting her to get angry and attack me like last time, but she's accepting it this readily?
I couldn't believe it.
Given her obsessions toward me until now and what happened just yesterday, this clean acceptance was unbelievable.
'What is she scheming?'
She must be up to something.
But what does her relaxed attitude, as if she's let everything go, mean?
"Well, since you've heard me out, Kang Cheol, will you listen to my story? I even brought the antidote for you~"
Is she really letting me go this easily...?
Did she sincerely accept ending our connection?
Confusion sets in as she casually places what appears to be the antidote—eye drop-shaped objects—on the table unprotected, suggesting she'll hand them over if I just listen to her story.
"...What story...?"
Truthfully, I had half given up on the antidote.
I never thought Selena would give up so easily, and originally planned to leave immediately after my unilateral declaration.
But if she'll give me the antidote just for listening to her story... I guess I can hear her out...?
Ultimately, to get the antidote, I sit in the chair across the table from where she's seated. She offers me the wine glass she was drinking from.
"Get that away from me!"
Fuck, after what happened yesterday, would you drink if you were me?!
At my intense reaction, she shrugs and mutters meaningfully "You'll regret it, hehe~" before retrieving the wine glass and sipping from it herself.
"It's not that serious of a story. I was just curious 'what if' Ye-rim-ssi was cheating—how would you feel about that, Kang Cheol~"
"What are you talking about!!"
I flare up at her ridiculous statement—I only agreed to listen for the antidote—and Selena gives an enigmatic smile.
"Why such an intense reaction? You never know. Maybe she's dissatisfied with the sex she has with you and is relieving her sexual desires with other men~? There are surprisingly many women like that, you know?"
It was nonsense.
Clearly it was nonsense, but...
'Hehe~ Did you enjoy it, Oppa? If you want, we can keep having this strange sex!'
She said that, but our sex was half-forced, aided by alcohol.
"Th-that's impossible... Ye-rim isn't that kind of wom...an."
I say she isn't, but memories of married men from my previous world frequenting entertainment establishments flash through my mind, and my voice lacks conviction.
"Really~? Then 'what if' Ye-rim-ssi is secretly cheating with another man behind your back?"
It probably won't happen, it really shouldn't happen... but 'what if' I saw that...?
'I couldn't handle it...'
It would be selfish of me to say this after my body has been defiled by Selena multiple times, but if Ye-rim was really seeing another man behind my back, I couldn't handle it.
What kept me enduring this humiliation until now?
For myself? No, it was all for my lover Ye-rim!
But but... Ye-rim seeing another man?
"Huhu~ No answer, but I can roughly imagine how you'd feel~"
"Enough... I'm leaving!"
This is enough.
I just made myself feel worse trying to get the antidote. I roughly grab the antidote placed on the table and stand up, turning my back to Selena to leave.
Snap!
"...?"
I wonder at the sound of fingers snapping and turn back to look...
Whirrrrr~
The wall splits apart.
Like a sliding door opening, the wall parts to reveal a transparent glass wall.
And...
"Ye-Ye-rim...?"
Beyond the transparent glass wall, Ye-rim was kissing a man who looked similar to me...