The Stranger's Filthy Demand
The summer heat was stifling, yet I kept running. My breath grew ragged, scraping against the back of my throat.
“Ah, fuck…”
Sweat poured down in rivulets, soaking through my clothes. Still, I didn’t stop. I couldn’t stop.
“Haa, ha… hoo…”
Even the wind slamming into my face felt hot. The tteokbokki in my hand swung wildly with every stride.
“Hoo, haa… ah!”
I shot past the familiar guard post and kept sprinting. In the distance, a familiar figure came into view.
“Hurry the hell up!”
Park Eun-ji’s sharp voice echoed through the apartment complex. Curious residents glanced our way.
“Haa, ha… Sorry, I said I was coming… haa, hoo…”
Sweat dripped onto the pavement. My eyes stung from it.
“…Whatever.”
She rubbed her eyes to clear the sweat. My vision slowly sharpened.
“Let’s go.”
“…Yeah.”
Once I caught my breath, Park Eun-ji finally came into focus. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail that swayed with every step.
Ziiing—
The main entrance door slid open. I slipped in right behind her before it could close.
“Hey, so do you know any seniors who live around here?”
“Uh… hold on a sec.”
Her gaze was sharper than usual. She didn’t bother hiding her irritation, and I instinctively shrank under it.
“……How close are we talking?”
The heavy pressure I’d felt while hiding behind anonymity came crashing back.
“About twenty or thirty minutes from here?”
“Ah…”
“Why? Was there someone?”
There was, but dragging anyone else into this mess would only complicate things. I decided to cut it off right here.
“…I don’t really know any guys…”
“Don’t give me that ‘don’t know’ crap. Was there or wasn’t there?”
“……”
She needed someone, even if I had to invent one. I forced myself to speak again.
“No, uh, there wasn’t.”
“…You sure?”
“Yeah, at least from what I know… plus the school’s kinda far, and if you don’t know anyone, then I definitely don’t…”
“True. If I don’t know, how the hell would you?”
Park Eun-ji’s eyes lingered on me, the corner of her mouth twitching into a mocking little smirk.
Ding—
“Get in.”
“Ah, yeah.”
I hurried after her into the elevator. We stood facing each other.
“So what’s that in your hand?”
“Ah… this?”
Her gaze dropped lower as she studied my expression, then she gave a small nod.
“Yeah.”
“…You said you were hungry earlier… so I figured lunch…”
“Who’s gonna steal it? You look like you’re guarding stolen goods or some shit.”
I was reminded once again of my place thanks to the random chat. My hesitant behavior clearly annoyed her.
“Stand up straight, you pathetic bastard.”
Her hand reached behind my back and poked sharply at my spine.
“You look normal enough, so why the fuck do you act like such a loser, huh?”
Her eyes returned to the bag I’d called lunch.
“…This shit. Don’t tell me it’s tteokbokki.”
“Ah, well, yeah. I suddenly craved it…”
“……”
The spicy aroma of tteokbokki slowly filled the elevator. Park Eun-ji’s expression and body went rigid like stone.
“…What?”
I played dumb, feigning innocence. Her shoulders jerked and her pupils trembled like an earthquake had hit.
“No, fuck…”
She muttered quietly, but I could tell it was a curse.
“What kind of idiot eats tteokbokki for an actual meal—!!”
“Ah!”
Her movement was so fast I barely saw it. She snatched the bag from my hand and slammed it onto the floor.
“Ah…”
The flimsy bag couldn’t withstand the impact. Orange sauce exploded everywhere inside the elevator.
“Haa, hoo… haaa…”
Her breathing turned ragged. The elevator dinged and stopped.
“……Ha, fuck, seriously…”
She looked ready to explode. The relaxed expression from earlier was gone.
“…Get the fuck out, you piece of shit.”
“U-uh, okay!”
She was clearly in a foul mood. No need to ask why.
“Ah, but… I should clean this up…”
“Then fucking do it! You think I’m gonna clean it?!”
“Ah, no… I’ll clean it.”
“Goddamn… seriously…”
Despite just yelling at me to get lost, she stormed off so fast her feet were a blur. The front door slammed shut with a thunderous bang.
Bang—!!
“Heh, hehehe… hng, hahaha!”
Park Eun-ji’s face from a moment ago had been priceless. No matter how hard I tried to hold it in, laughter kept spilling out.
“Haa… hoo, haaa…”
The elevator was a mess. I walked in the direction she’d gone.
“Ah, seriously… I’m losing it…”
It felt almost addictive. If I could see that twisted expression again, I’d do anything.
Beep— beep— beep— beep— beep— beeeep—
I stopped in front of Park Eun-ji’s door, then headed to my own place to grab wet wipes and a trash bag before returning to the elevator.
“Heh, heuk… ha… haaa…”
I wiped away the orange mess bit by bit. It was annoying work, but I couldn’t stop smiling. I was dying to get back to my room and continue the random chat I’d paused.
“Ah, fuck… shit…”
I couldn’t even tell where things had gone wrong. Everything had twisted and tangled from the very start.
I bit down hard on my lower lip. A sharp pain flared, but the stress pounding in my head was worse.
No matter how many times I checked, there was nothing particularly weird in the chat. I’d just stepped in shit, plain and simple.
“…What the hell is this now…”
Someone spewing vulgar crap about wanting cock and craving cum. The photo attached was the one I’d sent earlier.
My hands trembled violently. I’d never felt my body shake like this in my life. A question rose in my mind.
Why the hell was he doing this to me…? There was no need to go this far…
Nothing made sense.
I wasn’t crazy. Why would I send my photo to someone who knew who I was—someone I didn’t even know?
I was ready to let whatever happened, happen. More than that, I genuinely hoped he’d take the bait and meet me in person.
“Hoo…”
I took a deep breath. With still-trembling hands, I typed slowly and clearly, one letter at a time.
There was no other way. The only answer left was to meet him face-to-face and beat the shit out of him.
“…What a disgusting piece of shit…”
I’d never heard words like that in my life. He was treating me like some cheap whore.
“Just come… You’re dead, asshole…”
I didn’t care if he was a senior or whatever. My head was filled with nothing but the thought of beating the shit out of whoever showed up.