episode_0023

23.

When Do Jin Woo and Lee Soo Bin were caught up in a strange incident, Han Hyo Jin and Park Ah Young had some rare time alone together.

Today, unlike the usual conversations they used to have despite living together for three years, an awkward silence lingered between them.

It was fine until this morning, but it rapidly cooled off after the courage test group selection. This was due to Ah Young’s feelings towards Do Jin Woo being evident on her face.

Thinking so, Park Ah Young, as usual, made up her mind and opened her lips.

“Even though it’s summer today, it feels cool.”

“It’s fortunate that it got delayed a bit.”

“That’s true. If it had been earlier, it would have been cold in the evening, and if it had been later, it would have been hot in the evening. It’s all thanks to the chairman’s foresight.”

“No need to flatter. It’s just a coincidence upon coincidence. If you force gold onto your face, even the country would feel itchy.”

Hyo Jin replied dryly. She was usually emotionally detached, but now it felt even more pronounced.

Like talking to a wall.

Ah Young thought it was understandable.

Driven by personal emotions, she had imposed a student council armband on a male student. Amidst getting close to many people, she had caused chaos by showing her liking for someone.

In the end, she had become a selfish woman who couldn’t control her emotions.

With tears welling up, Park Ah Young bowed her head.

“I’m sorry… I also think my actions were wrong… If the chairman asks me to resign, I will do so….”

“Hmm…?”

“But Jin Woo did nothing wrong. We’re not even in a relationship… It was essentially one-sided feelings… So please take action to remove only me from the student council….”

“Uh…? Was it common to demand resignation just because you harbored feelings for the same man…? Come to think of it… I learned that it’s better to eliminate competitors.”

“Yes?”

“Huh?”

They exchanged puzzled responses.

Hyo Jin sensed that there was a monumental misunderstanding building up, akin to modern art. She calmly recalled the flow and context of the conversation.

On the other hand, Ah Young felt embarrassed by her frivolous fantasies. Her head stiffened like a rock as she awkwardly poured out her story.

“I, I thought you only liked me… O-Or not? Are you, are you feeling different, Chairman…? Wh-What is it…? Then why wouldn’t you want to talk to me…?”

Listening to her, Hyo Jin chuckled lightly. There was no need to grasp the flow or context.

It was all within the realm of misconception. Hyo Jin comfortably leaned back in her chair, finding it amusing.

“Like I mentioned before, it’s not that I don’t want to talk to you. I just didn’t know how to converse with a guy I care about in the same way.”

“Oh… So you don’t dislike me…? You didn’t pressure me to resign from the student council or muddy the waters… It was all just my delusion… I was just talking nonsense…”

Ah Young’s voice grew weaker as she spoke.

Hyo Jin smiled at her cutely and shook her head.

“Right. It’s all your imagination.”

“Ughhh….”

Letting out a strange sigh, Ah Young lifted the blanket covering her thighs to hide her face. The tips of her ears were turning red.

“I… I’ll just resign from the student council….”

“Do you really have to?”

“N-No… It’s embarrassing…. How can I look you in the face now, Chairman…? Just kill me now….”

“As for your face…”

Hyo Jin trailed off and snatched away Ah Young’s blanket. With slightly moist blue eyes exposed, she stared at Hyo Jin.

“How about now? It’s not that hard to look at, right?”

“Ugh… G-Give me back the blanket… I feel like my face is going to explode right now… I might die…!”

“People don’t die that easily just because a blanket disappears. Unless you get shocked to death with holes poked front and back simultaneously.”

“I can’t properly respond to sexual jokes right now… Please try again tomorrow or later….”

“Hmm…. Then Dojinwoo will be back. Your reaction seems more interesting. Ahyoung is here today, Vice President Park.”

Park Ahyoung considered pointing out that nickname but covered her face with her palm as it seemed pointless to do anything here.

It was still because her face was burning hot.

She briefly lowered the temperature with sweaty hands. Han Hyojin opened her lips with a mischievous smile, seeming to have an amusing thought.

“You are quite shy.”

“I’m not usually like this… It’s just that… because of Dojinwoo and the president…”

“Tsk tsk, in this case, it will be hard for you to win over Dojinwoo’s love by competing with me. You better give up now and pick up scraps.”

It was a bit sudden and perplexing.

“Isn’t that a bit too much…?”

“Come to think of it, it seems much better to eliminate competitors.”

“The atmosphere was fine just a moment ago, wasn’t it…?”

“How can people remain consistent?”

“It hasn’t even been 5 minutes?”

“In 5 minutes, you could undress, have sex, and conceive a new life without it being strange. How dare you say it’s just 5 minutes.”

Hyojin shrugged casually, saying, “Do you get it now?” while Ahyoung blushed at the sexual innuendo.

“The president… I really can’t figure you out…”

“Men naturally like crude women.”

“You’re mistaken. Men prefer mature women who maintain dignity. They don’t like it when someone like the president suggests stripping off and having sex!”

Ahyoung retorted.

The feeling of embarrassment had long disappeared. She simply wanted to deny Hyojin, who possessed charms opposite to hers.

If it was confirmation bias, then it was indeed confirmation bias.

“When did Dojinwoo ever respond to the president’s sexual jokes? He seemed uncomfortable, didn’t he? Can’t you feel that?”

“It’s all part of the play.”

“Is that so?”

“That’s it? This Q&A itself is amusing. How much do you really know about Dojinwoo? His favorite food, type of woman, positions… You know nothing, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Ahyoung’s momentum waned.

“And if both parties are unaware. In such situations, my large-hearted and fertile body is more suitable for receiving love and affection.”

“Physicality alone doesn’t move people’s hearts. Memories connected to memories, emotions formed through understanding…”

Hyojin subtly mocked.

“When are you talking about ancient times? Hearts and memories. Ultimately, isn’t the one who gets pregnant first the winner?”

“Haha.”

Ahyoung forced a laugh.

“Give it your best shot. Eventually, when hearts connect, even the president’s seduction won’t work.”

“I’ll try to connect to Wi-Fi diligently.”

“…”

“Let me advise you again; I have no intention of giving up even if you and Dojinwoo get together. I must take what I want to feel satisfied.”

“…”

Ahyoung bit her lip discontentedly.

Hyojin inwardly smiled contentedly.

It was fun to scratch Ahyoung and see her irritation surface, and the psychology of competing with someone was incredibly refreshing.

Since forming the Hanseol Group, after receiving successor education, she felt a fire ignite in her chest for the first time.

As the flames spread throughout her body, a pleasure pierced through her crown when it engulfed her toes.

It was addictive and dangerous.

“Oh… I can’t escape now.”

Love was so intense and frightening.

Especially when it came to pursuing love, the acts of conquest brought pleasures and inspirations she had never experienced before.

Once you fall, there’s no turning back…

“Sigh.”

She sighed deeply.

I knew this would happen; I should have fallen in love sooner. I should have fought for the one I love earlier.

“Ah… I’m happy.”

Life was dull and colorless for Han Hyojin.

Love was a blessing to Han Hyojin. It painted the world with colors and scents, offering the joy and pleasure of life that she had never experienced before.

Even though she wanted to give up now, even though she wanted to let go, it was too late since genuine feelings had already developed.

***

I interpreted the outcome of the courage test as experiencing hallucinations due to heatstroke. Of course, the weather wasn’t hot enough to cause heatstroke.

The latter part didn’t matter much. The key point was knowing there was a place to escape to peacefully.

Did Lee Subin also create a mental refuge?

She rolled on the tent floor with a relaxed expression.

Rolling closer and closer. To protect myself, and out of curiosity, I stretched my legs to stop and stand still.

“Ouch!”

A toe wedged perfectly between her ribs and ribcage. Lee Subin collapsed to the ground with a strange groan.

For 20 seconds, she lay motionless like a corpse. Exactly at 30 seconds, she let out a weak voice.

“What are you doing…?”

“That’s right.”

“You’re saying ‘that’s right’ from there…? Are you even human?! You’re someone who destroys society and families….”

“Sorry. It wasn’t a mistake at all. It was a very deliberate action.”

“Are you trash?”

“Yeah, surprisingly, that’s true. I’ve contracted a disease where if I don’t act like trash towards Lee Subin every day, I’ll die.”

“Please don’t really die… live long…”

Lee Subin wiped the floor vigorously and stood up. As she briskly rubbed her side, the tent fell into a quiet atmosphere.

As the timing I desired arrived, I asked.

“Hey, the one we saw at our school earlier…”

“Yes? What are you talking about? We didn’t go to school; we entered a set prepared by the chairman. It’s not a night! It’s not a late-night school!”

“…”

What kind of refuge is this… Denying reality, I sat down.

It was a funny yet sad reality. I refrained from unnecessarily triggering her trauma.

Lee Subin calmed her seizure symptoms and unexpectedly changed the subject. There were many obstacles to breaking through head-on as always.

I listened to and understood Lee Subin’s words.

“The chairman and vice-chairman. Did they fight?”

“Yeah…? Did they?”

“Nyang! The atmosphere was weird. They didn’t even look at each other, let alone talk when they went out to brush their teeth! Isn’t that fighting if not?”

I searched my memory based on her testimony.

But I didn’t sense any strange vibes between Han Hyojin and Park Ayeong. They treated me well and nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

I thought it might be entirely due to Lee Subin’s mood.

Sensing her thoughts, Lee Subin furiously scratched her nose.

“There’s a strange vibe among women when they fight! Seniors really don’t know anything! That’s why you date?! Can’t even empathize! Get out!”

“Okay, okay! I get it! I’ll leave! Don’t bite my hand! Hey hey hey!”

Despite my efforts to stop her, Lee Subin dodged and bit my right hand.

“Ow!”

“Crazy….”

Fortunately, she didn’t bite down hard. Unfortunately, a subtle pain lingered.

It wasn’t unbearable, but I wanted the mark to remain vivid like a rain stain on clothes.

“Sigh…. Are you a dog?”

“I’m a dog (I’m an individual), please stop (please?)”

“Just stop.”

“What do you want me to do? Ow!”

Lee Subin nibbled on my right hand. Not only that, but I could feel the moist sensation of her tongue on my palm.

“Why are you tasting it?”

“Because it’s delicious? Isn’t it good? Does Doji Senior use perfume? This scent is amazing!”

“Can you say that concisely… How am I supposed to understand this?”

Soo-bin pulled her hand away from his mouth. His nose still held the scent.

“No! The fragrance is amazing! Like wood and the smell of flesh! Wow! What should I do? I want to buy it as a perfume! Can we process the flesh for sale!?”

“I won’t let you take it off….”

“If I sneakily take it while you’re asleep….”

“Are you crazy!”

Thud!

Even though he tried to resist.

Soo-bin didn’t stop.

Instead, she persistently clung to his arm, passing through his hands, biceps, shoulders, and sticking her nose between his neck and collarbone.

“Sniff….”

“You brat…!”

She seemed determined to take her place, lying behind him and climbing onto his upper body.

The process was so quick that he couldn’t react properly.

“Are you insane!? What is a grown woman doing…!”

When he tried to grab Soo-bin’s shoulder and pull her away.

Ziing-

The tent door opened.

“…?”

Turning his head.

Two people exuding an ominous aura were looking down at us.

“Well, it wasn’t time for us to restrain each other.”

“That’s right.”

“They say a quiet cat gets to the hearth first. The black cat climbed up quietly while we weren’t around.”

“Thieving cat….”

For some reason, cold sweat started trickling down.

Soo-bin, too, cautiously got up from on top of me.

“I, um, Do-ji forced me to….”

“Oh, is that so? Then let’s…”

“Wait! I didn’t force anyone…! Soo-bin did everything by herself…!”

“Don’t make excuses. Whether it’s 10% or 20% your fault for not being able to push back with strength in the end, it exists.”

“No! I just tried that right now…!”

“Just stay quiet.”

Ah….

It might take a while to clear up this misunderstanding….