Ch.27Catharsis 3

I see a lime that has fallen beneath the shelf.

The cross-section of the fruit ripples like a mirage.

That rippling leaves an unpleasant impression on me.

It reminds me of colleagues who were hit by shrapnel in the past.

The lime is soon completely obscured by someone.

An idol girl with narrowed eyes and an enraptured expression.

Lying on the floor, she slowly turns her face to meet my gaze.

Eventually, her red, smooth lips begin to twitch.

“Unnie.”

“…”

My heart races wildly at her seductive voice.

I look at her, letting out a moan I’ve never made before in my life.

I wonder why she’s so obsessed with Anna, what Anna means to her.

Meeting that murderer would only lead to death.

Death…

Saliva drips from my mouth.

I want to tell her about Anna even now, but no sound comes out due to the thickening negative energy.

I bent my pride too late.

The young girl’s heavy scent gradually draws closer.

Her fresh face, now right in front of me, asks:

“Shall I kiss you?”

Jaehee, her nose bridge flushed red, smiles broadly.

She seems to be emitting more pheromones than she can handle.

The idol girl unleashes all her pent-up desires and frustrations.

She gently licks my neck with her moist tongue.

The sensual touch makes my entire body tingle.

“Everyone likes foreplay, don’t they?”

I need to stop her.

She was becoming increasingly unhinged, intoxicated by her own ability.

I somehow managed to focus all my senses on my arm.

I barely move my trembling hand.

But that’s all I could manage.

Jaehee’s pheromones only allow me the slightest movement, just enough to twitch.

The girl smiles sweetly, as if watching a struggling pet.

“Did you want to touch me that badly?”

The idol girl takes the hand of a fan trying to touch her.

Then she places it directly against her face, rubbing it against her cheek.

“Since you won’t tell me, I’ll smell Anna-nim’s scent this way instead.”

Her nose wedges between my fingers.

For the first time, I’m grateful for her obsession.

The physical contact born from her fixation on Anna helped me use my ability.

I closed my eyes.

And holding my breath, I pour all my concentration into my fingertips.

Soon, a white radiance spreads across the pink world.

What could have reduced this girl to such a state?

I’ll find out for myself.

“—.”

A bright light hits us, so intense it makes the top of my head feel hot.

Today, for my debut interview, I swallow dryly while staring at the camera.

“With the center of attention, the true super rookies! We’re here with AIMER!”

The male MC with colored contact lenses introduces us in a boisterous voice.

I thought I was somewhat familiar with his voice from watching TV.

But hearing it right beside me, it sounds even more resonant and fresh.

“First, please introduce yourselves to our M-Town viewers who are meeting you for the first time.”

Seona unnie, our group’s leader and vocalist, confidently steps forward first.

“Hello, I’m Seona, the main vocalist-.”

She didn’t need any special descriptors.

She’s pretty, sings well, and speaks clearly—a well-prepared idol.

“—.”

“—.”

The other two members also mention their roles as sub-vocalist and main dancer.

As my turn approaches, my heart pounds increasingly harder.

I’m almost afraid that the pheromones I usually keep hidden will start emanating.

Soon, the MC I’ve admired asks me.

The camera’s eye, which was distant before, gradually approaches and stares at me intently.

“Hello, I’m…”

But wait, what was my role here again?

I suddenly can’t remember the lines I had prepared.

Singing? Dancing?

I’m not perfect at anything.

Am I pretty?

Yes, but so are the other members.

I can feel my teammates’ gazes.

Pushed by those stares, I somehow manage to recall my prepared lines.

“I’m Jaehee, in charge of ‘cheerfulness’ in the group-!”

There was a brief pause, but I managed to get through it.

The MC smiled and encouraged me with a “Well done.”

“Before I ask questions, may I inquire about the meaning behind the group name AIMER?”

“AIMER means ‘one who aims’ in English. We’re going to aim our love at all of you and shoot—bang! So please be prepared.”

Seona unnie responds to the MC’s question as if she had prepared for it, making a shooting gesture.

The other members follow her lead, winking and mimicking the motion.

They never told me about this…

“I already feel my heart racing as if I’ve been shot. Now, let’s begin. AIMER’s Focus!”

With the MC’s gesture, stairs leading to the stage unfold.

We confidently ascend to the stage following that path.

But as I climb onto the stage, my mind is filled with all sorts of thoughts.

Why didn’t they tell me about the pre-choreographed gesture…?

“—.”

The music fades.

The song, which is over three minutes long, feels like it ended in just 30 seconds.

Though the cameras are off, we try to maintain a composed appearance.

We descended the stairs stiffly and only relaxed our expressions when we reached the waiting room entrance.

There, men in black suits and our company CEO were waiting.

The CEO greets each of our members, thanking them for their hard work.

And as everyone enters the waiting room, he pulls me aside.

“Jaehee, you know, right? You need to go for supplementary training.”

“Yes…”

I’m led by the men in black toward the emergency staircase.

My fellow members watch me intently.

Very coldly.

As if they wouldn’t care at all if I were replaced by someone else.

Descending the stairs, a van is waiting for me.

I get into the suspicious black van as if I’m used to it.

The CEO, with his long hair and sunglasses, plops down in the seat right next to me.

He takes out an electronic cigarette and puts it in his mouth.

And mumbles a question.

“Earlier, during the interview. You almost forgot your lines, didn’t you?”

I silently nodded.

The CEO chuckles and inhales the vapor.

“It’s okay, you still did well.”

He was clearly smiling and comforting me.

But rather than feeling encouraged by his comfort, I feel more anxious.

Usually, when the CEO shows such kindness, he follows it with a demand.

And to fulfill that demand, the black van was heading somewhere.

The car drove for a full 30 minutes.

Then it quietly parked in a secluded underground parking lot.

I know this place.

It’s the place I hate most in the world.

A dark sign on the dreary corridor catches my eye.

Catharsis.

This place, labeled as a simple bar, reveals a completely different world once you open the door.

I’m truly scared of this place, filled with the smell of heavy perfume and alcohol.

But I have no choice but to enter.

Because the main reason I was scouted by the CEO and allowed into AIMER was because of this place.

I followed him with my hands clasped, looking pitiful.

Two familiar men greet us.

Middle-aged men dressed in gray suits.

They pat each other’s shoulders happily, calling each other “CEO” and “Assemblyman.”

The one called Assemblyman makes eye contact with me.

I wanted to step back in fear, but he approached me first.

“Isn’t this our Jaehee! I heard today was your debut stage, but the Assemblyman was too busy to attend.”

“It’s okay…”

“I’m counting on you today too. You know the Assemblyman is always on your side, right?”

His elephant-like eyes twinkle.

I nodded, trying to avoid his gaze.

The man shakes hands with me briefly, then heads to a prepared room.

Soon, the CEO also follows them inside.

Before entering, he glances back at me.

The look in his eyes, visible through the gap in his sunglasses, is eerie.

I silently nod.

Because I know exactly what he wants from me.

The black door closes.

And only I and two bodyguards remain in the hall of Catharsis.

The intimidating men gesture to me.

Telling me to enter the room right next to them.

I listlessly enter the room as they command.

It’s a guest room connected to the CEO’s room by a sliding door.

I slump down on the long sofa.

Strange sounds come through the sliding door.

The giggling of young women.

The hearty laughter of middle-aged men.

And even faint, suggestive sounds.

Since my debut as an idol, I’ve always been dragged here.

And I’ve heard these unpleasant sounds every time.

From the room right next door.

Soon, a text message arrives on my phone.

It’s from the CEO.

「Intensity 3.」

3…

I repeat the number in my mind.

I grab the collar of my shirt that was constricting my chest.

And shake it lightly.

Then, a sweet scent begins to emanate from my skin.

In that state, I listen to the sounds coming from the next room.

The young women cry out in distress, as if they can’t breathe.

And the middle-aged men shout single-syllable exclamations, as if trying to prove they’re not old yet.

It must be a dirty and vile scene.

But those sounds begin to stimulate my entire body.

It feels like my skin is tingling and becoming sensitive.

I wanted to shake off that feeling, but I couldn’t.

Because there’s no stimulus more certain for extracting pheromones.

I opened the sliding door slightly.

Through the gap, I can see the naked bodies of the room girls.

The curve from the contour of the buttocks to the breasts.

I forcibly turned my head away to avoid seeing it.

And I extend my fingers to inject my scent into that room.

Before long, the voices of the women who were in pain changed.

To voices steeped in pleasure.

The men’s voices are even worse.

Until just a moment ago, they at least sounded like human voices, but after smelling my scent, they soon began to pant like animals.

I hated hearing those sounds so much.

I sit on the plush sofa, bringing my knees together.

With my ears covered, I just waited for this farce to end.

But moans continue to penetrate through the gaps between my fingers.

Those suggestive sounds feel like they’re voyeuristically observing my entire body.

I frantically rubbed my body with my hands to shake off that feeling.

“—.”

How much time has passed?

The next room has gone quiet.

The assemblyman and CEO exhaled deeply, as if they had relieved their pent-up feelings.

The elephant-like assemblyman takes a deep drag of his cigarette and says:

“Indeed, smoking in Jaehee’s scent is paradise.”

“Of course.”

The CEO responds with a snicker.

“It’s truly an amazing ability. How on earth did she acquire such a power?”

“Well, you see. I heard she didn’t receive much attention from her parents since childhood. They always prioritized her brother.”

The CEO doesn’t care that I’m right in the next room.

He was revealing all my vulnerabilities to the assemblyman.

“Well- In these monster incidents, it’s natural that men with strength have more influence.”

The assemblyman nodded in understanding, flicking his cigarette.

“When she desperately wanted attention from people- Bam. That pheromone ability appeared. Like a female animal.”

“It’s such a good ability. Especially today, the smell was even more intense. It’s as if it gets more potent as the child grows.”

He mutters in a lascivious voice.

“How old is Jaehee this year?”

“Nineteen.”

“Then isn’t it about time to bring her into the room?”

My entire body tenses up as if pierced by needles.

His words terrified me, as if he was talking about slaughtering me.

“Ah… Assemblyman. Jaehee is our idol. She’s a product, a product.”

“Is that so- That’s a shame. Directly inhaling that ecstatic scent, skin to skin… it would truly be… amazing…”

The assemblyman sighed deeply, as if resigned.

But he hadn’t given up.

“Well then-. Someday, her marketability as an idol will come to an end.”

Marketability…?

I repeated his incomprehensible words.

“When that time comes, send her to me separately. I’ll look into a position at the association, so you won’t feel shortchanged.”

“…”

The CEO didn’t give any response.

Only a profound silence pervades the room salon.

Just the sound of my frantically beating heart.

I covered my mouth with my hand, afraid that sound might escape.

In doing so, I accidentally bit my palm with my teeth.

Because the CEO said something I never expected.

“I’ll consider it.”

Red blood trickles down my thigh.

The moment I heard those words, I couldn’t think of anything anymore.