episode_0046

Seonghan didn’t know it well, but Isia was a fairly well-known idol. No, she *had been* an idol.

Her skills improved with her effort. An angelic smile and a gentle personality. In contrast, her natural figure and face. She, who bore the title of the greatest visual of all time, surpassing even the current generation, and was the star of dazzling stages, was undoubtedly one of the top-tier idols. Of course, she suffered just as much from malicious comments and DMs.

Though it seemed like she would only ever succeed, her journey was never smooth. Just as there is light and shadow, the glamorous entertainment industry also has a harsh underside. It was praiseworthy that a pure young girl like her grew without breaking within it. She reached the top, gaining much and losing much. Isia had once tried to leave the entertainment industry, but she met Kim Jihyuk and made a new start. Like Kim Jihyuk, she also had good instincts. However, while Kim Jihyuk’s intuition was honed by insight, Isia’s belonged to the sixth sense, what one might call a woman’s intuition. Her intuition, though different in nature, was instrumental in her survival in the entertainment industry, which was no different from a jungle. Especially when dealing with people, and among them, when dealing with men, her intuition shone. The entertainment industry was rampant with conditions that could weaken one’s sense of morality. Within it, Isia, whose entire body exuded an alluring charm despite her purity, was able to maintain her integrity precisely because of her intuition. Her senses were so keen they could almost be called a filter. Isia, who had been afraid of men due to a certain incident. The only people she was comfortable with were Kim Jihyuk and the company CEO. When she first saw Seonghan, she instantly knew.

‘He’s the one!’ What people commonly called a “feeling” hit her intensely. Even when everyone was shocked to see Seonghan, soaked in blood, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. When she saw him casually pick up a troublesome gangster with one hand and shake him, she felt a thrilling chill down her spine. When he stiffly provided water and food, she even felt an inexplicable warmth. Even when Seonghan demanded compensation for the rescue, she didn’t know why she reacted the way she did. It was as if the words burst out without passing through her brain. Now, she sometimes kicks her blanket in embarrassment when she falls asleep, but she has no regrets.

Sometimes, Isia even entertained the bold thought of Seonghan approaching her. Watching him lead their group without a single casualty and casually eliminate terrifying monsters, she felt a strong sense of relief that suppressed her fear. Just as she began to feel the desire to get a little closer, Isia suddenly realized something. That Seonghan wasn’t uncomfortable for her. Beyond comfortable, she felt something tickling her heart. She wanted to know him and get closer to him. She wanted to feel again the pounding in her heart she’d felt when he meticulously fastened her protective gear. It was a situation where she might be told she was out of her mind or filming a romance drama for feeling this way about someone she’d only met a few days ago, but Isia wanted to be true to her current feelings. And her intuition clearly shouted, “[Even if you can’t eat it, go for it!] [a gambling phrase meaning to take a risk regardless of potential loss].”

When Seonghan said he was going into danger alone for them and the soldiers, she jumped up, but couldn’t stop him. Isia didn’t have the authority to do so. Her worries were immense, but amidst them, a crisis arrived. Suddenly, gangsters appeared and threatened them. The influential person made a dirty and vile proposition. Their sticky gazes and the loathsome emotions they exuded were utterly disgusting. It was enough to bring back nightmares she had barely managed to forget. It was different from Seonghan’s gaze, which felt indifferent yet comfortable. Gazes that saw her as merchandise, or a female animal, were tiresome and repulsive. She liked Seonghan’s calm gaze, which simply looked at Isia herself. Thinking of Seonghan, courage she didn’t know she had welled up, and she fiercely resisted. The vile threats soon turned to violence, but she did not falter. She bit the hands that subtly tried to grope her body like a zombie. Funnily enough, the person who came to mind amidst the beating was Seonghan.

“My first time is reserved with Oppa! Get your pig feet off me!” Isia’s desperate cry to protect herself had enough spirit to stun the gangsters for a moment. But that was all. In the end, the managers collapsed, and a temporary lull occurred when Lieutenant Park, who appeared late, and Kim Jihyuk, whose eyes blazed with fury, stepped in fiercely.

It only took a brief moment for everything to turn into a mess. The group lay bruised and battered, and Lee Bomi, who had tried to protect her, was also in a terrible state. Isia felt wronged and indignant. If she had a hero-like strength, she would have wanted to snap the wrists of those filthy humans. She would have wanted to slap those ugly faces. Isia was disoriented by her aching face and throbbing body. The manager was thoroughly beaten trying to protect the two women. Tears streamed down her face, utterly bewildered and flustered by what had suddenly happened. Her indignant tears would not easily stop. Those kinds of guys didn’t scare her. She had survived monsters outside, so mere gangsters… It was simply too unfair to be helplessly subjected to unjust force once again.

‘…Seonghan Oppa.’ His image, calmly exhaling cigarette smoke, came to mind. His reliable back as he led the group came to mind. ‘…Huh?’

No sooner had the thought finished than Seonghan truly appeared. He walked forward confidently, without hesitation. “I won’t kill them. Don’t worry.” With that one statement, the gangsters’ screams began. Though Isia couldn’t clearly see it, Seonghan’s movements were utterly exhilarating. Screams and the sound of bones breaking were unmistakably heard. But she didn’t care. What if Seonghan hadn’t been there? It wouldn’t be the gangsters lying on the cold ground, but themselves. It was a rather brutal sight, but Isia’s gaze followed Seonghan.

‘…Amazing.’ She didn’t know what he was doing or how, but every single movement was sexy. It was thrilling when he hit the sly guy who had been babbling behind them like a weasel. Especially the Old Man and the gangster boss, who had been licking her body with their vile gazes. When those two were stomped on, she felt a mysterious heat in her lower abdomen that she had never felt before. Seonghan, angry yet speaking his mind in a low voice, exuded a powerful charisma.

‘He’s definitely my man.’ Seonghan would have been dumbfounded if he heard it, but in Isia’s mind, Seonghan’s stock price soared vertically.

But. “Fighting is a soldier’s duty!” “Shut up.” In an instant, Seonghan’s atmosphere began to change. And Isia felt her mind go blank.

“Let’s see where this ends.” A bland tone of voice, devoid of any emotion. That made it sound even more dangerous. Moreover, Seonghan’s suddenly changed demeanor was unsettling. She hadn’t felt that way even when he fought zombies. What was it like? It was as if a completely different person was slowly entering Seonghan. She didn’t care about those gangsters or the people who had harmed them. If Isia herself had the power, she would have stepped forward and beaten them herself. She felt sorry for Seonghan in her own powerlessness, but she wished he would beat them all. How exhilarating it had been to see the gangsters get thrashed! But now, she felt as if something was terribly wrong. The heavy air and tense atmosphere. Even the sensation of something impossibly cold slicing at her skin. It was felt from Seonghan’s back as he walked towards the group in front. A danger like a bomb about to explode, impossible to dare touch. Isia didn’t consider herself a soft woman. She didn’t care whether those people got thrashed or not. But Seonghan was different. He had risked his life for their group. He had tirelessly stepped forward for their group. He was getting angry for their group. And now…

“Anyone who interferes will be treated as an enemy.” “Huh…? Huh…?” She instinctively knew this wasn’t just a matter of danger. It was as if Seonghan might become, not Seonghan.

“I’ll add it to the ledger.” “Slowly! Eat slowly. Uh, excuse me?” “I didn’t know much about idols. But now that I do, it’s fine, isn’t it?” “As you can see, she’s quite pretty.” “I’ll be back.”

The moment she felt Seonghan’s reassuring, faint smile blur. Isia sprang up and ran. She didn’t know why she was running. She didn’t know why she hugged Seonghan’s back either. But she felt a strong urge that she *had* to do it right now. Her eyes blurred with an unknown sense of unease and fear. Her throat tightened with an inexplicable surge of emotion. It was a different feeling than when she was starving to death, or when she faced zombies. A type of fear entirely different from the fear of death. Isia was certain. She knew that if she didn’t stop Seonghan now, he would change. And she knew Seonghan would never smile again. It sounded insane, but her intuition told her so. Now, the people in front of them didn’t matter. Only this man she was embracing mattered. She felt his firm back through his damp clothes, whether from sweat or blood. The mingled smell of sweat and blood was nauseating, but she didn’t care. Instead, the tears she had barely held back flowed. This man had endured filth and danger from the front lines, striving for their sake. Only after embracing this man did she physically grasp that fact. As the truth she knew intellectually sank into her body, gratitude and apology welled up from the depths of her heart. This man was now about to cross a dangerous line for their sakes. That’s why she had to stop him even more. A sense of dread, as if she would lose Seonghan if not now, enveloped her.

“Please, stop now….” Isia’s throat was tight, making it hard to speak clearly. But she had to convey it. With that single thought, her slender arms wrapped around Seonghan tightened. Isia’s swollen face buried itself into Seonghan’s dirty back.

“What are you doing? We can’t just leave these guys.” “It’s not for those people.” “Then why on earth?” Seonghan roughly turned around, pulling Isia away. Seonghan’s eyes, expressionless yet filled with anger. Looking straight into Seonghan’s eyes, Isia squeezed out her voice. Her strained voice was nothing but desperate.

“O-Oppa, it feels like you’re going to disappear.” “……Huh?” “Oppa! It feels like you won’t be Oppa anymore! Waaah!” “…….”

Her pent-up tears finally burst forth from the anxiety that Seonghan might change. Sorrowful tears brimming with unease. A concern not for the majority of people, but solely for one person. Seonghan, who received a direct dose of true emotion that was hard to come by. Perplexed, forgetting his anger, Seonghan scratched his head, unconsciously releasing his killing intent. Isia’s completely unexpected reaction. Seonghan, who didn’t dislike it—in fact, he honestly rather liked it—forgot about the people strewn around him and began to comfort Isia.

Isia. Despite her dazzling beauty, she had developed a fear of men, let alone a romantic relationship, due to malicious commenters and stalkers. That woman, for the very first time, shed tears for a man, driven by her feelings for him.