NTFT | Volume 1.16

When I used to broadcast, I lived quite miserably. Waking up in the afternoon, subsisting mainly on milk or strawberry milk from the fridge, and occasionally ordering takeout for a mukbang broadcast, I didn’t eat much and often threw food away.

Wasn’t really hungry anyway, just needed something sweet to manage my sharp nerves?

I might have even gained weight since being kidnapped.

“Wow, I heard this place is usually busy. Maybe it’s because it’s a weekday—there’s hardly anyone here. They’re about to take the last order, so let’s go eat! Or should we get takeout?”

He adapted remarkably well. With plenty of money, a good-looking face, and a decent education, **did** such composure come naturally? Without being asked, he had already packed up food and, as a bonus, ordered some alcohol.

“Will this be enough? Should we also buy some snacks at the convenience store?”

“More? We already have takeout.”

“Yes. Looking at our sizes, it seems like this might not be enough, don’t you think?”

Now that I noticed, he was actually taller than me. He had a good build and a fresh, handsome face.

“You, you’re quite handsome.”

“Oh, you just noticed? You’re handsome too. No, pretty.”

He playfully responded, handed me the bag of takeout, and entered the convenience store. Shortly after, he came out again with his arms full of snacks and alcohol.

“Bro! I also bought ice cream.”

“Why? Ice cream now?”

“Of course, to eat as dessert after the meal.”

“No, in this situation? Why’d you buy that, it’s gonna melt.”

“If it melts, we just eat it quickly. Come on, let’s go. I booked us a place to stay.”

“What, a place to stay?”

“Yes! You seemed indecisive, so I did it while we were waiting for the takeout.”

“Hey, you did what!”

“What, should I have consulted you? Come on, let’s go. The wallet’s with me, we need to eat, and the ice cream is melting.”

He pushed me towards the car, and I found myself boarding almost speechlessly. And I ended up in the passenger seat.

“Why am I sitting here?”

“So, you want to drive? It’s my car, after all.”

Right. It **is** your car. But how did the tables turn so quickly, and why are you so confident now? **Is** it because you have the wallet?

“And you don’t know where the place I booked is, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Then just trust me and follow. I booked us a really nice place.”

—

Before I knew it, we’d arrived at the accommodation Mi Hong had booked. No wonder he was bragging about it.

The place was amazing. Mi Hong had snagged a private villa that cost over a million won per night, and he was as excited as if we were on vacation, busily taking commemorative photos.

“Hyung, you know the vibe, right? Take some cool photos of me, please!”

He tossed me his iPhone and even made me his photographer. What the heck is with this guy? How can he be so carefree and unaware of the crisis? Would he even listen if I preached a bit? Though I’ve lived quite recklessly myself, this was a first.

Have I gotten old? Have I been cooped up at home too much?

“Stand over there, don’t be too conscious of the camera.”

I took the phone and snapped some photos, fitting him properly into the frame. It felt like he would ask for more, so I took several shots in one go, changing angles and moving around to different spots.

Somehow, I ended up sitting on the floor to take the pictures, and they turned out quite flashy. He was totally satisfied with the results.

“Wow, hyung, what’s with you? How can you take such good photos?!”

He made a fuss over the photos I had taken, busy admiring them. Exhausted, I sat down and gazed at the scenery.

“Money sure is nice. To think we could come to such a nice place even while being chased.”

It might have been a lament, but the view was nothing short of artistic. The sea was calm, and the intermittent lights shimmered like stars, beautiful and dazzling. The area was quiet, with few cars and people around, giving it a serene atmosphere.

“Nice, right? It’s my first time here too, but when I went to book the accommodation, it just stood out to me. So I booked it right away.”

He smiled broadly, almost begging for a compliment, while wiggling his hips. He must have liked the photos I took since he was posting them on SNS and even changed his phone wallpaper.

“Hyung, I really like the photos. Do you do photography?”

“Well… something like that, maybe.”

I answered as if it didn’t concern me much. I do stand in front of a camera for a living, but it’s not much different from that. There’s no point in going into detail.

“Let’s eat. You said you were hungry, right?”

“Oh, sure. Hyung, can you drink well?”

“Alcohol?”

“Yeah. I really like drinking, so I brought a lot.”

Alcohol was brought to the table before the meal. Not just one or two bottles; this guy was really planning to party. It sure made things easier.

“Let’s eat first. What’s the point of drinking on an empty stomach? If you want to eat, go ahead.”

I was hungry. It had been a while since I had three square meals, and the hunger pangs were hitting hard. I ignored the various types of alcohol and put the food we had brought on the table first.

“Good. Eating and then drinking is nice. It’s good for the stomach, and I’ve been starving all day.”

I quickly set the rice on the table and washed the spoons and dishes provided by the accommodation.

It was somewhat amusing to think about having a meal with this guy I’d just met today, but it was certainly better than dating him.

Why would I even think about dating? And to continue living locked up in that house after the date? It must have been Stockholm Syndrome. Feeling privileged in that situation.

“Mmm, this is tasty.”

“Right? It’s good, isn’t it? I didn’t expect to eat something this good here, hyung. Eat a lot!”

He filled my plate with plenty of cockles. Looking at the heaping pile, I couldn’t help but think trivial thoughts about how much this guy could actually eat.

Was his name Uijeong? His name wasn’t particularly cool or handsome, but he seemed like a decent guy to call on.

“Yeah. You eat a lot too, Uijeong.”

I smirked and took a big bite of the food. It was indeed delicious. Fresh, savory, and especially the plump cockles were chewy and tasty.

“It’s delicious. Really good.”

I said it casually, and for some reason, his face turned red. Was he hot? Should I open a window? Or maybe the balcony door?

“Is it hot? Should I open the door?”

I took a mouthful of cockle bibimbap and moved to open the door slightly. The evening view was nice, and it wasn’t very cold, so it seemed fine.

The refreshing sea breeze came in, bringing a fresh smell.

“Mmm, the weather’s nice too. Not too cold.”

Had I somehow become part of a fairy tale? Just this morning and afternoon, I had been frantically running away. I felt a bit excited as if I were truly on vacation.

Had I ever traveled before? I had lived a nomadic life but never traveled for enjoyment. What had I been doing all this time?

Just chasing tail, probably. Stepping outside made me think more about how I had lived my days.

“Hyung, I want to drink. Will you join me?”

“Hmm? Maybe. What do you have? I saw you had a lot earlier.”

It looked like he had brought beers and soju. He seemed to have also bought makgeolli at the convenience store, among other drinks, but I couldn’t quite remember exactly.

“Do you want beer?”

“Beer… uh, that might make my throat sore, no thanks. Anything else? Oh, did you put the ice cream in the freezer?”

“Oh! Ice cream!”

“Hey! You didn’t put it away?”

I hurriedly pulled out the ice cream from a black bag on the floor. Maybe because the room was well-heated or because time had passed, the ice cream felt mushy and melted.

“Ah… man, it’s all melted already. You should’ve put it in the freezer as soon as we got here. What have you been doing?”

I grumbled. He had bought the ice cream with such enthusiasm, but what a waste. I felt sorry for the ice cream but also frustrated with his carelessness.

“Ah… my ice cream…”

He teared up as he held the melted ice cream.

“Melted ice cream doesn’t come back. Just leave it alone and eat something else. Or put it in the freezer and refreeze it.”

I returned to my seat and continued eating. There were plenty of other things to eat, and there was no need to dwell on the melted ice cream.

But he seemed unable to let it go, holding the ice cream and stubbornly tearing into it.

“You gonna eat that?”

“Have to. Sniff…”

“But you haven’t even finished your meal?”

“Meal’s meal, but I really wanted this ice cream.”

He snapped

at the ice cream wrapper, starting to open it. I had a bad feeling about this. Would the ice cream even come out intact?

I turned my head away, not wanting to get angry watching him and took another bite of my meal.

No, this is also delicious, but why insist on eating that? Plus, he said he wanted to drink. This guy is hopeless. Hopefully, he can eat the ice cream without any trouble.

“Ah! Ice cream…!”

Was I a fool to have expected anything? Was he about to cause a scene? Why couldn’t he just eat his meal quietly and look for snacks later? I immediately looked up at him.

“Hyung… it’s all sticky. Sniff…”

“Ha, you… really…”

The melted ice cream was dripping down his chin and chest, and because he was holding it carelessly, it was also running down his pants.

“Hey, why are you holding that like an idiot? Clean it up right now.”

“Huuung…”

Why does he whine like someone I’ve known forever? It’s annoying, but I looked around for some tissues and handed them to him. But wiping it up wasn’t very satisfying.

Why is this so much trouble?

“Ah, hyung… it’s sticky. I think the ice cream got into my underwear too.”

“What?”

“Huuuung!”

He wiped the ice cream while trying to pull my hand towards his body. Then he suddenly grabbed me.

“Hyung, I’ve got another problem.”

“What? What problem?”

Besides the melted ice cream, what other problem could there be? Are you the problem itself?

I looked at him nonchalantly. Then his eyes widened, and he gave a charming smile.

I still hadn’t caught on, staring blankly at him. Then he couldn’t hold back any longer and spoke up.

“Seeing hyung, I got so turned on, my thing got hard. What should I do?”

What kind of nonsense is this?

All of a sudden?

Seriously, why? Where? What did I do?

I blinked, not understanding the reason. Apparently frustrated by my reaction, he suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled it towards his lower body. There, a snake-like presence was making itself known.

“Hyung, why are you so pretty? See, I got hard.”

I doubted my ears. Or should I doubt his lower body? A series of preposterous events had unfolded.

What was even going on?

As much as the Gumiho was known for their bold nature, this was a bit too much.

Suddenly displaying a disgustingly huge, snake-like erection and showing off a seductive pose, what was up with this guy?

I must have been hit by an arrow of desire.

Otherwise, how could I continuously meet such outrageous characters, who seemed as likely to encounter as making sausages?