MH Ch 3

Hwa-ran knew this was clearly a trap.

Becoming Mok-gyeong’s girlfriend just to make her sister miserable? It was an absurd deal, feeling unfairly skewed, like one side of a scale was way too heavy.

Refusal was a fleeting moment, but being a couple lasted. Whether it was a day or a few years, her gut told her with certainty that Mok-gyeong wouldn’t let her go that easily. He’d probably mess with her until he got bored, clearly using her feelings however he wanted. Because Mok-gyeong was a bad boy.

As if he’d read her mind, Mok-gyeong spoke.

“I might look like this, but I’m sweet to my girlfriends. I give them everything they want. As long as they don’t run wild without a leash, that is.”

“…That sounds like you’ll never give me what I want if I act freely.”

“Interpret it however you like.”

Mok-gyeong showed his dimples, smiling slyly. It was like the whisper of a devil. She remembered a pamphlet from a church she’d visited for free meals once, saying that devils, to tempt humans, were beautiful, captivating, and perfect enough to be utterly irresistible. Jeon Mok-gyeong was exactly like that.

Hwa-ran wanted her sister’s unhappiness, and in return, Mok-gyeong wanted his own pleasure. To make a guy like Jeon Mok-gyeong lose something, Hwa-ran had to sell her soul to this devil.

“There’s one thing I can clearly tell you: I’ll reject her so cruelly she won’t dare approach me again. Your sister, that is.”

“…”

“And even if she tries to hit on other guys, not me, I promise you that the woman you hate will never be happy in this small town where money and power rule.”

“Pfft. How are you going to do that, Mr. Mok-gyeong? Are you going to send people after her? Is your network that wide?”

“Wide enough for what’s needed.”

“…”

“Wide enough to definitely give Lee Hwa-ran what she wants.”

No matter how small this town of Annam was, he couldn’t possibly stop all her sister’s loves and confessions. Unless he was some kind of gangster or organization that could scare people off. Hwa-ran scoffed, thinking it was just bluster, but Mok-gyeong answered without batting an eye. This made Hwa-ran’s slightly upturned lips awkwardly freeze.

“…Uh, well, I…”

Hwa-ran was like a herbivore facing a trap. The predator’s eyes, staring at her as she debated whether to take the bait, were fierce. It would probably be a childish fling that wouldn’t even last a few days. Yet, for some reason, she hesitated to decide easily. It was an ominous instinct, telling her that this choice, made in this moment, would dictate her entire life.

As Hwa-ran remained silent for a long time, Mok-gyeong abruptly stood up.

“If you don’t want to, then fine.”

“Huh? Where, where are you going?!”

“To pick up my new girlfriend. I can’t wait to see her.”

Mok-gyeong suddenly left his seat.

Cling-lang!

The wind chime on the shop door jingled sharply as it hit the glass. The faint smell of cigarettes that lingered on Mok-gyeong’s body thinned out with the wind. Hwa-ran stared blankly at his retreating back. Everyone who was there had vanished, and she was bewildered to find herself suddenly alone in the bar. Even though she hadn’t made up her mind yet, Hwa-ran found herself scrambling to follow Mok-gyeong. She felt that if she let him go now, she’d regret it for the rest of her life in another way. That was also instinct.

Cling-lang-!!

The wind chime jingled even more urgently than before. She didn’t have to look far; Mok-gyeong was standing right next to the street stall sign, hands in his pockets, waiting for someone.

“Ugh. What kind of person just walks out in the middle of a conversation like that?”

The streets of Pyeonghwa-dong on a weekend evening were windy and noisy. It was especially so, perhaps because winter was approaching. All the couples passing by were walking hand-in-hand. Hwa-ran also felt a chill at her side from the cold autumn wind.

“I wonder when my girlfriend will arrive.” Mok-gyeong muttered, sounding completely uninterested.

At this point, Hwa-ran was flabbergasted. She knew he was acting, and she knew he was trying to provoke her, but it still made her angry.

“Ah. I’ll make her so happy. I’ll pour everything into her, whether it’s my time, my money, or… whatever. Maybe we’ll even go on a romantic location shoot? Oh, do they still do those these days?”

“You’re saying that for my benefit, aren’t you? Your voice sounds so obnoxious.”

“Even if it’s a bit obnoxious, my face makes up for it. That’s how I even charmed your sister. Without even realizing it.”

“…”

“If I end up marrying your sister, you’ll be my sister-in-law. Want me to start calling you that?”

“What, sister-in-law… Ha! Without even meeting her. Ha!”

For a moment, Hwa-ran felt a churning sensation in her stomach, an unbearable urge to vomit. The image of Mok-gyeong marrying her sister, coming home with her, and teasingly calling her “sister-in-law.” Picturing that, all her time for deliberation vanished. More accurately, she had enough reason to accept.

Hwa-ran threw her hands up in the air and shouted, “Alright. I get it!”

“Get what?”

“…You’re truly persistent.”

“I’m even more persistent at night.” Mok-gyeong grinned.

Seeing that shameless, smug expression, it was clear he knew the subject but was pretending not to. But Hwa-ran was currently the “B-side” (subordinate), and she had no choice but to meekly answer the “A-side’s” (dominant’s) question.

“Haa. I’ll be Jeon Mok-gyeong’s girlfriend.”

“No backing out now.”

“I won’t. So, you keep your promise too, Mok-gyeong.” Hwa-ran finally accepted. “The one about making my sister miserable.”

Because what that devil whispered was so dangerous and sweet, and it was the promise Hwa-ran needed most. If investing some of her time and connections was the only way to achieve it, then she’d gladly do it.

Mok-gyeong’s eyes curved into a smile as he whispered, “As per my girlfriend’s orders.”

This was a confession, but it was also a transaction. A murky deal, yet also a fresh first day.

Having achieved his goal, Mok-gyeong no longer waited for anyone. Instead, he nodded at Hwa-ran and extended his pinky finger. “Promise.”

“…We promised with words, isn’t that enough? Are you a kid?”

“I thought you’d like it if we made it more certain. And, as lovers, isn’t this our first step?”

With that, his slightly wiggling finger urged a skinship. A pinky promise as their first “step.” But once Mok-gyeong defined it that way, it somehow felt like a genuinely strange act of intimacy. Did a long, slender pinky finger really need to be so handsome and pretty? Hwa-ran bit her lip, looking at Mok-gyeong’s pinky finger waiting for her in the air.

It was too late to back out anyway, so what’s a pinky promise?

Hwa-ran innocently intertwined her finger with Mok-gyeong’s. The moment their fingers formed a hook that seemed impossible to break—

“Oh… Ugh!”

Mok-gyeong yanked her pinky finger. It was a strong, sudden force. Pulled by it, Hwa-ran was instantly close to Mok-gyeong. Before she could even process what was happening, Mok-gyeong’s nose brushed against her cheek.

Mwah!

Mok-gyeong suddenly kissed Hwa-ran. Lightly, but surely. The whole sequence was so natural that Hwa-ran couldn’t react at all. Mok-gyeong’s actions were so easy. It was no different from saying, “Oh, there’s dust floating over there,” and just catching it. Hwa-ran wanted to react similarly, as it was so humiliating, but… she couldn’t move a muscle. Her brain simply froze, just trying to determine if the sensation of their lips touching was real.

“Hmph. Ugh…”

It was chilling. Her spine stiffened, and her fingers awkwardly flailed in the air like an idiot’s. It wasn’t like that time in high school when some gangster kid, who bragged about cutting a million won off a debt if she let him kiss her, forcefully pushed his cheek against hers.

Mok-gyeong’s face, suddenly obscuring the streetlights, was so close. His eyebrows were long, his pointed nose lightly touching her cheek felt unfamiliar, and his lips… weren’t unpleasant at all. Strangely, there was no smell of cigarettes. He had a cool scent. It smelled like that cold air you breathe in deeply when you go out at three in the morning on a snowy winter day. Even though autumn hadn’t fully passed yet. Perhaps that’s why Hwa-ran was even more frozen.

“Uh, mm.”

Each slight tilt of Mok-gyeong’s head made their lips helplessly sway. What should she do now? Should she yell, “What are you doing?!” Should she quickly pull her head back? But it was just a peck. The kind of kiss couples usually share. In that case, it could be considered an action included in their deal. Hwa-ran thought it was unavoidable to yield her lips and closed her eyes. She even subtly turned her neck towards Mok-gyeong.

And Mok-gyeong was cunning. He read all of Hwa-ran’s transparent thoughts, enough to take even fuller advantage.

“Ugh, hmm, wait…!”

“Haa.”

The moment Hwa-ran’s body slightly relaxed, Mok-gyeong’s tongue moved deeper inside her. Mok-gyeong had no intention of being satisfied with just a kiss on the lips. Through that tiny gap when Hwa-ran gasped for breath, Mok-gyeong didn’t miss his chance and intruded inside. His reddened tongue was wet. Enough to melt the dry Hwa-ran. As if he was quenching a thirst for the first time after not drinking water, Mok-gyeong obsessively licked Hwa-ran’s tongue. He was good at kissing, playing with Hwa-ran’s tongue as she just stood there, unsure what to do. She knew he was a flirt, but to actually charm someone… A pinky promise was their first step, and the next was a kiss? The progress was too fast. And such a rich one…

“Ha, ugh, hmm…!”

Were lips always such hot, wriggling organs? She had thought they were just bothersome, fragile skin that bled easily if she bit them slightly when stressed. But now, heat rushed to them in another way. She could feel every nerve becoming sensitive in real time. Mok-gyeong’s tongue sometimes swept from the base of her tongue to the sharp tip, and other times roughly intertwined like tying a ribbon, completely overpowering her. When he tapped her palate, her whole body tingled. As Mok-gyeong’s tongue wrapped deeper and hotter around hers, the heat in her body also rose. Even though she was standing on two feet, Hwa-ran’s hips kept rising.

“Hmph, mm…”

Hwa-ran wondered if she was the only one so overwhelmed. She slightly squinted to check on Mok-gyeong. Mok-gyeong’s eyes were open. But he wasn’t just looking; he was staring far beyond Hwa-ran, as if glaring at a third party. And with an aggressive, savage, and unpleasant look.

“…”

One thing was for sure: it wasn’t a kiss-intoxicated gaze. Or maybe he was so intoxicated that it caused that kind of look. The moment Hwa-ran saw Mok-gyeong like that, the reality of being on the street hit her, and her mind cleared.

“Hmph, s-stop!”

Thud!

Her hand, roughly pushing Mok-gyeong’s chest, was urgent.

“W-what was that all of a sudden…”

“My finger was so hot just now, darling. I couldn’t help but tangle tongues with you.” Mok-gyeong replied with a shameless face. His body temperature was probably the same 36 degrees Celsius as everyone else, so what excuse…! But he just shrugged, as if it was an unavoidable physiological reaction. Then he wiped his shiny lips. His eyes were hazy, as if he’d consumed too much liquid sugar.

“How is even your saliva sweet, Lee Hwa-ran?”

“…Haa.”

Mok-gyeong, speaking with a gentle eye-smile, was a true fox. Even Hwa-ran, who had maintained a poker face against Mok-gyeong until now, couldn’t help but blush at that smile. It felt like her ears had been burning since the moment their mouths met. Hwa-ran covered her face with her arm, shielding her lips, as if that could cool down the heat from before.

Mok-gyeong was pleased by her reaction. Lee Hwa-ran was indeed an interesting girl. Interesting enough to make her cry even more.

“But Mr. Mok-gyeong, what were you staring at earlier…?”

“Lee Hwa-ran?”

Just then, another protagonist appeared. The main culprit who created this relationship and the beginning of all unhappiness.

“Sister.”