MH Ch 4

“What the?! You two… what’s going on?!”

It really was her sister. Her absolutely insufferable blood relation, Chae-ah, who’d been muttering Mok-gyeong’s name all night at home, imagining marrying him.

Hwa-ran turned her head back to Mok-gyeong. He wasn’t surprised. No, far from it, he even slightly curved the corners of his eyes at Hwa-ran and softly whispered, “Why? Embarrassed?”

She’d been wondering why he was staring so intently while they were kissing.

Mok-gyeong had been kissing her while looking at her sister, with his eyes wide open, as if teasing the woman who was so hopelessly crushing on him.

At this point, Hwa-ran wondered if Mok-gyeong truly hadn’t known her sister.

“Answer me, Lee Hwa-ran! What are you two doing right now?!”

As Hwa-ran and Mok-gyeong exchanged silent glances, a frantic Chae-ah started freaking out behind them. Of course she would. Imagine seeing the person you’ve been hopelessly crushing on all night suddenly kissing your own sister like they’re in heat. Who wouldn’t freak out?

Mok-gyeong might not know, but Hwa-ran did.

The outfit Chae-ah was wearing was the most expensive and cleanest in their house, supposedly the latest fashion from Apgujeong, Seoul. She’d hidden it away in the bottom of her closet, terrified Hwa-ran might steal it.

“What’s up, Lee Chae-ah, what’s the big deal?”

“Isn’t that your sister? Kissing your soon-to-be boyfriend?”

Behind Chae-ah were her friends.

Hwa-ran really disliked those middle and high school classmates who used to come over to their house and laugh at her. Judging by the “soon-to-be boyfriend” comment, Chae-ah had obviously brought them along to brag, completely believing her confession would succeed. Poor thing.

Who knows how much effort she’d put into this confession today?

But Mok-gyeong, who couldn’t possibly know any of that, mumbled indifferently, “They really don’t look alike. What a waste.”

Hwa-ran was the only one startled by Mok-gyeong’s quiet evaluation.

Chae-ah didn’t react, either because she didn’t understand what he meant or she hadn’t heard him. The awkward love triangle was suffocatingly tense, so much so that even the presence of the noisy, smelly street faded away.

In the midst of it all, Hwa-ran didn’t know what to do and kept glancing around.

This was the problem. Just a moment ago, Hwa-ran had confidently expressed her disgust to Mok-gyeong.

She knew in her head that she wasn’t inferior to Chae-ah, and even physically, she was big enough not to just take a beating. But the moment she faced her, her words got stuck in her throat.

It was trauma. Deep in her bones. A damned trauma etched into every drop of blood in her body.

Hwa-ran clenched her wrist and bit her lip, and then—

“Ugh…!”

“Shhh, it’s okay.”

Mok-gyeong wrapped his arm around Hwa-ran’s waist. A very natural, warm gesture.

She’d experienced plenty of physical contact before, like having her hair pulled, or being hit on her back and waist, or outright sexual harassment from the start. But this was different. She expected it to be unpleasant… but it was surprisingly okay.

It actually tickled.

Mok-gyeong’s hand was lightly placed, not oppressively, and his fingertips gently tapped around her navel as if playing a piano, intentionally teasing her not to overthink it.

She’d thought being held by someone much bigger than her would just feel stifling. But unexpectedly, the warmth of his shoulder against hers was hot.

Thanks to that, her tension completely dissolved.

Mok-gyeong’s subsequent words were so incredibly smooth, it only made it worse.

“You know her, honey?”

“…Ho-honey?”

“Yeah. My lovely girlfriend. Who are you?”

They’d just started dating. And he’s calling her ‘honey’ right away?

Hwa-ran’s face unconsciously turned red.

Even though she’d started this transaction-like relationship for this very moment, hearing him whisper sweet nothings right beside her, she couldn’t help but blush.

But Mok-gyeong didn’t bat an eye and continued his cringey act. No, she couldn’t even be sure it was an act.

At Mok-gyeong’s nonchalant question, Chae-ah, flustered, answered as if in a trance, “Th-that, I’m Hwa… Hwa-ran’s older sister. Lee Chae-ah.”

“Oh, I see. You don’t look alike at all, so I didn’t recognize you. Anyone would think you’re strangers. And the way you look at each other is so scary. I apologize.”

“…”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Mok-gyeong.”

“Oh, uh… Nice to meet you? I, I’m. I’m.”

“Oh, have we met somewhere before? Hmm. I don’t recall. My apologies, my memory isn’t great.”

Mok-gyeong’s voice was gentle as he greeted her.

However, the reason for his gentleness lay with Hwa-ran, not Chae-ah. He hadn’t recognized Chae-ah; he was merely being polite because she was Hwa-ran’s older sister, her blood relative. It felt like the lingering scent of the instant coffee they’d shared at the factory, all their eye contact and conversations, was being blown away by the harsh wind.

Although Chae-ah had boasted endlessly to her sister, her relationship with Mok-gyeong was entirely her own illusion. But even though it was a fabricated fantasy, Chae-ah’s feelings were genuine.

And that was snatched away. By her own sister, no less. By a blood relative who was far less attractive and insignificant than her. Naturally, Chae-ah was deeply shocked. And Hwa-ran, seeing that expression…

“Ha, haha. Hahahaha.”

She was happy. She didn’t care if everyone in the world pointed fingers and called her a shameless bitch. That foolishly agape mouth and trembling pupils. Those powerless legs shaking uncontrollably.

How could she not laugh?

How does it feel to have what you wanted stolen by the sister you always looked down on?

She’d been so unfairly blamed for ruining her family that she’d decided to sell her love to truly ruin Chae-ah’s. How did it feel?

There was no guilt. Only a base pleasure and a sense of triumphant amusement. It was almost as if all the violence and injustice she’d endured were being compensated.

“Ha, haha.”

Chae-ah, who had been staring blankly, suddenly strode over to a nearby street food stall and, without permission, grabbed a beer mug from someone else’s table and chugged it. It was rude, but the already-tipsy office workers clapped and cheered, shouting, “You go, missy!”

The beer mug was almost full. She’d chugged it in one go.

“Looks like she was really thirsty.”

Drink like a dog, why don’t you.

Mok-gyeong scoffed in a tiny voice. Just a moment ago, Hwa-ran had been disgusted by Mok-gyeong’s vulgarity, but now, why did it feel so refreshing and reassuring? Hwa-ran found it hard to hold back her laughter.

Meanwhile, Chae-ah, having quenched her thirst with alcohol, glared at Hwa-ran.

“You, you! What is going on, Lee Hwa-ran?!”

“Sister. Well.”

“I liked Hwa-ran and pursued her.”

“…You, Mok-gyeong?”

“Yeah. About a month ago. I was waiting at the traffic light at that intersection, and she was standing there so beautifully. I marked her as mine right then. I thought I’d regret it forever if I didn’t get this person.”

Mok-gyeong smoothly spun a tale of a non-existent memory. It was so convincing, Hwa-ran almost believed it herself.

“You, you knew everything!!”

Who I liked. How much I liked him!

Hwa-ran didn’t need to hear Chae-ah finish her sentence to know what she was implying. But couples were always alike. In values, way of thinking, etiquette, humanity, and acting skills.

“Sorry. I didn’t know it was the same person. Mok-gyeong never told me he worked at the factory…”

“Don’t lie! His name, his name alone! Is it that common in this small area?!”

“Ah. My apologies. That’s my fault. I was an idiot and told Hwa-ran I’d tell her who I really was if we dated to pique her curiosity. Hwa-ran probably only found out who I truly am the day before yesterday.”

“…No.”

“It’s true. What would I gain by lying to Chae-ah?”

Dating someone without even knowing their name? Chae-ah wanted to argue that it made no sense, but if Mok-gyeong said so, then it was so. Chae-ah was a man-crazy woman, and if the other person was male, she’d just accept it. It was a survival mechanism she’d learned from her father, and also a cultural brainwashing created by their patriarchal neighborhood.

Besides, Mok-gyeong’s aura was just too strong. You know those guys, right? The day you enter high school and get your class assignment, and walk into the classroom for the first time. The guy in the back, hands in his pockets, already dominating the class atmosphere, quietly listening to the kids chatter. Then, with just one casual remark, he can end all the politicking with his presence and charisma. That was Mok-gyeong.

So it was natural that Chae-ah was drawn to Mok-gyeong and, at the same time, deferred to him.

“So, don’t be too hard on Hwa-ran, Chae-ah.”

Whether he knew Chae-ah’s personality or not, Mok-gyeong really went out of his way to talk, making sure not a single arrow was aimed at Hwa-ran.

So thoroughly that it felt gentle.

“Mok-gyeong. I, no. Not that bitch. It should be me. I, I liked you first. A lot. Not my ugly sister, but me. Mok-gyeong, the one you should be ki-kissing is me.”

Chae-ah’s trembling words were a confession. But mixed with a base hatred for her sister. It was pathetic. The most pathetic confession Mok-gyeong had ever heard, among countless others. Mok-gyeong could kiss anyone he wanted. Chae-ah’s permission didn’t matter. Mok-gyeong listened to her mumbling with a blank expression, then asked, “Are you upset?”

“Huh?”

“Are you feeling uncomfortable? Like you’re the saddest, most tragic heroine in the world. Feeling the most unhappy and miserable?”

“…Yes, yes. Of course. That bitch is, she’s using you, Mok-gyeong, to screw me over, and… using, using you.”

Chae-ah affirmed. Because that’s truly how she felt. This feeling was a sense of defeat she hadn’t experienced even when she failed her college entrance exams or when her dad came home as a debtor.

This wasn’t merely the humiliation that her sister could inflict. This shouldn’t have happened, and because it did, she felt even more miserable. Chae-ah hoped that by saying this, Mok-gyeong would come to his senses, even belatedly.

If he knew she had ulterior motives, he’d reconsider. Whatever that Lee Hwa-ran bitch did, now that he was confronted with her, he might even regret it. Since the older sister was prettier, wouldn’t he switch?

“Good. Thanks to you, I got to sit here and enjoy a delicious dose of schadenfreude.”

But Mok-gyeong’s answer was different. Mok-gyeong seemed very satisfied with Chae-ah’s miserable reply, and for the first time, he showed her a smile.

“Thank you for letting me know how special our Hwa-ran is, Miss Sister.”

Honestly, giving you a quick screw as compensation would be nothing. However, Mok-gyeong didn’t utter those last words.

It seemed Hwa-ran disliked such things, and he truly had no intention of it. Hwa-ran was already breathing heavily just from him holding her and kissing her. There was no way he’d be thinking about another woman. It was a waste of time. Not enough to even get his downstairs to react.

“Crazy bitch.”

Chae-ah fled in a hurry, not looking back. Her carefully applied makeup was smeared with tears, and her dress was stained with beer marks, she didn’t know how or when.

“What? Lee Chae-ah got dumped? After all that premature bragging?”

“Oh no. And she got stolen by your sister? Pfft.”

The embarrassment was an added bonus after bringing her friends along. Indeed, her sister’s friends were pitying Chae-ah, but they were also openly scoffing at her. Hwa-ran already felt her ears aching, knowing how loud it would get when she went home later.

But what could she do? Even that outburst would now sound joyful to her. That was exactly what she wanted to hear. She might have dominated her sister and acted like a bully at home, but sadly, outside the house, she was insignificant.

Hwa-ran realized it. That her scary and tiresome family was actually nothing. And the person who made her realize that gap was the man beside her. An outsider, and a very attractive third party at that.

Now, only Mok-gyeong and Hwa-ran remained.

“Satisfied? Should I have stomped on her more?”

“No. It was perfectly flawless. She’s definitely never felt a greater sense of defeat.”

“Good. So, we’ve kept our first promise.”

Mok-gyeong’s words about dumping someone in the most miserable way possible were true. Thanks to him, Hwa-ran was intoxicated with a sense of liberation and victory she’d never felt before.

“So. Take care of me from now on, girlfriend.”

Crazy bitch, and girlfriend. Hwa-ran’s head throbbed, having acquired two new titles in such a short time, but she couldn’t think of anything else. Because Mok-gyeong’s strong scent of perfume and cigarettes was far more potent and intense.