TTS Vol 1 Ch 1.2

Park Chigyeong bought a cup of coffee from the vending machine outside the police station. Taeri accepted the paper cup he offered with both hands and immediately brought it to her lips.

Instead of drinking his own vending machine coffee, Park Chigyeong lit a cigarette that dangled between his mouth, inhaling the smoke deeply into his lungs.

Taeri had been sneaking glances at the side of Park Chigyeong’s face, watching as he smoked while staring straight ahead.

His neatly styled hair, the perfectly tailored suit, the expensive watch gleaming on his wrist as if to flaunt its presence, his sharp, snake-like eyes, his chiseled nose, and his defined jawline. The man, who had a completely different aura from Park Sihyun—or any other man she had ever encountered—was genuinely fascinating to her.

The man seemed as if he belonged to another world, carrying a unique atmosphere that ordinary people simply couldn’t possess.

The fact that this man was the older brother of someone as frivolous as Park Sihyun was almost unbelievable. She found herself looking at him repeatedly, unable to reconcile the contrast.

It was the first time in her life that Taeri had stared at someone like this, so openly and for so long.

Taeri wasn’t the kind of woman who was unpopular with men. In fact, she was quite popular. Many men flirted with her, but none of them ever managed to attract her interest.

Younger men felt immature, those her age even more so, and although she had even dated men up to four years older, she eventually concluded that all men were the same.

Every single one of them was not worth her time.

Among those men who were “not worth her time” also included one of the most popular guys on campus, Park Sihyun. Yes, the very same Park Sihyun who used deepfake technology to merge her face with that of the naked body of a Western woman and spread rumors that they had slept together.

She had no intention of settling the matter—not in the slightest. At least, that was the case until just a moment ago.

“What is it that you need, student?”

Park Chigyeong tapped the ash from his cigarette onto the ground as he turned to look at her.

The way his gaze traveled slowly from her head to her toes, as if he was assessing her, made Taeri feel an unfamiliar sensation as if she was being stripped bare in front of him. It was the first time she ever felt this way because of someone else.

“What I… need?”

Her voice came out timidly, already subdued under the pressure of his presence. Park Chigyeong took another drag from his cigarette and nodded once.

“Go ahead, say it freely.”

He looked down briefly as if examining his shoes, then raised his gaze back to her with a smile. Even though she was still young, Taeri could tell that this smile wasn’t sincere, that it was a facade.

It felt like he was silently asking how much money she wanted. Park Sihyun had asked her the same question, yet the atmosphere between the two men was entirely different.

As Taeri stood in the lukewarm temperature of March, neither cold nor warm, she felt her palms slowly begin to sweat.

“I… don’t need money, sir.”

“영감님” (Yeonggam-nim) : The term “영감님” is commonly used in Korean to refer to an elderly man or an old gentleman, often with a respectful tone. It literally translates to “sir” or “old man”, and its usage can vary greatly depending on context, tone, and relationship. In some cases, it can be used sarcastically or mockingly, especially if the person is not actually elderly.

“Sir,” when Park Chigyeong repeated the word to himself, his expression subtly changed. She caught the slight furrow of his brow.

“That’s what Park Sihyun called it. I heard that’s what people call prosecutors.”

Exhaling a puff of smoke, he smiled faintly.

Was that a smile of annoyance or amusement? Taeri couldn’t help but wonder.

“Did it… offend you?”

Hmm. Pretending to think for a moment, Park Chigyeong put on a contrived expression before responding with a casual smile.

“No. Call me whatever you like. If you’re around the same age as my brother, then I suppose ‘sir’ fits.”

He sucked in the smoke again, exhaling it as he narrowed his eyes and smiled. As the smoke dispersed, his eyes, for some reason, seemed to glow red like the setting sun.

Cough, unable to hold back, Taeri finally coughed as the cigarette smoke continued to blow directly into her face.

Normally, when someone coughs nearby, you’d expect the person smoking to either put out the cigarette or move further away, but Park Chigyeong did neither. Instead, he deliberately took a step closer and continued smoking, as if to provoke her.

From that one small action, Taeri could already tell what kind of man he was.

Lacking in consideration, self-centered, unkind, and indifferent to others. Perhaps, even, he might enjoy others’ discomfort.

“Now that we’ve eased the awkwardness and gotten pretty close, let’s get straight to the point.”

With the cigarette nearly down to a stub, Park Chigyeong flicked the ashes off and dropped it at his shoes, blowing out a long stream of smoke.

“I have someone in my family who works for the government. It would be troublesome if any of us ended up with a criminal record. So, I’d appreciate it if we could settle this matter here and not blow things out of proportion.”

“But… I don’t want to.”

Even as she rubbed her sweaty palms against her jeans, Taeri responded firmly.

Despite her defiance, which was clearly not the answer he wanted, Park Chigyeong didn’t show any signs of surprise or discomfort. He merely tilted his head slightly to the side.

“What is it that you want, then? For my brother to go to prison?”

“Does someone go to prison for making obscene photos?”

Hmm, Park Chigyeong rubbed the back of his neck and tilted his head slowly. Taeri waited calmly for his response, curious about what he would say with that annoyed expression on his face.

“Recently, a man in his twenties who distributed photoshopped nude images of an actress was sentenced to four years in prison. It varies depending on the case, but… yes, he could end up in prison.”

“Are you saying that if I refuse to settle, Park Sihyun could go to prison?”

“I just said it depends on the case. And I also mentioned that there’s someone in my family who works for the government. Do you know what kind of work that is to make such a careless conclusion?”

“What does having someone in your family who works for the government have to do with this…? What is it exactly that you’re trying to tell me?”

The man’s expression shifted subtly, frowning briefly before he met her eyes again with a fake smile.

“Didn’t I already tell you? I feel like I’ve said it dozens of times—let’s settle this.”

“Not that. I mean what you really want to say to me.”

“I don’t understand what you mean, student.”

He scratched the back of his neck, giving a troubled smile. Even Taeri herself didn’t know what she was trying to say, so it was unreasonable to expect the other person to understand.

“What else could there be? I’m saying we should settle. That’s all.”

“So, how about if I ask you this way? What happens to me if I refuse to settle?”

Even Taeri herself didn’t know what she wanted from him. Was she trying to provoke him with this awkward attempt, which wasn’t even a proper provocation, just to get his attention? Or was it because she enjoyed seeing the cracks spreading across the man’s otherwise rigid expression?

For some reason, Taeri found herself liking that look on his face. The unrefined, irritated expression crept across the man’s features.

Park Chigyeong tilted his head back and let out a mocking smile, then lowered his gaze slightly as he looked at her.

“Student.”

His gaze felt like a harpoon piercing her, and Taeri’s body instinctively shrank. His eyes alone were enough to make her entire body ache.

“Do you find it ridiculous because I’m being polite? Do you think we’re friends just because I’m smiling at you?”

It wasn’t a pleasant smile, so much so that she briefly thought she might get hit too. That’s how much irritation was plastered across Park Chigyeong’s face like a stubborn stain.

“No, I don’t find it funny. If anything, I’m afraid of you, sir.”

Even so, Taeri didn’t want to back down. She still didn’t quite understand what she was feeling, but she just wanted to stand her ground.

“You don’t feel like a friend. That’s why I’m asking. What exactly are you trying to teach me right now, sir? You said there’s someone in Park Sihyun’s family who works for the government—so what? What does that have to do with me? Is this some roundabout way of telling me this is an absurd situation? I don’t want to settle, so why do you keep insisting that I should? I’m the victim here, so I don’t understand why I have to listen to all this. Are you trying to teach me that in Korea, as long as you have powerful connections, the perpetrator doesn’t get punished and that’s how the world works? If that’s the case, then victims like me are completely helpless, aren’t they? And you call yourself a prosecutor. Can a prosecutor really act this way?”

Only after her long-winded rant came to an end did a soft chuckle escape from Park Chigyeong’s mouth, which had been tightly shut. “F*ck.” She also thought she have heard him mutter a curse under his breath.

Startled, Taeri looked up at Park Chigyeong, only to find him smiling with an innocent look. He did it so elegantly as if he hadn’t been the one to curse at her just moments ago.

“But why have you been acting so bold since earlier?”

Park Chigyeong swiftly closed the distance between them, and at that moment, Taeri instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. She’d already braced herself for the possibility of getting slapped in the face, just like how Sihyun had been earlier.

However, contrary to her expectations, he didn’t do anything, so Taeri cautiously opened one eye to look at him. Park Chigyeong sighed, turning his gaze away as if in exasperation. “What am I doing, arguing with a kid…” he muttered quietly.

After casually exchanging a few nods with the detectives who recognized him, Park Chigyeong took another step closer. He was now so close that if she reached out her hand, she could touch him.

“You really want to know what I want to say? Are you curious?”

Even though they were already close enough, Park Chigyeong, seemingly unsatisfied, leaned in even further, closing the gap so their lower bodies nearly pressed against each other. The lingering cigarette smoke clouded her thoughts, making her head spin as if all her memories were evaporating.

“Fine. I’ll tell you.”

Leaning down, he brought his lips close to Taeri’s ear, whispering in a low, gritted voice.

“Stop provoking me and name your price, kid. If you’re going to act tough, at least make sure you pick the right person.”

Was it because the man’s breath was so hot? Taeri’s ear felt as if it had been burned. The heat rushing over her ears made her feel as if her entire body was turning to ashes.

Taeri stared at Park Chigyeong as he straightened up and pulled back, her expression as if she had forgotten how to breathe. Her wide-open eyes, despite her resolve, trembled uncontrollably.

It felt like she had a large peach pit lodged in her throat, making it impossible for her to speak. Her voice remained stuck in her throat, and all she could manage was a few gasps, standing there dumbfounded.

Reaching into his pocket, Park Chigyeong pulled out a wallet, grabbed a business card, and skillfully slipped it into the front pocket of Taeri’s white shirt with a smooth smile. That smile reminded her of a flower blooming on a steep, barren hillside.

“When you make up your mind, contact me.”

He lightly tapped Taeri’s cheek twice before turning his back to her and walking back toward the police station.

Only when the oppressive weight that had been pressing down on her lifted off did Taeri exhale all the air she’d been holding in as if she had been underwater the whole time and had finally come up for air.

Then, feeling the lingering warmth of Park Chigyeong’s touch on her cheek, she gently caressed her face, her eyes wide as she let out a breath.

Her breath was hot, filled with a strange thrill of pleasure.