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Translator: penny
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: A Tempting Proposal
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Han Na stood frozen in place, shoes still on, unable to leave or take them off and step back inside.
Her trembling eyes turned this way.
More precisely, toward the phone where the sound was coming from.
"Ah, no way? Please..."
Despite her desperate plea, Kim Tae-yang's voice leaked from the phone once more.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Now, shall we get serious?]
With those words, moans poured out, followed by the wet, slapping sounds of flesh colliding, spilling from the phone.
In an instant, Han Na collapsed to the floor.
Even without seeing the screen, she covered her face with both hands, as if the sounds alone painted the whole picture, lost in shock.
I paused the phone and carefully helped her up.
The usual Han Na would have rejected even that touch, but in her stunned state, she gratefully accepted my support.
I settled her back on the sofa and said,
"...How about some warm coffee?"
"...Sugar... please, some sugar."
She hadn't even glanced at the coffee I'd brewed so carefully before, but now it seemed like a lifeline to her.
Like a snake shedding its skin, Han Na roughly dumped her bags near the sofa.
Not neatly placed as when she'd first entered my home, but tossed to the floor in a fit of anger.
I understood her feelings, so I didn't point it out.
"Here's the sugar."
I handed her the sugar and spoon, and without a word, she began scooping it into her coffee.
Only after filling half the cup did her furious scooping stop.
It had to taste sickeningly sweet, yet she downed it in one go.
With the sugar surging through her rattled mind, she seemed a bit better. Cautiously, she asked,
"...Why did Tae-yang—no, Kim Tae-yang—send this video to you?"
"...The woman in the video is my girlfriend."
"Ah... S-sorry... I'm so sorry..."
She must have suspected as much, but at my calm confirmation, she bowed her head deeply in apology.
I smiled and told her it was fine.
My smile only made her feel more guilty; she stared down at her now sugar-only coffee cup, eyes lowered.
Her expression shifted constantly as she fiddled with the cup.
Betrayal and rage toward Kim Tae-yang, remorse and an inexplicable guilt toward me—flashing across her face in waves.
Seizing the moment, I spoke up.
"Maybe I should just report it to the police."
"R-report?"
"Yeah... I want revenge, but I can't think of any other way..."
"...Yeah, I get it. Report... Sigh..."
Han Na nodded with a long sigh.
She understood my desire for revenge, but the word "report" weighed heavily on her.
In truth, Kim Tae-yang sending me this video alone was grounds for a report.
I just hadn't done it for revenge.
"No, wait. What if I just upload this video to SNS—"
"No!"
Han Na's eyes widened like a startled rabbit, cutting me off.
She grabbed my hand, her face pleading that I couldn't do that.
But she couldn't bring herself to say it outright.
It would sound like defending her wrongdoing boyfriend.
So she bit her lip hard and looked up at me.
Though unintentional, driven by desperation, the sight stirred a man's instincts.
"Please... hold back on that..."
She murmured softly, like a whimpering puppy.
I could guess why.
It wasn't for Kim Tae-yang.
Han Na's job was as an SNS star.
Even as a civilian, her account was famous enough for cosmetic and sportswear sponsorships and promotions.
Countless followers and fans filled her page, achieved in less than a year.
It could have grown even more, in my view.
If not for Kim Tae-yang.
He was the main source of her complicated feelings.
Her precious boyfriend, yet fans constantly criticized his sleazy looks and past, urging her to break up.
Whenever she forgot, comments exposing his history would flood her posts.
And each time, Han Na fiercely defended him.
The past is the past. He's atoning hard, and Kim Tae-yang has changed.
She'd force those defenses, fighting fans and losing some in the process.
That's why she'd been sharp with me at first, asking if I was one of his past victims.
'But Kim Tae-yang hasn't changed.'
What if I posted his true nature on SNS?
Her account would take a massive hit, at least.
"Is there some trouble...?"
"Well..."
Han Na couldn't answer easily.
How could she ask the man whose girlfriend was stolen to hold back on revenge?
Especially not for her SNS.
Her dry lips twitched as she fell silent like a mute swallowing honey.
"Or... there's another way."
"Another way?"
At my soft murmur, she bit eagerly, hope flashing in her eyes.
But I gave an awkward smile and looked away, avoiding her gaze.
As if imagining something forbidden.
Han Na stared at me desperately and asked,
"Um... never mind, right?"
"What is it? It's fine! Tell me."
"No, really, it was just a passing thought... You'd hate it."
"How could I get upset now? It's all Kim Tae-yang's fault. It's okay. Tell me."
"Ah..."
Each time I hesitated, she grew urgent, pressing me.
I deliberately checked her reaction carefully before speaking.
"What if... we do the same thing?"
"The same...?"
She pondered my words, then gasped sharply, eyes locking on mine.
She understood.
"N-no, right?"
"Huh?"
"I mean..."
Glancing around, unsure how to phrase it, she tapped the paused video on my phone.
"This...?"
"...Yeah."
Han Na panicked.
An awkward silence hung between us for a moment before she forced a laugh.
"...Revenge wouldn't work anyway. He dumped me for another woman."
She shook her head, self-mocking that she was as good as discarded.
Was that true?
I thought differently.
Even after replaying the video countless times, it didn't feel like Kim Tae-yang genuinely liked my girlfriend.
He'd just used her.
Comparing how he treated my girlfriend in the video to how he treated Han Na on SNS made it obvious.
She was merely an outlet for his lust, to satisfy his weird fetishes.
So why would Kim Tae-yang, who had a girlfriend, cheat?
"Do you and Tae-yang... you know, get physical these days?"
"Ph-physical? Oh, no... I don't really like that stuff."
"Maybe that's why?"
"Because I avoid it...?"
Not that it was definitely the reason.
Just maybe.
Or perhaps Kim Tae-yang simply had a fetish for stealing other men's women, matching his name and looks.
Guilt shadowed Han Na's face again.
One final step.
Just one more, and she'd accept my proposal.
"Don't worry. I won't go all the way, no matter what."
"All the way...?"
"No penetration. I couldn't drag you that far into my revenge."
Penetration.
No full sex—that eased her tension considerably.
"R-really?"
"Yes. Unless you want it, I absolutely won't."
"As if I'd want that."
Thinking I was joking, she let out a small chuckle.
The first real smile I'd seen from her in person, not just photos.
"So, your answer...?"
"...I'll do it. And there's one thing I need to tell you."
"What?"
"Um... my reactions might be weak."
After much thought, Han Na accepted my revenge plan.
And revealed her secret.
"I actually have frigidity."
"..."
Frigidity, huh.
Maybe that's why she avoided skinship with her boyfriend Tae-yang.
Definitely a problem for me.
But I had a secret I hadn't told her.
"Don't worry about that."
I don't have sex unless the woman wants it.
Not because I'm great with women or a master of foreplay.
If so, my girlfriend wouldn't have run to Gold Sun.
But a window that appeared before my eyes had given me confidence.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Hidden Quest Completed.] [Show the video directly to Gold Sun's girlfriend] [Acquired Aphrodisiac Saliva LV.1 skill.]
I'd acquired a skill.
Now to see if frigidity beats my skill.