NOVEL NEXT Chapter 7 - Street Pickup for the Test (3)
Chapter 7 – Street Pickup for the Test (3)
“I’m not interested in girls who have boyfriends.”
Si-un tried to walk away without even glancing at her.
Then he felt her cold gaze.
“Hey! Stop right there!”
“It was fun.”
“Are you playing with me?”
Tap tap tap!
Ji-hyun, who suddenly rushed and grabbed Si-un, was breathing heavily while spitting out curses.
From her perspective, it was quite an absurd situation.
Si-un was the one who seduced her first, yet after just a few hours of meeting, he announced their parting.
At that moment.
He could see her jaw muscles twitching as if under a microscope.
As her jaw muscles moved and he watched her clench her teeth in slow motion, he thought.
‘People tend to clench their jaws when they’re about to act impulsively due to emotions.’
Whoosh.
Si-un quickly twisted his body, and her swinging palm missed its target.
Whooom! It cut through empty air loudly. The force made her stumble.
It was just as Si-un had predicted.
“…You dodged it?”
“Can we end this now?”
Si-un spoke with murderous intent and turned to walk away.
He could hear her angry breathing behind him, but he didn’t look back.
“Hey… Hey!! You look like the type who works at a host bar picking up girls on the street! I’m an idiot for even talking to someone like you!!”
Ignoring her, a slight smile began to spread across Si-un’s face.
‘I successfully read someone’s mind by applying body signal theory.’
After all, Si-un didn’t go hunting with the purpose of picking up women.
He just had to conduct his psychological experiment.
He felt no real remorse.
This level of humiliation inflicted on a woman who gets swept away by another man while having a boyfriend,
was perhaps karma for her.
If he utilizes this ability in the future?
Si-un’s path ahead would certainly become more comfortable.
***
The next day.
Ding dong, ding dong.
The doorbell kept ringing.
“Who is it?”
“……”
There was no answer to the question of who it was.
It’s 3 PM now. There shouldn’t be anyone coming home at this hour.
Si-un peered through the peephole at the front door and was startled for a moment.
The person standing there was none other than Cheon Se-jeong.
‘It’s me! Open the door right away since I’m here.’
‘Se-jeong? Why are you here at this hour…?’
‘Just open the door first!’
Click.
He unlocked the latch and opened the door.
Then Se-jeong grinned, casually waving her right hand.
‘I knew you’d be home at this hour.’
‘What brings you here…?’
‘What do you mean what brings me here? I came to see your face. Your mom’s not home, right?’
Si-un looked Se-jeong up and down.
Her clothes were casual and slightly disheveled. But her face was beautiful. Thanks to her sleek figure, even comfortable clothing created an illusion of radiance.
Her large chest that naturally drew attention. Below that, her smoothly curved waist.
Her sexy arch-shaped hips topped with a stunning apple bottom.
‘Haa….’
He swallowed involuntarily.
Even though they’d been particularly close since childhood.
He still couldn’t get used to seeing her.
It was impossible not to feel something more than friendship.
‘Hey! Why are you staring like that?’
‘Ah, it’s nothing. But what if I wasn’t home when you came? Don’t tell me you’re here to buy dinner from that bet last time?’
‘Well, I’ll buy dinner, but I just came to hang out. By the way, is your mom not home? I should say hello, it’s been a while.’
‘Mom? She went to work.’
Se-jeong walked to the sofa, shaking her hair that was tied up to reveal her neckline.
Then she sprawled out on it as if it were her own home.
‘Ah… It’s been so long since I’ve been to your house! Really, it’s been ages.’
‘Yeah, it has.’
‘Hey. Your guest is here… Aren’t you going to bring me some coffee? My throat is parched from this heat.’
‘Okay. Iced coffee?’
‘Of course. Who drinks hot coffee in this heat?’
Se-jeong lay sprawled on the sofa and crossed her legs.
Beep beep.
Still lying on the sofa, she picked up the air conditioner remote and pressed a button.
Whirrr-
Along with the sound of the living room air conditioner starting up, cool air began to flow.
‘Ah… that’s nice.’
Si-un chuckled helplessly watching Se-jeong act as if she were in her own home.
‘Is this your house?’
‘Well, it’s practically my house too. Don’t you remember? Before you enlisted in the military, I used to come here almost every day. And when we were young… we practically lived here, and above all, your mother adored me so much~’
As Si-un was making coffee with a mini spoon in the kitchen, Se-jeong’s words brought back old memories.
The childhood days when he would bicker with Se-jeong without hesitation.
‘Those times were simply happy.’
No worries about the present or future… just enjoying the moment when everything in the world was interesting and curious.
Twenty-three years old.
While his current age is fine too, if Si-un could go back to when he was a bit younger, he would do so without hesitation.
‘I’m still young now. Let’s think that being happy from here on out is enough.’
Si-un deliberately shakes off the memories of younger days forming in his head.
Clink-
The sound of ice was vivid as Si-un stirred with the mini spoon.
After making two cups of iced coffee, Si-un picked up the coasters with both hands and approached her.
Seeing Se-jeong’s fair skin visible around her tight white cotton T-shirt, troubling thoughts begin to surface in Si-un’s mind again.
‘Se-jeong is just my close friend now. Don’t think strange thoughts…’
Si-un slightly shook his head and dismissed his thoughts.
‘Oh my, thank you. You even knew to make iced coffee… should this noona bow down in gratitude to our Si-un?’
Se-jeong straightened up to take the coffee and patted Si-un’s bottom with her right hand.
‘Hey! What are you doing?’
Si-un stepped back in embarrassment.
‘What? You’re cute so I just rubbed your bottom a bit. Are you getting shy?’
When Cheon Se-jeong approached with an innocent smile, Si-un waved his hands in protest.
‘Hey, hey. Just drink your coffee.’
‘Hehehe… kid. Are you actually feeling shy?’
‘No, I’m not.’
‘Yeah, right… Your face is bright red.’
‘Whatever.’
Si-un replied curtly.
It’s not that he doesn’t know Se-jeong’s easy-going personality. He’s just not used to facing Se-jeong laughing like this after so long.
Second life.
That is, the memories of that day from his previous life vaguely surfaced.
As he recalls those fragments of memory that pierce his heart with pain, his eyes begin to feel hot.
***
One day in a previous life.
It was a day when drizzle fell from the sky beyond the window, moistening the world.
The sound of rain hitting the ground like tapping sounds comes like a melody.
A day when forgotten emotions gently touch my heart.
Today, I armed myself with a neater style than ever to impress her.
Today again, I looked at Se-jeong’s face, as beautiful as ever.
But today, Se-jeong’s face looks gaunt.
Did something happen?
Unlike usual, seeing her being less talkative and seemingly hesitant, I asked.
“Why are you so quiet today?”
“Si-un.”
She calls my name softly, as if resigned to something.
“Yeah?”
“I…”
Se-jeong, usually straightforward and casual, sits unusually demurely, fidgeting with a napkin, unable to continue her words.
What is she trying to say?
Could it be that Se-jeong is going to confess to me?
I haven’t even confessed to Se-jeong yet.
I’m not even a hunter, and I don’t have a proper job.
Yeah, I’m a fucking idiot.
But I’m still a man.
Today, definitely.
I will tell you how I feel.
Pressing down a single rising hope in my heart, I asked.
“Do you know you’re acting strange today?”
“Si-un.”
Her expression grows heavier as she calls my name.
“Yeah.”
“I… I’m pregnant.”
“W-what?!”
The moment I heard those words.
My emotions, which had been softened by the rare sound of rain, were torn apart, and everything visible felt devastatingly painful.
………..
I must have heard wrong.
Yes, I must have heard wrong.
She continues speaking.
“I’m going to be a mother. It’s embarrassing to say with my own mouth that it’s moving too fast, but… I felt I should tell you first, since you’re my closest friend.”
Double kill!
Now I felt like the universe was exploding.
I was so shocked I didn’t know what expression to make.
I don’t want to believe it.
I wish this situation was just a ‘hidden camera’ prank.
But Se-jeong’s face sitting in front of me is too serious.
With my already broken voice, I said.
“What are you talking about? You never once told me you had a boyfriend.”
“Well… It’s someone I haven’t been seeing for long. Plus, he’s a public figure. That’s why I couldn’t talk about it freely. We’re planning to have the wedding before my belly shows more. Will you congratulate me? Though it’s embarrassing…”
How can I
possibly
Will you congratulate me?
You know what.
Even though we’re just friends now, once I pass the civil service exam I’m preparing for.
I had already decided that I would approach you not as a friend but as a romantic interest and confess.
Today I was going to reveal these inner feelings!
And… because of you, I was grinding my teeth and studying even more desperately.
Now my voice has turned to hatred.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Even someone as pathetic as me needs to say what needs to be said. If I don’t, I feel like I’ll turn inside out. I like you, no, I like you so damn much, like an idiot.”
“…What?”
Se-jeong’s eyes widened.
There’s no going back now anyway.
My mouth moved on its own.
“Now everything is over. Even if you never want to see me again after today, I had to say it. Cheon Se-jeong, I really, really love you. To the point of madness.”
Finally, I spilled out my inner feelings like this.
Only when faced with such a desperate situation.
In the end, I bit my lip hard.
And then?
She and I faced our eternal farewell.
For the following few years, I was lost in alcohol.
Day by day, I couldn’t find the strength to live while sober.
Civil service exam or whatever…
When she, who had occupied my entire heart, left, I couldn’t see anything else.
I fell into even deeper despair than when I kept failing the Hunter exam.
Eventually, I became an alcoholic and spent my days in a hideous state.
Before I knew it, I had turned thirty-four.
And I thought it was time to give up this life full of desperate longing.
“Let’s die. Let’s just die, damn it! Like in my past life, maybe I could go back to that day when I was twenty-three.”
Finally, giving up on the idea of going back, I called a taxi outside my house.
And quietly told the taxi driver to take me to Mapo Bridge.
***
“Si-un.”
“Ah, yes?!”
Si-un snapped out of his reminiscence at the single call of his name.
“What are you spacing out about?”
“Mm, it’s nothing.”
“Your expression looked really bad. I was observing your face, you know? Did you know you were like that for three minutes?”
“Ah… Was I?”
“Your expression looked really gloomy.”
“Was it?”
Si-un breaks into a cold sweat.
“Do you have something troubling you? If you do, tell your big sister. I’ll help you solve it.”
Si-un shook his head.
“I don’t have any troubles.”
“Really?”
He nods.
“Nothing bad happening, right?”
“Yeah. Thanks for worrying about me.”
“Don’t mention it… Let’s lean on each other when times are tough.”
“Nothing’s tough. Ah… by the way, how’s your modeling work going these days?”
“Well, it’s manageable.”
Si-un instinctively observed her body language.
A momentarily tensed face.
A slight furrowing of the brow so subtle that an ordinary person wouldn’t notice.
It seemed the modeling work was taking its toll.
“When are you going back to school?”
“Well… in a few months?”
“Once you graduate from Seoul National University… you could get a really stable job. You’re not lacking in looks, and your personality isn’t difficult either. If modeling is hard, graduate quickly and get a job at a big company. Someone like you would be hired anywhere.”
“Perfect, huh… Come on. And I told you modeling isn’t hard.”
Se-jeong said, straining her throat.
Si-un knew well that it was Se-jeong’s nature to pretend she was fine and okay even when things were difficult.
“Se-jeong. But, I have something to tell you.”
“What is it?”