★★★Chapter 21 : I Felt Like I Was Going To Pass Out.★★★
‘Hmm…..suspicious.’
Kim Gureum suddenly said she needed to go to the bathroom. Watching her awkward movements, I had a feeling that my plan had gone off track.
‘This is why kids who are quick-witted…’
I had already anticipated that Kim Gureum would make an unexpected visit. I had found out in advance that she came to visit as a thank you for the money she had given to her parents.
Thanks to that, I had called Bada-ssi and planned a ‘play’ and set everything up perfectly to convince my stubborn younger sister.
‘Usually, this would have been enough to fool her.’
Unfortunately, Kim Gureum wasn’t ordinary. She had almost fallen for the concentrated capitalism of the chocolate, but managed to snap out of it just in time.
Her gaze sweeping around suspiciously was not a good sign. My danger detection sensors were on high alert. Kim Gureum had definitely sensed something.
‘…Is it a couple items?’
From then on, I checked the places where my sister had been looking, and realized the crucial flaw in this operation.
There wouldn’t be any couple items in the bathroom, so it was a clear fact that Kim Gureum’s suspicion would deepen. I needed a reversal strategy to turn this unfavorable situation around.
‘There’s no time.’
I didn’t know when Kim Gureum would come out. There was no time to leisurely discuss plans with Bada-ssi. The soundproofing was terrible, so everything would be exposed.
So I immediately took action. While my sister was briefly in the bathroom, I couldn’t hold back and started to act affectionate with Bada-ssi, showing a couple’s intimate gestures.
‘Bada-ssi will quickly realize my intention, I’m sure.’
With that belief, I stood up and moved towards Bada-ssi. I pressed myself closely to her, facing the doubtful gaze she was giving me.
“Ha, Ha-neul-ssi?”
“Just stay still.”
Swoosh-
I approached Kang Bada, neither too slow nor too fast. It was essential to control my speed to show a convincing moment for Kim Gureum.
Did she understand my intentions? Kang Bada’s eyes glimmered. She nodded once, as if she got it, and then pretended to be embarrassed.
“Oh, there’s someone inside…”
“It’ll just take a moment.”
Our faces were so close, our breaths touching our skin. As our eyes met in midair, a shiver ran through our bodies.
‘When is she going to come out!?’
Being this close to Kang Bada, with our gazes locked, it was hard for me to stay composed.
The mix of Kang Bada’s scent and the tantalizing aroma of vanilla overwhelmed my senses. My mind went blank, and my primal instincts awakened.
“······!”
The intoxicating scent that clouded my mind.
Thick, enticing lips that teased my gaze.
The pounding of my heart, beating forcefully.
My visual, auditory, and olfactory senses were pushed to their limits. Only taste and touch remained. My burning brain stimulated desire.
“······.”
“······.”
In the suffocating atmosphere, it was only my ‘survival instinct’ that prevented me from going further. Crossing that line would lead to disaster.
But that limit was soon approaching. As long as Kim Gureum came out before my patience ran out, there wouldn’t be a big problem. I heard the sound of someone getting close to the door, so it should be soon…
“Huh!?”
Suddenly, a signal came from near my lips. It was incredibly soft and gentle, yet provocative. It felt like someone was knocking directly on my mind.
Momentarily taken aback by the unfamiliar sensation, I quickly tried to assess the situation.
“What are you doing?”
Whack!
Kang Bada pushed me away forcefully, hitting my chest. It was so strong that I thought my ribs might have cracked, and I felt like I was going to pass out.
But I couldn’t afford to be absent-minded. I adjusted my clothes and gathered my bewildered thoughts.
“······.”
I could feel Kim Gureum staring at us with suspicious eyes. Although things seemed to have gone as planned, I couldn’t help but wonder.
“What was that just now?”
There was still warmth lingering on my lips. Unconsciously, my gaze turned towards Kang Bada.
Our eyes met in midair and quickly averted, without either of us needing to say a word.
“I’m going.”
“Hey, that’s not what it looks like!”
“Just finish what you were doing.”
Thud!
Kim Gureum slammed the door shut and left the house. The two of us were left standing awkwardly, facing each other.
“Um, Bada-ssi…”
“This should be enough, right?”
“What?”
“I had to do it perfectly. Just follow Ha-neul-ssi’s lead and don’t read too much into it.”
“······.”
Bada quickly poured out her words.
Her expression was as cold as if everything that had just happened was a lie. Thanks to that, I also calmed down.
Though her tone seemed a bit sharper than usual, it was understandable considering the risky situation we had just gone through.
“Don’t worry too much.”
Let’s not be impatient for now.
The incident earlier was just an extension of the “plan.” The distance between us is still far too great to truly share our feelings. Not yet.
“Thank you, Bada-ssi.”
“Huh?”
“I also thought I needed a definitive blow. I’m sure my sister will understand with this.”
“······.”
We’ve overcome a major hurdle.
Having completely roasted the most skeptical person in our family, I can handle this side of things within my boundaries. It’s truly a satisfying result.
“The debt keeps piling up, huh?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll pay it off, even with interest.”
“But that’s a bit scary.”
“Still, you won’t back down.”
Bada-ssi smiled lightly, sipping her tea. I shrugged my shoulders in response, accepting her words.
“You’re too harsh on your husband.”
“He’s not on my side.”
“Ahaha. You’re relentless.”
“Well, you asked for it.”
Bada-ssi smirked, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. I, too, couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.
“I apologize.”
Phew-
We exchanged light banter to lighten the mood. There was still a gentle warmth lingering on our lips.
* * *
“Miss”
“······.”
“Miss?”
“······.”
Even when the nanny called her, Bada-ssi didn’t respond. She remained buried in her pillow, unmoving for quite some time.
Concerned, the nanny cautiously sat down by the bedside and stroked Bada’s head. Her voice carried a hint of worry.
“What’s wrong?”
“I messed up.”
Bada’s voice sounded as if ants were crawling. As someone who had spent her entire life with her, the nanny could roughly guess what had happened.
“Did you use contraception?”
“W-What kind of sudden question is that!?”
Snap-!
Bada jolted in surprise, sitting up. Clutching her pillow, she glared at the nanny with a bewildered expression.
“Well, wasn’t it about the young master?”
“···Well, yes.”
“I heard you spent the night together. And today, you even went to the young master’s house.”
“I went to see Ha-neul’s sister. When we slept in the same room, Yena was there too!”
“If I remember correctly, Yena is the child from the orphanage, right?”
“Yeah. It’s about how well the kid listens to me… No, that’s not the important part!”
Puff–
Just from their brief exchange, the nanny could tell that Bada’s spirit had deflated again as she buried her face in the pillow. Contraception? What kind of imagination was the nanny having?
“Well, I didn’t go that far.”
“Not that far?”
“······.”
“Did you kiss? Or have any intimate moments?”
“······.”
Ohh-
Observing Bada’s reaction, the nanny deduced the situation and wore a meaningful smile.
“Who made the first move?”
Kang Bada once again buried her face in the pillow. The nanny gently stroked her head, thinking to herself.
“How cute.”
Even though she was at the age where she could have been married and had children, this youthful feeling, like that of a teenage student, was quite something. Watching her, a smile naturally formed on the nanny’s face.
“I thought the young master would be more bold.”
Considering his straightforward personality, she thought he would quickly reach a conclusion. When will they take that step?
It wouldn’t matter even if they did it after the wedding. It’s better to experience it beforehand, rather than waiting until the wedding night.
“Shall I give you some advice?”
Having reached that thought, the nanny cautiously whispered a plan into Bada’s ear. Bada, who had heard everything, lifted her head slightly.
“Will that work?”
“There’s no harm in trying, right?”
“Well, I never expected to succeed in one go anyway. Now that it’s come to this, I won’t hesitate to use any means necessary.”
Clutch!
Determined, Bada tightly clutched her pillow. Her eyes burned with determination.
* * *
“Suddenly feeling chills…”
“Isn’t it a bit too much lately?”
“Hmm. I’ve been living quite passionately recently. Well, anyway, you mentioned something about putting my novel on the cover?”
I sat facing Choi Jin-cheol, the CEO of Daehan Media, discussing my novel, ‘Life Becomes Amazing After Marriage’, with him.
Choi Jin-cheol has been someone I’ve consistently met and built a relationship with since I was a student. Despite the age difference, we’ve become like brothers.
“Well, from what I see, this novel will definitely take off. They say the cover isn’t that important on ‘Moonpia’, but it’s better to have one than not.”
“That’s true. But isn’t the company in a tough situation?”
Although it was a bit too direct to say, it was clear that things were going downhill. It was to the point where they even advised me not to go to the writer’s gallery.
Normally, this kind of conversation could have been done through messages. But since he suddenly offered to give me a cover amidst these difficult times, I became worried and decided to come see him in person.
“News from our writer Kim is slow. We received a large-scale investment this time, so now we can put in a strong promotion.”
“Did you get scammed?”
“Hey, do you have that little trust in me?”
“At least from a business standpoint.”
“Well, I can’t argue with that.”
Thump, thump-
Choi Jin-cheol scratched his head and let out a sigh. Then, as if signaling that it wasn’t the right time to bring it up, he waved his hand dismissively.
“Never mind. Do you have any ideas for the cover?”
“Not really. I mean, I think it’s a miracle in itself that this work is seeing any monetization.”
“Think about it quickly. We need to choose before the contest ends, so time is running out.”
“Even if you say that… Hm?”
Buzz!
Suddenly, there was a vibration. The unique frequency clearly indicated a message. Since I had turned off all other notifications, it was almost certain to be from Kang Bada.
: [Photo 1]
: [Photo 2]
: …
: [Photo 15]
: I’m trying to change my profile picture, which one looks the best?
Pfft-
As soon as I saw the photos, laughter escaped from me. It was because the pictures contained poses that were unexpectedly cute for Kang Bada.
A light V pose.
A photo with a mini heart drawn with the hand.
There was even a photo where she slightly bit her lip, trying to be alluring. Well, it’s a bit ambiguous to say ‘alluring’ when it comes to Kang Bada.
“She has a subtly cute side.”
As I enjoyed the photos, I pressed ‘Save all photos’ without hesitation. These kinds of things should be collected for sure.
“Wow… it gives me goosebumps.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Your expression right now. Don’t you want to admire yourself in the mirror? What are you looking at that’s making you so excited?”
“Well, I just thought of a suitable picture.”
“Oh, really? What is it?”
Swiftly-
As I put down my phone, I immediately grabbed a pen. Without hesitation, I started drawing the composition that came to mind on a blank piece of paper.
“Hey… Are you serious?”
“Yes, I am.”
“But this might be difficult to use as a cover, right?”
“Well, it depends on the situation. I will personally contact the illustrator.”
“So, all you want from us is money?”
“That’s exactly it.”
“You son of a bitch.”
Sss-
Despite saying that, Choi Jin-cheol smiled coolly. After a brief discussion, it was decided to incorporate new illustrations into “Life Becomes Amazing After Marriage” for the next issue.
The important conversation must be over now.
I was starting to get up from my seat.
“But Haneul, by any chance, have you seen that?”
“You mean?”
“The Genre Novel Gallery.”
“Hmm? What’s going on?”
“Somebody reviewed your writing there.”
“······.”
Who dared to publicly execute my writing? An uneasy feeling coiled around my body like a snake. Perhaps reading my expression, Choi Jin-cheol hastily added a few words.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing, so don’t worry.”
“Really?”
“It’s probably better to see it for yourself.”
Choi Jin-cheol handed me his laptop. As I checked the contents, I couldn’t hide my bewildered emotions.
