Chapter 75
I blinked with a vacant expression. It happened in the blink of an eye, but the sensation still lingered on my lips.
Slow to react, I pushed Doshiyu’s face away.
“What the hell are you doing…!”
“Tastes good.”
Doshiyu chuckled, mischief twinkling in his eyes.
It was a situation where laughter wouldn’t come out.
“Like I was saying…”
“Want another ice cream?”
Doshiyu casually interrupted me.
With an exaggeratedly cheerful smile, he got up from his seat before I could retort.
I watched in disbelief as he cheerfully walked away.
“…What’s gotten into him?”
As I watched the purple head ordering ice cream, a belated realization struck me. I shivered and brushed my arms.
Even from a distance, the person ordering ice cream stood out.
The purple hair, even more vivid than yesterday, was fluffy like chick down.
A pastel-toned shirt with five colors blending together, a ruby-embedded cross-shaped earring, and even lilac sneakers.
I couldn’t help but wonder if there was a story behind his excessive fashion sense.
I’ve never seen his real hair color or eye color before.
Taking my gaze off Doshiyu’s back, I gripped the mug. Marshmallows floated atop the black hot chocolate.
“Ta-da.”
As I sipped my hot chocolate, a voice came from behind.
Doshiyu, who had returned without me noticing, handed me an ice cream in the same color as his hair.
“How did you manage to find one that’s exactly like you?”
“An attractive oppa recommended it to me.”
Although I didn’t particularly like the color, I accepted the ice cream for now. It didn’t appeal to me even up close.
Ironically, he was drinking just plain black iced Americano.
“What’s wrong with purple? Why are you making that face?”
Doshiyu pointed at my narrowed forehead with his finger. Then, as if he remembered something, he looked around and asked.
“By the way, where’s Angel?”
“He said he’s not feeling well and decided to rest.”
I hadn’t seen Angel since dawn. But judging from the voice I heard over the phone, I could roughly guess his condition. For a moment, I thought someone else had answered the phone.
Thinking that I should go see him later, I took a bite of the ice cream. But reflexively, my face scrunched up.
“Why does this taste like this?”
I pushed the ice cream away.
I thought it would be grape-flavored because it’s purple, but it tastes like banana. And it’s incredibly sweet, almost to the point of numbing my taste buds.
“Why? Don’t you like it?”
Doshiyu asked with a tilted chin.
“It ruins the mood. When the outside doesn’t match the inside.”
Still shocked by the remaining impact, I shook my head vigorously at the sight of the ice cream.
At that moment, Doshiyu’s lips twisted into a puzzled expression.
At his subtle smile, I felt needlessly anxious, but he grabbed my wrist holding the ice cream and pulled it towards him.
Then he took a big bite of the ice cream.
“I like it.”
His face, licking the ice cream off his lips, had a strangely sensual aura. But it was fleeting enough to feel like an illusion.
“Let go.”
Doshiyu smiled and released my wrist, then got up from his seat.
“Want to go eat dinner? Same place as yesterday.”
If it’s the same place as yesterday, could it be…the place where Yugyeom was?
I stared at Doshiyu with eyes that asked if he was kidding.
“You enjoyed it too, didn’t you?”
Whether he was sincerely saying it or teasing, his face full of smiles made it difficult to read his true intentions.
At that moment, I was just about to go crazy.
“Did it look fun to you?”
I closed my eyes and smiled, and Doshiyu smiled back at me.
“Yeah.”
Then, as if telling me to trust only him, he patted his chest.
“I’ll make it even more clear today.”
“…What?”
Doshiyu walked over to me and looked around. It felt ominous. I became anxious.
After looking around, Doshiyu whispered in my ear.
“I’ll make my ex jealous in front of him.”
*Cough! Cough… Hey!”
I almost choked. I pushed the hot chocolate I was about to drink aside and stood up straight.
“I’m not doing that.”
I said firmly, but it was clear that he didn’t believe me at all.
“No, really. No, really.”
I denied it again and pushed Doshiyu away.
“If you kiss my cheek like yesterday, you’re dead.”
“Kiss?”
Doshiyu pouted his lips and flicked them with his finger, even winking playfully.
“Not even a kiss on the lips.”
I grabbed Doshiyu’s jaw firmly. His purple hair swayed along with my shaking.
Doshiyu furrowed his brows as if dizzy, then raised both hands in surrender.
“I’m sorry. Forgive me.”
“No.”
I spat out coldly and let go of his collar. As I walked away, Doshiyu tagged along, whining beside me.
“Let’s go, let’s go. Let’s grab something to eat and then head to the pool.”
“I don’t want to. Go by yourself.”
I grumbled, pushing him away every time he came too close.
But Doshiyu didn’t give up.
“Aww, pretending to be mad was fun.”
Doshiyu pouted, pushing out his lips and lowering his eyebrows in a pitiful manner.
I ignored him cleanly and went my own way.
“How about we try that?”
Suddenly, my shoulder was grabbed, and my body was swiftly turned to the side. In the direction he directed my gaze, I saw a game console where you could insert coins and play.
“If you win, I won’t bother you until tomorrow.”
Among the things he said today, this was the most interesting. I was intrigued, but I didn’t let my guard down as I asked:
“And if I lose?”
Doshiyu lowered his head and brought his face closer, chuckling softly.
“I’ll do what I want.”
—
“Ugh, I feel sick.”
My complexion reflected in the mirror was pale. I groaned, rubbing my temples with my fingertips.
Damn it. I thought I was good at finding the wrong picture.
I played ten times and lost every time. I couldn’t have imagined losing so badly in a game of finding the wrong picture.
Why am I so good at finding the wrong picture?
“I wonder if I can get some antacids.”
I should ask Angel for some medicine.
Forced to pass food in an uncomfortable position, I could only feel nauseous.
My appetite hadn’t returned, and I hadn’t eaten much, but I felt nauseous from yesterday’s food to today’s ice cream.
Yugyeom sitting on the seat was the biggest reason, but today, people who hadn’t shown interest in me yesterday kept striking up conversations.
Telling stories they heard somewhere, pretending to be friendly, or discussing Baek Hawon’s business.
The most dreadful thing was the questions about Baek Hawon.
To boost the color in my pale face, I applied lipstick and left the powder room.
Seeing the empty hallway, I hesitated about whether to just leave like this.
“…Was that real?”
I faintly heard a familiar voice.
I moved towards the direction where the voice came from. Through the partially open door of the opposite powder room, I could hear voices.
I pressed my ear against the door.
“Baek Hawon’s ex-chairman died in a car accident with the government, and it’s famous that it wasn’t a simple accident.”
The women who were persistent about asking about Baek Hawon at the restaurant seemed to be talking.
Judging from their desire for Baek Hawon’s mother’s position, they seemed to know little about Baek Hawon’s true background, only knowing about the company’s image.
“The suspect who confessed to the police committed suicide.”
If it was Baek Hawon’s ex-chairman and his government, Baek Hawon’s biological father and Che Yeonbyeol’s biological mother. There was no detailed mention of their deaths in the original work.
They simply mentioned that he brought a woman resembling his deceased wife and died in a car accident on the same day at the same time two years later.
“But was that rumor real? Taking the princess out of the party!”
Creak. I almost pushed the door open and fell over.
“It’s real. I saw it with my own eyes. He held her as if she were his lover…”
I didn’t want to hear anymore. Unwanted memories came to mind.
‘The boss who cherishes his own people terribly, shall I try it once?’
I vividly remembered the whispering voice that echoed what I said to Baek Hawon.
How embarrassed I was at that moment.
Baek Hawon didn’t let me down throughout the evening leaving the party. It was an experience I never wanted to repeat.
At that moment, I saw two women standing up between the gap in the door.
I hastily moved to the opposite side of the corridor.
I’m definitely feeling nauseous. My stomach feels blocked, and I feel dizzy. I might vomit if someone nudges me.
‘He confessed but committed suicide.’
I thought about the conversation I overheard again. It still felt suspicious somewhere.
As I rounded the corner with my hand pressed against my temple, I saw a long shadow cast across.
“…!”
I stopped just before colliding head-on.
The tips of our shoes touched. Compared to the other person’s boots, my feet looked much smaller.
Though only the tips touched, I felt a tingling sensation traveling up my spine.
I stood there in shock, withdrawing my foot and lifting my head.
“Are you feeling sick?”
Under the yellow light of the corridor, platinum hair sparkled above a white forehead.
Soft-lined eyes bent gently.
“Is it because of me by any chance?”
The shadow cast over me, and again, the tips of our shoes touched lightly.
