34-39

Chapter 39 

‘...Something’s off.’ 

Lately, Kim Minji has been acting suspicious. 

It started as a tiny seed right after their first time having sex, when they realized sex didn’t really bring them pleasure. They began to avoid talking about sex, and an indescribable feeling started to grow between them. 

At first, it was just a speck, but for some reason, in Ha Jungwoo’s mind, that speck grew rapidly. He became more curious about Kim Minji and ended up secretly following her. 

Unknown to Ha Jungwoo, this was actually the effect of Kim Minji’s awakened emotion-amplifying trait. While it greatly intensified his feelings of love for her, it also amplified the darker emotions in his heart. 

Ha Jungwoo could satisfy his sexual urges with masturbation, but he didn’t know how Kim Minji was handling hers. 

This behavior his week-long surveillance was an attempt to find out. In a way, it was basically stalking, but in his mind, being her boyfriend made it okay. 

It was the kind of thinking only a high schooler could have. 

‘Ah... she’s moving.’ 

Over the past week, he’d learned Kim Minji’s habits were simpler than expected. 

At school, they spent nearly all their time together. They even got scolded by teachers for it, but Ha Jungwoo didn’t care. Half the week, they went on dates though not having sex. 

The problem was what Kim Minji did when he wasn’t around. Ha Jungwoo knew she had a healthy sex drive. During their last time together, he’d been exhausted, but she’d given him suggestive looks, tried to touch him, and so on. 

‘Where’s she going... a karaoke room?’ 

She headed to a coin karaoke, a place they sometimes went together. But what was odd was that she went alone. 

‘I never heard she liked singing solo...’ 

But he was mistaken. Peeking in, he saw that her usual group of friends was already there. Thankfully, there were no guys. 

‘...Not “thankfully” that’s just how it should be.’ 

Ha Jungwoo realized his own thoughts were strange, but he couldn’t shake them like an itch you have to scratch until you bleed. He needed to resolve his suspicion, even if it hurt. 

He entered the room opposite Kim Minji’s. He planned to pretend to sing until she left, then slip out. He couldn’t just sit there, so he turned off the mic echo, picked a quiet song, and lip-synced to look like he was singing. 

All the while, he kept glancing at the opposite room. Kim Minji’s gyaru style made her easy to spot. 

An hour later, Kim Minji and her friends left. He waited about 30 seconds before following. 

Grrr  

‘I’m hungry.’ 

He must have been so focused on following her that he forgot to eat. It was already 6 p.m. dinner time. Apparently, she had dinner plans. 

After leaving karaoke, he looked around and saw her group had already gone far. It looked like they were heading for the subway. 

‘Why not just eat nearby?’ 

Maybe they were looking for a trendy spot. Girls and guys have different sensibilities, he thought, though he didn’t really get it. He was the type to eat anything when hungry. 

Not wanting to lose them, he hurried after. If he missed the same subway car, he wouldn’t be able to follow them anymore. Then he’d never know what happened, and that would haunt him forever. 

Luckily, the next train wasn’t for a while. He sat nearby, pretending to look at his phone, and watched them. Her group kept laughing about something. 

Then, a guy with a “Hongdae-style” fashion approached them. 

‘That bastard?!’ 

He said something to Kim Minji, but Ha Jungwoo was too far away to hear. After about 30 seconds, the guy left. 

  Wow... just now... so handsome... 

  Our... age... 

Before he knew it, Ha Jungwoo had gotten closer to Kim Minji. 

‘...If I get any closer, I might get caught.’ 

He could hear a bit of their conversation, but getting closer was risky, so he backed off. 

Ding-dong  

[The train is arriving.] 

He boarded a car next to theirs, covering his face with a mask and hat. He didn’t want to stand out, and planned to get off when they did by watching from the side. 

But there was a problem it was rush hour. The subway was packed. Ha Jungwoo wasn’t tall, and there were plenty of people taller than him, so he lost sight of Kim Minji. 

‘...I need to at least keep her in view.’ 

Otherwise, he wouldn’t know where to get off. He regretted not boarding closer to her. Thankfully, it was an express train, so he had some time to maneuver. 

‘...There! A gap!’ 

He spotted them by the opposite subway door. If he moved to the side, he’d be able to see them thanks to the seated passengers. Of course, they could see him too. 

[Next stop is...] 

‘I’ll pretend to get off and move to the side.’ 

When the doors opened and people got off, Ha Jungwoo moved to the side. But Kim Minji and her friends were nowhere to be seen. 

‘...Did they get off?!’ If so, he had to hurry. But by now, the new passengers were boarding. 

‘I have to push through, no matter what.’ 

Thud  

  Hey, what the... 

  Sorry... 

He pushed past people, bumping shoulders, and finally saw Kim Minji on the escalator. 

She must have gotten on right after getting off. The door had opened right in front of the escalator. 

‘...Too many people.’ 

He tried to follow her up, but there was a long line for the escalator. The stairs were crowded too. 

‘...No choice.’ 

Thud! 

“Sorry, I’m in a hurry.” 

  ...Like no one else is busy. 

  What’s with that guy... 

He cut in line, knowing he’d lose Kim Minji otherwise. 

Beep  

‘Why are there so many people today?’ 

It was always crowded, but this was more than usual. He chased her outside, and after a short walk, her group entered a building full of restaurants. He rushed in, but the elevator they took had already gone up. 

‘Second floor... third floor...’ 

[3rd Floor▼] 

Luckily, the elevator stopped at the third floor, skipping the second. There was only one BBQ restaurant on the third floor. 

For once, he hadn’t lost her. Not wanting to wait for the elevator, he took the stairs. 

‘...A BBQ place, alone?’ 

He stood in front of the restaurant he thought Kim Minji had entered, but felt awkward about going in. 

Grrr  

‘Since I know she’s in there, maybe I’ll eat too...’ 

She wouldn’t be coming out soon anyway. 

He wished he could check her exact location, but her group was probably in a private room. 

He decided to eat quickly at a ramen shop on the second floor of the same building, not knowing who else might be in Kim Minji’s room.