23-63

EP.63: The Devil's Temptation

About ten minutes had passed since I used the linked education rights.  

No one's presence was felt yet, but I felt a growing urge to check.

"Hmm. It's pointless to stay here. The atmosphere is also quite eerie."

Ryu Ji-hye nodded briefly at my words.  

The underground room was filled with various devices, clearly not a normal environment.

"Let's search for an exit together."

"Yes. It's better to move around than stay here."

I left the cell where Ryu Ji-hye was bound and walked down the corridor.  

Of course, I knew there was no exit; I had explored this facility once before.

Pretending not to know, I searched the cells.  

Soon, I detected someone's presence.

"Wait a minute. Do you hear a voice from that direction?"

Ryu Ji-hye's face turned pale as she clung to me, frightened.  

"Wh-what sound? I didn't hear anything. Maybe you misheard?"

"No, I'm sure I heard it. It seemed to come from this way."

I led the way toward the sound, and Ryu Ji-hye tried to stop me with a worried expression.

"Teacher, do we really need to check that? Wouldn't it be better to find an exit?"

It seemed even in a dream, fear was real.  

Her palms began to sweat.

"If you're scared, you can stay here for a bit."

"That's even scarier!"

"Then, follow closely behind me. If anything happens, run away immediately."

"Don't say ominous things. I'm really scared."

Seeing Ryu Ji-hye's distressed face, I couldn't help but chuckle.  

I held her hand firmly and headed toward the source of the noise.

"Is it that room?"

From behind the solid steel door, I heard moaning.  

It was a woman's voice, indicating that Park Se-rin had been summoned first.

"Someone's inside. Shall we go in?"

Ryu Ji-hye couldn't suggest leaving since there was indeed someone inside.  

She nodded, and I opened the heavy steel door.

—Creak

Inside, a woman was bound to a cross-shaped restraint, similar to Ryu Ji-hye earlier.  

However, her outfit was different; she wore a golfing dress.

The black golf dress was so short it almost revealed her underwear, and she had sleek stockings.  

A black visor covered her head.  

She was gagged and blindfolded, thrashing about in extreme fear.

"Uuuup! Uuup! Uuuuuup!"

Her hair, which was ash-blue in color, became disheveled as she struggled.  

Ryu Ji-hye recognized Park Se-rin's hair and froze.

"... Ah?"

Her inner voice, filled with shock and dismay, reached my ears:

From Ryu Ji-hye's perspective, Park Se-rin's appearance was unwelcome.  

It was understandable, given that Park Se-rin was the one who betrayed her by stealing her husband.

However, I had no intention of giving up on Park Se-rin.  

I wanted to educate her and avenge Ryu Ji-hye's grudge.  

Also, I planned to use her as my new plaything.

"Whoever it is, should we release her?"

Ryu Ji-hye was startled at my suggestion.  

Her eyes suggested leaving Park Se-rin alone, but she nodded to avoid giving me a bad impression.

As I removed Park Se-rin's gag, she began pleading desperately.

"Please, please release me! I'll give you any amount of money! Please!"

I calmed her down and removed her blindfold.  

"Okay, don't be scared. Take deep breaths. Inhale... exhale... like that. Don't worry, I won't harm you."

Park Se-rin regained her composure and looked around.  

Her eyes met Ryu Ji-hye's, and an awkward silence fell between them.

Ryu Ji-hye spoke first, her voice cold and filled with disdain.  

Her eyes held unhidden hatred.

"What a small world. Meeting you here of all places. It's a persistent, bitter fate."

Park Se-rin was taken aback by Ryu Ji-hye's hostility.  

Her voice was subdued, unable to respond freely due to her need for Ryu Ji-hye's help.

Park Se-rin hesitated before asking Ryu Ji-hye a question, her voice weak.

"... Where is this place? Why am I here? Did you tie me up?"

Ryu Ji-hye laughed mockingly at the suggestion.  

She replied with a condescending tone, her arm around me.

"Why would I kidnap you? You think I'd do something so cowardly? I don't do things like you do."

Park Se-rin frowned at Ryu Ji-hye's words and turned to me.

"Who are you? Are you in a relationship with her?"

Ryu Ji-hye intervened before I could respond, unwilling to yield.

"He's someone I'm seeing now. Much better than that pathetic man you stole from me. You can play with him for the rest of your life."

Park Se-rin retaliated, her expression cold and sharp.

"Hmph. I took him because I could. He was just a toy to me, something to play with and discard. You were his wife, but to me, he was nothing more than a plaything. Did you really think he'd be so easily swayed?"

Ryu Ji-hye's face turned red with anger at Park Se-rin's words.  

She lunged at Park Se-rin, but I managed to restrain her.

"Ji-hye! Stop! Calm down!"

Despite my efforts, Ryu Ji-hye roughly grabbed Park Se-rin's hair.  

Park Se-rin, bound and helpless, couldn't defend herself.  

Her cold, biting sarcasm didn't waver.

"Hehe. Of course, you're angry. If words don't work, use your fists. But will that restore your wounded pride? You'll never have me. No matter who you're with, you'll always imagine me taking them from you."

Ryu Ji-hye attacked again, but I barely managed to pull her away.

As we stepped into the corridor, I pretended not to know what was happening and asked Ryu Ji-hye:

"Hmm. Who is that woman, and why are you acting like this?"

Tears welled up in Ryu Ji-hye's eyes as she explained:

"That woman... she's the one who had an affair with my ex-husband. Her name is Park Se-rin. We were friends since childhood, but she betrayed me."

I feigned surprise, though I knew everything.  

I began to stir up Ryu Ji-hye's anger.

"Wow. And she's so brazen, without any remorse? Of course, she wouldn't apologize."

Ryu Ji-hye burst into tears, embracing me tightly.

"Of course! They treated me like a fool together! They even joked about the divorce papers! An apology? My ex-husband said I should apologize because I couldn't satisfy him, comparing me to Park Se-rin! Huhu..."

She cried uncontrollably.  

I comforted her for a while before speaking in a whisper:

"Ma'am. Shall I avenge that grudge for you?"

She couldn't refuse.