Chapter 2 – The Boundary of Lust (Part 1)

“Executive Director Jang seems to have taken a liking to you.”

Soo-yeon froze upon hearing those words during breakfast. She had a foreboding feeling when President Chae invited her to join him for breakfast, but the moment her premonition came true, it was horrifying.

President Chae, focused on his newspaper, didn’t notice his daughter stiffen. The fact that a man who wouldn’t have been interested in a blind date had relayed his thoughts to her father after that one night sent chills down her spine. Soo-yeon spoke firmly.

“I don’t like him.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion. Arrangements will be made soon, so be prepared.”

“He probably doesn’t like me that much either.”

Hee-tae wasn’t the type to proceed with marriage just because of some lust. Soo-yeon didn’t know much about him, but she hoped that was the case. Or maybe, he found amus*ment in troubling her and was doing this as his latest form of entertainment. He liked it when she cried, saying it turned him on, and he liked it even when she cursed or hit him. Thinking back, he was truly a crazy person. President Chae, turning a page of his newspaper, delivered his verdict.

“This isn’t some dating game, and at your age, you shouldn’t be so picky. Marry him. Executive Director Jang is more influential and respected than his business card suggests…”

“No.”

Soo-yeon stood up and left the dining table. She didn’t look back, even though commanding words were thrown at her back. Her defiance wouldn’t last long. President Chae was already fed up with her romantic endeavors and was eager to push her towards anyone, so things might proceed without her knowing.

She went into her blocked numbers list and found his number. After that night, she received a message from an unknown number.

[Running away again?]

[You’re a habitual offender, aren’t you?]

Just from the tone of the messages, Soo-yeon instinctively knew they were from Hee-tae. She realized anew that he was someone who could easily find out her number without asking. She couldn’t understand why she felt so resentful and regretful. Despite getting what he wanted for a night, his clinginess made her block him immediately. Thanks to the prolonged end of her failing five-year relationship, Soo-yeon had no hesitation in cutting someone off now.

[You must be doing this on purpose because you miss me.]

Soo-yeon glared at the last message he sent before she blocked him. She never thought it would become a foreshadowing. She had never considered Hee-tae to be this crazy, but she had underestimated him. Her hands trembled as she unblocked him and pressed the call button. After a few rings, a rough voice answered.

– Yes, this is Jang Hee-tae. I can’t talk for long. Get to the point quickly.

“It’s Chae Soo-yeon.”

– Well, look who it is. Hey, take that down…

– Ah!

– …Can’t you see I’m on the phone? Keep it down.

There was a playful warmth in Hee-tae’s voice, but the screams in the background made her uneasy. She didn’t know where he was, but the echoing sounds suggested he was in a confined space, probably burying someone in a sand bunker again. Before Soo-yeon could state her purpose, Hee-tae teased her.

– Did you have your fill of younger guys as a tonic? Your voice sounds better.

“Who’s the younger one here?”

– I am.

“Have some conscience….”

– Are you saying I’ve aged badly?

Soo-yeon didn’t respond to his question. He was too imposing to be considered younger.  From their first meeting, she didn’t want to call a man who had burned Min-jun’s mouth with a golf club head “younger.” Moreover, he bit so hard that her br*easts ached when she wore a bra. She often checked to see if her n*pples were bleeding from his bites. Ignoring his silly questions, Soo-yeon got to the point.

“Aren’t you supposed to stay away?”

– Tsk, I only leave after I’ve had my fill.

Soo-yeon heard the sound of a lighter and then Hee-tae exhaling smoke, implying he had lit a cigarette. She momentarily pulled the phone away from her ear, irritated by the audacity of him blowing smoke into the phone during their call. She then brought the phone back to her ear and pointed out his shamelessness.

“I passed out that night. I thought we were done.”

– Darling, the bill always comes with interest.

Hee-tae responded leisurely, his voice mixed with a sigh. Soo-yeon realized that no matter what she said, he wouldn’t listen. She shouldn’t have fed the beast. Showing him any weakness had been a huge mistake. That night, she was too exhausted and needed mindless stimulation. If she had known the impulsive act would continue, she wouldn’t have done it. Realizing there was no point in dwelling on past mistakes, she resignedly asked,

“How much more will it take for you to get tired of this?”

– I told you not to speak informally because it turns me on.

‘Then don’t talk informally yourself.’ 

Soo-yeon almost snapped. As she aged, she tried to live maturely, avoiding fights. However, Jang Hee-tae’s constant prodding made her feel like she might start a childish argument. At the end of her five-year relationship, she had nothing to say except to throw things away, but even a trivial remark from Hee-tae made her bristle.

– I’ll get tired when I see your face enough and match our bodies. Should I come to you, or will you come to me?

Soo-yeon wanted to ask if there was an option where they didn’t meet at all. As an adult, she didn’t want to engage in petty quarrels or have another wild, passionless night. Yet, if she refused to see him, she feared her hot-tempered father would force her to meet Hee-tae at an arranged marriage meeting. Such meetings usually proceeded with just a superficial introduction, as was typical for chaebol families. After a brief silence, Soo-yeon spoke.

“…Let’s meet at the hotel like before.”

– I didn’t see you that way, Ms. Chae Soo-yeon. You’re a beast. Going straight to the point like this?

“What more do you need?”

Soo-yeon swallowed a sigh and replied. They weren’t the kind to meet and have a pleasant chat. They were merely two people who didn’t even bother undressing, pressing their bodies together, indulging in lust without love. It was absurd for him to treat her like an animal when he was the one lusting after her for s*x. Hee-tae exhaled a puff of smoke and responded in a displeased tone.

– Last time, you passed out quickly because I didn’t feed you. Let’s eat first.

“Even if I had eaten, I would have passed out the same.”

– At least eating would put some flesh on you. Do you know how painful it is when your bony hips dig into me every time I thrust into you?

“Fine, let’s eat then.”

Soo-yeon cut off his unwanted explanations. She didn’t want to recall that night with such vulgar details.

She bit her lip as she heard a satisfied chuckle from the other end of the line. It was unpleasant to be so entangled with a man who seemed to have lived his life without any ties.

“I need to visit my exhibition hall tomorrow, so around 6 o’clock is fine. If dinner works for you, I’ll come.”

Soo-yeon quickly reviewed her schedule in her head and spoke, wanting to end the call as soon as possible. If she had to meet Hee-tae and settle things somehow, she wanted to get it over with quickly. Hearing her words, Hee-tae questioned, “Exhibition?” and then, making a faint nasal sound, added:

– On second thought, maybe I should come to your exhibition. The view here is a bit off-putting with a naked guy hanging like a dried pollack.

“Then, Mr. Jang Hee-tae, you should come.”

Soo-yeon answered hastily, not wanting to see an unknown man hanging naked. She didn’t want to know too much about his life. She knew that the world had light and dark sides, and where there was light, there was also darkness. Soo-yeon had no intention of imposing her moral standards on a man living in the shadows, nor did she want to explore the darkness he lived in.

– Make sure to answer your phone tomorrow. If I wander around an exhibition like a lost child, some law-abiding citizens might think a criminal has appeared and call the cops.

– …Ugh, argh!

Hee-tae hung up after leaving a complaint about law-abiding citizens. Soo-yeon, looking at the phone that had abruptly ended amidst someone’s scream, moved her feet. She wanted to call back and tell him not to come to the exhibition.

‘You’re doing this because you know it’ll make me want to come even more.’

Soo-yeon was annoyed by the predicted response echoing in her mind. Yes, he was the kind of man who would do as he pleased regardless of what she said. He was someone who transparently had nothing but lust and the desire to torment her. Just as a long love eventually abandoned her, the man currently stirring her up was merely a passing breeze.