CHAPTER 2: Island of Pleasure (Part 2)

That evening, after being cooped up in the ballet practice room all day, Moon-kyeong made it to the gathering on time.

The red dress Hye-ran had picked out for her fit her like a glove.

She walked up to Lee Hee-jin, who was engaged in a pleasant conversation about her new man. All she got in return were glares, curses, and taunts, but Moon-kyeong didn’t bat an eye.

As she left the noisy club and walked down the dark street alone, she sent a message to Hye-ran.

<Mom, Lee Hee-jin wants to have lunch together next Wednesday.>

Hye-ran seemed busy or hadn’t seen the message yet. Moon-kyeong racked her brain for another lie to tell her mom, who would be calling her soon with excitement.

On the breezy street, she watched her reflection in the hotel’s front window.

She forgot to grab her coat when she left the club. The cold wind, passing through her exposed shoulders and back of the dress, made her shiver.

“Fool.”

She silently gazed at her transparently reflected image once more. The dull social gathering, the ballet she wanted to get rid of immediately, and this shitty life.

She wanted to end it all.

“Seo Moon-kyeong, snap out of it.”

Muttering to herself, she clenched her fists.

Why die? You wanted to live like this, didn’t you? Wasn’t that wrong?

Have you forgotten already?

You can wear different clothes every day, you don’t have to worry about making ends meet. An elegant mother and a congressman father. The favor of the director of Olga Ballet.

What more could you ask for?

At that moment, Moon-kyeong’s eyes sparkled and shone. One good thing, one bad thing.

So what should I do today?

In the midst of the confusion about what she truly desired, someone stood in front of her. The man took off his jacket.

“Do you want it?”

His words were gentle, but his gaze was not so warm.

The man’s cold gaze and slightly furrowed brow belonged to the man from the cafe yesterday.

She should have said no, and she should have just ignored him. The fact that she’d already run into him twice was further proof of the danger.

Hye-ran had been told from a young age that all men’s favors were linked to sex.

‘So always take care of yourself. You have to take care of yourself, Moon-kyeong. You will have to marry into the Lee Han Group later.

Mommy will make sure you do, so don’t forget that. I’ll arrange your first night for you.’

Shoving away the disgusting words that sent shivers down her spine, the wickedness she had harbored within herself rose to the surface.

Depravity and sinfulness. To be the dirtiest woman in the world. What would Hye-ran’s face look like when she realized that her daughter, who she thought was so clean and pure, was actually enjoying a life of debauchery.

Twisted desires surged through Moon-kyeong like an explosion.

She grabbed the jacket he offered and draped it over her shoulders. Thirsty from the forbidden lifestyle, she slowly lifted the corners of her mouth.

The words spilled out without a filter, right at him.

“Do you want to sleep with me?”

Seojun, raising his eyebrows, let out a small laugh. Mocking her, just like Hee-jin at the club.

“No.”

He left her standing alone and turned away.

A wave of shame washed over her, and her legs almost gave out and sank to the ground. Her cheeks were as red as the color of her dress.

Watching Seojun’s back as he turned away, Moon-kyeong struggled to stand up straight, her legs shaking.

“Hey, your clothes…”

She called out to him to return the clothes, but Seojun didn’t look back.

She intended to quickly catch up with him, return the clothes, and grab the outerwear she had left at the club.

“Hey!”

She called out to him again, but once more, his response was the same. It wasn’t easy to return the coat to him, let alone face his cold face again.

But she hated taking other people’s clothes home.

“Hey.”

As she was about to chase after him a few steps behind, Heejin, who had just come out of the club entrance in the distance, spotted Seojun and hurried over.

“Senior Seojun? Oh yeah, it’s you, Kim Seojun!”

Unlike Hee-jin’s excited demeanor, Seojun remained as coldly as he had toward Moon-kyeong.

“Get your hands off me.”

“Senior, what are you doing here? Meeting up here of all places. Where are you going? No, where are you coming from?”

Hee-jin’s grip on Seojun loosened, and everything was soon caught by Moon-kyeong.

In that brief moment, Moon-kyeong calculated. It seemed that Hee-jin’s attention was entirely focused on this man.

Even when the son of the Russian mob boss rushed into the club and was boasting boldly, Hee-jin ignored him and was now fawning over this man named Kim Seojun.

Moon-kyeong took off his jacket from around her shoulders.

She casually extended it to him as if she had completely forgotten the immense embarrassment she had just experienced from him. Instead of telling him to take it because she didn’t need it, she deliberately chose words that would provoke Hee-jin.

Moon-kyeong smoothed her voice.

“Thank you.”

His eyes curved strangely as he took the jacket. He looked at her curiously, like he was looking into something strange, and she tried her best to ignore it.

Passing by the two of them, she entered the club and retrieved the outerwear she had left behind.

She deliberately picked up the outerwear with unusually slow movements, and sure enough, a moment later, Lee Hee-jin followed her.

As soon as she walked in, she shoved Moon-kyeong’s shoulder hard.

“Hey. How do you know Kim Seojun?”

“…….”

“How do you know Kim Seojun?”

Her breath reeked of alcohol as she leaned in to ask Moon-kyeong over the loud music.

Moon-kyeong whispered softly into Hee-jin’s ear.

“If you’re curious, have lunch with me. Then I’ll tell you everything.”

Her eyes flickered, but at that moment, Moon-kyeong had a premonition.

Just as her mother had hoped, she would soon have lunch with Lee Hee-jin.