19 - Chapter 17: Natalia
"What are you doing? Aren't you getting in?"
At her urging, Han Su-hyeon hurriedly climbed into the passenger seat.
As he settled into the passenger seat, the first thing he noticed was a tumbler sitting in the cup holder.
Peering inside, he saw a thick, white liquid that looked like lassi.
"Are you thirsty? Drink it if you want."
When Han Su-hyeon stared at it, the woman spoke nonchalantly as she started the car.
"...Thanks for the drink."
Han Su-hyeon, who usually just took things as they came, didn't turn down her kindness.
The lassi was rich but not overpowering. The distinct tang of the yogurt, the freshly blended fruit, and the thick, smooth texture balanced perfectly, creating an incredibly luxurious flavor.
"...."
"Is it that good?"
Without realizing it, he began drinking faster. Hearing him gulping it down, the woman smirked, looking rather smug.
Han Su-hyeon felt his pride take a slight hit, but the rich, sweet flavor was unlike anything he'd ever tasted. He couldn't pull his lips away from the tumbler until he had drained every last drop.
"...It's delicious. Thanks."
"Don't worry about it. I got sick of drinking it so often anyway. There's a reason they put salt in it in India. If it's too sweet, you get tired of it fast."
Placing the empty tumbler back in the cup holder, Han Su-hyeon asked,
"So, what did you call me out for this time? Do you want me to spread my legs for you again?"
At his cynical question, the woman burst out laughing.
"Why, will you? You must've been looking forward to it, huh? You lewd little bastard."
She kept one hand on the steering wheel while sliding the other between Han Su-hyeon's thighs. She firmly rubbed and squeezed his perineum for a moment before pulling away.
"Does it feel good when I touch you like this?"
"It's not that. I'm just saying, we've fucked every single time we've met."
"Don't worry. That's not why I called you today."
Given her usual behavior, there was no way he could believe that, Han Su-hyeon thought to himself.
In any case, the woman stopped talking and focused on the road. Han Su-hyeon didn't try to start another conversation either.
It was nice not having to walk for once. Thanks to the blasting AC, the heat was no longer an issue.
Sinking into the plush passenger seat, he stared blankly at the scenery passing by the window. Before long, they arrived at their destination.
"Get out."
The woman parked in the grand lot of a building that looked incredibly upscale even at a glance.
Following her lead, Han Su-hyeon got out of the car. They walked side by side into the building and took the elevator up.
'What is this?'
Only when they stepped into the lobby did Han Su-hyeon realize the place was a high-end Italian restaurant.
Noticing him looking around in surprise, the woman naturally wrapped her arm around his waist and whispered,
"I take it this is your first time at a place like this?"
"Well, yeah... but why bring me here?"
"Going alone ruins my image. I need to at least have a guy on my arm."
"What kind of..."
She didn't elaborate, letting the host guide them to her reserved table.
"May I have the name for the reservation, please?"
"Natalia Chae."
"Natalia Chae... Natalia Chae... Ah, yes, right here. Follow me, please."
So, she was using the name Natalia Chae.
Natalia and Han Su-hyeon sat across from each other at their table.
Soon, the courses began to arrive. It started with an appetizer, followed by a pasta dish, then a meat entree, and finally, a sweet dessert to cleanse the palate.
Every single flavor was entirely new to him. Part of it was because he was starving, but regardless, Han Su-hyeon cleared every plate as if possessed, not leaving a single bite behind.
Once they finished their meal and paid, they headed back to the car.
"Let's get some fresh air, and then I'll drop you off."
With that, Natalia took him for a drive before dropping him off at a convenient spot.
It really did seem like she just wanted to eat out and needed some company, so she had called him on a whim.
Staring languidly at the night view with a pleasantly full stomach, he had to admit it was quite a sight.
Back home, Han Su-hyeon checked his phone out of habit before going to sleep.
'Ah, Seo-yun sent me a text.'
A notification from Jin Seo-yun, sent quite a while ago, was waiting on his screen.
[Did you get home safe? I had fun today.]
Fortunately, it wasn't anything urgent.
[Yeah, I got home safe. What about you?]
The moment Han Su-hyeon sent his reply, the read receipt updated, and a response came back in less than a minute.
[I got home safe too. See you after the weekend!]
[Yep.]
With the brief exchange over, Han Su-hyeon lay back on his bed, closed his eyes, and thought.
'I used to think fine dining was just a pretentious waste of money... but I guess there's a reason people drop that kind of cash on it.'
Whether in his past life or his current one, he had never experienced such an intense sensory overload. His brain kept replaying the memory of the dinner over and over.
In a dark alleyway, two girls were squatting and smoking cigarettes.
One had bangs and long, wavy, bleached-blonde hair, while the other wore a black bob with an asymmetrical part, tucking one side behind her ear.
The blonde girl suddenly spoke up mid-drag.
"Ugh, I want to get laid."
At her smoke-filled murmur, the short-haired girl scoffed without even looking at her.
"At least you didn't scream it. I'm glad you have at least some* decency."
But the blonde girl's gaze had already drifted, completely ignoring her friend.
With her cigarette still dangling from her lips, she stared off into the distance and let out a dazed gasp.
"Wait..."
"What? What is it?"
A certain boy had caught her attention.
Noticing her friend staring intently at the passing boy, the short-haired girl asked again,
"What? Who is that? Someone you know?"
"Maybe."
"What do you mean 'maybe'? Either you know him or you don't."
The blonde girl casually tossed her cigarette onto the ground and stood up.
"I'm gonna go check."
The short-haired girl looked a bit anxious. She knew how reckless her friend could be.
"What? Hey, don't do anything stupid. Did you already forget we were warned not to cause any trouble?"
Ignoring her friend's nagging, the blonde girl waved a dismissive hand and approached the boy.
'Wait, I'm pretty sure that's actually him.'
As she closed the distance, she became absolutely certain she hadn't misidentified him.
It was definitely that slutty little bastard who had spread his legs while having car sex with some other woman the other day.
Suppressing her racing heartbeat and a twisted, excited grin, the blonde girl crept up behind the defenseless Han Su-hyeon.
The moment she was close enough,
she lunged forward and hugged Han Su-hyeon from behind.
"?"
Han Su-hyeon gasped as someone suddenly grabbed him from behind, pressing a pair of soft, squishy breasts against his back.
"What the fuck?"
He reflexively swore and whipped his head around, only to freeze instantly.
Han Su-hyeon recognized his ambusher immediately.
'Oh, holy fuck. I'm screwed. It's that crazy bitch from before.'
Seeing his reaction, the blonde girl smirked, glad she didn't have to waste time explaining who she was.
"Hey, get over here! It really is him. You know him too."
Clinging to Han Su-hyeon, she slyly fondled his nipple through his shirt while calling out to her friend.
"Huh? I know him?"
What the hell is she talking about?
The short-haired girl frowned at her friend's nonsense, but she stubbed out her cigarette and stood up anyway.
"Let's see. Someone I know?"
"Yeah, come take a look."
But even when she got closer, she didn't recognize him at all.
"No, I don't know him."
"Well, you didn't get a close look last time, so you might not recognize his face."
"Didn't get a close look? Don't know his face? Ah...!"
With those hints, the short-haired girl finally realized who Han Su-hyeon was.
"The perverts from the car?"
"Yep."
The moment it clicked, the short-haired girl's expression completely changed. Her cynical gaze melted away, replaced by pure, unadulterated lust.
In truth, she had secretly regretted backing out that day because she'd been worried about getting into trouble.
After all, her friend's bold move had turned out to be the right call.
And now, with that same little slut standing right in front of her, suppressing her impulses was out of the question.
If she had that kind of self-control, she wouldn't have ended up a delinquent in the first place.
Seeing even the short-haired girl—the one who was supposed to be the voice of reason—going into heat, Han Su-hyeon realized he wasn't getting away easily this time.