Hanna stood frozen, one foot in her shoes as if she might bolt, yet unable to fully commit to leaving or staying. Her trembling gaze locked onto the source of the sound—my phone, still buzzing with the damning evidence.
"No… it can't be… please…" she whispered, her voice a desperate plea.
But her hopes were shattered as Kim Tae-yang's voice spilled from the phone again, smug and unmistakable. "[Shall we get serious now?]"
A chorus of moans followed, accompanied by the rhythmic slap of skin against skin. The raw, unfiltered sounds filled the room, and Hanna crumpled to the floor, her hands flying to her face as if she could block out the reality she hadn't even fully seen.
I paused the video and crouched beside her, gently helping her up. Normally, she'd have swatted my hand away, but she was too shell-shocked to resist, leaning into my support as I guided her back to the sofa.
"Have some warm coffee," I said softly, nudging the cup toward her.
"…Sugar. I need sugar," she mumbled, her voice barely audible.
It was the same coffee she'd brushed off earlier, but now she seemed to crave it like a lifeline. She dumped her bag and jacket near the sofa, no longer bothering with the neatness she'd shown when she first arrived. Her belongings hit the floor with a chaotic thud, as if she were venting her turmoil through the act. I understood that rage too well to call her out on it.
"Here's the sugar." I handed her a small container and a spoon. Without a word, she started scooping sugar into her cup, piling it in until it nearly overflowed. She downed the sickeningly sweet coffee in one go, as if the sugar could drown out the chaos in her head.
After a moment, her eyes cleared slightly, and she spoke, hesitant. "…Why did Tae-yang—Kim Tae-yang—send you this video?"
I met her gaze. "The woman in the video… she's my girlfriend."
Hanna's face fell. "Oh… I'm so sorry…" She seemed to have suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed made her bow her head, guilt etching her features.
I gave her a small, reassuring smile. "It's okay."
That smile only deepened her guilt. She fidgeted with the now-empty coffee cup, her expression shifting—betrayal and anger at Kim Tae-yang warring with a strange sense of responsibility toward me. Her emotions played out like a storm across her face.
I seized the moment. "I'm thinking about reporting him to the police."
"Reporting him?" Her voice trembled, the word heavy.
"Yeah. I want revenge, but… I don't know any other way to handle this."
She let out a long sigh, nodding slowly. "Yeah… reporting him makes sense…"
The fact that Kim Tae-yang had sent me that video was grounds enough for a report. I just hadn't done it yet—not because I didn't want to, but because I had other plans for revenge.
"Actually," I continued, "I was also thinking about just uploading the video to social media—"
"No!" Hanna's eyes widened, her voice sharp with panic. She grabbed my hand, her grip tight, practically begging. But she stopped short of saying it outright, her lips pressing into a thin line. To ask me to hold back would feel like defending Tae-yang—the guy who'd wronged us both.
"Please… don't do that," she murmured, her voice soft, almost like a wounded animal.
I could guess why. It wasn't about protecting Tae-yang. Hanna was a social media influencer, a rising star who'd built a following promoting cosmetics and sportswear. Her account was a carefully curated empire, one she'd grown in under a year. But Kim Tae-yang was a liability. His rough appearance and shady past had already drawn criticism from her fans, who constantly urged her to dump him. Every time she posted, comments about his history would resurface, and every time, Hanna would defend him, insisting he'd changed, that his past was behind him. She'd lost followers over it, fought with fans to protect her boyfriend's image.
But Tae-yang hadn't changed. If I posted that video, it wouldn't just expose him—it'd tank Hanna's career.
"Is something bothering you?" I asked, keeping my tone gentle.
Hanna hesitated, her lips twitching as she struggled to respond. She couldn't bring herself to ask me—a guy whose girlfriend had just been stolen—to hold back on my revenge, especially not for the sake of her social media presence.
"Or…" I said, pausing for effect, "there's another way."
Her eyes lit up, clinging to the lifeline I'd dangled. "Another way?"
I didn't answer immediately, offering an awkward smile and glancing away, as if I'd just thought of something inappropriate. Her desperation spiked, and she leaned closer. "What is it? Tell me!"
"No, it's… it's nothing. You'd probably feel worse if I said it."
"How could I feel worse than I do now? It's all Kim Tae-yang's fault. Just tell me!"
I hesitated, drawing it out, then looked at her carefully. "What if… we did the same thing?"
Hanna blinked, her breath catching. "The same thing…?"
She glanced at my phone, where the paused video still lingered, and her finger tapped the screen nervously. "You mean… this?"
"…Yeah."
An awkward silence stretched between us. Hanna's face flushed, and then, surprisingly, she let out a small, bitter laugh. "That wouldn't even be revenge, would it? He's already tossed me aside for another woman."
She shook her head, her voice heavy with resignation, as if she'd already accepted being abandoned. But I saw it differently. I'd watched that video enough times to know Tae-yang wasn't in love with my ex. He was just using her, satisfying some twisted urge. His social media posts with Hanna were all lovey-dovey, full of affection—nothing like the cold, performative way he treated my ex in the video. Tae-yang wasn't cheating because he'd fallen for someone else. He was just a guy who got off on taking what wasn't his.
"Do you and Tae-yang… you know, have much physical intimacy these days?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
Hanna's cheeks reddened. "Skinship? Not really… I'm not big on it."
"Could that be why?"
She frowned, guilt flickering in her eyes. "Because I avoid it…?"
It wasn't necessarily the full truth—just a possibility. Maybe Tae-yang's thing was stealing other people's partners, a habit that matched his flashy name and sleazy vibe. But the seed of doubt I'd planted was enough to deepen the shadow on Hanna's face.
I was close. One more push, and I'd have her.
"Don't worry," I said, softening my voice. "I wouldn't go that far. No matter what."
She looked at me, confused. "That far…?"
"I mean, I wouldn't go all the way. No penetration. I'm not trying to drag you too deep into my revenge."
The word "penetration" seemed to ease her tension, her shoulders relaxing slightly. "Really?"
"Absolutely. I'd never do that unless you wanted it."
She laughed, a sharp, disbelieving sound. "As if I'd ever want that."
It was the first time I'd seen her smile in person, not just in her perfectly posed photos. It was fleeting but genuine, and it stirred something in me.
"So… what's your answer?" I asked.
Hanna hesitated, her expression torn. After a long pause, she spoke, her voice quiet but resolute. "I'll do it. But… there's something you should know."
"What's that?"
She bit her lip, glancing away. "My reactions… they might be kind of weak."
I raised an eyebrow, waiting.
"I'm… I'm frigid," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
So that was it. Her aversion to physical intimacy with Tae-yang likely stemmed from her frigidity. It was a heavy confession, one that could complicate things.
But I had a secret of my own—one I hadn't shared with her.
"Don't worry about that," I said, a quiet confidence in my tone.
I wasn't some master of seduction or foreplay. If I were, my ex wouldn't have run off to Tae-yang in the first place. But as I spoke, a new window appeared in my vision, glowing with promise:
[Hidden quest completed.]
[Show the video directly to Kim Tae-yang's girlfriend]
[Acquired Minor Saliva LV.1 skill.]
A skill. I'd just unlocked a skill.
Now it was a question of whether Hanna's frigidity would win—or if my newfound ability would tip the scales.