A Subtle Rebellion
If she pulled her tight tank top down just a little, her chest would likely spill out. Go Yeon-ju caught my gaze and provocatively rubbed her chest, giving me a daring look. Drawn in, I reached out towards her chest. She flinched slightly at my touch but then leaned forward with a playful smile, as if inviting me to do as I pleased.
Meeting her expectations, I swiftly pulled out the dagger handle nestled between her cleavage.
”…”
“It was bothering me a bit.”
Yeon-ju looked momentarily stunned by my words, then burst into laughter. Ignoring her reaction, I gently ran my fingers over the blade, still warm from its previous resting place. Watching me, she teased, “Why not take a sniff? I used something nice today; it should smell good.”
“I’ll politely decline.”
“We’re alone; you could be a bit bolder, don’t you think?”
She was trying to steer the conversation into strange territory again. I placed the dagger on the table, feeling its sharp energy. It was time to answer her question.
“The reason I shared such crucial information with the Shadow Queen is…”
“Hmm…”
She responded with a nasal hum, encouraging me to continue. I paused, glancing around. The table was littered with half-eaten food and empty bottles. I picked up a nearly full bottle and poured drinks into two glasses.
“I wanted your evaluation.”
“Evaluation? From me?”
I nodded, handing her a glass. She accepted it but didn’t drink, her gray eyes demanding more explanation. I decided to test her a bit.
“I wanted to know how a user at the level of <10th Rank> would assess my plan, especially if that user is the Shadow Queen.”
She smiled at my roundabout way of speaking and replied, “It’s a frightening plan, except for the many uncertainties. If those uncertainties become reality… a secret and two rares. If that happens, the surrounding clans will be drooling. And you’ll justify it with the free mercenary trait and mission operations. Well… it’s good. Honestly, I never considered a mercenary clan in the whole plane until I heard your plan. But…”
After her speech, she downed her drink in one go. I waited for her to continue. She savored the taste for a moment before speaking with a deep smile.
“User Kim Soo-hyun, you’re not very good at lying, are you?”
Her words stung, but I kept a calm exterior. When I didn’t respond, she laughed and continued, “Ah, maybe it’s not a lie. It’s more accurate to say that’s not the only reason.”
”…Why do you think that?”
“When you speak truthfully, you always look the other person in the eye. But just now, you poured the drink and handed it to me, using that as an excuse to avoid my gaze.”
I chuckled at her conjecture and replied, “It’s just a guess. Maybe I simply wanted a drink at that moment?”
“No, I’m sure of my guess. I can tell by looking into your eyes.”
Yeon-ju’s response was swift and confident, her usual softness replaced by a shadowy intensity. Her demeanor shifted dramatically, reminding me of the first time I encountered the
Yeon-ju stood up and retrieved the dagger I had placed on the table. She slowly closed the distance between us, her steps forming a straight line. It was a unique gait, designed to close the gap quickly.
Instinctively, I heightened my senses, but she gently placed a hand on my chest and began to circle me.
As she completed half a circle and moved behind me, she spoke softly, “I entered the whole plane a long time ago. It’s been about five years.”
“That’s what you said earlier…”
Before I could finish, she wrapped her arms around me. Her left hand slipped into my chest, quickly searching my pockets. She pulled out two cigarettes, placed one in her mouth, and rested her chin on my shoulder. I wasn’t surprised. I calmly lit the cigarette with a spark from my fingertips, and she offered the other to me.
“Here, use this for the fire.”
Yeon-ju lowered my hand holding the flame and brought her cigarette closer to mine. I took a deep breath and turned my head, touching the ends of our cigarettes together.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
A smoke kiss. Yeon-ju exhaled a long stream of smoke with a satisfied expression. After savoring the aroma, she spoke in a low voice, “Do you wonder why I’m doing all this?”
“A little.”
Admitting it, I felt her stifled laughter beside me.
“I remember your first words, User Kim Soo-hyun. You said your clan’s goal is survival and return. That hit me hard.”
“Don’t you want to go back to Earth?”
“I really do.”
Once, I described her as a flower with poison, capable of stinging. Her reaction had been different from usual, and I realized she had her own story. Everyone has a story, but it was frustrating not knowing hers.
“What do you think I was like on Earth? Not as User Go Yeon-ju, but as South Korea’s Go Yeon-ju.”
Her sudden question made me ponder. She was in her mid-twenties, too old to be a student, yet she didn’t seem like a career woman. Her behavior often involved seducing men.
When I didn’t answer, she continued in a wistful voice, “I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I worked in a bar.”
”…”
“But I wasn’t as dirty or promiscuous as you might think. Still, in that line of work, you sometimes have to use your body, whether you like it or not. Cozying up to men old enough to be my father, acting cute, spilling drinks on myself.”
“Everyone has their circumstances.”
Not knowing what to say, I managed a response, feeling her hair brush against my neck as she shook her head.
“Sorry, but I had no circumstances. My family wasn’t struggling, and I wasn’t coerced. I just needed money and wanted to satisfy my desires, so I went there willingly. How do you evaluate someone like me, User Kim Soo-hyun?”
I remained silent. It felt like a moment to listen rather than speak. But Yeon-ju also fell silent, indicating she was forcing herself to say things she didn’t want to. She didn’t want my answer but wanted to hear it. A contradictory feeling.
Instead of sugarcoating, I decided to be honest. I sensed she wanted that. I spoke calmly, “Everyone has more than one job. And…”
“And?”
“Being a bar girl doesn’t have the best image.”
”…Heh.”
She chuckled at my answer, releasing her hold on me. Her body slid away, and she began to circle me again.
“Do you know the best thing about entering the whole plane?”
“There are no good things about the whole plane.”
I answered immediately, but she wagged her finger in front of me.
“No, there is, at least for me. Earlier, when I saw that user Ha-yeon, her face was so clear and pure. She must have been living a diligent life in the modern world, unlike me. Honestly, what irked me most was her eyes, her gaze.”
Yeon-ju had called my words a lie, citing my eyes as the reason. I listened more intently.
“When she looked at me with those clear eyes, it really got on my nerves. I hate those kinds of looks, so I deliberately tore my clothes to reveal myself.”
“What kind of look was it?”
“A look that sees someone as cheap.”
“Cheap, that’s what it is.” Only then did I begin to understand a fraction of what lay within her heart. She was comparing her life on Earth to her existence in the Hall Plane. It was a kind of inferiority complex, perhaps. And now, I realized why I had been somewhat drawn to her during our first encounter. Go Yeon-ju had been let down by people for some reason, and as a result, she found it hard to trust deeply. If my hunch was correct, she and I shared some similarities.
“The Hall Plane is quite fascinating. Someone who was an elite on Earth might become a nobody here, while someone who was a nobody on Earth might become a celebrity in the Hall Plane.”
She spun around half a turn and stopped, standing beside me but still facing away.
“Also, a woman who worked in a bar and was looked down upon on Earth… could become the revered Shadow Queen in the Hall Plane.”
After finishing her sentence, Go Yeon-ju turned halfway to face me. We stood facing each other, and she stepped closer, pressing her body against mine. I remained still, my senses heightened, but I detected no threat in her demeanor.
Go Yeon-ju gently placed her hands on the back of my head and leaned her head against my chest. From a distance, we might have looked like lovers embracing, but the emotions I felt were far from that. With her face buried in my chest, she continued speaking.
“When I look at someone, I always look into their eyes. You can tell a lot about what someone thinks of you from their eyes.”
Her unique ability, “Eyes of Seduction.” I had assumed it was a power she gained from being the Shadow Queen. Acquired abilities are rare, after all. But listening to her, I began to think there might be more to it.
“Things have been so noisy lately, I just wanted a break. I wanted to avoid any hassle, so I came down to Mule and opened an inn. Who would have imagined? The famous Shadow Queen running an inn here.”
”…”
“Thinking back, I hid my identity. I dressed provocatively on purpose, swaying my hips as I walked, openly flirting. As expected, the male users ogled me with lust in their eyes, while the female users looked at me with disdain. It was both bitter and amusing. On Earth, I was always on the receiving end, but here, I could turn the tables. But then…”
She paused, then tightened her grip on the back of my head, pulling me down as she lifted her head. Our eyes met, hers looking up from below, mine looking down from above.
We were very close. Her face, shadowed by mine, was incredibly near. Her sharp eyes, her elegant nose, her pretty lips. When she exhaled, a sweet scent of alcohol and fragrant tobacco wafted over me.
She studied my eyes intently, then spoke softly, no longer raising her voice.
“You’re different.”
”…In what way?”
“There’s nothing there. Your eyes are empty. No matter how much I tried to seduce you, the only emotions I saw in your eyes were two.”
Had I ever shown emotion in my eyes? Curiosity piqued, I smiled. Go Yeon-ju was indeed an intriguing character.
“One was that I was a nuisance.”
She had been a bit of a bother at times. I nodded slightly, then asked about the other.
“And the other?”
A moment of silence passed. She kept her lips tightly shut but didn’t look away. We gazed into each other’s eyes for a while.
Finally, Go Yeon-ju’s lips parted slowly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
Hello, this is Ro Yujin.
Go Yeon-ju’s intense advances, yet Su-hyeon is holding his ground well.
I never expected Go Yeon-ju to have so many fans. Haha. Looking back, it seems like many characters in “Memorize” have painful backstories. Go Yeon-ju is no exception. What kind of story does she have? (Curious? Five hundred won!)
That’s all for today. Have a peaceful night, everyone! (May the new week start bright and hopeful!)
PS. “BrokenFan” sent me fan art of the “Memorize” characters! Please come and take a look! (It’s in my garden - Memorize Characters (Visitor’s Section). It’s in color! In color!)
I want to express my deep gratitude to BrokenFan. Bow. (__)
I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Hahahahaha. I’m so excited, what should I do?
『 Reader Comments 』
Madongpo: Congratulations on being first! Lately, being first seems like a total mess. Hahaha. Every time I check, it seems like there’s a new person. :)
FlameGod: The weekend weather was really nice. Perfect for a picnic with a lover. But I don’t have one. Nope. None. Hahahahaha! Hahaha sob sob. ㅜ.ㅠ
Kkoya: Thank you for your concern about my health. I’ve been feeling sluggish and tired lately, should I see a doctor? Kkoya, be careful of the seasonal flu! It’s going around these days. :)
SeriousReader: Hehehe. That’s really nice. Hehehehe. Sniff. (?!)
SatisfiedStarlight: Starlight, your ID is so tempting. Really tempting. Huff huff. ID! ID… Sorry. ㅜ.ㅠ I’m off, off, off~.
Tegguni™: Haha. At least there won’t be any NTR in the Hall Plane. But each character might have their own story. I trust you’ll understand that. :)
Amish: Haha. Thank you. I’ll keep practicing my writing until all readers are satisfied. And about Yeon-ju… I’ll think about it! Hahaha.
-DarkANGEL-: Thank you for the long comment. It’s interesting to see how characters can be used that way. I’ll keep it in mind for future developments. :)
BrokenFan: Hehehe. I’ll keep practicing my writing until all readers are satisfied. And I’ll probably get hit with a pile of stones. ㅜ.ㅠ Oh, thank you so much for the fan art. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight. What should I do? Hahahahaha.
hohokoya1: Hehehe. I feel both grateful and sorry at the same time. But Yeon-ju’s story isn’t over yet. Hehe. (Thud thud!)
Static: Hahahahaha. I also felt it was really sexy while writing that part. I’m glad it resonated well with the readers!
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