The Main Character Killed The Villain

#035

Shin Haejun honked again as if to say, “What are you waiting for? Get in.” I clutched the hem of my shirt for a moment before approaching.

“What about Kim Sehyun?”

“Kim Sehyun? Why?”

“Um… isn’t he coming with us?”

Shin Haejun tilted his head slightly with a blank look at my question.

“What does that matter? He’ll manage on his own.”

“Won’t Sehyun think he’s coming along?”

“The person I want to take home is you, why are you talking about Kim Sehyun?”

Shin Haejun cocked his head as if he genuinely didn’t understand.

Kim Sehyun seemed to care a lot about Shin Haejun, but it’s really a one-sided relationship… In some ways, it seemed a bit pitiful.

“Anyway, get in.”

“I can take the subway.”

“What subway on such a tiring day? My car is expensive and nice. It’s super comfy and cozy when you sit. You can even lie down on the way if you want.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his boastful words. Shin Haejun’s face brightened even more as he exclaimed,

“You laughed! You’ve been like this all along.”

“What do you mean…?”

“You had such an expressionless face like this.”

Shin Haejun lowered his head with a blank expression.

Was I like that? Well, I was feeling down. I didn’t even have the energy to care about what expression I was making or how I was walking.

“You’re beautifully stunning even when you cry, but I like it better when you smile.”

“I’m older than you, yet you keep speaking informally.”

I threw out the words as if complaining, not knowing how to respond.

“Hyung, are you old-fashioned?”

“What did you say?”

“I still can’t get used to speaking formally. But when are you getting in? You’re obstructing traffic right now. Will you take responsibility if I get a ticket under which section of the Road Traffic Act?”

“Who told you to wait…”

Even as I said that, my body was slowly moving. I pouted as I slumped into the passenger seat. I was a bit surprised at how plush and comfortable the seat was, just as Shin Haejun had promised.

“I’m planning to take you home… but before that, want to have a meal together?”

“Are we close enough to have meals together?”

“Oh? You said ‘we’!”

Shin Haejun made a fuss over such a trivial word. I felt a bit embarrassed and turned my head. Seeing Shin Haejun’s reflection in the car window looking at me with such soft, honey-dripping eyes made me even more embarrassed.

‘I do feel a bit hungry…’

It might just be an excuse.

I looked at Shin Haejun’s face reflected in the window with mixed feelings and casually said, “Fine, let’s do that.”

“Great. I don’t have to cancel the reservation.”

“What? You even made a reservation? What if I had said no?”

“Then I’d cancel and we’d go next time.”

Shin Haejun grinned. I don’t know where he gets such optimistic and assertive energy from.

I sighed deeply and leaned back in my seat.

‘…Oh? It’s more comfortable than I thought.’

The car was warm, the seat was comfortable, and I was tired. With these three factors aligning, I dozed off before I knew it.

When I opened my eyes wide, I saw that it had become dark outside.

“Are you awake?”

“What, what? I guess I fell asleep.”

I mumbled, blinking my eyes after clearing my throat due to my hoarse voice. Shin Haejun nodded.

“You must have been very tired. You were probably nervous too.”

“Why is it so dark? What time is it now?”

“It’s 8:43 PM.”

“It’s almost 9 PM already?”

We left at 1 PM, didn’t we?

Shocked, I reflexively blamed Shin Haejun.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“You were sleeping so well. If you wake up in the middle when you’re tired, you get even more tired, right?”

“Shin Haejun, did you just waste nearly 8 hours in the car? Why did you do such a foolish thing?”

My surprise quickly turned to bewilderment. Shin Haejun just stayed in the car blankly for my sake? Wouldn’t most people just wake you up? He was being considerate, saying I’d be more tired if woken up in the middle?

‘He can do things like this too?’

I thought he only threw tantrums like a villain rather than a protagonist, or acted like a whiny child.

This unexpected consideration made my head spin, and I saw Shin Haejun in a new light.

“I didn’t waste time.”

“Then did you leave me in the car and go somewhere?”

“No, I watched you sleep. Since I did something, it wasn’t wasting time, right?”

I shuddered with goosebumps for a moment. Why is he like this! They say if a person changes in an instant, they’ll die. Is he planning on a short life?

‘I hope I didn’t make any mistakes while sleeping.’

I don’t know why I’m thinking this when I don’t particularly care about making a good impression, but I was secretly concerned.

And while it could sound cheesy, hearing such words from someone with incredible good looks made it sound very romantic. I thought I didn’t have any special feelings for Shin Haejun, but for a moment, I felt shy and embarrassed.

‘Asking how it felt to appreciate my sleeping face… that would be a bit much, right?’

I should just keep quiet.

I ran my hand over my face once, squeezing my eyes shut before opening them again.

“You must be hungry? Let’s go eat now.”

As I was floundering in the remaining confusion and bewilderment, Shin Haejun started the car refreshingly as if he had no concerns.

“I guess we ended up canceling the reservation after all…”

“No, we didn’t. I just postponed the time. I told them to clear the whole day and wait until night.”

“What? That’s inconsiderate!”

“It’s not inconsiderate if you pay a lot of money.”

I thought this might be the mindset of a nuisance customer, but I couldn’t guess how much he paid to say he paid a lot, so I kept my mouth shut for now.

The company I used to work for made us do overtime without pay, which I really hated, but if they had given generous overtime pay… well, it might have felt okay. It’s not like they do this every day, and it’s just one day, so the restaurant probably doesn’t mind, I rationalized.

Have I picked up Shin Haejun’s way of thinking after being with him all day…?

“We’re here.”

As I was staring blankly out the window, Shin Haejun, who had been driving for a while, told me to get out in front of a large building.

I followed Shin Haejun, who had handed the car over for valet parking, and hurriedly sat down. The food came out instantly, as if he had called ahead just before we left. It seemed he had even ordered the menu in advance, leaving nothing for us to choose.

“The food… looks expensive.”

A chaebol is a chaebol, I guess. It was just one meal, but the plating was extraordinary.

Is Shin Haejun paying for this, or do we split the bill? It looks too expensive to split…

“How much is it?”

“Why?”

“If we’re splitting the bill, I want to prepare myself mentally in advance.”

I need to prepare to use my precious 5 million won deposit.

When I spoke gravely, Shin Haejun suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

“Do I look like I have no money? I’ve only ever been told that I was born with money written all over my face.”

“Yes… You look like a young master from a chaebol family.”

“What do you mean splitting the bill? You’re the first person to suggest going Dutch with me.”

Shin Haejun looked at me as if he was seeing something truly bizarre. Embarrassed, I quietly turned my head away.

Well, I guess spending a chaebol’s money wouldn’t even make a dent. Maybe it’s not so bad to get treated once in a while.

“Eat a lot. I felt your arm earlier and you’re too skinny.”

“When did you feel my arm?”

“When you were sleeping.”

“Do you enjoy secretly touching people while they’re asleep?”

I glared at Shin Haejun with accusing eyes. He shrugged as if to say, “So what?”

“Yeah, I did enjoy it. I’d like to feel it again when you’re awake. Let’s do it after we eat.”

What the… He’s so shameless that I’m at a loss for words. I shook my head and started shoving food into my mouth with a combative attitude.

“Hmm…”

The food wasn’t bad. It was just a bit different from what I expected.

“What? Is it not good?”

“No, that’s not it…”

Is it okay to be honest with the person treating you to a meal?

I glanced around surreptitiously, trying to see how far away the chef and staff were.

“Honestly… it’s neither your taste nor mine.”

It definitely feels high-class, and it seems like they used the freshest, top-quality ingredients. The atmosphere is nice, and it feels like elegant Korean cuisine. But to my palate, used to MSG, it tastes very bland.

Honestly, for this much money, I’d rather buy a ton of tteokbokki.

“That’s true. It is a bit bland, to be honest.”

“Is it like that for your taste too? Why did we come here if you knew?”

I asked, unable to understand. Shin Haejun replied while putting a thinly sliced piece of scallop in his mouth.

“Because it’s expensive.”

“You came because it’s expensive even though it doesn’t suit your taste?”

What’s he thinking?

“Next time we eat, I’ll take you somewhere delicious.”

“No, I mean, what were you thinking when you chose this place?”

“To show off my wealth.”

What’s the point of showing off your wealth to me? I already know you’re a chaebol and that you earn an obscene amount of money.

Genuinely confused, I tilted my head. Shin Haejun smiled, pulling up one corner of his mouth.

“Wealth is one of the criteria for choosing a romantic partner, right? I wanted to emphasize that I have a lot of money. Next time, I’ll show you how many good restaurants I know.”

“What…!”

My mouth fell open at his outrageous answer. But Shin Haejun’s eyes looked so serious. It seems that really was his reason.

“I have to emphasize one thing each time we meet. Isn’t that what you do when you’re courting someone?”

“C-courting…”

I was dumbfounded to hear a word I’d only seen in dictionaries being used in real-time.

I blinked blankly while pushing food into my mouth, following Shin Haejun’s lead.

‘He’s really… a style I’ve never seen before.’

I did think he had some childish sides, maybe because he’s really young. He’s extremely down-to-earth and honest. He blurts out things without hesitation that most people wouldn’t easily say.

‘It seems like he doesn’t try to embellish himself.’

Shin Haejun, honest like a child.

Honestly, whether he was behaving badly before or now, it seemed like he didn’t particularly try to present himself in a certain way. Even though his attitude had completely flipped, the underlying tone hadn’t really changed. He was honest both when he liked and disliked me. He’s just so honest that it causes trouble.

“What? Are you falling for me a little?”

Shin Haejun asked with sparkling eyes. I kept my mouth tightly shut like a clam, unable to say anything.

Because I couldn’t admit that for a moment, my heart had skipped a beat.