I’d Rather Live as a Villain - I’d Rather Live as a Villain chapter 42

I’d Rather Live as a Villain – Episode 42

(Maybe I should just tear up the contract)

After dinner with soju as a side at mom’s house, I stepped out for a walk.

“Aren’t you cold?”

“I came out because it’s cold. Trying to sober up.”

“How much did you drink? Just splitting two bottles of soju between three people.”

“Look, Mr. Yoon Tae-sik. It seems like I’ve become too predictable for you, but I’m not the kind of woman who does one-shot with soju whenever side dishes and braised short ribs are served.”

“You ate the most, though. I didn’t even get a glimpse of the braised short ribs, coming to mom’s house after so long.”

The weather was completely wintery.

Even the wind.

“Really going to walk more?”

“Why? Are you very cold? It’s not that bad, is it?”

“It’s not me who’s cold, I’m worried you might be.”

“Then at least hold my hand.”

So, I reached out my hand.

Ms. Moon Jung looked at my outstretched hand as if to say, “What’s the matter?” then hesitantly, she took it and slipped it into the pocket of my overcoat.

We resumed walking as if nothing had happened, each performing our nonchalant act.

The hand that was quickly taken.

And her request, almost jokingly, to hold hands before that.

I know.

Ms. Moon Jung is mustering as much courage as I am in our relationship.

It was not long after I had transferred from the corporate office to the group secretariat.

There was a gathering of conglomerate heirs at the Kensington Hotel in Gangnam.

Back when most people didn’t know I was the personal assistant to Kang Moon Jung.

I was killing time in the underground parking lot, having stepped out of the car to stretch my neck and leg muscles, when I overheard a conversation about her.

“No, Moon Jung unnie will never change her spot. There’s no second round for her. It always ends right here.”

It was the current Director Joo Yeon-hee.

Despite arriving 30 minutes past the scheduled time, she got out of her car, casually placed her bag on the hood, and took her time making a call. It was quite a sight.

“Do you know what her nickname is? Cinderella, Cinderella. But not in that sense; they call her Cinderella because she always tidies up and goes home at 9 o’clock sharp.”

I was still more familiar with Kang Moon-jung from Mulsan than Kang Moon-jung in private settings, so I couldn’t understand what that meant.

The Kang Moon-jung from Mulsan, as far as I knew, would always stay until the end of any work dinners, regardless of what time they finished.

“So, isn’t it obvious why the guys are crazy about her in this gathering? Can you imagine how haughty she must look? No, it’s not an act, that’s just how she is. The rumor that she’s never been with a man, that’s not just a rumor.”

I don’t usually eavesdrop on other people’s conversations, but strangely, I couldn’t turn my attention away from that direction.

“Hyekyung went to middle and high school with her, and she was in the same university department as Gwanghyeon’s brother. They say she’s not human. A complete cyborg, an emotionless cyborg. So if you want to get close to her, you should do it now, at this gathering. Me? I’ve just arrived. In the parking lot. I’ll be right up. Got it. See you later.”

Of course, Director Joo Yeon-hee wouldn’t know that I overheard her talking about someone named Kang Moon-jung because of a parking lot pillar.

But that day’s assignment was my first external task for Kang Moon-jung, and it was also an opportunity for me to learn about a different side of her through Director Joo Yeon-hee, which is why I still remember it.

When you’re assigned to VIP service, the first thing you receive is the VIP’s reference.

But naturally, the only thing in Kang Moon-jung’s VIP reference that I received was her educational background.

After all, I was her first attendant.

And as I continued to serve as her attendant for three months, six months, a year, three years… I wasn’t sure about the cyborg part, but it was clear she was a Cinderella.

She, who doesn’t schedule any external activities except for gatherings of chaebol children and university alumni meetings.

Even at those two gatherings, she would leave promptly at 9 PM.

Such strict self-discipline and control made it likely that Director Joo Yeon-hee’s words about her never having been with a man were true.

“Do you still feel uncomfortable around me?”

After walking for a while, Ms. Moon-jung asked nonchalantly.

To that question, I replied:

“I’ve never felt uncomfortable around you.”

“Lies.”

“Why would I lie to you about something like this? You’ve been a challenging presence for me, but never an uncomfortable one.”

“It’s all the same.”

“How can it be the same? It’s not about being uncomfortable when we’re together, but about being cautious, having to think and ponder several times. It’s different.”

“So after all that cautious thinking, the place you said we had to sleep at was your mother’s house?”

She smiled as if my plan was adorable.

“So we’re sleeping in your room tonight, right?”

“Are you sure that’s okay? If you think it’ll be uncomfortable, just say so. I can sleep in the living room using the small bed as an excuse to my mom.”

“Uncomfortable? Who? Me? No, not at all. Why would I miss this great opportunity?”

Pretending to be strong, I let out a light laugh and held her hand, which was tucked into my pocket, a little tighter.

Mom had already prepared the living room, leaving only a night light on.

“Why are you coming home so late? It’s cold outside. You said you’d go for a short walk, and it’s been two hours. What have you been doing?”

“I just walked a bit…”

“Where to?”

“Just around this apartment complex.”

“You walked around here for two hours?”

Would a son really want to walk so foolishly?

It’s just that this girl, who’s become accustomed to acting tough, was scared and preparing herself mentally, and that took time.

“Go take a shower and sleep. Munjeong, you wash up here, and Taesik, you use the bathroom in mom’s room.”

“Yes, mother. Please go rest. We’ll wash up and go to bed too.”

“Alright, you’ve worked hard today. It’s cold out and you’ve walked a lot. Hurry and go to sleep.”

In the absence of mom, Munjeong handed me my pajamas and underwear, stacked together, with a playful look on her face.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and come back after you shower.”

***

It was after I finished showering in the bathroom attached to mom’s room.

Mom, who was watching TV with the volume turned down, only turned her head towards me while lying in bed and said,

“Tell Munjeong there’s no need to wake up early tomorrow to help with breakfast.”

“Got it.”

“We’ll just have a simple bean sprout soup with whatever side dishes we have. It’s better to sleep in a bit longer in a strange bed than to wake up unnecessarily early and be of no help. Tell her that sleeping in will ease mom’s mind a bit.”

“Yup.”

It was when I turned off even the hallway light that mom had left on and entered the room.

Munjeong was lying completely against the wall, having made space for me to climb up, waiting like a frightened rabbit.

“You’re not going to sleep right away, are you?”

“Maybe… I was thinking of looking at my phone a bit before sleeping?”

“Then let’s turn off the lights when we go to sleep.”

With the light switch right next to the door, I got her consent and climbed into bed with her.

As she aimlessly fiddled with her phone, pretending to watch some uninteresting YouTube videos, I said to her,

“This house, being an old apartment, doesn’t have good soundproofing.”

“So what?”

“The bed isn’t that great either. Look, it makes a creaking noise even with a little movement.”

“…”

“Don’t be nervous.”

“What are you talking about? Who said I’m nervous?”

I turned my body towards her and lay down

It was as if I was doing a secret whisper, hiding in my arms and saying to her:

“I thought that if I gave you the underwear and pajamas I picked out myself, my heart would also be transmitted to you.”

“···”

“I thought that if I surprised you by sneaking up on you every time you came home from the convenience store in front of the house, you would be shocked and delighted, but instead, you just seemed okay···”

Was it good?

“I thought that if I changed my title to ‘Mr. Yoon’ from ‘Mr. Tae-sik’ at the Yoon Corporation, you would notice, but it didn’t work out that way.”

You already knew that, too.

“So, what was I thinking?”

“What was I thinking, then?”

“I thought that maybe I should just tear up the contract, or maybe the terms I inserted would keep getting in the way of your plans, so I thought about that too.”

“This is it? I’m holding you like a doll, and I’m feeling too soft and comfortable.”

“I am too. You smell like an old man, and it’s like being hugged by Mom after 20 years, so it’s weird.”