The Brat I Used to Know

Her hand, which had struck Se-hyun’s cheek with more force than technique, throbbed. Her palm and the skin around her ring were swollen and red. After holding her hand under cold running water for a long while, Tae-rin finally wiped away the moisture from her stinging skin.

“Whew…”

After composing her expression in the mirror, Tae-rin stepped out of the restroom of the sub-exhibition hall. She was crossing the garden to head back toward the gallery’s main hall when it happened.

“Why don’t you just throw a man like that away?”

A low, resonant voice brought Tae-rin to a dead stop. Turning toward the sound, she saw a distinct silhouette standing even in the darkness.

There was no one else around. The man facing her wasn’t on the phone, either. Since he was clearly addressing her, Tae-rin’s shapely eyebrows furrowed.

“No, I mean, I just don’t get it.”

The figure, who had been leaning against the exterior wall of the sub-exhibition hall, slowly approached. As he stepped into the light of the garden lamps, he had both hands shoved into the pockets of his dress slacks.

He was a man of impressive stature, with a frame that naturally overwhelmed his surroundings. His sleek face seemed to glow white under the lights. He carried the faint scent of peppermint.

Was he one of the celebrities attending the exhibition? Whoever he was, he had undoubtedly witnessed her altercation with Se-hyun.

Tae-rin frowned, mentally scanning the guest list. To handle the situation, she first needed to identify him. But the man leaned toward her with a languid expression, as if mocking her cluttered thoughts.

“There must be better men out there. Don’t you think?”

“…Who are you?”

“Younger ones. More successful ones.”

“…”

“Ones who actually listen to you.”

Finally meeting her gaze up close, the man’s eyes curved softly. It was a strikingly seductive smile.

“What are you?”

“Ha…”

At her question, the man tilted his head back and looked up at the sky. As he let out a long breath like a sigh, his Adam’s apple, prominent under the lights, moved slowly up and down.

He took several more heavy breaths. Each time, his thick chest, encased in a black dress shirt, heaved and fell.

Despite the biting January wind, the man acted as if he were immune to the cold. There was an illusion of heat radiating from his huffing body as if he were suppressing something powerful.

Tae-rin instinctively clenched her fists at the strange sense of danger—a feeling she had never experienced before. Then, the man lowered his head again, one eyebrow arched provocatively.

“You really don’t recognize me?”

“…Who are you, exactly?”

“Truly? You really don’t know who I am?”

“…”

“Why don’t you know?”

He seemed to be some arrogant rookie celebrity. Tae-rin let out a weary sigh and took a step back, only then realizing just how close he had gotten.

“If you are an invited guest, keep what you’ve overheard to yourself and go on your way.”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just came out for a smoke and happened to hear.”

“This is a non-smoking area.”

“The Deputy Director also ignored the ‘Keep Off’ sign and walked onto the grass.”

The man gestured with his eyes toward the lawn Tae-rin had just crossed. She didn’t follow his gaze, however. She merely craned her neck to glare up at the man, who was significantly taller than her.

He had called her “Deputy Director.” That meant he knew her identity.

The man’s lips slowly curled as he looked down at her. He was the type of man who wore a provocative smirk exceptionally well.

“Take a closer look at my face. Does it remind you of anyone?”

“…”

“Still nothing?”

The man smoothed back his bangs, which had been tousled to the point of looking slightly debauched, and peered down at her with demurely lowered lashes. It was an expression of feigned innocence that didn’t match his large frame.

After waiting a moment for a reaction—only to find Tae-rin’s gaze remained sharp—the man shrugged and gave a thin grin. Then, he crossed his arms and looked down at her with an air of arrogance, locking eyes.

“I guess you’re pretty curious. You’re probably thinking: Who is this punk who dares to hit on Won Tae-rin?”

“…”

“But then again, he’s so damn handsome that it’s hard to look away.”

His advances were transparent, but Tae-rin wasn’t one to be swayed by such things. What mattered was the fact that he knew her title and now her name.

Tae-rin stared him down, determined not to lose the staring contest as he took another step toward her. She had no idea that her defiance was only exciting him further.

“Stop playing games. Give me a name.”

“I don’t think I will. I’m a bit hurt, you see.”

“…Which agency are you with?”

When he refused to give his name, she asked for his agency instead. The man blinked a few times before letting out a delayed burst of laughter. He laughed so hard he actually doubled over.

“Wow. You really thought I was a celebrity?”

“…”

While Tae-rin’s scowl deepened in offense, the man continued to laugh. Judging by his words, he wasn’t an entertainer, but he certainly seemed to find laughter easy to come by.

Tae-rin felt pathetic for even dealing with such a person. However, she couldn’t leave yet; she had to ensure his silence. She needed to identify him so she could either pay him off or find leverage to keep his mouth shut.

She stood her ground with her hands on her hips, neither of them backing down. After a silence that felt like an eternity, the man finally stopped laughing and stood straight.

“Ah, you must be cold. My bad. I left my coat inside, too. Why did you come out dressed so thin? Wait right here. I’ll go grab my coat and bring it out.”

“That won’t be necessary. Just give me your number.”

The man’s smile widened as he stared at the phone Tae-rin held out. He obediently typed an eleven-digit number into her phone and hit the call button. Immediately, a vibration rang out from his slacks pocket.

“There you go. What are you going to save me as? Since you don’t even know who I am.”

Tae-rin was nearly caught off guard by his innocent question. Taking her phone back, she moved her fingers pointedly across the screen.

[The Brat]

Tae-rin glared at the man, who burst into laughter once more after seeing the name she had saved. She shoved the phone into her pocket.

Now that she had his number, she could easily verify his identity against the guest list. Even if the number wasn’t on the list, she could have her secretary track him down.

“I’ll be in touch. Whatever you heard today, everything you witnessed—”

“But seriously… why don’t you know? Ah.”

Cutting her off, the man’s eyes sparkled as if he’d just remembered something. He raised both hands and made two circles with his thumbs and index fingers.

Startled by the sudden movement, Tae-rin took a step back. The man followed her, unwilling to let the distance grow, and held the hand-circles up to his eyes like glasses.

“Is it because of the glasses, maybe?”

“…”

“I don’t wear them anymore. I was told they get in the way of kissing.”

“…”

“Maybe it’s because I’m taller? Well, I did start growing like crazy after I went to Germany. I even had to go to the hospital for it. Growing pains—they hurt so much I couldn’t sleep. Even so, it’s a bit cold of you to look at me like that. Do you know how long I’ve waited for this day?”

The way he pouted and lowered his eyes in a mock-hurt expression felt strangely familiar. Tae-rin searched her memory, but no specific face came to mind.

“Recognize me next time we meet. This ‘brat’ stays grumpy for a long time when he’s upset.”

“…”

“I’ll keep my mouth shut, so don’t call me through your secretary. Call me yourself.”

“…”

“When are you going to call? Wow… my heart is racing so fast I think I might die…”

Tae-rin stared at the man—who was clutching his chest and breathing heavily like someone truly smitten—and then she simply turned around.

She didn’t have the luxury of wasting energy on a madman.

Jae-hwi’s head slowly tilted until his sleek cheek was resting on the desk. His obsessive gaze was fixed on his phone, which sat motionless on the tabletop.

He had returned home immediately after leaving Gallery Won a few hours ago. He had checked his phone repeatedly on the way back. Even while showering, his entire focus had been on the device.

In his haste, he hadn’t even dried his hair properly before checking for a notification, but the call he was waiting for hadn’t come. He had expected her to call immediately to silence him, but perhaps the gallery event wasn’t over yet.

Jae-hwi started toward his bed but changed his mind and headed for his study. Though he had already jerked off twice in the shower, he knew exactly what would happen if he went to bed now. He’d end up clutching his phone like a lifeline in one hand and his cock in the other.

Deciding to wait with a “pure” heart and mind, he sat at his desk. He turned on his tablet and tried to focus on work. But even while checking emails from overseas, he found himself helplessly pressing the side button of his phone over and over again.