The uncomfortable questions came back fast. Won was caught off guard, so it hit her harder. As far as she was concerned, it was just an act to fulfill her mission. To those who don’t know the situation, Won might seem a bit cold.

“Well… Jin isn’t in the hospital anymore.”

After much deliberation, Won decided to just throw it away. Her mission doesn’t depend on image management, and being a dignified woman wouldn’t get the staff on her side. It’s better to act like a woman who hops from man to man so she can meet whoever and not be suspicious.

It’s not like she is going to get killed for being a loose woman who flirts with any man.

With her mind made up, Won bluntly added.

“I like a man I can be close to and see often.”

“So, if Rock gets out of the hospital, are you going to go out with Gyeom next?”

“Well, even if he doesn’t get out of the hospital, I can take turns seeing them. I never know who I might like more.”

Won playfully said so, but Sol didn’t say anything back. Won wondered if she was too harsh with him, but his lips slowly parted.

“I’ll have to kill all the men in the hospital.”

“… Huh?”

“To stop my noona from cheating on me.”

The lazy way he stroked his chin gave Won goosebumps. She unconsciously rubbed her arms.

‘What a murderous joke… Are all kids nowadays so bold?’

Won thought back to her own school days. Sol would be in good company as she thought about the language of her peers. Won seemed to have forgotten what she was like back then.

‘It’s just a child’s way of acting like an adult. It’s the kind of sensitivity that comes with being at that age of everything changing. No need to overreact.’

Having decided on a course of action, Won didn’t say anything. Sol waited a moment, gauging her reaction, then spoke again.

“Still, it’s better to be young and handsome, right?”

Unable to decipher his intent, Won honestly answered.

“Well, a good-looking rice cake is better to eat.”

“Okay, point taken.”

Sol replied with a broad smile. Won wondered what he was referring to, but let it slide.

***

The next day, Top Dog was unharmed and back in the main hall. He took residence on the best couch as usual. Won couldn’t believe that this was the same man who could barely walk yesterday.

‘I’ve been worried for nothing.’

Won’s eyebrows furrowed, frustrated that her worries kept her from sleeping.

Top Dog spotted Won and gently waved.

“Did you enjoy your meal, pretty girl?”

“Whatever.”

“If you say you’re hungry, your oppa will give you a snack.”

He held out a lollipop and Won snatched it. The peel revealed a strawberry flavor and without hesitation, she popped it into her mouth. It wasn’t enough to make up for her concerns; they were expensive.

“Are you sure you like the flavor of strawberries enough to snatch it like that?”

“It’s whatever.”

“This is important.”

His face grew serious as he spoke.

Won focused on him, wondering what he was trying to say. His parted lips slightly twitched upward.

“I need to decide what flavor of condoms to stock up on.”

‘What the f*ck?’

Won shot him a disdainful look, and Top Dog chuckled.

“Ah, I’m really obsessed with you, pretty girl. If another assh*le looked at me like that, I’d punch him in the face. But why does that look make me want to hold you even more?”

“Can you?”

Won, who was tall for a girl, had never imagined someone holding her like a b*by and carrying her around.

“Do you want to try?”

“No thanks. I saw when you came out of the stabilization room yesterday, so no need to bluff…”

As Top Dog rose from the couch and stalked over toward her, Won felt an ominous sense of foreboding creeping up on her. There was another part of her that refused to believe it.

‘He’s bluffing.’

He was trying to scare her on purpose. He wanted to tease her so she would flinch and he would pull away.

Not wanting to lose, Won didn’t back down and locked eyes with him. A fight is only ever when you lose momentum.

‘I’ll never lose to him…’

Just as she thought that her world turned upside down.

“Oh…?”

Won blurted out at the change of eye level.

“Let’s do this.”

“Now, wait!”

The relaxed voice made her realize what was going on, and she quickly tried to stop him. He was one step ahead of her though, scooping her up like a b*by and swinging her around in his arms like a swing.

“Round and round and round and round…”

He was humming a strange, unidentifiable song.

Won was mesmerized. For the first time, she realized that being too embarrassed can shut down one’s mind like it was a computer.

“That, stop…”

“Doo, duh-doo.”

“Stop, you assh*le!”

She demanded again, her consciousness muddled by the unbearable humiliation.

“Yeah, I’m an assh*le and you’re an assh*le. We’ll be assholes together. Woo-woo-woo-woo.”

Won was deeply troubled. Even if she beat him up with all her might, it wouldn’t end in murder. She should be fine if it ended up going to court.

“Let me go!”

She owed him a favor yesterday, and she was holding out, but she is at the end of her patience. She wanted to slap him across the face.

“You can’t do it on the mouth, but give me a kiss and I’ll let you go.”

Top Dog acted as if he didn’t understand her warning, but he responded with a smug, toothy grin.

‘This guy, really. Let’s see then.’

Won glared at him and then opened her mouth.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“… Huh? Really?”

He gave her a dumbfounded look. The look in his eyes was of disbelief, but at the same time, she watched his mouth twitch up in delight. It was like watching two different people.

‘It’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.’

“What is this? What day is it and why are you acting so cute?”

His confusion turned into a ‘what the f*ck’ attitude. At this point, he went full Hyde and sneered.

“You actually wanted to do it, didn’t you, pretty girl?”

Before Won could say anything, his self-deprecating reply came.

“Of course, with a man like me in front of you, could you not? You’re not a eunuch. No, a woman isn’t a eunuch, but when a woman becomes h*rny, her cl*toris gets big like a d*ck.”

‘It’s a cl*toris, so if you have it, that happens.’

Won wanted to bash her head into a wall. Her level of thinking was getting lower and lower every day because of this guy.

“Anyway, unless you’re a eunuch, of course, you want to do more with me. I am that sexy.”

With the way he was talking, you would think Won declared she was going to do something big. All he asked for was a kiss.

Deciding she couldn’t take anymore, Won punched him before he could say anything more.

“Shut up and close your eyes.”

“Huh? Okay.”

Like an obedient dog, he closed his eyes.

Shadows flickered beneath his neatly closed eyes. His eyelashes were gracefully long and arched. With his eyes closed, one would think he was a master from a noble family, but when he opened his mouth, he couldn’t hide his shallow side.

His ability to turn people away is another factor that lowers his ratings. To act poetic about others is not the work of a nobleman, but of a scoundrel who has grown up in the wrong place. There are many disadvantages that, in hindsight, should be forgiven.

If he kept his mouth shut like this, he would be fine. She would actually like to kiss him…

Won grabbed Top Dog’s face with both hands and pressed her palms against his mouth.

“Here, kiss me. Okay?”

“This is useless provo-”

“Don’t you know that there are cheek kisses, back-of-the-hand kisses, and forehead kisses? This is a kiss too.”

Ignoring him squirming like an idiot in the palm of her hand, Won continued.

“So put me down while I’m being nice.”

‘If you don’t want to get hit.’

Apparently, he understood the omitted postscript and put her down with a grunt.

Once she was on her feet, she let out a sigh.

She never felt so relieved to have her feet on the ground. She never felt the importance of the earth so much in her life.

Won tried to pull back the palm that still covered Top Dog’s mouth. Something w*t licked her palm. She realized it was his tongue and pulled her hand away in disgust.

“What?”

“I’m going to have to get something. If I can’t eat your lips, I need to do something.”

“Isn’t that what they mean when they say eating like a dog these days?”

“I told you, I’m a good licker. I can lick all day long. I can eat a steak without chewing it.”

That was bullshit. Unless human saliva was made of actinidin, it would be impossible to lick a steak to dissolution. Won didn’t think anyone’s ever tried, so she can’t vouch for the validity of her claim.

It didn’t make sense, so she ignored him and sucked on the candy. The strawberry-flavored candy was better than she expected. She hadn’t taken it because she wanted to eat it, but half out of resentment for taking away the other lollipop and the other half out of desire to take anything from him.

Won stifled the smile that threatened to form from satisfaction. She’d taken candy from him before, thinking that her pretty face would make him want to try. A pro never makes the same mistake twice.

As he watched her eat the candy in silence, his look said he wouldn’t take the candy from her.

“I’m not going to take it from you, so just smile.”

Kofi