Precautions of a Snakepit - Chapter 91 (R-19ish)

Top Dog glanced across the conference room toward the laptops.

“Can I use that?”

Before anyone could say anything, he walked over and grabbed a laptop, typing away on the keyboard.

“This would be faster than explaining, so here.”

Top Dog turned the laptop toward them. Both Target’s and Black Cat’s eyes widened.

A picture appeared on the screen. A giant snake wrapped around a girl in a white robe. There was nothing s*xual about it. It had a holy quality as if the artist had painted a saint. The problem was the girl’s appearance.

“Is this… Ju-hee?”

Target’s question echoed through the empty conference room.

The girl in the picture, though a bit younger, bore a striking resemblance to Ju-hee. Anyone who knew her would recognize her as the model for the piece.

Won turned her head away from the painting to protect herself from the strange feeling of a snake slithering beneath her feet.

“Who is Seo Hee-Hyun?” 

Black Cat asked as his eyes sharped at the words <Seo Hee-Hyun Snake> that remained in the search bar on the page.

“My little brother.”

Top Dog was tense as he answered. Everyone fell silent upon receiving the confirmation.

“My little brother was a painter. When he did his art, he became sensitive about what he wasn’t able to do and it got to the point where he couldn’t sleep without sleeping medication. He went to a hospital, got counseling and medication, but when that didn’t work, he checked himself into a long-term facility.”

Leaning back in his chair, Top Dog looked up at the ceiling. It was a precarious angle, with the front two of the chair’s four wheels hovering in midair, and he could easily top over and fall, but he walked the tightrope with amazing balance.

“I guess he moved around a bit, got tired of the hustle and bustle, moved to the suburbs, moved to the city, and ended up there. He wasn’t forced into the hospital. He went voluntarily, so they must have given him some kind of accommodation. He was free to bring his tools in and draw.”

Top Dog laughed and slumped back in his chair. Won already knew the ending.

“I want to tell you before the others.”

Later that night, or rather, early in the morning, Top Dog informed her.

“The assh*le called me one day and said he was in a mental hospital. I thought he was going to the army because I hadn’t f*cking heard from him, but he was so happy. They ran a religious program at the hospital, and he said it gave him peace. He said he finally found peace of mind, and not long after that, a package came in the mail. It was all his drawings, and there was this one, and it was full of snakes. I couldn’t help but wonder what the f*ck it was, but it was fine.”

Top Dog continued in a tone of amusement.

“A few days later, I called the hospital to see if I could meet him, but they said he was discharged. I went to his home and he wasn’t there. I waited a couple of days and he didn’t show up. On my way back from reporting him as missing, I had a feeling that the hospital staff lied to me. I don’t need to tell you the rest of the story, do I?”

With that, Top Dog straightened his chair. Won recalled what he had said to her.

“I didn’t think he was alive, but I wanted to believe he was still alive somewhere in the hospital. I had this obsession with at least finding out what happened to him. Then I saw the ritual, and I got it. A High Priest? A ritual? That’s how he died. Not murdered or forced to die, but at least voluntarily…”

Somehow, as he spoke, his voice slightly softened.

Won didn’t know if he was right or not, but if the conclusion brought him some comfort, that was good. The living must go on living.

The full story of all three were revealed.

Target summarized the situation.

“Gyeom wants the destruction of the New Faith Prayer Center, and I agree to make some material public, but with some concealment of the list of donors. What about Rock?”

“Um… I don’t really care what happens, as long as those assholes get f*cked.”

Target looked to be deep in thought for a moment, then added another condition.

“F*ck over that Madison assh*le as much as we can.”

“That’s a given.”

“Agreed.”

Target and Black Cat chimed in without hesitation. It was clear that Dr. Madison had built up quite a bit of resentment from the three.

Won was in no position to comment; she had enough of Dr. Madison’s sh*t. She felt like she’d gotten her revenge, at least in a small way by stabbing him during their last confrontation.

She remembered the last time she saw his eyes.

‘Insanity.’

She shivered in displeasure, then returned her attention to their constructive conversation.

“About how to publicize…”

“About the timing…”

No, she shouldn’t say all three’s conversation. Black Cat and Target were the only ones seriously coordinating their plans, while Top Dog was just in the background. When he made eye contact with her, he gently waved his hand and smiled, as if they were in another world. She ignored him.

‘He has no conscience.’

“Hmph… That’s enough…”

“I guess you like this from the way you’re clenching down on my c*ck. I know you have a mild taste, but… ah, I’ll have to work hard to satisfy my little beauty.”

He didn’t even pretend to listen when she pleaded with him, he just blabbered on and on.

They were having s*x for so long that she could barely keep her eyes open. As a result, her physical condition was a mess.

‘Well, he technically didn’t sleep either.’

He was clearly the one who had used more energy, but he looked as if he had slept all night. He even had a subtle glow about him.

‘Did he suck my energy?’

She couldn’t understand his current condition unless it was something like that. Of course, he paid for his actions in other ways.

His back opened up.

She wasn’t exaggerating. The wound on his back, which had been stitched up on the ride in the helicopter, literally had opened up under the strain of his vigorous movements.

‘He shouldn’t have done that.’

When they were done, the bandages on his back were soaked with blood. He said he didn’t notice because he was out of it, but if it was Won’s body, there’s no way she wouldn’t have noticed. He must have felt the pain, yet he didn’t bat an eyelid… just like an animal… so like himself.

They decided one discussion wasn’t enough and exchanged contact information for the next meeting. The future of the cult doesn’t look bright.

They passed around the slips of paper with their numbers on them and looked at Won, wanting to exchange numbers with her as well.

She slowly shook her head. Her mission was over. As a matter of principle, she withdraws from the matter.

“Don’t you want to know the ending?”

Target had coyly tried to tempt her.

“Things like how Dr. Madison and the cult will be punished, and what will happen to the victims?”

The tempting offering made her think not only of Ms. Yang and Ju-hee, but also the Romance Corps, Mrs. Gil, and President Tae…

Eventually, she succumbs to her curiosity.

“My number changes often, so just give me your numbers. If you need to contact me first in the next month or so… Uhm, tell that guy.”

The air in the room froze as she pointed to Top Dog.

“Me?”

Top Dog pointed his finger at himself in disbelief, while Target gave him an incredulous look. Black Cat froze, then looked back and forth between Top Dog and Won, his mouth gaping like a goldfish.

“Why? Why…?”

“I’m going to be periodically checking on you for a while. Until your injuries are healed since I’m the one responsible for them.”

The injuries to his back were sustained while he was wrapped around her, so she would pay for his treatment and make his life as comfortable as possible until he healed.

“I… I see.”

“Yes…”

Target and Black Cat awkwardly responded. Won felt a strange sense of deja vu at their lack of response.

‘Did you really think I didn’t have a conscience?’

She didn’t believe she had ever been particularly immoral.

She was retracing her steps after being admitted to the ward.

“So, we’re living together then?”

Top Dog’s cheerful voice broke the silence. Forced back from her reverie, Won’s eyes shot open.

“What the f*ck are you talking about?”

“You said you’d periodically check in. How often would that be? Once a day? Every 12 hours? Six hours? Three hours? Either way, it’s going to be a pain in the a*s to go back and forth every time, but if we live together? Voila, problem solved!”

Top Dog made exaggerated gestures in a tone similar to home shopping advertisements on television. If he ended it with “Today is the last time we’ll be airing this item on the broadcast. Call now!” it would have been perfect.

She wanted to interrogate him as to why the longest period of time she’d check in on him was only one day, but she knew from experience that if she did, he would make it even more dramatic. Besides, there was no point in falling into the ring that he had set up.

Won glared at Top Dog and was firm in the words she spoke.

“Dream on.”

‘If you think that bullshit will always work, you’re mistaken.’

***

“Wow, is this home of my darling honey b*by pretty sweetheart love and me now?”

Won rubbed her forehead as she watched Top Dog trot around the house, kicking his shoes off first. Her headache seemed to get worse.

“What are you doing, not coming in my darling honey b*by pretty sweetheart love?”

The bizarre nickname only seemed to make her headache worse.

‘Where the hell did that come from?’

Kofi