I’m Not That Villain

19 – First Customer (5)

I had to get the million won…

There was a slight problem.

I stared blankly at the finished product.

You know. It was completed, but…

In terms of the blueprint, this was the best.

Each ability had a core part. For example, for Cha Seo-yoon, it was the hand. In the case of Lily’s ability, she didn’t explain it.

I asked, but she said if I knew about the ability, there was a risk of being tortured and revealing it to the enemy.

Well, in some ways, you could say it’s professional.

The preamble was long. But you see, there was a reason for the long preamble.

That… you know.

I always consider the optimal form when I create. There is a reason why this work is in ‘this’ form.

“…Sigh.”

“Pervert.”

No!

I am not a pervert!

“Can’t we just say it turned out this way…?”

“Pervert.”

“It is true that it’s the optimal form. No, it’s a full-body ability, right? Then it’s easier to choose one of the two. The heart… and the neck.”

“Pervert.”

“If we’re talking about the heart, it has to be made in a form that can be attached… but I can’t modify my body, can I? Right? I can wear specialized equipment, so it’s called equipment, which means there’s really nothing I can do…”

“Pervert.”

Ugh!

Lily’s gaze is piercing. But there was a reason for that.

I couldn’t even deny that I was a pervert.

I stared blankly at what I had completed in a frenzy. Yes. The form of this object is…

‘a collar.’

“…….”

That’s right.

A dog collar.

But I was really wronged.

This is indeed the best form, so what am I supposed to do? It may look like a dog collar, but this is truly the best.

I have no selfish motives. Not even a bit. In the first place, I’m not into such a maniacal play…

“…….”

A… little?

I am a little interested, but! Anyway!

I could look up at the sky and proclaim my innocence. I am just a gentleman, not a pervert…

No, and in the first place, where is the pervert who offers a collar to someone they’ve only seen once?

Yes! This is just a form that came out by considering functionality! So there’s absolutely no need to be ashamed!

…No!

Beyond having no need to be ashamed, can’t I just decorate it a little?! Like an accessory!

Yes! What’s it called? A choker! There’s that too! So I can just make this with that kind of feeling! Adding some decorations is something I can do!

I diligently referenced various designs and attached a cute heart decoration to the collar.

Lily’s expression soured.

“…You pervert.”

“…But hasn’t it gotten a bit better?”

“Adding one more decoration just makes it feel like a real pervert. Is this really… your taste?”

“……”

No, it’s really not. I don’t even like heart ornaments in the first place.

I just added it because the other person seemed to have a delicate impression. It really doesn’t mean anything more than that!

“It’s detachable, so you can take it off!”

“…Lewd structure.”

“What’s lewd about it?!”

“Doesn’t it mean you can attach a leash too?”

“…Gasp!”

I tried hard, but it only led to more misunderstandings. I reluctantly removed the heart ornament and looked at the remaining collar.

Wow. Since the ring is still there, it really looks like it needs a leash. I ended up clapping my hands.

“Perfect for misunderstandings.”

“Isn’t it your true intention, not a misunderstanding? Do you have any weird dog collar videos saved on your phone…”

“No!”

“I respect your taste, Mr. Lee Seo-jun.”

I sighed towards Lily, who was subtly moving away. If I add anything more, it really seems like something strange will happen, so I just reattached the heart ornament to the empty ring.

Let’s go and explain that it’s detachable. Strongly emphasize that it’s not a collar…

It’s better not to. Let’s just pretend not to know.

I contacted her. She replied immediately as if she was waiting.

[Where should we meet?]

[The place we went before…]

[That place is too expensive. Would you like to come to my house?]

She’s not wrong. The Red Mark Hotel is ridiculously expensive…

But in this situation, isn’t her house too dangerous?

How can I go to a place where I don’t know what might be there to collect the balance?

Lily quietly glared at me. I accepted that warning willingly.

It seemed better to choose a nearby cafe, even if it was slightly risky.

I firmly said to prevent any nonsense.

[I’ll decide the place.]

[…Yes!]

I moved to the promised location. As I sat in the café waiting, a huge figure soon opened the door and entered.

A giant Insoo. Just like before, he still wore his hood deeply, drawing people’s attention. I called her to the room I had reserved in advance.

I didn’t want to show a million won in cash going back and forth in a public place.

Alright.

Let’s start the secret deal.

. . .

Seol Yewon pressed her trembling heart down with effort.

A reunion after a month. Moreover, the person had never been bothered by her contact and always responded.

That fact alone made her happy. It wasn’t for nothing that she brushed her hair and used fragrant body wash.

Seol Yewon moved diligently inside, watching people’s eyes. The café he asked to meet at was in a bustling area.

A place she would never come to normally. A sparkling place that she could brag about just by saying she went there on SNS.

The decorations were also antique, and the people entering looked high-class.

Seol Yewon hesitated in front of the store. She couldn’t decide whether she should go in.

A place that didn’t suit someone like her. Especially after awakening her abilities.

Some people said otherwise, but they were all perverts. People who approached her with s*xual intentions.

Most ordinary people kept their distance and were afraid of her. They felt uncomfortable just being in the same space.

Why does she wear her hood deeply? Why does she deliberately hunch her shoulders?

It’s all because of that. Even now, she could feel people glancing at her as they passed by.

“…….”

…Still.

To meet him, she had to go inside.

Taking a deep breath, Seol Yewon entered the store. Once again, she drew attention, but she ignored it and moved inside.

‘Heukgyeong,’ who had been waiting, welcomed her. As soon as she arrived, he stood up and guided her inside.

“…Inside?”

“Yes.”

…Is it consideration?

Only after everyone else disappeared did Seol Yewon straighten her hunched shoulders. Her heavily tensed breath also eased somewhat.

I finally feel like I can breathe a little. Words of gratitude welled up in my throat, but I managed to hold them back.

First, it would be right to finish the transaction. Yes. That way, Mr. Heukgyeong would feel a bit more at ease.

“Um… then…”

“There is something that needs explaining. Sit down.”

He placed the bag on the table. The sound of the button clicking open was crisp.

And what was revealed…

Was an item of an unexpected shape.

“…Huh?”

So this is…

It looks like a ‘collar’.

Seol Yewon blinked. She looked at the man in front of her, wondering if she had seen it wrong.

Was it because of the sunglasses pressed down on his face? Or the mask? No. It was both. The hat seemed to play a part too.

A person whose appearance was impossible to discern. The only thing she could know was his voice. Seol Yewon was curious about the face inside.

And why he was handing this to her.

“…Um… so… mister…”

She fidgeted with her fingers. Words got stuck in her throat for no reason, and she stammered.

How should she really take this? Could it be… he wants her to become a pet?

“…This… so…”

“It’s a special equipment.”

He picked up the collar nonchalantly. Seol Yewon flinched.

“It’s an item sufficient to control your ability. But there is a problem.”

“…What?”

“It’s your first time handling special equipment, right?”

At his serious attitude, Seol Yewon hesitantly nodded. It had only been a year since her ability awakened.

She had never even thought about getting special equipment. She had just been browsing the black market aimlessly when she saw the first order special price of one million won.

“Is there… a specific way to use it?”

“There is. A way only you can know. The only thing I will caution you about is this.”

He waved his hand.

The heart hanging from the necklace dangled and swayed.

“Learn the usage gradually, but practice where there are no people. Special equipment greatly amplifies the sensation of using your ability, so remember that if you misuse it, it could harm nearby objects or people.”

“…Yes!”

“Not here either. It would be better if it were a mentally safe place. Like your home.”

“…Are you coming with me?!”

“Why would I?”

His words were cold. Seol Yewon slightly nodded.

She glanced around nervously. He quietly looked at her as if waiting for something.

“…Ah!”

She hurriedly took out what she had brought. Twenty 50,000 won bills in cash.

He glanced inside the envelope. After confirming everything, he stood up neatly.

Seol Yewon rubbed her arm nervously.

…That’s…right.

This is normal.

She had hoped for some warm words, but in the end, wasn’t this the nature of their relationship?

He was the seller, and she was the buyer.

Just that kind of feeling.

“Th-thank you.”

She quickly bowed her head to express her gratitude. She hesitated, perhaps because of the distance that had suddenly grown between them.

Then he nodded slightly. He seemed to be about to leave, but

He pointed at the bag she had brought.

“That.”

“Yes?”

“…You can remove the decoration at the end.”

He spoke hesitantly. It seemed like he was clicking his tongue, but in the end, he sighed as if he couldn’t help it.

“If you want, tell me. I’ll change it to something else.”

…Decoration?

She turned her head. Come to think of it, there was something hanging like a decoration on the big collar from earlier.

A heart-shaped ornament. It was pretty because it sparkled.

“…This?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not functional…is it?”

“…No.”

He cleared his throat briefly. It felt strangely like he was avoiding eye contact.

“I just… tried it on. I thought it might be dull if there was nothing.”

“……”

He turned his head. His murmuring voice lingered until the end.

“You did a good job cleaning. It seems like you do well, so keep it up consistently. If there’s anything wrong with the equipment, contact me.”

He left first.

Seol Ye-won stared blankly at the door he had exited through, then lifted the leash.

A heart-shaped ring.

Functionally unnecessary…

It was just something he wanted to give her.

“…Ah… ugh…”

A strange voice escaped her lips. Her cheeks flushed for no reason, and she didn’t know what to do.

She was sure her face looked monstrous right now. Perhaps it did.

For the first time in her life.

An unconditional gift received from another person.

“…….”

Seol Ye-won remained still for a while, hugging the leash.

The heart-shaped decoration was incredibly cute.

Something this cute… was truly beyond her imagination.

. . .

Did I say that for no reason? Ha.

She regretted even mentioning it. Later, it felt like she had just blurted something out awkwardly, but somehow…

Ah!

It must have looked really strange.

What nonsense did I say while handing over the leash! Seriously!

For now, I returned home with Lily. The amount she handed over was exactly one million won.

Cash that felt like it had been scraped together from a shabby existence. Of course, it was little for a month’s work. It didn’t even cover labor costs.

But well, from now on, I can just earn slowly.

Her items were definitely functional. Once she got used to it, she would truly be able to control her abilities completely. Her basic ability was ‘transformation.’ It could be divided into three stages to enhance her body.

I waited for her review. It would be my monumental first promotion.

[This is a review of the item I purchased from the Black Mirror creator.]

Yes!

A review must be written!

…Surely, she wouldn’t have written anything like calling me a pervert or creepy, right? I clicked on the post, half trembling.

The screen flickered.