PAYBACK BOOK 2.

Chapter 2.2

I felt completely exhausted. After standing under the shower for a long time, letting the warm water wash over me, I finally regained my composure. I ejaculated into that guy's hand three times. It completely drained my energy, even though I used to work on construction sites without any fear. Even though I haven't helped myself in so long that I've forgotten how, isn't this too amateurish?

 

I channelled half my anger onto him and the rest into myself, plus I felt ashamed that I collapsed so surprisingly easily.

 

"Damn it," I frowned as I used the showerhead to wash the swollen, red crease between my buttocks that had been chafed by him. After that, I ejaculated on him two more times, but his penis remained hard and erect, and the story ended abruptly.

 

I don't know how things ended up like this. When I regained consciousness, I found myself standing under the shower like this. How do I make that guy submit completely? I gritted my teeth as I washed away the sticky fluids, both mine and his, that were still clinging to the groove. My hips... then I paused, realising something similar had happened before. I replayed similar memories from five years ago. 

 

Yes, I was taken advantage of once before...

I tilted my head as I thought about it. No, there was a lot of blood back then, so it wasn't like the situation now. And why would I think it was similar?

 

I stopped washing myself, leaned my hands against the bathroom wall, and bent over the stream of water, feeling as if I were about to remember something but couldn't quite recall it, when a sudden sound interrupted my thoughts.

 

"Shall I give you a bath?"

 

Gasp! I stepped back from the shower and spun around. That idiot, whom I didn't know when he'd come in, was standing leaning against the door with his arms crossed. He must have just showered in the other bathroom. He'd already changed into different clothes, but his hair was still damp.

 

"Hey, get out of here right now!"

 

"If you don't like it, then hurry up and take a shower."

 

"Why do I have to rush to take a shower?"

 

"Shall I give you a bath?"

 

...This guy is talking nonsense. I thought to myself, with a sad expression, that he's definitely crazy, and extended my hand.

 

"Put the towel over there."

 

I want to get out of here right now, but there's only one reason I'm still sitting on the couch next to him. Let's hear what excuses he has in store. But still I secretly clenched my fists behind a cushion, wanting to punch him in the face.

 

"You"

 

I called out to the guy who was reading the script. He looked up, his hair brushing past his head, and gave me a look that seemed to ask, 'What?' 

 

So I asked him abruptly, "So you called me here just to do something like that?"

 

I emphasised the phrase 'that kind of thing' to deliberately let him know that what happened to me wasn't a big deal, because if I didn't say that, I would lose my dignity. No, I would. Maybe I wanted to hide the fact that I'd lost control of myself and was emotionally involved in front of him, but either way, I felt equally infuriated. What I did know for sure was that if I lashed out and threatened to kill him here, he'd laugh even harder. So instead of watching him laugh at me, it was better to control my anger and listen to his bullshit.

 

"I agree that it's just that kind of thing. Honestly, aren't you uncomfortable?"

 

"It's the awkwardness of being around you."

 

I made a sarcastic remark hoping to annoy him a little, but instead, he took his own nonsensical talk very seriously.

 

"I never thought not getting it done properly would leave me hanging like this. Honestly, I'd love to fuck you right now." 

 

Hearing those words spoken so nonchalantly, I automatically lowered my gaze to his erection, half-finished beneath his pants. I frowned. My brows furrowed involuntarily as I heard a low, deep chuckle in my ear.

 

"But because you're so terrified, this time I'll restrain myself as promised." The phrase  “terrified" sounded even more offensive than the words "restrain myself."

 

"Just keep the nonsense within reasonable limits."

 

"It's alright. Anyway, I'm the only one who knows how terrified you are. So next time, I'll make you scream with pleasure without bleeding."

 

"And I didn't cry hysterically either. There's nothing to be afraid of."

 

Because he was talking nonsense, even though I was angry, I still felt annoyed, so I didn't notice when he used the word 'next time'.

 

"Why did you do this?"

 

I swallowed the curse words I was about to hurl, and then finished what I had just said. "Is this the compensation you were talking about? Don't you remember what you said back then? You said you'd give me everything I wanted, and now look...Is that what I wanted?"

 

"No," he replied effortlessly before flashing a bright, polite smile. "I'm the one who wants it."

 

"You..."

 

"And let me warn you, it's better not to brag about your excellent memory in front of me. While I did say I'd give you what you wanted as compensation, there were conditions attached."

 

Whilst I was trying to recall the incident where I wore the mascot mask to our meeting, he explained further. "I'm telling you, you must accept all the compensation I'm going to give you without exception, even if you don't want to. Understand?"

 

A smiling face looked at me, my mouth closed, before he spoke in a deep voice. "But isn't that good? You probably haven't pleasured yourself in so long that your semen was thick. If I hadn't supported you, you'd probably be too weak and collapse. And on the floor, well, you know, seeing you trembling in my arms was so arousing that I almost couldn't control myself and nearly climaxed too."

 

"Damn it, stop rambling!"

 

When I couldn't control my anger and cursed at him harshly, he smiled, his eyes forming crescent moons, a stark contrast to the coldness in his voice.

 

"You're charmingly rebellious, but if you annoy me too much, I could stomp on you without a second thought." The expression on his face, devoid of a smile, lingered on me, a chilling feeling so different from Chairman Kim's.

 

"My taste knows no bounds. I can enjoy myself even if you're crying and bleeding profusely. Of course, when I say 'fucking you,' I don't just mean I'd slam you until your lower body was completely torn apart. Even if I were to do that to your corpse, I'd still be so aroused I'd be breathless."

 

He paused, as if giving me time to understand, before emphasising clearly in a cold voice. "So you're not satisfied with the compensation I paid you, are you? I cherished you so much."

 

"...So you're saying to say thank you, is that it?"

 

He chuckled briefly before giving me a gentle smile.

 

"No, a little bit of rebelliousness is fine, because it's interesting. I feel good knowing you're rebellious only with me." Suddenly, a shiver of dread shot through my body like smoke. Having been caught red-handed by his nervousness, I couldn't deny it immediately.

 

As it should be, even I don't understand myself. Why do I feel this way and only towards him? Damn it. He looked at me with a strange expression, as if he could read the depths of my heart.

 

"But come to think of it, it's strange. The fact that you hate Song Myungshin and are trying to get revenge on him is starting to bother me more and more."

 

Why is that?

 

I answered only one of his questions, head tilted in a way that didn't suit his personality: "Because you're crazy."

 

With a voice getting louder, he mumbled something first.

 

"...That's right. We just need to get rid of whatever's bothering us," he smiled, turning to look at me again as if he had come to a simple conclusion.

 

I could have made a more accurate diagnosis than a doctor, but he was too busy thinking to hear me, his eyes downcast. Just as I was about to repeat myself...

 

"I'm going to take a nap for an hour."

 

I understood he was telling me to leave, so I got up without hesitation, but he immediately continued speaking.

 

"Why don't you go to sleep first?"

 

"No."

 

The moment I coldly refused, he gave me a gentle smile, as if to reassure me.

 

"I wasn't going to molest you; I was just going to cuddle you. But seeing you so scared makes me want to molest you even more."

 

"Terrified?" No matter how many times I hear that word, it always leaves me speechless and stunned. The way I look at him right now has always worked to subdue others, but this idiot...He said I was a terrified person. I even wondered if my past life had been a lie. Wanting to make as many sarcastic remarks as possible, I unintentionally blurted out things I'd heard from the manager.

 

"If you want something to cuddle with so badly, go roll around with a giant snake in the Amazon. You'll probably feel good because it'll wrap itself around you tightly." Suddenly, his eyes gleamed, and a smirk played on his lips.

 

"I didn't expect you to know about anacondas."

 

The snake's name was an anaconda, wasn't it? I memorised the name and tried to stand up, but he grabbed me before I could.

 

"And do you know where Amazon is?"

 

I managed to stand up halfway, but then I turned back and glared at that guy.

 

"How would I know where that country called Amazon is?"

 

I stood up straight and turned my back to him, who seemed strangely still. But before I could take a step, a voice rushed towards me without warning.

 

"Preeeeeeeee!"

Is that lunatic laughing? I glanced at him suspiciously, unable to imagine what he was laughing about, but he was laughing so hard his stomach was aching, and tears were streaming down his face. Didn't Alice's boss say that he always faked his smile? But look at this, he's laughing so hard!

 

"Hey, you..." He paused to catch his breath before looking up at me, his eyes still full of a smile. "Damn, why are you so cute?"

 

I concluded I'd heard enough nonsense and turned away without hesitation. The best thing I could do today was ignore the blurted-out questions.

I said, "Aren't you going to sleep before you go home?" then slammed the door shut and walked out.

 

Since it was still early morning, the hotel lobby was quite quiet, so much so that the sound of my footsteps echoed throughout the building. I was halfway across the smooth marble floor when a voice called out to me, telling me to stop.

 

"Oh, Mr Lee Taemin."

 

Turning my head towards the familiar voice, I saw PD Song looking at me with a surprised expression. He was standing at the entrance of the coffee shop on one side of the lobby.

 

"Didn't you sleep with someone from another team? Why are you here?"

 

"I'm just here for a quick errand. What about you, director?"

 

"Ah, I have a small matter to attend to as well. I intended to meet someone."

 

Seeing the bitter smile on his face, I could immediately tell who he was here to meet. It must be Director Yoon, the one who provided the funding, right? I thought of that guy. He's probably sleeping upstairs. He made it clear he was going to take a nap for an hour, so I wondered if he was intentionally making PD Song wait. But PD Song explained it to me beforehand; the appointment was exactly one and a half hours ago.

 

"Do you have some time now? I happen to have something I need to discuss with someone privately, but I was afraid I'd oversleep and not wake up, so I came early."

 

I nodded and followed him into the coffee shop. Besides coffee cups, in front of him were a script, a notebook, and a pen scattered around.

 

"Taemin, have something to drink."

 

As the waiter handed us the menu to take our order, PD Song quickly pushed the script aside to make some space on the table. I glanced at the drink prices, which were higher than at other places. I cast a second glance and noticed that the drink PD was offering was the cheapest. PD Song must have sensed my stare, so he gave an awkward smile.

 

"I'm trying to keep myself energised. You haven't had breakfast yet, have you, Taemin? Why don't you grab something to eat...?"

 

"The director hasn't eaten yet either, has he?"

 

"Hmm, ah, I'll just have coffee."

 

Probably because it was the cheapest; that's enough for him. I looked up at the waiter and pointed to the most expensive breakfast set on the menu.

 

"I'd like two sets of this, please. And could you collect the payment from room 1208?"

 

When the waiter responded with a surprised "Yes," I gave him my name and asked him to keep checking. After he left, I gave a brief explanation to PD Song, who was staring at me with wide, blinking eyes.

 

"There are people who extort money."

 

The PD (Producer) was still sceptical, but went along with it for now. Then, after a brief conversation about various matters, the waiter informed us that everything had been checked. Then, as the waiter said goodbye and was about to leave, I suddenly remembered something and called out to him to stop.

 

"I'd like two of the most expensive ice creams here, please."

 

I was thinking of buying a cake to take with me before leaving the shop, but then I heard PD Song muttering softly.

 

"Ah, I thought Taemin was also here to see Director Yoon, but I guess not."

 

I glanced up and saw him smile awkwardly once again.

 

"Actually, the person I was waiting to see is Director Yoon from Dream. I thought Taemin was here to see him, too, because we work at the same company. But I heard It's unlikely that Director Yoon would be extorting money like that."

 

I felt there was no need to tell him, so I changed the subject.

 

"You said you wanted to talk to me?"

 

PD Song said, "That's right," picking up a pen and pulling out a notebook. Then, with his left hand, he flipped through the tattered script.

 

"As you know, the scene that Mr. xx was supposed to perform needs to be changed to Mr Lee Taemin's role instead. So I'm currently revising the script." A few pages in the script were folded aside, as if marking the sections to be changed in advance. He paused his hand as he flipped through the folded pages and glanced up.

 

"I didn't change the content; I just adjusted the script to fit the scenes with the changed characters, so it shouldn't be a big problem." It shouldn't be a problem for PD Song. Actually, I'm quite surprised myself. So that means my role suddenly increased?

 

"Isn't that right?" I probably kept a straight face, so he quickly continued speaking.

 

"And Taemin, you probably already know that you're not a very good actor, right?"

 

He glanced up at me briefly, as if checking for a reaction. When I nodded slightly, indicating I didn't object, he added with a smile.

 

"But Taemin, you are someone who wouldn't be nervous even if you stood in front of the camera immediately. You were the only decent actor at that time, which is why I didn't expect outstanding acting skills from you, but you also needed to be natural enough not to disrupt the film's flow... The method is to reflect your real personality to some extent in the role."

 

He asked with his eyes if I understood what he was saying before I replied, "Yes." The main thing I learned in acting class was how to analyse a character.

 

"I'm just playing someone else. Of course, as a newcomer, I spent a long time studying the character I was given. But now PD Song doesn't have time to wait for me, so all that's left is to reflect my true self into the role as he instructed. But my doubts about whether I could really do it disappeared with PD Song's words.

 

"Luckily, your own personality already gives off a calm vibe, so I think we're very fortunate. That's why I'd like you to try reading the chapter that's currently being written. I'll adjust the roles and then let you know which one I'm more comfortable with."

 

He explained his final purpose for calling me in and handed me a notebook with the revised script. After that, we ate the food we ordered and continued making revisions. We continued writing together until PD Song’s appointment. It wasn't as boring as I thought; in fact, it was quite fun. So when PD Song suddenly stopped talking, I glanced up as if to ask, 'Why?'

 

"Let's continue this next time. It's time for Director Yoon to come down now."

 

It was then that I looked at my watch and realised an hour had passed in the blink of an eye. I tilted my head, wondering if it was really time already, while helping at the table. He said casually, "If you meet Director Yoon, try asking for a bit more funding for the film."

 

He let out a bitter laugh, as if recalling his own situation, where he didn't even have enough money for a decent meal, forcing him to eat simple kimbap instead.

 

"When I first got the funding, I promised to produce the film within that budget, so it's hard to ask for more." Why did he even make such a pointless promise? I vowed I wouldn't forget to use his money to buy a lavish cake before PD Song asked an unexpected question.

 

"So, are you worried about me?"

 

"No, not exactly like that."

 

PD Song stopped what he was doing abruptly and glanced up. I handed him the last chapter and explained why I wasn't worried about him at all.

 

"Because you're so engrossed in filming, PD is so busy shooting that he's not worried," he looked at me silently before a slow smile appeared on his lips.

 

"You're right. I made this film according to my own vision, without any interference from anyone. In fact, even with all the problems every day, I'm still very excited."

 

But the smile instantly turned into despair. "Even though we won't be able to film for a while after this," he said, but he didn't seem sad at all. So I blurted out the question easily.

 

"Are you going to do something else?"

 

"Hmm, something like that."

 

His expression was ambiguous, as if he were about to laugh but not quite, before he suddenly called my name.

 

"Mr. Taemin"

 

"yes"

 

"You never know what life will be like, heads or tails, right? Before, I was warmly welcomed by big-name company presidents when filming, but now the actors who used to profess their gratitude to me are all ignoring my calls. My supposedly good nature that I never get angry and that I'm good at persuading top stars to work with me has been exposed as proof of my incompetence."

 

He smiled casually, a stark contrast to the content of his words.

 

"So, Taemin, when the opportunity comes, grab it firmly."

 

"Opportunity" did he mean this additional role I got to play? When I nodded, a smile appeared in his eyes, as if he had some kind of secret.

 

"If it weren't for this movie, if it hadn't lost so much money making it, I would never have cast Taemin. You're a newcomer who doesn't have the amazing acting skills, and nothing particularly outstanding in terms of looks, yet we still got to work together like this."

 

I didn't understand what he was trying to say, but I couldn't interrupt him as he spoke in a low, almost murmuring voice.

 

"So show me that, even though you're a newcomer, you can make me think I can use you in my acting career. You performed well enough that I think I'll have to call you back to portray a cold and indifferent character once again. Do you understand?"

 

After nodding several times to PD Song, who gave one last instruction, I was sent back. I left the hotel carrying a box of cakes in both hands. I glanced up at the twelfth floor. He said I had to accept compensation even if I didn't want it, huh? Fine. Though irritating, I guess I'll have to accept this unwanted payment. And you said you'd give me the compensation I wanted. So, shall we just wait and see? Wait for the revenge that's drawing ever closer. Here it is.