Chapter 331: Master, I don’t appreciate my feelings being tested
"They say a person’s feelings can be measured by the height of their jealousy. And in this case, your jealousy was through the roof, enough for you to get angry, get hurt, and even curse me out."
Jin-Yeok concluded and clenched his fists, and while that seemed like something an insecure master like him would do, it didn’t make me feel better.
He wanted to measure my feelings?
And this seemed to be the best way? Getting me jealous?
Did that mastermind brain of his, that he used to run his Mafia organization, not think of a safer and better way? Seriously?
Just thinking of it made me furious.
He could’ve just asked, you know.
Maybe I wouldn’t have been completely honest, but that was way better than making me feel like a shitty side piece in a shitty shit show.
(That’s a lot of shit.)
And then, I began to stand up, his eyes following my movements as I rose, and then I asked something completely unexpected.
"Master, can I hit you this once?" I asked, and he looked up at me, surprised.
"What?"
But before he could give me a response, I swung my fist and punched him as hard as I could across his handsome face.
I honestly never thought a day like this could come, but here it is.
"Sorry, I couldn’t wait for your response," I said, rubbing my knuckle. "But what do you know? I feel much better now."
"In that case," he smiled through his bruised face and broken lip. "It’s a relief."
My masters all have some sort of sick loose screw in their heads, it seems.
He didn’t even try to hit me back. He was fine with whatever I did, as long as it made me feel better.
"Master, I don’t appreciate my feelings being tested," I said to him. "And thinking of how you put up an act all for that, I... I..." My head was pounding, and my knuckle was throbbing. Did I go too far?
I mean, I did feel better after hitting him and letting it out, but it was only momentarily. I feel so awful right now.
I raised my head and glanced at the trainer, knitting my brows together in dismay.
Why did he have to go so far? He literally played with my feelings.
Trainer Min’s gaze darted between the two of us, and for the first time since this whole ordeal began, she actually looked uncomfortable.
Good. She should.
Because right now, I wasn’t just angry at Jin-Yeok, I was angry at her for playing along with this sort of act.
I was humiliated.
How much did he offer her to do this?
Or maybe he didn’t even need to pay her because being in his arms was already a dream come true.
Then... Was it fun?
Seeing as they both made a fool out of me together? Was it amusing?
I wiped the sweat and tears from my face with the back of my arm as my body began trembling all over.
My chest felt tight, my throat parched and cracked from all that shouting, and yet he just knelt there with that bruised lip like he wanted me to do it again.
As if I were the master and he was the servant to be punished.
Was this what he was playing at?
Christ! I shoved my fingers through my hair, getting even more confused and frustrated. I couldn’t even figure Jin-Yeok out anymore.
Where was the end of this?
"Jo-Pil..." His voice was soft and tentative, and I looked down at him. The vulnerable state he was showing me, and in front of an outsider, no less.
For the first time, he did not care about his image enough to act like everything was fine.
I guess this was some sort of impact I had on him.
If he chose to save his image rather than apologize for his wrongdoing, just because there was someone watching, then... That only shows how little he thinks of me.
And that all that warmth, that softness, that glow... All of it was just an "in the moment" sort of thing and was never meant to last.
’For some reason,’ I thought, rubbing my cheek with the back of my palm and dragging my skin more than I should, ’I feel relieved.’
Just like Jin-Yeok, I was always curious to what extent my masters liked me, but at some point, I decided to just be content with what I had. Not content, content, but I wouldn’t probe anymore and instead would dwell in their endless affection without questioning it.
But today, after Jin-Yeok did this, after he knelt with no hesitation and let me hit him with no complaint, I came to a realization that his feelings ran deeper than the sea and stretched longer than the Nile.
He would even throw away his image just for me.
Now... That says something.
Knowing this should satisfy me. But still... That nasty and awful gnawing at my heart was so damn persistent.
"Don’t say my name like that," I muttered, turning my head away to avoid looking at his pathetic state. "Just... Don’t make it seem like it’s about me right now."
His jaw clenched to my hearing. Were his molars okay?
Jin-Yeok went back to being silent, his eyes fixed on me. But despite the sudden determination in his eyes, he didn’t defend himself. Didn’t make a single excuse and just knelt there.
That silence almost hurt more than any words could.
Trainer Min cleared her throat, breaking the thick air.
"Perhaps... I should give you two some space," she said, planning to tiptoe out of the gym, but I immediately cut her off before she made a move.
"You don’t think you can leave after joining hands to create this mess, do you?" I snapped, my eyebrows furrowing in distrust.
Her lips parted in surprise, and her gaze shifted down at Jin-Yeok.
Was she waiting for orders?
Jin-Yeok exhaled slowly and went ahead with the introduction.
"Jo-Pil, this is Cha Eun-Ji."
I blinked, confused. "...And?" Wait, why’s there no Min in her name? Is that a fake too?
Jin-Yeok hesitated, but only briefly, before saying the words that made my stomach drop.
"She’s an actress. I hired her for this stunt."
The room tilted. At least, that’s how it felt like to me. Or maybe my jellied body was the only thing that shifted because... What?!
Trainer Min, now going by Eun-Ji, gave me a sheepish smile, scratching the back of her neck. The serious, professional trainer façade melted off her face immediately, replaced by something brighter, looser, undeniably more real.
"Hiya," she said with a smile and a little wave, which I thought was definitely not appropriate for the current situation.
Can’t she read the room?
"My name is Cha Eun-Ji and, as he said, I’m an actress." Even the time of her voice had changed. "And also, yeah... I’m not a trainer."
Then, did she even know what she was doing when she asked me to do multiple squats? Was all that just to break me during the act?!
I almost went mad with my thoughts when she added,
"And yeah, I do work out frequently in the gym, so all those were real. Don’t think I was just doing all that to break you or something."
I narrowed my eyes.
Gosh, is she a mind reader as well?