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Yoo Jaeyi had everything, including the entirety of Chaehwa Girls High School wrapped around her finger. She was well aware that heads turned in admiration every time her glossy patent shoes strut down the school hallway, girls unsure whether they wanted to be her or whether they wanted her. Nonetheless, there was still something missing in her life, like an itch that she could not scratch, an insatiable hunger for something… or perhaps someone . There was nothing that Yoo Jaeyi loved more than a challenge, and the more she couldn't have something, the harder she worked to obtain it.
She hummed quietly as she leaned casually against the wall, tapping her foot impatiently. 18:59 , her phone screen read – 1 more minute until Woo Seulgi’s pilates class was over. Woo Seulgi wasn’t the type to take pilates, but of course Ju Yeri had somehow convinced her to come along to boost her extracurricular points. To Jaeyi, it seemed that Yeri had declared war, perhaps in retaliation after Jaeyi made a particularly hurtful remark to Yeri at lunch. It was as though Yeri snatched her most precious belongings away from her. Nevertheless, she planned to remind Seulgi who she belonged to. So, Jaeyi had crafted a master plan thanks to a night of energy drinks and restless pacing around her bedroom. The tranquil, deep-sea ambience in her room set her mind adrift, allowing ideas to flow effortlessly.
The pilates studio was located on the lower level of the facility, and Seulgi’s head would appear at the top of the escalator any second now. She imagined that her cheeks would be flushed pink from exercising, the front of her bangs messily spread across her sweaty forehead just the way Jaeyi liked. Just as Jaeyi calculated, she was alone as Yeri had to leave early due to a mysterious “emergency” phone call asking her to go home. Suddenly, a loud screeching noise sounded from the escalator, as it came to an abrupt halt. Seulgi widened her eyes in panic as she realized that the belt on her long trench coat had gotten stuck in the edge of the escalator. Numerous passerbys stared at her curiously, though some attempted to help, tugging at the piece of fabric until their hands chafed, though ultimately failing to break her free.
“Why don’t you just take off your jacket?” asked a classmate whose name she had forgotten.
Seulgi’s face flushed a shade of deep scarlet, and fixated her eyes on the ground. “I… I’m really cold,” she lied.
“Okay…” her classmates muttered as they left her alone on the escalator, whispering “ What a weirdo ” as they hurried away.
From her hiding spot behind the corner, a smirk twitched from the corner of Jaeyi’s lips. There were only two people in this building who knew why Seulgi could not take off her jacket. In fact, all of Seulgi’s clothing and undergarments were currently stashed in a plastic bag in the back of Jaeyi’s car, after “mysteriously” disappearing from her gym locker. In its place, there was a single trench coat that Seulgi had no choice but to wear, as the only other option was walking around stark naked.
Jaeyi once watched a film about a woman who fed her lover poison so that she could nurse him back to health and be his saviour; Jaeyi thought it was the most romantic thing in the world. Now, seeing that Seulgi was left alone like a lost, helpless puppy, she decided that it was finally her time to strike.
Jaeyi walked over casually, with a long brown wool coat draped around her shoulders and a satin blue slip dress beneath. “Seulgi? What a coincidence. I was just attending a networking event nearby.” Then, she took her sweet time eyeing the girl up and down, and gasped, “Oh! Your coat is stuck.”
“Y-yes,” she stammered.
"Why can't you take it off? Unless... are you not wearing anything underneath?" Jaeyi whispered, a hint of excitement in her voice.
Seulgi did not answer, though it was clear from her face, which was astonishingly red like an apple; Jaeyi wanted to swallow her whole.
“Don’t worry, I can help you,” Jaeyi grinned, the same unwavering, confident smile on her face that she carried with her wherever she went. Though, if one looked closely, there was a twinkle in her eye that she saved just for Woo Seulgi.
She was hesitant, but Seulgi nodded regardless. For some reason, Jaeyi always seemed to rescue her in times of need, like a handsome knight in shining armour. Jaeyi shrugged her massive coat off her shoulders and enveloped it around both Seulgi and herself, pressing their bodies so close together that she was drowning in Jaeyi’s rosy perfume. She could feel the cool, silky material of Jaeyi’s dress brushing against her bare skin. Seulgi held her breath, her heart beating rapidly out of her chest as she quickly slipped out of her trench coat whilst Jaeyi concealed her. She finally sighed in relief as Jaeyi helped her secure the coat around her, deft fingers carefully buttoning her up.
Seulgi looked up shyly, “Thank you. I’ll return the coat to you tomorrow,”
She wasn’t sure why her heart was still beating so fast now that she wasn’t stuck anymore. Although Jaeyi didn’t sneak a glance at her body, or at least she didn’t think so, she felt so… exposed in front of her, but it gave her a thrilling rush of adrenaline at the same time.
“No need. It looks good on you,” Jaeyi replied sweetly.
Her coat indeed looked stunning on Seulgi, but another thought crept in Jaeyi’s mind. It would look even better on her bedroom floor, but she fought hard to bite her tongue. Instead, she said, “See you around!” and waltzed away, pleased with how her plan was executed flawlessly.
Seulgi blinked, unsure what had exactly happened to her in the past 5 minutes, though it had felt more like 5 long hours. She had been mesmerized by Yoo Jaeyi; perhaps she was struck by her act of heroism, or because the coat had her scent etched in every thread. Whatever it was, she was certain that Jaeyi would pay her a visit in her dreams again tonight…