MHD - 23

Chapter 23. The Porcupine’s First Love

“You want to hold me, don’t you? Isn’t that why you came here in the end?”

“Do you even hear yourself?”

“Do whatever you want. Just pay me a fair price. You know, I’m really struggling right now.”

“Are you doing this on purpose? Are you trying to drive me insane?”

“I’m serious. It’s not like you’re the only man out there.”

“Damn it, Seo Hee-soo, you—”

Jaehyuk clenched his teeth so hard they seemed ready to shatter, trembling with barely contained rage. Each word he spat out was laced with fury, his heated breath brushing against Hee-soo’s cheek.

But strangely, even that faint touch of his breath felt like it burned her skin. It was as if she had intended to scratch him, but ended up bleeding herself.

Where their bodies touched felt scorching hot. Jaehyuk’s shoulders shook as he struggled to steady his ragged breathing.

It was strange. Though his face was twisted in anger, furrowed brows and all, it somehow looked sad.

You hate me as much as I hate myself. So why can’t you let go? You’re just as sick of me as I am. Stop looking at me like that. Don’t look at me.

Hee-soo couldn’t bear to meet Jaehyuk’s gaze and turned her head away. Her chest swelled with an overwhelming ache.

‘Ah.’

She felt something warm and wet slide down her cheek.

She had meant to keep up the act, to stay shamelessly composed until the end, but tears betrayed her. They felt foreign, unfamiliar—like she was crying for the first time in her life.

“If you’re not staying, then just leave.”

Hee-soo pushed Jaehyuk away with all her strength. Not wanting him to see her cry, she quickly turned her back to him. Her shadow overlapped with his as she moved toward the villa entrance.

Call me a coward if you want. She just wanted to escape as fast as she could.

If she didn’t, her heart felt like it would burst from the pain. It was as though all the shattered pieces of her soul were spilling out, leaving her an empty shell incapable of feeling anything ever again.

“Seo Hee-soo!”

She tried desperately to distance herself from Jaehyuk’s urgent voice calling after her.

“Seo Hee-soo!”

Thump, thump. Was it her heart pounding, or was the ground shaking beneath her feet? Everything spun dizzyingly before her eyes.

Ah.

The stairs were right in front of her, but everything in her field of vision seemed to sway and dance. Why was she so dizzy? In that moment, Hee-soo lost consciousness.

“Hee-soo.”

Between the endless walls stood a door just big enough for a person to pass through. Director Yoon Ji-seon, who had called for Hee-soo, gestured for her to come closer.

The first day Hee-soo stepped into Jaehyuk’s house, she realized for the first time that such enormous homes could exist in the world.

Everything inside sparkled so brightly it almost hurt to look. The ceilings were high, and sunlight poured into every corner of the cozy south-facing living room.

Director Yoon, who had summoned Hee-soo, explained that her husband was a man of great business.

“Most of the electronics you use, the clothes you wear, the food you eat—they’ve probably all passed through this man’s hands,” she said politely, urging Hee-soo to greet him properly.

Though the explanation didn’t fully resonate with the nine-year-old girl, one thing became crystal clear upon arriving: this family was incredibly wealthy.

Behind towering walls reminiscent of ancient mansions from books, several buildings labeled as “houses” stood. Hee-soo’s room was tucked away in a corner of an annex, but even that was far better than the home she had left behind.

“So, you’re Hee-soo.”

In the grand living room, Hee-soo bowed deeply to Director Yoon’s husband. Beside him stood a boy about her age.

The boy had smooth, pale skin and neatly arched eyebrows. His impeccably clean and luxurious clothes made him seem like he belonged to an entirely different world.

“Hee-soo, say hello. This is my son.”

Compared to Hee-soo’s worn-out clothes, the boy gleamed like polished glass.

Not wanting to appear intimidated, a stubborn pride welled up within her. She didn’t want to be looked down upon.

Slowly raising both arms, Hee-soo stared directly at the boy before letting them drop and bowing gracefully.

“Oh my, Hee-soo!”

Director Yoon’s voice rang out in admiration. When Hee-soo straightened up, the boy’s expression had turned somewhat dumbfounded.

“Nice to meet you. Jaehyuk, Oppa.”

Whispering those words into his ear, Hee-soo smiled smugly. She wanted to tease the boy, who looked as delicate as a flower in a greenhouse.

Many boys had gazed at her with foolish smiles before. Hee-soo knew well how to make sure they couldn’t treat her lightly.

By giving off an untouchable, strong first impression, most of them ended up pining for her.

This one’s nothing special either, she thought, watching Jaehyuk look at her. Hee-soo smirked knowingly.

Hee-soo rarely crossed paths with the boy.

He lived in the main house and had no reason to visit the annex. The central gate that divided the main house from the annex became a symbolic barrier between them.

Occasionally, they would pass each other on the way to or from school, but Hee-soo deliberately pretended not to notice him.

At first, she tried hard not to seem easy to approach, and later, she made efforts to remain invisible.

Year after year, as the seasons changed, Hee-soo came to understand more about the household where she ate and slept—and the more she realized the extent of this family’s wealth, the more indifferent she became toward the boy.

He belonged to a completely different world.

She didn’t want to jeopardize the benefits she currently enjoyed by indulging in some misplaced curiosity. The older women who worked in the house and shared meals with her had already warned her what could happen if she got too close to him.

To Hee-soo, the boy was like an expensive ornament in a glittering mansion—something she knew better than to touch.

Hee-soo had many enemies in the ballet troupe. Perhaps it was inevitable.

Most of her peers came from fairly wealthy families, and they resented the fact that a seemingly insignificant girl from the countryside received special affection from the foundation’s chairman.

Her peers were constantly jealous of what Hee-soo had and sought to belittle her at every turn. Her dreams and hard work were often dismissed and undervalued by them.

“How did someone like you even get here? Pathetic. Is living off handouts really okay with you?”

Her so-called friends mocked her for staying at Jaehyuk’s house.

But Hee-soo didn’t care. If anything, she sneered at their attempts to bring her down. No matter how hard they tried to crush her, she vowed to rise higher and prove herself stronger.

“Try achieving what I have, and then maybe I’ll acknowledge you. To grow, you need to recognize your own flaws.”

“You’re insane.”

She endured icy glares during winter rehearsals and found her locker vandalized with curses scrawled inside. But the harder they pushed, the harder she practiced, determined not to fall behind.

As she grew older, her beauty began to shine, and her skills improved rapidly. Her rivals multiplied, and subtle forms of bullying became a daily occurrence.

There were countless dangerous moments caused by classmates intentionally trying to sabotage her practice.

Small injuries accumulated from missteps during rehearsals. On those days, Hee-soo would sit alone on a rock in the corner of the annex garden, pressing her swollen foot and crying quietly to herself.

In the end, life is something you face alone. Showing weakness means losing.

This bitter young girl was only fourteen.

One day, while battling through her grueling routine:

“Hey, Seo Hee-soo.”

As she wiped her tear-streaked cheeks and looked up, she saw Jaehyuk standing there with a basket of ice.

It was strange to see Jaehyuk in front of the annex where the staff stayed. It was also the first time she’d seen him up close. Fear gripped her heart before she could even wonder why he was there.

“Go away.”

Hee-soo picked up a small stone from the grass and threw it at Jaehyuk. The pebble, no bigger than her fingernail, barely traveled any distance before landing at his feet.

“Throwing stones won’t do anything.”

Jaehyuk kicked the pebble aside dismissively, then placed the basket of ice in front of Hee-soo and plopped down at her feet.

“Put your foot in.”

“I told you to go away.”

“Aren’t you going to practice tomorrow?”

“…”

Her ankle throbbed painfully. She had received temporary treatment and applied ice at the studio, but that was all. She had fled home before her peers finished practicing.

She didn’t want to hear the instructor’s commands echoing from the practice room or catch glimpses of the other dancers smirking at her through half-open doors.

Reluctantly, she submerged both feet into the ice basket, and her body trembled violently.

How did he even know to come here? Jaehyuk’s sudden appearance raised countless questions. While her mind raced to make sense of it, Jaehyuk simply stared at her feet submerged in the ice. An awkward silence hung between them.

She should have thanked him, but Hee-soo felt uneasy about this unexpected kindness. She believed nothing in the world was purely altruistic.

Her twisted thoughts gave rise to unkind words.

“What do you want from me?”

“What?”

Jaehyuk furrowed his brow and finally looked up at Hee-soo.

She had heard that boys tended to break out in acne during puberty, but Jaehyuk’s face remained as smooth and fair as it had been when he was younger. His features had matured, accentuating his handsome, chiseled look against his pale, eggshell-like skin.

He must be popular, she thought. With such a delicate appearance and a kind demeanor, there were probably plenty of girls lining up to follow him around.

Hee-soo stared blankly at Jaehyuk, whose cheeks had turned slightly red.

Why is he blushing? Figures, coming from a rich family. His emotions are so transparent.

Muttering to herself, Hee-soo abruptly asked again:

“Do you like me or something?”

“What?”

“If not, why are you acting like some kind of foot pervert right now?”

“Seriously.”

“There must be something you want if you’re being this nice.”

At Hee-soo’s words, Jaehyuk’s thick eyebrows twitched slightly above his clean, smooth forehead. Looking at her with an expression of disbelief, he let out a soft chuckle.

“I’ve thought this since the first time I saw you—why are you always so prickly? It’s like you’re a porcupine, raising your quills to warn people not to touch you.”

Though they were only a year apart in age, Jaehyuk spoke with the tone of an older brother. His words struck a nerve, and Hee-soo bit her lip.

“If you know that, then don’t bother me.”

“But that’s not going to happen,” he replied.

“Why not?”

“I have… certain peculiar tastes.”

Before she could react, Jaehyuk reached into the ice bucket, now filled with melted water and floating chunks, and pulled out Hee-soo’s foot.

“What are you doing?!”

Hee-soo flailed in surprise, but Jaehyuk grabbed the towel slung over his shoulder and began gently drying the water off her foot.

Let go, you perverted jerk!

She should have shouted, but his movements were so deliberate, so tender, that her voice caught in her throat before it could escape.

Her chest fluttered uncomfortably.