Popular Psychopath [Novel] Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Does He Perhaps Not Have Legs?

Wednesday, the day she was scheduled to meet Kyuha.

“Hmm~~ Hmmm~”

Standing in front of her overwhelmingly pink vanity mirror, Gyeoul meticulously applied her makeup, recalling the techniques she had diligently studied from beauty YouTubers. She carefully curled her bangs with a curling iron.

“I should just wear what the stylist unnie picked out for me.”

She tied her hair back into a natural ponytail and slipped into a plaid jacket paired with retro denim pants, adding a green muffler as a pop of color.

“Stylist unnie called this the ‘Lee Wei’ look. Hmm… Not bad at all!”

Though undeniably slender, Gyeoul possessed a naturally curvy figure that brought any outfit to life.

“This isn’t a date! It is just, um… Business? No, not that. I am just going shopping with a close older brother! Wait, isn’t that basically a date?”

*Bzzzt.*

– Killer Oppa

“Oh, it’s Kyuha oppa. Is he here already?”

Gyeoul tapped the answer button.

“Yep! Are you here, Kyuha?”

“Yeah. I am in front of your building. Are you ready?”

“Perfect timing! I was just about to head down. I will be right there!”

*Tap tap tap tap.*

A sleek dark gray SUV idled in front of Gyeoul’s officetel.

“Gyeoul, over here.”

Never having owned a vehicle before, Kyuha decided he couldn’t reasonably summon Manager Bonggu on his days off, so he had finally purchased a car of his own.

“*Sniff sniff.* Mmm~ New car smell~ Am I the first woman to sit in this passenger seat?”

“You are. The car literally arrived yesterday. This is basically its maiden voyage.”

“Ooh, I am honored. The first female guest in a popular actor’s very first car.”

“The honor is mine. I get to drive a beautiful, popular singer around.”

Flushing at Kyuha’s words, Gyeoul pouted playfully.

“W-What are you saying? Let’s just go.”

Kyuha offered a warm smile before pulling into traffic.

Gyeoul had agonized for days over today’s itinerary.

“First, I made a reservation at a restaurant, so let’s go fill our stomachs.”

Ever since meeting Kyuha, everything in Gyeoul’s life had seemingly fallen into place. Viewing him as the savior who selflessly aided her at every turn, she harbored a fierce determination to repay his kindness.

Following the address she provided, Kyuha pulled up to a high-end Japanese restaurant that practically radiated luxury.

The sign read, ‘Sushi Cheong.’

It was a massively famous omakase establishment nestled in the outskirts of Seoul.

Renowned as a hotspot for celebrities, gaining entry required punching in a pre-issued passcode at the front door.

Once seated in a private room, the designated chef would present the omakase course in sequence. Every chef assigned to these private rooms boasted a minimum of twenty years of experience.

“Wow… this restaurant is gorgeous.”

Scanning the interior, Gyeoul let out a soft gasp of admiration.

The overarching motif featured luxurious brown tones, while the black furniture and tables injected a chic modernism. Paintings lining the walls and evenly spaced sculptures harmonized with the faint jazz music floating through the air, elevating the atmosphere.

“This place looks incredibly expensive just from a glance. Are you sure about this?”

“Oh, come on! Don’t worry about that. Han Gyeoul’s itinerary is packed today, so just follow my lead.”

Guided by an employee into their private room, the chef soon appeared.

“Hello. I am Chef Kim Jinseok, and I will be taking responsibility for your meal today.”

The culinary parade commenced.

They started with a glass of water infused with charcoal, followed by appetizers: watermelon consommé, steamed egg, and braised tuna.

Soon after, plates arrived in rapid succession without a moment’s pause: perfectly sliced lobster tail sashimi; an unnamed dish featuring passionfruit, herring roe, and gold flakes resting atop an egg yolk; grilled blackthroat seaperch—a fish rumored to cost its weight in gold; and Mediterranean bluefin tuna sashimi imported from Spain.

“Mmm, this is so good.”

Munching happily, Gyeoul stole a glance at Kyuha.

Kyuha watched the chef’s every movement with an intense, piercing gaze. When a dish arrived, he tasted it with a solemn reverence.

*Pfft.* “Cute.”

Having only ever seen Kyuha maintain a stoic, serene demeanor, Gyeoul felt a sense of pride at discovering this unexpectedly earnest side of him when it came to food.

Having personally endured the grueling reality of a mine slave where every scrap of food was a matter of survival, Kyuha viewed a meal itself as an absolute blessing. Naturally, Gyeoul had no way of knowing this.

“Ugh, I am so full. Did you enjoy the meal?”

Gyeoul asked, patting a stomach that didn’t look the slightest bit bloated. Kyuha answered with unprecedented sincerity.

“It was exceptional. I will definitely return.”

“As long as you enjoyed it, that is all that matters! I feel so proud. Hehe.”

“So, what is the next stop on the itinerary?”

“Now that our stomachs are full, we need to go buy presents for the kids.”

Leaving the restaurant, the two headed toward Uijeongbu.

Their destination: Uijeongbu Jeil Market.

Following an intense research session, Gyeoul discovered a massive wholesale toy store nestled within the market.

She opted for the wholesale store over a department store because it offered a wider variety of toys and drastically reduced the chances of them being recognized by the public.

She calculated that since the market on a weekday would be populated primarily by the elderly, no one would recognize them.

Parking in the Jeil Market public lot, the two immediately set out in search of the toy store.

“Oh? This is it! It is huge.”

[Toy Friends]

Living up to its massive 250-pyeong scale, the store boasted a staggering array of toys. As a wholesale market, the prices were remarkably cheap.

Gyeoul pulled out a crumpled piece of paper detailing the children’s wish list, which she had secretly acquired beforehand.

“Let’s see~ Hyunmin wants a Pororo vending machine, Yeseul wants a resin art kit, Minguk wants a Yu-Gi-Oh card set, Sungjun wants…”

Kyuha and Gyeoul diligently scoured the aisles, hunting for the specific items on the list.

“Pahaha! What is this? Isn’t this hilarious?”

“That teddy bear is cute… It is my style.”

[Toy Friends] allowed customers to freely touch and test display models, making the shopping experience itself incredibly entertaining.

After a thorough sweep, they successfully secured every gift on the list. The massive bags gripped tightly in Kyuha’s hands proved the sheer volume of their haul.

“Shopping for toys is actually really fun! Right?”

“This is my first time at a place like this, but there is far more to see than I expected. It is fun.”

Having always harbored a deeper interest in weapons like knives and awls rather than toys during his youth, the toy store felt like an entirely different world to Kyuha.

“Ah, I feel so accomplished~ This is the joy of buying gifts. I am already excited to see how happy the kids will be! By the way, aren’t you getting hungry after walking around so much? Let’s grab a bite in the market.”

“Good idea. Let’s go.”

The two stepped into the food alley within Jeil Market.

Street vendors boasting names like Twins, Kangjeong’s, Banquet Noodles, and Tasty Kimbap lined the alley, hawking kimbap, fish cakes, fried snacks, tteokbokki, and noodles.

“Whoa, the smell is insane.”

After a quick lap around the alley, Gyeoul grabbed Kyuha’s hand and pulled him into ‘Twins’.

“Hello~”

A grandmother with a kind face welcomed them inside.

“Welcome, welcome. Oh my, what a beautiful couple we have here.”

“Oh, we aren’t a couple… Do we look like one?”

“Oh, really? You two looked so good together I made a mistake. Come on, take a seat.”

Gyeoul pointed at the menu board.

“How about we order one serving of tteokbokki, one serving of sundae, and one serving of fried snacks to share? I don’t want to miss out on any of them!”

“That is a brilliant idea. Let’s proceed.”

Kyuha expressed his absolute agreement.

“Auntie~! We will take one serving each of tteokbokki, sundae, and fried snacks, please.”

Soon, a plastic-wrapped plate piled high with steaming tteokbokki and an assortment of fried snacks was placed before them.

“Mmm~~ It is so, so good.”

The two devoured the meal in the blink of an eye.

“Since we worked so hard shopping, let’s grab a cup of coffee at a cafe before we head back. I heard there is an amazing botanical garden cafe nearby.”

“You really did your research, Gyeoul. I was just craving some coffee.”

“Right? My sense is unmatched. It isn’t too far from here, so let’s leave the car and walk.”

“Grandmother~! We will pay here~ The food was delicious.”

Leaving the market, the two strolled toward the botanical garden cafe.

Unlike the beginning of their outing, the physical distance between them had shrunk significantly. They laughed constantly, and Gyeoul casually linked arms with him, showcasing a newfound closeness.

“My nephew turned 11 this year, you know? So, I bought him a soccer ball and a bicycle for his birthday, but he didn’t even look happy. He was completely indifferent. It upset me so much. Aren’t those gifts that every boy loves?”

Kyuha fell into deep thought.

“Does he perhaps not have legs?”

“Excuse me?”

Failing to process Kyuha’s words for a split second, Gyeoul stared blankly before bursting into laughter.

“Pahaha! What kind of joke is that? You are seriously weird.”

Kyuha realized his mistake. It was hardly a response a normal person would offer. Fortunately, Gyeoul brushed it off as a bizarre joke.

“Hahaha… I was joking, of course.”

As they walked, Gyeoul chattered endlessly, and Kyuha simply smiled and listened.

“You wouldn’t believe what Jihee, the youngest in our group, did before… Kyahaha.”

Gyeoul found herself truly appreciating this side of Kyuha.

Since he rarely spoke, the silence could have been suffocating, but his unique, comforting aura made her feel entirely at ease. Even when she babbled on alone, she enjoyed every second of it.

She could feel that Kyuha was genuinely listening to every word she said.

As they left the bustling commercial district and entered a slightly more secluded area, a group of men appeared from the opposite direction.

There were six of them in total. Clearly foreigners, they staggered down the street, shouting loudly, evidently intoxicated in the middle of the day.

Hailing from Uzbekistan, Russia, and Kazakhstan, these men had been factory and farm laborers mere months ago. Utilizing chat applications, they rallied other foreign workers in similar predicaments and formed a gang. They had recently escalated into full-fledged organized crime, extorting ‘protection fees’ from businesses run by other foreigners in the area.

Having just collected money from a local business, they were wandering the streets, completely drunk in broad daylight.

“Заткнись, иди сегодня встретиться с девушкой.”
*(Shut the fuck up, you bastard. Let’s go find some women today.)*

“Ух ты! Что это за женщина действительно красивая? Есть такая женщина в этой деревне?”
*(Whoa! What the hell? That woman is incredibly beautiful. A woman like that exists in this shithole?)*

As the group of six intercepted Kyuha and Gyeoul, the largest man among them stepped forward, blocking their path and speaking in heavily accented Korean.

“Hey, you two there. Stop. Hold it right there.”

Sensing the dangerous atmosphere from a distance, Gyeoul had prayed they would just pass by, but her heart began hammering against her ribs the moment they called out.

“O-What do we do?”

Gyeoul scanned their surroundings, searching for anyone who could help, but she found nothing except vast rice paddies and a few scattered warehouses.

“Wow, you there, woman. You are very pretty, huh? You come play with us today. Hey, man. You just fuck off if you don’t want to die.”

Another foreigner chimed in.

“Эй! Как насчет того парня, если он просто отправит и сообщит? Давайте просто вытащим его вместе.”
*(Hey! What if we let him go and he calls the cops? Let’s just drag him along too.)*

“Ah, you are right. Let’s drag him along too.”

They slowly fanned out, forming a tight perimeter around them. Gyeoul’s terror spiked to its absolute limit.

“Ah… Please.”

Kyuha, who had been silently observing the situation, finally opened his mouth.

“Если ты не хочешь умереть, то немедленно уйди.”
*(If you do not want to die, fuck off right now.)*

The gentle warmth vanished from Kyuha’s eyes, replaced by a chilling void as fluent Russian spilled from his lips.