Pop-Up Store 정호석

Chapter 43

Objectified

Minho let out a loud and very obviously fake laugh before immediately returning to his straight face effortlessly. Gayoung stood between the two guys who glared fiercely at each other. She stared at Hoseok in shock as she tried to process what he just said.

"Oh? You're Gayoung's boyfriend? Huh, that's weird because Gayoung promised me since young that we were going to get married! Is that all a lie, Gayoungie?"

Gayoung's horror-stricken face froze as it turned pale. She looked at Hoseok before looking at a smirking Minho. Hoseok's face slowly turned red with anger as a whirl of thoughts spun in Gayoung's mind.

"Ahahahaha, good one, Minho. Hoseok, let's talk,"

Gayoung laughed awkwardly before returning to a straight face and glared at Hoseok with gritted teeth. She grabbed Hoseok's t-shirt and pulled him to the side. Minho just laughed in amusement as he shook his head. Gayoung was practically his sister but he wanted to test her "boyfriend". His little "sister" was growing so fast.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

Gayoung yelled, her eyes nearly bulging from her head as her grip on Hoseok's shirt immediately tightened. Hoseok just rolled his eyes.

"Are you- are you ignoring my question?!"

Gayoung asked, incredibly offended.

"Well, who is that guy you're with, then?"

"Are you jealous?"

"I'm not! I'm just curious!"

"If you weren't jealous, why did you claim to be my boyfriend?"

"Well, we kissed so-"

"Oh so now the kiss matters to you? I tried to the best of my abilities to talk about the kiss yesterday and despite being busy at the pop-up store, you never bothered to follow me up and talk to me about it after work!"

Gayoung blasted at Hoseok. Her face now vermillion but not because she was blushing but because she was utterly enraged. Hoseok stood there, shocked and speechless. He opened his mouth but not a single word could come out.
Gayoung just glared at him in disappointment as she stormed off. She really trusted Hoseok to not be like the other selfish guys that saw her as an object. An object they wanted to own, to touch and to play with like their Barbie doll. But that was exactly what Hoseok did as well.
He got jealous as if he owned her, he stopped talking to her after they kissed and despite all that, he thought it would be alright to play with her emotions by pretending to be her boyfriend. How was Gayoung suppose to prove to Yeona that not all men were horrendous when the man who taught her that idea was none other than Hoseok?

Everything, her trust, her built-up confidence, they all came crashing down.

In their eyes, women were yet still objects.