30. SHE-DEMON

Puppy and I showered together to save time but actually it made no difference because he insisted on soaping me. It took loud bangings on our door by Ji to get us out of the room. Dumb and Dumber spent the car ride taking pot shots at us.

Half the team leaders’ table was suffering from hangover. I called William to buy a bottle of aspirin for them. Viktor motioned Ji and Beagle to sit with us. Hyori sent a shocked look at Beagle for that and then gave a knowing smirk. That damned woman. Though irritating, she had helped create some good memories for Puppy and me.

Before leaving the hotel, we reminded the organizers about their dinner at our place. Everyone confirmed for their spouses also. We planned the dinner menu on our way back and shopped for what we needed. Once back home, we relaxed and chatted over cups of coffee. I left the ladies talking with Ji and tried to do my hagwon work.

Soon, I was interrupted and called to practice for our competition. It was decided to hold the competition after the departure of our dinner guests. In just two days, Xing’s natural grace was showing and she was following the tutorials really well. Gina kept dissolving in laughter everytime she shook her upper body. That would set off Sam and Ji as well, leaving me and Xing to roll our eyes and practice the same steps so many times that I was sure we could do them in our sleep. Finally, I thought of a plan.

“Ladies, do you want to learn ?” I waggled my brows suggestively.

Xing had no idea what it was. Gina couldn’t decide what to say. Sam looked at me in shock.

“What? If you people do one hour of practice without laughing, I will teach you after lunch. Deal?” I was serious about my offer. At the rate the practice was progressing, there wouldn’t be any competition for Gina who would end up laughing at all the wrong moments. Of course, I planned to bar Ji from the lessons.

“Jinki? You know ?” Gina finally found her voice.

I nodded and replied without considering my words, “Even Jjong knows.”

Ji dissolved into another round of giggles, “Naughty, naughty oppa. And to think that it’s Taemin and Key oppa who have gained notoriety in our family. You two are masters at the game and they should take lessons from you.”

I blushed remembering the numerous private lessons I had given to Heechul and TaeKey.

“You are turning red oppa? That can only mean that you are already giving them lessons.” Ji began tickling me. “Out with it. What are you teaching them?”

I tried to move away from her but she followed me till she had me helplessly cornered on the couch. “Nothing, Ji. I am not teaching them anything. Stop tickling me you evil girl.”

“Liar. Tell the truth oppa. I saw even Soo unnie signaling Teukkie hyeongbu to ask you questions.” She was relentless in her tickles.

“I really don’t know anything, Ji. I offered to teach the dance through youtube lessons only.” I lied through my teeth.

She stopped tickling me and grabbed my phone from the dining table and locked herself in her bedroom. When she emerged few minutes later, she was jumping gleefully.

“I knew it. I knew it. Puppy oppa d for Jinki oppa last night. See the message unnie.” Ji showed the phone to Gina who read the messages aloud.

Puppy will you lapdance for me tonight?

I did last nite yeobo. Tonite your turn

I wrenched away the phone from Ji before she could message anything naughtier to Puppy. Oh my god! I could feel my hair turn grey and my face turn red.

Xing spoke up then, “But what is this ?”

“Unnie, it’s a y dance that a girl does on a man’s lap.” Ji quickly explained.

“And how do you know this Miss?” I asked her sharply, surprised at her knowledge.

“Oppa I may not have had a boyfriend. But I am a 22-year-old modern woman.” Ji turned up her nose in offense at my question.

I simply raised my eyebrows, not satisfied with her response.

“Fine, if you must know everything Mr Nosey. One of Soo unnie’s friends showed it in her pre-wedding hen’s party.” Ji huffed out the truth.

“And what other stuff did her friends teach her in that party.” I tried to control my shock.

Ji chuckled, “Well oppa the theme of the party was exotic dances. You can guess what else we learned.”

“I told imo not to send you to that party. But imo wanted Soo chaperoned. You should have closed your eyes Ji.” I knocked on her head. “Hello, Ji’s corrupt brain.”

“It’s not corruption oppa. It’s called widening the horizons, learning new things, expanding the knowledge base. Take your pick.” Ji smirked at me.

“I call it becoming a wiseass.” I pinched her. “So, if we can get Gina to complete the belly dance practice without laughing, you can teach her other dance forms that are embedded in your enlightened brain.”

“But oppa I only know the theory. You know the practical aspect. It’s better if you teach them.” Ji smiled in mischief.

“No way! There is no way I am taking off my clothes in front of them.” I squawked.

“Who said anything about stripping? Naughty, naughty oppa! You just have to jiggle your booty for oppa. Or are you thinking of another dance? When exactly do you and Puppy oppa find time for such naughtiness? Your door is usually unlocked and open.” Ji wagged her finger at me.

I blushed at my gaffe. I didn’t realize I was thinking about strip dance when Ji mentioned exotic dances, while the topic of all the teasing was . Gina and Xing looked highly curious.

“Umm, I, actually we, ummm,” I was lost for words. Ji was exhibiting a side of her that I didn’t even know existed. No wonder Puppy and I had such memorable dates planned by her and Beagle.

“Come on oppa be a sport. Otherwise I will get Yeollie to put a secret camera in your bedroom.” Ji wheedled, throwing in a threat as well.

I could only gape at her in shock. This was my baby sis? When did she grow up to become this scheming mature woman? Where had my innocent lil sis disappeared?

“Ladies have a seat. Jinki oppa will now show us how to perform for our guys.” Ji announced, moving through my phone to locate suitable music, while I continued to stare at her trying to form coherent words of protest in my mind.

I gulped a few times and looked at all the women now seated expectantly on the couch looking at me with great interest. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Maybe it was a nightmare and I’d wake up any moment. I opened my eyes with great expectation but was immediately disappointed. Four crazy women of different ages were still looking curiously at me.

I mulled my options. I could run and hide in my room till dinner time. But they’d just catch hold of my hapless Puppy at night and make him strip. Then there will be two more devils to help the crazy four in front of me. Not only that, there was also the issue of the camera in our room. I shuddered at the mere thought of it. We already had little privacy. I couldn’t bear to think of losing even that.

“Oppa you are wasting time. We are getting hungry. Hurry up so we can have lunch.” Ji said impatiently while the other three wisely sat wordlessly.

I wanted to wrap my hands around Ji’s pretty neck and strangle her. But there were witnesses present. I settled for glaring at her murderously. She only smiled sweetly at me in return. Sweet, my foot. She-demon. That’s what she was. I scowled at her and she smiled broadly, motioning with her hand for me to begin. I turned to go to my room.

“Oppa where are you going? Come back.” Ji shouted after me.

“I am going to change. I am not taking off my clothes in front of you hyenas without some preparation first.” I growled in response.

“Hurry up. I will give you five minutes only before I go shopping for a camera.” Ji continued with her threats.

My only response was to turn my head and hiss at her. She laughed it away. I quickly changed into my swimming trunks. There was absolutely no way I was taking off my pants while wearing my usual underwear. A man was entitled to some privacy. And the sight of me in my briefs was only for my Puppy. I put on a button down shirt and jeans with buttons in the front instead of a zipper. As my last item of clothing I knotted a silk scarf around my neck.

I wanted to wring all their necks, not just Ji’s. They weren’t saying a word to stop Ji from harassing me. No more lessons for them. They deserved Dumb and Dumber as their husbands. Poor Beagle. What kind of future were we submitting him to with the she-demon? Poor boy was going to really suffer.

“Oppa how much time do you need to prepare your old body? Do you know this dance is better suited to young hunks? You are entering your middle age. We don’t care how well you hide your wrinkles and sagging muscles. We just want to see the moves.” Ji’s loud words broke into my dark thoughts. She-demon cackled at her own joke.

I returned to the living to find all four sipping on liquor of their choice.

“Nice Jinki, you certainly dressed well.” Gina softly smiled at me in reassurance to which I replied with another scowl.

“Oppa I have selected Mirotic for music. I want to imagine hot hunks dancing in my mind instead of you. Eww, what all do I have to suffer for Yeollie. I don’t want to think of your old body. Give me those five studs any day.” Ji continued to wind me up.

That comparison was the last straw. I decided to show them who was hot and who was not. Just because I hid my body under clothes did not mean I was an old man. I mentally called out to the crazy four, “Ladies, get ready for the livewire Jinki. Puppy doesn’t call me ‘ on legs’ for nothing.” Ji wasn’t aware that the song she was going to play was a special 10-minute version remixed by Jjong. We used it whenever we were in the mood for our personal strip show.

As the music filled the room, I rolled my neck and put out all other thoughts from my mind except to give the best show of my life, something that the crazy four would never see in their lives again.

After ten minutes when the music stopped, I stood in my swimsuit with my back muscles on full display to the ladies. I turned around to see them sitting with their mouths hanging open, their liquor glasses still full lying forgotten on the table.

Xing still had my scarf around her neck where I had placed it. My first item of clothing to come off. Her face was dark pink and I doubted she had blinked since I placed the scarf on her.

Sam had my rolled up socks in her lap, where I had placed my feet one by one and rolled down my socks for her to take off. Her hand was covering and she was softly .

Gina was rapidly blinking as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. My shirt was placed around her shoulders with the sleeves loosely knotted in front of her. Her surprised expression had not changed since I began dancing. Her fingers were clutching my shirt for dear life.

I had saved my pants for the she-demon who at that moment was looking like an owl with her eyes so wide open. Her fingers were still holding on to my pants that I’d placed in her hands after taking them off. She was gasping for breath.

I went to each one and collected my clothing. I left them sitting stupefied as I dressed again in my room. When I returned a few minutes later, nothing had changed. They hadn’t moved a muscle. I filled a glass with cold water and flicked it on their faces with my fingers. Their return to life was as comical as their reactions earlier.

Ji buried her face in her hands. Sam groaned louder than before. Xing began hyperventilating. Gina turned red in the face and looked everywhere but at me.

I left them to recover their composure in privacy and went to prepare lunch for us. I didn’t need to gloat. I believed Puppy when he equated my body to a twenty-year-old stud. I switched on the coffee maker to serve coffee to the crazy four. Maybe that would help calm them down. There was utter silence in the living room as I poured four cups and put them on the table.

“Come on, it was just a dance. Get over it.” I finally said, unable to stand their reactions anymore.

“Jinki, I, that was, oh god, Jinki, we,” Gina struggled for words.

I pushed the coffee mug in her hand. She took a few fortifying sips and tried again.

“Jinki, I, we,” Gina stopped again and took a deep breath. “Iwanttodancelikethat.” She at last managed to speak in a rush.

“Gina, plain English please,” I didn’t understand a word she said.

“I want to dance like that,” Gina spoke more lucidly.

I nodded, “Use online search and learn in your free time at home.”

“My husband will have a heart attack if I ever danced like that.” Xing sighed.

Sam picked up her coffee and silently went to the kitchen to finish the cooking and feed us. I hoped she’d be back to her normal self by the time food was on the table.

“I need to wash my eyes. I need to cleanse my brain. Oppa I am traumatized for life. How could you dance like that in front of your sister? Oppaaaa?” Ji suddenly wailed in distress.

I shrugged unconcerned, “Your own fault Ji. You practically blackmailed me to do it. Next time when I say no, then be a good girl and agree with me without an argument.” I couldn’t keep the smirk off my face. The she-demon deserved every bit of torment she was feeling at that moment.

Ji rubbed her eyes as if to wipe away the images of my dancing. “Opppaaaa you are so mean. You should have warned me. Even unnie’s friends didn’t dance like this. Oh my poor eyes. They are so scandalized. Opppaaaa how could you do this to me?” She continued to berate me.

I switched on the tv and selected the animated movie ‘Gnomeo & Juliet’ on my pen drive. We’d carried it with us from home because Ji, Minx and Duckie loved watching it. “Watch the movie Ji and think of your Yeollie.”

I left Gina and Xing watching the movie with Ji. Sam was in the kitchen. My room beckoned me and I went in, closing the door. It was lunch time for Puppy and I called him to update about the recent events. As I came to the end of my narration, Puppy had a hard time controlling his laughter. We tacitly agreed to pretend as if nothing had happened and ignore any weird looks that we’d receive later from the four females.

After the call, I closed my eyes and thought more about my Puppy and soon dozed off.