Defective Banana - Chapter 5

“…Save you?”

Ara squinted at him like he was speaking absolute nonsense.

“What do you mean, save you?”

The lack of warmth in her response didn’t go unnoticed. Seohyuk clenched his fists and bit down on his lip. He had to do this. No backing down now. This was the moment — the turning point of his life. He took a deep breath, told himself this was just like a scene in a drama, and looked her dead in the eyes.

“Go out with me.”

Ara stared at him like he’d just said the dumbest thing imaginable. Her gaze hardened. This was Donghee unnie’s son — so if something was off mentally, she figured she’d talk it through carefully… maybe even call his mom later.

“Why would I date you? Where’s this even coming from?”

The night breeze stirred her hair gently, strands brushing across her face. Seohyuk hesitated a moment before answering, while Ara, annoyed by her hair, pushed it back roughly and glared at him.

Finally, he spoke.

“…I reacted. To you.”

Ara narrowed her eyes.

“Reacted? What does that mean?”

He shifted awkwardly, then pointed between his legs with a long finger.

“I mean, down there… I had a physical reaction.”

Her eyes followed the gesture, trailing down to his jeans. In the dim light, she could make out the very clear outline of something standing at attention.

“…Wait. You mean—that? You’re talking about that?”

“Yeah. I know it’s ridiculous, but yes, that’s what I mean.”

Ara stood up from the bench like she’d been electrocuted.

“Are you serious?! Why are you telling me this?! What am I supposed to do with that?!”

Seohyuk rose too, standing across from her, rubbing his brow like this whole thing was giving him a migraine. Thank god his cap was hiding his face — she didn’t know who he was. Not yet.

If she saw his face, if she knew he was that Kang Seohyuk, the top star, things would go differently. But he couldn’t reveal it just yet. Not without knowing more about her. He needed to keep his identity hidden a little longer.

This was about survival, not pride.

He took a deep breath and said, voice low and sincere.

“To be completely honest, I have psychological… dysfunction. Not physical, psychological. I’ve never been able to… perform, you know? But when I was with you, it just—happened. For the first time in my life, I got hard in front of a woman. You.”

But Ara’s expression didn’t soften in the slightest.

“And what does that have to do with me? Are you bragging? You want me to clap for your first boner or something?”

She glared at him with those sharp, cat-like eyes. The look hit him square in the chest, knocked the wind out of him. It was humiliating. It was thrilling.

He’d spent years surrounded by praise, fawned over by fans, adored by everyone. But now, being torn down, belittled — it stirred something strange in him. His heart pounded, his bl00d rushed south again.

He felt… alive.

He was desperate now.

“If it wasn’t obvious… my body really wants you.”

She looked, involuntarily, at his pants again. The tent was still very much there. She recoiled in disgust.

“Jesus Christ.”

But Seohyuk took a step closer.

“Just tell me what you want. I’ll do it. Whatever it takes. I might not have much dating experience, but I’m confident in… other areas.”

The smug tilt of his head, the bold way he looked at her — it was cocky in a way that made her bl00d boil.

“Confident? In what, exactly? Getting hard?”

Seohyuk’s mind latched onto one word. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed and muttered,

“…s3x?”

Ara froze for a split second — then her eyes went wide, and she kicked him.

Right in the shin. Hard.

“You disgusting pervert!”

Seohyuk doubled over, grabbing his leg, wincing in pain. But even through the sting, he couldn’t help the strange smile forming on his lips. His jeans were still tight — the reaction was real. This was no joke.

He looked up at her with fierce determination. Then, as if reenacting a scene from a historical drama, he dropped to his knees before her.

It might’ve been dramatic and gallant… if not for the obvious bulge in his sweatpants, awkward and unmissable even in the dim rooftop light. Still, he knelt with pride. Even if it was humiliating, even if he looked absolutely insane — the fire in his eyes didn’t waver.

He looked up at her with that intense gaze — the kind he used in magazine shoots to make cameras fall in love with him — and said,

“If your heart’s not ready, then maybe… we can start with the body. As you can see, I’m not exactly average. You won’t regret it. I swear.”

God, he really should’ve led with his net worth or his acting career. Now he just sounded like a horny maniac.

Ara gave a disbelieving scoff.

“Are you completely out of your mind? Start with the body? Not average? If you say one more word like that, I swear I’m going straight to your mom. No, screw that — I’m going to the police!”

She had tried to be patient. Tried to let it slide for Donghee unnie’s sake. But this man was just too much. And the fact that he was objectively good-looking only made him feel more like a pervert.

Meanwhile, Seohyuk was shaking with humiliation — but he knew better than to let pride get in the way now.

“Wait, please…”

Still on his knees, he crawled a little closer.

“If you get to know me, I swear you’ll regret turning me down. Just… think about it, okay?”

“I’m done here.”

Ara turned, fed up, ready to leave.

Panicking, Seohyuk scrambled after her on his knees.

“Just wait! Please, think it over. You will regret it!”

She looked down at him crawling toward her, horrified. Then she stomped one foot firmly onto his thigh, stopping him cold.

“Enough.”

Her voice sliced through the night — sharp, unwavering. Seohyuk froze, staring at the foot on his thigh.

“You really think throwing a tantrum will work? Keep talking like this, and next time it won’t be your thigh I step on — it’ll be your little friend down there. Got it?”

She meant it. He could see it in her eyes — calm, cold, deadly serious. Seohyuk gulped and said nothing.

Ara studied him for a second, then suddenly yanked down the brim of his cap.

“What is this, some emotional support hat? You don’t even show your face and you want to date me?”

With that final jab, she turned on her heel and walked off the rooftop without a backward glance.

Seohyuk remained kneeling, frozen. After a moment, he slowly took off his cap and let it fall to the ground beside him. His face went blank — completely lost.

It was the first time in his life he’d been humiliated like this. And yet…

His heart pounded madly in his chest. His body throbbed with unexplainable excitement.

Why couldn’t he get her out of his head? Why did it feel good when she stepped on him?

As miserable as he looked, every part of him was screaming the same thing.

You need to make her yours. No matter what.