episode_0005

I was about to be in big trouble.

I almost turned Chaewon into a pervert among perverts.

She pretended not to know what men’s underwear was, but I’m not sure if that’s okay.

I’m already busted since she rummaged through my closet.

It should be fine, right? It has to be fine.

“Is that all right…?”

“It’s fine!!”

Oh, this idiot.

It’s nice that she feels comfortable enough to grab clothes from my house, but why does she have to grab underwear of all things?

“Her habits are scary….”

Even though it’s been three years, the furniture layout in the house hasn’t changed, leading to this incident.

I should’ve at least changed the location of the closet.

“……….”

Listening to the water filling the bathtub, I stared at Chaewon, or rather myself in the mirror for a while.

Maybe I should just take a quick shower.

Dreaming of taking a bath for the past few months before almost dying was futile.

There was no time or leisure to think.

So today, I must bathe.

I logged onto NewTube and searched for Song Seonghyuk.

There aren’t many videos.

“It’s been three years indeed.”

Song Seonghyuk gained worldwide fame by winning the Chopin Competition in 2025.

In 2023, you can’t watch his concert videos even if you want to.

If you want to hear him play, you’ll have to go to the piano practice room at Hanyang University.

But Chaewon isn’t a student at Hanyang University, so that’s not possible.

I quickly organized a playlist to listen to while bathing.

Today seems like a perfect day to spend with Master Chopin.

Starting with Chopin’s Ballades 1 through 4.

Passionate downpour. The confrontation of two selves. Regained stability. Chopin’s destructive anguish within.

I dare to compare my last three years to the turbulent times of Master Chopin.

Next is the 2020 competition, Dmitry Shishlov’s unusually chosen Fantasia Impromptu.

Death, followed by rebirth. Today was truly a fantasy. A sequence of time like a dream.

Then, the 2015 competition. Cho Jinyeol chose the Raindrop Prelude.

A tearful piece written by Chopin while waiting for his beloved, Georges Sand, whom he never stopped loving.

My emotions intersect as I see Chopin meeting the safe return of Sand and Chaewon.

Lastly, the Dog Waltz.

I listen to the bounding puppy, perhaps representing fleeting happiness, while returning to the cheerful and bright Chaewon to conclude the bath. But this won’t be the only conclusion.

Phew.

After organizing the list, I look at myself in the mirror with a short sigh.

“I’ll try my best not to look, but I might not be able to help it. So don’t get mad.”

Muttering useless words to the reflection of Chaewon in the mirror, I start to undress, peeling off each layer of clothing.

“Thank goodness.”

It’s a relief that Chaewon was wearing pants today; imagining a skirt would have made it impossible to walk properly all day.

As I unbutton the blouse, my hand momentarily falters.

The button placement was on the opposite side compared to men’s shirts.

“The fabric is so soft.”

The sensation of the blouse, completely different from the stiff and firm feeling of a men’s shirt, almost feels like caressing a woman’s skin.

It’s oddly exciting to think that I’m undressing Chaewon’s clothes.

…Calm down, flights of fancy.

Right now, I am Min Chaewon. There’s no need to get excited. I should actually be sad.

Forget all the impure thoughts before being with Master Chopin.

“… Ugh.”

Hanging the blouse on one side after taking it off, I see Chaewon in the mirror wearing only a bra and panties, greeting me back.

For a moment, it struck me that this wasn’t just imagination but reality.

It’s hard to endure even for me.

She’s too pretty.

“Ugh.”

Quickly shaking my head, I clenched the hem of my towel.

The longer it took to undress, the more it felt like I would spend an eternity staring at myself in the mirror.

I should jump into the bathtub quickly.

Eyes fixed upwards. Never look down below.

Click.

… Click.

Click click click click.

“… How do you unhook a bra?”

Chaewon’s body was so flexible that her arms were diligently searching under the bra. I had no idea where to start unhooking it.

Thinking that maybe the answer would come by looking in the mirror, I raised my gaze.

“Ugh.”

Startled by the natural descent of my gaze towards her chest, I spun around 180 degrees like a soldier undergoing drill training.

“By feel. Let’s find it by feel.”

I’m just borrowing Chaewon’s body for a moment.

I have to handle it carefully and return it.

So, it’s just washing. That’s all.

Let’s not put weird emotions into this.

Don’t look at it with lewd eyes.

It’s all for Chaewon.

Fumbling.

After running my fingers along the bottom of the bra several times, click.

“Found it.”

I finally found the multiple loops and successfully detached them from the clasp.

Life is truly not easy.

A guy who has never been in a relationship is now trying to unhook a woman’s bra.

As I folded the bra in half and placed it on top of the clothes I had taken off, I couldn’t help but worry about its size.

I had never paid attention to what was beneath the neck whenever I met Chaewon, focusing only on her face and voice.

“It’s heavier than I thought…”

The sudden weight felt as I removed the bra pulled my upper body forward, surprising me.

Were breasts always this heavy?

Those who gracefully danced wearing such weight and female students who carried it with vigor are truly admirable.

Now, the final step.

Thinking of meeting Chopin in the warm water.

With my gaze fixed towards the bathtub, I swiftly removed the lower garments.

Alright, preparation for immersion complete.

I gently placed Chaewon’s smooth foot into the half-filled bathtub.

I thought my body would react strongly to the long-awaited bath, but…

“Hot!”

The water was just scalding hot.

Damn it. Chaewon’s toe almost got burned just now.

[“What’s wrong, are you okay?!”]

Startled, Siwoo rushed in and asked, knocking on the door.

“Ah, I-I’m fine. The water was too hot.”

“Be careful.”

Siwoo sighed in relief and left, gently checking the water temperature with his fingertips.

Why is it so hot?

It was supposed to be the usual temperature I bathed in.

“Maybe Chaewon has sensitive skin….”

I heard somewhere that women have thinner skin than men due to hormonal differences.

So, even if it’s the usual temperature, maybe her skin sensors are reacting sensitively.

It seems unreasonable to soak in hot water.

Without mixing cold water, Chaewon might turn red.

“A lot has changed…”

Changes in the body speak volumes.

Every time I speak, it feels strange. Yet, I don’t hesitate to speak because her voice is too pleasant.

And the mirror.

Perhaps because I still recognize myself as Jungsioo, I feel a sense of alienation when I look at it.

But like someone obsessed with narcissism, I keep staring at the mirror.

Because Chaewon in the mirror was so beautiful.

“For now, let’s forget everything.”

Chopin, I’m coming to meet you now.

“Mm. Just right.”

I slowly immersed myself in the bathtub, which had reached the perfect temperature.

The inside of the water was still hot, making me flinch, but it’s just right like this.

“Ah~.”

A beautiful voice sings about the bitterness of life.

“Uh-huh~.”

Seemingly a language for uncles, through long sighs during bathing.

“Pah~.”

***

Bathing was refreshing, but when putting back on the underwear I had taken off, it felt like something inside me was breaking.

Well, the fundamental reason lies with me, the idiot who wasted 10 minutes just unhooking a bra.

What can I do?

It was my first time after all.

It was hard to unhook, and putting it back on was even harder.

Every morning, do women who don such complicated armor without being late qualify as monsters?

“The clothes are too big.”

She managed to tighten the pants somehow.

The borrowed round-neck t-shirt was so loose that even a slight mistake might reveal her underwear.

Have I always been this big?

Chaewon thought she wasn’t that short for a woman either.

Well, I should be fine if I’m careful.

“I’ve washed everything. Took so long, got lost….”

Upon exiting the bathroom, Siwoo was already sprawled on the floor.

“Why leave your bed and sleep on the floor…?”

Leaving a comfortable bed behind, he had fallen asleep on the guest blanket spread out on the floor.

Truly remarkable and incomprehensible.

He must have been so frustrated with turning Min Chaewon into Satan.

Carefully, she turned around Siwoo’s head, holding the blanket and pillow from the bed, and returned to the vicinity of the bathroom.

The floor wasn’t spacious, but assuming close quarters, five people could sleep comfortably.

Since moving here, she had once invited her former high school classmates over and gotten drunk, so she knew it well.

First, let’s lie down and search for any clues about our home that might still be on the phone.

She laid out the blanket and lay down on the left side, intending to use the other half to cover herself.

“Ugh.”

Although the floor was hard, it wasn’t that uncomfortable, perhaps because Chaewon was flexible.

She lay down and turned on her phone.

Now, where should I start looking again?

“What apps did I not check earlier?”

She activated the full app list and began scrolling down from the top systematically.

Checked the map app. Checked the delivery app.

Also checked the navigation app, although she didn’t know why it was there.

“Airline app.”

Time was running out, and she didn’t have her passport, so she had skipped over this app earlier without checking.

If she looked closely, maybe she could find the airline schedule. When was the departure and arrival?

She couldn’t know the home address… but let’s just try turning it on anyway, like catching at straws.

“….”

But wait a moment.

Now the bathroom signal comes.

Might as well turn off the lights while getting up.

Almost fell asleep with the fluorescent light on absentmindedly.

It would be a waste of electricity, but it’s awkward for Jung Siwoo—.

“….Ah.”

“….”

As she tried to get up and turned her body, she met Siwoo’s gaze staring blankly at her.

Hastily closing her eyes, she turned her head away from Siwoo.

Exchanging glances so blatantly and then pretending not to notice is really pushing it.

You were groaning and sighing when you turned your body in the first place.

“I’d like to play dumb, but….”

Min Chaewon never lets things slide just like that.

So, to maintain the concept, I must definitely grab Siwoo by the collar.

“I’ll be back from the bathroom soon, shall we talk?”

With things as they are, I should probably move that patient onto the bed.

Otherwise, I might not be able to sleep comfortably.