Ch.173173. What’s Mine is Mine, What’s Yours is Also Mine.

“How many people are left in this house right now, in total?”

My heart suddenly fluttered at the question she asked with a meaningful smile. I’m not sure if it’s because her smile is pretty, or if there’s some other reason. I’m already troubled enough by her outfit, so I wish she wouldn’t smile like that. It’s making me anxious.

“…Two people?”

I answered her question, but I don’t know where to put my eyes. Hwa Nabi is looking straight at me, but feeling awkward, I couldn’t meet her gaze. Yet if I keep avoiding her eyes, I’d obviously look strange, and if I look elsewhere, her revealing outfit would make me seem like I’m staring inappropriately.

This is truly a dilemma. Look up and I see her chest, look down and I see her thighs. Which would be less uncomfortable to look at? As I was seriously contemplating fixing my gaze on her navel, Hwa Nabi took a step closer.

“Why are you avoiding eye contact?”

Is she really asking? Obviously because it’s uncomfortable. As I was about to respond, I caught her facial expression. The corners of her mouth were turned up—she seemed to find my flustered state amusing.

This girl… she’s great in every way, but her problem is playing these pranks at the most unexpected moments. Though I’m also at fault for always going along with it.

“I’m not avoiding eye contact.”

“You’re avoiding it right now.”

True to her words, I was staring fixedly at her abdomen rather than her face. With her chest buttons undone and her skirt so short her thighs were completely exposed, I had nowhere safe to look.

The buttons around her navel were fastened, making that area relatively less exposed. Even so, the tight fit made it suggestively sensual all the same.

…To think there’s a baby inside that smooth belly—maybe it’s because she’s in early pregnancy. There’s hardly any visible change, so it doesn’t feel real. Is it okay to be like this in front of a baby? For some reason, I feel incredibly guilty.

“You’re thinking about something else right now, aren’t you?”

I was lost in thought for what felt like less than three seconds, yet she noticed with uncanny perception and called me out. Hit right on the mark, I couldn’t answer promptly. But in this situation, no answer is an answer in itself.

“Siwoo, when it’s just the two of us, isn’t it polite to focus on the other person?”

“Well… that’s true.”

“You still seem distracted.”

I need to make you focus, this won’t do. Hwa Nabi muttered something quietly and took out her phone from her skirt pocket. Wondering what she was up to, I watched as she quickly navigated the screen and opened the camera app.

“Come here.”

“Huh? What are you doing?”

She didn’t answer my question, and instead linked her arm with my left arm. Then she held her phone up high, adjusted it to what’s commonly called the “face angle,” and took a photo.

“Good, it came out well.”

In the photo, we look genuinely affectionate. Hwa Nabi is resting her head on my shoulder with a smile, and I’m looking at her with incredibly gentle eyes.

In reality, I was just blankly staring at her wondering what she was doing, but those emotions weren’t captured in the photo.

“I just sent this photo to you on KakaoTalk. Set it as your phone background and profile picture. Got it?”

“…You want me to use that as my background?”

I’d like to comply with Hwa Nabi’s wishes when possible. But isn’t this going too far? If I set a selfie with her in such an obviously provocative outfit, what would others think of me?

“Yes, why? Is there a problem?”

“There is a problem. A huge one.”

If one of my friends set a selfie like this as their profile picture… I’d think they weren’t quite right in the head.

“If we were both half-naked in the photo, maybe, but this…”

Neither option would look normal, but at least with the latter, I could claim it was some kind of concept photo. Hearing my words, Hwa Nabi thought for a moment, then firmly shook her head.

“No, that won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“I told you before, didn’t I? Your naked body belongs to me. I can’t show it to others.”

“…Why is my body yours?”

Just as I was about to say something more out of bewilderment, Hwa Nabi hugged my waist tightly. Feeling the soft, squishy sensation, I froze mid-sentence.

“Please do it, okay? You will, right?”

“This isn’t something you can just ask for…”

“Come on, Siwoo. Just this once, please? Can’t you do it just this one time?”

“…”

This time my heart fluttered for a different reason. Why is she so cute? I almost signed a guarantee contract on the spot.

I knew she was naturally affectionate, but when she deliberately turns on the charm, it’s impossible not to be moved. The saying that aegyo is a woman’s weapon that shakes men’s hearts isn’t just empty words.

As I stood there speechless, Hwa Nabi even rubbed her cheek against me while making adorable nasal sounds. Feeling like I might give her my liver and gallbladder if I resisted any longer, I quickly nodded.

“Ah… okay. I’ll set it. So stop now.”

“Hehe, good. You made the right choice.”

Not stopping at verbal praise, she even kissed me on the cheek. Smack—at the loud kissing sound, I felt embarrassed and gently rubbed the cheek where her lips had touched.

“I’ll do it since you insist… but why do you want me to do this?”

I’m less embarrassed since I look normal in the photo, but that’s not the case for Hwa Nabi. Is there a reason she’s willing to expose herself like this for a profile picture?

I asked because I truly couldn’t understand, and Hwa Nabi tilted her head as if wondering why I was asking such an obvious question.

“This way other women won’t come after you.”

“…What did you say?”

She talked like someone spraying insect repellent, and for a moment I thought I’d misheard. As I looked at her in disbelief, she seemed to realize her slip of the tongue and caught herself.

“This way other people won’t misunderstand, I mean.”

She added primly, as if nothing had happened—her feigned innocence was practically an art form. Even when I narrowed my eyes at her in disbelief, she looked back at me defiantly, as if asking what the problem was.

“What’s wrong? I’m just keeping my man in check.”

“No, it’s not that it’s wrong…”

It’s just that the method is too extreme. Looking at it carefully, Hwa Nabi is quite possessive, occasionally showing these slightly off-kilter behaviors. Like posting affectionate selfies on Instagram or setting provocative photos as profile pictures.

At times like this, I should be firm and restrain her, but her cute aegyo usually accompanies these moments, making it impossible for me to stand my ground. No matter how I look at it, I’m just too soft when it comes to Hwa Nabi…

“If it’s not wrong, then you have no complaints, right?”

“…Fine, do whatever you want.”

As long as she doesn’t go too far, it should be fine. With a deep sigh, I gently stroked the back of Hwa Nabi’s head. Pleased with this, she made a purring sound and rubbed her cheek against my chest. She’s just like a cat. Nabi at home also likes it when I rub the back of her head.

While continuing these idle thoughts, a small curiosity arose. Unlike Hwa Nabi, the cat Nabi really enjoyed being touched where her bottom meets her tail. I think they called it “butt pats” or something—I can’t remember the exact term.

“Mmm… that feels nice.”

Looking at her now, she’s exactly like a cat, so wouldn’t she also enjoy butt pats?

I subtly moved my left hand. My target was obviously Hwa Nabi’s bottom, which was clearly visible with her short skirt fluttering.

“…”

In the end, I couldn’t resist my curiosity.

Smack! As I opened my palm and patted her bottom, Hwa Nabi was startled and opened her eyes wide. She practically jumped away from me in shock, and with flushed cheeks, she asked:

“W-what are you doing?”

“…Butt pats?”

“Butt pats…? That’s something you do to cats!”

She seemed genuinely embarrassed that I had slapped her bottom, and her voice rose noticeably. Is she really flustered about this? Seeing her like this after so long is kind of cute. I smiled and took a step closer.

“Ah, sorry. You were making similar sounds to Nabi, so I mistook you for her.”

“There are other things to mistake! How can you confuse a person with a cat?”

“You’re both named Nabi. So it’s possible to get confused, right?”

“This guy, really! Are you going to keep saying such nonsense?”

Her heated reaction makes me want to tease her more. While Hwa Nabi responded with increasing fervor, I casually approached her.

“Wait, why are you coming closer?”

Detecting something ominous in my footsteps, she covered her bottom with her hands. But that only makes her look cuter, making me want to pat her more.

“Hmm, I wonder why?”

“…You’re coming to pat my bottom again, aren’t you?”

Wow, her intuition is incredible! I was just thinking how plump and satisfying it would be to pat. Remembering the sensation of her bottom makes my mouth water. I unconsciously licked my lips, and Hwa Nabi cried out as if she’d seen some kind of monster.

“D-don’t come any closer!”

“I don’t want to stop.”

“If you come any closer… I’ll tell your mother everything!”

I hesitated just as I was about to take another step. But then I realized it didn’t matter at all.

“Go ahead. But before that.”

After all… there’s no one here right now, is there? If she can’t call anyone immediately, I don’t care whether she tells or not.

“I’m going to touch you however I want.”