Chapter 1034: Side Story – Reunion (1)

To Han Min-ah, farewell was always sudden.

In her childhood, when she was still just a high school student. It was like when her parents left home, leaving only her and her two younger siblings behind.

At first, she just thought both of them had gone somewhere far away for work. Han Min-ah’s family, who could never escape their cramped semi-basement villa, struggled just to make ends meet day by day, so it wasn’t strange for them to go on business trips to slightly farther places if work came up.

However, a week passed since the day her parents left, then a month passed.

Then, at some point, when about a year had passed. Han Min-ah decided not to think about the existence of her parents.

Their already difficult circumstances. She thought they must be tired of being responsible for three more family members who did nothing but eat up their food.

Five years passed since the day her parents suddenly disappeared, and although their names were legally and officially declared dead on the family registry, Han Min-ah still held the thought in her heart that her parents had abandoned them.

“Hello?”

「Hello. Is this Ms. Han Min-ah?」

“…Yes, but who is this?”

「Ah, yes. I am Team Leader Yoo Haeyoung of the Dungeon Management Team at Busan City Hall. Is Ms. Han Min-ah’s mother’s name Han Juhee?」

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

…Because she had to believe that her parents, who disappeared one day from their semi-basement villa, had abandoned her and her siblings because they couldn’t handle them, in order to think that they were still alive somewhere she didn’t know.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

“Tomorrow?”

“…Yeah, tomorrow.”

Han Min-ah, with an expression that seemed to have much to say, suggested going out.

Since I was always the one to bring up such things in my relationship with Min-ah, I was happy about her proactive suggestion, but the slightly serious atmosphere conveyed by her expression prevented me from giving a purely positive response.

Perhaps it was an outing with something more important than just a simple date.

The first guess that came to mind was whether Min-ah had finally decided she wanted to have a child with me, but instead of voicing it, I quietly nodded.

“Okay, then. I’ll keep tomorrow free. Until the morning after tomorrow, even.”

“…Really? You can just take off like this, so suddenly?”

“Isn’t one of the perks of being a Guild Representative that you won’t get disciplined for unauthorized absence? Besides, when Min-ah, you ask me to go somewhere, it’s naturally more important than going to work.”

“…Aren’t you going to ask where we’re going?”

“Wherever Min-ah, you want to go is fine with me. Ah, if it’s a long trip, should I ask Eunbyul to drive?”

“…That’s okay. I want to go just the two of us, if possible.”

Seeing as she didn’t deny going somewhere far, it’s probably not near Seoul.

As I was thinking it might be a slightly long outing and mentally organizing the things to pack for tomorrow, she made another unexpected suggestion.

“A-and…”

“Yeah?”

“Tonight… can I sleep in your room?”

“Tonight?”

“…You said it last time. If we wanted to sleep together, we could decide the order with my sisters and come up.”

I did say something like that. In fact, Jin-ah and Seon-ah almost took turns coming up to my room to sleep together.

Jin-ah, who craved affection, loved it most when I held her tightly while sleeping, and Seon-ah, who was starved for sex, often ended up having sex.

And Min-ah, their older sister… she hardly ever came up even after I made that offer.

Except for the days once a month when she regularly relieved herself with me, she rarely slept together… It was fresh in many ways that she, with about a week left until her heat cycle, made such a suggestion first.

“Of course, it’s fine. Today is probably Seon-ah’s turn, so I’ll tell her later. Ask her to give up Oppa for once, for her eldest sister.”

“…W-well, I already told Seon-ah before you got off work, so it’s okay.”

“Oh? Then it’s fine. Anything else?”

“…Nothing else. Just don’t forget that we have to leave early tomorrow morning. I’ll wake you up.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t Han Min-ah’s usual heat cycle that I had memorized, but seeing her reaction, I was already certain in my mind.

That the current Han Min-ah needed someone else’s affection more than anyone else.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

-Creak.

“Are… are you asleep…?”

“I’m not asleep yet.”

“Oh…”

Bedtime. Han Min-ah, having changed into her pajamas, quietly entered my room.

Her hesitant expression as she entered the room, as if she had committed a crime, was endearingly cute.

Even though our physical relationship had become closer, she still retained a sense of mental shyness.

“…….”

“Stop hesitating there and just get on the bed.”

“…I wasn’t hesitating?”

“Yeah, anyway. You said you had to leave early tomorrow morning. Hurry up and get in and sleep.”

“……Mm.”

Han Min-ah nodded once, seemingly without any intention to argue, and walked towards me.

Her light, agile body slipped under the covers on the bed like a cat.

“Where are we going tomorrow?”

“…Busan.”

“Why? Do you want to see the sea?”

“…I do want to see the sea, but it’s not specifically to see the sea. It’s just… there’s something I need to check when I get there.”

“Something you need to check?”

“…It’s just, there is.”

Seeing as she intentionally hid it despite my question, it probably means she doesn’t want to talk about it right now.

Thinking I wouldn’t pry until Min-ah felt like telling me someday, I hugged her tightly without a word.

-Squeeze.

“…Hey, Sung Taekyung…”

“What.”

“I-I’m sorry if I made you misunderstand, but I- I just came to sleep. It’s not like I came here to do it with you…”

“I know.”

“…You know?”

“I’m just holding you like this to sleep too. I usually sleep like this with Jin-ah a lot.”

“…Really?”

“Besides, you came up to my bedroom because you wanted to be close to me like this, didn’t you? Even as sisters, it’s a bit embarrassing to hug and sleep alone with Jin-ah or Seon-ah.”

“Ah, no, that’s…”

“No?”

“…Yeah.”

Realizing that denying it now would feel strange, Han Min-ah quietly affirmed with a voice barely above a whisper.

As I felt her face burrow into my chest, Han Min-ah and I fell asleep, feeling each other’s warmth.

⁎ ⁎ ⁎

And then, the next morning.

“Take Gate 3 from here to Busan Gate Terminal. Be careful not to get confused and go into the wrong one, or you’ll pay double.”

“I’m not a kid, how could I possibly get confused about something like that?”

“Let’s go out to Busan Gate Terminal and grab a taxi. They say it’s better to take a taxi since you have to transfer three times by bus.”

“Do as you please. Since only you know where we’re going anyway.”

Having taken the gate early in the morning towards Seoul Gate Terminal, Han Min-ah and I were now looking for the gate heading down to Busan.

The detailed information about exactly where we were going was still known only by Han Min-ah.

I briefly considered packing a swimsuit, wondering if she might want to go swimming, but since she didn’t mention anything like that, I decided against it.

If she really intended to go into the sea, Han Min-ah would have probably suggested packing a swimsuit herself in the first place.

Still, it seemed that sleeping while hugging tightly last night had helped to some extent, as her expression looked considerably better than it did the previous evening.

“Shall we go out and get a taxi now?”

“Yep. I’ll handle everything, so you just follow me.”

“Okay.”

To be honest, I was still curious. Where exactly was Han Min-ah taking me while keeping it such a secret?

Was she doing this to surprise me, or because she still didn’t feel like talking about it?

Suppressing the questions bubbling up inside me, I followed her through the gate and into the taxi. As soon as we got in, Han Min-ah directly entered the destination into the navigation system from the front passenger seat.

“Geumjeong District, Geumjeong Library Road… Ah, yes. Please take us there.”

It probably wouldn’t mean much to check the navigation screen now to confirm the destination.

I just blankly stared out the window, watching the passing scenery, maybe for about 30 minutes. A signpost that accidentally flashed before my eyes caught my attention, and from that signpost, I could cautiously guess the reason Han Min-ah brought me here.

“Yeongnak Park 500m”

“…….”

A few minutes after seeing that signpost, the taxi quietly stopped.

Except for when she initially operated the navigation, Han Min-ah, who had been sitting in the front seat, got out without a word, and as soon as I got out, I was certain we had arrived at the place indicated by the signpost earlier.

“Yeongnak Park”

“…Let’s go in.”

“…Okay.”

It was the moment I became half-certain why Min-ah’s mood had seemed so down since last night.