Chapter 48: Midsummer Night (3)

It was several minutes later when So-yul finally withdrew her hand.

No, maybe it had been dozens of minutes.

My brain had overloaded, making me lose track of time partway through.

The person I liked comforting me sincerely.

Even gently stroking my back with delicate touches.

It was incredibly difficult to maintain my sanity in such a situation.

“…I’m sleepy. Let’s sleep.”

So-yul said this almost like whining as she lightly removed her hand.

Soon after, I heard So-yul shifting around. The sound of her body rustling against the bed sheets was strangely stimulating. Maybe all my senses were heightened after receiving So-yul’s touch.

“I don’t want you to see my sleeping face, so I’ll turn around to sleep.”

Then she suddenly said these ridiculous words.

I let out a small laugh and replied:

“It’s fine. You don’t have to. I won’t try to peek.”

“You said that before too, but you kept watching me while I was nodding off.”

“…Well since you’ve already been seen once, why not just let me look?”

“No way, so turn around, dummy.”

Hearing it put that way, she had a point. I silently agreed.

Looking back, I’d seen So-yul sleeping twice now. Once when we studied together in the piano room. Another time when I gave her a lap pillow the night before the arts festival.

After going through so many things, now we’d reached the point of actually sleeping next to each other. It was an amazing evolution, if you could call it that.

My feelings for her had grown steadily too.

Realizing these feelings were no longer fake seemed like ancient history now.

Today especially had been full of various events.

From So-yul smiling gratefully at my encouragement. To unexpectedly spending the night together because of the locked emergency exit. Sharing painful family histories and receiving comfort. So-yul gently stroking my back…

My fiercely beating heart showed no signs of calming down.

It seemed I’d probably lie awake all through this long night.

“Good night.”

Unaware of my thoughts, So-yul gave this casual greeting.

“…Yeah. Good night.”

After this brief reply, I closed my eyes.

Since no response came from under the blanket, it seemed So-yul had also immediately prepared to sleep.

Soon after, soft breathing sounds came from behind me.

She seemed to have fallen deep into sleep already, taking steady breaths. She looked incredibly cute yet completely defenseless.

Making my heart race then escaping alone to dreamland – it was a bit selfish of her.

What if I had bad intentions? She was sleeping so peacefully despite the risk.

Of course, I’d never do anything like that… but maybe she trusted me too much. It was somewhat depressing to think I wasn’t even considered as a man.

Meanwhile, I’d come to see So-yul completely as a woman.

Well, that was natural.

Impossibly pretty and cute looks, talent among the best in Korea. Her personality was excellent except for her playful side. Even her tireless efforts despite difficult family circumstances were admirable.

To think such a flawless person suggested we fake date. To think we’d grown this close through various incidents. Everything that had happened felt like a miracle.

How long would these miracles wait for us?

“Mmm…”

So-yul’s adorable sleep-talking cut through my deep thoughts.

Though I’d been in the middle of serious contemplation. Well, lying here wracking my brain wouldn’t lead to any conclusions. I decided to just give up at this point.

As my mind cleared of scattered thoughts, reality filled the empty space.

On my bed in my room. So-yul sleeping soundly right beside me.

My wildly beating heart wouldn’t calm until sunrise. Dawn was still far away.

If I wouldn’t be able to sleep all night anyway, maybe I should just appreciate sleeping So-yul instead. …Ah, so this was why she’d said she’d turn around to sleep.

Hadn’t she said she didn’t want me to see her sleeping face? Since she’d turned around, that worry was gone. It was a win-win for both of us.

Rationalizing like this, I turned around and slightly lifted the blanket.

“…See? Didn’t I tell you?”

Inside, So-yul was watching me with eyes wide open.

“…Weren’t you going to turn around and sleep?”

“I was going to, but decided to pretend just to test you.”

“Why?”

“Wanted to catch the pervert who tries to touch sleeping girls.”

“I wasn’t going to touch you.”

“But you were going to look, right?”

“…”

I wasn’t shameless enough to make excuses after being caught red-handed. When I simply apologized with “Sorry,” So-yul giggled triumphantly.

“Men really are such idiots.”

After saying this, So-yul finally turned her back to me. …I felt somewhat relieved that she at least saw me as a man.

Anyway, I ended up spending the night watching So-yul’s sleeping back.

Though I’d been caught up in needless teasing until the end, I’d ultimately gotten what I wanted.

And naturally, in this position, So-yul’s presence felt even more vivid.

Our movements transmitted to each other. Occasionally smooth skin lightly brushing. A soft sensation spreading where we touched.

So-yul’s unique sweet fragrance repeatedly making my head spin…

Surrounded by sensations so stimulating they made me dizzy.

In the end that night, I had to stay awake until morning.

◎

I sat up as dawn began brightening outside the window.

Usually I would have struggled to sleep in as late as possible. But thanks to not sleeping at all, there was no need to try today. Well, that certainly wasn’t a good thing…

There was another reason I woke especially early.

Looking down, I observed So-yul still deeply immersed in dreamland.

So-yul breathing softly with adorable sounds. Her chest rose and fell rhythmically with each breath.

The pillow she’d stolen and was tightly hugging also pressed and released repeatedly.

Her face was relaxed, muscles loose. Her slightly parted pink lips wore a contented smile. Her disheveled hair seemed to emphasize her defenseless state.

The borrowed t-shirt didn’t fit her size, revealing fair skin down below her collarbone.

It was rare to see So-yul so unguarded. It was such an fascinating sight I wanted to burn it into my eyes forever. I almost took out my phone camera.

But I couldn’t do that.

Tugging at the pillow firmly held in So-yul’s arms, I said:

“Sun’s up. Wake up.”

“Mmm, don’t wanna…”

Whether she didn’t want the pillow taken away or didn’t want to leave dreamland, So-yul whined while shaking her head repeatedly.

“Come on, get up. We’ll be in big trouble if we’re late.”

“Mmmmm…”

This time she even mixed in nasal sounds. Was she complaining not to wake her?

Though she was so cute I wanted to leave her be, delaying would lead to disaster. I patiently continued trying to wake her.

“Get up. Han So-yul.”

“…Mmm.”

So-yul’s body twitched when I called her name.

Then finally, her eyes slowly began to open.

For a while, So-yul just stared blankly at me. Not even moving her mouth, let alone getting up. With an utterly dazed expression, barely turning her eyes toward me.

She seemed quite confused, probably still drowsy.

Soon after, So-yul’s eyelids flew open.

She must have finally completely emerged from dreamland.

“Did you sleep well?”

“…Y-you, how did you get into my room?”

No, seems she wasn’t fully awake yet.

“Wake up properly. The girls’ dorm emergency exit got locked yesterday so you slept in my room.”

“…Oh.”

Finally seeming to grasp reality, So-yul made a quiet sound.

Sadly, there was no time for joking around. We needed to move soon or we’d miss our timing. That would lead to an uncontrollable situation.

Getting out of bed, I told her:

“Hurry and get ready to leave. We need to get out before others wake up or we’ll be caught. Go out now and wait outside, then slip in when the girls’ dorm opens later.”

“O-okay.”

Though I’d kindly briefed her on the plan, So-yul wouldn’t even meet my eyes and just turned her head away sharply.

Her disheveled hair swayed smoothly though she hadn’t fixed it at all.

“What’s wrong?”

I asked though I could guess the answer.

“…I told you I didn’t want you to see my sleeping face.”

So that was it after all.

I laughed loudly enough for So-yul to hear.

“Then you should’ve gotten up faster.”

“What? You should’ve closed your eyes when waking me.”

“What if I accidentally touched somewhere weird trying that?”

When I asked jokingly, So-yul seemed to think for a moment then:

“W-well that’s true.”

Her quick agreement was also amusing.

Actually, I wanted to tell her something else.

That her deeply sleeping face, her dazed just-woken face, were all pretty and cute – I wanted to properly compliment her.

But I had no courage to say such cheesy things to her directly.

Instead, trying to hide these feelings, I lightly patted So-yul’s head as she faced away.

So-yul only managed to give me a questioning look as if wondering why I suddenly did that.

And so the night’s great commotion came to an end.

Afterward, I helped So-yul escape the boys’ dorm by keeping watch at the emergency exit myself.

Once she got out, the rest was up to her. She had to return to the girls’ dorm without getting caught on her own.

Well, So-yul had lots of experience sneaking around, so she’d surely manage somehow.

Then on my way back to my room, I was of course alone.

My head felt endlessly heavy from moving around without sleeping at all.

My mind was still spinning from the aftermath of countless events during the night.

I even started wondering if everything that happened last night might have just been a dream.

Smiling slightly at this thought, I opened my dorm room door.

The sweet fragrance So-yul left behind still tickled my nose, not yet dispersed.

Seems it… wasn’t just a midsummer night’s dream after all.