episode_0019

Bubbling, bubbling, bubbling.

“Hey, it’s all boiled. Hurry and eat before it gets cold.”

“Okay.”

As I was stirring up some trouble on Instagram, Park Si-hyun urged us to eat quickly once the hot pot started boiling. Feeling a bit hungry myself, I ladled some hot pot into my bowl.

Aside from beef, the hot pot was filled with plenty of shrimp, clams, squid, and octopus, making it a real delicacy. The vegetables mixed in had cooked well, and the spicy broth complemented the rice cakes and noodles perfectly.

I kept eating without restraint until I felt somewhat full. Suddenly, I found myself curious about how Park Si-hyun was eating, so I looked directly at her.

“Slurp, slurp. Slurp—yum.”

“Hey.”

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“…Nothing.”

“? You seem unsatisfied.”

The way Park Si-hyun ate the hot pot was, to put it mildly, adorable. Slurping away and ending with a ‘yum’ made her look just like a rabbit. But to be more honest… it was kind of embarrassing to watch.

It was even awkward watching her sweat while slurping the broth.

The beads of sweat dripping down her turtleneck were distracting.

Even her contented expression after sipping the scalding broth felt awkward.

Breathing felt awkward. This girl is a sex machine.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Just hoping you enjoy your meal.”

“Hmm, come to think of it, you’re not eating much. Don’t have an appetite?”

“No, it’s not that.”

“Then eat more. Here, have some octopus. It’s good for stamina, you know.”

Why is she emphasizing its stamina benefits? Is there some hidden implication?

She seems so awkward that everything she does feels suggestive. Anyway, I ate the octopus she spoon-fed me.

“After we eat, where should we go?”

“I don’t think going anywhere else is a good idea.”

“Didn’t we agree to make a snowman?”

“That’s true, but I wonder if there’s a suitable place nearby.”

“How about making it at home?”

“Well, that’s not ideal.”

Huh. Surprisingly, she doesn’t like that idea?

Originally, I thought we’d make it in front of my house or hers.

If possible, it would be better to do it at my place. The yard and garden are spacious, perfect for making a snowman, and then we could have fun and warm up inside afterward… well, you know, like always.

“We came all the way to Itaewon. It would be a shame to just turn back now.”

“Oh, is that so? I guess you’re right.”

Feeling like we were wasting the opportunity to date, but heading straight back also felt a bit off. It doesn’t matter to me, but for Park Si-hyun who might be under the influence of female hormones, it might be a mood-killing activity.

“Shall we go to the nearby park?”

“The park?”

“Yeah. It looks like there’s a lot of snow. By now, it must have piled up quite a bit.”

“There might be quite a few people… Yeah, let’s do that.”

Park Si-hyun agreed. So, are we going to play at the park… I felt a little disappointed. I wanted to do something a bit daring after seeing Si-hyun eat so sensually. But now, forcing it would be a bit much.

A while later, we finished the hot pot. Eating something warm on a winter day made me feel really cozy.

“I’ll take care of the bill.”

“Hey, you bought clothes earlier, didn’t you? Let me do it. I’ll pay.”

“You also bought me clothes. Let the guy handle the bill.”

“Hmph. Do as you please.”

Si-hyun seemed sorry for buying a lot of her own clothes, so she wanted to buy mine and even pay for the meal. But I insisted on paying. In other people’s eyes, we’d just look like a couple, so I didn’t want to seem like a guy who makes the woman pay. And even if that weren’t the case, she should know how to use her femininity more.

If by any chance(?) she ends up dating someone else, it’s not good at all for a woman to act this way. Doing things like paying the bill and fussing over a man may seem nice because he’s a man, but from a woman’s perspective, it’s foolish to do things that don’t need to be done.

Especially Si-hyun, she’s beautiful. Not just pretty, but damn beautiful. Being pretty is a privilege in itself. Privilege is meant to be wickedly exploited, not relinquished.

Doesn’t that sound too harsh? It’s not just pretty women, it’s the same for handsome men. Then, are handsome men being foolish? Hmm? That might be true, too.

Anyway, after paying, we left the restaurant. Now, naturally, we linked arms and strolled down the street.

“It’s really snowing heavily.”

Si-hyun, wrapped in my coat, gazed happily at the falling snow.

Then, she sneakily looked at me.

“Aren’t you cold? Should I give you the coat?”

“It’s fine. Then you’ll be freezing.”

“However… Ah, come here for a moment.”

“Why?”

“Just follow me.”

Park Sihyun led me to a street stall. The stall was selling various simple items like accessories and scarves. Among them, Park Sihyun bought a couple’s scarf.

“Here, put this on.”

“Hey, everything sold at street stalls is cheap stuff.”

“Yeah, I know. We’ll just use it for today and then throw it away. Come on, quickly. It’s cold.”

Eventually, I gave in to Park Sihyun’s insistence and wore the scarf. Since it was a couple’s scarf, Park Sihyun also wrapped it around her neck.

“Feeling better now?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Actually, it wasn’t that cold to begin with. I did give my coat to Park Sihyun, but my sweater wasn’t as revealing as the one she was wearing, and it had sleeves too.

Come to think of it, everything Park Sihyun bought seemed to be like that. Aren’t they all not warm enough for winter? Well, I’m fine with buying things that look good on me, but… It’s not like she bought them just because I said they were pretty, right?

“The street looks so beautiful with the snow falling.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“It’s a bit regrettable.”

“What is?”

“That I couldn’t see the streets during Christmas.”

“……”

At Park Sihyun’s words, I tried to recall what I did last Christmas, about a month ago.

What did I do? Probably had sex. At that time, my relationship with Park Sihyun was a bit different from now. That’s right… it was before I let Park Sihyun return to being a man.

Back then, we had already seen each other naked, but still, it was somewhat different from now. Rather than tender lovers, we were more like sex partners who had already seen everything.

So, on Christmas Eve? We just spent it together at home. We ordered some chicken, like Americans eat turkey meat, and ate it just like that…

It’s pointless to say this, but looking back, last year wasn’t that bad. It’s just that, the me from back then and the me now are different.

I am much more relaxed now, wouldn’t you say? In some ways, it felt like I had achieved some mental growth. So, I must have lifted the curse I placed on Park Sihyun.

But still, I have no idea why Park Sihyun hasn’t turned back into a man. Was it a lie that I could lift the curse? Or maybe, could it be that Park Sihyun… No, that couldn’t be it.

Anyway, recalling last year’s Christmas, I said to Park Si-hyun, “Shall we go together this year?”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Let’s walk the Christmas streets together this year. By then, the college entrance exam will be over.”

“Let’s do that.”

Park Si-hyun smiled brightly. Her smile was alluring… just kidding, it was beautiful. This time, it was genuinely pure and beautiful.

“Oh, we’ve arrived.”

Amidst our back-and-forth conversation, we arrived at a small park in Itaewon. It was a children’s park with a large bear sculpture in the middle as its feature. Since it was snowing, kids were playing around as one would expect in a children’s park. There were also a few couples.

“It feels just like our apartment playground, except for that bear.”

“It might look a bit scary at night.”

“Why? It’s just cute. Hey, let’s take a picture.”

“Are you going to post it on Instagram again?”

“Yeah. The haters have been increasing like crazy. I’m going to make them explode even more.”

She’s like a devil. But I found the idea of making the haters explode amusing, so I decided to take a picture right away.

Si-hyun and I soon started taking couple shots, standing close together, leaving the eerie-looking bear sculpture behind.

*Click*

“Okay, one more time.”

*Click*

“Last one.”

It seemed like Si-hyun had gotten into taking pictures. However, when taking the last shot, she kissed my cheek.

*Click*

“Hey, what are you doing?”

“We should do this so those idiots get even more furious.”

“Ruthless. Stop it and let’s make a snowman.”

“Yeah.”

Soon, we began gathering the snow in the park. In fact, not only us but also the kids and other couples in the park were gathering to make snowmen. It seems that thinking about making a snowman is universal.

“Yo ho, yo ho.”

“…Do you have to say it like that while doing it?”

“So what? Are you embarrassed?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Damn, it’s cute, you bitch. Have you been soaked in estrogen up to your brain?

But I couldn’t say such a thing, so I just diligently worked on making the body.

“Alright, the body is done. Put the head on.”

“Yeah. But is that twig sticking out there the belly button?”

“Huh? No? It’s a dick?”

“…You perverted bastard.”

Park Sihyun made a disgusted expression, but then as if having a good idea, she put on the face she had created and added a tree branch to make it look like -_-.

“Let’s make one more.”

“One more?”

“Yeah. This one’s Geonwoo’s. I should make one next to him.”

“This is how you see me?”

“Yeah. It looked just like you. Insensitive and foolish.”

What a stubborn jerk.

I wanted to say that, but I somewhat reluctantly accepted the grotesquely large penis I had created.

Anyway, I made another slightly smaller snowman next to it.

“Hey.”

“Yeah?”

“Are you making it bulging… for the chest?”

“Yeah, huge chest. Because this is you, Park Sihyun.”

“You pervert.”

That’s how Kim Geonwoo and Park Sihyun’s snowmen were made. Both were excellent snowmen with vicious genitals and a red tube.

“You made all the snowmen.”

“Hey, I want to try that one.”

“Huh? That one? The rocking horse?”

“Yeah, I want to try that.”

Park Sihyun pointed to the children’s rocking horses in the park.

“…Really going to ride it?”

“Why? Can’t I?”

“No, you can, but…”

Just because it’s for kids doesn’t mean adults can’t ride it. It’s not that they can’t ride it, but…

“Wow, this is fun!”

“……”

It was Park Sihyun, sitting astride the size of a child’s horse, excited. She was thrilled, but the surrounding gazes, especially those of men, were sticky.

Because when you rock that small horse, your eyes are drawn to the emphasized bread rolls and swaying red tube. I was the same.

“Hey, stop it.”

“Huh, why? It’s so much fun.”

Sigh, stubborn jerk. She doesn’t even know how she looks to others. She’s really talented at making men feel uncomfortable. It was dangerous, so I needed to seal her off.

“Hey.”

“Yeah? Oh!”

“Ahaha! Idiot! Your expression is priceless.”

In a moment, Park Sihyun secretly squinted and stuffed my neck into my turtleneck. It was incredibly cold. Park Sihyun laughed as if nothing had happened.

“You got owned, you jerk!”

“Eek! What are you doing!”

As payback, I started stuffing snow into the part of Park Sihyun’s turtleneck where her huge chest was exposed. I did it as if I were just shoving it in, causing Park Sihyun to scream.

“Pervert! Idiot! Jerk!”

“Hmph. You started it.”

“Still!”

We exchanged glances and naturally agreed to get along well. Naturally, we wanted to go somewhere warm. If there was a warm place nearby…

“Wanna go to a motel?”

“Let’s go to a motel.”

Both Park Si-hyun and I said at the same time.