episode_0068

By the time I got back from playing baseball with the old man until I was feeling a little tired, the conversation between the soldiers and the crazy woman was already over.

The sun had set and the sunset was beginning to fade. Was it because night was approaching?

The soldiers began setting up barricades at every entrance to the rest area, and the technicians we brought were busy working on electric vehicle charging stations and hydrogen charging stations.

I had a feeling that I would be sleeping here tonight, and I knew that feeling wouldn’t be wrong. The moment I had that thought, the old man took out the tent.

There were other women who were more like that than me, but honestly, I had no intention of sleeping with a monster like that, so sleeping with the old man was the natural choice.

Honestly, I don’t feel that way about men.

Since I had already slept with the old man more than once, it was clear that the old man would have expected me to sleep with him.

I guess I’ll take a quick shower. I just checked and it looks like the water is connected.

Since the soldiers were the ones who held the city’s water supply in their hands, it didn’t seem like too difficult a task to fix the water pipes leading to the rest area.

“I’ll go wash up. There’s a lot of dust and I feel dirty.”

“Huh…? No, I’m fine. You don’t like washing your shoes outside, do you?”

What the old man said wasn’t wrong, but as time goes by, things you originally dislike change to not be such a bad thing and eventually you start to like them, so it was the same in my case.

More than anything, it was because the smell of gunpowder had clung to my body due to what had happened on the bridge with the old man earlier, and I felt bad every time I became aware of it.

If I get nervous while we’re sleeping in the same tent, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable for the man who has to sleep with me?

Of course, even if I said that, there was a high chance that my uncle would just let it go, but since I had already suffered and almost died, it was also a partner’s virtue to let him sleep comfortably that day without any worries.

“Okay. I think the shower room is already set up. I’ll go wash up.”

I rummaged through the man’s bag on his behalf as he was busy setting up his tent.

I held in my hand the underwear that the old man had packed earlier. They were still neatly folded in plastic packaging, giving me a strong feeling that they were new.

I wondered if this would fit me, and since I had to try it on anyway for the size, I figured I should take this with me since I was going to shower anyway.

The makeshift shower room seemed to have been made by remodeling a rest area bathroom. Of course, it would be natural to build one somewhere else, since you can’t just run the water pipes there.

Somehow, several places where the toilets should have been had been removed, and the area underneath the toilets where the sewer pipes used to be had already been plastered and blocked.

The partition, which had lost its reason for existing because the toilet had disappeared, was now out of its original place and blocking the place where I wash.

There are only two women, so you must have put a lot of effort into it.

To be honest, I was expecting it to be roughly covered with something like a tent and have only a shower.

I roughly took off the clothes I was wearing and immediately turned on the shower to wash my body.

I was worried that I might smell a little bit of sweat, so I washed every nook and cranny without sparing any body wash and shampoo.

Was it because I enjoyed the hot water so much? Or was it because my body was still in its prime? When I finished showering and went outside, I immediately felt that my skin had become firmer.

Luckily, the underwear fit me well. It said 70C, but honestly, my chest wasn’t that small.

There was a little bit left, but it was definitely not so bad that I couldn’t wear it.

If you force your hand inside my underwear, it’ll go in a little easier?

Yes, since underwear is not meant to be worn tight, it could be said to be an appropriate level.

I shook my head slightly to collect my thoughts and took in the scenery around me.

The feeling of my body, warmed by hot water, slowly cooling down in the evening breeze wasn’t bad at all.

The sunset that had turned the sky red had settled beyond the mountain, leaving only the starry night sky covering the empty parking lot.

It was definitely the old man’s tent… Not too far away, there was a familiar-looking tent. There were other tents in the military green all over the place, but it seemed easier to find the old man’s tent because there were those tents.

“I just washed up. The shower room was clean. Do you want to wash up too, sir?”

“I’ve already been there. I’m not going to pitch a tent for a day or two, and there’s no place to put a pack here, so I just roughly set up the fixing rod and went straight to the shower room.”

“It’s unnecessarily fast.”

I was wearing such simple clothes that I thought I had never worn such light clothing outside before.

Shorts that were close to hot pants and a white T-shirt. I hurriedly put on tights because I thought it showed too much flesh, but I felt empty, as if I was standing naked.

In that state, I took off my shoes, went into the tent, and lay down on the sleeping bag that the man had laid out for me.

I could hear the old man clicking his tongue, but I decided not to pay much attention to it. We were going to sleep together anyway, so it didn’t matter who went to bed first.

“When did you get these clothes?”

“There was a rest area.”

I thought to myself, “The clothes shop owner at the rest stop must be desperate to get screwed.” Well, thanks to that, I can be this comfortable.

Whether it was pants or a skirt. The thought of wearing stuffy clothes after a shower made my head spin. That was one of the reasons I hated washing outside.

“Mister, don’t stay outside like that. Come in. The wind is quite chilly. You might catch a cold. Okay.”

“Then without specifications…”

I decided to do a favor. I turned around slightly to make room for him, and the man came over and sat down in the seat I had made for him.

Now this place has become a space just for me and my uncle.

“You worked hard today.”

I spoke to the old man like that. It was sincere in many ways.

*

Do-Hoon was feeling emotions towards Dan-Hwa that he had never felt before.

Because she was much younger than me, I felt more like a girl than a woman and thought of her as someone I had to protect.

From the beginning of the work at the dam to the entirety of this mission, Danhwa had always seemed like a proper woman to Do-Hoon.

Especially when he fell from the bridge. The sight of the shoes played a decisive role in completely destroying the image of shoes that Do-hoon had had until then.

To be honest, Do-hoon didn’t have the confidence to see Dan-hwa as his mischievous little partner again. After all, he said that she was over twenty.

Even if the world has become like this and growth has been slowed down due to lack of proper nutrition, Danhwa’s development has already reached a sufficient level.

However, even though he was big, just like parents still treat their children like children, Do-hoon had the old Dan-hwa deeply engraved in his mind, but after this incident, he now just saw Dan-hwa as a woman.

Do-Hoon looked down at Dan-Hwa, who was rolling around in his sleeping bag and kicking his feet without knowing anything.

Does he know that I am thinking and worrying about these things?

Unfortunately, the fragrant smell filled the tent so faintly that Do-Hoon began to think that this was not a tent but a girl’s room.

Actually, it is technically a girl’s room since there are short stories.

“Aren’t you going to sleep well?”

Danhwa’s eyes rolled back and forth, reflecting Dohoon’s appearance. Danhwa’s lips, moving around and spitting out words, kept catching Dohoon’s eyes.

Do-hoon shook his head for a moment. He wondered what he was thinking and consoled himself that this was not right.

“Yeah, I should go to sleep.”

Do-Hoon carefully laid down and looked up at the tent ceiling. Then, feeling that this wasn’t right, he turned around and laid down.

This was because the presence of the shoes next to me was more noticeable than usual.

Although Do-Hoon was just in his thirties, he had not been dating many women, and it was even rarer for him to have a woman he was close to, like a single woman.

I’ve had a few drinks with women, but I’ve never slept with them.

Of course, there were many times when women, not Do-Hoon, felt attracted to Do-Hoon and flirted with him.

However, there is a fear that if you touch an ordinary person with your superhuman physical abilities, you might unknowingly ruin that person.

Do-hoon always rejected such offers because he felt that having a lover was truly difficult for him, who was always on the brink of death on the battlefield whenever he had a moment to breathe.

That must have been the case, but now? Why do you feel that way towards someone you cherished like a daughter?

Do-Hoon blamed himself. Despite all the advice he received, his broken heart was not functioning properly.

If, here, he were to throw himself at someone in a fit of anger or even attempt to do so, it would be difficult for him to forgive himself.

Isn’t that the kind of child who doesn’t show any sense of caution towards himself?

Even though he was big and thought of himself as special, he still existed within the boundaries of his family.

There was no way that it could be a feeling that existed in the love between a man and a woman. It was obvious that if I had made such a mistake, it would have been an irreparable wound.

“Mister, why…?”

Do-Hoon felt something pressed against his back.

I knew it was nothing but a shoe, and I also knew that the shoe was sticking to my back and making a noise like it was a shoe.

“No, just. I thought it was okay, but I think it’s bothering me. I’m trying to cool my head.”

Do-hoon lied. He couldn’t say, “I did it because I thought you looked like a woman and I would attack you.”

Given the nature of Danhwa, it was obvious that if he heard such words, Do-Hoon would despise himself.

“Me too, so don’t turn around.”

Do-Hoon was startled by the slightly wet voice and turned around to face Dan-Hwa.

Danhwa’s ruby-colored eyes were gleaming, and her lips, which had been trembling and stealing Dohoon’s gaze, were crushed by her white teeth in fear.

“Why are you wearing shorts…”

“I thought it was gone.”

Do-Hoon knew who those words were directed at. However, he didn’t know what to do, so he moved his arms to calm down the sobbing Dan-Hwa and carefully hugged her.

“It was okay. It was like this here. Nothing happened.”

“I thought you wouldn’t wake up…”

Do-hoon realized that he had been a little insensitive. Beyond insensitive, it was practically insensitive.

Since Danhwa always showed a strong side, Dohoon thought that Danhwa had overcome it well just like he did when he playfully got angry at Dohoon’s playful reaction.

Do-hoon knew that Dan-hwa was secretly concerned about what other people thought. That was why he was more prickly and harsh toward others.

Because she’s a girl, she’s an ordinary person, unlike me who’s practically a superhuman.

I vaguely knew that in order to proudly maintain the title of partner next to the irregular named Do-Hoon, I had to act like an animal with its tail held high and its fur puffed up.

It wasn’t something Do-Hoon had asked for, but it was something that Dan-Hwa had volunteered to do, and if he had decided to partner with Dan-Hwa, it was only natural that he would take care of himself as well.

Since Do-Hoon was so good at tailoring shoes to himself, I thought he accepted it as a given.

Right now, even just now, Danhwa was just a small girl who fit into Dohoon’s arms. But even so, he had no feelings for Danhwa…

A feeling of regret came over me.

How long has it been since we promised to take care of each other and do our best, and now we’re foolishly being swayed by the sight of a shoe that we’ve never seen before and throwing away our original intentions like old shoes?

“I’m sorry. Really.”

“Every time just words…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful from now on.”

Do-hoon threw another empty promise. Do-hoon himself probably knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep it, and the person he was listening to right now probably knew that too.

The face of Danhwa, who had been buried in her heart, turned her gaze towards Dohoon.

“I like you, so don’t leave me.”

Danhwa said that and grabbed Dohoon’s chest tightly. To Dohoon, it seemed like a weak force.

The words “I like you” along with Danhwa’s earnest appeal made Dohoon’s head spin. The promises he had made just now were shaken once again.

The small face was still turned toward him. The moist eyes and soft lips were also turned toward him.

I even wondered if Danhwa’s words of not just talking were perhaps intended for the following situation.

For a moment, Do-hoon felt as if time had stopped. Should they kiss like this? What should they do?

Are you expecting something from the short story?

Do-Hoon decided to be brave.

He put more strength into the hand that was supporting his back and hugged Danhwa even closer. Danhwa came closer. The breath of the two of them tickled each other’s faces and even gave a slight thrill down their necks.

And Danhwa’s eyes slowly closed. The loose pressure he had been feeling on Dohoon’s chest seemed to have gotten a little stronger.

It was a signal. To Do-hoon, it was something he couldn’t ignore and couldn’t ignore.

“I like you too, short shoes.”

*

“Ha…!”

As the old man answered, his breath tickled my face, and before I could come to my senses, something flowed into my mouth.

The feeling of something being eaten, the feeling of something good, the heated iron began to leave marks inside my mouth.

What on earth have I allowed? What am I doing now?

I had that thought for a moment, but it quickly passed. The satisfaction and happiness that came over me immediately were greater than those doubts.

Because it felt like a more certain sign than hearing a promise from the old man’s mouth every time that it wouldn’t be kept.

I felt like my head was going to explode with emotions overflowing. I didn’t know where to put my hands or what to do, so I just let go of my senses. I let myself do it.

I was worried that I might cross the line like this…

Even if I crossed the line, I thought that the old man would do something about it and wouldn’t just abandon me, so I just left everything up to the old man.