episode_0137

#137

When I opened my eyes, I was in Papa’s arms.

Papa, naked, held me tightly as he lay fast asleep, oblivious to the world.

Well, considering how much energy he expended, it made sense he’d be exhausted.

I lifted the blanket slightly and looked at my body.

Traces of last night’s passion still remained, not yet cleaned off.

The semen between my thighs had seeped into the bedsheet, leaving a damp sensation.

It’s not that I disliked Papa’s semen, but it still felt a little uncomfortable.

If it got tangled in my hair, it would be hard to remove…

I should wash up.

I got up and headed toward the shower.

Clothes were strewn across the floor.

Seeing my panties crumpled on top of Papa’s clothes made it all too real what had happened today.

I should probably tidy up a bit.

“……?”

As I bent down to pick up the clothes, I noticed a faint light.

Beside the bed, under the lamp—Papa’s phone.

It was face down, but… a sliver of light peeked through the edges.

Did he leave something on?

Maybe because it was still charging, it hadn’t turned off.

Carefully, I reached out and flipped over the phone.

“Ah…….”

[Call in Progress – Sepia Team Manager Jeon Hogu] [5:32:17]

“Hogu… oppa?”

*

No sound came from the phone anymore.

Past 3:30 in the morning.

After hours of relentless sex, it was only natural he’d be drained.

I kept the call connected until not even the faintest breath could be heard.

I wanted to hang up, but my body wouldn’t move.

Gripping his now-soft cock, the spilled semen remained uncleaned, just left there.

I regretted it.

I regretted introducing Hong Myungsu to Sarang.

I regretted bringing Eun-chae and that Venus group into this.

And Ha-rin meeting Park Dong-chul…….

But there was no turning back now.

The kids who had once said they liked me were gone.

Had those men seduced them with sex?

No.

In the end, the fault was mine.

My own lust, using the kids to satisfy my own desires—that was the problem.

Using as an excuse, I was the one who sold them out.

Even if Hong Myungsu cursed me… it was deserved.

Even if the kids sought affection from other men… it was only natural.

“Hogu… oppa?”

I heard Sarang calling me.

Maybe I was losing my mind, imagining things.

A rustling noise came from the earpiece.

Had someone touched the phone?

The phone…….

“Oppa……?”

Sarang’s voice came through again.

I looked at the phone. A call still ongoing after five hours.

This wasn’t an auditory hallucination.

“……Sarang?”

“Hogu oppa. What… is this?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you and Papa… on the phone?”

So she had seen it.

“And on speakerphone too….”

Sarang’s voice trembled.

Sarang was sharp. She’d have figured out the situation instantly.

“What… what is this?”

“…….”

“Were you… listening this whole time? To… everything?”

Denying it would be pointless.

“……Yeah.”

“Five hours…? From five hours ago, when I was with Papa…? Ugh.”

She must’ve just checked into the hotel not long ago.

“You… heard everything?”

“……Yeah.”

“Even… the sounds of us having sex?”

“…Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you deny it…? Huh?”

“……Because it’s the truth.”

“I… I also checked your other call logs.”

Other calls…?

Did she mean the first time she met Hong Myungsu?

“That call lasted four hours… That was the day I first met Papa, right? Right?”

“Yeah.”

“What… What is this? I don’t understand. Why would Hogu oppa and Papa—? Huh?”

“…….”

I couldn’t understand either.

Why would Hong Myungsu call me to let me hear all this?

Maybe it was just his thing.

He was the type who enjoyed flaunting things subtly.

“Oppa, you… you just listened quietly?”

“…….”

“Without saying anything? Just left the call connected? The entire time?”

“…….”

I had.

To be exact, I listened while… touching myself.

“……Why?”

“Sarang.”

“It’s not… what I’m thinking, right? It’s not that, right, oppa?”

“…….”

“Listening to me with Papa… You liked hearing us have sex, didn’t you…?”

“…….”

“Did you two plan this…? To do it like this…?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then why? I still don’t get it. Huh? Hogu oppa, say something.”

Sarang kept pressing, but I couldn’t speak.

But I had to say something.

“……Sarang.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you still… like me?”

“…….”

No immediate answer came.

Only Sarang’s stifled sobs from the other end.

“I like you… Hogu oppa. I like you…!”

“…….”

“I still… really like you…!”

“…….”

No words came to me.

I still couldn’t understand Sarang.

I didn’t know what was in her heart.

Just moments ago, she had been panting in Hong Myungsu’s arms.

The same girl who had said she loved him.

And now she was saying this—I couldn’t comprehend it.

I knew Sarang was capricious, quick to follow her emotions.

But even so, I couldn’t understand or believe her words.

“But still… why…?”

“Hogu oppa, you don’t like me back…!”

“What…?”

“You… you don’t like me….”

“…….”

“After you started dating Ha-rin… do you know how miserable I was…?”

“…….”

I couldn’t answer.

I hadn’t understood Sarang’s feelings…

“I liked you from the very beginning. Even before Ha-rin unnie. I kept clinging to you, acting cute—didn’t you notice? I tried everything to get your attention… and you never even glanced my way…!”

“…….”

She was right.

Whenever she had the chance, when the other members weren’t looking, Sarang was the only one who would sneak close, cling to me, and seek physical contact.

“Oppa always said… idols and managers couldn’t date. So I waited. I could’ve waited until you retired. I was going to confess to you then. That’s why I endured it all this time…!”

“…….”

“I knew you liked Ha-rin unnie, but I still waited. I thought I still had a chance. But… But…!”

Sarang’s sobs finally turned into full-blown wails.

“Why did you start dating her…? Why…!”

“Sarang.”

“I liked you first. Ha-rin unnie didn’t even notice you at first…! She knew I liked you, so why… why did you…!!”

“…….”

This was why.

This was why dating was forbidden.

“You… you told me to go on dates with some stranger…! And you… you went and dated Ha-rin unnie……….”

“Sarang, that was…”

“I endured it! Because you told me to…! Because you asked me to. When I met that man… when I had to entertain the new CEO… when you took me to the hotel for sponsors…!”

“…….”

“Because I thought… if it made you happy. If it was what you wanted, I could do it. So I swallowed everything and did it all…!”

“…….”

“If you liked seeing me with other men… if that was your thing… I could’ve accepted even that. I thought maybe then… you’d like me back…! But…!”

After that, only her cries could be heard.

Just as Sarang said—

I had never considered her feelings.

I knew Sarang liked me.

At 4 a.m., when I’d go to wake the girls up—

Everyone else would still be groggy, hair messy, not even washed up yet.

But Sarang would already have her hair neat, light makeup on, pretending she’d just woken up to greet me.

Sarang had never once… shown me her bare-faced self.

I pretended not to see Sarang’s feelings.

I ignored them… and only looked at Ha-rin.

“Why won’t you look at me!? Why…!!”

Even as she wailed like this.

Even though she only had eyes for me.

I never gave her any attention.

“Oppa….”

“…Sarang.”

“Tell me I’m the prettiest. Say I’m your favorite. Tell me I did well. Say I worked hard. Pat my head just once. Compliment me. Call me cute. Accept my affection.”

“…….”

“Even if it’s a lie… just tell me you love me….”

With those words, Sarang cried like a child.

Just like when I first saw her in middle school.

Back when she sobbed after being scolded by the trainer.

She wept uncontrollably.

I still didn’t understand Sarang.

Her actions, her heart—I couldn’t grasp them.

But.

When it came to me… I could believe her feelings were sincere.

*hic*…! *sob*…! *sniffle*…!”

I waited until Sarang’s tears subsided.

When her cries quieted, I finally spoke.

“……Sarang. I……”