episode_0333

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After sending Seol Da-bin off, I checked the clock—it was already past lunchtime.

I leaned back in my chair, pressing my numb cheeks with the back of my hand from forcing smiles all morning.

Above all, I was lucky.

The ice cream had just been a whim, but the rest had been entirely unexpected.

I still didn’t have enough justification to go see Seol Da-bin in person, so her coming to me like this was a welcome surprise.

Unfortunately, there hadn’t been any apple-flavored ice cream, so I just handed her whatever was available. She grumbled but ended up eating it all, so I guess she didn’t dislike the flavor.

She did get a little annoyed, but that was it.

Someday, I’d like to see a Seol Da-bin so completely tamed that she wouldn’t refuse anything I asked of her.

But for now, I kept that premature greed locked away in my head.

Even this delicate relationship was more than I could’ve hoped for.

We weren’t close by any means.

But we weren’t so distant that we couldn’t reach each other.

Just… friends of a girlfriend. That kind of relationship.

For now, the best course of action was figuring out how to smudge the ink of these words.

And to do that, the answer was obvious.

I’d have to make sure Seol Da-bin saw me getting close to Lee Ha-yoon as often as possible.

“Huu….”

There was one other thing bothering me, though.

Earlier, while treating Seol Da-bin, I’d gotten a glimpse inside her body.

“…Might as well jot it down.”

I unlocked my laptop with the password and created a new text file—”New Text Document.txt”—just to note down what I’d just learned.

Seol Da-bin.

As expected.

Her thighs were surprisingly sensitive.

333

“…Ugh, I’m exhausted. Damn it….”

It had been quiet in the morning, but ever since lunch, how many people had I had to deal with?

No—not how many people, but how many times in a row.

The same guys would take a short break and then come right back at me.

…Fucking bastards.

They think it’s over just because they took a break?

What am I, a machine?

If they keep piling on without giving me a chance to rest, when the hell am I supposed to recover?

So damn annoying…

“You did well, Da-bin. Want some water?”

“Mmm….”

Under the bench in the sparring area, I grabbed the cold water bottle stuffed inside a transparent plastic bag and chugged it down.

Some water spilled from my lips from drinking too fast, but I didn’t care.

Quenching this dry thirst came first.

And even if some water dripped down, so what?

I was already sticky with sweat—what difference does a little more moisture make?

It’s not like my T-shirt was so wet it’d become see-through.

…Well, even if it wasn’t see-through.

Maybe because of some what-if thoughts, the boys’ gazes lingered a little longer.

“…Ugh….”

…Disgusting.

Unless I’d told them I didn’t have a boyfriend or something.

But I’ve said “I have a boyfriend” dozens of times since freshman year—what’s the point of staring like that?

Shivering at the incomprehensible sensation, I started properly wearing the gym jacket I’d only loosely draped over my arms.

It was a little stuffy around the chest, but I zipped it up halfway anyway.

On the other hand, I’d be showering soon—why bother?

But for some reason, today, I just didn’t want to be seen.

Sometimes, it’s like, “Whatever, just look all you want. Treasure it and go home to jerk off.”

Other times, it’s more like, “Don’t look at me, you disgusting pigs. Get lost before I kill you.”

Today was the latter.

People can’t always act the same way.

Like I said, I’m not a machine.

“Uwaah… I seriously can’t do this anymore….”

Still, zipping it all the way up was pretty hot.

As I sprawled on the bench thinking that, a familiar voice reached me, so I rolled my eyes toward the sound.

There, crouching to grab a water bottle from under the bench, was a jet-black ponytail.

It was obvious whose it was, so I sat up slightly.

“…You escaped too, Ha-yoon?”

“Ahaha… I’m exhausted….”

“They are relentless… Wait, no—if you’re here too, then who’s left…?”

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Time’s almost up anyway. A few already left to shower.”

“…Ah.”

Was it really that late already?

Well, if Ha-yoon said so, it must be true. I flopped back onto the bench.

…Since Ha-yoon was about to sit down too, I bent my knees to make space.

But maybe because my folded legs looked like a chair backrest,

Ha-yoon, who I expected to lean against the bench, instead leaned sideways—right onto my thighs—and rested her weight there.

It was a little ticklish.

And warm, probably from the exercise.

A little uncomfortable in places.

And, of course, heavy.

So I playfully poked her with my toes, teasing her about the weight, when she spoke up.

“I heard about yesterday. That you taught Woo-jin a bunch of stuff.”

“…Ah, yeah. We just ran into each other.”

“Ran into him? Woo-jin said you called him out?”

“Y-You heard that too…?”

“Yeah. He said after hearing you two were dating, you called him out to show him your favorite spots.”

“…That’s, right.”

“You didn’t have to go that far… That must’ve been annoying, Da-bin.”

“No. I was planning to go with my boyfriend anyway, so I just made some extra time….”

I hadn’t actually met up with my boyfriend, but saying I’d gone alone to meet someone else’s boyfriend would’ve sounded weird, so I lied.

Ha-yoon, unusually pouty, stared straight at me.

“Still, did you have to tell him about the fight with the owner over wages? I’d forgotten about that since it was last year….”

“I didn’t want to risk ruining the mood if he found out later….”

“Ughhh… I was so embarrassed talking about it on the phone yesterday….”

A long, long phone call with her boyfriend.

As someone whose boyfriend lives right next door—conversations through the wall—it was hard to relate.

But Ha-yoon, oblivious to my awkwardness, chattered away like a sparrow.

Thanks to me, she’d learned about a bunch of great restaurants, so she and her boyfriend had decided to prioritize visiting places they hadn’t tried yet for their dates.

If they hit too many duds, they’d fall back on the proven spots.

Since Seo Woo-jin had never been to the aquarium, they’d probably go together soon.

Even when they were secretly dating, everything felt ticklish and embarrassing, but now that it was public, it was even worse.

I got the gist, but relating was hard.

After all, I’d been dating the same guy for nearly ten years since elementary school.

By the time I was old enough to feel flutters over the opposite sex, we were already too close for that.

It had long since stopped being a flustered, shy feeling—more like family.

How should I put it?

Closer than a brother, but not quite just the boy next door.

The kind of relationship where we’d fight over the smallest things but make up by the next day.

That’s about it.

“…Oh, right. Let’s shower. This isn’t the time for talking.”

“Yeah… Wait, ah—cramp…!”

“Huh? Where?”

“My leg, my leg…!”

What would a date at the aquarium with that boy-next-door feel like?

Lost in thought, I finally snorted and got up.

“You okay now, Da-bin?”

“…Mmm….”

Flutters? Please.

I had bigger worries—like whether he’d even show up on time.

…I can handle this alone.

I don’t need Seo Woo-jin’s help or anything like that.

If it were full-blown heat, I’d have felt like sex was the only solution, like last time.

But this isn’t that bad.

I managed with my hands yesterday and the day before…

If I just go home early today and take care of it, I’ll be fine.

Bag—tossed in the entryway.

Clothes—too busy, so I’ll keep them on for now.

Left a quick message saying I’d call at night.

Then collapsed onto the bed.

Only my damp panties—pushed aside.

Pulled to the side so they wouldn’t get in the way.

No, wait—first, lay down a few folded towels to keep the sheets from getting wet.

And then,

indulge.

to my heart’s content.

Recalling that night from days ago.

Scratching the trembling inside with the tips of my fingers.

Stimulating my stiffened nipples through my clothes until I was breathless.

Burying my vulgar moans into the pillow.

Indulging.

To my heart’s content.

But as I kept going—

“Seo-yeon!”

“Ah, there you are.”

“……”

Maybe I’ll be fine by tomorrow.

On my way down the stairs, I ran into the two people I absolutely shouldn’t have met.

Yozora, her lips already curling with mischief.

…And Han Su-a, looking at me with genuine, pitiful concern.

And of all places—on the stairs leading to the first floor of the main building.

“We were looking for you! Yozora and I went to the student council room right after the bell, but you weren’t there?”

“……”

“We asked one of the officers, and they said you left for the classroom about 30 minutes ago because you weren’t feeling well. But when we checked the classroom, you weren’t there either. The senior in class said the same thing—that you left about 30 minutes ago?”

“……”

“Did you already go to the nurse’s office by yourself?”

“……”

“…You don’t look sick, though?”

“I was masturbating in a deserted bathroom, biting my lips and arching my back.”

There was no way I could say that, so I quietly cleared my throat.

“…There’s a bench on the rooftop. I was resting there.”

“Ah, the rooftop~ I haven’t been up there yet, so I didn’t know?”

From the looks of it, Han Su-a still didn’t know about my condition.

Yozora, on the other hand, was 10,000% certain.

Han Su-a just thought I had a cold or something and was worried.

Yozora looked like she was ready to film what would happen if I ran into Seo Woo-jin.

…Like that time before.

When she sent me a video of her having sex with him.

“…Anyway, don’t worry. I feel better after resting.”

“Really~?”

So let’s get out of here.

Before I get dragged into meeting Seo Woo-jin against my will—let’s just go home.

I nodded gratefully at Han Su-a and slipped past her like a fish.

“Bye! Seo-yeon!”

“…?”

…I never dreamed I’d actually get away with no interference.

“…Huh? What? You have something to say?”

“……”

The Yozora I knew would’ve stalled, dragged things out, made a scene.

So why not now?

She should’ve stopped me—asked where I was going, insisted I visit the nurse’s office first…

…I don’t get it.

Maybe she’s backing off because sex isn’t something to joke about.

Or maybe there’s another reason…

As I tried to rationalize Yozora’s behavior, I finally shook my head and headed straight home.

“……”

…That was the problem.

If it hadn’t been for that,

someone as naive and kind as Han Su-a

would never have brought Seo Woo-jin into my scent-filled home.

– Ding-dong, ding-dong