episode_0409

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Of all times to run into Seol Da-bin.

My luck is just fucking terrible.

Clicking my tongue at the terrible timing, I turned around carefully to avoid making any noise.

The vibrating bell in my hand kept going off, which was annoying, but there’s no way the sound would carry all the way over there.

Since there’s no separate button to turn it off, I guess it only stops when placed on the charger.

Examining the vibrating bell, I climbed the stairs again.

If only it had just been Baek Seo-yeon and Yozora here.

Then I wouldn’t have had to hide like this.

It’s not like I was meeting another girl alone—if I brought up Baek Seo-yeon’s position as student council president, I could’ve smoothed things over somehow.

But the other person…

Since Sua and I have met before, it’s better to avoid running into her if possible.

From her reaction earlier, it seems Sua was too embarrassed at the time to properly remember Seol Da-bin, and Da-bin only briefly saw Sua months ago, so she probably doesn’t clearly remember her face either… but if she sees her with me, that’s a different story.

She’d probably start piecing together old memories bit by bit.

In the end, all three might think I’m involved with them in that way.

Of course, this is only a problem if Seol Da-bin actually runs into my group, but…

Assuming the worst-case scenario is wiser than being careless.

“I hope she doesn’t come this way…”

After passing the landing and climbing a bit further, I peered down the stairs to see if Seol Da-bin was heading this way.

Luckily, she was just sitting by the first-floor window, tapping away on her phone.

Unless I made a loud noise, she probably wouldn’t glance toward the counter. I quickly grabbed the drinks and left.

If Seol Da-bin had come up to the second floor, I would’ve been at a loss for what to do. At least that’s one worry off my mind.

“…….”

…But now that I’d luckily resolved the situation,

a belated curiosity about why Seol Da-bin was here brushed through my mind.

Of course, since this area is bustling, running into someone you know isn’t particularly strange.

Just 30 minutes ago, an Academy student recognized Baek Seo-yeon and me on the street and greeted us first.

But still…

Something about the Seol Da-bin I just saw felt… off.

It’s just a hunch, but she seemed different from usual.

The fact that her friends or Baek Ji-ho weren’t around is understandable.

She could’ve arrived early to wait, or maybe she just came out alone for a casual stroll.

But what bothered me was that she was wearing a mask despite not seeming sick.

Unless there’s an epidemic going around, who wears a mask just for a walk?

And there’s no reason to wear one when meeting friends, either.

If I had to point out one more thing, the pitch-black hoodie she had on earlier was also subtly unsettling.

Drab, plain, unnoticeable clothes.

The Seol Da-bin I know wouldn’t choose something like that.

Not when she called me out alone for her friend Lee Ha-yun.

Not when she ran into me while on a date with Baek Ji-ho.

Not when we went on a preliminary scouting trip before our double date.

Not even during our trip just a few days ago.

There’s never been a time when Seol Da-bin went out looking this plain.

Not once.

“Hmm…”

Purposely wearing a mask.

Dressing in loose clothes to avoid standing out.

If I were to simplify it,

it’s to avoid drawing attention.

And if Seol Da-bin has a reason to do that…

“……I don’t get it.”

Well.

I really don’t know why she’s acting like this.

Luckily, I know one way to satisfy my curiosity.

Following her directly.

When investigating suspicious behavior, there’s no more reliable method than this.

409

Stalking someone you know is surprisingly entertaining, but with four people sticking together, we’d stand out way too much.

Especially if Han Sua, who has no idea what we’re doing, tags along—we’d get caught by Seol Da-bin in less than five minutes.

So I subtly signaled Yozora via chat and used Ha-yun as an excuse to slip out of the café.

Baek Seo-yeon seemed dissatisfied, probably because she was clueless, but I trust Yozora will explain things to her later.

Anyway.

Assuming Seol Da-bin is secretly up to something, I came up with a few hypotheses:

1. Seol Da-bin has a hobby she’s too embarrassed to share with her friends.

Like, say, something related to subcultures.

Or something that clashes hard with her usual image.

But since she’s never shown even a hint of that, I kept it in mind as a possibility.

2. She just came out casually because she lives nearby.

Thinking back to when we took the subway together—she got off later than me and Ha-yun—she probably doesn’t live around here.

3. Seol Da-bin is secretly two-timing someone after telling me she’s not interested in dating.

If that were the case, she’d avoid busy areas like this, so it’s nonsensical, but it would be a dopamine rush.

I could blackmail her, demanding compensation for keeping her secret, and have my way with her—even more so then.

But as I said earlier, Seol Da-bin wouldn’t cheat on anyone.

If she had, given how rabid her fans were before the regression, rumors about who she was seeing would’ve spread like wildfire.

In the end, the most plausible is the first one:

Seol Da-bin has an embarrassing hobby—that’s it.

Still, I’ll take whatever info I can get.

Later, I could develop a similar hobby to have more to talk about with her.

Like how Yozora memorized shoujo manga to get closer to Han Sua, I could try something similar.

I was sipping my cold soda while organizing my thoughts when—

“…She’s out.”

Seol Da-bin, holding an iced Americano, stepped out of the café.

Waiting for her in the shade nearby, I quietly blended into the crowd and began tailing her.

The scorching sun stabbed at the back of my neck, but the streets were still packed.

At first, I kept a 10-meter distance, but fearing I might lose her, I closed the gap slightly.

If we keep going this way, we’ll reach the manga store where Yozora and I first had sex.

But Seol Da-bin passed by without a second glance.

Further ahead is the movie theater where Baek Seo-yeon and Yozora watched a film together.

Seol Da-bin only gave it a fleeting look before moving on.

A store displaying various musical instruments wasn’t her destination either.

She breezed past a shop filled with intricate plastic models.

When we neared an arcade, I almost convinced myself she was secretly practicing to avenge her past defeat—

but no.

After walking so far, only melted ice water remained in my takeout cup.

As we moved away from the downtown area, the crowd thinned considerably.

Maybe it really was just a casual stroll.

Was she just going to sigh, say “Ugh, I’m tired,” and head home?

Just as that thought crossed my mind—

“…I should start hiding better.”

At the very least, it seems she did have a destination in mind.

Given how she’s been glancing around occasionally, it’s clear.

If I get caught now, all my effort so far will be for nothing.

Deciding to be more cautious, I stuck to the shadows of buildings as I followed her.

The tension was already making my throat dry.

“…?”

But Seol Da-bin stopped sooner than expected.

Right ahead. Watching her slip into a building, I trudged closer to see what kind of place this was.

“…….”

The sign had random English words that gave no hint about the business.

But what it’s called doesn’t matter anymore.

“…Ha.”

Right below.

From the first to the third floor, the display windows offered a clear view inside.

And they practically screamed: “I’m a sex shop.”

From lingerie to condoms,

and even onaholes.

All kinds of explicit items were shamelessly on display.

…People are less interested in others than you’d think.

I repeated this to myself as I walked,

but why did it feel like the whole world was staring at me the entire way here?

Fidgeting with the mask I’d worn to avoid being recognized by friends,

I stepped into a sex shop for the first time in my life, glancing around at the surprisingly bright interior.

Please, just treat me like I’m invisible.

I veered toward a section that seemed less staffed.

“Welcome. Could I see your ID?”

“…Ah, sure.”

But my hopes were dashed right from the start.

Well, it is a sex shop, so

asking for ID is only natural, but…

I could feel my face burning, but thankfully, the clerk didn’t comment.

Probably used to customers like me.

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

“Uh, yes?”

“The store is pretty big, so without guidance, some customers spend forever wandering around.”

“…I see.”

It is huge. Scanning every item on the shelves would take ages.

Though part of me would rather waste time doing that than…

…No.

The clerk is a woman, which helps.

And we’ve already started talking.

Most importantly, it’s better than explaining this to a male clerk.

Hesitantly, I forced out the words.

“…I’m, uh… looking for a… dildo….”

“Ah, right this way.”

“…Okay.”

…Who’d have thought I’d ever say that word out loud in front of someone else?

Maybe it’s because I’ve never been with a boyfriend. I felt unnecessarily embarrassed, but the clerk didn’t seem to care, striding ahead confidently as I hurried after her.

The section she led me to was packed with female toys.

Some were so abstract I couldn’t tell how they were supposed to be used, but…

The dildo’s design left no room for imagination.

“…….”

But…

This isn’t the size I’m looking for.

“Um, excuse me….”

“Yes?”

“Do you have… a slightly… bigger size…?”

“Ah, we don’t display those, but we do have them in stock. What size are you looking for?”

If I said 20 cm, maybe a little bigger, even another woman might judge me.

I was scared of how the clerk would look at me after hearing that.

But I couldn’t keep beating around the bush.

Adjusting the mask that had already crept up to my nose, I finally—

with my head bowed—

“A-about… this big….”

Like Hayun did, I gestured the length with my hands.

“Got it. One moment.”

“…Thanks.”

I’m so embarrassed.

I want to go home.

Those thoughts flashed through my mind, but at least there weren’t many other customers around.

Of course, since it’s a sex shop, most visitors are couples, but I did spot a few solo shoppers.

Like that woman over there.

Or that guy who just walked in…

“……?”

“Oh? Fancy meeting you here.”

…Wait.

That’s—

“Seoul’s smaller than I thought, but still… Anyway, here with your boyfriend?”

“Uh, well, I mean…?”

Seo Jin.

Why are you—

Why here, of all places?

“What about you? Here with Hayun?”

“Nah, just me this time. There’s something I want to try with Noona later.”

“…Oh. I see. Hm.”

“The men’s section is upstairs. Is your boyfriend up there…?”

“…….”

“Here you go. I brought something close to what you asked for….”

“…….”

“…….”

No, I mean—

Stop looking.

Hold on.

Why is the packaging so blatant—

“…9 inches. 23 cm… memory silicone… eco-friendly material….”

“D-Don’t read that out loud…! Why are you— …Hic!”

Ah, damn it…

…Hiccups.

Seriously, just—

How am I supposed to explain this?

“So it’s a substitute? For when your boyfriend’s too tired?”

“Y-Yeah… You can’t, like, do it every day… so just for when it’s unavoidable….”

“Really?”

“…….”

“For when he’s tired… Hmm….”

“…….”

After scrambling for an excuse, I met Seo Jin’s gaze as confidently as I could.

…Of course, I was trembling inside.

I almost wished the clerk had stayed nearby.

Maybe she left thinking she’d be in the way.

Or maybe she had other work.

Or maybe she assumed he was my boyfriend.

Being alone with Seo Jin like this was suffocating.

…Nothing I can do.

Getting caught was just bad luck.

Please. Please just buy the “boyfriend substitute” lie.

After flipping the dildo box over, Seo Jin handed it to me without another word.

As I cautiously took it, still visibly uneasy, he smirked and added quietly:

“One thing I’m curious about.”

“…What?”

“Does your boyfriend know?”

“…….”

Not at all.

And he probably never will.

“Guess not. You came here alone to keep it a secret from him.”

“……How…?”

“Why else would you be at a sex shop alone? You’re not strangers—you’re a couple.”

“…….”

“Though that was just a guess… Your reaction confirms it. You really came alone. In secret.”

That I’m here at a sex shop alone.

That I’m buying a dildo modeled after another man’s genitals—not yours.

“But of all things, why that?”

“…W-What do you mean…?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about. You also know why I’m bringing this up.”

“…If you mean the size, I just based it on my boyfriend’s—”

“Don’t feed me that braindead bullshit.”

“…….”

“…Why did you buy it?”

“…….”

I dragged him outside, saying we should talk there…

…and even managed to check out first.

All of it.

For the rest of my life.