episode_0555

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“You’re back already? I told you not to stay out too long, but I thought you’d at least walk her to the front gate.”

“…It’s getting cold. She told me to just go back in.”

“I see… Well, bring a bowl and eat.”

“Okay…”

I wondered if my face was giving anything away, but judging by Mom’s reaction, I must look normal.

There’s no relieved expression like “I finally did it,” nor a grave one like “I really did it,” so she must be treating me like usual.

…Still, she’ll probably be shocked when I tell her later that Baek Jiho and I broke up.

Lost in thought, I scooped a modest portion of rice into my bowl.

After tossing my cap carelessly within reach, I cautiously took a seat next to Seo Woojin.

Somehow, our shoulders seemed to brush slightly.

Even though I deliberately moved my chair away to make it obvious.

“So, does it suit your taste?”

“Of course. Yesterday too—you’re both such great cooks…”

“Ahaha…”

“……”

Since we were eating in front of my parents, he didn’t ask me a single thing about what happened with Baek Jiho.

Not because he was busy fielding my parents’ attention… but more like he wasn’t paying any attention to me at all.

Just last night, his hands were busy sneaking squeezes at my thighs under the table, but now they’re just gripping his rice bowl.

…Not that I’m suddenly feeling lonely because he’s quiet.

After all the trouble he caused me, good riddance. Yeah.

Every time Seo Woojin touched my thighs, I kept feeling… weird, and it was frustrating.

Anyway, it’s for the best.

I hope he never touches me again.

Never.

Literally never.

Staring daggers at his hands for a moment longer, I finally picked up my chopsticks and began eating.

—Bzzzt

“……?”

Just as I was about to take a bite, my phone buzzed lightly in my pocket.

I glanced at my parents first, but they either didn’t hear it or didn’t care.

…Well, at this point, only Seo Woojin and I would be concerned about someone else’s message.

My parents would just assume it’s a friend texting me.

After hesitating, I discreetly checked my phone under the table.

“Did you make the kimchi yourself?”

“Ah, this is from my husband’s family…”

As expected—Baek Jiho.

Honestly, it’s better this way.

If there had been no contact at all, that would’ve been its own kind of anxiety.

If there’s something he wants to say, something he needs to say, it’s better to get it all out now.

But leaving the table for a call would just draw unnecessary attention, so I changed my approach.

[Seol Dabin] – Why?

I’d already said everything I wanted to say in front of the elevator.

All that’s left is whatever Baek Jiho wants to say.

Probably just confirming whether I meant what I said.

Or maybe an apology, like admitting he was wrong…

…But that doesn’t need a phone call.

After wetting my dry throat with cold water, I glanced at the chat where his profile picture had disappeared.

[Baek Jiho] – Was what you said earlier for real? Not an act?

[Seol Dabin] – …Yeah. – I… couldn’t tell if we were really even dating.

First question—expected.

But there was no apology, even though I thought there would be.

Not that I’d have accepted it, but given how Baek Jiho’s been, I figured it’d lead to one.

Instead, after my reply, a long silence followed.

Felt like over a minute.

Reluctantly, I took another bite of rice, but even then, no response came.

…What’s taking so long? Just as I started wondering what was happening on the other end—

The message finally arrived.

[Baek Jiho] – I deleted them. Your videos. – …Was it too late?

Above his message was a screenshot of an empty video folder.

…Probably the one filled with clips of Seo Woojin and me having sex.

Not that it matters—if he moved them to another folder or backed them up, this is pointless.

Given the short timeframe, he’s probably serious, but objectively, it’s just a dumb way to prove himself.

But right now, none of that matters.

Just.

Like Baek Jiho said—

[Seol Dabin] – …Yeah. – It’s too late. – Way too late.

You kept rejecting me—your girlfriend—when I tried to be intimate with you.

You kept pushing me away whenever I tried to create that kind of mood, using Hayoon or Seo Woojin as excuses.

…Whether it was a small thing or not,

We were childhood friends.

We were dating.

But you kept refusing me.

Pushing me away.

Keeping your distance.

Until I ended up seeing Seo Woojin’s hard… dick right in front of me.

Until I spent every waking moment feeling guilty toward you.

Until I finally learned what it feels like to be loved.

You were always just…

A childhood friend.

[Seol Dabin] – I’d like it if we could go back to being just friends… – …But that’d be hard, right?

[Baek Jiho] – …I don’t know. – Right now, my head’s just… blank.

It’s too late to say I want to be your boyfriend now.

…Because there’s already a guy who’s told me he loves me, over and over.

So it’s too late.

[Baek Jiho] – But what about that friend you were so close with…? The teacher’s girlfriend—what happens to her?

[Seol Dabin] – …I don’t know.

Let’s stop here.

Baek Jiho.

“How did it go?”

“…What do you mean?”

“With Baek Jiho.”

“…Here. I’ll show you—see for yourself.”

“You’re just going to show me like that?”

“…You said you like me, you jerk.”

“Liking someone doesn’t mean you show them everything. This is your private life.”

“I don’t care? No, I think showing you is the right thing to do? Typical of someone who used to sneak around with sex partners behind Hayoon’s back. Ugh…”

“……Hm.”

“I’ll show you first, so later, you tell me about all your sex partners too. At least to me.”

While we were eating earlier, he was fiddling with his phone—so he was talking to Baek Jiho, not a friend.

Well, the timing made sense.

After nearly finishing my preparations to leave, I excused myself under the pretext of talking to Seol Dabin and took her phone.

True to its owner, it was a plain, uncased phone—no frills, no decorations.

Most people who move around as much as she does at least use shockproof cases.

Scrolling up, the first message came into view. The conversation wasn’t too long.

At first, the tone seemed regretful about what had happened. But as it went on, it shifted toward acceptance.

If it were me, I’d have been a little angry. But given her netorare tendencies, maybe she just thought, “It was bound to happen.”

For me, the simpler the better.

Though honestly, I’d prefer if she cut ties with her childhood friend entirely, but that’s not just between them—their families are involved too…

It’d be greedy to push for that, so I stayed quiet.

As I kept reading, one part near the end stood out—their final exchange.

“What are you going to tell Hayoon?”

At the mention of Lee Hayoon, who still knew nothing, Seol Dabin lowered her gaze slightly.

“…Maybe I’ll just hide it?”

“Weren’t you the one who said your conscience wouldn’t allow that?”

“My conscience… does hurt, but…”

She must be at a loss for how to explain it.

Handing her phone back with a sigh, I added a pointless comment.

“You’ve got Jiyoon too, so what’s the problem?”

“She’s family…!”

“Think about it. Isn’t it better to have sex with someone else than with your own family?”

“What kind of…?”

“Say you had a younger or older sister. Wouldn’t you rather do it with Baek Seoyeon than with all three of you together?”

“……Well, yeah, but…!”

“But?”

“…Hayoon’s too nice, and if her younger sister liked the same person, she’d just step aside… It’s not the same…!”

“Maybe. But it didn’t exactly happen amicably.”

“Still.”

She’s right.

No matter how kind and easily swayed Lee Hayoon is, she wouldn’t just let Seol Dabin waltz into her boyfriend’s life like that.

Especially since she’s been in a long-term relationship—it’d be awkward.

So is there no way?

Should we just keep meeting behind her back, stabbing at our consciences like Seol Dabin said?

Glancing toward the bedroom, I lowered my voice and added,

“Or you could get closer to Jiyoon first.”

“Jiyoon…?”

“Lee Hayoon’s too nice to approach, but Lee Jiyoon—the one who’s eager to sleep with her sister’s boyfriend—would be easier, right?”

“……That… Uhm…”

“…She acts all sweet in front of you, playing the happy sister’s friend, but behind your back, she’s the one who turned on the vibrator. That should give you an idea of what she’s like.”

Not that Jiyoon would necessarily like Seol Dabin, but it’s still better than throwing her straight at Hayoon.

After that brief advice, I changed the subject.

“By the way, it’s almost next year—you busy?”

“…I have to get work experience, so… I’ll be pretty busy.”

“Even on weekends?”

“On weekends… ……Ah… Are you asking because you want to… have sex…?”

“Basically.”

“……”

I wondered if Baek Jiho would’ve gotten the same reaction, but she’d probably just yell at me to shut up, so I held back.

In some ways, she’s a lot like Baek Seoyeon. At least in this regard, I knew how to handle her.

“…If it’s like last year, I should be free on weekends. Weekday evenings too, mostly…”

“Evenings are iffy. Let’s meet the first weekend of next year, then.”

“Wh-where…? Your place? My place is…”

“Dunno. I’ll see how things go first.”

“……”

And so, Seol Dabin and I settled on the first weekend of January.

After saying goodbye to her and her parents with a smile, I stepped out into the hallway.

I worried for a second if there was any dried cum stuck somewhere in the elevator, but thankfully, no.

Just the usual clean elevator. Pressing the cracked “1F” button, I pulled out my phone and sent one more message—to someone who wasn’t here.

[Yozora] – …I’m busy, you know? – Hello? I still have to learn how the office runs…

The recipient: Yozora.

The content: Clear your schedule for the first weekend of next year.