episode_0033

10. To Seonyudo Settlement (3)

I decided to wash up beforehand since I was pretty sweaty after walking all day while Hyunseok prepared dinner.

One by one, as I took off my clothes, I glanced at Yeonseo when it was time to take off my underwear.

It’s not that I’m embarrassed to show my naked body to anyone or anything, but I just remembered that time when I took a bath with Yeonseo every day for the past week.

Ever since I realized that my body had grown, I sometimes felt eyes looking up and down at me. I didn’t notice it when I was a man, but it was easy to notice these eyes after becoming a woman.

So I glanced over to see if she was still looking at me like that, and it was Yeonseo who was just quickly taking off her clothes and heading to the bathroom first.

As I quickly got into the bathtub naked, I saw Yeonseo filling it with water.

” Is the water still far? ”

” Right, you’re just starting to receive it now? ”

I simply looked at the shampoo and body wash sitting on the shelf until the water was filled, wondering if I could use them.

Of course, in today’s world, it’s not that easy to obtain such items, so they are items that you have to bow down to and accept when given.

However, since the tent itself was a reward for the tower, we had some doubts about whether it was indeed the item we knew.

” Can I use this…? ”

” Why? What’s the problem? ”

” Well, that makes sense, since it was a reward for the top, right? So I’m doubting if it’s the product we know. ”

Yeonseo turned her head to look at me while stirring the water in the bathtub with her hands.

” Why are you worrying about something like that? It’s hard to get it in this day and age anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to be thankful and use it? ”

After returning to Earth, I used what Patruna had prepared without thinking about it, so I think it’s pointless to worry about it now.

” I guess so? Then I’ll use it first? ”

” Or so you say. ”

Leaving Yeonseo behind, who was looking at the water in the bathtub and waving her hands here and there, he squeezed some shampoo onto her hair and slowly started to lather it up.

When I was a man, my hair was thick and it was hard to grow it out and it was also a hassle to take care of it, so I kept my hair short and it didn’t take long to wash it.

Now that I’m a woman, it takes twice as long. Of course, it takes longer than when I first came back to Earth because I’ve grown.

As I was washing my hair with just the right amount of foam, the sound of the water in the bathtub started to disappear and I felt a presence behind me.

” What are you doing behind me…? ”

” It’s still a good feeling no matter when I see it. The excitement is ruined. ”

As I whispered those words in my ear, I heard a ‘whoosh’ sound of water being scooped up, and suddenly water poured down from above me.

” Heuk, phew~ What are you doing all of a sudden..! ”

” Sorry, my hand slipped~ Sorry, let me wash your back instead~ ”

” What?! Hey… Wait! Hey! ”

As I was rubbing my eye, wondering if the sudden splash of water had caused bubbles to enter my eye, I felt Yeonseo’s hand on my back.

” Heehee, I can do it…! ”

” You don’t have to be picky~ Whenever I see you, your skin is always so nice. I’m a little jealous that you’re even sensitive. ”

I say I’m jealous, but in my situation, this sensitive body was quite burdensome.

In the past, when I washed by myself, my skin was so sensitive that even the slightest stimulation made me feel strange, and it was even worse when someone else touched my body directly like this.

I first found out about this when Ara, Yeonseo, and I took a bath together, and it was really hard to endure.

I slowly took a deep breath and held it in, then grabbed the plastic basin next to me and slammed it into Yeonseo’s head with such force that I heard a ‘thud!’

” Hey, ugh, I told you to stop before..! ”

*****

” Oh, it hurts~ What are you going to do if you get a bump on your head? ”

” Huh! ”

I hugged my legs, turned my head to the left, and immersed myself in the bathtub water up to my mouth.

” I’m sorry~ Don’t be upset~ ”

Yeonseo came crawling towards me, water overflowing from the bathtub, making a gurgling sound, and continued to apologize while touching my cheek.

” Don’t exaggerate it too much, you’ll ruin your pretty cheeks. Okay? I’m sorry. ”

” Ah….since I’m using it…this…is…tiny…notch… ”

Only then did Yeonseo let go of the hand that was touching my cheek and sat down across from me again to enjoy the water in the bathtub.

” By the way, why did you suddenly ask me to go to Seonyudo Settlement? Is it because you don’t have enough clothes and underwear? ”

” Huh? Oh, that might be true. I’ve only heard it, but I heard that Seonyudo sells clothes and underwear that look like they’ve been newly made. ”

” Really? But then, there’s no need to go there, right? You can just get it later when you exchange between settlements, right? ”

When I asked her that, Yeonseo buried her face in the water and muttered something, just like I had done a moment ago.

” That…should…be…dressed… ”

Looking closely at Yeonseo’s face, which was bubbling and foaming at the mouth while muttering, I saw that her face was flushed red as if it had been cooked by the warm water.

” What are you saying? Speak properly. ”

As I continued to ask questions, Yeonseo, who had been avoiding eye contact, soon turned her head away.

” I needed…competition underwear… ”

” What…?…! ”

I felt dizzy from the shock, as if I had been hit hard in the head by the unexpected answer.

I didn’t understand why he was suddenly bringing up this underwear story here.

No, but who are you going to show it to after you get it? No way…

” You…! You said you weren’t interested in Hyunseok…! ”

” Huh? Why is Hyunseok suddenly appearing? Huh~ Did you think that if I got it, I would show it to Hyunseok? ”

” That…That’s…”

” Why won’t you admit it if you’re so jealous? Huh? ”

” Ah… or else it’s fine..! But then why do you need it? ”

Yeonseo lowered her head again and began to speak in a small voice.

” Why… you say… well… when you meet your boyfriend later… that’s… like that…! ”

” Really? ”

We were just sitting in the bathtub, blushing for a moment, slowly lifting the water with our hands, when we clearly heard a strange word.

” Wait? What?! Boyfriend?! ”

As I suddenly sat up, the water in the bathtub overflowed with a splash once again.

” What…what! I have a boyfriend too! That’s why I told Hyunseok I’m not interested in him! ”

” No, how would I know if you didn’t tell me? Rather, huh~ You’re there? I see~ ”

” Ha~ I really spoke for nothing. ”

That way, I could hear a little about Yeonseo’s boyfriend in the bathtub.

I was surprised because I never thought Yeonseo would have a boyfriend, but when Yeonseo talked about her lover, her face was like the face of a girl in love.

He seemed very happy, and his words were so sweet like chocolate that I could feel his heart pounding.

” Since I said this… If you confess or something later, are you going to tell me…? Got it..?! ”

” Huh? Okay, let’s do that. ”

” Ha! Yeah, that’s how it’s going to turn out? Let’s go and see then…! ”

I’m sorry Yeonseo, but that won’t happen.

The day will come when I like a guy? Even if the sky splits in two, it won’t happen.

Yeah, I’m sure it will.

*****

After taking a bath and coming out to the living room, a sweet and savory smell stimulated my nose, and before I knew it, my stomach started making a fuss asking for the source of the smell.

” Oh! What’s for dinner today? ”

As I pulled out the chair and sat down, I looked at the food Hyunseok was putting on the table. It was food I hadn’t seen in a long time.

” Wow~ Is this fried chicken? Is that it? ”

” Yeah, this time I got some ingredients from the old men and women, and since it was my first meal in this tent, I put in a lot of effort. ”

” Really? That’s good, but is it okay? Aren’t these materials hard to find these days? ”

” Ah~ Charlotte has been back for a little over a month now, right? It’s hard to get materials because of the tower, but it’s not so bad that I can’t make it.

After conquering the tower, the surrounding devastation will disappear, and after that, strangely enough, animals that had disappeared will appear. Of course, you can also farm after that. ”

” Really? Hmm, that’s what I mean. ”

It seems like there’s one more reason to attack the tower in the future.

‘Yeah, how can a person live on only preserved food? You have to eat delicious home-cooked meals!’

As if Hyunseok had tried his best, not only fried chicken, but also steamed eggs, seaweed soup, and other sumptuous dishes began to be served on the table.

My mouth started watering, and Yeonseo, who was next to me, was also staring at the food with sparkling eyes.

We started eating without saying a word, taking our side dishes one by one, and when we were almost done eating, a thought occurred to us.

” Hyunseok is really good at cooking. Did he ever live alone or something before? Oh…! ”

I was just trying to think about it, but the words just came out without me knowing.

” Are you curious? ”

” Huh? Oh… no, what… yeah. ”

” Haha, it’s nothing. If I didn’t cook, my little sister wouldn’t eat properly and would stay up all night playing. So I tried a little bit to feed her delicious food. They’re all good memories. ”

” Oh, that… Sorry… ”

I remembered the story I had heard while arguing with Hyunseok before, and I felt a pang of guilt at the thought that I had brought up sad memories for him.

” No. You don’t have to be sorry. Rather, I should be grateful. Since I came back to Earth, whenever I thought of my family, only sad thoughts came to mind, but thanks to you, I remembered memories I had forgotten.

Thank you, Charlotte. Since I met you, I’ve been recalling more happy and joyful memories than sad ones. ”

” Oh… really…? I’ll accept your thanks. ”

” Actually, Charlotte looks so much like her sister that it feels like she has another sister every time she sees her? That might be why. ”

” Oh, right. Oh, I see. ”

When I heard his words of thanks, the rhythm of my fast-beating heart suddenly became cold.

I don’t know why, but I glared at him, thinking maybe it was because he felt bad about being treated like a little sister.

” Huh…Charlotte? Your eyes are scary. What did I do wrong? ”

” No. I ate everything, so I’ll wake up first. ”

So I put the dishes in the sink and went straight to the living room, laid out the blanket, and lay down.

Huh! It was a day when I could see why people treated me like a child, even though we were only one year apart.

*****

” Yeonseo, what did I do wrong? ”

” Well, not really? They say a woman’s heart is like a reed, so I’ll just let it be. I enjoyed it too. ”

” Huh? Okay. I’ll do the dishes, so just leave them there. ”

” Yeah~ ”

” Seriously, what is it that you’re not jealous of?

Oh my, being stuck between guys who don’t know each other’s minds… This is my fate…

Ah~ I miss you, Seojin oppa…! ”