The First Step Toward Something More
I am happy. I am the world’s greatest Shutterman. I am so happy that it actually scares me—terrifies me, really—to think that life can be this good.
I grinned like an idiot at our playful text exchange. Honestly, I was satisfied. The skinship with Yeoeun... even just touching her body had brought me immense satisfaction, though Yeoeun had been full of complaints at the time. She’d been so on edge that she spent every spare moment in our texts tearing into her father—the one who had visited us that day—for his intrusion.
Since he was the father of a female friend, my position was incredibly awkward, so I had no choice but to play along as tactfully as I could. For the record, we parted ways immediately after that incident in the director's office. The mood had been completely killed, and besides, we couldn't risk doing it again in the same place now that a staff member had caught us.
We’d met for meals since then, but we hadn't managed to carve out any real leisure time together. Since I was an office worker, I had no free time outside of the weekends.
"Still, after doing all that... are we really still just friends?"
Setting aside such stuffy questions, if I looked at it logically, the order of events was all wrong. We’d had that mood twice, but we hadn't actually had sex. And if I were being truly cold-blooded about it, we hadn't even kissed yet, despite having engaged in those other acts. I think I’d received two pecks on the cheek, but if you want to get technical, they were fleeting, and one was a "goldfish kiss" that didn't even really make contact. In other words, we’d spent more time with our mouths on each other's genitals than anything else.
"...I was willing to become an American, but this is a mess in so many ways."
It was like a Western porno where the camera starts rolling and they immediately drop to their knees to start sucking. It reeked of animalistic desire rather than two people overlapping because they were in love. Honestly, we both enjoyed it, but looking back, it was truly lewd—
Vrrr-vrrr!
At the long vibration of my phone, my body reflexively bolted upright in bed. Thinking it might be Yeoeun bored and reaching out, I frantically snatched the vibrating smartphone from the air. "Huh?" It wasn't Yeoeun. It was a phone number I recognized quite well. The one I’d saved and then forgotten—Yeoeun’s father... or "Mr. Young-cheol," as it was awkward to know what to call him.
He’d been quiet for a while, so I answered with some tension, wondering why he was calling so suddenly. "Hello?"
『Hey there, savior! How have you been?』
The moment I picked up, I was met with that familiar, seasoned friendliness. Mr. Young-cheol wasn't the type to beat around the bush; he got straight to the point.
『It’s nothing major, but it’s a bit long for a phone call. I want to see you—can you come out now?』
"Right now...?"
He was always such an abrupt man. It was 10:00 PM, right after I’d gotten off work. Honestly, I wanted to play a game or text Yeoeun and just go to sleep, but, "Yes, I understand. Where should I meet you?"
I put on my coat and decided to head out immediately. He was the father of the woman I was seeing, and there was a strange gravity in his voice that made it hard to refuse.
"Alright, take a drink."
"Ah, yes..."
I met Mr. Young-cheol at a street stall about a 10-minute taxi ride away. As expected, he had already cracked open a bottle of soju. He always had a drink in his hand whenever I saw him, and I started to understand why Yeoeun had reacted the way she did on that first day. For the record, Mr. Young-cheol wasn't short, but he had a classic "spider" build that made him look smaller. He was the type of man with a generous beer belly and a friendly, impressionable face.
I accepted the glass he offered with both hands. After a long whoosh of a sigh, I caught the scent of heavy alcohol from the middle-aged man, and he began, "The... the truth is, I didn't have the courage to ask my daughter, so I called you here to borrow your mouth."
"W-what is it?"
"Well, it’s been a month already, hasn't it? Since you accidentally saved me and started seeing my daughter?"
"Well..."
It had been less than a month, but it was close enough that I just let it slide. He continued, "My daughter isn't one to talk much about those things... so, how is it going?"
"How... is it going?"
The question was so vague that I had to ask for clarification. But Mr. Young-cheol’s face darkened. He dropped his chin, as if he’d already guessed the answer or had expected it all along.
"Right. So it’s over, then?"
"...Excuse me?"
"Hey, drink up! If you're a man, don't be discouraged—just wash it down with a drink. That’s how it’s been with every man Yeoeun has ever met!"
"No, no! That’s... we’re actually still seeing each other!"
"Huh? You haven't been dumped yet?"
He blinked, looking genuinely surprised. "Didn't Yeoeun tell you to stop calling her?"
"She hasn't said anything like that yet..."
"Has she seemed bored whenever you meet, or has she been slow to reply?"
"Ah, at first, maybe a little... but honestly? She didn't seem to be avoiding me because she disliked me. We were just texting a moment ago..."
The whole conversation felt like I was being graded on my homework by a parent. Of course, Mr. Young-cheol was the one who had arranged the meeting, but he was also Yeoeun's father. I had to be careful.
"So you're still seeing each other, as a couple?"
"Ah, well... we decided to start as friends."
"Friends!?"
He let out a scoff of disbelief. It wasn't sarcasm, but 100% pure bewilderment. "You mean to tell me you decided to just be friends with my daughter?! Between a man and a woman!?"
"Well, to be precise, it's a slightly higher level than just friends!"
"Ugh, you are so frustrating!"
Mr. Young-cheol clearly didn't find my answer satisfactory. He furrowed his brows, downed his soju in one gulp, and shouted as if to vent his frustration, "Tell me, have you fucked my daughter yet?!"
"Pffft-ack!"
I was so startled that I spat the alcohol I’d been holding in my mouth all over the floor. Saliva dripped down my chin, and I was just thankful we were on the street at a stall. 'Is this whole family like this!?' Yeoeun was the same—their wording was completely unfiltered. I wondered if it was really okay for him to say things like that about his own precious daughter.
I calmed myself down. His eyes were serious, and because he was staring at me so intensely, demanding a sincere answer, I gave him one.
"To be honest, we haven't reached that point yet..."
"What is this nonsense!"
He jumped up, clearly agitated. Looking even more dumbfounded, he bellowed, "You aren't impotent, are you? I raised such a beautiful daughter!"
"Absolutely not! But we have... we have engaged in similar acts!"
"What is a 'similar act'! Did you two just lick and suck on each other?"
"..................Yes."
My face burned, and I looked around to see if anyone was watching before answering quietly. He’d already been shouting like he had a megaphone, but I was on the verge of exploding, so I tried to keep it under control. 'What kind of conversation is this!?' I was talking to the father of the woman I was seeing, and the level of vulgarity was extreme. And if I were being precise, the only reason we hadn't "fucked" was because he’d stormed into her studio and interrupted us, so I felt a bit aggrieved.
"..."
Mr. Young-cheol’s mouth hung half-open. He stood there blankly for a moment before his excitement faded, and he pulled his chair back to sit down. "Ah, I’m sorry... I got a little excited."
'...You already did all that, though.'
"The truth is, I’ve never really seen a case like this."
"...A case like this?"
He downed another glass of soju like it was water. "How should I put it... Yeoeun is very impatient, even if she is my daughter. She’s excessively obsessed with pleasure... and her whims are terribly severe. I’ve never once seen her stay with a man for long."
"..."
I remembered hearing something like that in passing—that no man had ever lasted more than three months with her.
"You understand what I mean, right? She’s the type to feel passion easily and lose it just as fast. But she’s beautiful enough to lure a truckload of men, so she gains favor easily. Because she swaps men out so quickly... she treats them like disposable playthings. My heart breaks as a father to even have to say this, but..."
He tilted his head. "Anyway, this is the first time I’ve heard of her starting as friends. And the fact that you’re still seeing each other after the month we agreed upon... there must be something about you that’s more than I thought."
"...Excuse me?"
"If Yeoeun is staying by your side this long, there’s definitely something there... what do you think it is? I know you’re polite and diligent, but honestly, I thought she’d hate a type like you."
He seemed genuinely curious, even adding his own analysis. It was the habit of a businessman—if something bothered him, he wanted to resolve it.
"..."
I kept my mouth shut, pretending I didn't know. I felt like I understood the reason, but I kept my words to a minimum.
"Well, whatever! If you’re still seeing each other, that’s a good thing."
"Yes, yes..."
"If you really put in the effort, maybe I’ll see the day I get grandchildren! As long as you’re not impotent!"
"Ahahaha..."
"Ah! And one more thing, as Yeoeun’s father, I’ll give you some advice..."
Ahem! He cleared his throat gruffly. "Never get tired."
After that short, punchy line, he added, "No matter how much of a tomboy a woman is, she eventually likes a man who takes the lead. I don't know what kind of relationship you two have right now, but if you get the chance, hold onto Yeoeun no matter what. A man should never let a woman just wrap him around her finger! Do you understand?"
"I-I will keep that in mind!"
At the end, he launched into a full-blown lecture with the intensity of a drunk man. It was a perfect drinking session, reeking of alcohol. Still, perhaps because he was a tycoon who had survived in the business world, there was a certain conviction in his words.
Ring-ring! Ring-ring!
Mr. Young-cheol glanced at the table at the sound of the ringtone. He looked startled when he saw the name on the screen, and suddenly began patting his cheeks. It wasn't even a video call, but he suddenly lifted his butt off the chair, bowed his waist, and answered the phone.
"Ah, yes! What’s the matter? —Eek!?"
His head snapped back, as if someone had been screaming into his ear. He carefully leaned back in, trying to appease the caller with a fawning, pathetic tone. "I told you I’m not drinking these days. Really, I mean it! I’m just meeting a good friend and having a serious talk—ahahaha... does this woman think I only live by lying?"
"..."
"Right, I’ll be home right away. ...What? You’re going to lock the door, so I should sleep outside tonight?"
I suppose that’s how it was. If even a boss like him was treated like that at home, then the ways of the world really weren't easy. I sipped my drink and fell into thought. I felt a wave of sentimentality. I was still satisfied with this relationship. To put it bluntly, I liked it. As I mentioned before, it was so good that I was terrified of when it might end. But in a way, I had missed two opportunities to get closer. There were times I’d ruined the chances myself, but even though I could have been more greedy with our newly redefined relationship, I was just staying put.
'...Come to think of it, I’ve never once made a suggestion.'
Above all, Mr. Young-cheol’s words stung because I realized I’d just been dragged along. I’d been eating up the bait she threw, but I hadn't really thrown anything back at her. So, I agonized over it. Having missed two opportunities, I made a big decision.
"Yeoeun."
"Yeah?"
"Hey, do you want to go somewhere for a trip this weekend? Just for one night and two days?"
I just blurted it out. It was evening, after we’d both finished work. As we were walking home after a satisfying meal, I just went for it. I’d made the suggestion. I tried to sound as casual as possible, as if we were just having a normal conversation.
"You know... as friends...?"
But in the end, I couldn't help but add that line. The explicit term "one night, two days" felt embarrassing, and I’d put up a shield just in case she rejected me.
"..."
Yeoeun just walked in silence. She looked down at the pavement, her hair falling over her face so I couldn't see her expression. Then, she tilted her chin up, her eyes narrowing into a playful, sultry gaze. Squeeze! She grabbed my arm. She pressed her chest firmly against my shoulder and let out a pleasant hum. She reacted as if she’d been waiting for this. As if she’d been expecting my small burst of courage, she flashed her white teeth and asked just one thing.
"Where are we going, honey?♥"