Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Not a Failure, but a Process
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I cleaned the mattress more thoroughly than ever before. And that wasn't enough—I lifted the bed frame, flipped it over, sucked up every speck of dust, and scrubbed the underside spotless.
Unfortunately, it didn't look like I could sell the mattress.
The bed had a good six or seven years of life left, and it had only been three years since they bought it. Pushing a replacement now would be bad business.
According to my senior, some salespeople lied about mold growing on beds to upsell them, but you could end up in jail for fraud if caught.
'Even if I seduce a married woman with my dick, I'm no scammer.'
"Soy milk? I'll just leave it here."
"Thanks. Um, could you come over here and hold this chair steady for me?"
"Of course. Like this...?"
Back when I did manual labor, the most common industrial accidents weren't from heights—they were people tripping from knee level, dying, tearing ligaments, or breaking bones.
Work had to be done safely.
That was one reason, but I also had some pitch-black ulterior motives.
"Yeah, hold it just like that."
As I spoke, I twisted my hips toward the customer standing by the chair.
"Oh, yeah, got it. I'll hold on tight."
In an instant, the customer's ears turned bright red.
Through the slight gap in her T-shirt, I caught a glimpse of her long, deep cleavage. From this angle, even her toes hidden by her breasts and the curve of her ass peeking behind her head were in view.
Her eyes were at the same height as my cock.
My gradually growing bulge would be blatantly visible to her.
"Did I crank the boiler too high? It's hot in here."
Just as expected.
Instead of frowning in disgust, her eyes softened strangely as she fanned the front of her slightly gaping T-shirt.
"Yeah, it's pretty warm."
"I should've added some ice to your soy milk. No, once I get these boxes down, I'll grab you a towel."
The customer's eyes crinkled into a gentle smile.
Of course, she probably wasn't doing it on purpose. Even I couldn't help but grin like an idiot when I saw a woman with big tits.
But the thrill came from the fact that this beautiful woman with a perfect figure was smiling at me.
Thud.
"Oh my."
I knew exactly what made her gasp like that, but watching her reaction was too embarrassing, so I focused on pulling out the box.
I'm not over 180cm tall either, so I grunted, stood on tiptoe, and barely managed to grab the box full of clothes.
"Heave-ho."
"Hand it over here."
As I handed down box after box, admiring how they pressed against her breasts, I realized it was the last one.
"This is the final one."
"Okay, just wait a sec? I'll run and grab a towel."
She scampered off toward the bathroom with light steps, looking relieved.
'Her ass is jiggling too.'
After admiring her retreating figure for a moment, I adjusted my pants so the bulge wasn't too obvious and headed to the living room.
Having built this much rapport with the customer, step one was to get her seated first.
'If you're not sure how to get her to sit, just go sit down yourself first.'
It might seem rude to sit without permission, but the small bond I'd built would smooth it over.
I sat at the dining table, sipping the soy milk, and waited for the customer.
"Here. Towel."
As I took the proffered towel, I subtly pulled out the chair next to me for her.
"Thank you. Why don't you take a seat here for a bit? I'll show you what I did to your son's bed."
I showed her the brown mites embedded in the dust under the microscope, and even fine particles smaller than hairs.
The looks of curiosity and disgust vanished. Her face turned serious.
"If the bed had been more worn out, I'd have suggested replacing it and adding mattress care. But it's only three years old."
"Right? My husband and I aren't ready for a whole new mattress either."
"Exactly. That's why just signing up for the membership seems like the best option. Your son's is a single size, so with a two-year contract, you could get service for around 7,000 won a month—basically 6,000 after discounts."
The customer furrowed her brows slightly and pursed her lips, pushing them forward a bit.
She was pondering.
"Kids that young are especially prone to atopic dermatitis and allergies from mite corpses. For the price of a cup of coffee a month, it's a steal."
"Right...?"
Her wide eyes nodded along.
"Alright, I'll sign up."
This one hour just turned into 30,000 won per hour.
Thrilling.
* * *
Sihyun couldn't hide her anxiety even while watching TV.
The clock on the wall pointed to the time her brother would arrive.
'Why do I have to hole up in my room because of that psycho?'
The one who should avoid her was that lunatic, not her.
She draped her arm over the sofa boldly as always, legs spread wide, trying to focus on the TV.
But despite the confident posture, her constant glances at the clock, wearing a flesh-colored bra when she usually went braless, and the longest pants she owned made her look anything but confident.
"Ugh, this sucks. Why's he so late today? I should've just watched comics in my room."
She shook her legs irritably and tossed her platinum blonde hair.
The more annoyed she got, the more she resolved to act nonchalant when her brother arrived—treat him like air, like he wasn't even human.
Speak of the devil.
The sound of the password being entered echoed.
Her throat tightened, eyes trembling toward the door. She held it together, barely.
"Hahaha..."
Forcing a smirk with one corner of her mouth, she tried to look relaxed.
Swish, swish—
The sound of shoes coming off drowned out the noisy celebrities on TV.
Worried her ears might be red, she fanned her profile with her hand.
'Yeah, after spraying all that cum on his little sister, no normal guy would act like he knows you.'
Han Sihyun felt a slight relief.
Her stiff body relaxed, sinking into the soft sofa. Her legs dangled arrogantly, spread wide like she didn't care who saw.
Sniff sniff—
With the tension gone, even her flared nostrils eased, catching a delicious aroma wafting in.
A savory fried scent she couldn't afford on her bank balance. Any girl could get a guy to buy her a meal now and then, no matter her looks.
But growing up poor made Han Sihyun too proud to accept even that.
"What's that?"
Gulp.
Han Siwoo, looking somehow different today, scratched his head like an idiot again.
Her brows furrowed involuntarily.
She'd been forced to eat healthy food her whole life, and now greasy chicken?
Normally, she'd sneer, "Chicken on that pathetic salary?" or snatch a bite like it was the whole box.
But her throat felt blocked; no words came.
Brows knitting under her blunt bangs.
Lips pouting, Han Sihyun irritably slapped her soft thighs against the floor.
To get to his room between the sofa and TV, Han Siwoo had to pass right in front of her.
He'd bought the most expensive, tastiest chicken, and her round eyes followed those two words intently.
Thud.
"Huh?"
Han Sihyun let out a dumb sound as the chicken was placed in front of her.
"Bought it for you to eat."
Why give it to me?
Confused, she scanned the chicken and Han Siwoo up and down alternately.
Too awkward to speak, she slid subtly off the sofa. Her flushed red knees straightened, revealing a peachy hue.
Clutching the chicken like a broody hen, she waited awkwardly for what her brother might say.
"..."
The silence stretched.
Normally, she'd yell for him to get lost right now.
But with the debt she owed and yesterday's events, she couldn't.
Unable to bear the awkwardness, Han Sihyun spoke first.
"H-how'd you afford chicken on that shitty wage?"
Her mouth opened slightly, like muttering to herself. Blending yesterday's shame with her favorite chicken, she nagged in the softest tone she'd use on a stranger.
"Signed up a membership today. Made decent money."
"..."
Silence flowed again.
Unable to stand it, Han Sihyun looked up first.
'So, what, wanna eat together?'
She absolutely didn't. Even if it meant only getting a third—or two-thirds—of the chicken.
Her wide eyes caught Han Siwoo already standing there.
From her seated height, she looked slightly up at him.
'Oh, he shrunk his pants.'
Her face flushed red in an instant.
Thump, thump, thump.
Disgust? Panic? Fear? Her heart pounded unpleasantly loud.
'Look at that outfit.'
Unable to voice it, her tongue twisted as she forced her mouth open.
"Th-thanks. I'll eat well."
She flapped her hands in front of her face like a fan, as fast as possible.
Only then did she notice her white socks, dirtied by dust, receding from view.
Han Sihyun let out a sigh of relief.