First Semester (2)
The moment I stepped into the student cafeteria, I spotted Se-yeong and Hui-yeong waving from far across the room.
Seeing Se-yeong’s face brought a small measure of relief to one corner of my heart. Yet the confident stride of Choi Geon-woo right beside me immediately made my own steps grow careful and measured.
“A-yeong! Over here!”
At Hui-yeong’s call I drew closer, and both their gazes naturally settled on the unfamiliar man at my side. Se-yeong’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of curiosity lighting them.
“Huh? A-yeong, who’s that next to you…?”
“Ah, this is Geon-woo oppa, a classmate from my department. He helped me out a bit during class earlier…”
Before I could even finish the introduction, Choi Geon-woo stepped forward with his characteristic bold smile.
“Hey! I’m Choi Geon-woo, same major as A-yeong. Born in ’91, so I did my military service and came in a little late. Just treat me casually, yeah?”
He greeted them without a hint of hesitation, his manner open and bright even though they were complete strangers.
Se-yeong and Hui-yeong seemed momentarily taken aback by his commanding presence, but soon relaxed under the warmth of his smile. Se-yeong in particular kept glancing at Geon-woo’s solid build with clear admiration.
“Oh, if you’re ’91, that makes you our hyung. Nice to meet you, Geon-woo hyung. I’m Lim Se-yeong, Semiconductor Engineering, Class of ’13.”
“Oh, Se-yeong? Handsome name for a handsome guy! Good to meet you.”
He gave Se-yeong’s shoulder a light clap and immediately treated him like an old friend. Se-yeong seemed to like the straightforward personality as well; he answered with a bright smile of his own.
“Your physique is really something, hyung. I was shocked. You look like someone who trains professionally.”
“Haha, sharp eye! Hyung used to compete in bodybuilding contests. I’ll teach you how to work out sometime.”
He settled naturally into a seat at our table and began steering the conversation.
Before long, Se-yeong and Hui-yeong were completely absorbed in his stories from his trainer days and his time in the military. Se-yeong especially, being a guy, kept showing keen interest in every anecdote Geon-woo oppa shared.
They’re all getting along so fast…
Watching Se-yeong call Choi Geon-woo “hyung” and treat him so comfortably brought a sense of relief, yet the thick, intense scent that had been tickling my nose since earlier made it nearly impossible to focus on the moment.
“So yeah…”
Every time Choi Geon-woo leaned toward me while talking with Se-yeong, the sudden closeness of his body set my nerves on edge.
Until a little while ago I had assumed the smell belonged only to Kim Tae-yang. Strangely, the peculiar fragrance only grew denser and more cloying, wrapping itself tighter around me.
“A-yeong, why aren’t you eating? You said you were starving earlier.”
Choi Geon-woo kindly scooped some meat from his own tray onto mine with his chopsticks.
“Ah… I should eat, yeah.”
His rough, large hand filled my entire field of vision. In that instant the memories of a few days ago overlapped with the present, and a sharp jolt shot through my lower belly. I forced the rising recollections down and shoved the meat into my mouth.
By now he had firmly planted himself among the three of us and kept cheerfully spinning out story after story.
On the surface it was a perfectly peaceful lunch, yet I could not shake a lingering unease.
Midway through the meal the conversation naturally drifted toward the flower of campus life—club activities.
“Have you guys decided on a club yet? I’m still stuck on where to join.”
Hui-yeong set her cup down as she asked. Se-yeong’s expression turned a little thoughtful. Of course he would hesitate; he had always been the model student type.
“Hmm, I’m not sure either. Especially since I want to learn how to work out a bit. Still figuring out where to go. What about you, A-yeong? You already exercise, right? Any recommendations?”
At Se-yeong’s question I only stared down at my tray instead of answering. Records remained that this body had once been a competitive swimmer, yet the actual memories of those days were nothing more than fog.
The me of right now was someone far removed from exercise—just a person with an overly sensitive, lewd body.
“I… don’t really know anything besides swimming.”
As my words trailed off, Choi Geon-woo, who had been quietly eating beside me, set down his chopsticks and looked between us.
“What’s there to think about? All of you should take this chance to learn how to train properly. I’m joining the Bodybuilding Club this time—come with me. I’ll help you guys work out.”
At Geon-woo oppa’s straightforward proposal, Hui-yeong’s eyes sparkled first.
“Really? I’ve been dying to succeed at dieting by this summer! Se-yeong, you come too. You said you wanted to learn how to exercise.”
“If hyung’s going to teach us himself, I’d love that. Doing it together sounds more fun than alone anyway.”
At Se-yeong’s positive reply, Geon-woo oppa lightly tapped my shoulder and drove the point home.
“What about you? A-yeong, you’re a former athlete, so you’ll pick it up fast. Help the others out while you train. Club recruitment starts next Monday, so we’re all going to check it out then, right?”
This suddenly…?
Faced with Se-yeong’s sparkling eyes and Hui-yeong’s excited voice, I could not find the words to refuse.
Still… Se-yeong and Hui-yeong will be there too.
“Then… I’ll join as well.”
“Great. Let’s all meet in front of the student center on Monday. Come on, everyone give me your numbers.”
“Mine is…”
In the lively atmosphere I finished off the now-cold spicy pork stir-fry.
Something kept sounding a warning inside me, yet I could not grasp the reason. I simply told myself it was nothing more than nerves from an unfamiliar environment and soothed myself with that thought.
After parting from the group I sat through the remaining lectures and finally returned home.
The two-room apartment I entered was filled only with silence; Hui-yeong had not come back yet. I tossed my bag onto the bed and sank down heavily.
A quick text confirmed she would be another two hours or so. Until then, this space belonged to me alone.
“Haa…”
A hot breath escaped before I could stop it. Alone in the empty room, the sensations I had been suppressing since the lecture hall slowly began to awaken.
The scent that had tormented my nose all day still seemed to linger, teasing me.
I brought the cuff of my sweater to my face and sniffed. Nothing should have clung to it, yet I could almost smell the sharp, stimulating fragrance I had felt when Kim Tae-yang had been hovering beside me.
“I can’t start this already.”
I tried to firm my resolve, but a body long conditioned to intense stimulation heated up on its own.
Feeling stifled, I pulled the high-necked sweater up and off. The mirror showed me in nothing but underwear. Traces of fierce lovemaking still marked my body here and there.
“Just how long until these disappear?”
The red spots scattered across my skin dragged the past few weeks back into my mind.
A massive body, thick arms, hot breath… and then the huge cock that had come crashing down on me while I whimpered and moaned…
Before I knew it, the face in the mirror had flushed a soft pink.
“Hnn… Get a grip, Park A-yeong!”
A sharp pulse throbbed through my lower belly; my strength drained away and I collapsed onto the bed. I scolded myself and tightly gripped my own forearm, yet my body was already burning hot.
“This is all because of the new characters.”
The image of Kim Tae-yang—blonde, tanned, the classic punk—rose in my mind. I told myself my body had simply reacted automatically because of that guy and tried my hardest to endure.
“I can hold out just fine, Park A-yeong. I can’t fall apart again here.”
I struggled to shake off the dirty thoughts, yet a man’s silhouette kept floating up in my head.
Large and solid… the kind of man who looked like he could protect me. And then something huge and scorching pressing against me…
“Haa…”
Lost in those thoughts, my hand moved as if entranced, just about to touch that crucial place—
Bzzzt—
“Nn. Wh-what?”
The phone I had tossed onto the pillow buzzed briefly. The name that lit up the screen was unexpected.
An invitation to sit together again tomorrow. For a fleeting second the image of him shielding me from Kim Tae-yang’s unpleasant advances earlier that day rose in my mind. The kindness of it was not unwelcome; my cheeks warmed a little.
It should be fine if he’s nearby, right?
A brief flutter of excitement brushed past, but I quickly shook my head.
If I let my guard down and got drunk on this kindness, there was no telling when I might tumble straight back to the bottom. I lowered my gaze to my chest. The red marks carved into my skin were proof of what happened the moment I grew careless.
“…I’m not going to fall for it that easily.”
I murmured the words under my breath and tapped out a reply. Suppressing the pounding of my heart, I sent the calmest message I could manage. I vowed that when I faced him tomorrow, at the very least I would not show any sign of wavering.
After sending the reply I tossed the phone into the corner of the bed.
A few seconds later it vibrated again briefly. I skimmed the answer, set the phone aside once more, and silence settled over the room.
In the quiet space only chaotic thoughts kept swirling.
I’m really going crazy.
I scrubbed my face dry with both hands and drew in a deep breath. The cheeks under my palms burned like fire.
Suddenly the days before I possessed this body came back to me. Back then I had simply watched female characters on a screen fall into corruption and felt a thrill.
But once I became one of those characters, I understood why they offered their bodies so easily. This body was always hypersensitive; even the slightest gesture sent desire surging through it—a lewd, filthy body.
On top of that, it was a body that ordinary sizes could not even reach… a situation where solving things alone was nearly impossible. It felt as if a destiny had been carved into me that I absolutely had to be joined with a man.
“…I should wash up. At least splash some cold water on my face.”
I rose as if fleeing and headed for the bathroom. Standing before the bathroom mirror, I saw a woman with a flushed face and strange eyes looking back at me.
“…What am I even reflecting on at this point? Just get a grip.”
Along with the anxiety, an inexplicable thrill climbed my spine; I hurriedly turned on the cold water and cooled the heat.