Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Shocking Statement (2)
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It took quite a while to pick up the phone...
Though if we're being precise, it was only about ten seconds—but still, Cheon So-yul hesitated just a little longer than usual.
At the very least, it was clearly a different attitude from her normal self. What was the big deal about hitting the accept button that it needed to take so long?
"Ugh, seriously."
But since she'd just been thinking pretty deeply about the man in question—Lee Hyun-jin, no less—she couldn't help the inexplicable wave of embarrassment bubbling up inside her.
Then she paused again for a moment.
The smartphone's ringing tone was still going strong, but Cheon So-yul didn't tap the screen right away. Instead, she tilted her head.
So why exactly was she hesitating like this with that idiot Lee Hyun-jin of all people?
"...Hmm..."
A sudden question popped into her mind. An utterly obvious one, if she was being honest. There was no reason to hesitate. No need to feel nervous at all.
And that was because her conversation partner was Lee Hyun-jin.
No one else—just that guy. There was no need to overcomplicate things with him.
Cheon So-yul decided to just answer the call.
"Hello."
[...Why'd it take you so long? Busy?]
What came through the earpiece right away was a somewhat curt voice. He was probably annoyed that she'd taken too long to pick up.
Hearing that familiar voice made the inexplicable tension she'd felt melt away in an instant. Cheon So-yul let out a chuckle.
She shifted into a more comfortable position lying down and shot back with a teasing jab.
"What, do I have to jump every time you call? Are you my boyfriend or something?"
It was the usual playful banter she tossed out with a mischievous lilt. Cheon So-yul expected one of his typical sharp, prickly reactions.
But...
[...No. You're right, I'm not.]
"...".
His response was simply an agreement with her words. The smile that had been on Cheon So-yul's face moments ago twisted into a frown.
Why the hell was he agreeing so readily like that? And with his voice all subdued, too.
She'd thrown out her usual joke, but gotten an unusual reply. It was only natural for her mood to sour in an instant.
"...Whatever. So why'd you call?"
Her hurt feelings made her snap a little irritably. She didn't really care, but she'd at least ask what he wanted since he'd bothered to call. That reluctant vibe seeped through intentionally.
Of course, it was a far cry from her usual way of talking.
[Uh... It's not really anything specific.]
As expected, Lee Hyun-jin—who already felt a twinge of guilt toward Cheon So-yul—mumbled in a voice that sounded oddly guilty.
He'd called because Kim Ji-woo had him worried about Cheon So-yul even more, but he could hardly say that straight out.
It was only natural for his voice to come out awkward. And just as naturally, Cheon So-yul wasn't the type to miss that blatant awkwardness.
She narrowed her eyes slightly and asked.
"What's with you?"
[What do you mean?]
"Did you do something wrong to me? Why are you acting all weird and suspicious?"
[...]
Cheon So-yul could practically feel Lee Hyun-jin's silence through the smartphone. Silence doesn't make a sound, of course. But anyway.
Still, the two of them had spent a year bickering and hanging out close enough to read each other like a book. Their understanding and intuition about one another were top-notch.
"You..."
[What? No, what?]
"...Spit it out already. What'd you do? Confess now, and I might lighten your sentence a bit."
[I didn't do anything. I'm innocent.]
Lee Hyun-jin quickly denied it and professed his innocence, but Cheon So-yul's suspicions didn't budge. She growled low.
"Really? You sure? If I find out later, it'll be double punishment. You okay with that?"
For Lee Hyun-jin, it was a mix of awkwardness and absurdity. The awkwardness because he had done something wrong, and the absurdity because her tone was so damn high-handed.
He let out a deep sigh and snapped back irritably.
[What, are you my parent or my master? Cut the crap. I was just bored with nothing to do and called to see what you're up to.]
"...Oh?"
But even he probably didn't realize it. That his snappy outburst actually calmed her suspicions instead.
Cheon So-yul paused for a second on her own, then fiddled with her hair, twisting it around her finger for no reason.
"Ahem. So you just called 'cause you were curious what I was doing, huh?"
[Yeah, that's it. Drop it.]
"...Hmm, okay."
Lee Hyun-jin was starting to sound annoyed, giving her a half-hearted reply.
Cheon So-yul's mood lifted a bit.
She let the bed's bounce right her posture in one go, then swung her legs around carelessly, thumping the mattress. Thump thump.
Unlike earlier when she'd been pissed and taken it out on the innocent bed, this time her foot movements were softer. Even rhythmic.
"Nothing much. Just lying around."
[Going to bed already?]
"As if. Just rolling around with nothing to do."
The conversation flowed smoothly. After a few back-and-forths, Lee Hyun-jin chuckled softly and took a short jab.
[Makes sense. If you went to bed that early, you wouldn't be so short.]
"...You wanna die?"
Cheon So-yul reflexively gripped her smartphone tight. She failed to control her emotions, and a tiny spark popped at the corner of her eye.
Forcing down her anger, she pressed her temples and responded with feigned maturity.
"Looks like my little Hyun-jin is already missing the taste of my lightning. Vacation's still got a ways to go, but should sis come up early and play with you?"
[...Don't pull that 'sis' crap.]
But his reaction was more intense than expected—quite a lot, actually. Lee Hyun-jin sounded like he was having a fit of disgust.
While Cheon So-yul blinked in confusion, he sighed and continued.
[Just don't do that. Especially not now...]
"Especially not now...?"
[...Uh.]
"Especially not now, what? Why stop mid-sentence?"
Lee Hyun-jin clammed up quick. He'd realized blurting something out might carelessly bring up Kim Ji-woo.
Of course, that wasn't going to make Cheon So-yul back off. She quirked an eyebrow.
"You're an only child, right? Aside from me, is there someone else around you calling themselves 'sis' every now and then?"
[No. Absolutely not.]
"...You're acting really suspicious today..."
Suspicion crept into Cheon So-yul's voice more and more, while Lee Hyun-jin's sounded like he was breaking out in a cold sweat.
[I've just been all over the place lately. Being alone all the time must be messing with me.]
In the end, Lee Hyun-jin went with the straightforward approach. It was a lame excuse with flimsy grounds, but what could she do about it?
He was just about to sigh inwardly, thinking he'd called for no reason.
"Hm."
Cheon So-yul let out a short hum, then spoke in a voice tinged with genuine concern.
"You mean you're bored?"
[...Huh?]
"You said being alone is making you weird. Sounds like you're lonely."
[Oh. Uh, yeah.]
"...Should I come up a little early?"
Lee Hyun-jin froze for a moment, then jolted at Cheon So-yul's hesitant offer, shaking his head vigorously. It wasn't a video call, but the rustling noise conveyed the vibe.
[No, what are you talking about? I'm not lonely or anything. And even if I was, it's no big deal. What am I, a rabbit?]
Rabbits were said to die from loneliness. Cheon So-yul burst into soft laughter at the unexpected saying from Lee Hyun-jin. Then she paused.
Remembering that night again.
"...True. You're no rabbit."
Her face flushed slightly as she murmured low, as if recalling something.
Cheon So-yul covered her mouth with her hand.
[What?]
"...Nothing."
She brushed off Lee Hyun-jin's puzzled question and stretched briefly.
Then she checked the time. 11 p.m. Perfect—not too early to sleep.
"Anyway, if that's it, I'm hanging up. No more words? Cool, see you after break ends since you turned down my offer."
[What? Hey, wait—]
Cheon So-yul rattled off her piece at a rapid clip and chucked her smartphone onto the bed beside her. Then she flopped down herself.
She buried the back of her head in the pillow and unwittingly let out a hot breath. Haa.
...Her body was suddenly heating up. It felt feverish, especially around her stomach, waist, and between her thighs.
Feeling a twitchy illusion there, Cheon So-yul arched her waist sharply once, then got straight to it without dragging things out.
Her body burned. The cause was obvious: arousal. It hit suddenly. But desires like "I want it" always came on whimsically like this.
Cheon So-yul tentatively extended her slender hand and, after a brief hesitation, slipped her fingers inside her panties.
Tap. She touched her slightly damp folds.
"Hngh."
She'd already tossed aside her light home pants. Barefoot and bare-legged, Cheon So-yul began masturbating in nothing but her underwear.
"...Ha, hngh, haa, yeah."
Someone seeing this might call her a total slut, but girls her age were all like this anyway. At least, that's the excuse Cheon So-yul told herself as a "girl."
What was wrong with it? This was her house—her private room, all to herself.
All teens went through this phase. So she wasn't weird. If anything, it was healthy and normal.
"Haa, heung...".
Even as she repeated those excuses in her head, Cheon So-yul knew deep down that whipping off her bottoms right after a short call with a friend wasn't exactly every teen's "normal."
She was already aware somewhere inside that she was pretty lewd, but the Cheon So-yul in control of her body stubbornly shook it off.
No, that's not it. This pleasure is the bad thing. This good feeling is too sneaky.
So, I'm not doing anything wrong.
"—?!"
Climax hit sooner than usual, right then. Winter's chill air brushed her thighs, and the soft bed covers cradled her hips.
Cheon So-yul bucked her waist hard once, her face contorted as she let out a silent moan. She'd quickly clamped her mouth shut.
Finally suppressing the big moan, she exhaled the breath she'd been holding.
"...Hek, hek. Haa...".
The fluids that had dripped out until climax stained the blanket. Lost in the afterglow, Cheon So-yul decided not to worry about it.
She just trembled from the waist down, savoring the cool sensation fully.
[Ahem...]
"...".
[Ahem, ahem.]
It took dozens of seconds after that for her to notice something off.
"?"
Suddenly, a voice came through. Or was it an electronic tone?
"???"
Question marks popping over her head, Cheon So-yul shuddered. A bad premonition hit her instantly.
Ignoring the tremor and her stamina drain, she whipped her head around in panic.
There was her smartphone.
...Still showing the call screen.
Lee Hyun-jin's extremely awkward, embarrassed voice came through the speaker.
[Uh... Hope you enjoyed yourself enough...]
"...Wha? Huh?"
[Y-You're such a repeat offender. I really hope you didn't do that on purpose to show and tell me—]
BAM!!
Lee Hyun-jin's voice cut off midway. Cheon So-yul's fist slammed down like lightning, smashing her smartphone to bits.
And silence fell. A short silence that felt eternally long.
"Ah."
A final wail echoed out.
The owner of the voice was Cheon So-yul.
Her face drained of color, and she immediately started searching for a rope. To hang herself with.