Chapter 119: A Relationship Starting from a Secret
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 119: A Relationship Starting from a Secret
The somewhat provocative time we had just spent at the water park.
Roommates who had conveniently vacated the premises.
And even a bottle of wine—the very thing I had a weakness for—sitting there all alone.
The thought suddenly struck me that this situation felt a bit too artificial.
With a lingering suspicion, I stared intently at Seo Ye-rin, who was busy looking up the wine on her phone, remarking on how interesting it was. But I soon shook the thought away.
No matter how I looked at it, suggesting that Seo Ye-rin had manufactured this entire situation seemed like a bit of a stretch.
“…”
And yet, seeing myself suspiciously eyeing her from a corner of my mind made me realize exactly what kind of image I had of her.
“Woo-jin, this isn't even that expensive. It’s only about 50,000 won.”
“Really?”
It looked quite pricey on the outside, but apparently, it wasn't.
I gave a half-hearted reply while checking the roommates' group chat on my phone.
The messages had piled up.
I hadn't been able to check them while we were at the water park, but it seemed everyone had gone out to the city together.
‘Oh, boy.’
Looking at the chat, they seemed to be out drinking, but no one picked up when I tried to call.
“Looks like everyone’s out drinking.”
When I awkwardly explained the situation, Seo Ye-rin, who was already settled on the living room sofa, asked what the problem was as she pulled out the beer and snacks she’d bought from the convenience store.
“Then we’ll just drink by ourselves. We can put whatever’s left in the fridge.”
She had a point.
Tshhh!
Ye-rin expertly cracked open a beer.
My eyes momentarily flickered to the wine on the table, and Ye-rin, catching my gaze, gestured toward it with her chin.
“You want to drink that?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“It belongs to someone else, so it’d be a bit wrong to touch it.”
She was right about that, too.
‘Since when did she start making so much sense?’
The uneasy feeling I’d had while looking at the wine earlier began to subside.
Since wine had been involved both the first time I slept with Seo Ye-rin and when I was with Choi I-seo, I had naturally been worried about a repeat performance.
‘Stop making such a fuss, it’s embarrassing.’
Thinking I was overreacting, I pushed the wine to the side.
“Cheers.”
Ye-rin held out her beer.
I held out my can as well and gave a small smile.
“Cheers.”
Given the nature of our conversation, I felt like I needed a bit of alcohol in my system.
To be honest, I wasn't going to get drunk off beer, nor was I going to lose my mind enough to spill my guts.
But regardless, Seo Ye-rin had pinpointed exactly what was bothering me.
As I chewed on the beef jerky we’d bought as a snack, I found myself pouring out the emotions buried deep in my heart.
“Did I really not love Yun-ji? I had such a hard time during winter break.”
“…”
“Sigh, I don’t know. All I know is that I’m a total piece of shit. It would be great if I could just sort out my feelings, but I can’t even do that.”
I knew my behavior wasn't exactly commendable. I’d slept with Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo, and I’d even received a confession from Yoo Ah-rin.
Even if Ye-rin told me not to put too much weight on it because she was just a sex friend, how could I not?
I took another sip of beer.
Before I knew it, I’d already emptied three cans.
“I’m going to the restroom.”
Leaving Ye-rin, who had been silently listening to my story, I headed to the bathroom for a moment.
I hadn't intended to drink this much, but as I started opening up, I felt like I couldn't endure it without the alcohol.
When I returned, Ye-rin was lost in thought, sipping her beer.
The way she sat on the sofa with her legs pulled up to her chest looked like a photoshoot dripping with late-night vibes.
“Woo-jin.”
Had she been organizing her thoughts while I was in the bathroom?
She continued speaking while staring at the blank TV screen.
“Was sleeping with me really that much of a burden?”
“…”
I wanted to tell her that wasn't what I meant.
It had been her first time.
And she must have accepted this somewhat dysfunctional relationship as sex friends because she had some level of feelings for me.
So, I wanted to tell her no.
But…
“Yeah…”
My furrowed brow didn't relax, and I couldn't bring myself to choose a kind lie.
Despite my cruel answer, Ye-rin still wasn't looking at me.
“You said it yourself. We’re not dating, so I shouldn't feel pressured. But I can’t help it. In the first place…”
Who on earth could remain indifferent toward a woman they’d slept with?
“It’s not your fault. The problem is that I’m too indecisive.”
With Choi I-seo, I’d just let it slide. I’d brushed it off, telling myself it happened simply because she was attractive.
But my big brother’s words kept stabbing at my heart.
‘You didn’t love Oh Yun-ji that much.’
That one sentence.
It felt like it was negating the very foundation of who I was.
The nights spent with Seo Ye-rin and Choi I-seo.
My relationship with Yoo Ah-rin, and so on.
Everything felt like a kind of evidence that I hadn't loved Oh Yun-ji, and it was hard to accept.
“I’m sorry.”
I offered a sincere apology.
I was sorry for being such a rude and selfish person.
Ye-rin, who had been silently keeping her mouth shut, finally turned her gaze toward me.
What was she feeling?
I couldn't read her, and I was afraid to find out.
Watching me in my state of confusion, I was terrified of what she might say.
“You slept with me, and you slept with I-seo. And you got a confession from Ah-rin. But because of Yun-ji, you’re feeling guilty about all the time you’ve spent with us.”
My emotions, laid out with clinical precision.
Hearing it put into words like that made me hate my trashy self even more.
If I was going to feel this much guilt…
I should have pushed them away from the start.
I hated myself for not being able to do that.
“Woo-jin.”
I wondered if I was about to get slapped.
My head, which had been hanging low, slowly lifted.
The moment our eyes met, she took another swig of beer and suddenly spoke.
“I have a pretty high sex drive.”
“…Huh?”
She began an out-of-the-blue confession.
“I watch a lot of hardcore adult videos. I think things like SM play are fine; I can be both an S and an M.”
“…”
“When I say I want to have sex, it’s not just because of stress; it’s also to satisfy my libido.”
“…”
“I watch humiliation erotica, being forced, and doing the forcing. I like cosplay, too, but I hate overly flashy stuff like Sentai or magical girls.”
What exactly was I listening to right now?
“Do you know about gender reversal erotica? Surprisingly, it’s right up my alley. I don’t like the situation of NTR, but it did turn me on.”
“…”
“I, I occasionally watch beastman erotica, too. But furry stuff wasn't really my thing. Tentacles were a bit too unrealistic, so I didn't like those either.”
Is she drunk?
The thought crossed my mind, but Ye-rin’s eyes were fixed on me, shining with more clarity than ever.
“I watched a few famous BL titles, but they weren't as good as I expected. And with GL, maybe it’s because I’m a woman, but I couldn't really empathize with the emotions.”
“…”
“I actually preferred harem stories over reverse harems. But honestly… I like pure love more than harems.”
“Wait a minute, what are you talking about?”
I thought we were sorting out my feelings and our relationship.
But suddenly…
My brain couldn't keep up with this situation that had turned into a presentation of Seo Ye-rin’s sexual preferences.
“What do you think?”
Staring intently at me, Ye-rin gave a bright smile.
“I’ve told you everything, even the tastes I could never tell anyone else.”
“…”
“Woo-jin, that’s the kind of relationship we have.”
Ye-rin slowly stood up and approached me.
As I stood there frozen, I found myself strangely welcoming her approach.
“Through the anonymity of the Bamboo Forest, our relationship began from our deepest, most hidden secrets.”
Ye-rin’s true nature, and the Anonymous 69 that she could tell no one else, was the beginning of our relationship.
“Shall I tell you exactly why you’re suffering?”
Ye-rin stepped closer, her movements light.
Her hands wrapped around my neck, pulling me in forcefully as she kissed me.
Our tongues tangled compulsively, exchanging saliva.
Even though she’d been drinking beer, Ye-rin gave off a strangely sweet scent.
“W-what are you doing?!”
When I hurriedly pushed her away, she wiped the saliva from her lips and let out a laugh.
“That’s right! You are a bad guy, Woo-jin.”
“…”
“Why are you suffering? Why are you confused? There’s only one reason. It’s because you like us. Oh Yun-ji, Choi I-seo, Yoo Ah-rin… and me, too.”
I was speechless.
In fact, it was obvious.
The reason I was suffering…
Was because, in the end, I couldn't choose just one.
The reason I, who thought I loved Oh Yun-ji, wasn't choosing her was because I was attracted to all of them.
“Woo-jin.”
Ye-rin’s hand grabbed my collar.
Then she pushed me as if leaning on me, and with the strength drained from my body, I was pinned beneath her.
“Are you going to loathe me now that you’ve heard my secrets?”
Having bared all her secrets, Ye-rin wore a smile that suggested she already knew the answer.
Naturally…
“…No.”
I wasn't going to hate someone just because they had a broad range of sexual preferences.
At my answer…
“Me neither.”
Ye-rin gave me her usual, infinitely bright smile.
“I’ll still love you, even if you’re a bad guy.”
“…”
“I’m so glad, Woo-jin. I’m really glad. I’m so glad you’re suffering because of me.”
“You’re… glad?”
Why?
“Of course. It means you care about me enough to agonize over me just as much as the other girls.”
I was completely silenced.
And it wasn't just a metaphor; Ye-rin’s lips literally blocked me from answering.
“Mmph!”
Once again, our tongues tangled fiercely. Ye-rin’s cheeks were flushed as she explored me, looking truly happy.
“Phew! I was worried at first. When I found out you slept with I-seo, I thought there’d be no place left for me. Sex is my identity, after all.”
“W-wait…!”
Ye-rin slowly pulled off her top. The chest that had been rubbing against my arm all day was now fully in view.
“But I decided to think about it differently.”
“D-don’t take off your bra, too!”
Whether she listened to me or not, she kept her bra on as she straddled me, her hips swaying slightly as she whispered.
“I just have to be the one to give you pleasure that no one else can.”
Pleasure Choi I-seo doesn't know.
Pleasure Oh Yun-ji couldn't give.
Because she possessed a vast wealth of sexual knowledge, Ye-rin made her declaration with confidence.
Once again, she lowered her body to kiss me.
“W-wait a second!”
I hurriedly grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back. Ye-rin, looking annoyed as if she thought I’d already given in, glared at me.
“What? The mood was so good.”
Was it?
More than that, I wanted to clear up a suspicion once and for all.
“Did you plan all of this today? The wine suddenly being in the room, the others going out?”
Since she probably had Chan-woo’s contact info, I thought she might have been able to pull some strings at the accommodation.
Hearing my question, Ye-rin gave a confident, mocking smirk.
“Why would I bother?”
I didn't even need to think about what that answer meant.
She had such absolute confidence in herself that she didn't feel the need to resort to such schemes.
“Are you done talking?”
Swatting my hands away, Ye-rin pressed her lips to mine again.
Her soft kisses and the movement of her tongue, melting away my stiffness, soon…
Made me close my eyes without even realizing it.
My foot brushed against the wine I’d pushed aside earlier.
I hadn't taken a single sip of it.
I’d had plenty of beer, but I couldn't say I was drunk.
And yet…
I was becoming completely intoxicated by this woman named Seo Ye-rin.