Chapter 206: Still Today
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 206: Still Today
“Ugh...!”
Yoo Ah-rin lay collapsed on the basketball court, clutching her ankle and letting out a faint groan.
The moment I saw her grimacing in pain, I shoved past the players crowding around her and rushed to her side.
“Ah-rin! Ah-rin!”
I checked her ankle immediately.
Worried it might be broken, I was about to call 119 right then and there, but—
“I-I’m fine. Don’t make such a scene, you idiot.”
Ah-rin forced a smile as she answered me.
Seeing her try to act tough only made my heart ache more. I wanted to snap at the opposing player who had fouled her so recklessly, and I wanted to give the English Major student who stepped on her foot a piece of my mind, but...
“First, let’s get you to the infirmary.”
Treating Ah-rin was more important than venting my emotions.
I immediately hoisted her onto my back and ran toward the tent designated as the infirmary.
For a split second, my eyes met Choi I-seo’s as she watched us from a distance.
But my legs were already racing toward the medical tent without hesitation.
“Ah, and it was the finals, too.”
“Who cares about that! I don’t give a damn if we lose the finals!”
“Ugh, shit. I worked so hard for this.”
Ah-rin let out a sigh, a bitter, self-deprecating smile on her lips. I could hear a slight tremor in her voice, likely from the pain, and realizing that made me run even faster.
We arrived at the infirmary tent in no time.
I hurriedly explained the situation and showed her ankle to the technician.
“Fortunately, it’s not broken. It’s a sprain. I’ll apply some medicated spray and an ice pack for now, but if the pain persists, you should definitely go to the hospital.”
The technician spoke to me, not Ah-rin, telling me not to worry so much.
“Your boyfriend must have been really worried. He’s absolutely drenched in sweat.”
“...Ah.”
Only then did I realize how much of a fuss I’d made running over here. My body was so soaked that one might have thought I was the one who had been playing basketball, not Ah-rin.
“See? I told you not to make a scene.”
Ah-rin was holding the ice pack to her ankle. Seeing the slight smirk playing on her lips made me feel strangely annoyed.
The technician moved off to treat someone else, leaving just the two of us inside the tent.
Ah-rin was perched on the edge of the cot.
“Give it here.”
Still annoyed by her smirking, I snatched the ice pack from her and knelt on one knee in front of her.
I carefully took hold of her heel and pressed the ice pack against her ankle myself.
Ah-rin, sitting on the cot, didn’t seem to mind the gesture at all; if anything, her smile widened.
“Don’t laugh. You’re hurt—what’s there to be happy about?”
I grumbled at her, but she maintained her playful aura.
“Well, losing the game sucks, but... this isn’t so bad.”
“...”
“It’s nice. I love the feeling of you doting on me like this.”
“Ha.”
What is she even talking about?
“Maybe I should get hurt more often.”
“Stop talking nonsense!”
She was probably joking to lighten the mood, but in this situation, it didn’t sound like a joke at all.
Looking at Ah-rin’s small, delicate foot, the thought of it being trampled by another student made my mood sour again.
“Don’t go getting mad at the others. Injuries happen all the time in sports. It was just an accident.”
“Even if the stepping part was an accident, the way the other team was blocking was way too aggressive.”
Shoving a player mid-shot is a blatant foul. Even I, who didn’t know much about basketball, knew that much.
“Then they’ll be penalized according to the rules. It’s just a sprain, it won’t affect my daily life, so it’s fine.”
“Whew.”
I still wasn’t satisfied, and as I let out a heavy sigh filled with complicated emotions, Ah-rin reached out and patted my head.
“Oh my, what am I going to do with you? You like me way too much.”
She stroked my hair playfully.
I looked up at her for a moment before nodding.
“Yeah, I like you a lot. So don’t get hurt.”
“...!”
Perhaps she hadn’t expected me to be so blunt. She quickly pulled her hand away and covered her face.
“T-That was excessively sweet.”
I don’t know why she was so nervous, but her leg tensed up.
“Relax your leg.”
“A-Ah, okay.”
As she eased the tension in her leg, I continued the ice treatment and then gently pressed my lips to her ankle.
“Wha—what?! What are you doing all of a sudden?!”
“Just... wishing for it to heal.”
“Is this like Harry Potter or something? Why are you kissing my ankle!”
Is she talking about medieval fantasy? I have to admire her range of knowledge.
However, it seemed that kissing her ankle wasn’t actually a bad experience for her.
It wasn’t that her ankle was an erogenous zone or anything. It was just that the act of me expressing my affection made her happy.
Seeing her so happy makes me feel good, too.
It was a simple gesture, really.
Yet, seeing her shoulders tremble as she turned red with embarrassment felt quite nice.
Mwah.
This time, I moved a bit higher and kissed her ankle again.
Then higher still, to her knee.
“Hey, hey! That tickles!”
She complained, but her voice trailed off into a soft, lingering tone, suggesting she didn’t actually hate it.
I stood up slightly and kissed her thigh.
I gently pushed her shoulders back to lay her down on the cot and kissed her stomach.
When I reached her chest, Ah-rin held her breath, looking like she was prepared for what was next, but...
“...”
I intentionally bypassed her breasts, kissed her collarbone, and gave her neck a light, playful nip.
“Mmm...”
A faint moan escaped her lips.
Her scent was sweet.
The usual fruity fragrance mixed with the scent of sweat felt like a forbidden fruit I shouldn't crave.
Perhaps it was because we were both sweaty, but as our bodies pressed together, it felt even more intensely sticky.
We were close enough for our chests to touch. I couldn't tell if the thumping sound was coming from my heart or hers.
“I’m... sweaty.”
Was that the best resistance she could muster?
Finding her adorable, I pulled her into a soft embrace and whispered in her ear.
“I’m sweaty, too.”
“Y-You’re fine...”
“Why? I probably smell.”
“...I like that, too.”
Ah-rin’s speech was slurring as if she were drunk on the atmosphere. Seizing the moment, I tilted her head slightly with my hand and kissed her.
It was a somewhat forceful kiss.
But even with her tongue feeling heavy, Ah-rin continued to reciprocate.
It was a thick, heavy moment.
The atmosphere, our bodies, and our feelings for each other.
Phew.
Even the breath we shared in the brief gaps between kisses felt heavy.
As we continued our deep kiss...
“Ahem. Students?”
At the sound of the technician’s voice from behind us, I scrambled to my feet.
“Yes?!”
“...I can see you two get along well, but this isn’t the place for that.”
“I’m sorry!”
“I-It’s all Kim Woo-jin’s fault!”
Ah-rin immediately shifted the blame to me and tried to jump up to flee, but—
“Ow?!”
The pain in her ankle sent her crashing back down onto the cot.
* * *
Naturally, I had to leave the sports festival midway.
Ah-rin’s pain was more serious than expected, so we went straight to the hospital, where she ended up in a half-cast.
By the time we left the hospital, it was already evening.
Ah-rin’s family came to pick her up after getting the call, and I, having stayed by her side all day, let out a long breath.
“I haven’t even washed up.”
Because I’d been with her the whole time, my body felt gross and sticky from all the sweat.
I wanted to jump into a nearby bathhouse, but I didn’t have a change of clothes. I wasn't exactly swimming in cash, so I couldn't just impulsively buy a new outfit either.
I’m glad I don’t have work today.
It was a relief that I’d asked the owner for the day off because of the sports festival. Otherwise, I might have had to leave Ah-rin in the middle of everything to go to my part-time job.
“I should get home quickly.”
The damp smell of sweat hit my nose.
Before her parents arrived, Ah-rin had buried her face in my chest and laughed, saying I smelled like a man, but...
Being objective, I was just plain dirty right now.
Vibrate!
My phone went off.
There was one person I’d forgotten about in the chaos with Ah-rin.
It was Choi I-seo.
I’d already spoken to Seo Ye-rin after the festival ended, but I-seo must have been busy wrapping things up since she was the Department Representative.
“...I feel kind of bad.”
I had planned to spend today with Choi I-seo, but I ended up spending all my time with Yoo Ah-rin instead.
Well, I-seo was probably busy because of me anyway, so maybe it was better for her.
I sent the text with a bit of a joke, implying that she was probably lucky I wasn't around to bother her.
But I-seo didn't reply for a long time.
“What’s up with her?”
Just as I was starting to worry that I’d said something wrong...
The sudden request made me glance around.
As it happened, the apartment I-seo shared with Jung Min-ji was nearby.
I didn’t ask why. If she asked me to come, I went.
When I arrived at her door and knocked, I-seo, dressed in comfortable clothes, opened the door hesitantly. It didn't seem like she had just gotten back from the festival.
“What is it? Is something wrong?”
“No, just... I wondered if you’d eaten dinner.”
“I had some cup ramen with Ah-rin earlier.”
We’d eaten at a convenience store while waiting for her parents, so I wasn't particularly hungry.
“Ah, I see...”
I-seo stared at me intently before taking a step closer.
I wondered what she was doing standing right at the door like that, but...
Sniff, sniff.
When she started sniffing me, I instinctively backed away.
“Whoa, hey! I haven’t showered yet, so I smell pretty bad. Don’t come closer.”
Despite my warning, I-seo bit her lip and took a determined step forward to sniff me again.
Eventually, I was pinned against the wall, forced to endure her scrutiny.
“...rin’s sce—.”
“Huh?”
“I can smell Ah-rin on you.”
Out of nowhere?
“W-Well, I guess that’s unavoidable? I was with her all day.”
As I scratched the back of my head and answered, I-seo immediately grabbed my hand and pulled me inside.
She dragged me all the way to the bathroom and tossed a towel at me.
“Wash.”
“Huh?”
“I said wash. Now.”
I-seo’s voice sounded angry, so I reflexively nodded and started washing up immediately.
I guess I can just use whatever’s here.
I looked at the array of fancy shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. As I started to feel refreshed...
Click.
I heard the door open.
I couldn't see clearly because of the shampoo suds in my eyes.
“What? Do you need to use the bathroom?!”
Startled, I rinsed my face and turned around.
I-seo was standing behind me as if trying to hide, squeezing body wash onto a shower towel to make lather.
“Is that... a swimsuit?”
For some reason, I-seo had walked in wearing a rash guard.
I was so stunned by the situation that I couldn't find the words. I never expected Choi I-seo, of all people, to be this aggressive—this was more like something Seo Ye-rin would do.
Thump.
I-seo began scrubbing my back with the shower towel, muttering something under her breath as if she were possessed.
“Scrub. Scrub it clean... get rid of all the smell.”
Only then did I realize.
She’s jealous.
Choi I-seo was experiencing a rare bout of jealousy.
She couldn't say anything because Ah-rin being hurt was an unavoidable situation.
But the fact that I’d spent the time I was supposed to spend with her with another woman...
And that I’d come back covered in that woman’s scent...
Seeing I-seo with her lips pressed tight, trying to erase every trace of Ah-rin from my body, made her seem incredibly lovely.
“It’s kind of embarrassing being the only one naked.”
She didn't respond to my comment, just silently continued scrubbing my body. I watched her through the mirror in silence until a question suddenly occurred to me.
“...By the way, where’s Min-ji?”
Now that I thought about it, they lived together. Where was she?
“The... J-Jjimjilbang.”
I-seo replied in a tiny, crawling voice. I only heard her because she was right behind me.
“The Jjimjilbang? Why all of a sudden?”
“I... I asked her this morning. I asked her to go sleep at the Jjimjilbang tonight.”
“Hmm? But why would you—”
I stopped mid-sentence.
Through the mirror, I saw I-seo’s face flushed bright red. She was looking at me resentfully, as if asking how much more she had to spell out for me.
The way she was scrubbing my back became a bit rougher.
“Ah...”
I had forgotten.
The one who had picked the date for today’s Sex Day...
Was Choi I-seo.
I wasn't the only one looking forward to this.