The Allure of Heaven Net
Late that night, after drinks with Cheol-min senior that stretched into a second round, I took a taxi home and stepped into the living room. My wife, Yu-jin, was still awake, busy washing dishes.
"You're home late, oppa."
"Yeah, Cheol-min senior wanted to go for another round. You're still up too?"
"It's the weekend tomorrow, and I had some dishes piled up. While I was at it, I threw in a load of laundry too, haha."
"I see. I'll go take a shower then."
It was midsummer, and after sweating all day in the lab plus the alcohol, I headed straight for the bathroom to wash it all away. The cold water helped clear my head a little.
Once my mind sharpened, the events from the drinking session came rushing back. Heaven Net… what an incredible place. All those explicit videos and photos. And the women who post their own pictures there actually enjoy the reactions they get. The woman in the photo Cheol-min senior showed me had tons of followers and comments… I wonder if Yu-jin would get the same kind of response if she posted something like that. What am I even thinking?
For a moment, I imagined Yu-jin's exposed body uploaded to Heaven Net. Her figure, ripening even more now that she was in her thirties, like a fine wine maturing. The moment that body appeared on the site, I pictured the flood of comments that would follow—raw, vulgar remarks no one would dare say in public, all enabled by the anonymity of the internet, evaluating her, fantasizing about her, degrading her.
The fantasy went on until I noticed my cock was fully erect. Hah… I really am a pervert. This is dangerous; my identity could get exposed. But then again, if I just blur the face and background, no one could trace it back, right? I'm curious, though. The woman in those photos had a great body, but nothing compared to Yu-jin, and she still got that much attention. What if it was Yu-jin's photo instead…?
I kept spiraling deeper into the fantasy until I realized my erection wasn't going away. I forced myself to stop and stepped out of the bathroom. After drying my hair, I returned to the living room. Yu-jin had finished the dishes and was now hanging the laundry on the drying rack.
I sank into the sofa, unable to sleep, and turned on the TV. I had never been much of a TV person before. I used to spend most of my time on the computer, but as I got older, worked, and dealt with social obligations, whether it was age or exhaustion from the job, lately the greatest pleasure in life had become simply leaning back into the soft leather sofa.
My gaze drifted toward Yu-jin on the veranda, hanging the laundry. She was wearing a plain gray dress. These days, people called that style Missy Look. The sleeves ended just above her elbows, and the round neckline had a few buttons undone at the top in a henley style, revealing a hint of her collarbone and pale skin. The fabric clung lightly to her body, yet her voluptuous curves defied the material, tracing every contour without mercy.
It looked like ordinary, modest everyday wear, but the cut, texture, and fit gave it an unmistakably erotic air. Even the outline of her underwear sometimes showed through. The dress reached her ankles and flared into an A-line, but her full hips and thighs still pressed visibly against the fabric whenever she moved. Her buttocks, naturally plump without any special exercise, created a smooth, pronounced curve beneath the dress. Her wide hips and thick thighs made her lower body even more striking, so that every step she took seemed to emphasize them.
If it were the old me… I would've grabbed her from behind right now.
Just as I thought, the old me would already be all over her, indulging in her body. But the current me felt almost nothing even when faced with such a seductive sight.
"Oppa, I'm done hanging the laundry. I'm just going to take out the recycling real quick."
"It's too late. Can't it wait until tomorrow?"
"No, it'll only take a minute. I'll just go now."
"Want me to help?"
"It's fine. You must be tired. Just rest."
Ever since Yu-jin became a full-time housewife after we married, she had taken over all the household chores. Back when we were both working, we used to split them. Even now, I still offered to help, but she always told me to rest because I was tired from work.
Beep. Beep-beep. Hearing the door lock engage, I realized she had gone out. I stayed on the sofa. Unlike me, who feels nothing, other men probably still look at her the way I used to, right?
I had to admit it. Even though I knew Yu-jin was still beautiful and attractive, I no longer felt the same pull toward her that I once had. These days, internet communities seemed full of fantasies about married women in their thirties wearing Missy Look styles. Yu-jin was no longer in her twenties, yet she carried a mature sensuality that stood out—like a wine that had been aged for a long time. Aged wine had its own unique aroma and flavor, and it was expensive. Maybe someone like Yu-jin was the same.
Thinking about it, there was definitely something I had felt as we both grew older together. She had changed since our twenties. It might sound ridiculous, but perhaps the more we had sex, the more her sexual appeal grew, subtly altering the aura she gave off. I once read an article saying a person's face changes based on the accumulation of their actions over time. Maybe it was something like that. The Yu-jin of her twenties had a gentler, puppy-like image, but now there was a hint of something more feline mixed in—less innocent, more sexy and provocative.
For some reason, I suddenly stood up and walked toward the kitchen veranda. From there, the recycling area was directly visible. I stepped out, arms crossed, and looked at the night view. Maybe I just wanted some fresh air because the alcohol hadn't fully worn off. I glanced down and easily spotted Yu-jin in the recycling area, thanks to the streetlights illuminating the apartment complex. She was the only one wearing a gray dress, so there was no doubt.
Several people were moving about below—residents returning home or leaving, students coming back from late academy classes, and others taking out trash like Yu-jin. Besides her, there was one middle-aged woman at the recycling station who soon finished and left. As I watched Yu-jin, I briefly looked up at the night sky.
Stars are hard to find in the city, as expected.
You couldn't really expect to see stars in the city. Maybe one or two if you were lucky. I had grown up in the countryside, so as a kid I used to go outside at night often just to look at the Milky Way. After reminiscing for a moment, I looked back down at Yu-jin.
"Hm?"
Now only Yu-jin remained at the recycling area. What caught my attention was a small side path leading to the apartment entrance right beside it. A man walking along the path had stopped and was staring toward the recycling station—more precisely, at Yu-jin inside it. I felt an odd sensation and began observing the suspicious man.
Why did he suddenly stop? Does he know her?
All sorts of speculations raced through my mind. At the same time, even though I hadn't had another drink, I felt heat rising through my body again as I continued watching him.