Why I Quit Being a Trainee (1)
The next day, I hurried to the cafe. I'd overslept, so I was late leaving the house. Of course, there was still plenty of time before opening hours. But there were a bunch of things I had to do first.
"Ah, you already came and dropped it off."
When I arrived at the cafe, there was a large box sitting next to the glass door. The box had Blooming Bread printed on it in elegant cursive script. I peeled off the Post-it note stuck to it.
-_- Sorry. I came a bit early. Just in case, I packed in a ton of dry ice. Lately, my two daughters have been putting you out so much. Swing by sometime for a meal. I'll whip up lots of tasty stuff for you.
-_-
Reading the note, overflowing with consideration, made my chest twinge. Blooming Bread. BB for short. It's the bakery run by Su Yeonhwa, mother of Min Ari and Min Deulle.
"I'm the one who's late, and she wrote that she came too early..."
I owed her a lot. Not in a dirty way, but she'd helped me out in so many ways since I was a kid. Her support was a huge reason this cafe had any real edge. Her cakes were basically our star product. These days, we were so popular we only took reservations for them—need I say more?
"After what I did to Min Deulle... how am I supposed to face her mom? Yeah. Better this way."
I picked up the chill box and headed inside the cafe. Then I glanced at the corner booth. The spot where I'd held Min Deulle in the dream. Where she'd gulped down my cum with that lewd expression—it was just as clean and quiet as always.
...
"Wha-what? You want me to go alone? To that cafe? No way. You should come too, Unnie."
I slung my bag over my shoulder and shot back. My sister wriggled under the bedcovers before speaking.
"It's that time of the month. Not feeling great."
Of all days, today! Right after that super vivid, filthy dream!
"Then I'll stay home too..."
"Don't talk nonsense. Go to the cafe and study while I'm asking nicely."
She peeked just her eyes out from under the blanket, glaring at me. Hormones must've been making those eyes extra venomous. Why does Uju-mong Oppa like a girl like this so much? Pining after her for over ten years—how does anyone even do that?
"That oppas tastes are so weird."
"What?"
"I think it's my time too. My stomach hurts. Feels like it's exploded."
"Don't bullshit me. Yours was like a week ago."
"Must be all the stress bringing it early."
"..."
She glared at me in silence for a moment, then flipped the blanket back over her head.
"Deulle-ya. You still wanna do the idol thing?"
"No."
That much I could say for sure. I had zero interest in singing and dancing on stage anymore.
"Anything else you wanna do?"
"Nope."
"Then just go to the cafe and study. Once you're out and doing something different, you'll feel better and figure out what you want."
"..."
"Lazing around the house will just make you rot."
"That's exactly what I wanna say to you."
She chuckled and curled up into a ball.
"I'll make sure you're actually studying."
There was no way she could monitor me from rolling around in bed. This meant she'd ask Uju-mong Oppa to keep an eye on me.
"Unnie..."
How do you really feel about Uju-mong Oppa? I almost asked, then clamped my mouth shut. Why would I even ask that? She's got a perfectly fine boyfriend.
"What? Spit it out."
"Hang on, look here for a sec."
"No."
"Come on, look. Then I'll go to the cafe and study."
She pulled the blanket down again, revealing her haggard face. Unwashed messy hair, pissed-off scowl, bare face with no makeup.
Snap!
I captured that raw moment on my phone.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Rest well. I'm out."
With that, I bolted from the house.
"Perfect. Today's pic is this one."
I'd made a promise with Uju-mong Oppa. Send him one pic of Unnie a day.
"Wonder if he'll still like her after seeing all these bare-faced shots."
I didn't really want his first love to end or anything. It just bugged me a tiny bit that Unnie had someone obsessing over her like that.
...
"Hoo... What am I even so nervous about? It was just a dream. Not real life."
I stopped near the cafe and pressed a hand to my chest. My heart was pounding like crazy, like I'd just finished dance practice.
"I'll just chill in the corner booth like always, sipping sweet drinks and cakes I couldn't have as a trainee. Healing time. What's there to be nervous about?"
I checked my face in my phone camera and opened the cafe door.
"Welcome."
That voice from last night tickled my ear.
"Huh? Ari?"
He gave me a quick once-over, then glanced behind me. Seeing that made my heart cool right down.
"I'm here alone today. Unnie's on her period, staying home."
"Ah... R-right?"
"Make me something sweet—no lattes. Sweet drink and cake."
My words came out snappier than intended. I didn't even know why I was acting like this, so I just headed to the corner booth. But I froze midway, unable to go in.
How... how is it exactly like the dream?
This was the spot where I'd taken Oppa's thing in my mouth. Pushed the table back, bared my chest, wrapped that huge thing between them. Spent forever sucking it like melting candy until I milked out his cum and swallowed it. Finally, knelt on that sofa, shaking my hips like I was dancing.
"Eut..."
I slipped my hand into the hoodie pocket and rubbed my lower belly. Something felt weird deep inside. Hard to describe. If I had to, it was like my womb protesting, demanding something.
"Deulle-ya? What's wrong? You just stopped."
Oppa approached me in an instant. He had a plate with cake and a fork, lightly touching my shoulder.
"N-nothing. Just... dizzy for a sec."
"Dizzy? Should we go to the hospital?"
I followed his gentle hand guiding me to the seat. I knew I should say something, but nothing came to mind. My head went blank. Images flashed: his hand stroking my shoulder, grabbing my breast. Sliding up to squeeze my throat. And my final line to him echoed in my ears.
Wh-what am I thinking? Snap out of it! This isn't a dream!
He sat me down and set the plate in front of me.
"You okay? You look spaced out. Want me to close the cafe and take you to the hospital?"
"I-I'm fine! Just need a bit of rest."
"Yeah? How about some patbingsu then?"
"Patbingsu?"
"You said no lattes, something sweet. It's not a drink, but I'll load it up with condensed milk special for you."
"Condensed milk..."
Our eyes met. His face sucking my breast milk so greedily overlapped in my mind. Each grabbing a breast, slurping the white liquid nonstop.
"O-oppa... eat it with me... if you want."
"Huh? Sure. Might have to step away if customers come."
He smiled and stood. His footsteps faded as he vanished. I was alone in the corner booth. Exactly where that filthy dream started. But I didn't unhook my bra or slip a hand in my panties. Because this was reality, not a dream.
...
I sat next to Min Deulle and scooped up some sticky condensed milk red bean shaved ice. I'd planned to sit across, but she insisted on side-by-side since it was easier to share. Silence stretched for a while. We just sat pressed close, occasionally digging in. Minutes passed savoring the dream sensations in this very spot where we'd devoured each other. Then Min Deulle spoke up.
"Can you change the song?"
"Huh? The song?"
"This one playing in the cafe. I hate this group."
Caught off guard by the sudden shift, I nodded anyway. Heading to the counter, I muttered to myself.
"Weird."
It wasn't the kind of song you'd hate enough to call out specifically. Few people fixate like that.
"Just your standard upbeat girl group track."
It had that lively, refreshing summer vibe. Full of energy. The members' voices blended well—not the type you'd hate.
"Maybe she hates the group itself?"
I checked the song at the counter.
"Honey Boop? This..."
I switched the song and pulled out my phone. I'm an idol illiterate, but even I knew one group.
"Yeah, the app had that 200,000 won stage outfit... Right. Honey Boop's debut stage costume."
I glanced between the Dream Manipulation App's 'Honey Boop' entry and where Min Deulle sat. No clue why she hated them, but it felt like there was some deep connection between her and this group.