The Reason for Quitting as a Trainee (2)
"Damn it... I had to go and dream something weird today of all days..."
I scooped another bite of patbingsu and let out a small sigh. Yesterday, I had two dreams. There might have been more, but the ones that stuck clearly in my memory were two. One was with Uju-mong oppa at the cafe. The other was a nightmare from that horrific day I never want to recall...
Suddenly, the cafe's music changed. It was the kind of song my sister would usually listen to.
"Yeah. Better this than nothing."
Just then, the cafe door opened with a chime, followed by oppa's voice greeting the customers.
I pulled out my notebook. He'd bought it for me to jot down English words and memorize them in my spare time, but I had no intention of writing English vocab. "What's the point of playing songs my sister likes when she's not even here?" This was my chance to list out all my favorite songs. That way, at least when my sister wasn't around, he'd think of me and play these instead.
...
I handed two drinks to the new customers and picked up my phone again. I'd checked the Dream Manipulation App's shop page, and on a whim, I tapped into the registered targets page too.
"Pillow sales...?"
I muttered the words absentmindedly and clamped my mouth shut. Pillow sales. These days, it's more commonly known as sponsorship or sugar daddy arrangements. In simple terms, it's sexual favors.
Why would she dream something like this...?
I hadn't used the shop this time. The fact that a manipulable dream had popped up here meant Min Deulle must have had this dream last night. Probably after the one where I fucked her senseless.
With a uneasy feeling, I tapped on 'Pillow Sales Proposal'.
[Pillow Sales Proposal]
Min Deulle is riding in a manager's car, heading somewhere. The manager drives while wishing her a happy birthday. She grumbles that her birthday was yesterday.
Min Deulle expresses anxiety about her debut keeps getting delayed. The manager reassures her that they've even settled on the group name "Honeyboob," so she'll definitely debut this time.
The car pulls into the parking lot of a luxury apartment. Min Deulle asks where they are. The manager hands her some pills and water, telling her to take them and head up to room 1203.
Min Deulle asks again what the pills are and where this place is. The manager says he'll pick her up tomorrow morning, and if she just plays nice tonight, the other trainees who've worked hard alongside her will surely debut too.
She freaks out upon realizing the pills are birth control. After a struggle with the manager, Min Deulle flees the parking lot.
She wakes up the moment she escapes the parking lot.
"That's brutal..."
A brutal nightmare. Did something exactly like this really happen? I doubt it. No, I hope it didn't.
Past events don't recreate perfectly in dreams that often.
Even for me, I've never had a dream that matched my past exactly.
But something similar probably did happen.
She was propositioned for pillow sales. She refused and quit being a trainee. The core of it likely didn't change.
I gripped my phone, pondering. I could tweak this into something erotic. But should I? Is it okay to dive into this dream and fuck Min Deulle?
A queasy thought flashed through my mind. The manager drags her forcefully to room 1203. Or she takes the pills for her debut and goes up herself. And in the end, she gets fucked by whoever's waiting in 1203.
This app could easily turn it into a story like that.
She goes up to 1203, where a man in a mask waits. Min Deulle looks at him with contempt but can't refuse, surrendering her first time to him. For her fellow trainees and her own future.
But I don't want to get my rocks off by going that far...
It might sound hypocritical after already fucking her twice, but I didn't want to toy with trauma-like memories willy-nilly. How should I put it? I want the women who come to me to be happy too. Slapping Min Deulle's tits or cheeks, choking her neck—that stemmed from the same idea. I don't particularly like sadistic play, but if she wants it, I'd do it. Seeing her satisfied and happy makes me feel good too.
That said, letting this slide doesn't make sense either. I need to earn Drim Coins...
One dream manipulation nets one Drim Coin. Tweaking this into an erotic romp means a free 5 million won Drim Coin.
Doing nothing here is just throwing away 5 million won.
And if I manipulate this one, I'll finally have three Drim Coins. That's exactly what's needed to add Su Yeonhwa to the registered targets.
Not that I want to have erotic dreams with Ari's mom, of course. Even if it's just a dream, fucking her little sister and then her mom? How the hell would I face Ari?
I'm saving up so I can buy Ari from the shop the moment she appears. No plans to add anyone else.
I steeled my resolve and racked my brain. How should I tweak it? How can I change it so I enjoy it and Min Deulle does too?
"Oppa."
"Wha—huh!?"
I hurriedly darkened my phone screen and looked up. Min Deulle was standing right in front of the counter.
"Why so jumpy? Were you looking at something naughty?"
"Wh-what are you talking about? No way I'd do that in the cafe. I was just... uh, looking at that photo of Ari you sent me."
"..."
Min Deulle's expression stiffened subtly for a moment. I'd thought it was a smooth topic pivot, but had she caught on to something?
"Anyway, what's up? Want something? Need anything?"
"Here."
Her voice was short and curt. She placed a memo sheet densely packed with writing on the counter.
"Songs I like. Play these instead. Your picks all suck. No wonder young people aren't coming if you keep playing this stuff."
She spun on her heel and walked away from the counter. She'd gone out of her way to write it by hand, so it felt kinda bad not to change the playlist. I decided to switch it up.
"Ari probably won't show today anyway. Should be fine."
Bzzz—
Just then, my phone, which I'd set down on the counter, buzzed loudly. It was a message from Min Deulle.
My eyes went to the attached photo. Min Ari peeking out from under the covers, just her face showing. Her disheveled hair and that irritated expression you rarely see. A bare face without makeup, even rarer now that she's an adult.
"As expected, a pretty girl looks pretty no matter what face she makes..."
How amazing would it be to lie in that bed with her? How hot would it be to watch that face twist in ecstasy beneath me?
I carefully downloaded the photo. You never know when the phone might crap out again, so I backed it up to the cloud and scrolled through my collection.
Pillow sales proposal. Yeah, I should tweak this dream and make good use of it. If only to register Min Ari on the app someday.
...
Time flew by, and it was closing time. Past 10 p.m. Almost no one was wandering the streets, but cars still zipped along occasionally.
"Oppa, take me home."
Min Deulle, waiting at the door, shoved her bag toward me.
"It's a 10-minute walk. Can't you go alone?"
"You have no idea how scary the world is... What if something happens to me? Think how heartbroken you'd be."
"Yeah... that wouldn't be fun. But what's with the bag? You want me to carry it?"
Min Deulle nodded with a mischievous grin.
"Gotta stay light on my feet in case of emergencies."
"And me?"
"You're tall and ripped, so you fight."
She poked my arm playfully, muttering, "As expected..."
"If some creep shows up, I'll just grab 'em by the throat like this."
"Like this?"
Half-joking, I reached toward her neck. It reminded me of when I'd choked her, so I figured she'd fire back.
It wasn't a real grab or squeeze. Just barely brushing her skin.
"Hng...!"
Suddenly, Min Deulle dropped her bag with a thud. She froze, body rigid, staring up at me wide-eyed.
The night had deepened, the space dim. Lights from still-open shops illuminated her.
I hadn't expected such a dramatic reaction either, so I froze too.
"Y-you scared me!"
Min Deulle recovered first. She backed away quickly, rubbing her neck a few times. She picked up the bag from the ground and clutched it to her chest.
"Wh-who'd think I actually choked you...? Don't overreact. Get in."
To shake off the weird vibe, I pulled out the car smart key.
"I'll drop you at your place."
"..."
Min Deulle nodded silently and walked obediently to the car.