I'll Crash at Your Place Tonight (2)
After sending Min Deulle off, he turns toward the parking lot. He opens the car door and sinks into the driver's seat. He should start the engine, but his hand doesn't move easily. Inside the car, shrouded in darkness. As silence floods in, the thoughts he'd forcibly suppressed earlier bubble up.
'I'll head out first.' Min Ari's cold back as she turns away. And Min Deulle's relayed words. 'Unnie said she's sleeping out tonight?'
Where is Ari right now? Did she really go to her boyfriend Park Noah's place? Or is she planning to crash at that fellow writer's house she mentioned last time? Why is she sleeping out in the first place? Ari isn't the type to act on pure impulse without reason. She must have something in mind, something she's hoping for.
Is she trying to provoke me again? Even after seeing those photos, is she still trying to get my attention? Could it be that my actions over these past ten years have gained some value to her? Or did seeing that photo of me she'd buried in her trash folder make her body heat up...
"No. She mentioned sleeping out this morning already. She decided before seeing my photo."
Lately, Min Ari's behavior is impossible to predict. Like someone who's broken somewhere, she's repeating things the usual Ari would never do.
"Ah, why does this bother me so much?"
Something surges up bitterly in a corner of his chest. Honestly, it's probably not because he likes her as much as he used to. After mixing bodies with Min Deulle and rolling around with Noona Jangmi in dreams, his feelings for Ari have naturally diminished. He thinks they have.
"Still, imagining Ari sleeping with another guy... it twists my guts."
His solar plexus feels clogged and suffocating, a filthy mood settling in. He tries not to think about it, but his mind keeps drifting there anyway. Is this love? Or possessiveness? Regret over something he couldn't have?
"Hoo..."
He lets out a long sigh. To shake off the dirty feeling, he pulls out his phone from his pocket. At times like this, he needs a different stimulus to clear his head. He opens the cloud app to restore the photos. He plans to calm himself by looking at pics of Min Deulle, Noona Jangmi, and Eommonim.
Knock, knock, knock.
A sudden knock makes his heart drop. He startles, turns off the phone screen, and flips it over. Then he peers out the driver's side window.
"...Min Ari?"
Her face isn't clear in the dark, but he knows that silhouette he's etched into his eyes every day. Plus, she's wearing the same clothes from the cafe today.
Knock, knock.
She taps the glass again. He hurriedly rolls down the window.
"Min Ari... what are you doing here?"
"Cold."
"Huh?"
"Open the passenger door."
Ari walks around the front of the car to the passenger side without waiting for a reply. He blankly follows her with his eyes, then hastily unlocks the doors.
Click.
The passenger door opens, and Ari slips inside with a gust of cold air.
"Haa..."
Min Ari sighs deeply once inside. That's when an unfamiliar smell hits his nose.
"Ari, have you been drinking?"
"...A little."
It smells too strong for "a little." Much stronger than last time at the convenience store when he had to support her. He mentally calculates the time. From walking Min Deulle around the apartment complex and coming back, it was barely 20 minutes. Did she drink with someone in that short time and just happen to run into his car?
No way.
Ari must have planned this. She left first, drank alone somewhere nearby like a convenience store or in the complex while he walked with Deulle, then timed her entrance perfectly when he was alone. That has to be it.
"Didn't you say you were sleeping out tonight?"
"Deulle told you?"
"..."
"What? Holding back now to protect Deulle? This is ridiculous... How long have we known each other... You like her that much?"
Her words slur a bit as she goes on. Ari crosses her arms and legs.
"Perverted bastard."
"...What?"
"The age gap and all, telling me to take pics like that and send them."
"..."
"Sneaking peeks and giggling over those pics right in front of me."
Ari's toe taps the car floor irritably.
"You like Deulle that much? What's so good about her? Where? Because she strips easily?"
"Ari, you're drunk."
"No, I'm not. I'm fine."
She turns to face him, enunciating each word carefully. But alcohol breath wafts over with every syllable.
"Be honest. How far have you... gone with Deulle."
"Huh?"
"Why keep asking back? You heard me."
"..."
"How far have you two gone."
What should he say? Truth or lie? He hesitates.
"Why do I have to tell you that?"
"Because I'm her unnie. Because we're childhood friends."
"..."
"Fine. Just answer this: Did you two... do it?"
Ari seems already convinced. Maybe she noticed something off when Deulle came home yesterday? Subtle changes in movement, sudden relaxed vibe, or from observing their reactions at the cafe today.
"Yeah. We did."
"..."
"You trash. Pervert. If I'd known you were like this, I never would've asked you to tutor me."
Various rebuttals flash in his mind, but he doesn't voice them. Arguing with a drunk is pointless. Plus, taking her irritation like this once will keep her quiet afterward.
"Some people with their damn religion... platonic this, platonic that..."
Ari turns her head and mutters softly. But in the confined car, there's no escape for the sound. He hears her grumbling clearly.
"Uju-mong, you... got a lot of experience... in that area?"
"Not... exactly lacking."
Of course, real-world experience is low. But in dreams indistinguishable from reality, he's racked up plenty. And he'll keep stacking more almost daily.
"..."
After that question, Ari suddenly clams up. She sits quietly, emanating booze fumes for a long while before finally speaking.
"Fine. Then... I'm sleeping at your place tonight."
"...What?"
"..."
Ari seals her lips and turns to stare out the window instead of answering. His heart starts pounding. Did he hear that right?
No matter how you slice it... this is an invitation to hook up.
In this conversation flow, "sleeping at your place" can only mean that. Not because he's a perv—any guy would interpret it the same. No room for other readings.
What about your boyfriend? You wanna sleep with me now? He swallows a ton of questions. Instead, he starts the car right away.
"Ha, ridiculous. Just like that... accepting without a word?"
Ari grumbles toward the window, but he ignores it completely. Min Deulle's face flashes in his mind—the moment she hugged him, smiling happily—but it can't fully push out his longstanding first love.
...
The door lock disengages with an unusually loud beep.
"Come in."
He enters first and flips on the light. Min Ari follows, slips off her shoes, and cautiously steps inside.
"..."
Like Deulle's first time, Ari glances around every corner—bed, desk, clothes on the rack.
"Cleaner than I thought."
"I'm good at tidying up."
His place is way cleaner than usual. Yesterday's romp with Deulle trashed the room, so he'd done a deep clean to erase traces.
Never imagined bringing Ari here like this...
A weird mood settles in. How many fantasies has he had alone in this tiny room? Bringing Ari here, laying her on the bed. Sitting her on the desk. The thought that it might happen tonight makes his heart thump wildly.
"I-I'm saying this upfront so you don't get weird ideas... I'm not here to sleep with you."
"..."
Her words douse him like cold water, making him frown involuntarily.
"A-Anyway, got anything to drink?"
Ari avoids his eyes, fanning herself needlessly. Her face is flushed—booze or something else?
He swallows a sigh and opens the fridge, grabbing a bottle of sparkling water.
"Drink this at least."
He approaches and hands it over. She glares warily, snatches it like he's about to pounce—a feral cat on edge.
"You trash. You did it with Deulle... but let me in anyway."
"You said you wanted to sleep with me."
"W-When did I?"
"You complained your boyfriend doesn't satisfy you, asked if I have experience, then said you'd crash here. Anyone would get ideas."
He plops on the bed edge, staring at her. Ari sets her laptop bag on the desk, pulls out the chair, and sits primly—knees together, clutching the bottle with both hands.
"Don't tell me... you're gonna tell Deulle about this to mess up our relationship?"
"Our?"
"Trying to split me and Deulle with this stunt?"
"..."
Min Deulle takes a sip of sparkling water, catches her breath, then speaks in a calmer tone.
"It's not that. I just... have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
"W-Whatever I say from now on... you can't tell anyone. Not even Deulle. Total secret from Noona Jangmi and Mom too."
"..."
"Promise. Say you won't tell a soul."
Ari's eyes are dead serious.
"Got it. I won't tell anyone."
He nods eagerly, and she eyes him suspiciously.
"If it leaks to anyone... everything between you and Deulle. I'll tell Mom. And I'll do whatever it takes to separate you two. Hell, it'll be you die, I die. Our lives end there. Got it?"
"I said I won't tell. Why so scary?"
Ari pauses a bit longer, then steels herself and speaks.
"Y-You know I write novels, right?"
"Of course."
"But I've always hidden what kind."
"Yeah. Secretive to a fault."
He'd been curious about her novels. But even he wouldn't want to show his writing, so he'd held back.
"T-The truth is..."
Ari swallows hard.
"Truth is... I write adult stuff... you know... with some steamy scenes."
He almost blurts 'Huh?' but clamps his mouth shut—fresh warning not to pry.
"Like smut?"
"Not smut! Adult romance! For adults! With high-heat scenes! Not porn with a story slapped on—story with spice added!"
Ari bristles, voice rising. Her face is beet red.
"Isn't that the same...?"
"Different!"
She huffs, unable to meet his eyes. Head down, fidgeting with her toes. Then her gaze shifts—straight to between his legs.