Meeting My Friend's Mom
Yoon Jinsu. My one and only friend.
We ended up in the same class freshman year of high school. He had a decent personality, we had plenty in common, and we hit it off right away. Well — if I'm being honest, two guys hanging out mostly just meant hitting the PC bang or trading dirty jokes.
After losing both my parents young — one to an accident, the other to illness — I hadn't had the emotional bandwidth to make friends. Jinsu was the first real best friend I'd ever had, and I found myself able to open up to him about my family situation.
"Your parents died when you were little?"
"Yeah. I live with my stepmother now. Just the two of us."
"My dad's always off on overseas business trips, so it's pretty much just me and my mom too. We've got more in common than I thought."
"Wait, for real?"
Talking through those bleak family circumstances only brought us closer. And by pure chance, we kept landing in the same class year after year, which only cemented the friendship further.
...That was already several years ago.
After graduating high school, we somehow ended up at the same cram school too. This place was the biggest academy in the area — a graveyard for jaesusaeng, packed with back-to-back classes from eight in the morning straight through to five in the afternoon.
I was sprawled across my desk after a half-assed lunch from the snack bar when Jinsu wandered over from the next seat.
"Yo, PC bang after academy?"
"We go every day. Why are you even asking?"
"Fair. But I've got another academy to hit today, so I've only got like two hours."
Up to that point, it was a perfectly ordinary conversation.
We were retaking the exams, sure, but if you did nothing but study at the cram school every single day, you'd lose your mind. So every now and then, Jinsu and I would go blow off some steam.
But the real start of everything came right after that.
"Oh shit! I left my academy workbook at home! I've gotta go straight from the PC bang to the other academy… Think I need to swing by my place real quick?"
"Then I'll head to the PC bang first and wait. Just grab the book and meet me there."
Jinsu shook his head at that.
"Nah, why don't you come by my place too? I'm just grabbing the book and heading right back out."
"Why would I… Your mom might be home. Wouldn't that be imposing?"
"C'mon. My mom actually loves it when I bring friends over. She even told me to invite you sometime."
Jinsu's dad was always away on overseas business trips.
That was why our home situations felt so similar. That common ground was probably what let us get close in the first place…
The one real difference was that I lived with my stepmother, while Jinsu lived with his actual mother — just the two of them.
"Yeah? Alright, maybe I'll come along."
"Or skip the PC bang and just game at my place? We've got two computers."
"For real? Damn, you're loaded. I'm jealous…"
To be fair, Jinsu's family practically reeked of money. He went to the most expensive academy in the area, and the shoes and clothes he wore made it clear they spent freely.
My situation was a whole different world — I earned my own pocket money because I was always walking on eggshells around my stepmother. Ugh, so jealous… She treated me like I barely existed in that house, so of course I envied Jinsu's seemingly warm, happy home.
"You sure it's cool if I come over?"
"Yeah. I'll give Mom a heads-up."
"Nice. Then I'm in."
And just like that, I was headed to Jinsu's place for the first time.
After the cram school let out, I made my way to Jinsu's apartment. Naturally, Jinsu was right beside me the whole way, grumbling about how much he hated studying.
He'd said he lived in one of the new apartment complexes nearby, and seeing it in person, it was definitely bigger than mine. Waiting for the elevator, I found myself asking him something.
"Is your mom home?"
"Yeah. She seemed pretty happy when I told her I was bringing you."
"Ah… Okay."
I'd never actually met Jinsu's mother.
These days we mostly hung out at PC bangs or around the academy district — going over to each other's places just wasn't something we did. Even so, showing up out of nowhere like this… wasn't that rude to her? What if she was the strict, prickly type? That would be incredibly awkward.
While I fretted over that, Jinsu punched in the door code and stepped inside.
"I'm home~"
"Jinsu~ You're back earlier than I expected?"
The soft, melodic voice that answered — and the beauty who appeared with it — froze me solid right there in the entryway.
Without thinking, I jabbed Jinsu in the side.
"Yo, Jinsu. You never told me you had a sister."
"What are you talking about? It's just me and Mom living here."
"For real?"
Right. So the woman standing in front of me really was Jinsu's mother. Fair enough — she was far too mature and alluring to pass for an older sister.
I bowed my head politely.
"Hello. I'm Han Sejin, Jinsu's friend."
"Ah, yes. I've heard so much about you."
Jinsu's mother smiled with her eyes as she said it.
It was hard to believe she was in her forties — she looked so young, with a body that was pure sensuality. Those full breasts and the hips that flared out so invitingly radiated the ripe, mature allure unique to a woman in her prime. Any man would have trouble looking away from a figure that dripped with that kind of sex appeal.
…And the fact that she was wearing a dress that hugged every curve made it even harder to tear my eyes off her.
I caught myself staring at the pale calves peeking out beneath the hem, then remembered she was my friend's mother and hastily looked away.
"If you're Jinsu's friend, make yourself at home. Don't worry about me."
"Ah, thank you."
I nodded as if entranced by that gentle voice, then watched with a twinge of regret as Jinsu's mother disappeared into the master bedroom.
There was an elegance in her speech and her walk that only a mature adult woman could carry.
"Dude. Your mom is seriously gorgeous…"
"Huh? I don't really see it."
"Yeah? Maybe 'cause she's family? C'mon, let's just game."
I went into Jinsu's room, dropped my bag, and fired up the computer. We'd come over to play games together, but somehow none of it was registering. All I could think about was wanting to see Jinsu's mother one more time.
Maybe that was why I kept dying — I couldn't focus on my character at all.
"Dude! I told you their jungler was going there!"
"Ah, sorry. I died…"
My character went down in a pathetic heap, the screen turning gray.
I still had a full minute before I respawned.
"Hey Jinsu. Gonna grab some water real quick."
"Yeah. Water cooler's in the kitchen. Help yourself."
"Got it."
I left the room and headed for the kitchen. I was filling a cup with cold water, quenching my thirst, when the master bedroom door suddenly opened and she stepped out.
Startled, I bowed my head.
"Ah — hello?"
"Didn't we already say hello earlier?"
"Ah… Right, we did."
"…Sejin, was it?"
She stepped closer as she said it. A sweet fragrance drifted into my nose… and up close, I could see a beauty mark by the corner of her eye. It only made her look more seductive.
Damn it. Why am I like this?
I didn't want to be thinking these things about my friend's mom, but I couldn't look away.
Of course, the fact that she was an absolute knockout was part of it. Yoon Jinsu, you bastard — I'd always wondered where that unfairly good-looking face came from. Turns out he inherited genes like these…
While I was thinking that, she suddenly asked:
"Is Jinsu doing well at the academy? No problems or anything?"
"Yes. He's doing so well it's almost a problem."
"That's a relief, then… Still, if anything ever comes up, would you mind telling me privately? This is the first time Jinsu's brought a friend home, so I don't really have anyone else to ask."
As she spoke, she gently took hold of my hand.
The soft touch startled me, and I quickly bowed my head again.
"Yes. If anything happens, I'll let you know right away!"
"Thank you. Please look after our Jinsu for me."
"Ah, come on. He's my friend. Of course I will."
Maybe she liked that answer.
Watching my flushed face, she gave me a sultry little smile with her eyes. I don't think she meant anything by it — it was just that every movement of hers carried that ripe, married-woman sensuality.
"Mm. And you're welcome to come over anytime, so don't feel like you're imposing."
With that, she disappeared back into the master bedroom. Watching her go, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding.
Hooah… That was close. I almost got hard in my pants. And of course she had to be wearing a body-hugging slip dress, which only made the dirty thoughts worse. For a guy my age, in the prime of his hormones, that outfit was pure danger.
If anyone ever found out I'd been thinking that way about my friend's mother, I'd die of shame. I couldn't let my guard down.
When I got back to the room, Jinsu glanced over at me.
"What the hell took you so long? The game's over."
"Ah, I drank a lot of water…"
"Yeah? Then why's your face so red?"
"Huh? Oh, maybe it's just hot in here?"
"Huh? Want me to put the AC on?"
Thankfully, he didn't seem to suspect a thing.
I shook my head and sat back down in the chair.
"Let's just play."
But there was no way I could focus on the game in that state. I spent the next two hours zoning out, lost in my own thoughts, before I suddenly asked Jinsu:
"Hey, these PCs are better than the ones at the bang, right? Mind if I come over more often?"
"Huh? Of course not. Why would you even ask?"
"I just… didn't want to impose on your mom…"
"Nah. My mom doesn't care about that kind of thing."
Is that so? Good to know… I smiled to myself at the thought.
Coming over every now and then should be fine, right?
Well — she'd said it was okay herself.