Pillow
After that, the rest of the day went much the same as yesterday. The only real differences were that I followed Changsu out on the pickup run to get a feel for the neighborhood and save the address separately in the navigation, and that I walked the kids around the area more than a few times.
"...You did all of this by yourself yesterday?"
Once ten o'clock passed, the gym that had been so noisy went quiet. I muttered it while sprawled carelessly in the middle of the floor, and Changsu, lying beside me, answered.
"Yes. Thanks to you, hyung, today was actually manageable."
"Checking the address every single time is such a pain. I really need to just memorize it already."
"You're heading home today too, right?"
"Yeah. Oh—take the car key. I'll take the rental van."
"I told you, it's really fine if you just use it."
"It's fine. I need to get used to driving a van anyway."
I pulled the car key from the bag beside me and handed it back. Changsu yawned and passed me the van key in return.
"Call the rental company tomorrow and just switch the insurance. That should do it."
"Right. You holding up okay?"
"It's only the second day, but... I like it."
"Good."
"My body's tired, but it's a good kind of tired. It reminds me of the old days, too. I always wanted to live like this, without thinking about anything."
His yawn must have been contagious. I yawned myself and went on.
"Anyway, if you're all right, that's a relief. I was worried I might be getting in the way of your plans."
"Like you said, I thought about just taking some classes, but I figured I'd rest completely and start looking for a company around summer."
"Yeah."
"Are you doing a little better now, hyung?"
"...What else can I do. Just forget it and keep living."
"Yeah. I'm telling you, you ought to try being an influencer while you're at it."
"Not just anyone can do that."
"You still haven't checked your DMs, have you? Take a look. You never know."
At Changsu's urging I dug out my phone, thinking I might as well check. I had to put up a post today anyway. I replied to Hyunji's KakaoTalk, then smiled, pleased, at the photos Ju Hayeong had sent of today's lunch and dinner—before hurrying into Instagram in case Changsu saw.
...Nothing much, huh.
The DMs had piled up to a ridiculous degree. Most were nothing more than light greetings, but quite a few women had sent nudes, or photos of their own breasts. The trouble was, I'd seen far too many extraordinary chests lately to get stirred up by bodies this ordinary, so all it earned me was another yawn. A few of them were fresh, at least. Even so, I had no real interest in meeting women like that. Trust had to come first.
The response is good, though.
The posts were still doing well, too. The photos with the kids in particular had landed so much better than I'd expected that it was almost embarrassing. Maybe thanks to the children, I could scour the comments and still not find a single nasty one. Everyone was leaving sweet remarks, which was nice to see, so I picked out a few and left replies of my own.
Still, there are hardly any adult members.
It was only day two, and a weekday besides, so maybe that was to be expected. Whatever. The gym didn't look like it would go under, even if it wasn't turning a real profit yet. From here on, those calls belonged to Go Yewon. I'd stick to cleaning up the messes I'd already started. Just then a shadow fell across my face. Seo Eunchae's pretty face was enough to lift my mood, but I didn't let it show.
"You'll fall asleep if you stay like that."
"Mind your own business. And quit being so formal. It makes me look old."
"All right."
She was still in the same clothes she'd worn when she came in this afternoon. She knelt above my head and looked quietly down at me.
"Heading out?"
"Yes."
"How was today?"
"It was fine. I'm a little tired from working out for the first time in a while, but that's all."
"How are the kids?"
"...They're a bit difficult. I learned a lot from Coach Rahi."
"Get along with Rahi. She's a really good kid. Yewon, too."
"...Yes."
But under the steady way she kept studying my face, I pulled my eyes off the phone and looked up at her.
"Something else you wanted to say?"
"No. It's just... strange."
"What is?"
"...How did you hide it all this time?"
"That's what I'd like to know. They say the urges were something else."
Beside us, Changsu had been scrolling his phone. He muttered and picked up her thread. I scratched idly at my cheek, met the look in Eunchae's eyes, and sorted out what I meant to say. I figured I could just be honest. Of course, the story would run from a rather different angle than it had in the world before this one.
"There wasn't anyone who said they liked me."
"...What?"
"I mean, I was a returning student, and older besides. Hitting on the juniors didn't feel right."
"...That was really the only reason?"
"'Only'? Image matters."
"Unbelievable. Ah..."
"What's unbelievable about it. Even a returning student knows how to keep his dignity."
I pushed myself up without much fuss and settled my head quietly on Seo Eunchae's thigh. Her slim frame and firm thighs weren't soft, exactly, but they were cozy enough that I didn't mind. And the faint scent of fabric softener drifting into my nose, with the smell of her skin threaded through it, had a drowsy kind of magic.
"What are those two doing?"
"...Th-they're in the office, getting coffee ready, I think."
"Changsu, you want some before you go?"
"Sure."
That was when a cool touch landed on my forehead. I looked up and found Eunchae brushing my bangs aside with slender fingers—and the moment our eyes met, she startled and snatched her hand away.
"Ah, s-sorry. Your hair was..."
"It's fine. Your hands are pretty cold, though."
"...They've always been like that. Did it bother you?"
"No. It felt nice. Cool."
"...Okay."
As if my words had given her courage, the tips of her trembling fingers went back to finishing with my bangs. I lay there enjoying the pleasant coolness, then reached up and took her hand. It was soft and cold, like closing my fist around ice cream.
"Ah..."
"Winter's going to be rough on you."
"Yes, a little... Oppa's hands are warm..."
I didn't answer. I looked at my phone and gently toyed with her hand, and I could feel Changsu watching us through half-lidded eyes, already plotting how to tease. When I let go of her hand, warmer now than when I'd taken it, she looked at me as if she regretted the loss. She shot Changsu a glare; he stared right back as if to ask what she expected him to do about it, and a short laugh slipped out of me. Right then Rahi and Yewon came out of the office, and Eunchae pulled her hand away at once.
"Shinwoo. Here—and one for unni, too."
"Changsu's as well."
"Thanks."
"Thank you."
I took the iced americano Rahi held out in its plain water bottle and sat up. I could still feel a regretful gaze on my back, but I turned without a word and made room for Rahi and Go Yewon.
"...It really feels like a reflection meeting."
"It just ended up this way. I did say we wouldn't do it every day."
When I answered Eunchae, Rahi and Go Yewon let out a little laugh. Changsu sat up as well, eyes still fixed on his phone. Yewon drew her legs neatly to one side, settled herself with care, and spoke to Eunchae.
"I just like chatting about how the day went."
"That's fine, too."
"How was it for you, Eunchae?"
"Pretty nice, doing it again after so long. The kids are a little awkward, though."
"They're cute, though, right?"
"...Yes."
I listened quietly as the two of them went on. It was about time I made some room for Go Yewon as the one actually in charge. Me throwing my weight around too much was a problem of its own. I couldn't know every little detail anyway.
"Yewon, did you look into that?"
"Which thing?"
"The yoga room."
"Ah. I called, and they said they'd come by tomorrow morning."
"Think it through before you decide. If it's too expensive, I feel like we ought to put it off."
"Yes. Still, I'd like to do it if it's at all reasonable."
I nodded at that and listened as the talk turned to the yoga room. Go Yewon's voice had a rhythm to it, almost like singing; Rahi's was even and plain; Eunchae's was a little cool. The three of them fit together surprisingly well.
"Now that I think about it, Yeona..."
"She does seem that way. That kid's got a bit of leadership in her."
"What do you think about organizing something like this and sending it out?"
"Wouldn't that get too busy?"
"Still, now that Eunchae's here, we can take more kids."
I cut in.
"It's a good idea, but once you start, it's hard to walk back. Even at a kindergarten, they say just writing those daily notes is exhausting. I don't think we should take on more work yet."
"Hyung's right. It's not like we're just putting the kids down for naps. If we take on any more than this, there won't be time for that."
"Ah. That makes sense."
"Then what do you think about where the equipment goes?"
"The ring being in the center is a problem. The placement ends up ambiguous."
"Even so, with the ropes and the safety issues, putting it against the wall is dangerous."
"Director, where would you like the yoga room?"
"A corner, I think. If we're going to play music and do hot yoga, we'll need somewhere we can put in heating..."
Having said my piece, I went quiet again and listened. It wasn't boring in the slightest. Everywhere I looked there was a pretty face, and the voices were pleasant enough that my ears were happy—happy enough that I could have fallen asleep just like that.
...Maybe living like this, the way Changsu said, wouldn't be so bad.
Maybe I was just sick of a life spent grinding through competition and overtime, a slave to money. Or maybe it was because of what Ju Hayeong had said. A little of it might have been the fixed income, small as it was. Or maybe all of it was working on me at once. Nothing had even been deposited yet, but for one reason and another I felt a fair bit of room in my head. Had I been burned out?
"Ah, enough already. It's already ten-thirty. Eunchae, when's your last train?"
At Changsu's grumbling, the three of them, deep in the bloom of their talk, finally came back to themselves.
"Ah, right. I should get going."
"How far are you going?"
"The subway's fine."
"I'll drop you off. Rahi, shall we head out too?"
"Ah, yes."
As we got up, Yewon looked quietly up at us, and I could feel a little loneliness in that gaze. It couldn't be helped. She'd been alone all this time, and then friends had appeared out of nowhere—only for her to be by herself again at night.
"I'll head out first, then. See you tomorrow."
"Yes. Good work today."
"Yeah. See you tomorrow."
"Yep!"
"I'll grab my things, too."
"Okay."
Changsu left the gym first, and Rahi and Eunchae headed for the locker room. I slung on the bag I'd already packed and spoke to Go Yewon as if it were nothing.
"Don't look so disappointed. It's not like I can sleep over every night."
"...Ah, I know... It's just..."
"And don't forget—if you're still hurting tomorrow, you really need to go to the hospital. The sheets were a wreck, weren't they?"
"Yes..."
She wasn't a child, so of course she wouldn't sulk over something like this. Even so, the glances she kept stealing at me made it plain she wanted to stay.
"How about the weekend?"
"...What?"
"There's no kids' schedule then. Let's spend it together. Your body should be better by then, too. I do have plans this week, though."
She'd been in so much pain that she clearly needed more time to recover than Rahi, Hyunji, or Ju Hayeong. Better to give her a few days than to aggravate the hurt for no reason. And I thought a definite promise would do her more good than telling her to wait with no end in sight.
"...Yes!"
She nodded, smiling so brightly that even I felt myself go a little soft.
"Yeah. So don't get too down. Or would you rather sleep over with Rahi?"
"No. I'm fine. It's not as if it's only been a day or two. It's just..."
She glanced at Rahi, who was watching her with a gentle smile, then quietly lowered her head and whispered.
"...Thank you so much for worrying about me..."
"Of course I should worry. You're mine now."
"...Yes..."
I looked at her blushing as she looked back at me, then murmured.
"Come here."
"...Ah..."
She stared at me blankly, swallowed, and came slowly forward on her knees and hands, almost crawling. I pressed my mouth quietly to hers.
"...Haa..."
"See you tomorrow."
"...Yes... Um..."
I watched her eyes begin to soften as she looked at me, kissed her gently once more, and drew my face away.
"...Your lips are so soft, Shinwoo."
"Now that I think of it. You called me Teacher."
"...Ah, I—I didn't even realize I did."
"It was a little stimulating for me, too. Do you like that kind of thing?"
"...I-I'm not sure..."
She turned her face from mine as if embarrassed. She really did seem to have called me Teacher without meaning to, but the title I'd just put in her mouth made her flush a little deeper, and the hint of arousal on her was plain to see.