Crack
I hadn't known I would like it this much. It wasn't grotesque, and it wasn't filthy. Fascinating, if anything. Foot fetishes are famous enough, but one that runs this deep is hardly common.
"But they're dirty now."
"Ah, I-I'm sorry... I'll wipe them..."
"Forget it. Where's the bathroom?"
"Ah... R-right beside us."
"You make a mess like this and then tell me to deal with it?"
"Ah, w-wait, just a moment..."
If anything, Bae Jihyun looked pleased by the scolding. She tried to get up, and her legs gave out under her. As she reached for her blouse and skirt, I leaned in and murmured.
"If you're going to wash me, you're getting wet anyway."
I stayed where I was and simply watched her. Jihyun, halfway through gathering her clothes, swallowed hard. She went to the door, turned the handle, and opened it.
"Eek?!"
"Kyaa! You scared me!"
The instant the door opened, Choi Soojung—who had been sitting slumped against the hallway wall—screamed and scrambled to put her clothes in order. Too late. Her panties were already down around her knees, and beyond them the pale mound and the cleft were still parted around her hand, the skin all around them blotched and shining with wetness. The generous swell of breast laid bare made it obvious enough what she had been doing. A famous line came to mind. The word pervert fit better than rape. Was this officetel some kingdom of deviants? And the very best kind, at that.
"Miss Soojung, do you have a hobby of eavesdropping?"
"Ah, th-that's not..."
She tried to haul herself up and start explaining. I said nothing and stroked her head. The moment my hand touched her, her whole body locked.
"Did it feel good?"
"...Ah... Yes..."
"You haven't come yet?"
"...I, I did..."
"How many times?"
"...T-twice..."
"You did a good job on the makeup today. We'll pretend I didn't see a thing."
"...Ah..."
Soojung looked up at me, her face still steeped in the afterglow of lust, and swallowed. The truth was, I had never felt anything romantic toward Choi Soojung. Even so, those breasts were big enough that they'd probably feel good in my hands. Suddenly I missed Ju Hayeong. Maybe I should go see her tomorrow.
"You saw that? That's what I mean by saying it straight."
"...Yes..."
"She's cute, if anything."
"Ah..."
Behind me, Bae Jihyun had her head bowed as if she were ashamed, and she answered in a small voice. At my words Soojung dropped her head as well, drawing her knees together and wrapping her arms around them. The situation must have embarrassed her. I scratched my cheek, turned to Jihyun, and she swallowed and led me to the bathroom. I sat on the rim of the tub and slowly rolled my pant legs up. Jihyun had been staring blankly at the motion when I spoke.
"Then we ought to get around to the work talk."
"...Ah, y-yes..."
She knelt in front of me with the showerhead in hand, and I helped her tuck her hair behind her ear.
"Th-thank you..."
"Getting this shy all of a sudden is a continuity error. You've already seen far too much."
"...Th-that's why I'm embarrassed..."
"You're usually good at keeping things separate. Think of it the same as a broadcast. If you freeze every time we're alone, how are you supposed to live?"
"...Yes."
"Though I didn't expect you to lick my feet out of nowhere, either."
"...I'm sorry. I couldn't hold it in..."
"Well. If I feel like it, and you do a good job, I might let you lick them one more time."
"...Really?"
I'd only meant to tease her a little, but the face looking up at me was sparkling with expectation.
"...Well. I'll think about it."
"I-I'll do well. I really will."
Jihyun checked the water temperature, then slowly aimed the shower at my feet. Her stockings soaked through. She didn't seem to care.
"C-could you speak casually to me...? Is that not allowed?"
"Can't I just decide that for myself?"
"...Casual speech feels better..."
"It's not because you like seeming younger, is it?"
"Th-that too, but..."
"See. It's nice when you say it that honestly."
"...Yes."
I stroked her head where she knelt. Jihyun swallowed, looked up at me, and then dropped her gaze. Once my feet were clean we went back to the studio. I pulled on my socks and shrugged into my coat, and by then Jihyun had a blouse and skirt on and was drawing up the zipper at her side. Not the soaked skirt, of course—another of a similar cut.
"I-I'll drive you. We can talk on the way, if you want..."
"All right. I'll take you up on it."
The clock was already a little past eleven. There was still time to catch the last train, but I didn't feel like sprinting for it, and the surge pricing on taxis these days was more than I wanted to pay.
"T-take me up on it? If anything, I... Today felt so good..."
"Didn't you say it was a shame?"
"...Of course. Not... getting to is a shame. But I seriously thought my head was going to give out..."
"If you liked it, that puts me in a good mood too."
"...You really do seem different, Shinwoo. Satisfying a woman... I heard men find that disgusting..."
I'd heard it often enough by now that it was familiar. I stood beside Jihyun and looked into the mirror, and I could feel her gaze lifting toward me.
"Why? Wasn't it because you liked my body?"
"...It was..."
"Then what would I have to dislike. Me either."
"Ah..."
I slid an arm around her waist and closed my hand over her ass.
"I liked your body."
"...Shinwoo... You're really going to drive a person crazy... I didn't think you were this kind of..."
"I don't know. You don't look crazy yet."
"Hnn..."
"This much still seems fine, doesn't it?"
"...You don't know how much I'm holding back, do you? Y-you have no idea how frightening a woman can be..."
"Then why don't you show me."
I looked into her eyes and whispered against her ear.
"I'll be waiting."
"...Hnn..."
For all her talk, this much was already flushing her face again. I watched her, finding it cute, and straightened my coat.
"We should get going. It's going to be too late."
"O-okay. Just a moment."
Jihyun threw a light coat over her clothes, picked up her handbag, and stepped out of the studio. Outside, Choi Soojung was already standing in a change of clothes, her face red. The moment our eyes met she looked away and bowed her head. I watched her, then stroked her hair again.
"I understand, so don't. And thank you for the makeup today."
"...I'm sorry."
"I said it's fine. See you next time."
"...Yes. G-goodbye..."
"...Soojung."
Jihyun spoke to her. Their eyes met, and as if they had planned it they both looked away at the same instant, each facing a different direction, and started to talk. I quietly enjoyed the sight. Because they had turned their faces, neither of them noticed me smile.
"I-I'll drop him off and come back, so... please deposit today's settlement. And upload the broadcast to the cloud. I shut the computer off right away, so..."
"D-don't worry. Go carefully and come back..."
"...Yeah."
Each of them had learned a friend's secret, so of course they were embarrassed. They were cute enough that I nearly laughed out loud. Quietly, the two of them really were adorable. We left the officetel and waited for the elevator. Beside me, Jihyun cleared her throat and straightened her clothes, her eyes flicking toward me all the while.
"Something you want to say?"
"...Shinwoo. You really are a Multimale, aren't you...?"
"I am."
"...What about me...?"
"Still thinking. If you just hadn't hidden things and lied, we'd be in a bed right now."
"...Ah..."
"Remember this. With today, that's twice. There won't be a third."
"...So I still have a chance?"
"I don't dislike you being that forward. But you'd do well to keep it in mind."
I looked into the eyes lifted toward me and said it flatly.
"Once I decide I'm finished looking at someone, it ends there."
"...Yes."
"And I'm not the type who holds on to people trying to leave me."
"I understand..."
"If you'd rather keep this professional, feel free to lie again whenever you like."
Jihyun, who had been puffing her cheeks in a sulk, suddenly shouted.
"I won't!"
The composure I had been holding so carefully cracked. I flinched, startled. Jihyun didn't care how ridiculous I looked. She just kept yelling, and the hallway in front of the elevator threw the sound back at us, which startled me even more.
"Ah—! You scared me!"
"Aren't you pressuring me way too hard?! You don't know what I'm feeling!"
"Damn it, my heart nearly dropped."
"That's my line! It already feels like a dream and my heart's about to burst! I'm not fine with this either!"
She grabbed my arm in a rush, and I could feel her hand trembling in little shakes.
"I'm sorry! I mean it. I won't. I really won't anymore... You show me something like this and then... don't scare me like that..."
She was on the verge of tears. I looked at her and gave a small nod. Just then the elevator doors opened. In the light from inside and from the sensor lamp, her tearful face was lit, and I whispered.
"...All right. Then I can trust you from here?"
"...Yes... Hup?"
I wrapped an arm around her waist in one motion and walked us into the elevator. Feeling the warm heat of her as she leaned into me, I slowly stroked her cheek.
"...Ah."
"Is this your first kiss?"
"...Yes..."
Looking into my eyes, Jihyun—shouting only a moment ago—went meek, her gaze gradually coming unfocused.
"Is an elevator a bad place for a first kiss?"
"...It's the best..."
Neither of us could have said who moved first. Our lips met, slowly. As expected, Jihyun was clumsy. A first kiss at twenty-eight. Even I felt sorry for her. I tasted her mouth a little more gently, and the moment I offered my tongue, strength ran through the whole of her where her arms were around my neck.
Chuup... mm...
"You have to breathe while you do it."
"Ha, hah... Th-that's... I was afraid I'd smell..."
"That's the good part. Do I smell?"
"No... Just... the smell of spit..."
"You don't hate it, do you?"
"...No... I like it... It's sweet..."
"Same here."
"Sh-Shinwoo..."
We started tasting each other again, and in no time at all we had reached the underground garage.
"Ah..."
"...Was it good?"
"...Yes... It feels like a dream..."
I stroked her cheek, then walked out through the slowly opening doors. Jihyun followed and nearly fell when her heel caught. A laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it, and I wiped my mouth roughly on my coat sleeve.
"D-don't laugh. M-my legs gave out, that's all."
"Only because you're cute."
"...Seriously. But am I actually cute?"
"When you fish for it like this, it almost kills the mood."
"I-I'll hold back."
"No. I'm joking. And—"
I reached back, caught the hand of Jihyun coming along behind me, and drew her to my side.
"Ah..."
"I like you like that, so stand tall. The way you are, exactly as you are, is the charm."
"Y-yes..."
"So. How was the first kiss?"
"...It was too sweet."
"No bells?"
"...I-I'm not sure... Was I supposed to hear them?"
At that innocent question—her face red, fidgeting while she held my hand—I stopped and looked at her. There was a strange vacant prettiness to her. Jihyun looked back at me, swallowed, closed her eyes, rose onto her toes, and slowly turned her face toward mine. I stepped closer and whispered.
"I don't know where your car is."
"..."
In that instant I felt the face that had been full of expectation flare hot. Ah. I could have sworn I heard something crack.
"O-over there!"
"Embarrassed?"
"N-no?! I absolutely am not!"
"It has to be awkward, though."
"I said I'm not!"
"Puckering up the second our eyes meet is a little much."
"I'm dying of embarrassment, so stop!"
"Ah. She admitted it."
"Ngh!"
I laughed, watching her heels stamp irritably across the garage floor. The reactions came so fast that there was a quiet pleasure in teasing her.