The Back
Maybe it was the way the conversation had carried on so gently. Her feelings had been running high, and only then had the arousal started to catch. The sensation in her chest must have felt nothing like usual, too. Even I was curious how anyone could change overnight, as if a switch had been thrown, but that wasn't what mattered now.
"Like this? Is this all right?"
"Y-yes, l-like that……. Ahh, nngh……. Hup—?!"
At my touch Rahi slowly lifted her head and covered her mouth. I pressed my lips to the taut line of her neck, where the tendons stood out, and in that instant her waist began to tremble.
"Ahh, Sh-Shinwoo……. I-I'm gonna, I'm gonna come……. Hah, ahh!"
"Yeah. I can feel it."
"Keep going, keep going, just like that, Shinwoo…… haaahn…… ahhk!"
When I pinched, through the T-shirt, right where her nipples ought to be, Rahi's hips jerked and she started to shiver all over. The buck of her waist drove force into the mouth I still had on her neck, and I sucked harder than I meant to. But as if that had been the signal, she went straight over the edge.
"Haaahn……."
It didn't seem to have climbed all that high. I stroked her lightly trembling waist and chest and waited while she rode out the afterglow, privately pleased in that way only a man understands—that I'd gotten her there with nothing but her chest.
"Hah, nngh……. Sh-Shinwoo……."
She called for me, desperate, turning to plead, but I only shook my head.
"Let's just sleep like this tonight."
"……Ah……."
"I'll touch you again in bed."
"……Okay……."
"It really didn't hurt?"
"No……. If anything…… it felt too good……. Like getting a massage……."
"Don't look so disappointed. I want to, too. I'm holding back."
"……You could just do it."
"Quit grumbling."
I kept her in my arms, set my chin on the crown of her head, and pressed down, playful. Still breathing hot against me, Rahi laid her arm over mine and stroked it.
"……I'm happy."
"Me too. Feeling a little better?"
"Yes……. Except that I've only ended up liking you more."
"Same here. You were kind of cute today."
"……Can't you say I'm pretty?"
"Pretty's a given."
"……Why are you being so nice today? You're not even teasing me……."
"Oh? So I'm not nice the rest of the time?"
"……Th-that's not what I—…… See, you're already picking on me……."
"Want me to keep being like this from now on?"
"……I like all of it. The usual you…… and this sweet you, too……."
She looked up, our eyes met, and as if we'd both been waiting for it, we kissed, quiet and unhurried.
"……Then shall we get some sleep? Go wash up."
"Okay……."
"I'll finish brushing and get out of your way. You go first."
"T-together……?"
"Yeah. Why?"
"……Okay……."
I gave her one tight hug—she was wiggling her toes like she was embarrassed—then got up and headed for the bathroom. Rahi pattered after me and came in too, and by the time she was brushing her teeth in front of the mirror her face had settled back to normal. Except for the way she kept sneaking glances at me and smiling.
"……I-I'm all washed……."
I'd been knocking out the piled-up housework when she appeared in my T-shirt, fidgeting with her hands. Still shy. I abandoned what I was doing at the sight of her, ruffled her hair, and went into the bathroom. When I came out of the shower, Rahi was sitting on the bed, looking at me and swallowing hard. She was still nervous once we were in bed, it seemed.
"How's your period?"
"……Wh-what?"
"Does it run long, or short?"
I went to her, pulled her into my arms, and the two of us lay down together, holding each other and talking in whispers.
"I-if it's long, about four or five days……."
"That's on the short side. Heavy?"
"I-it depends on the time, but it's usually on the heavy side……."
"And your cycle? Pretty regular?"
"It usually comes right around the day it's supposed to……. Th-this time it came a little early……."
"By how much?"
"It wasn't supposed to be for another five days……."
"If it suddenly turned irregular. Were you stressed? I thought I did a pretty good job."
"No. It couldn't possibly be because of you……."
"Then is it that gym-owner bastard?"
"……I don't really know."
"Let me see."
Still holding her, I worked my phone, then clicked my tongue when I saw the men's cycle-tracking app was gone. It had been built from a guy's point of view and was incredibly convenient. Nothing for it—I'd have to let Rahi pick one.
"Which app do you use?"
"Ah, this one……."
"All right. Then let's log it."
"……Okay."
There wasn't really much to check. I only bothered with these because calculating safe days every single time was a pain, and in this world all I needed was a rough sense of her cycle. Maybe because it was a women's app, I chose a heart-shaped sticker and stamped the date. For Hyunji I could use a different color and track her separately. I was only doing this to steer clear of the risky days anyway.
"Tell me the next time, too."
"……Okay."
I whispered it to Rahi, who was fidgeting as she looked at the phone with me.
"You don't have to change it before you come to bed."
"I-I can change it at dawn……. I won't leak…… y-you don't have to worry……."
"That's not what I'm worried about. Leaking happens. Don't fuss over it."
"……Okay."
She looked at me, then ducked my gaze like she was embarrassed.
"Does talking about this embarrass you?"
"A-a little……. I never even imagined…… talking about something like this with a man……."
"I have to know, if I'm going to be ready for you."
"……Shinwoo."
"Yeah?"
"……It's nothing."
"There are two ways to make a person angry."
"Ah, th-that's not—…… I was afraid you'd get tired of me if I kept saying I like you……."
"Why would that be annoying? Keep saying it. I like hearing it."
"……I'm so happy. I think I'm going to cry again……."
"You've been tearing up a lot lately, haven't you?"
"……Because I'm happy."
I held her quietly, and she wrapped her arms around mine in return. Then she whispered against me.
"How was your day……?"
"Hm. Now that you mention it, I never said. I was on an internet broadcast earlier."
"An internet broadcast? Where?"
"I made a YouTube channel, too. Want to see? Not sure if it's up yet."
"I want to see."
As I worked the phone, Rahi whispered again.
"Do you want to do internet broadcasts?"
"No. I was just interested in making a YouTube channel."
"……Is it for the money?"
"You could say that. Want to hear the plan?"
"Yes."
"Whenever an offer comes in, I'll just take the footage they shoot and upload it. I won't have to plan any content myself, videos will keep going up on a steady schedule, and I can wait around for the next offer and pick up from there. If nothing comes in, I'll fill the gap with a vlog. That way I don't have to carry the burden of going live, either. Between the support payments and whatever YouTube brings in, it should be all right, don't you think? I'm still working the café part-time, too. It'll take time, but it seems worth putting some hours into."
Rahi nodded at once.
"I think it's a good idea."
"……Could you actually think about it before you answer?"
I pinched her cheek and tugged, and she broke into a smile.
"Because if it's you, I figure you'll do well no matter what you try……."
"Same goes for the two of you. Don't worry about me. Do what you want to do. I'll back you."
"……You sound like a mom."
"……Are you calling me old?"
"N-no! That's not what I meant!"
"I know."
"……Is the nice Shinwoo already over?"
"Not yet. Want me to actually be mean?"
"……Yes."
"Somehow it feels like I lose no matter which I pick."
Neither of us could have said who started it. We just broke into quiet laughter. Then both of us went round-eyed at the subscriber count on the channel I'd just found.
"I-it's already over ten thousand……?"
"……Huh. That's a bigger effect than I expected……?"
I knew well enough that watch time was what actually shaped the money. Still, surprising was surprising.
"Doesn't mean much anyway. I still have to hit the watch hours."
"A year, isn't it?"
"Probably. I don't really know either, so I'm just going to pile up videos for now."
"I think that'll be good."
And that was the moment. A message chime sounded, and a text rose over the YouTube app—a notice carrying a bank's name. I tapped it without a thought, and what came up left me perfectly still.
500,000 won
"……Five hundred thousand?"
"What money is this?"
"Hold on."
I checked the details. The account was one I'd never seen, but the name written after it pulled a hollow laugh out of me. Bae Jihyun. So she really had settled it out of her own pocket, just as she'd said.
"……I'd agreed to take half the donations from the broadcast I was on earlier."
"Streaming really is no joke, huh."
"Tell me about it. I almost wavered for a second."
It was a lot of money for only a few hours on air. But I caught my shaken resolve and held on. It wasn't that I disliked money. I just had no intention of clinging to it until it wrecked the way I lived. Unless I was truly, truly backed into a corner, I didn't see the need to go that far.
"Ah. So it was Lee Hyang-sook."
"You know her?"
"Not really well. I've run into her once or twice while looking up games."
I nodded, and I was about to tap the upload of today's whole broadcast when Rahi quietly caught my hand.
"Shinwoo."
"Yeah? What is it? Want to sleep?"
"……No. More than that…… I……"
"Go on."
She looked at me, stroking my cheek as she whispered. I didn't know why, but a small gloom had settled over her face. Right. A period was still a period. I listened quietly through the sudden shift.
"I'm sorry……."
"For what?"
"I-I don't have any ability……. Hyunji has so much money……."
"What are you talking about? Did you forget I said I'd take responsibility? And strictly speaking, that's Hyunji's mother's money. You've never seen Hyunji brag about it."
Of course Hyunji let a rich-girl air slip out in ways she herself never noticed, but that couldn't be helped.
"……But still……. You're working so hard……. And I'm the only one……."
"Don't worry. We already have enough to live on. Don't we?"
"……You're right."
"So don't think like that."
"……I'll work hard, too."
"Is it the period? Worrying over nothing."
"N-no……. It's not that."
"Rahi."
"……Yes."
I stroked her face, met her eyes, and whispered.
"I'm not with you for your money. I'm with you because you're lovely."
"……I know. You tell me that every time, every single time……."
"So don't worry. Just work hard at whatever you want to do. I believe the money will follow on its own. It's not like we're trying to get rich."
"……Okay."
"Whenever you get confused, just ask. I'll keep answering."
"Shinwoo……."
And then the face looking up at me went soft and hazy. I could already guess what she was about to say, so I waited, smiling.
"……C-could you touch me……?"
"As if I'd say no."
I stroked her cheek for a moment, then slowly turned her. Held from behind, her back came flush against my chest, and my arm circled her firm waist and drew her in deeper.
"Ah……. A-and, Shinwoo……."
"Yeah?"
"……I washed……."
"Yeah. I know."
"……Not that……. Th-the back……."
The hand I'd been aiming at her chest froze. As if it had heard her, my cock surged up all at once and started prodding into her ass—because I'd just been told something I never imagined, at a moment I never imagined.