The Harness

For now... the café.

In that instant my eyes met a woman's, and I swallowed hard. She was built like she could take down an ox. A moment later she pressed herself to the wall and let the car by. Good thing I'd worn the mask. From the look of it, my eyes alone still weren't enough for anyone to place me on sight.

Maybe this even worked out for the best.

I tried to take it as positively as I could. It was going to come out sooner or later, and using the security problem really would make it easier to get the deposit on the house back. I drove a wide loop and headed for the front of Ju Hayeong's café.

Still working.

Under the café's warm yellow lights I could see Ju Hayeong yawning. The sight was cute enough that a quiet laugh slipped out of me, but it didn't last. A shadow was settling over her face as she stared blankly at the wall. What filled her expression, her eyes, was loneliness. Solitude. A hollow quiet. So that was the face she wore when she was alone.

...Well. It was practically the same as being shut inside the café all day.

I watched her a while longer, and then I noticed a large sheet of paper taped to the door. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I was so dumbfounded I let out a hollow laugh before I could stop myself. The words on it were the reason.

The marker letters were big and round, cute in their way. That single sentence was enough to tell me the crowd had already descended on the café. Hayeong must have sent them off cleanly; ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠there was no one inside. Thinking that was a relief, I picked up my phone and called her. Before the first ring had even finished, she snatched for the receiver so fast she dropped it on the floor. I watched her, and a quiet laugh escaped me.

Only then did she turn her gaze toward the window. I quietly rolled down the passenger-side glass and waved. The moment our eyes met, her smile went bright, and my mood lifted with it. I hadn't thought she'd be that glad.

Her voice had brightened all at once. I hung up, pulled the car around, and left it behind the café. When I got out and started toward the back door, it flew open as if she'd been waiting. She greeted me with a brilliant smile, and I lifted a hand in answer.

"Welcome."

"Did you miss me?"

"O-of course... Did you buy a car?"

"No. Something came up today. I'll explain once we're inside."

"...? All right. Come on in."

Her hand fidgeted, hesitating over whether to take mine. I caught it and led her in carefully. She followed without resistance, and I heard her draw a small breath.

"Wh-what do you want to eat? Should we order delivery?"

"Shall we? I'll pay this time."

"No. I should be the one paying."

"It's fine. I want to treat you."

"...Really...?"

"Of course. It's a café, so... something that doesn't smell would be better, right?"

"I don't care. There's no business at this hour anyway."

"It's Sunday. What are you going to do if you close like this?"

"...People around here don't go out on Sunday evenings. Did you already forget?"

"...Ah. Right. Because of work on Monday."

"Mm."

While I put in a rough order for Korean food, she chattered away, brewed a coffee, and set it down in front of me. Sitting across from me, she looked to be in quite a good mood. The shadow I'd seen earlier was gone without a trace.

"You like it that much?"

"...Yeah. I m-missed you..."

"I'm coming in tomorrow."

"...Even so."

"The café closes at ten, doesn't it?"

"On Sundays I close between eight and nine. Why?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with something."

She tilted her head at that, and I watched her a moment before I slowly began to explain. As I went on she startled, and a worried look started coming my way.

"...Of all the things. Seriously. Didn't that reporter go too far? Putting someone in danger."

The reaction felt fresh to me, of all people. She wasn't sparing a thought for the multimale business. She was only worried about me.

"...It doesn't bother you that I'm a multimale?"

She only tilted her head at the question, then answered with a soft smile.

"I knew back then. When you said there were other people you were ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠seeing."

"And that was all right?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Mm. Because a man like you would never accept someone like me? I did think whoever they were, they had it good. Even if I didn't know who."

"...Why do you think that?"

At my question she dropped her gaze, twirling the hair at her temple around a finger again before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she spoke.

"I'm older. And my... my chest is big... My tastes, too... Sometimes I just thought, if you only came to find me, that alone would be enough to make me happy. Because back then... I was happy."

"Did you think I wouldn't be able to be a proper master to you?"

"...M-Master... No. Something like that... For me, you're far too much, Shinwoo..."

But the way she answered, biting her lip, felt less like refusal than like giving up. I watched her quietly, then asked.

"Are you free for the rest of today?"

"...Mm. Usually?"

"Then we have a little time."

"...Ah..."

Her face flushed in an instant. She stole glances at me and started fidgeting with her hands.

"I've got plenty of time today."

"...R-really...?"

"Yes."

"...W-will you stay with me...?"

"If it's all right to close the shop."

"Hah..."

I ran my foot slowly up along her leg, and that was the moment she swallowed and looked at me with damp eyes.

"Knock, knock. Delivery."

"Ah, just leave it out front!"

She startled upright and hurried to the café door. She came back with the bibimbap and the stew, set them down in front of me, glanced at me for a second, and started unwrapping the packaging as she spoke.

"...Th-then... what we talked about last time..."

"Oh. You brought them?"

"...Yeah..."

"Shall we do it after we eat, then?"

"...Y-you really mean it...?"

"Of course."

"...Okay."

She smiled softly, sat across from me as if she were glad, and laid out the meal. When I only watched her, she glanced at me, shy, and slowly began to eat.

"...It's been a while since we ate together."

"Now that you say it, do you eat alone every day, then?"

"Pretty much. Oh—sometimes with the florist next door."

"That makes sense."

I smiled at her as she nodded with the spoon still between her lips, then brought a spoonful of rice to my mouth.

"Actually, I was going to ask you a favor later."

"What kind? Just tell me. Anything."

"You ought to hear it before you decide. You'll land yourself in real trouble."

"...I trust you."

"...Ahem. First, like I explained, the front of the villa right now—"

"It's bad enough you can't even get into the house?"

"Not really. I have to be careful."

"I figured. So I just need to bring some clothes from your place?"

"Yes. A few clothes, underwear, socks, and workout clothes should do."

"...Y-yeah..."

At the word underwear she flushed and picked at her rice, avoiding my eyes.

"Does that embarrass you?"

"When would I ever have a reason to look at a man's underwear..."

"Why? Want me to show you?"

"N-no! Don't..."

I'd only started to move a hand toward the front of my trousers, and she was already waving me off in a panic. For a refusal, though, her gaze had dropped, and anyone could see the curiosity written all over her.

"You want to see, don't you."

"...Ah..."

"Be honest. Are you curious?"

"...A... a little..."

"Eat first. You'll make yourself sick."

"O-okay... Um..."

"Yes?"

"...If you don't have anywhere to go... d-do you want to sleep over at my place...?"

I took my time looking at her face, flushed to the roots. I never thought the word cute would still suit a woman her age.

"I'll think about it."

"...Okay."

After that, she and I—she'd been so embarrassed—finished the meal in quiet and started clearing the table. It had only been one meal, but nothing but a smile sat on her face.

"Then bring it out. I'm curious what it is."

"...A-all right..."

She nodded, fidgeted with her hands, then quietly got up and went into the office beside the counter. I sipped the coffee, gone thin now that the ice had melted, and waited. She came back toward me with something hidden behind her back.

"...This is it..."

She stood in front of me, slipping into that careful, formal tone, and swallowed. When I only looked at her, she cautiously lifted something and set it on the table. Two miniature rotors meant for the nipples, and a clitoral toy they called a Womanizer. But something about them was a little different. I looked them over, then tapped the table. At that she avoided my eyes and swallowed hard.

"...And the remote?"

"H-here."

With a finely trembling hand she drew three small, square plastic remotes from her apron and set them down. Two were pink. One was black. All three toys were the attachable kind, and all of them wireless. The intent was obvious.

"Wouldn't these be better with customers in the shop?"

"...Th-that's why I was going to do it tomorrow..."

"I told you to speak honestly."

I murmured it while I watched her reddened face, and she swallowed and looked down at me. Feeling her gaze, I toyed with a remote. The batteries must have been full. On the tabletop a rotor buzzed hard and danced, and she flinched and swallowed.

"Is this all?"

"...Ah..."

"I don't think it is."

"...Th-that is, but..."

"You brought these when it was obvious there'd be no customers. Wearable, no matter how I look at them. Tell me straight. Harness, or rope?"

"...Ah..."

At my words her face filled with joy all at once. I held her eyes as they began to loosen, already going hazy.

"...A h-harness... I h-have rope, too..."

Rope was another matter. Enjoying the state of being bound itself took an enormous amount of time, and a calmer place was better for it. She seemed to know that, and to want the harness. I could feel she was in a bit of a hurry. Had the last few days been too hard to endure? I watched her, let the silence hang, then spoke quietly.

"...Yes..."

She answered, swallowed, and went back into the office, returning with the harness and the rope. I looked in silence at the harness and the coil of rope she set down in front of me. I'd assumed, of course, that it would be in a different league from a fashion harness. This was beyond even that.

"...They make these, too?"

"...Yes..."

"And there's somewhere to hang from?"

"...Yes..."

"Where? Home?"

"H-home, and..."

"...The shop has one too?"

"...I had work done yesterday..."

She was embarrassed, fidgeting with her hands. The harness she'd brought was a two-piece set for play, lower body and upper. What set it apart were the auxiliary knots attached here and there, meant to extend the restraints. And once the upper and lower halves were joined, it was a harness you could be suspended from.