Weakness (4)
It was quite late in the evening. Standing in a position where I had to manage people for the first time in my life made me realize just how difficult it truly was. The biggest headache, of course, was dealing with personnel.
“I’ll leave the closing to you. I’m heading out.”
“Yes, sir. Thanks for your hard work, hyung. You too, Haeun.”
“Yeah. You take it easy too.”
“Will do.”
My original plan had been to clock out sharply around six or seven, hand the rest over to my close junior, and enjoy some decent personal time. But since this place had my money in it, I couldn’t shake the anxiety. I ended up staying until the gym was packed with members.
Haeun had stuck around with me until nine for the same reason. Thanks to that, business was booming, but it still felt strangely awkward. Maybe it would be better to change the schedule. If Suah was okay with it, I could bring Haeun in earlier and push her to the evening shift…
“What are you doing? Let’s go. Hurry up.”
“Ah, right. Let’s go.”
As we headed down, I was still lost in work thoughts. Haeun nudged me a few times before grabbing my wrist and tugging me along.
…Come to think of it, that might be difficult. She’s such a heavy sleeper. Once things stabilize, maybe the best move is to let her leave an hour or two earlier. She should eat dinner at home.
“…Haeun.”
“Yeah?”
“Isn’t working until nine exhausting for you?”
“It is.”
“Want to head home first from now on and rest?”
“…Then I’d feel like total trash.”
I had considered making her leave first as a last resort, but even after saying it out loud, I doubted she’d actually do it. These days she hated being home alone more than anything.
…It was burdensome, yet I didn’t exactly dislike it.
“…Juhyuk. Should we grab some drinks on the way?”
“Drinks?”
We were trudging down the night street when Haeun pointed at a convenience store and, unusually, brought up alcohol.
Alcohol, huh. Tomorrow was a rest day, so it was fine to drink. It had been a while since the two of us…
“Yeah. Drinks. …She likes alcohol too, you know.”
Oh. Haeun’s words snapped me back to reality, reminding me of Hinami waiting at home.
…She was several times busier than us, yet I’d completely forgotten about her. Maybe I was mentally exhausted from fighting with that woman during the day. I told myself I needed to pull myself together.
There was a woman out there ready to stab me to death with a knife. I couldn’t afford to crumble just because things were a little hectic.
“Let’s buy some. Something with low alcohol content.”
“Okay.”
I slipped my arm around her waist as she matched my stride, and we headed into the convenience store. It would have been awkward if it had been our usual spot, but this was a different one. The part-timer didn’t know us. To them, we probably looked like an ordinary couple.
Unlike the clerk at the other store whom we’d bothered a few times before.
“What should we get for snacks, Haeun?”
“She’s still a celebrity… um. She can’t gain weight. No chips. How about cheese?”
“Cheese is high in calories too.”
“Ugh, I don’t know. I just want some. …If she won’t eat it, we can order sashimi or something.”
“I hate sashimi.”
“Wait, really? …How did I not know that?”
“Probably because we’ve never ordered it or made it at home.”
Unlike before, we were having a completely innocent conversation with no hidden intentions or goals. The moment we stood there weighing sliced cheese against cubed cheese felt… incredibly out of character for me. It was awkward as hell.
“Is that so? But you eat poke bowls just fine.”
“That’s salmon.”
“Salmon is still fish, ahjussi.”
“Calling someone your age ahjussi… you…”
“…Say it and you’re dead.”
“Why, miss?”
“…”
We kept trading silly banter. In the end, I silently placed the cheese—which didn’t seem any less fattening than chips—on top of the beer cans and walked to the register. I stayed close enough that if I stretched out my arm, I could pull her into a hug.
Strangely enough, even while looking at that lewd body of hers, I didn’t have a single dirty thought.
“This please.”
“Sure thing.”
I watched the clerk scan the barcodes with a bored expression. Then, for no particular reason, I wrapped my arm around the waist of the girl staring up at me intently.
“…”
It didn’t make my heart flutter. I wasn’t embarrassed. It wasn’t sexual. Instead, it felt… reassuring.
…But this wasn’t bad either. I didn’t want to lose a life like this.
“Cash or card?”
“Card.”
“Alright, card… There we go. Thank you.”
“Have a good night.”
I handed the clerk my card while they looked at us with ordinary eyes, finished the payment, and stepped outside.
…The morning had been utterly vulgar, yet after working a bit, I was under the illusion that I’d lived a diligent day. Even while working, I’d endlessly imagined how to destroy that woman. So why did this moment feel so peaceful?
“…”
I didn’t need to tighten my arm around her. She leaned into me naturally, and I supported her weight without a word. I swung the plastic bag in my other hand in time with our steps and took a long, deep breath.
…When we get back, I should play with Hinami too. She’s so busy, and she finally has some free time. We left her alone for hours just because we were occupied. I should keep her company until tomorrow, even if it’s not anything sexual.
My head hurts. I clutched my forehead, which felt like it was about to split open, and rummaged through the sheets wearing nothing but a single pair of panties.
“Mmm…”
The person lying next to me was… incredibly soft and squishy. It was Haeun unnie. Just like me, she was only wearing panties. This must be… her room.
“Mmm… Juhyuk…”
Maybe because I’d been squirming, she mumbled in her sleep and whined before pulling me tightly into her arms. A faint scent of alcohol drifted from her mouth.
“Hehe…”
…It was an incredibly unpleasant laugh. In contrast, unnie’s skin was so soft and plush it felt wonderful. I didn’t have that kind of preference, but liking soft, fluffy things was simply human instinct.
“Mmm… Why are you so squishy lately…”
While she muttered perverted nonsense and hugged me, I carefully pushed her arm away and slipped out of the bed.
…It was two in the morning. The two of them had definitely come home a little before nine-thirty. We’d split four cans of beer between the three of us, but it wasn’t enough, so we mixed the vodka that had been sitting in the freezer with cola.
…I don’t really remember the dirty stuff. Judging by how we were dressed, we definitely did it, but the details are fuzzy.
“…”
I carefully left the dark room and stared blankly at the living room, which was lit only by moonlight. The beautiful night view seen from such a high place. I’m sure I’d seen a similar sight from our own house, so why did it feel so different?
“Haa…”
Lost in the melancholy of dawn, I stood there for a while before stepping into the bathroom. After washing my hands thoroughly, wetting my throat, and grabbing a cup of water, I went looking for the person who should have been between us. I stepped into the other room.
“…Are you asleep?”
“…”
…Juhyuk oppa was sleeping alone in his room, looking so lonely. Why was he sleeping by himself like some pathetic loser? The bed was narrow for three people, but if we stuck close it would have been fine.
“…Juhyuk oppa.”
In the pitch-black room, I gazed at his silhouette outlined by faint moonlight and slowly climbed onto the bed. I quietly slipped under the blanket he was using.
“Mmm… Haeun…?”
“…It’s Hinami.”
…Even in his sleep, he mentioned another woman first. What a bad man.
“Ah… right. Why…?”
“…I want to sleep together.”
“Yeah, okay… here…”
…Despite that, even half-asleep, he stretched out his arm so I could nestle into his embrace. What a bad man, still being considerate.
“…Oppa.”
“Yeah…”
“…I love you.”
“Mmm… me too…”
…Even though a top-tier idol was confessing so sincerely, he answered so half-heartedly. He had someone he liked more, yet he still bothered to reply. What a bad man.
“…When you wake up, please fuck me senseless again.”
“Got it…”
Nestled tightly in his arms, breathing in his scent and feeling his body heat, I recalled the hazy memory of the drunken kiss we’d shared. The clearer memory of how he’d taken me while we were drunk slowly surfaced.
Secretly, without unnie knowing, I monopolized oppa for a little while and drowned in that happiness. My eyes, already used to the darkness, sank even deeper into it.
Even if I slept in and woke up late today, no one would come looking for me. It was a day when I didn’t have to belong to everyone. A day when it was okay to belong only to him.
…Ah, my arm hurts. The tingling sensation woke me up. When I opened my eyes in the room filled with the faint light of dawn, a white, squishy lump was pressing down on my forearm with the happiest expression in the world.
I’d given up my spot on Haeun’s bed because it looked cramped, but this kid had followed me all the way to my room. Haeun usually slept separately except on days we had sex.
“Mmm… nya…”
I felt a slight twinge of annoyance, but the moment I heard her sleep-talking, all random thoughts flew away.
…There really are people who make sounds like that when they sleep. The sight was cuter than I could have imagined. I burned the image into my ears as she let out a soft “Hehe…”
Hinami was wearing only black panties that barely covered her pussy, her pale skin completely exposed. I took in every inch of her with my eyes.
…She must have washed off all her makeup, yet those long lashes, that tiny face, and those delicate shoulders gripped my freshly awakened heart.
…Man, I really am trash. I’d had such wholesome thoughts on the way home yesterday, yet the moment I saw her face, lust came flooding back.
“…Hey.”
Anyway, if Haeun saw her like this she’d definitely get mad. I placed my hand on that delicate skin and shook her awake.
“Mmm, oppaaa…”
Every time I shook her, her voice came out in a whine appropriate for her age. It was almost dangerously cute.
…No wonder she succeeded as an idol. She usually showed such masochistic behavior and speech that I’d almost forgotten, but—
“Wake up, Hinami.”
“Mmm…”
“I said wake up.”
“…”
I gradually increased the intensity of my shaking, but Hinami simply buried her face in the pillow, trying to ignore my hand.
“Haeun will scold you again when she comes.”
“…Kiss.”
…To be precise, she was pretending to ignore me.
“What?”
She slowly turned her lips, which had been hidden by the pillow, toward me. Then she slightly lifted the blanket, revealing the pale breasts buried beneath it.
“…If you kiss me without unnie knowing, I’ll get up.”
…From the very first moment of morning, she was seducing me.
“…I’ll do it after I brush my teeth.”
“…You’re going to stick your dick in my mouth anyway. What does that matter?”
She was endlessly craving me, thirsting for my affection, and therefore didn’t want to lose me. It was a slightly different flavor from the others.
“It’s a golden opportunity to give a morning kiss to an idol. …Aren’t you going to take it?”
…She made me, and everyone else, crave her. Made us want to possess her.
“…Come on. Hurry. …Before unnie catches us.”
I gently pressed my lips to hers as she offered them up, making them mine.
“…Mmm…”
I pulled the blanket back over us and, beneath the same covers, ran my hand down skin that was even whiter and softer than the fabric. I slipped my hand under the single scrap of cloth left and squeezed her plump ass tightly.
“…Puhah. …Hehe…”
With half-lidded eyes, she looked at me. Facing her gaze, I realized I didn’t want to lose even her. It was shameless, but the feeling came anyway.
No matter how much people called me trash… no matter how hard that woman tried to destroy this relationship… I wanted to protect it with everything I had.