From Tonight... How About It?
"How about from tonight...?"
"Uuuu...."
After the event wrapped up, we were at dinner in a conveyor-belt sushi place in Tokyo. This was our celebratory after-party for making it through everything without a hitch, and Soye was the only one with her face buried in the table, sniffling away.
"I was so flustered... I didn't want to give such a weird answer...."
"Weird? You did great—what are you talking about?"
Im Haeun, sitting diagonally across from Soye, shot her a casual scolding like it was no big deal.
"Everyone loved it. They kept saying how cute it was."
"Cute isn't the end of it... It was an interview, and I stumbled over my words like some rookie... Ugh, I should've given a sharp, polished response...."
"No, that was the right move, unnie. I clipped it and threw it up on YouTube Shorts, and the reactions poured in right away."
I chimed in from Soye's side, backing Haeun up, and Soye snapped at us.
"They were all just teasing me!"
"That's a good thing. It means they're paying tons of attention. Oh, Minji, want some tuna?"
"Y-Yes... Ehehe...."
I picked up a plate of tuna sushi and handed it to Minji, who was sitting diagonally across from me. As she took the dish, she piled on her own little comment.
"I thought it was great... Even good enough to reuse in a Pikasta interview... Everyone really loved it... No one cares about a little slip-up...."
"Uuu...."
"If it's good, it's good. Why are you being so hard on yourself today, unnie? You're always the one telling me or Minji it's fine when we mess up—why so strict with yourself?"
"Normal photoshoots or interviews? A little slip is okay. But this was a rare chance... I had to nail it to have any face left with Sejin...."
"Yeah, yeah~"
"Unnie, I... um, that mackerel too...."
Haeun gave Soye a bored reply and grabbed a plate of mackerel sushi, passing it to Minji. Meanwhile, sitting next to Minji, Yu Ga-hye was quietly watching her.
"What's wrong, Ms. Yu? Ah, want some mackerel sushi?"
"No, I'm fine. I've had plenty."
Yu Ga-hye's plate had barely three dishes stacked up.
"More importantly... isn't Ms. Park Minji eating a bit too much...?"
"Well, the schedule's over, so one day won't hurt. She can work it off with exercise if needed."
Munch munch. Minji side-eyed Yu Ga-hye while chowing down on her mackerel sushi without a word, like she was guarding her plate from getting snatched.
"Right? She can burn it off with 'exercise,'" Haeun added in support from Minji's side.
And with that, something thudded against my crotch.
"Exactly? Burn it off with 'exercise,' right, Manager~?"
Squish squish. Haeun grinned at me wickedly while her toes kneaded my crotch.
"Uh, no...."
"Eeeek!? O-Oppa, I haven't... eaten that much yet...."
"No, no, that's not what I meant...."
Minji's eyes darted between me and Haeun at my flustered reaction, her expression shifting—just a hint of a smirk.
"......."
Now something climbed onto my thigh.
"Ngh...."
Minji's face turned desperate. Was that her foot on my knee now?
She noticed Haeun messing with me under the table.
This girl, who's usually so oblivious, had razor-sharp instincts for this stuff. Probably all that data piled up in her head from... certain activities. But seriously, with Yu Ga-hye right here—what the hell?
I shot the two of them a scolding glare, and Yu Ga-hye cautiously spoke up.
"...Sorry, Ms. Park Minji. I was just worried... It's between you and your manager to handle."
Did she misread Minji's expression as anger?
"?"
Soye, who had been face-down on the table, lifted her head slightly, peering up at me with curious eyes.
"What's up?"
She turned toward Haeun with a worried tone. Their eyes met, and Haeun raised an eyebrow with a sly smile.
"......."
Soye turned back to me—now smiling.
Thud. Something landed on my inner thigh and started kneading my flesh.
"Hehe...."
She giggled, but with a naughty smile unlike her usual self, massaging my thigh vigorously with her hands. She knew my sensitive spots all too well, so her fingers working my inner thigh felt incredible. Loosening the tense muscle like a pro massage, while her palm slid teasingly toward my crotch. Add to that Haeun's toes working my groin hard, and Minji's foot wriggling desperately on my thigh to join in....
"Hey, girls...?"
I had to stop them with Yu Ga-hye right there, but her presence made it impossible. No, all three of you, cut it out....
"Mr. Lee Sejin."
"Gah! Y-Yes?"
"You don't have to hold back."
Of course not! Yeah, obviously! This woman was sharp as ever.
"No need to ruin dinner on my account. Though looking at your figures, cutting back on food to lose weight wouldn't be healthy anyway."
"...Pardon?"
She hadn't caught us?
"Then I'll head back to the dorm first. Enjoy the rest of your party."
With that, Yu Ga-hye stood and left. She didn't wait for goodbyes, and the girls just glared at her back without a word.
"...Hey, girls, with Ms. Yu here, you can't just—mmph!"
Haeun's toes clamped down hard on my crotch at my words.
"Why do you care so much about the secretary chief, huh, Manager~?"
It didn't hurt much, but it startled me.
"That's not—"
"Yeah, our manager—why fuss over her~?"
Squeeze! Now Soye gripped my inner thigh hard.
Sis, hands from you are kinda scary....
Tap tap tap.
"R-Right~..."
Minji chimed in last with her foot tapping my thigh—thankfully just cute-level.
"There are people around, so behave...."
"No one here recognizes us?"
"We learned that yesterday. Seriously, it'll blow up if your faces get out here. And pretty girls like you fooling around? Instant attention. We have to be careful."
"Ehehe, pretty?"
Soye straightened up to meet my eyes.
"Yeah, of course."
"Ehehehe...."
She slammed her face back down, but her expression was like a puppy before a walk.
"W-What about... meee~?"
"Minji's pretty too. Super cute."
"Ehehehehehe...."
"......."
"Haeun, what's up?"
"...N-Nothing...."
"Ah, tuna?"
Haeun ground her teeth. She snatched a passing tuna plate and slammed it in front of me.
"You eat a ton!"
"Not what I meant, Haeun."
Soye sat up and leaned into me, pressing her body against my chest as she grabbed a sushi plate and set it in front of me.
"Sejin needs to eat this."
She gazed at me warmly. It was a plate of eel sushi.
"Right?"
Hearing that, all three checked me out with sparkling eyes—identical gleams. Mine probably matched.
"How about from tonight...?"
Soye's voice dripped with honey.
"...Eat a bit more and head back to the hotel?"
"Yeah."
My non-answer got a heart-eyes reply from Soye.
Arriving at the hotel first, Yu Ga-hye headed straight to her room and rummaged through her bag.
I didn't want to resort to this.
She pulled out a tiny bugging device.
I can't let this Japan trip end like this. I've uncovered way too little.
This method was risky, but with so little intel...
She turned on the bug, checked the battery, and tested it.
"Mm... mm...."
<Mm... mm....>
Good, working fine. After testing the bug, she headed to Lee Sejin's room.
Beep.
She swiped the spare keycard, and the door clicked open.
She slipped inside, scanning the room slowly.
...Spotless.
Lee Sejin's room was immaculate. Did he always tidy up before leaving in the morning?
Where's the bag?
Looking around, she spotted his bag by the bed—a standard men's business backpack with two zippers.
She pulled out her phone to check a photo.
Same as the one he carried in Korea.
Plant the bug here, and she'd catch most of his actions. Battery life was about a week—perfect for retrieval later.
Fwoosh.
She opened Sejin's bag, pulling out his stuff. As she tucked the bug deep inside where it wouldn't show, then repacked, she froze.
"Hm? What's this?"
A label-less pill bottle popped out from his bag.
"......."
A manager's bag with an unmarked pill bottle? Curiosity and unease mixing, she reached to open it and check—
Beep.
The hotel door opened.
He's back already!?
Yu Ga-hye dove under the bed in a panic.
Tap tap tap.
"Room's kinda small?"
"Single room, what'd you expect."
"Could've... booked two doubles..."
"You serious!?"
"We got the quad, so our room's better, right?"
Footsteps and women's voices.
Shin Soye, Park Minji, and... Soye again? Did they come right after I left?
Panicking at first, Yu Ga-hye quickly reframed it.
No, perfect timing. Great chance to hear exactly what orders Lee Sejin gives them.
He must've called the three to his room since she was gone—probably to issue commands. Eavesdropping would reveal his goals.
Chance to learn how he uses the app too.
Ssshh....
She held her breath, steadying her heartbeat. All this only worked if she stayed hidden. Get caught, and the four would overpower her, grilling her on everything—what she was doing here, her suspicions, and worse...
Quiet, quiet... Stay calm, slow the heartbeat. I'm not here... I'm not here....
In the cramped room under 20 square feet, Yu Ga-hye huddled silently under the bed, ears straining on the oblivious quartet's conversation.