29. Why Does the Flower's Fragrance Grow Deeper at Night? (2)

"Unnieee!!"

A few hours after receiving a sudden SOS from Ha-na on the bus.

Arriving at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠address Ha-na had sent, So-jeong was met with an enthusiastic welcome the moment she opened the convenience store door.

"I really owe you my life, unnie~ Waaah~"

Ha-na, wearing her convenience store part-time uniform, rushed over and hugged So-jeong, sniffling. It was amazing how her dazzling appearance wasn't hidden at all, even by the plain convenience store vest.

"W-whoa, careful, I'm gonna fall."

As So-jeong instinctively leaned back and staggered, Ha-na let go with a *pat* and apologized.

"Ah, sorry. I was just so happy I couldn't help it... Ehehe."

So-jeong shook her head lightly as if to say it was nothing and looked around the convenience store.

"It's a smaller convenience store than I thought."

The convenience store where Ha-na worked was a small one tucked into a street corner.

There were no tables to sit at inside the building, only a few parasols outside, and as Ha-na had said, a police box was visible from the store, so safety didn't seem to be a concern.

"Hehe, hardly anyone comes at this hour, so it's practically like having no work to do."

Ha-na puffed out her chest proudly for some reason.

"Just the cops on night duty sometimes come by for a late-night snack?"

"Well, it's a bit much to just sit around doing nothing... Is there anything I can help with?"

"Help? No need for that! Please, just relax! If I cause you any more trouble here, I'll die of guilt!"

"Ahaha... Okay."

So, Ha-na's the type whose energy level rises for no reason at night.

Discovering a new side of Ha-na, So-jeong went behind the counter as directed and sat in the corner.

Taking out the new book she'd bought at the bookstore that morning, So-jeong watched Ha-na for a moment as she cleaned the floor with a mop.

"Hmm, hm-hm-hmm~"

"What kind of work do you do for a night shift at a convenience store?"

A sudden curiosity prompted So-jeong to ask Ha-na, who was humming a tune.

"I've never worked a convenience store part-time job before, so I don't really know."

"Basically cleaning and taking out the trash? And if the previous shift left any shelves empty, I fill them up too."

Ha-na's voice came from between the aisles.

"And checking expiration dates is probably the main task. Of course, dealing with drunks or difficult customers is the biggest hassle... but I don't think I need to worry much about that here."

"I see."

"Ah, speaking of which."

Ha-na popped her head out from the aisle.

"Unnie, if there's anything you want to eat tonight, help yourself! I'll really buy it all for you."

"It's fine. Didn't you say you were broke because of that gacha game...?"

"Hehe. That's that, and this is this."

Flashing a smile as bright as the sun, Ha-na went back behind the aisle and continued cleaning.

Listening to Ha-na's singing voice from beyond the aisles, So-jeong let out a soft *huhut* and found herself smiling.

She's such a cute junior, no, such a cute little sister, she thought.

Just at the start of this semester, she never imagined she'd become this close with anyone besides Baek-seol. So-jeong suddenly felt grateful that Ha-na had been the one to approach her first ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on the day their presentation groups were decided.

If she ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could gradually escape from the nightmares of her past like this, maybe she could make other friends besides Ha-na in the future.

Her personality wasn't as extroverted as Ha-na's, so she probably couldn't make many, but So-jeong still hoped she could meet one or two more people she liked.

'Would Baek-seol like seeing me like that?'

Baek-seol, who always cautiously guarded against people approaching her yet subtly hinted that she wanted So-jeong to make new friends, would surely be happy if So-jeong started socializing with other ordinary people like everyone else.

Imagining Baek-seol's face, expressionless yet subtly proud, made a beaming smile spread across So-jeong's face again.

'But I should always be grateful to Baek-seol.'

After all, it was none other than her who had made So-jeong who she was today. So-jeong felt she owed Baek-seol a lifelong debt.

Just as she was thinking about the future—though she wasn't sure about life after college graduation—and hoping she could stay by Baek-seol's side and express her gratitude, So-jeong remembered the other reason she had come to this convenience store to help Ha-na.

"Oh right, I came to ask Ha-na something."

But when she looked up, Ha-na was still busy cleaning.

Muttering to herself that she'd ask when Ha-na returned to the counter after cleaning, So-jeong stepped out from behind the counter to pick out some late-night snacks to share.

As she headed towards the refrigerator to buy her usual coffee, So-jeong suddenly stopped in her tracks.

"Since I'm going to be here a while anyway, maybe I should take this chance to see what other stuff they sell?"

Normally, So-jeong would grab what she wanted, quickly pay, and leave as soon as she entered a convenience store, but since her friend Ha-na was working, she decided to take her time and browse.

And so, So-jeong began carefully examining the aisles she had never even glanced at before.

'They sell a lot more variety than I thought.'

Since So-jeong usually ordered daily necessities online, the household items on display in the convenience store were quite unfamiliar to her.

Travel kits, women's stockings and underwear. Stationery like ballpoint pens and even playing cards.

Looking over the aisles with interest, So-jeong turned her gaze to the opposite aisle and froze on the spot.

What entered her field of vision was a small square paper box.

And the number '0.01' written prominently on its surface.

'T-this, could it be......'

Feeling blood rush to her face in an instant, So-jeong unnecessarily looked up to see if Ha-na was watching her.

"Hmm~ Hm-hm-hmm~ Hmm-hmm-hmm~"

Ha-na was still humming away, engrossed in cleaning somewhere far from So-jeong.

"Gulp."

Swallowing dryly, So-jeong gingerly picked up one of the boxes labeled 0.01.

Just holding it in her hand gave her a sense of guilt, as if she were doing something shameful.

Even though it was a commendable item created to prevent unwanted pregnancy, it paradoxically became a declaration, an announcement that said, 'We're going to do something naughty now.'

A condom was that kind of existence, something with a strangely titillating resonance just by its name.

"......"

If it were the old So-jeong, even if a condom had happened to catch her eye, she would have just blushed and scurried away from there.

But now that she was a futanari, curiosity outweighed any other emotion.

'But how exactly is this used?'

So-jeong tilted her head, turning the condom box, which was only about 1-2 centimeters thick, over and over.

She vaguely knew what condoms were for, but having absolutely no idea how they were used or packaged was perhaps only natural for So-jeong, who had never done anything sexual until now.

Because of that, she simply couldn't imagine how the item inside this small, thin box could be used on something as long and thick as her own dick.

'......It's bothering me!'

She wanted to open it. She wanted to take out the contents and see for herself.

But So-jeong soon let out a sigh tinged with regret and placed the condom back on the shelf.

It was impossible.

How could she possibly take this to Ha-na and ask her to ring it up?

Just imagining the expression on Ha-na's face if she presented a condom made her whole body break out in goosebumps.

'Ugh, knowing I can't just makes me even more curious.'

Holding onto her growing curiosity, So-jeong cast one last glance at the aisle displaying the condoms.

Besides the 0.01 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠box she had picked up, various other types of condoms were displayed there.

'......Why do they emphasize strawberry flavor?'

Do you... eat it or something?

'Eat...'

Once her thoughts reached that point, she couldn't help but remember.

Namely, the image of Baek-seol lovingly tending to her dick with her mouth in the fitting room of the Sports Mall just a little while ago.

As the condom before her eyes merged with that memory, So-jeong's mind began to freely conjure an image of a naked Baek-seol, a strawberry-flavored condom box in her mouth, crawling stealthily towards her as she lay on a bed.

In her imagination, the look in Baek-seol's eyes as she gazed at her was quite seductive. For some reason, the white sheets were lavishly strewn with red rose and white lily petals.

She could vividly feel Baek-seol's breath, the shape of her breasts beaded with sweat in beautiful droplets due to gravity. So vividly that she could feel blood gradually rushing to her dick not just in her imagination, but in reality too...

"Unnie!"

"Hwaaah?!"

Jolted by Ha-na's voice from across the store, So-jeong snapped out of her reverie.

"Uh, no! It's nothing, what?!"

Afraid Ha-na might see, So-jeong stammered incoherently, her posture awkward, as she quickly scurried back behind the counter.

"I said I'm done cleaning. Heehee."

Ha-na closed the staff room door with a *click* and flashed a V-sign.

"Now I just have to check the expired items a bit later. Until then, I'm free~!"

"Ah, r-right. That's good."

"Phew~"

Ha-na came behind the counter and plopped down next to So-jeong. So-jeong pulled her legs in tightly and turned her body ever so slightly away from Ha-na.

Her erection was only half gone.

"Really, if you weren't here, unnie, I'd be so lonely and desolate I'd have gone crazy by now. It's really reassuring having you here, you know?"

'I'm sorry, Ha-na. I'm sorry that the unnie you find so reassuring is actually a perverted futanari who gets hard just from looking at condoms and imagining having sex with her friend!'

"Ahaha..."

Crying apologies in her heart, So-jeong forced herself to laugh as if nothing was wrong.