4. Thorny Lily (Part 4)
4. Thorny Lily (4)
They say humans are adaptable creatures. So-jeong had been living her days truly understanding the meaning of those words lately.
It had already been five days since that morning when she suddenly grew male genitalia. The presence that she thought she would never get used to had also begun to fade little by little as time passed.
Now, So-jeong no longer felt disgust or fell into depression at the firmness she felt between her legs every morning.
Still, seeing it standing erect was still burdensome, so So-jeong would wait under the covers, lost in various fantasies until it naturally subsided, before throwing off the blanket.
Even showering had added these minor routines. After washing all other parts, So-jeong would tightly close her eyes and quickly wash the area between her legs.
The squishy sensation was something she couldn't get used to no matter what. It was just that she now had the courage to touch it with her hand.
Campus life was much easier than preparing in the morning. Since most of it involved sitting still and attending classes, the thing between her legs wasn't particularly inconvenient. Occasionally it would swell up as if trying to bother her, but when that happened, she would focus on the class even if it felt a bit stuffy, and it would soon subside.
However, not everything went as So-jeong expected.
"Ugh."
So-jeong flinched as she got up from her seat after a lecture ended.
'It's wet again...'
Lately, whenever So-jeong's it swelled up, something slippery yet viscous had begun to stain her underwear.
When she first felt that strange sensation upon waking up the previous morning, So-jeong had panicked and searched the internet.
Upon learning that it was the lubricant that comes out when men are sexually aroused, So-jeong sighed with relief.
"So that comes out of men too."
While the newly discovered fact was interesting, her discovery only brought another question.
When sexually aroused?
So-jeong wasn't particularly strong in desires to begin with, but her sex drive was especially low. So much so that she had never once touched herself for comfort in her life.
Moreover, she was just going about her daily life without any special stimulation, so there was no reason for her to be sexually aroused.
Although she ultimately couldn't find the exact cause of this new phenomenon, having confirmed that it wasn't abnormal, So-jeong concluded to just leave it be like the other problems.
"What's wrong?"
Hearing So-jeong's groan, Baek-seol turned around and asked.
"Huh? Ah, my body's stiff from sitting too long."
So-jeong brushed it off as if it was nothing.
"Anyway, are you all prepared for tomorrow's trip, Baek-seol?"
"Of course."
The trip they had planned with Baek-seol was scheduled for the very next day, which was the weekend. Baek-seol had already gathered all information about the day's weather and the surroundings of their destination on the first day they decided to go, organizing it all in her mind.
"Are you sure you don't need help with the preparations?"
So-jeong asked apologetically.
"It's fine. You just need to bring yourself and your clothes like always."
Knowing well that she couldn't break Baek-seol's stubbornness in this regard, So-jeong didn't say more and just slipped her arm through Baek-seol's.
"Thanks always. For taking care of me."
Baek-seol just walked without saying anything, but even someone as oblivious as So-jeong knew that her reaction was just because she didn't know how to accept the gratitude.
"You're looking forward to the trip, right?"
So to ease her discomfort, So-jeong asked another question.
"Yeah."
Baek-seol nodded and answered briefly.
***
Though it was called a trip, what Baek-seol and So-jeong did at their destination wasn't much different from their daily lives.
They went to delicious restaurants Baek-seol had found to eat, read books or chatted at cafes with good views of rivers or mountains.
If the area had quaint little bookstores, they always made sure to visit. At bookstores, where So-jeong could fully enjoy her only hobby of reading and browsing books, she would always lead Baek-seol around, showing her this book and that for hours.
Since this trip's destination was famous for its beaches, So-jeong and Baek-seol decided to walk along the sandy shore after dinner before returning to their accommodation. So-jeong carried a paper bag containing books bought from the bookstore they visited today.
Feeling the sea breeze while listening to the waves and breathing in the ocean scent, So-jeong let out a pleasant sigh.
"The wind is still a bit chilly."
Since it was just before spring, there were hardly any people on the sandy beach.
"Cold? Should we head back?"
"No. I'm fine."
So-jeong smiled faintly and slightly lifted the jacket she was wearing.
As they were lost in their own thoughts with the sound of waves in the background, So-jeong suddenly spoke.
"Are you okay, Baek-seol?"
"With what?"
"Going on trips like this with me all the time."
Baek-seol glanced at So-jeong walking beside her.
"Why suddenly ask that?"
"Just... I wonder if you're having a hard time because of me."
So-jeong continued while blankly staring at the long stretch of sandy beach before her.
"Because I can't go to crowded places, we always come to these deserted spots for trips, and because you worry about my weak health, we can't do many active things."
Having experienced an event that could suddenly turn her entire life upside down, So-jeong found herself thinking anew about how important Baek-seol's presence was in her daily life.
And regarding the fact that Baek-seol always looked out for her, So-jeong once again contemplated the weight of that fact.
"...I wondered if you could have had more fun times if you'd come with other friends."
"I wouldn't have even come on a trip like this if it wasn't with you."
Baek-seol said firmly.
"I don't need other friends."
"Isn't that a problem in its own way?"
So-jeong said with a chuckle as if she couldn't help it. Then she closed her eyes and gently rested her head on Baek-seol's shoulder.
"Hey, Baek-seol."
"Yeah."
"Why are you so good to me?"
It wasn't a question asked expecting an answer. Baek-seol was someone who rarely expressed her emotions or true feelings.
But after a moment, Baek-seol's voice came, so quiet it could be drowned out by the sound of the waves, yet it seeped into So-jeong as carelessly as the ocean scent.
"...Because I like you."
When So-jeong opened her eyes and looked up at Baek-seol, Baek-seol was staring out at the sea with a reddened face.
At Baek-seol's unexpected answer, So-jeong also couldn't say anything for a moment. But after that brief, awkward silence passed, So-jeong spoke with an embarrassed laugh.
"Hehe, thanks. For liking someone like me so much. You have no idea how lucky I am to have you. You know I like you a lot too, right?"
This time, as So-jeong expected, there was no answer. She just stared into space with a cold expression before,
"Let's head back now. It'll get cold when the sun sets."
changing the subject like that.
"Right. Let's go eat."
***
In the dim space, So-jeong and Baek-seol were standing so close they seemed to be embracing each other, looking at one another.
Baek-seol, with her arm lightly wrapped around So-jeong's waist, had a heated gaze she had never seen before.
Then Baek-seol slowly brought her face closer and whispered in a low voice.
"I like you."
So-jeong felt her heart pounding as if it would burst. She didn't quite understand, but Baek-seol's words felt like a gift to her.
Baek-seol's face was now so close their noses were almost touching. Her cold yet gentle eyes. Her sharp nose, and lips as moist and ripe as spring fruit filled all of So-jeong's vision.
So-jeong noticed that Baek-seol's breathing had become slightly rough, just like hers. And for some reason, she realized what she should do and smoothly closed her eyes.
"...Mmm."
As Baek-seol's lips touched hers, she felt heat rush through her entire body.
So-jeong's hands gently caressed Baek-seol's slender waist, and at the same time, she felt Baek-seol's hand moving toward her back.
Her heart was pounding as if she were running vigorously. But beneath that heart, from So-jeong's deepest place, she was saying it still wasn't enough.
More. More.
Not just pressing lips together, I wish you'd put your tongue in.
Don't just stroke my back, I wish you'd caress my breasts too.
And most of all, my... that feels like it's about to burst any moment.
So-jeong didn't say anything, but Baek-seol seemed to have already sensed that deep desire of hers.
As Baek-seol lowered her head and traced So-jeong's nape with her lips, her other hand began slowly trailing down below So-jeong's navel.
"Haa, haa..."
Yes, there.
Anticipation and excitement that her desire would soon be fulfilled made So-jeong's breathing hotter and more intense.
Just a little, just a little lower.
Past her lower abdomen, Baek-seol's long, soft fingers slid smoothly over So-jeong's body like a snake.
Faster.
So-jeong pleaded inwardly.
Faster, touch me!
Finally, as if having found its prey, those fingers slid and wrapped around So-jeong's hot, hard it.
The moment Baek-seol's fingers and palm, lightly grasping So-jeong's thing, moved slightly along the shaft,
"Hahk!"
As a thrilling sensation ran up her spine, So-jeong instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
This was a dream. Her reason, hazily awakened by the direct stimulation to her brain, said.
But this intense feeling of something surging up from her lower body was definitely not a dream, and it couldn't be stopped.
The moment she realized that, So-jeong opened her eyes. The space from moments ago vanished like smoke, and the hotel room ceiling, permeated with moonlight, came into view.
And then So-jeong immediately felt that her underwear was wet.
"...Huh?"
But it was something so different from what she had felt until now.