8. The Seed Always Awakens Underground (3)
8. The Seed Always Awakens in the Soil (3)
At Choi Ha-na's words, Baek-seol slightly furrowed her brows and spoke.
"You can just pick out your own clothes by yourself."
"Ah, it's true I'm going to look at clothes for myself too......"
Ha-na trailed off, glancing furtively at So-jeong, then as if unable to hold back, she tightly closed her eyes and exclaimed.
"Actually, I really want to dress up So-jeong unnie!"
"Huh?"
Hearing her name mentioned so suddenly, So-jeong flinched her shoulders and looked at Ha-na.
"M, me?"
"Yes!"
Having revealed her true feelings, Ha-na, like a ball gaining momentum and rolling, looked at So-jeong with sparkling eyes and spoke passionately.
"I told you before that I just can't resist pretty people, right? Unnie is totally my style, and there are some clothes I really want to see you try on!"
At Ha-na's words, So-jeong looked down at the clothes she was wearing.
Not particularly interested in fashion, So-jeong usually just wore simple t-shirts, dresses, jeans, or sweatpants.
She didn't buy clothes often, so So-jeong couldn't even remember what year she'd bought the t-shirt she was currently wearing.
"Uh......"
Could Ha-na be hinting that I should buy some new clothes? So-jeong suddenly had that thought.
The Ha-na that So-jeong saw was always flashy and glittery. A different kind of beauty from Baek-seol, who was as neat and calm as an ice sculpture.
The thought that she might look bad in the eyes of someone who always loved dressing up so much made So-jeong's face flush hotly.
"S, sorry. Are my clothes not good?"
So-jeong mumbled in a voice that shrank away, bowing her hot face deeply.
"Huh? Why are you apologizing all of a sudden......No! No no!"
To So-jeong, Ha-na made a horrified face and shook her hands and head vigorously together.
"That's absolutely, absolutely, absolutely not what I meant! It's just, there's a style that really suits you, unnie, that doesn't suit me at all, so I just wanted to, um, suggest it? Yeah, I wanted to suggest it to you!"
>
"Hey, is So-jeong some kind of dress-up doll for you......"
Baek-seol, who had been watching from the side, opened her mouth, but,
"Baek-seol unnie."
It was insufficient to stop Ha-na, who had already started to go into overdrive.
"Unnie, don't you want to see a different side of So-jeong unnie's charm? She's pretty now too, but you can discover a whole new beauty just by changing her clothes a bit."
"......"
At Ha-na's words, Baek-seol firmly closed her mouth.
A different side of So-jeong's charm? A new beauty?
Instantly, images of So-jeong wearing hundreds of different outfits flashed through Baek-seol's mind.
A flowery pastel-colored dress perfect for spring, a simple white t-shirt and jeans that clearly emphasized her (though So-jeong would never admit it) voluptuous figure, a blouse and tennis skirt blooming brightly like cherry blossoms......
It was just a fleeting moment, but in those images now etched in Baek-seol's mind, So-jeong was, for some reason, smiling brightly. Like a warm, embracing spring breeze.
"......So-jeong-ah."
Baek-seol spoke slowly, concentrating intensely on whether her voice or expression was faltering.
"Is that okay with you?"
"Huh? Uh, I......"
So-jeong hesitated for a moment, seeming a bit awkward with the situation, and gave a hesitant "ehehe" laugh to Baek-seol.
"I'll go along. It's just shopping, we go together often anyway. And it's been a while since I bought clothes."
"Yay!"
Beside them, Ha-na cheered as if she'd struck out the last batter in the bottom of the ninth, clenching her fist.
"Baek-seol, are you free? If you have plans after this, then Ha-na and I can just go by ourselves......"
"I'm going too."
Baek-seol stated decisively.
"I have some things I want to buy too."
"Wow! So all three of us are going? Ehehe."
Ha-na hummed a tune and quickly packed her things.
"Then let's go right away!"
And so, an unplanned clothes-shopping trip began.
***
So-jeong and Baek-seol had underestimated Ha-na.
"Unnie! Next is here!"
Having little interest in clothes or shopping normally, they hadn't truly known what an "insider's" shopping was like.
"Just how many places have we been to in the last few hours......?"
Baek-seol muttered incredulously.
Ha-na had literally stormed through the entire mall. Inside this huge building, she navigated flawlessly as if she'd memorized not only the store locations but also what clothes were in each one, grabbing So-jeong's hand and dragging her everywhere, trying various outfits on her.
"So-jeong unnie, try this and this on. Oh, and layer this over it too!"
"Uh, okay......"
If it were up to the usual Baek-seol, she would have stopped Ha-na long ago and taken So-jeong home.
But even as she looked at So-jeong with slightly worried eyes, she didn't stop Ha-na from dragging her around.
"Kyaa! Unnie, you're so pretty!"
"......"
Because every time So-jeong, holding the clothes Ha-na picked out, opened the fitting room door and came out, Baek-seol felt as if the world had gotten a little brighter.
"Really......?"
Ha-na clearly had a knack for styling others as much as she did herself. Although she'd tried countless outfits on So-jeong since entering the mall, every single one seemed tailored to suit her perfectly.
"You look really pretty, So-jeong-ah."
Seeing that So-jeong still seemed unsure, glancing at her hesitantly, Baek-seol told her sincerely.
"Ehehe."
At Baek-seol's words, So-jeong finally smiled a little shyly and looked over her reflection in the mirror from various angles. Judging by her expression, So-jeong seemed to like the clothes too.
"But if I bought all the clothes I tried on today, my wallet would be ruined."
"You can just pick your favorite from the ones you tried on."
Seeing Ha-na say that from the side, Baek-seol pointed to the cafe inside the store.
"Then let's take a short break, buy the clothes, and head back."
She wanted to see So-jeong in more diverse and pretty outfits, but if they wandered around any longer, So-jeong might genuinely collapse from exhaustion.
"This is the first time I've tried on so many clothes in one day."
Sitting down at a table in the cafe, So-jeong let out a sigh as she spoke.
"By the way, Baek-seol, are you sure it's okay if you don't buy anything? You've just been following me and Ha-na around all day."
"Me?"
Baek-seol hadn't really planned on buying anything when she came along, so she just blinked at So-jeong's question.
But since she'd made the excuse that she also had things to buy in order to accompany So-jeong's shopping, she thought it would be a bit awkward to just go back like this.
"Then you two wait here. I'll be right back."
As she said that and was about to leave the cafe, So-jeong got up from her seat too.
"Ah, I'll come with you."
"You've walked way too much today. Get some rest."
"No. You followed me around all day to look at clothes for me, right? This much is fine."
Perhaps thinking it wouldn't look good to keep refusing when So-jeong insisted so much, Baek-seol finally nodded.
"Then let's go quickly and come back."
"Okay."
***
'This is bad, this is bad, this is bad......'
So-jeong was deeply regretting insisting on following Baek-seol to buy clothes just moments ago.
It wasn't a matter of physical stamina. As Baek-seol said, she had walked around more than usual, but she wasn't that tired because she'd enjoyed shopping with someone other than Baek-seol for the first time since coming to university and trying on many pretty clothes.
The problem lay elsewhere.
The place Baek-seol's footsteps led to after leaving the cafe was none other than a lingerie store.
'To think the thing she wanted to buy was underwear......!'
One might say what's the problem with girls going to buy underwear together, but the problem was that So-jeong was not a 'normal' girl right now.
"So-jeong-ah, how does this look?"
As Baek-seol slightly opened the fitting room door, there she stood wearing only a bra and panties, clearly revealing her smooth, flawless stomach and thighs.
"Ah! W, well, it seems to suit you!"
The existence of it, which she had completely forgotten about during the group meeting and shopping, began to feel heavy again upon seeing Baek-seol in her underwear.
"Um, Baek-seol-ah."
So-jeong, unable to look directly at Baek-seol, spoke with a fidgety expression.
"If you're here to buy underwear, wouldn't it be better if I didn't watch......?"
But at So-jeong's words, Baek-seol just tilted her head.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden. We've always helped each other pick out underwear before."
"W, well, that's true......Ahaha."
>
So-jeong desperately wanted to shout that the her from back then and the her now were different.
Adding insult to injury, every time she saw Baek-seol's pale, bare skin, the image of Baek-seol's naked body from her dream the other night kept resurfacing.
And along with the beautiful naked body of Baek-seol from her dream, the soft, dizzying sensation of her caressing So-jeong's body also seemed to come back to life.
"......Haaht."
Without realizing it, So-jeong let out a small moan, pulling her waist back from the stiff, stretching sensation that was tightening.
"So-jeong-ah? What's wrong?"
Baek-seol, who had gotten dressed and come out of the fitting room, saw So-jeong's state and approached her.
"Huh? Ah...... I think I'm a little tired."
At So-jeong's words, Baek-seol's face stiffened and she grabbed So-jeong's shoulder.
"I told you to rest. Are you okay? Your face is a bit red. Can you walk? Should I carry you?"
"Ah! No!"
So-jeong refused vehemently and forced herself to stand up straight.
If she were to be carried in her current state, there was no way Baek-seol wouldn't feel the sensation of something hard touching her back.
"I'm really okay. Heh, hehe. Did you pick what you want to buy? Should we go now?"
Continuing to reassure Baek-seol, who was still looking at her with a face full of concern, So-jeong met up with Ha-na, who was waiting at the cafe, and left the mall.
"I'm sorry, unnie."
After returning to So-jeong's apartment by taxi due to Ha-na and Baek-seol's strong insistence, Ha-na bowed deeply and apologized.
"It's my fault for suggesting we go......"
"No, I'm the one who should be sorry."
So-jeong tried her best to stand straight as usual and put on a relaxed expression, waving her hand.
"I think I ruined the mood suddenly. I'm just a little tired, so don't worry and go on in."
"......Will you be okay alone at home?"
"I'm really fine. Having guests would just make me more conscious. Baek-seol, you must be tired too, so go home and rest quickly. Let's see each other on Monday."
Sending off the two people who were looking at her with eyes mixed with apology and worry, repeatedly telling them she was fine, So-jeong hurried inside.
"Hff, hhuung......!"
The moment she closed and locked the door, So-jeong let out a stifled moan and pulled down her skirt.
"Why, why won't it go down...... aht......!"
Looking down resentfully, she caught a glimpse of it, stretched taut as if about to tear through her soft cotton triangle panties.
Ever since becoming conscious of Baek-seol's body and skin, So-jeong's it had remained in this state. Large and hard to the point of feeling sore and aching.
A transparent liquid was slowly seeping through the fabric of the panties where the tip of it touched.
Since the trip with Baek-seol—that is, since So-jeong had her wet dream—she had not once released the built-up semen.
Thinking that if this continued, an unexpected accident like during the trip might happen, So-jeong finally made up her mind and muttered.
"This won't do...... if I don't deal with it now......!"