Chapter 52

Shin So-hee's outfit had been that overwhelmingly intense, but Yu Ha-neul and Lee Su-a were also impressive in their own ways.

Yu Ha-neul was wearing that black T-shirt, and since it was originally fitted to my body, the chest area was stretched taut. The fabric that was supposed to be solid black was pressed so tightly against Ha-neul's fair skin that the color looked visibly lighter where they overlapped.

......If someone had posted a close-up of that part, you might mistake it for a stocking, not a shirt.

For the record, she hadn't worn anything on the bottom either.

Should I make a rule? Please wear pants in my room.

Lee Su-a was...... still the most normally dressed of the three. At least she was wearing my pajamas. Of course, her measurements weren't even remotely close to mine, so there was no helping the fabric stretching tight across her chest. The gap between the buttons was being pulled so much that you could probably slip a finger through it.

"......."

And the three of them were completely quiet.

No surprise there. They'd just gone through something deeply mortifying.

When I saw what they were wearing, I'd panicked and completely overlooked something obvious: most people might strip down to relax in their own home, but they don't do it at a friend's house.

The reason is simple. Putting aside whether your friend sees you, there's always the possibility that your friend's family will.

No, possibility isn't the right word. If you're visiting a minor's home, you're inevitably going to be seen by their family.

Had they let their guard down when they saw I lived in a mansion? Or did the sheer size of this room, bigger than most apartments, make them forget we were still in my room?

But the most critical issue was that they'd forgotten how many staff members work in this mansion.

That's right. There are plenty of other people in this house besides me.

They just happen to walk around without making a sound.

And this room was also a place a maid could enter without any fuss, even if I hadn't specifically called for one.

If you'd seen Yang Hye-in's face, frozen still in the doorway holding the half-seasoned, half-original, boneless fried chicken she'd brought up to the room—you would never be able to escape the embarrassment.

Yang Hye-in is a professional maid.

She didn't let any bewilderment show on her face. Even that brief freeze was only for a split second.

......The problem was the simple fact that I had made eye contact with that maid.

"......Shall we eat?"

Thankfully, the room was big enough to have a table. When I set the chicken in the middle of that table and said that to the three people with their heads hung low, they all nodded weakly.

......Okay, I get that you didn't have clothes. But even so, if you were going to wear that, you should've done it right before bed.

"......."

For a while, everyone just chewed chicken in silence.

What am I even supposed to say to them?

......Trying to comfort them here would probably just make it more embarrassing, wouldn't it?

"Ah, right!"

"Eep!"

We were eating chicken quietly in that silence when Ha-neul suddenly shouted as if she'd just remembered something, startling me.

"When we came into this room, I noticed there's a door lock installed right next to the door."

"Oh, yeah. Now that you mention it, there is."

Shin So-hee quickly nodded in agreement.

What's with this sudden topic?

"It ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is a little odd to have one on your bedroom door instead of the main entrance."

The way Lee Su-a rushed to latch onto the subject too...... clearly, they wanted to forget that humiliating moment. If they could focus on some other conversation, they wouldn't have to sit there replaying it in their heads.

"I guess so......."

When I answered like that, all three of them went completely still.

"......Huh? What's wrong?"

Seeing their reaction, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I stopped my chopsticks midair on their way to the next piece.

"Uh, no, I mean, it's still a door lock on your room, right? If you don't know the reason......."

Ha-neul asked that, hesitating a little.

"......It's probably been there since I was young?"

Even as I said that, I wasn't sure. I don't have Ye Sa-ra's memories. I was just guessing.

The girls' faces shifted. I'd say they turned a little pale.

"Hm? Ah, no, there's nothing to worry about. You can open it from the inside."

At my answer, they let out quiet sighs. I could feel the tension in the room ease a bit.

"That's good, then."

Lee Su-a murmured, sounding somewhat relieved.

"Then, was it installed to keep people from coming in from outside?"

Shin So-hee asked.

"That's right. Only registered people can open that door."

Actually, I'd never opened the door myself. Yang Hye-in always opened it before I could.......But surely it opens with my fingerprint, right?

Well, Yang Hye-in comes in every day, so......

"The maids are probably registered, and maybe the Chairwoman......?"

I muttered that and moved my chopsticks again. Mm, even though some time had passed, dinner seemed to still be sitting in my stomach. After this, I wouldn't be able to eat any more.

What a waste, I thought as I brought a piece of chicken to my mouth, then I realized all three of them were staring at me.

"The Chairwoman......?"

Shin So-hee murmured.

"Uh, yeah. The Chairwoman of Yujin Group."

When I answered, their faces went even stiffer.

"So, this chairwoman kept you locked up in here, but made sure she could come in when no one else could?"

Ha-neul asked calmly.

"Uh, yeah......?"

I'd talked a little about my situation before, so weren't they already aware?

"Um, but, by Chairwoman, you mean Chairwoman Choi Na-kyung, right?"

Lee Su-a asked with a somewhat serious expression.

"Right......?"

"Your 'foster mother.' Right?"

Well, yes.

Though, when I'd spoken to her on the phone, she'd seemed to prefer the title "Chairwoman" over "Mother." I still didn't know why. Would I understand once I met her in person?

......Not that I was particularly keen on meeting her in person, either.

"Foster mother?"

Shin So-hee's eyes widened slightly.

"Yeah, right. She's my father's wife, so she's my foster mother."

As I said that and put the chicken in my mouth, I could sense the tension draining from Shin So-hee's shoulders. What was she relieved about this time?

"Foster mother......."

Ha-neul was muttering to herself again with a serious expression.

Seriously, how many times were these kids going to go back and forth tonight?

*

"......Hey, guys? Shouldn't we bring some blankets? Can we really sleep like this, squeezed in together?"

"No need to worry."

Shin So-hee, who'd claimed the spot on my right, said that.

Unlike me, who was lying on my back staring at the ceiling, she was lying on her side facing me. She wasn't blatantly linking arms with me the way she had outside, but I could feel her gaze fixed squarely on my face.

"Lying on our sides is enough......."

A voice came from my left.

The person on my left was Lee Su-a. Like Shin So-hee, she was lying on her side facing me as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Thanks to that, I couldn't turn onto my right side or my left side.

"Why only me......."

Why only you?

You're the one who drew that spot.

From the far right, behind Shin So-hee, came Ha-neul's voice. Her pitiful tone was a little sad, but this was out of my hands.

This order had been decided when the girls, who for some reason had been fighting over the spot next to me, drew lots with chopsticks on their own.

It wasn't even decided by who could lie next to me. It was settled by choosing the order we lay down, so I couldn't really find ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠anything to complain about.

"......."

Uh... so do I just sleep like this?

We managed to share the bed one way or another. Thanks to the other three lying on their sides, there was more room left than I'd expected. Of course, if any one of them were to stretch out flat, it would get cramped immediately.

The blanket had always been large enough to drape well past the sides of the bed, so it could cover all four of us at once.

"......."

Should I say goodnight?

I considered it, but decided to stay silent. Because no one else was saying anything.

The only sound was the breathing of the four people lying in the bed.

"...Can't sleep?"

Shin So-hee asked quietly. I felt her breath on my cheek. Was she still looking at me with her eyes open?

"Uh, yeah, I should sleep..."

The reason I couldn't sleep, even though it was later than my usual bedtime, was definitely because there were girls lying on either side of me, and beyond them, more girls.

I'd never experienced anything like this even up to my mid-twenties. I was too tense to fall asleep.

"......."

"Sara."

Lee Su-a called my name in a whisper.

"Y-yeah?"

"We have school tomorrow."

Right. We do.

I know we have to go. And I know that means I have to sleep right now.

But what do you want me to do if I can't sleep because we're like this!

"......."

Ha-neul, who wasn't right next to me, didn't say a word.

"......."

Haah, fine. Let's sleep. Sleep. I'll sleep.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I could still hear breathing next to me, but closing my eyes made me a little less self-conscious. Okay, so I'm... alone right now.

Lying in bed by myself, with no one else beside me.

.......

Before I could even fall asleep, I heard steady breathing coming from beside me, a soft 'hiss, hiss'.

It seemed like Lee Su-a had fallen asleep.

"......."

Yeah, what am I even doing?

There was no point in being the only one this self-conscious.

If she could fall asleep first, it meant she hadn't been tense about lying next to me in the first place.

Right. I've been way too aware of the kids from the start.

We're friends. Just friends.

As soon as I thought that, my heart felt a little lighter.

Finally, it felt like I might be able to drift off to sleep.

*

The room was dark.

The three girls, lying on their sides facing Sara who was flat on her back, not quite side-by-side, held their breath and waited.

Sara's breathing, which had trembled as if tense for a long time even after she closed her eyes, gradually evened out.

Of course, they didn't move yet. They weren't entirely certain Sara had fallen completely asleep.

.......

A little while after Sara's breathing became relaxed.

Sara's breathing grew shallow and faint. Small, rhythmic breaths.

Had she fallen asleep now?

No one spoke, but the three girls were surely thinking the same thing.

The first to move was Shin So-hee, who was lying to Sara's right.

She stealthily extended her hand and pulled Sara's right arm toward her. Through the thin, soft pajamas, she felt a warm body heat.

Shin So-hee hugged that delicate arm tightly.

Sara didn't wake up.

Seeing no reaction from Sara, Shin So-hee pressed her own body against Sara's. Her chest, her stomach, her thighs—Sara's right side was pressed flush against her.

She lowered her head. So-hee was taller than Sara, but she thought she had chosen a good position to make eye contact while lying down. Though unfortunately, Sara wasn't facing her.

Since she had been lying at an angle to match Sara's eye level, when Shin So-hee bowed her head, her face pressed against Sara's neck.

She took a slow, deep breath, careful not to make too much noise.

Sara's body still smelled fragrant. Probably the scent of her recent shower lingering.

...Beyond that fragrant scent, there was a faint, natural body smell.

Sara still didn't wake up.

The next girl to move was Lee Su-a, who was on Sara's left.

Lee Su-a didn't wish for much. She didn't press herself as close as Shin So-hee, nor did she intend to. Not yet.

But she kept her eyes open.

She simply stared at Sara's face, perfectly still.

Inside the pitch-black room, her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness.

The profile of the sleeping Sara gradually emerged from the shadows.

Even though she could only barely make out a silhouette, it was enough for Lee Su-a. She could vividly picture Sara's pretty face in her mind.

She reached her right hand down, searching under the blanket for Sara's hand. Once she found it, that slender, delicate hand, Lee Su-a interlaced her fingers with it.

She could clearly feel the warmth of Sara's hand.

Lee Su-a wrapped her arm lightly around Sara's left arm.

Sara still didn't wake up.

Naturally, the last to move was Yu Ha-neul, who was farthest from Sara and brimming with dissatisfaction.

Yu Ha-neul waited silently for a long time.

How much time had passed? The rustling movements of the other two girls had now completely stilled.

Because she had kept her eyes open in the darkness, she could faintly see the shape of Shin So-hee's back.

That back was rising and falling rhythmically.

She had fallen asleep.

If Yu Ha-neul listened closely, aside from Shin So-hee's and Sara's rhythmic breathing, she could hear one other breath. The one farthest away, Lee Su-a, must have fallen asleep too.

Yu Ha-neul slowly, ever so slowly, raised her body.

There were several people lying on the bed. One wrong move, and the bed would shake, potentially waking someone up.

If that happened, she wouldn't be able to do what she had in mind.

For several minutes, she slowly lifted herself without taking her eyes off Shin So-hee's back.

Then, careful not to touch Shin So-hee's body, she concentrated all her senses into her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fingertips and toes as she climbed over her.

Fortunately, both Shin So-hee and Lee Su-a were only hugging one of Sara's arms each. Though Shin So-hee had her face buried near Sara's collarbone.

Still being careful not to touch either of them, Yu Ha-neul slowly lowered her hand.

Into the space between Sara's arm and waist. Again, taking several minutes over it.

And then, she found Sara's waist.

Sara had a slim frame, but surprisingly, her lower body was fairly developed. Her legs were just very thin because she lacked body fat. Yu Ha-neul was sure that if only Sara ate well and exercised consistently, she would have a slim waist contrasted with a wider pelvis.

And having that basic bone structure meant—

It wasn't too difficult to slip a hand under Sara's waist. Because the small of her back was that pronounced.

She slowly slipped her hand into that space. By the time her arm was almost completely underneath, Yu Ha-neul found herself clinging to Sara's waist, as if hugging her.

She then gradually lowered her head.

Turning her head to the left and lowering it, the side of Yu Ha-neul's face came to rest against the slight swell of Sara's chest.

Ba-dump, ba-dump. She could hear Sara's heartbeat.

Sara still hadn't woken up.

Only then did Yu Ha-neul relax her body and close her eyes.

Ba-dump. Ba-dump.

Using that heartbeat as a lullaby, Yu Ha-neul slowly drifted off to sleep.