Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Wound
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My mind just wasn't working right. The whole situation didn't make any sense.
What the hell was going on? What had happened to me?
Seuli had sneaked up to me while hugging Dasom, then suddenly flung herself into my arms. In the end, I ended up hugging Seuli.
For the record, Dasom—who was nestled in Seuli's arms, whom I was now holding—was already watching the next episode of Chocoping.
What kind of situation was this? Not understanding at all, I decided to just ask Seuli about it.
"Hey, Seuli... what's going on here...?"
"Oh... you, uh, didn't see that Chocoping earlier...?"
"Chocoping? Why?"
"The, um, girl protagonist hugs the Chocopings... so..."
Ah, so that's what it was.
Dasom had wanted to imitate a scene from the cartoon.
But why did it have to turn out like this?
What was our position right now? Simple.
Seuli was hugging Dasom from behind, and I was hugging Seuli from behind.
It was that classic setup where a bigger person hugs a smaller one from the back.
To be honest... yeah, my head was spinning a bit. I wondered if it was okay to be like this.
But that wasn't the important part.
"...Seuli."
"Yeah...?"
"You aren't uncomfortable...?"
"No, I'm not... If anything..."
"If anything...?"
*Shake, shake*
Seuli shook her head and said casually,
"It's nothing."
She said it was nothing, but to me, it was definitely something.
Seuli's body was incredibly warm, soft, and small. I couldn't help wondering if it was really okay for me to be holding her like this.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
Was it because the situation was so tense? Or because memories of Seuli's cute moments from before flashed through my mind? Either way, my head was still dizzy.
And that wasn't all.
Seuli's bobbed hair was right under my nose...
It smelled sweet and pleasant somehow. Was it her shampoo? Or her natural scent?
No. I shouldn't even think too deeply about that. It felt incredibly dangerous. In all sorts of ways.
I shook my head vigorously, chasing away the weird thoughts trying to take over my mind.
Instead, to distract myself somehow, I tried talking to Seuli.
"Hey..."
"Hey, Haneul..."
But Seuli spoke up first.
I silently thanked her a bunch in my head and responded as kindly as possible.
"Yeah, Seuli? What's up?"
Seuli asked me in a voice that sounded a little tense.
"Um... are you uncomfortable, by any chance...?"
"Huh?"
"Me... being held like this... it's because of Dasom, but... you know..."
She was asking if I was uncomfortable.
If she was asking whether it bothered me, the soft warmth actually felt nice and comfortable.
But honestly... yeah, I felt awkward about it.
I was a guy, after all, and Seuli was a girl. No matter how close we were as friends, and even if I thought of her like a little sister, we were still different genders.
Besides, Seuli had a pretty feminine charm, even if she wouldn't admit it. She was small and cute, but her figure was nice too.
How could I not feel awkward?
I decided to answer as truthfully as possible, without hurting her feelings.
"Don't worry about it. I'm not uncomfortable or anything."
"Really...?"
"Yeah, but..."
"But...?"
I thought for a second, then phrased it as gently as I could.
"Isn't this... kind of weird, us being like this...?"
Yeah, it was kind of weird. Seuli knew better than anyone how much meaning that position could carry.
Maybe that's why she looked a little flustered before saying to Dasom,
"Hey, Dasom...?"
"Yeah!"
"Oppa says he's a little uncomfortable... Should we let go of him now?"
"Why?"
"Uh...?"
"Why's it uncomfortable?"
Dasom asked so innocently.
Why was it uncomfortable?
It wasn't really uncomfortable. That was just an excuse to convince Dasom.
I felt awkward. Guilty, even. Being pressed up against an opposite-sex friend like Seuli with no resistance at all—it just felt wrong.
Put yourself in Seuli's shoes. Her friend's little sister had thrown a selfish tantrum, demanding hugs like in the cartoon she was watching, and now she was stuck in a guy's arms because of it.
But Dasom was surprisingly stubborn and endlessly curious.
"Dasom, don't you think unnie might be uncomfortable too? Oppa's hugging her, and now she's got you in her arms on top of that."
"Uuuu..."
Dasom seemed to ponder that.
She was such a sweet, gentle kid, but she could be stubborn in the strangest ways.
And she proved it again this time.
"Nooooo... I wanna stay like thiiiis..."
I just couldn't understand it. Dasom was just being hugged by Seuli. Whether I was hugging Seuli or not shouldn't matter to her at all.
Still, she was whining, and Seuli looked troubled.
I debated scolding Dasom firmly, but Seuli seemed to sense my thoughts and calmed her down first.
"Dasom, Oppa says he's tired right now."
"Tired...?"
"Yeah, so he probably can't hug anymore."
"Uuuu..."
The best way to calm Dasom was to appeal to her good nature.
Seuli had given her an excuse to let go—me being tired—and surprisingly, Dasom settled down easily.
Dasom nodded regretfully, and Seuli spoke up.
"Um... Haneul, now..."
"Oh... uh, yeah... "
Seuli gave me a subtle signal. It was okay to let go now; she didn't need me holding her anymore.
I tried to gently pull my arms away.
But for some reason...
I didn't want to. I just didn't feel like letting go of Seuli's body.
Yeah, to be honest, I liked hugging her. It felt like holding a super warm, soft doll.
Plus, Seuli wasn't fussing or anything in my arms. She was just sitting there quietly.
She even smelled sweet and nice, and her skin felt so smooth against me.
So, pulling my arms away wasn't easy.
More than that...
...Seuli's voice sounded incredibly reluctant.
Was it just my imagination? Why would she sound disappointed?
Maybe it was my own wishful thinking. Maybe my reluctance to let go of her was making me hear things.
Maybe the pounding in my chest was clouding my judgment completely.
What should I do? How should I handle this?
As I hesitated, not letting go...
*Rustle...*
Seuli, who had been sitting still in my arms, finally moved for the first time.
She reached out and placed her tiny hand on my arm.
It was such a small hand. Compared to mine, it was less than half the size.
And that hand on my arm...
...was pulling it closer, drawing me into her embrace.
"Seuli?"
"......"
Seuli, who usually responded right away when I called her, stayed silent this time.
Silent, but wrapping my arm tighter around herself.
Unlike before, when I'd only awkwardly held her shoulders, now my arms fully encircled her body.
She was completely in my arms.
The first thought that hit me when I fully hugged her tight was...
...that her body was bigger than I'd imagined.
The next thought was that she was even softer, warmer, and more fragrant than I'd expected.
That small body in my arms—it was overwhelming my entire mind.
No, it wasn't her body overwhelming me. It was my feelings, my emotions, my desire to hold her that was consuming me.
*Squeeze...*
I hugged her tighter.
Maybe feeling good about it, Seuli pressed her cheek against my arm.
*Rub, rub...*
The moment she started nuzzling her cheek against my arm, I yanked it away in a panic.
Dangerous. This was too dangerous. No good. It was risky in every sense—especially down there. I didn't think I could hold back.
Luckily or not, Seuli let go from my arms more easily than expected...
But she stared at me with bewildered, empty eyes.
"Haneul...?"
Her voice sounded like she was about to cry, and excuses spilled out of me involuntarily.
"No, it's not that I hated it or anything, it's just..."
As I kept glancing awkwardly at her, salvation arrived.
*Ring ring ring ring*
*Ding~*
"Kids~ Time for snacks~"
Mom had gone out shopping and come back with delicious treats.
"Mooooom~!"
Dasom, who had been in Seuli's arms, bolted to the entryway first. Seuli and I followed her.
After that, we ate snacks and took care of Dasom, playing together...
But the whole time, Seuli looked upset.
The entire time.