Korean-Style Bonding Activities (2)
"MT…?"
"Yeah."
Han Seyeon's mouth closed shut. Under normal circumstances, an answer should have come flying right out. He had told her the evening he first heard the news. There had been no obligation, but as family it was something he felt he ought to pass along. He just hadn't expected a face like that in return.
"I've got allowance left over."
"Where would you get money from."
Money, money, money. That damned money. It was a complicated problem that was also perfectly simple. Seyeon's brow furrowed faintly, as if her pride had been dented. Of course that hadn't been his intention. From Sein's perspective it was just an event he had to go sleep over for one night, so he had mentioned it. From Seyeon's perspective, it was an uncomfortable situation because she would have to pay. She didn't like it. She was the head of the household, sure — but what was money, that it had to make things this awkward and strained?
"I'll give you some."
"No. I don't need it. I was just saying. That I'm going."
"Forget it. Take it when I'm offering."
Come to think of it, nearly three weeks had passed since the last allowance day. A hundred thousand won a month. An absurdly insufficient amount for a student to live on. No — in truth it was less personal spending money than household money for a housewife. Even if he wanted to ask for more, he pinched and scraped and only spoke up when it was truly necessary. A sharp ache rose from deep inside Seyeon's chest and spread through her. He hadn't said a word. Even when she offered him money, he refused. She knew that every one of those actions and words was consideration for her, the provider. And that was exactly why the ache burned hotter. Afraid she might actually cry, she moved quickly. Two fifty-thousand-won bills from her wallet.
"I-I don't need this much. I told you I have money."
"It's almost been a month. Think of it as getting it a little early."
"…Okay."
Thank you. Sein murmured it under his breath. His gaze dropped, fidgeting. The two bills clutched awkwardly in his hands felt clumsy and wrong. That sight stirred her pity all over again, and Seyeon found herself stroking his hair without thinking. If he had acted like it was nothing, maybe it would have been fine. But she was the one who had reached out — and now she was the one startled by it. A flinch. Another flinch. At the same time her body began to tremble, and an awkward air drifted through the space between them.
"S-sorry…"
"It's fine…"
He shook his head. When Sein refused the apology, Seyeon let out an awkward little laugh. A lot had changed in a single month. Everyday conversation came easily enough now. Situations like this still felt a little strange, but it was a precious relationship all the same. Sentiment was sentiment, though — the awkward air still hung there. Their gazes, with nowhere to land, crossed and missed.
Then Seyeon's eyes went round. The words that came out of his mouth were something that simply could not happen in a normal sibling relationship.
"If you… want to…"
"Hm?"
"You can."
Her body locked up awkwardly. Sein looked away. Was saying it outright suddenly embarrassing? The way he stared at some random spot that wasn't her only made him look more endearing. Her mouth opened, but no voice came out. It wasn't that she failed to understand what he meant. Instinct had simply moved faster than rational conversation.
"Noona's hands are warm. I like it."
"Uh, uh-huh…"
An ordinary compliment. Had it simply felt awkward, having her hand just sitting there on his head? The heated air made Seyeon's heart race. Thump. Thump. There was no time to clutch at her pounding chest. When was the last time she had stroked her little brother's hair? Soft, silky strands slipped under her fingers. The slow drag of her wrist. It felt exactly like petting a kitten for the first time. Her heart was beating too fast to wait. His face, eyes squeezed shut as he felt her touch, drew closer with a kind of fascination.
Calm down. I have to calm down. Seyeon swallowed hard and forced herself under control.
"Stop."
"Ah…"
Had she stroked him too openly? Sein's body whipped around.
"I have to… make dinner."
"Yeah…"
Should I just order something? The allowance had been money she had wrung out of herself by force. Even so, she barely managed to swallow the words that almost slipped out — that she wanted to stroke his hair again. The clatter of dishes. For a long time, Seyeon could only stand there watching him.
A week passed in no time at all. Nothing particularly special happened in between. The usual routine? Jeong Ayeong getting hit. Me getting hit by Kang Hyeona every so often. Ayeong wailing again. Kim Hyeongmin smiling? An ordinary week, no different from any other. If anything had changed, it was Kang Hyeona's expression. The face she wore while hitting me had grown steadily darker, almost black. I understood. She liked me, after all. And there was one more problem.
"Ugh…"
Today marked a little over three weeks since the start of the term. Meaning it had been nearly a month since I'd last taken care of myself. The urge was there. Surrounded by pretty women with good bodies made it hard to hold back. The problem was I literally had no time. When I got home I had to cook for Seyeon. The only private space was the bathroom for a few minutes, and hunting for material made the whole thing not worth it. And doing it at school or outside was out of the question. So there was a faint, uneasy edge to things.
I'm not going to have a wet dream, am I?
I recommend taking care of it at the earliest opportunity.
Come to think of it — if I jerk off, you can see it, can't you?
……
Is this thing a psycho or what. Anyway. Leaving the silent hologram behind, I set out. I had a little more free time than usual. We were gathering at school and taking a chartered bus all together, so despite the name "MT," it looked a lot like a school trip. After walking for a while, on the road that passed the school, I ran into Jeong Ayeong in front of Daiso.
"……"
"Ha, haha…"
Look at that shameless face. A huge bag on her shoulder and a Daiso shopping bag in her hand. Ayeong wore an awkward smile.
"Morning."
"Yeah. Let's go."
I didn't ask why. At this point it was basically flirting. Anyway, the two of us made it to school without incident. Large buses for each class. She and I took the very front seats. The room assignments had been arranged through connections, so it was a small room — but at least it wasn't co-ed, right?
"Want the window seat?"
"No, you sit there, Sein."
"Okay."
Naturally, she was my seat partner on the bus as well. Ayeong clenched her fist tight, as if steeling herself for something.
"What are you thinking about?"
"A-ah, nothing…"
What kind of face was that. The moment I asked what she was thinking, she whipped her head toward the far distance like a kid caught watching porn.
You have acquired 20 Points.
What the hell was she thinking. Between the turned-away face, the twitching corner of her mouth looked downright eerie. Yeah… I guess that's possible. Anyway. The rest of the schedule was simple. A few hours on the bus, then arrival at the lodging. After the stifling city, the clean air made it feel like I could finally breathe. Forest and trees. The oversized pension-style lodging seemed a little excessive, but it settled my nerves. At least I didn't have to worry about the genre shifting on me.
Once all the students had gathered, the tedious itinerary began. Seeing everyone in their Hoerang uniforms somehow felt fresh and youthful. Of course, that didn't apply to Ayeong and me. We got our room assignments, unpacked, and before we knew it lunch was approaching — but the two of us stuck together exactly the way we always did. In a way it was inevitable. This was an MT. A Korean-style bonding activity. And yet there were two people you were tacitly not supposed to talk to? We might as well have been ducks abandoned on the Nakdong River. The one consolation was that we were two, not one.
"If it feels like too much, you can sit out."
"Thank you."
A kind of free pass to skip the schedule as the odd ones out? After the meal, outdoor activities began. Simple team sports for a mini athletic meet. Coffee bets, or something like that. The girls played soccer. The boys watched for a while, then formed teams for other games. None of that applied to Ayeong and me either. I because my body wasn't well; she because her body was scheduled not to be well. It might have sounded like a ridiculous reason, but the atmosphere actually welcomed it. The teacher acting as a sort of chaperone was reading the room. Not that she inspired much confidence. If this counted as a different kind of experience, then it was one. I had never gone on an MT in my previous life either — but coming all the way out here just to get ostracized? Oh, that was new.
And then, after dinner, when recreation time arrived, I witnessed something a little unusual.
"Looks like they're drinking."
"Let's not run into them."
Kim Hyeongmin and a crowd of girls. The curious part was that Kang Hyeona, who usually stood guard at his side like a bodyguard, was nowhere to be seen. People slipping away from the staged area. Black bags in their hands, green bottles visible too. I thought you drank at night? It was a little strange, but I couldn't get involved any further. The talent show ended, and the long-awaited courage test arrived.
"Whoever you want to go wi—"
"Meeeeeee!!!"
Every gaze in the place locked onto us. Jeong Ayeong grabbed my right hand and thrust it high into the air. We had sat out every activity during the day. A roar of cheers rolled across the darkened athletic field. Ayeong flushed red when she belatedly felt all those eyes on her — but she didn't let go of my hand.
"…R-right."
I get it. I'm this flustered myself — how flustered must the teacher be. The cowering Jeong Ayeong was gone. Well, not entirely. But the way she boldly declared she was doing the courage test, staking her claim, she looked like a general on the march.