First Time Meeting You

I felt a faint whisper brush against my ear.

"Mask... Master..."

"...Your name was Lee Minji, right? Are you awake now? Hey..."

Minji slid off me with a tiny, breath-like murmur. She kept repeating the same words under her breath, her clothes soaked through with every kind of fluid, and walked straight toward the door without even glancing at me.

"Where are you going? Wait, just a sec—"

I scrambled to pull up the pants I'd kicked off earlier, hurried out the door after her, and grabbed her wrist.

"........."

"What the hell happened to you...?"

My memory was hazy, but from what little remained, I had raped Minji after she'd been turned into a Dummy Doll. Not long after that, her unfinished "head" had reverted to its previous form—the face of the girl named Lee Minji. Eyes, nose, mouth, ears, hair—every feature looked perfectly human. But the thing standing before me was no longer human.

Not even the eyes of a dog or cat carried the spark of life that was completely absent from Minji's gaze. Her pale, deep pupils had turned pitch black, reflecting me back with flawless, unclouded clarity.

"A doll... imitating... 'Lee Minji'..."

"......"

It was a small, low voice like something leaking from a broken answering machine. The cold, unwavering tone clashed violently with the slender, warm flesh of her wrist still caught in my hand. The grotesque dissonance crawling up my veins made me release her and take a step back.

"Huu..."

I forced my trembling hand upward, slowly and carefully pressing it against Minji's pure-white cheek.

"Eut...!"

Her beautiful skin, noticeably paler than most people's, was ice-cold. The bizarre sensation of stroking a soft block of chilled stone made me yank my hand away.

"............."

Even as the man who had just violated her, grabbed her wrist, and touched her cheek stood there panicking, Minji didn't even blink. Her body still held human warmth, but everything above her neck felt frozen. This was a Dummy Doll—a being created to erase a human from the world and fill the empty space they left behind. Perhaps even more pitiful than a Saintess whose very existence had been overwritten.

An emotion I couldn't name surged up inside me. My chest felt tight. I couldn't even bring myself to be angry at Hyemi-noona for turning her into this. Noona had been hurt by this girl, and the one who changed Noona was the mask. And the one who picked up that mask in the first place... was me. When you really thought about it, I was the root cause of everything.

A simple act—smoking a cigarette and picking up a mask—had snowballed into this nightmare. I was the one who turned Hyemi-noona and Yunsol into those monstrous Saintesses. I was the one who erased the person called Lee Minji from existence. My head was a complete mess.

"...Fuck..."

I spat out a short but heavy curse and grabbed the blanket that had been tossed in the corner of the club room. Then I knelt down and wrapped it around Minji's waist.

Her pants were covered in messy stains of semen, love juice, and urine all mixed together. If she walked around campus looking like that, it would obviously cause a huge scene... and right now, this was all I could do for her.

"Go straight home and wash up. Do you... know where your house is?"

"...I am 'Lee Minji'... I know."

After her short, mechanical answer, I stared hard at the girl who nodded, then spoke again.

"...This is my fault. I'm sorry. For what happened today... and for everything that led to this."

".....?"

Minji tilted her head with an expression that seemed to say I don't understand the meaning. She stood there for a moment, then turned around without so much as a bow and walked stiffly down the hallway.

"........"

By the time she had disappeared completely down the stairs, I dragged myself back into the club room and yanked the zipper of my bag open with unnecessary force. There it was, sitting right on top of my things as if waiting for me—the mask. I snatched it up and narrowed my eyes.

"...What the fuck did you do to me this time...? Huh?"

The anger and confusion I barely managed to squeeze out through my trembling voice received no answer.

"Answer me!!"

My roar echoed through the empty room, but the mask remained silent. Of course. That was only natural. A mask—an object—couldn't possibly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speak like a person. That was obvious...

"...Woojoo?"

A soft voice called out to me as I stood there with my head hanging low, mask still clutched in my hand.

"I came by because I had something to do... but I heard your voice pretty loudly from the hallway. Is everything okay?"

It was Hyemi-noona. She was wearing lighter workout clothes than she'd had on that morning and was looking at me with an awkward smile. I quickly tossed the mask onto the sofa and forced a smile in return.

"No, it's nothing. Just... something annoying happened."

"Hmm..."

Noona made a small humming sound and gave me a playful grin as she walked closer. Then she bent slightly at the waist and looked up at my face from below.

"...Noona?"

"Shh..."

For a moment she stared straight into my eyes—then suddenly jabbed her finger into my side.

"Ow! ...What was that for?"

"Your face looked all stiff, so I thought I'd loosen it up~"

She laughed with a little "eeheehee" and took off the cap she was wearing, plopping it onto my head. The cap carried the faint scent of sweet shampoo mixed with coffee. I just stood there blankly, staring at her.

"Mmm... I came because I figured it would be about time for her to be 'completed,' but it looks like you handled it well on your own, Woojoo."

Noona sniffed the air, her nose wrinkling, then burst into giggles with flushed cheeks.

"...I was actually thinking a lot about that. I already told Yunsol, but I'm sorry to you too, Noona..."

"Hey now, I won't accept any apologies. Instead, buy me a drink~"

Noona cut me off at the perfect moment, right as I was about to speak. When I looked up in confusion, she wasn't even looking at me anymore—she had opened the window to air out the room.

"...Huh?"

"I heard everything on the way here. You have a free period today, right? And no more classes after this. So if you're sorry, buy me a drink! Even convenience store beer is fine."

"...I am sorry, but why does it have to be alcohol..."

"Because your face looks completely rotten. I'll be your drinking buddy, so you pay."

She gave my cheek a couple of light taps and walked out of the club room with bouncy steps. Left alone in the large room, I raised a hand to my face for no particular reason. Did my emotions show that obviously on my face...? I thought I was pretty good at controlling my expression.

.....

It was sudden, but I didn't mind. I happened to need alcohol right now, and if someone I could actually talk to about all this was willing to keep me company, then why not. Feeling both guilty and grateful toward Hyemi-noona, I took off the cap she'd placed on my head and dusted it off. My steps still felt heavy, but a little lighter than before, as I walked out into the hallway.

I was about to follow Hyemi-noona, who was already waving at me from the top of the distant stairs, when—

"You're too close. Back off."

"Come on! This is your first time in Korea, right?! So let me be your guide properly...!"

A lively female student's chatter floated up from the landing about ten steps below, accompanied by the sway ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of silver hair. The woman was conversing fluently in Korean despite her exotic appearance. That calm, warm aura radiating from her blue eyes and silver hair... it was the same feeling I'd sensed during lunch earlier...

"Choi Woojoo!! What are you doing! I'm huuungry!!"

"I get it, so please stop yelling so loud!"

I turned around even as my feet kept moving toward the voice calling from below. The silver-haired woman who had been standing there just moments ago had already vanished.

* * *

"I know it's weird to say this after already coming inside, but... are you really okay?"

"With what? More importantly—ta-da~!"

Hyemi-noona shoved a beer can into my hand, clinked her own against it, and immediately took a big gulp. In front of us sat chicken we'd ordered as snacks and some small bags of convenience store sweets, but I couldn't bring myself to reach for any of it. The location was Hyemi-noona's studio apartment, after all.

On the other hand, Noona looked far too comfortable in her own space. She scrunched her face in delight at the refreshing taste of the beer.

"Haaah... I feel alive again... Aren't you going to drink, Woojoo?"

"I will, I am going to drink... It's just... you know."

Since it was her own home, she'd changed into comfortable clothes, which only made things more awkward for me. Her short dolphin shorts and oversized crop top revealed the black bra underneath near her armpit. Even though I didn't want to be conscious of it, I couldn't stop noticing. I'd been unable to stretch my legs properly since we sat down.

"Eh? We've already seen everything there is to see between us... and we'll be seeing more in the future too♡"

"........."

"...Okay, okay, I won't tease anymore. Please stop making that face. What's wrong with me wearing comfortable clothes in my own house..."

Even as she grumbled, her mouth was smiling. She took another sip of beer.

"Don't drink too much this time. Today I need to be the one getting drunk. Dealing with your drunk antics on top of that would be too much..."

"Don't worry~ I only got drunk so fast last time. Normally I can handle three cans of beer no problem. Anyway, why were you like that earlier? Saying you were sorry to me and Yunsol?"

The can I'd been bringing to my lips froze in midair.

"...Yes. No matter how hard I try not to think that way, the fact that you and Yunsol ended up like this is because of me, isn't it? Because I picked up that mask... And after seeing that girl named 'Lee Minji' today, I guess I got irritated with the whole situation. I started wondering if I was just some trash who couldn't even control his own desires... That kind of self-loathing hit me, and... yeah."

"...Hmm..."

Without saying anything, Hyemi-noona swallowed another mouthful of beer, thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Alright. Then let's think of it that way."

"Huh...? What do you..."

"No matter what I say to you right now, it won't actually comfort you, will it? So just stop thinking it's all your fault. You may have picked up the mask, but I'm the one who snatched it from you and used it, aren't I? So maybe I should take about forty percent of the blame? Hehe..."

Unfortunately, the words That's not true never made it out of my mouth. Just as Noona said, her kind attempt to share the responsibility didn't bring me any comfort. Because they hadn't chosen to become my accomplices of their own free will. So the guilt and remorse remained... but at least her gratitude helped ease my heart a little.

"...Thank you, Noona."

"Good. I won't say anything else! I don't even care about that stuff... Honestly, I feel way too good in this new body...♡ But since you said seeing Minji made you feel mentally exhausted, I'll refrain from making any more Dummy Dolls from now on. Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand why you were angry... That girl did do something wrong too..."

"Aish, enough with the depressing talk! Drink up! I've already finished half and you're still on your first!"

"Ah, okay, okay! Stop pushing! You're going to spill everything!"

Before I knew it, a huge pile of empty beer cans had stacked up. How many was this now...? I'd gotten so caught up in the mood that I'd lost count of how much I'd drunk. My head was spinning. Judging by how completely wasted I felt, I'd had way more than four...

"Woojoo, are you okay? Didn't you drink too much?"

"...How are you still fine, Noona..."

"You're totally drunk. Weren't you the one telling me to hold back~? Still, this is fascinating! I was always the first one to get drunk. This is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the first time I've seen you like this."

There was only one empty can in front of Noona... How had I ended up drinking so fast? Seeing me drunk seemed to delight her. She scooted right up next to me until her face was inches from mine. The sweet scent of her body mixed with the smell of alcohol made my mind grow even hazier.

"...You're so pretty..."

"Huh...? Ah, uh, w-what?! Ah, haha... That caught me off guard..."

I didn't even know what I was saying. What had I just said? Why was Noona's face turning bright red in an instant?

"...Thank you, Noona... Really..."

"Drunk Woojoo is so cute... What should I do... It's almost time for her to arrive, so I have to hold back."

Maybe it was my imagination, but Noona seemed to be drooling a little as she rubbed her thighs together. I couldn't hear a single word she was saying. More importantly, the bathroom...

"Noona, I need to use the bathroom..."

"Ah, the door right next to the entrance is the bathroom."

I stood up and headed for the door she was pointing at. The room spun. My legs moved on their own. I really had drunk too much. I shouldn't stay here any longer. I should just go to a nearby motel and—

Ding-dong—

"Ugh..."

The sudden doorbell rang painfully in my skull. I could hear rustling movement from beyond the front door, right next to the bathroom.

"Ah, she must be here. Woojoo! Can you get the door?"

"What is it, did you order more food...? I was about to stop drinking..."

I glanced back at Noona, who was sitting in the middle of the room with a bright smile, raising her arm. Without thinking, I unlocked the door and swung it wide open.

There should have been a delivery person standing in front of me. But instead—

"...Who...?"

"That's what I should be asking. Are you Hyemi's boyfriend?"

The woman standing at the entrance looked exactly like Hyemi-noona, except with slightly longer hair and a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sharper, more prickly impression. We spent a brief moment sizing each other up in a silent standoff, but that short staring contest ended the moment Hyemi-noona's voice rang out from inside the room.

"Mom, you're here~?"

"Yeah, it's me. But who is this kid?"

"I am terribly sorry for my rudeness."

The alcohol vanished from my system in an instant, and my mind snapped back to clarity. When I opened my eyes, I realized I was bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle, head lowered.

* * *