Crumbling
‘Huh?’
Something's off.
Waking from sleep, Tae-il felt an ominous premonition graze the crown of his head.
The AC was humming away as always, yet for some unknowable reason, cold sweat trickled down his sticky nape.
‘Why's it so dark in here?’
The first sense of wrongness was the room's darkness.
He distinctly remembered falling asleep with the light on, so he wondered why it was off now.
Well, lights flicker out sometimes.
A net cafe was a place for computers and comics, even meals.
Sakuya could've grown tired of waiting for him to wake, turned off the light, and stepped out—entirely plausible.
Except...
“...”
Judging by the situation, Sakuya wouldn't have.
‘There's this weird pressure from both sides...’
The biggest shock upon waking was that he couldn't move either arm.
His right arm especially felt heavy; trying to shift it met something soft, and instinct screamed danger, halting his struggle.
‘C-calm down. What the hell is going on...’
Gurgle.
In this dire moment, his stomach cluelessly demanded food.
‘What time is it...?’
After belting out tunes at karaoke, everything he'd eaten could've digested by now.
Last he recalled was evening, so waking now could've passed midnight into dawn.
Worries about not contacting family or Ayane flickered briefly.
But hunger sharpened his nose, catching an unfamiliar scent.
Sniff sniff.
A sweet, fresh aroma teased his senses.
Impossible to ignore now.
Tae-il turned his head.
In the lightless dark, a faint human outline emerged.
“Suuuu...”
Focusing, he heard soft breathing.
The pitch-black amplified his other senses.
With each breath, contact area on his arm expanded and contracted.
His pupils dilated and contracted in sync.
His heartbeat grew louder, faster.
“Ah, haha.”
Two different breaths, left and right.
Similar yet distinct body scents.
Arms pinned immobile.
‘Okay. Situation grasped.’
Tae-il turned to the other side.
Lighter weight than the right.
His eyes, adjusting to the dark, caught faint yellow hair.
Practice room had Iris and Ayane on either side; this time, Rena and Sakuya.
Whatever happened while he slept, Sakuya and Rena had dozed off hugging his arms.
“This is bad.”
Tae-il was grateful this wasn't his room.
From experience, if it were, Ayane would've caught him for sure.
First things first.
To keep blood from rushing south, he recited the Heart Sutra in his mind, feigning calm.
No matter the circumstances, a guy in this spot was utterly powerless.
He couldn't afford any misstep that'd get him blamed.
Tae-il whispered softly to Sakuya, his likeliest ally.
“S-Sakuya. Sakuya?”
“Mmngh.”
Annoyed at the interruption, Sakuya frowned.
Then hugged his arm tighter.
“Saku... ya!”
Panicking, Tae-il strained his voice to a groan, calling her name repeatedly. But Sakuya, unsatisfied with just the arm...
“Huuung.”
“Eek!”
Her long leg brushed up his thigh, draping precisely over his groin.
Her left knee poked his thigh teasingly.
“S-Sakuya! I'm seriously in danger here!? Sakuyaaaa!”
“Mmm... Wha...?”
At his desperate cry, Sakuya rubbed her eyes, meeting his gaze.
Her hazy purple eyes blinked a few times, then drooped again.
“Uung. Sleepy...”
“Sakuyaaaa!”
His shout went unheeded.
Sakuya pulled him in fully, burying her face in his neck.
As Tae-il bucked in panic, her left leg dove deeper, pinning his right leg completely.
Tae-il felt utterly restrained by her.
Limbs unfree, even turning his head a chore.
Suddenly, an old chat with Sakuya surfaced.
Shed seen his dark circles, advised better sleep.
‘Living like Taechi's bad for your health. Perfect recipe for early grave.’
‘Mind your own.’
‘It's all for Taechi's health.’
Sakuya had smiled sadly, on the verge of tears.
‘If Taechi died, I'd be pretty heartbroken, y'know?’
‘Nah, no way...’
‘For real. Might even bawl ugly.’
‘...I'll work on it.’
‘Heh, good.’
Women's tears were weapons, indeed.
Spot on.
‘Oh right, what's Taechi's sleep habit like?’
‘Sleep habit?’
Tae-il said normal.
Drunk habits were rough, but sober, he slept like the dead, per others.
Unlike him, Sakuya confessed hers were bad.
‘Realized at club camp. My sleep habits suck.’
‘How so?’
‘Well, hugging pillow's a must.’
She had to hug something to sleep.
Otherwise, insomnia.
First realized in middle school camp.
Managed with blanket, but woke hugging her roommate.
Roomie said nearly suffocated in her embrace.
‘She joked it'd be a luxury death, though...’
‘For real...?’
‘Ahaha. Funny, right, Taechi? Hmm. Am I affection-starved or something?’
‘Who knows.’
In the original, members' sleep poses flashed by briefly.
Old memory, overshadowed by half-naked Iris; Sakuya's slipped his mind.
Hugging something to sleep seemed normal; he'd brushed it off.
Lightly...
Shouldn't have.
Hugged by Sakuya, Tae-il screamed internally.
‘This ain't normal...!’
Her skinship-not-skinship made blood rush south relentlessly.
Cluelessly, each twitch from him prompted her leg to grind his groin.
‘Maha Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra, Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva practicing...!!’
Tae-il recited full throttle.
Far riskier than lechery stirred by Iris.
“Guh, grrrng...!”
Grunting, he tried escaping her grasp, but...
“Shudduppp... So noisy...”
“H-Honjo...!”
Tae-il brightened.
Never imagined Rena's voice as salvation.
“H-Honjo...! Save me!”
‘Poet...?’
Tongue still thick with sleep, she called him ‘poet,’ tilting her head.
Like Sakuya.
Her hazy blue eyes took in his panic.
Blink.
And so.
The potential savior blinked a few times, then...
“Just sleep...”
Slid eyes shut again.
“Honjo!?”
“Too late for Tokyo anyway.”
“Y-Yeah?”
Shivering as if cold, she burrowed deeper into him.
Sakuya pinned atop; Rena burrowed within.
“Th-There's blankets, why...”
He hadn't noticed.
Rena, like Sakuya, wore sleeveless top and shorts—pure comfort.
Her cool-from-AC yet warm body restrained him, just like Sakuya.
“Sleeeepy yawwwn...”
Suuuu.
Truly exhausted, her breaths evened out quick.
Not acting.
Too natural, sleep-drunk.
‘Am I seriously holding out alone till morning?’
No phone, nothing—just pinned till they woke...?
Tae-il squeezed eyes shut.
He genuinely wished someone'd knock him out.
* * *
“D-Did you rest wellll...?”
Miraculous.
The clerk from yesterday still manned the counter, even at dawn.
“Y-Yeah...”
Tae-il nodded with hollow eyes.
“Screwed...”
Clerk muttered softly.
Her gaze held inexplicable dread.
Sandwiched by two beauties all night.
Living such an experience.
Sounded blissful on paper, but Tae-il wasn't.
‘Never thought I'd envy those spiritually neutered romcom protags...’
He hated Sakuya for the first time.
No windows, no phone—time dissolved inevitably.
Trapped in a monk's cell of time and mind, battling delusions...
‘Never again...’
Endgame, he'd snapped, burying face in Sakuya's chest.
“Ahhn? Hehe, Tae-il likes my boobs that much?”
Shockingly.
Her perfectly timed line snapped him alert.
Her flushed face, thighs rubbing...
Rena's sleepy grumbles to quiet down...
He'd shoved them off indifferently, bolted to the bathroom.
‘Hellish time.’
Later grilling revealed Sakuya's intent; no need for dogeza.
Honor intact, he sighed relief.
Paying extra at counter, he checked time.
‘4:30 AM...’
First bus still hours off.
Stomach first, elsewhere.
‘Where's open this hour?’
Tokyo had chains; Gunma, doubtful.
“Rena, drink bar melon soda before we go?”
“Sure. Thought soda'd suck, but it was decent.”
“Right?”
Unlike zombie Tae-il, Sakuya and Rena glowed.
Deep sleep left skin glossy, radiant.
Clerk met his eyes, shuddered ‘eek.’
“C-Come again...'
Inner plea: Never return, you perv.
Bearing her false welcome, Tae-il dragged out the giggling duo.
“Oof! Dawn air's crisp.”
“Yeah.”
Outside, Sakuya stretched, savoring fresh air.
Rena subtly mimicked.
Watching silently, Tae-il said,
“Sakuya.”
“Yeah?”
Approaching,
“Morning air's cool, but not healthy.”
He zipped her open jersey to the top.
“T-Tae-il...?”
Even after, he glared long.
Furious at her teasing.
Sakuya flinched at his hollow stare inches away, face reddening. Groin feel lingered on her thigh.
“Haa.”
Releasing, Tae-il sighed deeply.
Inner urge to chew her out faded; too petty.
“Whatever. Hungry—eats nearby?”
“M-Matsuda's?”
“Donburi first thing? Nah...”
Tae-il's meh drew Rena in.
“Athlete girl's dorm?”
“Right!”
Sakuya clapped, inspired.
“Why your dorm? Feeding us at this hour?”
“Haha, no. House mom'd freak.”
Sakuya spilled what she'd told Rena—missed by sleeping Tae-il.
“Dorm's got unmanned konbini.”
“Unmanned convenience store?”
Common in Korea, novel here; Tae-il's eyes widened.
“School rents whole dorm; konbini's free rein.”
Seniors raided nightly for cup ramen, she added.
Light punishment if caught, but unstoppable.
Some seniors skipping Spring High, retiring post-Interhigh—third-years invincible pre-grad.
Pros were rare even at Yuuma.
Club life: mere memories.
Victory mattered, but student moments were precious.
Coach let them etch youth pages.
“Next team's morning arrival. We got free run now.”
Practically chartered; Sakuya pushed dorm.
“Oh, baths too. Hot springs.”
“Hot springs...”
Tae-il tugged sweaty shirt.
Stale odor clung; amazed they'd hugged him thus.
Plus.
“Hot springs!”
Quiet Rena's eyes sparkled rare, voice up.
“Hey, Shin! Let's go! Gotta drop athlete anyway, right?”
“That okay?”
“Hot springs—what's no?”
Tae-il smiled awkwardly.
Western-featured Rena hot-spring mad: peak weeb foreigner.
“Who's ‘Shin’ anyway.”
“You.”
Rena scolded his ignorance.
“First time Honjo calls me that.”
“What, complaint?”
“Not really...”
“Then fine.”
Rena neatly wrapped it.
Tae-il scratched head sheepishly; Sakuya appeared behind, grinning, hugging Rena.
“Haha, Rena's like that?”
“Ack! Hey, athlete! Quit random hugs!”
Rena squirmed, sulky.
Rena.
Athlete girl.
“Ah.”
Tae-il got it: Sakuya's ‘yobiste’ for Rena.
“You two casual now?”
“Yeah.”
“Never was! She did it herself!”
“Why, Rena? So heartless.”
“You're overflowing! Move that gross ponytail from my neck!”
“Ahaha!”
‘Gross’ cracked Sakuya laughing-tears.
Rena yelled, but truly hated, she'd snap serious.
“What.”
They'd bonded.
Tae-il sighed softly at missed moments.
“Rena said can't keep calling you ‘that guy’ forever.”
“N-Never said!”
“Really?”
“Urgh...!”
Sakuya's grin silenced Rena's pout.
Avoiding eyes, Rena mumbled,
“Just... decent nickname...”
“That's ‘Shin’?”
“Yeah.”
Hated overlapping calls.
Hence ‘Shin.’
Escaping Sakuya, Rena dusted shirt, glared at Tae-il.
“FYI, no ‘-chan.’”
“Ahaha...”
Music to his ears.
That'd declare war on Ayane.
‘Not sleepy-talk ‘poet’...’
Her pet name tickled differently than Ayane's ‘Shin-chan.’
Tae-il stared blankly; Rena stammered, guilty.
“Wh-What. Mad? Then drop ‘Honjo,’ call me Rena...”
“For real?”
“H-Hate it, don't!”
“Rena.”
Fearing reversal, he blurted.
Head-turned Rena bit lip, staring endless horizon.
“...”
No reply; Tae-il, now spooked like her earlier, eyed Sakuya.
“Really okay...?”
“Dunno, she ain't objecting?”
“That so?”
Sakuya shrugged.
Ask her, vibe said.
“Rena...?”
“...”
“Honjo...”
“Just Rena.”
His wimpiness drew her sigh.
“Men got no spine.”
“Ahaha...”
Common refrain; no defense.
“Anyway, settled?”
Sakuya grinned slyly at him.
As if he decided.
Tae-il nodded.
“Yeah. Dorm it is.”
“Sweet! Nice assist, Rena!”
“F-For hot springs!”
Rena griped as Sakuya hugged again.
Somehow.
Their bickering evoked original.
Tae-il smiled quietly.
“Doesn't forgive your prank, though.”
“Gek!”
“Post-Interhigh, you're in for it, Sakuya.”
“W-Wait, Tae-il, you gonna demand something lewd...?”
Twitch.
Vein popped on forehead.
Petty or not...
Returned Rena's carrier, then lunged at Sakuya—no windup.
“Sakuya, time for a real scolding todayyy!”
Anticipating, she bolted on long legs.
“Kyaa! Rena, help!”
“Piss off! Don't drag me in—settle yourselves!”
“I'll show you how scary men get!”
“Ahaha!”
To ensure no more pranks.
Tae-il chased, vowing stern lecture.