Chapter 87
"......"
In the quiet hum of the bus announcement, the engine rumble, and the faint murmurs of other passengers, Yoo Seol-ah had turned her head so far away that I couldn't even see her face anymore. She was just twisting locks of her hair over and over. This neighborhood didn't have much of a night view to speak of anyway, but the fact that she'd been at it for minutes now suggested she was extremely embarrassed. Her slightly bitten lip was visible in the reflection of the bus window, after all.
"Yoo Seol-ah?"
"......"
I caught her flinch just a bit, but she was pretending not to hear... Yoo Seol-ah only fiddled with her hair like that when she was mortified. Probably because twisting it let her casually cover her face with her hand. It was so very her to throw out something bold like that and then get this embarrassed afterward—adorably so.
"I didn't quite catch that. Say it one more time?"
"Y-yeah, you must've misheard...! So just shut up already."
Her voice was tiny, befitting the bus setting, but it somehow felt like she was yelling. Made it even harder to hold back my laughter.
"...But out of all those options, why 'honey'?"
"Ugh, I said forget it!"
Unable to endure any longer, she finally whipped her head back toward me. It's hard to find anyone who could pull off a death glare quite like Yoo Seol-ah. But as I held her gaze...
"...Eek."
She flushed pink again and reverted to her original position. Still, she couldn't keep that up forever. I nudged her leg lightly and tried once more.
"But..."
"Keep that up and don't talk to me."
Her voice had steadied a little—she'd finally gotten her emotions under control, it seemed. Of course, if she were truly pissed, she wouldn't even respond. This was just her pouting.
"No, seriously—we have to get off now. This is our stop."
That earlier incident must've scrambled her brain pretty good; she hadn't even registered the stop announcement.
"Oh..."
The realization that she'd misunderstood hit her like a truck, turning her face beet red in an instant. I fought back a grin as I stood up.
Even after tapping our transit cards and stepping off the bus, the only sounds were the occasional chirps of night birds riding the cool air. No word from Yoo Seol-ah. She was walking right beside me, so I couldn't see her expression clearly, but honestly? I didn't need to. It was obvious.
Time to dangle a carrot before she actually got sulky for real. I reached out and grabbed her swinging hand.
"......"
I felt her jolt slightly, but she didn't pull away. If anything, she squeezed back a little tighter.
Her irresistible cuteness made all the laughter I'd been holding in burst out.
"...Eek! Hey, you keep teasing me like this...!"
"I'm not teasing. And earlier you said your hand was cold."
"...It's not cold now..."
Of course it wasn't. Just like before.
"Still won't let go, though."
"......"
Years of experience let me read her pulse even without touching, but holding hands made it effortless. Whoa, isn't that beating way too fast all of a sudden...? It was almost worrisome, but she gripped so tight that I didn't let go all the way to her studio apartment.
"...I'm gonna brush my teeth real quick."
"Me too."
Oddly enough, heading straight back to her place after wrapping up the day felt completely natural. Cohabitating would only make it more routine. Thinking about marriage, blending into each other's daily lives seemed inevitable.
The moment we finished brushing, Yoo Seol-ah collapsed onto the bed. Then came a sight I'd never witnessed before: clothes floated out from an open drawer, swirling through the air. In the blink of an eye, she was in her pajamas. She changed so fast I barely glimpsed any skin.
...She must've been wiped.
It ended on a high note, but she'd been tense all day. Once that released, exhaustion was bound to crash in.
"You did great."
"...Yeah. But it was fun."
"No worries along the way?"
"None at all. Your parents were so kind, and Sia was adorable."
Her face was buried in the blanket, but I could practically see her genuine smile. Getting along with my family was always a win. I'd heard plenty of couples had rocky in-law relationships—we wouldn't have that problem. What a relief.
"...Now we just need your parents' blessing, and we can sign a lease right away."
"When should we visit?"
"You mentioned the club MT this Friday... so this Sunday?"
"You told your folks yet?"
"Not yet. But it'll be fine. My mom and dad are a lot like yours."
Hard to imagine anyone quite like my parents. Sure, Seol-ah and I had similar personalities, and I warmed up to new people quickly enough that she probably wasn't stressing much either.
While she lay there prone, I swapped into comfy clothes at high speed and slid into bed beside her. She turned her head to glance at me, then rolled over to pillow her face on my arm.
...No words, just nestling in. Felt like a literal pillow.
"Got something I'm curious about."
"What?"
"Any special reason you never dated anyone before?"
I'd figured it was mostly a lack of contact with women, but apparently there was more to it.
"...Just never interested in dating. It takes so much investment to actually do it."
Time, money, emotional energy—relationships demanded serious effort. Up until now, I'd skipped all that drama, opting for workouts and some otaku hobbies in my free time instead.
Her eyes shifted slightly before she spoke, slow and deliberate.
"...So what about me?"
"Meeting you? That changed everything."
We clicked so perfectly, and time with her was pure joy—no calculations needed. Saying what was truly in my heart meant I could meet her eyes without embarrassment. She didn't blush much either.
Just as a flicker of curiosity hit me, Seol-ah—still using my arm as a pillow—rolled half a turn more, positioning herself over me.
Not embarrassed... just overcome by something else?
Her eyes burned with intensity now, propped up on her elbows so our faces were inches apart.
...We definitely did it this morning, right? Sure, half a day recharged me somewhat, but now...
"...You said families don't do this kinda thing."
"Not yet, they don't. Chu..."
But my words were cut off by her kiss. Our faces were already so close that even a slight dip brought our lips together.
She kept it to soft lip presses, no tongue yet. With her body fully pressed against mine, the squish of her plush breasts was impossible to ignore. Her stretched-out tee from lying prone earlier hid it well, but... no bra.
Only when the feel of her soft lips lingered inescapably in my mind did she pull back from the butterfly kisses. Seizing the moment, I murmured,
"We have school tomorrow, so if we do this now..."
"...I thought about that too, but then I remembered—we both have Monday off, right?"
"......"
Skinship with Seol-ah was never unwelcome. I'd just been thinking ahead for scholarships and peak condition at uni. Even three years post-high school, the idea of no classes on a non-holiday Monday straight after term start hadn't crossed my mind.
Confirming my reaction, she dove back in with more kisses. But this time, they trailed downward from her lips. The moment she reached my neck, I knew from the sensation alone she'd left a hickey.
"...Hng."
Finally satisfied, she flashed a pleased smile and climbed back up. Our lips met again, and this time tongues naturally intertwined.
...She really loves kissing. Different from sex, but she seemed genuinely addicted.
As we parted for breath, she hesitated before speaking.
"...Um, is it okay if we just... keep doing this?"
She'd pounced in a burst of excitement earlier, but fatigue must've kicked in—or maybe she just craved the kisses. Either way, voicing it outright meant no reason to refuse. The mental satisfaction from clinging like this was immense. It hadn't been long since my last release, so I wasn't overwhelmed either.
I nodded slowly, and she explored my mouth even more languidly, stickily. The prolonged kiss went on until her eyes fluttered shut atop me.
Feeling her warmth as she dozed off, I slowly closed mine too.