A Fragile Seedling
There are certain plants like that. Plants that have lived in the shade their entire lives, forced to desperately twist their bodies toward even a single, tiny ray of sunlight. An instinctive dependence on the light. Because of this, the plant is willing to pay any price just to feel that small warmth once more. Even if its roots are torn out in the process, and it ends up losing everything.
"...Hajun?"
I thought the way Jo Ayoung was acting right now wasn't much different. Was it because she had suffered so much pain throughout her life? Was she so starved for even a simple compliment that she would go this far just to drink in a little more?
Come to think of it, the signs had always been there. Even when we first met, she had flustered at a casual compliment, suddenly spilling her past without being asked, and showing deep gratitude when I comforted her. And when we met in the alleyway to walk to school together, she had boldly taken my hand, unable to hide her excitement when she saw how happy it made me.
She wasn't just seeking compliments; she was constantly observing my reactions to her actions, showing an almost excessive level of responsiveness. Of course, in a romantic relationship, this kind of dynamic wasn't entirely strange. There are certainly people who feel a sense of fulfillment when their actions make their partner happy. The problem, however... was that the pace was far too fast.
"What's... wrong?"
When I fell silent—after having just reacted so happily to her words—Ayoung became visibly shaken. It was obvious from her reaction. If I chose to play mind games, pulling and pushing while observing her like this, I could probably pluck this beautifully bloomed flower with ease.
"Ayoung."
I whispered softly. Instantly, the anxiety vanished from Ayoung's face, replaced by a bright, hopeful expression as she looked up at me.
"...Yes?"
What should I do with her?
"You think you gained weight?"
"Ah... yes."
As I spoke, I lowered my gaze from her eyes to scan her body. As expected, there was absolutely nothing wrong. Far from gaining weight, her body was flawless—the kind of perfect figure that would be any man's ideal. Curvaceous in all the right places, slender where it mattered... But despite knowing this, I pretended otherwise and reached out.
"Hold on a second..."
I began to gently undo the buttons of the beige cardigan draped over her shoulders. *Click. Click.* With every button that slipped free, Ayoung's breathing grew heavier.
"...Haah."
Undoing the buttons at a distance close enough to feel her warm breath, I finally reached the last one. *Slide.* Rather than taking the cardigan completely off, I slipped it off her shoulders, letting it drape down to her waist, and took in the sight. It was the same tight white shirt and black skirt that had caused such a stir in the auditorium before.
"...Let me take a look."
"...Okay."
Ayoung leaned back on her hands, pushing her defenseless body forward to make it easier for me to see. ...Is she really doing this on purpose? In the past, I never understood the saying that your hands could move on their own regardless of your will, no matter how out of your mind you were. But now, I felt like I finally understood. Facing such a seductive girlfriend right in front of me, the temptation was impossible to resist. Before I knew it, my hand had reached out and grasped the hem of her pristine white shirt.
"To, well, to be absolutely sure... it's more accurate to check with my own eyes."
Uttering a pathetic excuse, I gripped the hem of her shirt and slowly pulled it upward. *Slide.* As the fabric slid up, her pale, flawless skin and a cute little belly button were revealed.
"...Beautiful."
At the sight of her mesmerizing figure, the thought slipped straight past my brain and out of my mouth.
"..."
Ayoung flushed crimson, unable to utter a single word. This wasn't my plan. At first, I only intended to take a quick look. But completely losing my mind at the sight of her slender waist, tapering beautifully from her wide hips, I ended up touching her. *Soft.* Her skin was as smooth and blemish-free as porcelain. Though she wasn't so thin as to have defined abs, there wasn't a single pinch of excess fat on her waist. Looking at it, I murmured softly.
"...I think you're fine."
What was I even saying? I had known from the very beginning that she hadn't gained any weight. Even though I knew how ridiculous I was being, I couldn't help but make excuses.
"...You haven't gained weight at all."
"..."
Ayoung kept her head turned away, biting her lower lip gently. ...I need to stop now. If I truly wanted a normal relationship with Ayoung, just as I had originally planned, there was no need to rush things like this. After all, she was going to be my girlfriend from here on out anyway. But...
"Ayoung..."
Why was I feeling so greedy? We hadn't kissed, nor had we done anything else. Why was the simple sensation of touching her smooth stomach making me this aroused? I had to snap out of it. I couldn't let my hands wander any further. Not upward, and certainly not downward. If I crossed that line, there would be no turning back.
"...Haah."
Watching Ayoung bite her lip while letting out a continuous stream of sweet, shallow breaths, I wavered. My sweet, obedient, beautiful girlfriend. I knew I shouldn't do this... but a dangerous thought began to color my mind—that if it was Ayoung, she would probably forgive me even if I pushed further. Just as my hand strayed from its original spot and began to slide elsewhere—
"Hey, honestly, wasn't lunch today a total joke?"
"Seriously, I've never seen fried yellow croaker look so shriveled up in my entire life."
"For real, even a fish straight out of hell wouldn't look like that."
The sound of voices echoed from the stairs below. Snapping back to my senses, I instantly pulled Ayoung's shirt back down. Fortunately, the male students heading our way...
"I'll go grab the ball from the classroom first."
"Got it. I'll head down first then."
"Grab my cleats from my locker too~"
"Screw off~"
...walked down the hallway on the floor right below us and disappeared.
"...Phew."
"...Haah."
My heart hammered wildly against my ribs, as if I had just been caught committing a crime. Perhaps because the rush of adrenaline sent blood pumping straight to my brain, my mind finally cleared.
"U-Um, Ayoung."
With trembling hands, I began to button her cardigan back up as I spoke.
"...I'm sorry."
If I was going to keep making excuses, I shouldn't have apologized. But I guess I still had a shred of conscience left.
"I was... acting a bit weird, wasn't I?"
I asked, carefully reading her expression. But it was incredibly difficult to tell what she was feeling. She looked angry, yet surprised at the same time... She seemed deeply lost in thought, remaining completely still even after I finished buttoning her cardigan all the way up to her chest.
"Ayoung?"
When I called her name once more, she suddenly collapsed into my chest, wrapping her arms around me, and whispered softly.
"...No, I liked it."
"Ayoung, where did you go?"
At the question, Ayoung offered a weak smile and replied.
"...Just the restroom."
She sat down in her seat as she spoke. Watching her, her friend noticed something different and tilted her head in confusion.
"But why did you change your skirt to PE Pants?"
Ayoung flinched at the question, but she quickly put on a calm smile and answered.
"Oh, my skirt got wet..."
It wasn't an unbelievable excuse. After all, there were plenty of other trainees who changed into their PE uniforms if the academy-issued clothes got dirty, or simply because they found the athletic wear more comfortable.
"Oh, really?"
The friend sitting next to her let it go without much suspicion. Ayoung let out a quiet sigh of relief. However, the questioning didn't stop at the PE Pants.
"...Ayoung."
"Y-Yes?"
Already drained by the continuous questioning, Ayoung desperately wanted this moment to pass, but...
"Are you sick or something?"
Caught off guard once again, Ayoung froze and stammered out a reply.
"No... I'm not sick."
But this time, her friend didn't let it slide.
"Really? But your face and neck are so red."
Startled, Ayoung quickly checked her reflection in the mirror on her desk. Her naturally pale skin had flushed a deep crimson from the heat, making it glaringly obvious.
"You didn't do something... weird, did you?"
Her friend asked playfully, but Ayoung's reaction was far from normal.
"N-No, I didn't!"
While Ayoung struggled desperately to defuse the situation, her friend found her reaction adorable and playfully poked her side.
"Boop."
Having her already highly sensitive body poked, Ayoung couldn't help but—
"Ah, aahn..."
A sound that was unmistakably a moan slipped past her lips. The one who was actually flustered was the friend who had poked her side.
"Huh...?"
Wondering if she had poked too hard, her friend reached out to soothe Ayoung's side, but Ayoung pleaded desperately.
"I-I'm really not feeling well right now..."
Taken aback, her friend nodded blankly and whispered a soft apology.
"...It's okay."
Thanks to Ayoung's desperate efforts, the dangerous conversation finally came to an end. Slumping onto her desk, Ayoung lightly traced her waist with her fingers and thought to herself.
Ever since Hajun held me by the waist earlier... my body has been acting so strange...