The Contract Is Over!

"Why don't you just tell me everything?"

Jinhui's voice flew over from the passenger seat. Her arms were crossed tightly, the tension visible in her posture.

She must have been bothered by the "I love you" that Ayeong had said.

Come to think of it, Ayeong had never said "I love you" to me before. She actively accepted all my demands, but...

Why did she choose this exact moment?

It couldn't have been meant for me. I knew Ayeong had come to see Jinhui today. So the "I love you" she'd let slip right before hanging up was a gift thrown toward the woman beside her. It was a declaration that she and I were different. That those words were permitted here.

Ayeong's little burst of jealousy was rather cute. And so was the way Jinhui had picked up on it immediately and was now shooting me these disgruntled looks. I quite liked watching the two of them subtly competing over me, each keenly aware of the other.

Since I was going to make them both mine anyway, I'd have to teach them to get along nicely later.

"I already told you everything, didn't I?"

"What?!"

Jinhui's body leaned toward me, and the sound of the seatbelt digging into her shoulder filled the car. Her eyes were wide with shock.

Logically ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠speaking, telling your girlfriend that you'd slept with another woman was indeed insane. It seemed Jinhui genuinely hadn't expected me to say something like that.

"Y-you... you really told her?"

Jinhui twisted in her seat to look straight at me.

"Why? If I told you to break up with me, would you actually do it?"

"...Ah... um..."

Her mouth opened and closed. She knew perfectly well that breaking up would be the right thing in this situation. But her face made it clear she couldn't bring herself to say the words. Her gaze fled to the dashboard. Her fingers pressed hard into her crossed arms.

"You're not seriously suggesting we keep things as sex partners, are you?"

"Sex partners?!"

Her voice shot up. Her head snapped back toward me.

"Don't say such crazy things!"

She seemed particularly triggered by the term itself. She hated having that label attached to her. Even though their relationship had started as a transaction, the way Jinhui refused to let that label define them pleased me.

I tried to hold it in, but I couldn't stop the laughter from bursting out. Jinhui's eyes narrowed. She clearly realized I was teasing her, but the tips of her ears, already bright red, wouldn't calm down. Only her lips pouted in protest.

"That's why I suggested we spend the day together. Is there somewhere you want to go?"

I asked, wiping the amusement from my voice. Jinhui's mouth closed. She stared ahead for a moment before letting out a long, slow sigh. It was different from the irritation she'd shown earlier—a breath that released all her tension.

"...Ha. I must be crazy. Seriously."

Even as she grumbled, her hand moved to the navigation system. She tapped the screen a few times. An address appeared.

The columbarium.

I stayed silent as I looked at the words on the navigation screen. Jinhui leaned back against her seat and turned her head toward the window. Her posture made it clear she had no intention of explaining further. Her profile, reflected in the glass, looked strangely subdued.

So in the end, the place she wanted to go was in front of her little sister. After finishing her revenge, the next thing she wanted to do was give a report. It was exactly like her.

I let out a small chuckle and started the engine. The vibration traveled through the steering wheel into my palms. Jinhui stared blankly out the window at the hospital building.

The car passed through the parking gate and pulled out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠onto the road.

We drove along the outer roads for a long time. As we left the city center, the buildings grew shorter and farther apart. Following the navigation, I turned down a couple of alleys, and an old building came into view.

It was a small columbarium. The sign's lettering was half-peeled off. I parked in an empty lot that barely qualified as a parking area. There were no other cars. It wasn't a place that saw many visitors.

Jinhui opened the door and got out. She walked forward without hesitation. I followed silently behind her.

Inside the building, it was quiet. Fluorescent lights illuminated the hallway, though some flickered here and there. The air was cold and dry. Only the sound of Jinhui's heels echoed across the floor.

The walls were covered with small compartments. The space was divided into a grid of about thirty niches. Jinhui's steps stopped in the corner. Bottom row, farthest back. A small urn sat there.

This was the best resting place Jinhui could afford for her sister with the money she had at the time.

Jinhui stood in front of the urn. She reached out and gently touched the small photo attached to it. Slowly, as if wiping away dust.

"Why did you do it, you idiot?"

Her voice was low. It was different from the tone she used when grumbling or getting angry at me. It was a sunken, hollow sound. The way an older sister would speak to her younger sibling.

"If it was hard, you should have told me."

Her fingertips lingered over the photo, tracing what seemed to be the outline of the face.

"You stupid girl."

It was an insult, but her voice was trembling. I stood a step behind her with my arms crossed, watching. This was time for just Jinhui and Sujin.

Suddenly, Jinhui grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. Before I could resist, I was dragged in front of the photo.

"Because of you, this big sister got herself a handsome boyfriend."

She spoke to the photo. I could see her trying to force some brightness into her voice.

"Jealous?"

She tried to lift the corners of her mouth. They rose, then fell again.

"Thank you. Because you died... died..."

Her words cut off. The sentence she'd been trying to finish got stuck in her throat. Jinhui's chin trembled. Once. Twice. She was clearly trying to hold it together.

"Huu... ahhh."

I didn't say a word.

Every time Jinhui's back shook, her blouse wrinkled along her spine and then smoothed out again. Under the fluorescent light, that motion repeated over and over.

I pulled Jinhui to her feet. There was no resistance. When I drew her close, her head buried itself against my chest. My shirt quickly grew damp. Her body heat seeped through. The trembling passed through the fabric.

It was a long time. The sobs gradually subsided, the shaking shoulders stilled, and only rough breathing remained. Jinhui slowly pulled away. She turned her head, avoiding my gaze. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Her swollen eyes were red and inflamed.

Still avoiding my eyes, she looked at the photo again. Her back straightened. She took one deep breath.

"Now I'm going to live my own life. So... take care."

Her voice was calm. It was hard to believe it belonged to the same person who had been sobbing moments ago. She touched the photo on the urn one last time with her fingertips, then turned away.

We left the columbarium. Outside, the sun was still high. Jinhui stopped on the stairs leading down to the parking area. She looked up at the sky and stretched both arms wide, arching her back like a bow before relaxing again.

She turned to me and said,

"So, where should we go?"

Her cheeks were still swollen. The tip of her nose was red, and traces of tears that hadn't fully dried remained. Yet she was smiling as if nothing had happened.

"No, what are you doing with all those tears and snot on your clothes right now?"

I pointed at the wet spot on my shirt. Jinhui's face froze. She must have finally noticed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the damp marks.

"I'll pay for the dry cleaning."

"Do you know how much this cost?"

"Isn't it just a dry cleaning fee?"

"This is a luxury brand, you know."

Jinhui cleared her throat and looked away.

"Anyway... where are we going?"

Since she was at a disadvantage, she quickly changed the subject, returning to her usual self. I grinned and answered.

"Then shall we go fuck?"

"Ugh, you're really trash. Seriously."

She ground her teeth, but her fist didn't rise.

"So you don't want to?"

"..."

There was no answer. She walked ahead down the stairs. Her back neither sped up nor slowed down. It was a silence that didn't deny anything. That was enough.

I started the engine again and pulled the car out. The columbarium building grew smaller in the side mirror.

"But where are we really going?"

Jinhui spoke first. She had already returned to her normal state, to the point where it was hard to believe she'd been crying just moments ago.

"Hmm. Want to go to the hotel?"

"We already went to a hotel last time."

"Is it boring once you've been there?"

"No, that's not what I mean."

Her words cut off there. It looked like she had started to say something but swallowed it. I glanced sideways while holding the steering wheel. Jinhui was looking out the window.

"What is it?"

"...Hah."

A short breath. I couldn't tell if it was a scoff or a sigh. The corner of Jinhui's mouth subtly rose and then fell.

"Is there somewhere you've been wanting to try?"

A chuckle slipped out. I tried to catch it before it escaped, but I was too late.

"Aren't you the pervert?"

"You're the pervert!"

Jinhui's head whipped around.

"I... I was just trying to do whatever you wanted to do!"

"Why?"

"...Because... you... you did it for me. It's... it's part of the contract."

There it was again. The pattern of covering up her true feelings with the word "contract" every time they showed. I couldn't even count how many times this had happened. In the hotel, in the classroom, even in the car. This woman was afraid to put a name to her own emotions. As long as she called it a contract, she could feel safe.

I looked at her.

"A contract, you say."

"...Y-yes, right?"

"Then let's end the contract now."

Jinhui's head turned slowly.

"What?"

"There's no reason to maintain the contract anymore."

The light turned red. I stepped on the brake. As the car stopped, Jinhui's mouth opened and closed.

"No, that's... that's not it!"

"What's not? I told you the truth, your revenge is finished, and I've done everything you asked me to do."

I counted on my fingers as I spoke. With each item I listed, Jinhui's mouth tightened further.

"Since the contract has resolved everything, it's over."

I cut the words cleanly. I could feel Jinhui inhaling sharply and then stopping. Her lips parted, but no sound came out.

If I wanted, Jinhui would reluctantly go along with it. That's how it had always been until now. Because it was a contract, a deal, because I told her to. She had followed while hiding behind those words. She wanted to believe she hadn't come because she wanted to, but because she'd been dragged along. That way, her pride could hold up.

But that wouldn't do.

Being pushed into something and walking into it on your own two feet were completely different. Ayeong was someone who had admitted with her own mouth that she wanted me. Jinhui needed to do the same. Without the excuse of a contract. Standing on her own feet. Speaking with her own mouth.

That's why I cut it off. I'd released the leash that had been holding Jinhui. Now, whether she came back or left, it was up to her.

The light changed. I didn't move the car. A horn blared once from behind. I ignored it.

"I... I..."

Jinhui's gaze was trembling. From the dashboard to outside the window, from the window to my hands on the steering wheel, then to her own hands in her lap. Her eyes couldn't settle anywhere. She bit her lip and released it. The words were spinning inside her throat. They wouldn't come out.

I waited quietly without rushing her. Another horn sounded from behind, but I paid it no attention.