I Want to See More of Your World
A heavy sigh escaped me.
Every ounce of strength had drained from my body. Even lifting a single finger felt like too much effort.
I lay sprawled in the corner of the bed, staring up at the ceiling for what seemed like an eternity.
But unlike me, she showed no trace of exhaustion. If anything, after finishing her satisfied little session, she looked even more refreshed.
“Phew… That was fun. Don’t you think, Jaewu?”
She brushed her disheveled hair back and glanced at me.
“I’m about to sleep. You should come over here beside me…”
I ignored her completely and bolted for the bathroom.
The sweat and sticky fluids clinging to my skin felt unbearable. I cranked the shower on full blast and slammed the door shut behind me.
Bang!
“…”
Beneath the torrent of water, I tried to shove down the emotions surging inside me.
It was useless.
The crushing weight of defeat and humiliation tightened around my throat until I could barely breathe.
Everything that had happened today kept flashing through my mind on repeat.
I had been raped by that horrific man-eating monster, subjected to every kind of degradation imaginable, my dignity ground into the dirt. And yet the powerless me couldn’t even manage a single proper act of resistance.
What the hell was I supposed to do with that monster? What could I possibly do?
I already knew I had no real choices, but the realization still made my nose sting.
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I clenched them into tight fists and fought to steady myself.
Fuck… Just calm down. Stop overthinking.
I couldn’t kill her right now. I couldn’t run. The only option left was to endure.
I stood under the warm spray and forced my mind to go blank.
At the very least, even if it meant being raped and toyed with by that monster, it was still better than dying immediately. I repeated it to myself until it almost sounded convincing.
Since she had decided not to kill me and instead keep me at her side as her little toy—her companion—there had to be an opening somewhere.
I was being tossed around by her now, but I refused to let this go on forever.
I would find her weakness. I would make her pay.
No matter what it took.
Absolutely.
“…Ah.”
Crash!
In a surge of raw emotion, my fist flew out and shattered the bathroom mirror into a thousand pieces.
Between the jagged shards, my own ruined face stared back at me.
“Fuck… Nothing ever goes right. Not a single damn thing.”
I swept up the broken glass, wiped myself down, and stepped out of the bathroom.
When I returned to the bedroom, the sound of her steady, peaceful breathing filled the air. She was fast asleep, her face the picture of contentment.
“Vile bitch…”
I couldn’t stand the sight of her anymore. I threw myself onto the living room sofa instead.
The thought of sharing a bed with her made my skin crawl.
The cold air of the living room actually felt freeing, like it was clearing the suffocating weight from my chest.
Maybe it was because I had been through far too much in one day.
The moment I leaned back against the sofa, all the tension drained away and exhaustion crashed over me like a wave.
Yeah… This was enough for today.
I had survived the day somehow. That was enough.
I kept repeating it to myself, forcing comfort where there was none, until my eyes finally closed.
.
.
.
The instant I woke, every muscle in my body screamed in protest. Bright sunlight stabbed through the windows, making me squint.
I fumbled for my phone and checked the time. It was already two in the afternoon.
“…Ugh.”
I pushed myself up, one hand pressed against my aching lower back.
Staggering, I made my way toward the bedroom where I expected to find her.
“What the… Where did she go?”
The bed was empty. She wasn’t lazing around as usual.
As I approached the crumpled sheets, a single note lay abandoned in the middle.
'Stepping out for a bit. I don't know when I'll be back, so don't wait up.'
I wished she would never come back at all.
Still, just knowing the monster wasn’t inside the house brought a small measure of relief.
Yeah… I can’t let one fucking monster ruin my entire life.
I changed clothes in a hurry and prepared to head out.
Finish everything I had put off before she returned. Get through today safely.
That was the only thought occupying my mind.
.
.
.
.
.
“Thank you for your hard work!”
I bowed politely to the director after finishing my volunteer shift at the nursing home.
She gave me a warm, kind smile and patted my shoulder.
“Haha… Jaewu, you’re always so diligent no matter when I see you. Quick with your hands, and such a good heart.”
“How about joining us as full-time staff? I’ll make sure the pay is more than fair.”
To her lighthearted joke, I answered with a bright smile.
“Oh, Director, you’re too kind. Getting paid and volunteering are completely different from the start.”
“Thank you for even suggesting it. But I think dropping by like this once in a while suits me better.”
“Haha. That’s just like you, Jaewu. You’re right. Still, if you ever change your mind, tell me right away.”
The director nodded with a slightly regretful smile.
“Yes. I definitely will.”
After a simple goodbye, I stepped out of the nursing home.
The moment I passed through the doors, warm air wrapped around me.
Familiar streets. Kind faces.
It was the kind of ordinary day I had always taken for granted…
Yet today it felt impossibly precious.
I stretched my arms wide, letting out a long breath.
The breeze slipping under my t-shirt cooled the sweat on my skin.
For this moment at least, I wasn’t the miserable wreck from yesterday. I was just an ordinary person who helped others and received their gratitude.
Humming quietly, I headed toward the convenience store near the bus stop.
I normally would have walked right past it, but today I wanted to give myself a small reward.
A cold drink would be enough.
The automatic doors slid open, releasing a rush of cool air-conditioning.
I reached for a refreshing fruit drink I hadn’t had in a while when a familiar voice stopped me.
“A fruit drink? That’s nothing but sugar. You’d be better off with an electrolyte one, Jaewu.”
I flinched and looked down. Vane was standing there, staring straight up at me. I had no idea when she had appeared.
“…Vane?! How are you here… Did you follow me?!”
She crunched down on a piece of candy and answered casually.
“Why? Did you meet some other bitch while I was gone? Our Jaewu’s face looks way too gloomy.”
She reached out, grabbed my shirt collar, and pulled me down with surprising ease. In an instant my face was inches from hers.
“I said I didn’t know when I’d return. I never said I wouldn’t. I just finished my business faster than expected and came looking for you.”
She snatched the fruit drink from my hand, shoved it back onto the shelf, and pressed the electrolyte bottle into my palm instead.
“Hurry up and pay. The sun’s going to set soon. It’d be a shame to go straight home, wouldn’t it?”
She dragged me straight to the register.
The part-timer gave us a quick glance, but Vane simply wrapped her arm around my waist and pressed herself against me.
“This, and all these candies too.”
The counter was suddenly covered in a rainbow of colorful stick candies.
After we paid and stepped outside, the gentle breeze from earlier had vanished, replaced by the humid evening air.
“You worked hard looking after those old people. Honestly, I don’t understand why you bother with weakened, useless individuals like that.”
“…Don’t talk about them that way. They might be nothing but old entities to you, but they’re all precious to me.”
Vane’s expression tightened just slightly when she heard the sharpness in my voice.
“Yeah, yeah. I get it. You really do live a tiring life. Do all humans live this inefficiently?”
“…Whatever. Even those old-fashioned parts are apparently to your taste.”
“…”
I clamped my mouth shut and walked forward without looking at her.
Not bothering to hide my anger, I strode ahead with much faster steps.
Vane, who had fallen far behind, hurried to catch up and grumbled.
“Slow down! What kind of man has no manners toward a woman?”
Hearing the word “manners” come from the mouth of the monster who treated me like a toy was almost laughable.
I didn’t even turn around.
“…Never thought I’d hear the word manners from you.”
Instead of getting upset at my sarcasm, Vane smiled like she found it amusing.
When she covered her mouth while laughing, she looked just like any other playful girl my age.
“Anyway, Jaewu. The world you live in is actually pretty interesting.”
She stopped walking and gazed quietly at the crimson sky.
“It’s beautiful. For a landscape created by weak, insignificant things, it’s quite something.”
“So this is where our Jaewu has been living.”
“…It is beautiful. At least it was before you showed up.”
I turned my head away from her.
I hated the way she called them weak and insignificant, but I couldn’t deny how breathtaking her face looked bathed in the light of the setting sun.
She seemed to genuinely enjoy the view and spent a long time simply admiring the red glow.
“…Someday we’ll have to destroy your civilization. When that time comes, I might actually feel a little regret.”
“…What? What did you just say?!”
When I whipped around in shock, she smiled sweetly and pressed a kiss to the back of my hand.
“Don’t worry about it. It was just a thought.”
She took my hand and began walking ahead, leading the way.
“I want to see more of your world. So let’s not go home right away. Let’s walk a little longer, okay?”
