I Didn't Mean To
"I didn't mean for that to happen…"
On the way downstairs with the two of them, a peculiar thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Come to think of it… just looking at the picture, it looks like I'm walking into a luxury hotel with two beautiful women on my arms. Well… only in the most superficial sense of the word.
The situation brought to mind the kind of rich-man's entertainment I'd occasionally daydreamed about, and a wry little smile tugged at the corner of my mouth before I could stop it.
Of course, that was only how it looked from the outside. In reality, this was more like a constant state of standby for a job that could call us out at any moment—so there was nothing particularly enjoyable or thrilling about it.
Honestly… I shouldn't be entertaining nonsense like this. I need to rest first. The jet lag alone has me pretty worn out, so getting some sleep should be the priority.
With those idle thoughts still drifting through my head, I arrived at the suite and immediately sank into the sofa.
True to the high-end furniture, it was soft yet firm in just the right way, cradling my body perfectly. I could feel the fatigue of the long journey begin to ease, if only a little.
Watching me, Are spoke in her usual calm voice.
"Well then, I'll go wash up first."
"Huh?… Ah… yes. Go ahead."
Depending on how you heard it, her remark carried more than a little room for misunderstanding, and my face flushed automatically. Without seeming to notice, Are walked straight into the bathroom.
And then…
—Whoosh…
Before long, the sound of the shower started up.
My heart gave an involuntary flutter, and before I knew it I was glancing in that direction.
That was when—
"…"
"…"
In the next instant, I found Gwon-sun sitting right beside me.
My face was already a little warm, and the moment our eyes met, a jolt of surprise ran through me.
"Wh… what is it?"
I asked in a trembling voice, feeling an awkward embarrassment for no good reason.
Gwon-sun's eyes went round as she looked at me.
"There's something I'm curious about. Can I ask?"
"W… what is it?"
I asked back, thick with suspicion.
Gwon-sun fixed her gaze on my face and spoke in a voice that somehow sounded serious.
"Adjutant Lee Jinhyun. What's your relationship with Are?"
"What… relationship? We're just colleagues…"
"I already know it's not some lukewarm thing like that. Are was the one who brought you in to begin with, and the two of you always had a good vibe. More than anything, you even went on a date not long ago, didn't you? At this point, you just haven't confessed yet—but you're basically already a couple, aren't you?"
"Th… that…"
Her words hit the mark so cleanly that I had nothing left to say.
It was true. Ever since that one date, I'd been aware that Are and I had grown a step closer.
If I could just find a little more courage and confess…
I even thought we might actually become a real couple.
Looking at Gwon-sun, who had our situation almost perfectly figured out, I hesitated for a moment before I finally had no choice but to give a small nod.
"Yes… I… like her."
"I knew it… I knew it. Well, the way you two have been so openly sweet on each other, it would be weirder if it weren't the case by now."
Gwon-sun said it with a faintly bitter smile.
Her attitude left me with a strange sense of unease, and then she rose lightly from her seat and added one more thing as she looked at me.
"I've got the picture. So the third wheel will step out for a bit—you two enjoy yourselves!"
"What? Th… that's…"
Leaving only those thoroughly awkward words behind, Gwon-sun walked straight out.
Her behavior left me thoroughly flustered.
And then—
—"Um… Jogus? I'm sorry, but could you bring me a towel from outside? I forgot and left it behind."—
"!"
Are's voice suddenly called out from the bathroom.
From my position, her request was an absolute nightmare, and for a moment I just sat there with a blank expression, unable to move.
—"Jogus? Can you hear me? Please bring me a towel."—
Are called again, louder and a little more urgently.
In response, I managed to speak to her in a trembling voice.
"Um… th… the thing is, Are. Jogus stepped out for a moment just now…"
"…What?… Th… then…"
My words left Are equally flustered.
After that she fell into a heavy, embarrassed silence and couldn't say anything for a while.
And in that situation… my mind started spinning faster than it ever did when I was formulating strategies against Abysses.
What do I do… From the look of things, Jogus has no intention of coming back anytime soon… But I can't just leave Are locked in the bathroom like this either…
In the end, there was only one option left.
I carefully picked up a towel and approached the bathroom door.
I'll just set it down in front of the door and tell her to grab it. She only has to stick her hand out for a second and pull it back in, so this much should be…
Thinking that, I slowly began to set the towel down in front of the bathroom.
But then—
—Click!
"…Huh?"
"Ah…"
In the next instant, the bathroom door cracked open right in front of me.
The gap was by no means large—barely wide enough for a single hand to slip through.
But… even that narrow opening was more than enough for my eyes to catch it.
Are's bare body, without a single thread of clothing on her.
Her smooth, damp skin and black hair.
The full, eye-catching swell of her breasts, and the soft pink tips at their peaks.
And below her firm, toned abdomen, the dark hair growing there…
—Click!
While I stood there, momentarily stunned despite myself, the door shut right in front of my eyes. Seized by an emotion I couldn't put into words, I spoke in a voice that sounded like my soul had left my body.
"…I… th… that is… I… I'm s… sorry. I was just… trying to bring you the towel…"
—"…J… just… leave it… and go."—
Somehow she managed to hear my barely audible voice, and from inside, Are answered in a voice just as small and strangled.
After hurriedly setting the towel down and retreating, I felt like a criminal who had committed some unforgivable sin. I bolted for the sofa, threw myself onto it, and buried my face in the cushions.
"…What… the hell did I just do…"
At the same time, a thick wave of shame and mortification crashed over me.
And even though it hadn't been intentional, the image of Are I'd accidentally seen refused to leave my head—as if it had been burned into a photograph. That fact only fanned the flames of everything I was feeling.
You absolute idiot… Even so, you should have said something before walking up to the shower! That's basic common sense, isn't it? What the hell were you thinking, walking right up there without a word?
I was busy heaping abuse on myself, thrashing around on the bed with nowhere to put my embarrassment, when—
—Click!
"!…"
The sound of the door opening again.
After what had just happened, even that alone was enough to send a sharp jolt of tension through me—but I still managed, with great difficulty, to turn my head and look at Are as she stepped out of the shower.
Unlike a moment ago, she was properly dressed this time.
And then…
"…."
After shooting me a quick glance, Are fled into the other room as if she were running away.
Her face was flushed an even deeper red than before…
Aaaargh!!!
Watching her, I clutched my head and let out a silent scream I couldn't bring myself to voice out loud.