Naeun (5)
Naeun (5)
Dressing room password?
If I just knew that... escaping would be like getting one more key.
Of course even if I knew it, this choker locked around my neck would still be a problem.
"Ah. Of course there's CCTV so don't keep trying to open the door..."
"...CCTV?"
On the hand gripping the steering wheel.
In a situation where they're locking me up however they please, having CCTV doesn't seem all that strange.
"Yes."
"Then even if I find out the password I can't use it."
"That's not it. Anyway the eonnis or dongsaengs aren't watching the CCTV all day every day."
"......How am I supposed to know when you're not watching."
"So for now just know it, that's all."
Just know it?
Don't open the door, just memorize the number and trust her.
I glanced sideways and looked at the passenger seat.
Her face wasn't visible hidden by the hoodie, but the hand placed on the bag was still gripping the remote.
In this situation should I even see this as help right now.
"Hey you."
"Yes."
"If you really don't want to use that, you could just give it to me now."
"......"
"So why aren't you giving it?"
"......"
"There's nothing practical so what kind of help is this."
Naeun didn't speak for a long while.
While the car sped past she just stared out the window.
"Oppa."
"What."
"If I give this to you now. The next person who comes to get this will know that I gave it."
Her voice sank a little.
"Then after that I don't know what'll happen to me either. And there might be other remotes besides this one."
Ha... I hate to admit it but she's right.
If there's something like a sub-remote besides this remote similar to what happened with Yujin last time, not just me but Naeun could be in danger too.
"......Are you scared too."
"Yes."
When I asked offhandedly she answered right away without hesitation.
"But I'll be less scared than oppa."
Meanwhile the car was moving and turning onto a familiar road.
The late-night roads were quiet, and every time we hit a signal the inside of the car grew even quieter.
Only the engine sound and the occasional blinking turn signal sound could be heard regularly.
'Is it right to trust Naeun.'
It was a different vibe from Yujin and Suah that I'd seen so far.
"Haa..."
Even so the choker fastened around my neck and the remote placed on the passenger seat seemed to speak of the distance between us.
No matter how affectionately she acted, in the end Naeun was the one holding the button.
Around the time I was starting to wonder what the right answer was, before I knew it the car was entering the building's underground parking lot.
Have we arrived already.
"Thank you for your hard work."
As soon as Naeun turned off the engine she immediately looked at me and greeted.
I took my hands off the steering wheel and faced her.
"So. What's the password."
"The password is... 0826."
***
When the elevator door opened, the familiar hallway appeared.
Naeun walked ahead first, and I followed behind her.
The choker fastened around my neck was still heavy, and every time I took a step that weight seemed to be felt clearly.
'0826...'
The dressing room password was both futile and surprising.
August 26th.
It was my birthday.
They had set the password for the room they were locking me in as my birthday.
"This is insane."
"Oppa, be quiet."
"Ha... okay."
When the door opened, a faint light leaked out from inside.
It should be time for everyone to sleep, but the living room lights were on.
"......Huh?"
Naeun hesitated so I ended up in a position stuck right behind her.
Someone sitting on the living room sofa was visible.
With long hair flipped to one side, a small blanket over her knees, holding a mug in her hand, Yujin was sitting there.
"You're back now?"
Yujin looked at us and smiled softly.
"Eonni, you weren't sleeping?"
Naeun's voice was a tone higher than usual.
"Yeah. I was going to sleep after seeing you guys come in."
Yujin set the mug down on the table and slowly stood up.
And her gaze shifted towards me.
"Oppa."
"......"
"Did you have fun playing with Naeun?"
When I couldn't answer, Yujin smiled faintly and approached.
Her hand naturally rose and lightly caressed the choker fastened around my neck.
"You must be really tired. You've been out all day, right?"
"......"
"Go in and wash up and sleep."
Yujin lightly patted my shoulder.
"You must have had a hard time taking Naeun around too."
Then Yujin turned her head towards Naeun.
"Naeun-ah."
"......Yes, eonni."
"Give it here."
Yujin held out her hand.
Even though she didn't say what to give, Naeun's shoulder flinched slightly.
After a brief silence Naeun transferred the remote she was holding to Yujin's hand.
"......Here."
"Good work. Go in and rest."
"......Yes."
Naeun bowed her head and quietly disappeared towards her room.
Now only Yujin and I were left in the living room.
Yujin lightly fiddled with the remote in her hand and looked up at me again.
"Alright. Let's go in now."
Yujin naturally gave my back a slight push.
Along with the sound of her unlocking the dressing room door lock the door opened.
"Go in."
When I stepped inside, a space that was familiar yet one I never wanted to get used to came into view.
Yujin who followed in leaned against the doorway.
And she lightly caressed the choker on my neck once more with her fingertips.
"Oppa. You've been out all day so you must be sticky."
"......"
"Want me to wash you like last time?"
When I looked up, Yujin was smiling brightly.
A smile that I couldn't tell if it was a joke or serious.
"......Wash me?"
As I froze, Yujin let out a small laugh.
"Just kidding."
She pulled away and waved her hand lightly.
"You can wash by yourself. Our oppa isn't a baby."
"......"
"Hurry up and wash and come out. I'll dry your hair."
She sat on the edge of the bed.
"There are clothes in the second drawer from the top of that dresser so take them, oppa."
"......Okay."
I approached the dresser and opened the second drawer from the top.
Inside were neatly folded clean clothes.
The sizes, the colors, all of them were tailored to me.
The fingertips picking up the clothes felt a bit heavy.
From behind Yujin was sitting on the bed, slightly swinging her legs looking at me.
Turning my back to that gaze, I opened the bathroom door.
After closing the door I leaned against one side of the wall.
How can I escape.
Is it right to trust Naeun?
No. Is there even anyone I can trust in the first place.
Outside the door there's someone waiting for me saying she'll dry my hair.
"Ha..."
I wiped my face with my palm.
I took off my clothes and organized them to one side, then turned on the shower.
The water pouring from the shower flowed down my shoulders.
It felt like lukewarm water, neither cold nor hot.
***
Warm wind poured over the top of my head.
When I came out after washing, Yujin who had been sitting on the bed came over holding a hairdryer saying she'd dry my hair.
"Stay still. It's all wet."
Yujin's fingers slowly ran through my hair.
"Oppa's hair is thick so it doesn't dry well."
Yujin smiled small and changed the angle of the dryer.
"Remember? In the old days oppa used to dry all six of our hair."
"......I remember."
"You complained that your arms hurt."
"It wasn't complaining. It really hurt."
Yujin giggled.
"All done."
When the dryer turned off, the room became quiet.
Yujin leaned her body in front of me, matching eye level.
"Oppa."
"......What."
"Going out with Naeun, was it fun?"
Yujin quietly looked at my silence then soon turned her body.
"You don't have to answer."
"......"
"Just, I'm glad that oppa got some fresh air."
"......Glad?"
"Yeah. It'd be stuffy if you were just here."
Stuffy?
Those weren't words the person who locked me in this room should say.
But Yujin spoke as if she really thought that way.
"So about that."
Yujin's voice was a bit excited.
"Oppa. Let's go play tomorrow, with me."
"......Where."
"Do you remember? The place we first used as a dorm."
Suddenly one side of my chest went cold.
"That semi-basement lodging."
The place where we couldn't even pay the electricity bill so the lights didn't even turn on.
The place where six people crammed into one small room, falling asleep in that air mixed with mold smell and sweat smell.
In winter the boiler didn't work so we all huddled our feet under one blanket, and in summer we did rock-paper-scissors over who to put the one fan in front of.
When it rained water leaked from the window frame, so putting a towel under it and changing it all night was my job too.
Even so, back then, we could laugh.
Even while splitting one ramyeon among six, we endured relying on the words that someday we'd make it too.
The place where I poured my entire 20s without leftover.
It was also the poorest but happiest place.
But now, even recalling that place, my chest didn't warm up, rather it felt chilly.
"......Why there."
"Just. I want to go. Together with oppa."
In front of that smile, I couldn't say anything.
"So sleep well today."
Yujin stood up from her seat, and lastly stroked my hair once.
The black remote in her hand briefly caught the light following that movement.
"We have to leave early tomorrow."
"Good night, oppa."