Yujin (5)
Yujin (5)
My consciousness slowly returned at the mechanical sound digging into my ears.
The floating sensation in my body disappeared, and my hazy vision began to focus little by little.
The first thing I felt was a warm breeze.
As I tried to turn around at the warmth seeping through my wet hair,
"You shouldn't move yet."
Yujin's voice came from right behind me.
Her hands were rummaging through my hair, drying it for me.
With that touch, my damp hair gradually dried.
The hairdryer's wind brushed past my ears.
I stared blankly ahead, then suddenly looked down at the fabric touching my body.
A thin gray homewear was put on my body.
A faint fiber smell unique to new clothes reached the tip of my nose from the loose top and soft pants.
For a while, the hairdryer sound filled the space between us.
Along with the sensation of her fingers brushing my wet hair, the cool choker wrapped around my nape seemed to tighten even more.
A moment later, the hairdryer sound stopped, and she tidied my hair a few more times with her fingertips.
"Done."
With a satisfied voice, I looked at her who sat down next to me.
Thin and soft-looking ivory slipwear.
She had a light knit cardigan draped over it.
The hair flowing down her shoulders wasn't dry yet, with faint moisture remaining at the ends.
As soon as she sat next to me, she naturally swept the ends of my hair.
She smiled small, then her gaze turned a bit toward the table a little away from the kitchen.
Yujin, who fidgeted a few times as if checking the still-damp parts, soon nodded as if satisfied.
"It's okay now."
As if not paying much attention to my unimpressive reaction, Yujin stood up from her seat.
"Let's eat."
"......"
"Oppa, you didn't eat anything properly today."
She grabbed my wrist as if it was natural.
I tried to pull my hand away reflexively, but the sensation of the choker around my nape came first.
The hand that was about to move stopped as it was.
Yujin saw that and smiled small.
"It's okay. I'm just saying let's eat."
I looked down at her hand for a moment.
The hand grabbing my wrist didn't have much force in it.
It wasn't trying to drag me right away, just waiting as if telling me to follow.
I slowly got up from my seat and followed behind her.
There's no point in resisting now.
I don't know where the remote for the choker constricting me is.
Also, I don't know where this place is, or where my phone is.
And above all, I don't know how far Yujin has prepared.
So I have to play along for now.
Give up, pretend to be scared and obedient.
I have to show the reaction she wants.
If she lets her guard down, there will definitely be a gap.
I walked toward the kitchen with my wrist grabbed by her.
As I moved my steps, I shifted my gaze as naturally as possible.
There was no remote in Yujin's hand.
Yujin's slipwear didn't seem to have pockets,
but the inside of the cardigan she wore over it was subtly bulging.
I immediately lowered my head so my gaze wouldn't linger long.
It's probably in there.
She put it inside the cardigan so she can take it out immediately if needed.
She just wasn't holding it in her hand.
The remote was still within Yujin's reach.
I shouldn't move rashly.
Even if I move now, it would be faster for her to put her hand inside the cardigan.
So I had to pretend not to know for now.
I mustn't let her find out that I'm looking for the remote and waiting for a chance to escape.
As if not knowing my thoughts, Yujin pulled out the chair in front of the dining table nonchalantly.
"Sit."
I looked at her for a moment then quietly sat on the chair.
After confirming I sat down, she walked toward the kitchen nonchalantly.
The sound of dishes clashing was heard, but I was looking down.
Soon she placed a rice bowl in front of me.
"It's hot, so be careful."
White steam faintly rose from the rice.
Then a soup bowl was placed, and side dish bowls were filled one by one on the table.
After placing even the water cup last, Yujin sat in the seat next to me.
"Eat."
She neatly arranged the spoon and chopsticks in front of me and looked at me quietly.
Then Yujin picked up the spoon first.
She scooped a little rice and put a side dish on it.
And naturally brought it to my mouth.
"Here."
I moved back a little from the spoon she offered.
"......I'll eat it myself."
Even so, her spoon came closer.
"I'll do it for you today."
I wanted to refuse.
But now wasn't the time for that.
I hesitated for a moment then slowly opened my mouth.
The rice entered my mouth.
I chewed and swallowed, but I couldn't taste it well.
Yujin smiled as if satisfied only after confirming I swallowed.
"I was worried. You didn't eat properly all day."
This time she scooped a little soup, cooled it, then offered it to me.
"This too."
I ate it silently.
The warm soup went down my throat.
At that moment, Yujin quietly opened her mouth.
"Oppa."
"......"
"I didn't want to do it this way either."
Yujin was silent for a moment then put her hand inside the cardigan.
As expected, a small black remote came out from inside the cardigan.
"I don't want to use this either."
It felt like a tingling sensation was coming to my neck.
"It's true."
I slowly looked at her.
Yujin wasn't smiling at all.
"I don't want to hurt oppa."
She lightly pushed the remote on the table with her fingertip.
"I don't want to make you hurt, and I don't want to scare you either."
The remote stopped in the middle, neither toward me nor toward her.
"But oppa keeps trying to run away."
Her hand tapped the table regularly.
"Suddenly saying you'll be the manager for another unit, trying to run away from us somehow."
When Yujin's hand touched the choker, I reflexively hunched my shoulders.
"So I had no choice."
I didn't answer.
I couldn't answer.
There were many words coming up to my throat.
No choice?
Then putting this on.
Bringing me here.
Changing my clothes, feeding me, making it so I can't run away.
Is all of that something you had no choice about.
But I didn't let it out of my mouth.
I had to endure now.
My gaze went down to the table.
The remote was still in that place.
Neither toward me nor toward Yujin, in the middle.
If I stretched my hand, it seemed like I could reach it.
But not yet.
Yujin's hand was too close. Her eyes were also looking at me.
"Oppa. I really don't want to hurt oppa."
She looked at the remote, then looked at me again.
"If I use this, oppa will be in pain."
My nape tingled.
The sensation of the electric current I felt earlier came back.
I put strength in my fingertips.
"So."
Yujin took her hand off the remote on the table.
"You just have to listen well."
That hand moved a little away from the remote.
Just a little, but definitely away.
I pretended not to see that movement.
"Don't run away."
Yujin said.
"Don't say weird things to other people."
"......"
"If you promise to stay with us."
She picked up the spoon again.
Scooped a little rice and put a side dish on it.
"I won't use this either."
The spoon approached my mouth.
I looked at it for a moment then slowly opened my mouth.
It still had no taste.
"Your answer?"
Yujin asked.
I forcibly swallowed the remaining rice in my mouth.
And said with my head down.
"......I understand."
Yujin's expression relaxed a little.
But that alone seemed insufficient.
She tilted her head slightly.
"What do you understand?"
I placed my hands on my knees and slowly clenched them.
I have to answer.
With the words she wants to hear.
"I won't run away."
My lips are dry.
"I won't say weird things either."
Yujin looked at me quietly.
I added a beat later.
"I'll stay together."
Only then Yujin smiled.
"Yes. That's all you have to do."
Yujin scooped rice again and offered it to me.
"You're good."
I ate it without saying anything.
The remote was still on the table.
Yujin's hand was holding the spoon, and her gaze was on my face.
I just need to move a little.
I lowered my head as if chewing the rice.
At the same time, I slowly moved the hand on the table.
Yujin brought the rice to my mouth again.
I slightly lowered my head as if eating it.
At that moment I stretched my hand a little more.
Just a little more.
Just before my fingertip touched the remote.
The sound of a password being pressed was heard from somewhere.
My hand froze as it was.
Then the sound of the front door opening was heard.
Yujin's gaze also left my face and turned toward the sound.
"Eonni! I'm here!"
With a bright and high voice, cheerful footsteps approached toward the living room.
I slowly turned only my head while holding my breath.
Someone was walking in from the entrance.
It wasn't a face I was seeing for the first time.
Starlight's second. Suah.
The kid who always smiled as if devouring the camera with a flashy expression on stage, and couldn't stay quiet for even a moment in front of fans.
She was wearing blonde hair and a bright-colored oversized hoodie with short shorts.
Several thin bracelets were hanging on her wrist, and her nails were sparkling under the light.
She looked our way even before properly taking off her shoes and widened her eyes.
"Huh?"
With a brief silence, Suah's gaze scanned the table.
Her gaze moved from Yujin to me, then to my hand that was toward the remote.
The moment she saw that, Suah's face brightened up.
"Wow."
She raised the corners of her mouth.
"What, what. Did I come in at a really good timing?"
I couldn't move my hand.
The remote was right in front.
It was a distance I could reach if I stretched just a little more.
But it was already too late.
Suah quickly approached across the living room.
"Eonni, wait a bit."
She stood next to the table with a smiling face as is.
"This is the situation I'm thinking of right now, right?"
Yujin made a slightly awkward face while holding the spoon.
"Suah-ya."
"No, eonni."
Suah looked alternately at my fingertip and the remote then burst into a small laugh.
"Eonni, you're really too sloppy."
She stretched her hand nonchalantly.
And picked up the remote that was placed in front of my fingertip.
"Eonni's usage time is over now. It's my turn now, right?"
Suah spun the remote in her hand and looked down at me while turning.
"Hello? Choi Youngwoo Chief-nim?"
Suah slightly lowered her head and approached in front of my face.
"Ah, no. Calling you Chief-nim now is a bit weird?"
She snatched the choker on my neck and pulled it as is.
"......!"
While being pulled in surprise at the sudden force.
Mouths collided with each other.
"It would be more accurate to call you my slave."