Chapter 41
Chapter 41
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 41
Chapter Title: Sizzling Tension and Bedtime Surprise
-----------------------------------------------------------------
#142
Sizzle—
Is this sound reaching my ears right now the delicious sizzle of meat grilling?
Or is it the sound of Seo-ah's dad's insides burning away?
Maybe both.
Dad had collapsed earlier with an expression so devastated that subtitles reading "The world crumbles from his daughter's unfilial punch" wouldn't have been out of place at all.
Unaware of—or perhaps ignoring—my utter fluster with Dad right there in front of me,
"Junu-ya, ah~."
She looked more spirited than before, like just watching me eat filled her up.
My girlfriend sat beside me, not touching her own food, just tirelessly wrapping ssambap and feeding it to me.
On any other day, it would've been endlessly adorable, but right now, I barely knew if it was going in my mouth or up my nose.
"Seo-ah, you should wrap some for Dad too..."
"Ah~."
"Ugh."
Was this stare only piercing me? Something like that?
If eyes could fire lasers, the side of my face would've vaporized by now.
I'd tried hinting at how Dad had been staring us down enviously since earlier,
but Seo-ah just shoved another ssambap into my mouth like "Shut up and eat."
Crunch crunch.
...It was tasty, though.
Maybe because we'd spent so many years together, but she nailed my ssambap recipe perfectly.
Lee Jun-woo's patented golden ratio of meat, kimchi, garlic, and leaf at 1:1:1:1—the flavor balance was impeccable.
These are all bold ingredients with strong presences, so the slightest imbalance lets one overpower the rest. It's not easy.
Gulp—
I gave her a thumbs-up in my head, mentally filming a solo episode of White Chef, Black Chef in appreciation for the satisfying ssambap. She beamed happily, blankly wrapping my next one.
No, wait—she'd already wrapped another one.
Her dazed expression made me think for a second she was a machine.
I gently caught her hand as she placed a thick slab of meat on the fresh, dewy cabbage leaf.
"Seo-ah."
"Hm...?"
"This time, I'll wrap for you. Eat some."
Her face was definitely brighter than before.
But her body was here while her mind wandered elsewhere—that much was obvious.
Proof? The bowl of steaming white rice in front of her was untouched since Mom had first served it.
As if it was enough for her just to see me eat well.
"I'm full just watching you eat—"
"Don't say that. Just wait a sec. I'll make it tasty."
I cut her off, having predicted exactly what she'd say, and her lips pursed into a little pout like she'd lost her words.
"Here, ah~."
A bit smaller for her tiny mouth.
A slice of mushroom instead of garlic, since that's what she preferred.
Just like she knew my ssambap recipe,
I'd long since memorized hers.
It was just one ssambap,
but we could convey our feelings by filling it solely with what the other loved—no questions asked.
I popped it into her small mouth, and even though I'd made it small, her white cheeks puffed out round like a hamster's. I couldn't stop my lips from curving up.
"How is it? Tasty?"
She was cutely munching away like a bunny, so she bobbed her head up and down vigorously instead of answering—she hadn't swallowed yet.
—Ah.
That's why she'd kept wrapping mine.
I finally understood why she'd mechanically kept at it even in her daze.
—What is this?
Proof? Before I knew it, my hands were wrapping her next ssambap too.
Gulp—
Seo-ah didn't eat fast, so even a small one took her a while.
Still, the reason her eyes crinkled into happy crescents as she looked at me now—was it just because mine was tasty, or had she recognized the recipe inside?
"Want another?"
"Yeah! It's good, Junu-ya."
Her eyes, which had seemed utterly appetite-less moments ago, now sparkled eagerly at my hand, begging for more.
To live up to that expectation, I had no choice but to hustle like some kind of chef.
Of course,
"Seo-ah, ahem... Dad can eat too, you know..."
"...Dad, uh, ah~..."
"………………."
"…………Sorry."
Overreach.
I didn't want to play airplane with another guy either...
The law of total happiness, I guess.
For every bit of bliss we swam in, someone else drowned in misery.
Nothing I could do about it, so I just averted my eyes whenever they met.
#143
After a satisfying dinner,
Shower—
As the water sprayed over me, it hit me—I'd never actually showered at Seo-ah's house before.
Our places were right next door, after all. I'd always showered at home, and she usually came over to my room anyway, so there'd never been a need.
This time, I'd planned to pop home quick while she showered, but those pleading eyes saying "Can't you shower here?" made it impossible to say no. I just grabbed some change of clothes and bolted back.
On the way out, I think I heard Mom muttering something about me finally moving out for good, but I brushed it off.
The layout was identical to our house, so showering felt familiar enough.
But unlike mine, the cute toiletries were neatly arranged.
The shampoo and body lotion with that strawberry scent that always tickled my nose.
And especially—absentmindedly opening a cabinet for a towel, only to spot pads lined up inside. It really drove home that this was a house with two women.
Seo-ah uses these, huh. Filed it away in my head.
No idea when, but we might end up living together someday. Heh.
Same structure, but peering through her eyes made all of Seo-ah's house's little traces pop. It was fun taking it in.
After my shower, I stepped out of the bathroom into a pitch-dark, silent house—Mom and Dad must've turned in for the night.
Worried I'd stumble around in the dark, maybe? Her door stood wide open, room light spilling out like a beacon.
I headed toward that glow as my guide, only for a voice to drift from the shadows.
"Junu-ya, all done?"
"Wah, you scared me!"
—Wait, why are you there?
Was the light a decoy? No joke—my heart nearly dropped.
No footsteps warning me, from the kitchen direction. I peered that way and spotted her silhouette emerging from the dark.
"Hehe, sorry... I was worried about something, so I came out."
Too dark to see well, but I could tell she was forcing herself to act fine.
I just... knew.
"Should we hang out here longer before heading in?"
I could only guess it tied back to why her face had been so gloomy since morning.
"You'll stay with me?"
"You're right here."
It was a shorthand sentence, packed with meaning.
She caught my feelings in it—her smile lit up the darkness like sunshine.
She approached quietly, step by step, and pressed a soft kiss to my lips.
Not me leaning in—she had to go up on tiptoes.
So every time, I'd steady her by cradling the slender nape hidden in her soft hair and her slim waist, pulling her close. It had become habit.
"Mm..."
A short kiss, but it felt endless in the silent dark.
"Mm, I think I'm okay now, Junu-ya."
Like confirming where I was, her hands cupped my cheeks, fiddling gently as she declared herself fine.
In this hushed darkness, her room glowed like the only sanctuary. We slipped inside together.
#144
Seo-ah's room hadn't changed much since the last time.
Bed, closet, desk, and a little vanity.
The differences from mine? No computer on the desk, the vanity's presence.
And... that nice scent.
Why doesn't my room smell like this? Unfair.
One issue: her bed was smaller than mine, so sharing meant we'd have to sleep pressed right up against each other.
—It's the bed size, okay?
We could've laid out blankets on the floor, but... nah.
She wouldn't want that either. Of course not.
So as I lay down, hugging her tight to savor the full package—scent, softness, squishiness—in total bliss,
?
—Huh?
Something... felt off from usual.
Ever since we started dating, we'd been clinging like koalas at every chance.
By now, I was basically an expert on Seo-ah's chest—size, shape, weight.
This sensation pressing against me...
"...Seo-ah."
"Hm?"
She looked up at me from my arms with innocent eyes, wondering what was wrong at my startled tone.
"You... aren't wearing a bra, are you?"
It was always soft, but the bra dulled it by like 2%.
Now, that 2% was gone—no barrier.
Twice as good? No, four times? Wait, eight?
My brain's hippocampus short-circuited from the marshmallow-pudding softness molding to my body in her arms.
And amid that softness, something pokey and bumpy poked out.
Our silk pajamas were thin to begin with, making every texture hit crystal clear.
Pleasure melted my brain—I couldn't think, just froze stiff,
>
"Yeah, obviously."
"...Obviously?"
She giggled, subtly wriggling against me in my arms.
—Ah, damn, should've put one on.
I hadn't been able to release since mentally erasing her and my harem fantasies.
Judging by my junior's wails,
I'd probably have an accident in my pants tonight.