Dreams of Kimchi and Deception
While I was still debating whether to tell her the truth while she sucked me off, Freyr seemed to read my mind. He jumped in first, as if eager to pull out my liver for me. “What’s with you? Between us, there’s no need for that.” He grabbed my idle hand and dragged me toward the corner. Leaves had been spread out there, as if prepared just for me. Though the space was barely big enough for a shrimp to sleep in, it felt like the most luxurious bed in the entire prison—something even a king’s chamber couldn’t rival.
“That’s your spot. I worked hard to get it ready. The guards gave me hell for bringing leaves inside, but I managed to talk them around.”
“…Thanks.”
“Don’t mention it. I had to show some goodwill if I wanted anything in return.” Freyr smiled brightly. The sight of that face left a bitter taste in my mouth. Still, I folded my legs and lay down on the leaves. I couldn’t stretch my legs out, but at least my back could lie flat, which was already a vast improvement over squatting to sleep. Of course, the more space I took, the less the others had. I didn’t see what Freyr did to the other prisoners to secure this spot, and I didn’t care. My head was spinning and I was exhausted; worrying about such details felt like too much trouble.
While everyone else couldn’t even lie down, I had claimed this space. The thought crossed my mind: Have I become the king in here? The king of the prisoners.
“So? How did it go?” Freyr looked down at me from his seated position, his eyes shining with expectation.
“…The recruitment talk failed. They said they can’t take me in.” Sorry, Freyr. I can barely keep myself alive. I don’t have the luxury to look after you too.
Freyr’s gaze wavered. “They won’t take you?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure yet. If there’s another chance to talk, maybe, but right now they’re not planning to add anyone. They said money’s more important. Apparently selling us off is more profitable than keeping us.”
“Those bastards.” The words burst out of Freyr, his expression hardening. “I hope they run into the lord’s soldiers and get wiped out. If I ever get caught outside, I’ll spill everything about this place.”
“Calm down, Freyr. It’s not over yet. If they’re interested, they’ll call me again. We can talk then and try to convince them.”
I knew the prisoners—including Freyr—would be sold at the slave market early tomorrow morning, so that chance would never come. Even knowing that, I lied. When had I become so good at lying? When you’re backed into a corner, you really do grow cunning just to survive. I pressed my temples hard. This version of myself felt alien and unsettling. My homeroom teacher in high school had written in my record that I was “loyal to friends and had a gentle nature that inspired trust.” Now I’d have to cross that out and write “a guy who lies to his friends to stay alive.”
Is this my true nature? While the thought lingered, Freyr’s face grew anxious. “If another chance comes tomorrow, tell them your friend Freyr will work harder than anyone. If they want their shit wiped, I’ll wipe it. If they want it licked, I’ll lick it. Just beg them to take me. Tell them I’ll bury my bones here.”
“All right, all right. Now go eat over there. You must be hungry.” I pulled the food closer, hoping to shake him off so I could rest. My body ached from all the dancing I wasn’t good at, and my throat was raw from singing songs I barely knew. My eyelids were heavy. I was sleepy. I wanted to sleep.
“Don’t worry, just go eat. I’ll make it work tomorrow for sure. And if tomorrow doesn’t work, then the day after…”
I rested my head on my arm and closed my eyes. Exhaustion hit me so hard that I mumbled half-finished promises and slipped into sleep almost immediately.
When I opened my eyes, I was in my one-room apartment back home. Huh…? Why was I here? I thought I’d fallen asleep in that otherworld prison. Had I returned to Earth? A safe return? Whoa, really?
I should check the window to see if that golden planet is still floating over Seoul. The window… I needed to go to the window…!
What? My body wouldn’t move!
“Why would you send something like that?”
—You need side dishes at home. And don’t eat out all the time. Cook at home. I’ll send rice by delivery too.
“It’s a hassle. I’d rather just buy something outside. No dishes to wash.”
Huh? I could see myself sitting in front of the computer, talking on the phone. I was even crudely massaging my toes with my hands. Who was that guy who looked exactly like me? A doppelgänger? But something about the scene felt familiar. Ah, this was a few days before I came to the otherworld. The day Mom called from home saying she was sending kimchi.
Strange. Why was I seeing that day? Was this… a dream?
“I don’t need it. Besides, store-bought kimchi tastes better than what you make anyway. Yours is always too salty and bland. I’m not eating it anymore.”
Wow. What a piece of trash. How could anyone talk to their mother like that? Had I really said those words?
—Takeout isn’t good for you. Home-cooked food is safer and tastes better. You don’t even know what they put in the store-bought stuff.
“Ah~ You’re so old-fashioned. These days you don’t have to worry about that. The government regulates everything.”
What an unfilial son. Hurting his mother with such thoughtless words. She was sending it out of love—why couldn’t I just say “Thank you, Mother” and accept it?
“That’s enough. I’m busy. I have to go out. Don’t send the kimchi. I’m hanging up.”
Click. The other me on the screen hung up without hesitation. Then he grabbed his coat, left the house, and the front door slammed shut. That was when I woke up.
“…It was just a dream.”
When I opened my eyes again, the world was pitch black. The familiar musty smell told me I was still in the prison. Everyone around me was asleep. Even the guard had slumped against the bars, head bowed, dozing off. I swallowed hard. The scene from the dream was still vivid in my mind. Back on Earth, I really had been a terrible son.
“I should’ve eaten more of the kimchi Mom made…”
Remembering how cold I’d been that day made my nose sting. Along with the memory came a sudden, overwhelming craving for kimchi, for rice, for Korean food. I missed Mom and Dad so much it hurt.
“……”
Staring blankly at the dark ceiling, I barely managed to swallow the tears that threatened to spill, rubbing my eyes with the back of my hand. Have I finally caught a case of homesickness? This was bad in more ways than one. The last thing I needed was depression on top of everything else. People killed themselves when it got bad enough. I always tried to stay positive, so it probably wouldn’t happen to me. Still, I had no intention of letting it get that far. Even so, it wouldn’t hurt to have someone—anyone—to lean on in this otherworld where I was completely alone.
I sighed and tried to fall back asleep, pushing down the fear and loneliness, when my dulled senses suddenly sharpened. Something felt off.
Huh? What’s this? What am I feeling?
My lower body felt heavy and strange, like something slick was sucking my center inward like a black hole. The pull was intense.
“……?”
I lifted my head and looked down. The moment I saw the face attached to my lower half, my eyes flew wide open.
Good god. Nancy was gripping me, working her mouth with single-minded focus.
“N-Nancy…?!”
“Shh.”
Still holding my now-erect length, she pressed a finger to my lips with her other hand. Panicked, I glanced around. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be in a deep, satisfied sleep—probably thanks to the food I’d brought earlier. Even Freyr, lying right beside me, was snoring softly, lost in dreams. I turned back to Nancy, eyes wide, and whispered urgently.
“What are you doing? Why are you sucking on me?”
She answered while taking me deep into her throat and pulling back, the sight itself intensely arousing. “Your friend told me earlier. He said you wanted it again. That you were frustrated because you got hard yesterday but couldn’t finish.”
“That guy’s not my friend! I never wanted this!”
I shook my head in protest, but it was useless. Nancy’s tongue never stopped moving. She licked the head like an ice cream cone before swallowing me again.
“Chup, chup. Then just think of it as a free service. A favor.”
“Why? Why would you do this? Urgh!”
The sensation was so overwhelming that a moan escaped before I could stop it, cutting off my words. On top of that, her hands roamed skillfully over my balls and even lower, and I felt like I was losing my mind. The intense stimulation built rapidly. Sensing I was close, Nancy pursed her lips and sucked hard on the head.
“Chyook.”
Hot, thick spurts flooded her mouth. She swallowed every drop without spilling a single one. It had been euphoric. Incredible. Who would’ve thought that a lifelong virgin like me would end up having an incredible experience with a woman after coming to another world—and with a model-bodied Western woman at that? Coming here had been the right choice after all.
They said ejaculation released endorphins and cortisol that reduced stress. The gloomy mood from earlier vanished, replaced by a surge of energy. With this feeling, I could probably live in this otherworld forever… No, wait, that wasn’t the point!
Once the pleasure faded, post-nut clarity hit. I regained my senses and got straight to the point.
“Come here, Nancy.”
I grabbed her arm and pulled her up as she tried to keep working on my spent length. She tilted her head in confusion.
“Sex?”
“Not necessary.”
“Oral’s enough?”
She’d probably planned to start with oral and move to sex afterward. It was almost shocking how open she was. I sat her upright and faced her seriously, keeping my voice low so the others wouldn’t wake.
“Freyr was lying when he said I wanted you.”
“Think of it as a favor.”
“No, that’s not the issue. Even if I had really wanted it, not many women would willingly go along with something like this. More importantly, this is the first time you and I have ever really talked. Doing something like this for someone you barely know… you must want something in return, right? Be honest, Nancy. What do you want from me?”