I Love You, Lee Yena
I had run as hard as I could, but the rain poured down so hard that even my underwear ended up soaked through.
"Haa... Seriously, who expected it to come down like this all of a sudden?"
"Heheh, I know, right!"
Even in that situation, Yena seemed to find it purely fun, laughing with a bright little giggle. Well, that was a relief. Back when we left the mart her expression hadn't looked great, so I'd been worried I might have made some kind of mistake.
"Here's a towel!"
"Thanks."
I shook the water off with the towel she handed me.
"I've got the bathtub filling up, so go wash before you catch a cold. I'll run to the mart and grab some clothes you can wear."
"...Thanks. Don't buy anything too expensive."
"Okay."
Once Yena left, I headed straight into the bathroom.
"......"
Pshhk.
When I pressed the pump, a sweet scent drifted out, as if it were the concentrated essence of Yena's own fragrance. As I rubbed it into a lather, the illusion of pulling a completely bare Yena into my arms washed over me, and a wave of self-loathing followed right behind it. As if shaking those complicated feelings off, I quickly rinsed the foam away and carefully sank into the tub.
"Haa..."
Wait a second... which way does my Yena usually face when she sits in here...?
I was still blushing over that pathetic thought when a knock sounded at the door and made me jump.
"E-Eunwoo... I'll leave the clothes by the door. Oh, and I'm just going to shower, so once you're done, drain the tub for me..."
"Yeah. Thanks."
After I confirmed her footsteps had faded, I pulled the silicone stopper and stood. I dried off with a towel, then opened the door to find a set of gray training clothes with a pair of men's underwear still in its packaging sitting on top. Judging by the fact that only the underwear was still wrapped, she must have been too embarrassed to open it.
"Pfft, so cute..."
I got dressed and stepped out into the living room. Yena, who had been setting the table, came trotting straight over.
"How's the size?"
"Uh... feels like a perfect fit."
"Heheh, that's a relief."
She looked me up and down, then murmured to herself with a thoroughly satisfied expression, "Gray really does look good on you," before breaking into a bashful little smile.
"...I'll finish setting the table, so you go wash up quick before you catch a cold too."
"Okay. I'll just finish the pickled onions and then shower."
Tak-tak-tak—she sliced the onions at an incredible speed, then mixed soy sauce and vinegar over them to finish. Her skill was so practiced that I found myself staring with my mouth hanging open. Sensing my gaze, Yena put a piece of onion into a dish and came running over, then naturally held the piece she'd picked up with chopsticks right in front of my mouth.
Omph.
"How's the seasoning?"
"...Just right."
"Phew... Then while I go wash up, Eunwoo, you wash the veggies and put them in the bowls for me."
I nodded, and with a "That's my boy," she ruffled my hair before heading into the bathroom.
"Haa... Seriously..."
Doing this really does make it feel like we're a married couple...
The moment I stepped into the bathroom, my legs gave out and I sank right down onto the floor. My heart was pounding so hard—thump thump—that there was no sign of it calming down.
Was ruffling his hair going too far after all...?
I liked it when Eunwoo stroked my hair because it made me feel cherished and cute, but I'd heard that guys might feel like they were being treated like a kid.
But... Eunwoo really was that cute...
Him wearing the clothes his wife had bought, tasting the side dish she'd made herself. It was the everyday life I'd dreamed of sharing with Eunwoo, which made it even harder to hold back.
"Huu... I need to wash up quick."
I'd been so focused on Eunwoo that I was hungry, and it would be a nuisance if I came out too late. I quickly wiped off my makeup with a cleanser, washed my hair, then scrubbed every corner of my body with a body towel. After finishing my shower in a hurry and about to step out, the bathtub caught my eye.
The place Eunwoo was sitting just a moment ago...
I swallowed hard. My head was screaming at me not to have such perverted thoughts and to hurry to Eunwoo, but my body, ruled by desire, squatted down in the empty bathtub without me even realizing it.
"Heheh..."
It feels like I've become one with Eunwoo...
"I want to wash together next time..."
After coming out of the bathroom I pulled out a black tank top and dolphin shorts set and put them on. I didn't particularly prefer clothes that clung so tightly they showed every line of my body, but if I wanted to seduce Eunwoo it was an unavoidable choice. It felt a little weird saying this myself, but... the reflection in the mirror was pretty enough that even objectively I would have given it a passing grade.
"Huu..."
With a deep breath, having finished every preparation for the decisive battle, I headed out to the living room.
I'd finished setting the table, but sitting still waiting for Yena felt a bit awkward, so I decided to start grilling the meat first. We were still in the middle of our Wish Ticket bet, but Yena's cooking skills had already been proven at lunch, so I figured there was no real need to keep going. I could just surrender by asking her to make soybean paste stew for dessert after we finished the meat.
Sizzle.
When I laid the meat on the grill, a delicious sound rose along with a rich, savory aroma. It was Iberico, after all—the smell alone was on a completely different level from cheap frozen pork belly.
"Heheh, looks so good."
Just as about a plate's worth had finished cooking—
Click.
I heard the door open.
"......"
For a moment I lost my words. Her face, makeup wiped clean, looked even cuter, while the tank top and dolphin shorts clung tightly to her body, brazenly showing off Yena's beautiful figure. This was the first time she had ever worn something like this in front of me, so I had no idea where to put my eyes. Then Yena came right up in front of me, carrying the same scent as me, and pouted her lips.
"We said we'd do a Wish Ticket bet..."
"Ah, uh... Just count it as my loss and tell me your wish."
"That's kind of lame..."
"The jeyukbokkeum at lunch was so good... I don't think I can compete..."
"Pfft, was it that good?"
"Y-yeah. It was the best jeyukbokkeum I've ever had..."
"Th-that good, huh. Then later I'll marinate some for you, so freeze it and thaw it whenever you want to eat."
"Oh, thanks..."
"You're welcome."
Yena picked up the well-grilled pork belly with the tongs on the plate and transferred it to my dish. Even then, my perverted eyes couldn't tear themselves away from her body. Haa, at this rate I was just going to end up staring at Yena the whole meal... With no other choice, I brought over the teddy bear apron hanging in the kitchen and held it out to her under the excuse of, "You'll get burned if the oil splatters..."
When she tried to refuse with "I'm fine...", I just hung the apron around her neck myself. Then I moved behind her to tie the waist strings, shifting her long hair to the side. At the same time her slender waist came into view. Barely suppressing the urge to touch the pale skin peeking out below, I carefully tied a bow.
"Sh-shall we eat now?"
"Y-yeah..."
The meal began in an awkward atmosphere. Yena brought over the onion pickles she'd briefly chilled in the fridge and transferred some to my plate. She was being so thoughtful that I shook the water off a lettuce leaf, piled on pork belly and pickled onion, and finished a wrap.
"You first."
When I held out the wrap, Yena accepted it with her mouth slightly open. Her lips twitched upward—she must have liked it. To finish, we downed the soju we'd poured into each other's glasses.
"Kkeu..."
She boldly knocked back the soju in one go, then scrunched up her face and shuddered at the bitter taste filling her mouth. It was so cute I couldn't help laughing.
"Pfft, do you drink a lot when you're home alone?"
"No, not often. Just once in a while when I miss you..."
"......"
"That's why I only just found out soju is this bitter. Maybe because I'm happy..."
Yena gave a bitter little smile like that, then moved the finished meat from the grill onto my plate.
"...Yena, when are you planning to use the Wish Ticket?"
"Hmm, not sure. Should I save it?"
"No. Use it right now."
Maybe it was the alcohol, but I didn't think I could hold back any longer...
"Then... can you hug me?"
"It's a Wish Ticket, so of course."
I pushed my chair back a little and patted my thighs. Sit here.
"Hup... I might be heavy..."
"If you make one more excuse, I'm just going to hug you standing up."
"......"
After a stretch of silence, Yena sat on my lap with her face flushed red. As she slowly came closer, her soft butt brushed across my thighs. Then, once she was in my arms, she buried her face in my chest. When my arms wrapped around her waist, Yena's breathing grew rougher and rougher.
"Yena."
"Hnn..."
"Pfft, are you crying?"
"I'm just so happy..."
"You should say that while looking at me."
At my words, Yena lifted her head a little. The moment our eyes met, the tears that had been welling up spilled down her cheeks. I carefully wiped them away and cupped her cheek. And then.
Chuu.
When I pressed my lips to hers, her narrow shoulders trembled.
"Lee Yena, I love you."