Three in the Steam
They stepped inside, three of them, kicking off their shoes and draping coats over the backs of chairs. The paper bag landed on the table. Ha Yul’s apartment was still immaculate—minimal furniture, nothing unnecessary in the living room, an atmosphere that felt halfway between a hotel suite and a temporary shelter. Traces of life were there, but no real intention of staying long. It felt exactly like a hunter’s home. Just like yesterday. Just like today. Only today, everything moved a little faster. Maybe because they had already crossed that line once before. Words came quicker. Eyes lingered longer.
Su-min was the first to close the distance. She pressed in close to Ha Yul, half-smiling, her gaze a little more honest from the alcohol. Her lips brushed Ha Yul’s cheek, light and fleeting, then pulled away again.
“Su-min.”
Chae-won’s voice came softly from behind.
“What?” Su-min answered without turning around.
“We were going to do that anyway.”
Chae-won only smiled, the curve of her mouth carrying a quiet permission. Ha Yul didn’t bother with words either. She simply slid an arm around Su-min’s waist and drew her in. That single motion changed the air in the entryway. Chae-won didn’t stay apart any longer. She stepped closer, resting her hand on Ha Yul’s arm. Her touch glided over skin that wasn’t even wet yet.
“Want to shower first?”
“If that’s what you want,” Ha Yul said.
“All three of us?” Su-min grinned, openly provocative.
Ha Yul looked between them and answered simply. “Together.”
***
Steam filled the bathroom quickly. Hot water hammered against the tiles, scattering droplets across the showerhead and fogging the mirror. The space wasn’t small, but with three bodies inside it felt tight, intimate. Clothes came off one by one, landing on the floor. Bare feet met warm tile. Water streamed over shoulders and necks.
Chae-won’s full figure looked even softer when she wasn’t tense. Her breasts were heavy, her waist narrow, her hips gently wide. Su-min’s body carried a healthy, toned glamour; her breasts were smaller than Chae-won’s but beautifully shaped, and her legs were striking—straight, firm thighs. The moment water touched her skin she grew bolder, deliberately crowding Ha Yul, hooking an arm around hers, resting her forehead against Ha Yul’s back, narrowing the space again and again. Her teasing stayed playful even while it was obvious.
Ha Yul pretended not to notice a few times before finally pulling Su-min flush against her by the waist.
“Ah.” Su-min laughed. “Finally caught me.”
“You kept hovering.”
“Of course I did it on purpose.”
Chae-won watched from a short distance, then moved in as well. At first she showed a trace of shyness—she wasn’t the type to rush—but once she was close she became quietly forward. She brushed wet hair from her face with one hand, traced Ha Yul’s shoulder, and studied the old scars there. Her fingers lingered on skin that was still faintly tight with tension.
Su-min spoke first, amused. “Chae-won, you’re observing again.”
“Just a little.”
“Even now?”
Chae-won didn’t answer. She looked at Ha Yul instead. “You’re still tense.”
Ha Yul’s movement faltered for a heartbeat. Hot water ran down her shoulders. Su-min was still in her arms. Chae-won stood right in front of her.
“Is it obvious?”
Chae-won didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
Su-min refused to let the mood sink. She pressed playful kisses beneath Ha Yul’s jaw. “Then we’ll just have to loosen you up.”
Ha Yul almost smiled, but the expression never fully formed. Instead she pulled both women into her arms at once—one hand at Su-min’s waist, the other at Chae-won’s. Wet skin, damp hair, and the press of soft breasts brought their warmth suddenly close.
Time in the bathroom stretched like the sound of running water. Su-min stayed mischievous to the end, drawing near only to step back on purpose, then returning to trace the hard muscle of Ha Yul’s arm and rub water over old scars, murmuring, “So real.” Chae-won moved slower, but her hands stayed longer. Every time their fingers moved over Ha Yul’s body, tension and fatigue seemed to ease.
“Haa……”
By the time the mirror was completely fogged, Ha Yul let out a long, unconscious breath. Su-min took it as a signal and kissed her first—direct, open, fast.
“Mm, chup…… churup, tch. Mmn.”
Laughter and breath mixed the moment their lips met. Su-min clung to Ha Yul’s shoulders and neck.
“Hng, haa…… hngh, ah, aa……”
But when the kiss deepened and lingered, Su-min was the first to break. The honesty that showed when a bright, bold person surrendered to pleasure was intensely erotic. Ha Yul kept the kiss deep and long until Su-min’s laughter faded and her waist trembled. Meanwhile Chae-won had moved behind Ha Yul, forehead resting against her shoulder, leaving slow, deliberate marks along her neck. Her approach was nothing like Su-min’s. The unhurried exploration made Ha Yul’s breathing visibly slow.
“You two are really different,” Ha Yul murmured.
Su-min let out a shaky laugh. “Figured that out now?”
Chae-won spoke against Ha Yul’s neck, voice low. “Do you dislike it?”
Ha Yul answered by turning and kissing her instead—deep, consuming, tongues meeting at once. Su-min refused to stay still; she wrapped herself around Ha Yul’s side and waist, tangling their legs closer. She was the type to flare up again quickly even after falling apart. Ha Yul drew her in too, one arm locked around Chae-won’s waist, the other hand cradling the back of Su-min’s neck, pulling all three faces and bodies tighter together. Foreheads touched, lips met, tongues moved until it was impossible to tell who was kissing whom. Chae-won clung to Ha Yul’s shoulder; Su-min, laughter gone, alternated between Ha Yul’s mouth and the line of Chae-won’s neck.
***
By the time they reached the bedroom the air in the apartment had changed. Damp hair, freshly washed skin, and rising body heat slowly altered the room itself. The bedroom light was low, curtains half-drawn. Soft neon glow remained instead of harsh brightness.
Ha Yul picked up the black bag from the table and carried it to the bed. Su-min saw it and bit her lip, smiling.
“You’re really going to use it?”
“If you’re scared now, say so.”
“Who’s scared?” Su-min answered at once. “I think it’s great.”
Chae-won looked at Ha Yul and gave a small smile. “You’re more methodical than I expected.”
Ha Yul chuckled briefly while opening the bag. “You said that earlier too.”
“It feels more real now.”
Inside were the items they had chosen—neatly packaged equipment, lubricant, a band. Ha Yul laid them out on the bed one by one. Her hands moved with practiced ease, no hesitation.
“First time I’ve seen someone so used to this stuff,” Su-min muttered.
“In a good way, right?”
“Yeah. Though thinking about how many women you must have made cry with it feels a little unsettling.”
“I should make you feel good. Better than being clumsy about it.”
Ha Yul answered while climbing onto the bed. For a brief moment her thoughts slipped back to the Murim Agency Cooperative Research Institute—the cold corpse, the black Blood Crystal embedded behind the cervical spine, the lights above the dissection table beyond the blast-proof glass, the records and procedures. Hands that turned people into monsters. The smell of blood had been washed away, yet the memory stayed vivid.
Ha Yul glanced down at her own hands. Scars and calluses. Hands that had killed. Hands that tore monsters apart.
Then Su-min came close and hugged her.
“Don’t think weird thoughts again.” Her voice was bright, but strangely uneasy. She stood right in front of Ha Yul, smiling as she bumped their foreheads together. It looked playful, yet her eyes were full of worry. Chae-won, seated beside them, silently laid her hand over Ha Yul’s. Warm, gentle, offering contact without urgency or force.
“Today,” Chae-won asked quietly, “something bad happened, didn’t it?”
Ha Yul couldn’t answer right away. Strangely, the question didn’t sound like pity or comfort. It sounded like a simple confirmation of fact, and that made it easier to break.
“A little. …No. A lot happened.”
Su-min seemed to understand the weight behind the short answer and didn’t press further. Instead she rested her chin on Ha Yul’s shoulder and grumbled, “Then lean on us tonight.”
Chae-won added, still holding Ha Yul’s hand, “Yes. At least that much is allowed.”
There was no grand promise in those words. No dramatic comfort, no guarantees about the future. Only the quiet certainty that tonight, they would not leave Ha Yul alone with her thoughts.