The Plan — Part Two
Cascading water streams down, sliding over dazzling bare skin. Her breasts sway with every motion, full and high, pink nipples lending them an extra edge of sexiness. The water runs the length of her slim waist, over hips that flare just so, over an ass lifted firm and high, then digs into the cleft between. Her pubic hair is damp and soft; she keeps it partially waxed, never knowing when she might need to slip into a swimsuit.
Her eyes find the mirror. She lifts both arms, stretches them behind her neck, and laces her fingers together. Front view, then back, then front again. Even to her own eye, she looks good. Thirty-six. The body and face still hold up. But she can feel herself fading, little by little. How long can she keep this going?
Hyun-woo is an adult now…
Should I try meeting someone new?
No. They’re all the same. Her life doesn’t matter to them. She’s managed fine so far. As long as she has Hyun-woo, that’s enough.
She shuts off the shower.
His whole body aches. His eyelids feel heavy. He barely manages to drag himself awake—and he has every reason to feel this way. He’d fallen asleep slumped over the chair. The monitor stares back at him, filled with photos of his mother and mother-son porn. He stretches, shuts the computer down, and smooths his messy hair.
He fixes his gaze as if she’s standing right in front of him.
Step one: compliments. Then natural physical contact. Things he used to do all the time as a kid. Now that he’s an adult, the feel of it is completely different. He’s curious how she’ll react.
He heads out into the living room. A delicious smell teases his nose, and he turns toward the kitchen. His mother’s back is half-visible as she hums under her breath, putting breakfast together. She’s wearing an apron, long hair tied halfway up, a few strands falling between her ear and her cheek.
His pulse picks up. He edges closer, careful not to let her notice, then closer still. Both hands reach out. He pulls her into a hug from behind.
“Oh my… you’re already up?”
“Yeah, Mom… sleep okay? You drank a lot—how are you feeling?”
“Good… Right after I woke up my head was foggy, but once I showered I felt fine.”
“I’m really glad… I was worried you’d be stuck with a hangover.”
“…Why are you suddenly like this?”
“I don’t know either… Maybe because I’m an adult now, but all those days I threw tantrums at you feel embarrassing.”
“Hyun-woo…”
“I’m sorry, Mom… I’ll do better from now on.”
“Hehe… so you were drunk too? We already talked about this last night…”
“I know… I’m saying it again on purpose… And there’s something else…”
“Hm…?”
“You asked me to sleep with you, and I turned you down because I was embarrassed…”
“Pfft… Mom, I was lonely…”
“I know… That’s why I’m apologizing like this… I thought about a lot of things all night.”
She turns around. Mother and son lock eyes. Unlike before, he doesn’t look away. He gives her a bright smile.
“Go wash up. Breakfast’s almost ready.”
“Okay. Love you… Mom.”
The sweet murmur from her son. He steps back and disappears. She can’t even remember the last time she heard those words. She hurries through the rest of breakfast, piles a full bowl of rice, sits, and waits.
It feels like a dream. At some point her son had changed. He’d snap at the smallest things. It had gone on for years. Then last night, starting with the birthday party, he’d suddenly flipped. She’s proud. The son who understands his mother’s heart has come back.
“Huh? You already set everything out?”
“I did. I was waiting so long I thought my neck would fall off… I’m starving, so let’s eat.”
Her son sits across from her. She props her chin in both hands and keeps her eyes fixed on him. His mother’s stare is a little much, but he deliberately puts on a show of enjoyment and praises the food.
“You eat too, Mom. The soup’s going to get cold.”
“Mm. Just watching you is enough to fill me up… Going for seconds?”
“You’re making me shy… staring like that.”
“You don’t like it?”
“No… I like it too.”
Mother and son share a quiet breakfast, smiling the whole time. Out of nowhere he holds out his bowl and asks for another full serving of rice. It’s a little unfamiliar, but the change in him moves her. She scoops him a heaping bowl. Conversation blooms between them.
“Hey, Mom… you’re not thinking about remarrying at all?”
“Mm. Why ask that all of a sudden?”
“Just curious… You’re still young… pretty face… great body… There must be plenty of guys asking you out.”
“Hehe… You little… You’re acting suspicious. Flirting out of nowhere… Need allowance money?”
“Allowance? Please… You always give me plenty. Whatever’s left goes straight into my account.”
“Is that so… First I’m hearing of it.”
There’s already twenty million won sitting in that account—whatever was left after spending the allowance she gave him. That’s how thoroughly he’s been loved. He has something in mind. Her birthday isn’t far off. One month. He hasn’t decided on a gift yet, but he wants to start figuring it out now: what she actually wants from him. They’ve barely talked in years. He wants to know his mother better. Everything about her.
“I’m not thinking about remarrying… Having you is enough.”
“Come on… not that canned answer.”
“I’m serious. I’m a woman too—it’s not like I’ve never thought about it… But there’s no man I actually like.”
“Standards too high?”
“Yeah, maybe?”
“What kind of guy do you go for?”
“Hmm… For example, someone tall and good-looking like Hyun-woo, and kind?”
“Pfft… So you like younger men?”
“At my age, cradle-robbing’s a bit much… As long as he’s not too young, I don’t really care about age.”
Thankfully, she doesn’t seem to have much interest in other men. Someone like him. It’s probably just politeness, but it doesn’t feel bad.
“Asking questions you never used to… What about you?”
“Hm?”
“You’re an adult now, so you’ll be getting a girlfriend soon enough… What kind of girl do you like?”
“Mm… Honestly, I haven’t really thought about it… If I had to say, someone pure yet sexy like Mom, who takes good care of me?”
“Hehe… Look at this kid. Are you teasing me?”
“Not at all. If you don’t say your age, people take you for early-to-mid twenties… Same age as me.”
“Hehe… That’s true.”
“You just accepted that so easily it’s throwing me off… I was being polite.”
“Still.”
“I’m kidding. You asked, so I’ll say it—my ideal really is a woman like you, Mom.”
“Won’t be easy to find.”
“Yeah. So I’ve half given up… Meeting a woman like you is like plucking a star out of the sky.”
He scrapes his bowl clean. His watching mother stands, comes over, and sits beside him. Out of nowhere she gives his butt a couple of firm pats. He looks at her steadily.
“Then Mom will just have to take responsibility, won’t she?”
“……”
“Thank you, Hyun-woo… for saying that… Let’s stay happy like this for a long, long time, okay?”
“Yeah. We will.”
She’s too close. Her flawless skin is right there in front of him, every pore visible. He turns his eyes aside—and in that instant a soft warmth presses against his cheek. She kissed him.
“If you’re done eating, go rest. Heading out?”
“I’ll stay home.”
“Okay. Your aunt’s coming around lunchtime.”
“Got it.”
He stands. He glances at his mother, who still hasn’t taken her eyes off him. It’s a little overwhelming. She’s always been like that—but now there’s feeling mixed in. He goes to his room, sits at the chair, and turns the computer on.
Step one: success. Continuous flirting. Her reaction was good. Take responsibility, she said. He’d almost reacted down there. He pulled it off. He mixed in praise with lines that made his face burn. He has to keep going.
She hurries to the door on quick little steps and opens it. Her expression twists. Someone barges straight into the house.
Lee So-jin, forty-three. The woman’s older sister. Her outfit is bold for her age and hard to ignore—shorts tight around her thighs, a striped tank top, a deep plunge of cleavage. Her body is on full display. Ignoring her younger sister’s stare, So-jin walks into the living room. Hyun-woo’s aunt. She drops onto the sofa.
“Why is it so damn hot these days… Bring me something cold to drink.”
Without a word, the woman heads for the kitchen. Lee So-young, thirty-six. Hyun-woo’s real mother. When she was struggling to raise him, her sister had helped a lot—living expenses, daily necessities, even watching little Hyun-woo whenever work kept her out of the house. So even when her sister acts without manners, she lets it slide. Like right now. Visiting someone else’s home and behaving as if she owns the place.
So-young hands over a drink with a few ice cubes in it. So-jin gulps it down.
“Haa… Now I feel human again.”
“Did you walk?”
“No, I drove… The elevator was so stuffy I thought I was going to die.”
“Honestly, unnie…”
“Where’s Hyun-woo?”
“In his room.”
“And he doesn’t even come out to say hi?”
As if he’d overheard, the door to Hyun-woo’s room swings wide open. He steps out and greets her politely.
“You’re here, Auntie?”
“Mm. Did you hear what I just said?”
“No… I figured it was about time you got here, so I was changing. That’s why I’m a little late.”
“Hehe… Yesterday was your birthday, right? Here—allowance.”
She presses an envelope into her nephew’s hand. It’s thick. Hyun-woo’s gaze drops and locks onto the deep valley between the stripes of her tank top. He swallows. A fat bead of sweat slides down into her cleavage, sparking dirty thoughts. His aunt has dressed like this for years. If it weren’t for his mother, she might have been the one he fantasized about.
“You’ve gotten pretty mature, haven’t you? Feels like just yesterday I was nursing you to calm you down…”
“I’ve always been grateful.”
His aunt’s gaze is blatant. She looks him over slowly from the top of his head down. He’s an adult now. His body looks solid. His face is handsome. Hyun-woo turns his head aside; she only finds the gesture cute.
“Even the way you talk seems different. Since when have you been this soft-spoken?”
“Because I’m an adult now… I’m sorry for being such a brat when I was younger.”
“Well, you don’t have to go that far…”
“I’ll put the money to good use. Make yourself comfortable.”
“Mm…”
Hyun-woo’s back recedes. Mother and aunt both watch until he disappears.
“Hey, don’t just stand there—sit down… You’ll get uncomfortable.”
“Okay, unnie.”
“By the way, Hyun-woo’s vibe seems a little different, doesn’t it?”
“Right? I was shocked too… He said things he never used to…”
“Like what?”
“He said he loves me.”
“Hyun-woo did?”
“Yeah. Like he’s finally growing up… He apologized over and over for putting me through so much.”
“Oh my… That brat really did grow up.”
They fall into easy conversation. So-jin looks quietly envious. She has a son and a daughter of her own, both so stiff she has never once heard either of them say I love you the way So-young has. She’d sensed it the moment she walked in—her sister’s face was brighter than usual. So it was because of Hyun-woo. She’s genuinely jealous. If only she had a son like that.