A Familiar Face
Two women, their bodies bared in pure white, panted for breath, entwined like serpents.
Flushed red cheeks and ragged breathing.
The two women eventually untangled their limbs and sprawled across the bed. Exhaustion swept over them from the long act, which had dried out every trace of moisture.
Han Saebyeok, who had been spread-eagled, flipped over and buried her face in the pillow. Her back was fully exposed, and across it, a sharp, thorny vine tattoo started at the nape of her neck and stretched down below her shoulder blades.
After a brief rest.
Yu-bam, who had turned onto her side, pulled Han Saebyeok's arm between her own large breasts and asked.
"Saebyeok, did Areum really say that?"
"...Yeah. I heard it from her directly. She said she has that kind of relationship with Kang Cheol-jin."
"And Cheoljjin didn't say anything?"
"I didn't even ask him in the first place. And he doesn't seem like the type to go around talking about it."
"I seeee."
Yu-bam, having obtained the information she wanted, smiled with an odd expression.
'Kkang-cheol's definitely not the type to brag about something like that. For Areum's sake too.'
There were plenty of people with loose lips, the type who'd go around boasting about who they'd bagged as if they'd won a trophy.
In that sense, Pi Ah-reum had met a good person. The Kang Cheol-jin that Yu-bam knew couldn't talk behind someone's back even if he wanted to, because of his trauma.
'A safe man who guarantees secrecy.......'
Yu-bam licked her lips and said.
"A sex partner, huh. It's fascinating to have that kind of relationship, the kind you only see in fiction, right here so close to home."
"...If you think about it, aren't we similar?"
At Han Saebyeok's question, Yu-bam playfully scolded her, "Ahem!"
"It's different. We don't have a penis, after all."
"......."
"Well, I do like Saebyeok even without one, though."
Yu-bam beamed a bright smile and gave Han Saebyeok a peck on the cheek with a Jjok sound. Then, gently kneading Han Saebyeok's chest, she continued.
"It might be a bit off for me, the one who pulled you into this, to say... but Saebyeok, aren't you going to date a guy?"
"...You know. I'm kind of averse to men."
Han Saebyeok shook her head with a disgusted look. But Yu-bam asked again regardless.
"But still, it's more that you're scared of them than that you dislike them, right? Especially big men."
At those words, Han Saebyeok's body flinched.
People around her talked about her cold aura, calling her a natural-born boss or a tough unni, but the reality was, just as Yu-bam said, she was simply scared of men. Her aggression toward men was a self-defense mechanism born from fear, and the tattoo inscribed on her body was tied to that as well.
Yu-bam pulled Han Saebyeok tightly into her embrace and asked.
"Are you still very scared?"
"......."
"But it looks like you're not scared of Cheoljjin."
"Well, he's......."
Han Saebyeok frowned slightly, recalling Kang Cheol-jin. The first time she met Kang Cheol-jin was the day he stood in front of some men to protect a drunk Pi Ah-reum.
Kang Cheol-jin, who had come running, gasping for breath after getting Pi Ah-reum's call.
Maybe because he was so tall and had such a big build. Kang Cheol-jin had chased off the two men without much physical struggle.
But the funny thing was.
A man like that would tremble in fear and walk on eggshells whenever he saw her. The sight of him shrinking down his large frame and darting his eyes around was rather laughable.
To put it crudely, was he what you'd call a pushover?
Just looking at his appearance, he was anything but, yet watching his behavior, there was no bigger pushover. With that perpetually awkward expression, or the way he scratched his head like an idiot.
Each and every one of his actions seemed so utterly defenseless that there was no room to even feel the emotion of fear. Rather, she was just puzzled about why he flinched so much every time he saw her. That was why Pi Ah-reum, small as a hamster, was always punching Kang Cheol-jin's forearm.
Yu-bam looked at Han Saebyeok's increasingly enigmatic expression and giggled.
"Saebyeok and Cheoljjin are so alike."
"...Me? With him?"
Han Saebyeok's face crumpled hard. It was an expression of absolute incomprehension, but Yu-bam nodded again without hesitation.
"Yeah. The way you watch for other people's reactions, find things difficult, and can't refuse a request. Exactly the same."
"...Can't refuse? He got turned down as the illustrator in charge several times."
"He ended up doing it in the end, didn't he?"
"He got paid for it. Think about how much the clothes you bought cost. And I can't refuse you either because you've helped me out so much."
"Come on, Cheoljjin said he'd do it for free. I'm the one who forced the payment on him. And Saebyeok, you're always saying you feel burdened and trying not to accept things."
"......."
Han Saebyeok closed her mouth, having nothing suitable to say. At that, Yu-bam smirked.
"Not being honest is Saebyeok's flaw. Though that's cute."
"...Shut up. Stop talking about him now."
Han Saebyeok shook her head irritably. Today, seeing Kang Cheol-jin had reminded her of her older brother and unsettled her, but thinking about it again, that was all it was. From now on, she would treat him as usual.
Yu-bam stared at Han Saebyeok for a long moment, then patted her on the back and said.
"I got it. I'll stop. But I should tell you this."
"...What?"
"I like you, Saebyeok, but I like men too. I want to have a child someday. So eventually, I'm going to marry a man."
"......."
"And I'll be going back to my home country next year. It won't be long before we have to part."
This year would be the last; she had to return to her home country next year. There wasn't much time left to be together.
Han Saebyeok knew that fact too. She'd just been trying hard not to think about it. But even if she turned away, time would pass regardless... Her face grew melancholy.
Yu-bam looked at Han Saebyeok with a heavy heart. She couldn't help but worry about her being left alone.
"Even when I'm gone, I'd like it if Saebyeok had someone to rely on. So, you need to get closer to your club friends."
"...Okay. I'll try."
*
Even if you don't want it to, even if you try hard to look away, time passes all the same.
So what that meant was.
The day of the department blind date had dawned. Though, to be precise, I should say the night had come.
"Hahh."
As if to prove it, as the time approached, my phone wouldn't stop ringing.
- Ahn Seong-hyeon: Don't tell me you're gonna be a no-show?
- Ahn Seong-hyeon: Everything's already set up, you can't bail now? Help me out here.
- Ahn Seong-hyeon: Let me just get a girlfriend this once.
- Pussyhound Virgin Bastard: Don't you dare show up in sweats like you always do? Dress properly. If you don't know, just a white tee and jeans. Or a short-sleeve knit and slacks—
"Ugh, this guy talks so much. I don't think he used to be like this."
I threw my phone onto the bed and stood in front of my closet. It was annoying, but for now, I intended to play along with Ahn Seong-hyeon.
Honestly, I couldn't say I didn't understand why this guy was whining so much about wanting a girlfriend. A vigorous young man had come to university after finishing years of entrance exam competition. It was only natural to want to date, to want to have sex.
'Actually, I just got lucky too. If I were still a virgin now.......'
To be honest, even if I didn't care about dating, I think I would've wanted to try sex. You could say a man in his prime is half-mad with sexual desire. And on top of that, my sex drive was far stronger than average.
So, if it were up to my heart, I did want to help Ahn Seong-hyeon. The problem was that just the thought of a blind date setting made me feel pressured.
"But I still have to go, what can I do. I can't back out at this point......."
The fortunate thing was that I didn't have to worry about what to wear. It was entirely thanks to the shopping trip last Friday.
"If anything, I have so many clothes I'm even more worried."
It was a moment where I felt newly grateful to Bam Nuna and Han Saebyeok.
I pulled out the outfit that looked the most unassuming.
A linen oversized shirt with a white short-sleeve tee. And light-wash wide pants.
"Ah, they said to pay attention to socks too. Wait, or did they say it doesn't matter for wide pants? Don't button the shirt, tuck it in with a belt, and why am I supposed to sling this bag over my shoulder? And shoes... Ugh, why's it so complicated. Let's see, the picture......."
Just trying to care about fashion meant there was more than one or two things to worry about. I looked at the combination Han Saebyeok had taken a photo of and completed my outfit.
Once again, I was glad Han Saebyeok had matched the full set from head to toe. If it weren't for that, I would've been too lazy and just ended up in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. And then Ahn Seong-hyeon would've grilled me for dressing so sloppily.
I barely managed to finish getting ready and headed to the meeting place.
Today's blind date spot was a bar in Hongdae. I had assumed we'd gather at some café first and do introductions, but they told us to come straight to the bar.
For reference, that bastard Seong-hyeon and Seongju Hyung had agreed to meet up first at Hongdae Entrance Station. So I was pacing around near Exit 9, the designated meeting spot, when—
Tuktuk.
Someone tapped my shoulder.
"It's Cheol-jin, right?"
"Oh, Seongju Hyung."
I greeted him happily since I was nervously pacing around alone. Seongju Hyung was dressed stylishly but naturally, just as always.
"Wow, it really is Cheol-jin. I wasn't quite sure."
"Huh?"
I blinked, wondering what he meant, and Seongju Hyung chuckled, looking me up and down.
"This is the first time I've seen you dressed like that. You were always just in a hoodie and sweats. Did you buy clothes because of the blind date?"
"Ah, no. It's not because of the blind date......."
I laughed awkwardly and scratched my head. It was just something Bam Nuna had suddenly bought for me, and the timing was really coincidental. After hearing Seongju Hyung's words, I felt a bit embarrassed too, as if I'd gotten all dressed up with huge expectations.
Seongju Hyung saw my sheepishness, snorted a laugh, and patted my shoulder.
"A while ago you were consulting me about girl trouble... have you suddenly decided you want a girlfriend?"
"Ah, hyung. It's not like that."
"Heh heh. Just joking. Anyway, you've cleaned up your hair and everything, you look good. Keep dressing like that from now on."
"But I feel like it looks like I've tried too hard, so it's a bit......."
"What are you talking about. That's just an everyday look. It's way better than usual."
"Haha......."
I was grateful for the compliment, but as expected, it was awkward because I wasn't used to it. Still, it definitely wasn't a bad feeling. I guess you could say dressing sharply gives you a bit of false confidence? I could understand why people put so much effort into looking good.
Not long after, Ahn Seong-hyeon arrived. The guy walked over waving a small hand, and when he saw me, his eyes went round as saucers. He was so surprised that the frown lines on his forehead deepened.
Once he got close, the guy blurted out a curse right away.
"Fuck, who's this? Is that really Cheol-jin?"
"...Didn't you tell me to dress somewhat properly?"
"Well, yeah, but. Damn, weren't you supposed to be the wingman for me today? Are you trying to get a girlfriend yourself?"
"That's bullshit. I'm just going to match the mood and leave."
"Hsss. Looking at you now, you really have lost weight......."
"There's still a long way to go. Shut up, let's go. Hyung, where did you say it was again?"
"It's a place I've been before. Follow me."
Seongju Hyung took the lead and we followed behind him like ducklings. Ah, just thinking that we'd be doing the blind date soon made my nerves skyrocket. It was suffocating.
Soon we arrived in front of the bar.
"Oh, Seongju Hyung. Aren't those them?"
Ahn Seong-hyeon, brimming with enthusiasm, spotted our counterparts.
"Oh, right. That brown-haired one is the girl who's co-organizer with me. There's still time left, but everyone's here al......."
"No, you didn't tell me this was a blind date!"
At the uneasy atmosphere, Seongju Hyung's words cut off abruptly. And a heavy confusion fell over the faces of the three of us, and the reason was.......
"Forget it, I'm leaving."
"S-sorry! But please just help me out one more time!"
"Find some other chick."
The person who exuded such an annoyed air as she strode in our direction was.
"...Kang Cheol-jin?"
"S-saebyeok Sunbae?"
Because she was a familiar face.