Is It Okay to Go That Far Today? (Branch Point 01)

In the car heading to the hotel, Park Jun-seo had already been decided as Da-bin's first netorase partner. She still had no idea that the man who would give her a massage was Jun-seo.

I considered keeping it a secret from her until they met, but that felt like a risky gamble laced with adventure. On ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the other hand, since he was a close acquaintance we'd known for years, she might feel repulsed. It was a method I hadn't tried in the previous loop, after all.

Han Jae-min wasn't someone our couple had known long-term; their relationship was strictly professional as cafe coworkers. Involving Jun-seo in netorase was a different texture altogether. I needed to be more cautious.

So, it would be safest to give Da-bin a heads-up that the guy we were meeting was Park Jun-seo. I carefully opened my mouth toward her.

"Da-bin."

"Yeah, oppa."

"Actually, about the guy giving you a massage today..."

"Uh... yeah... oppa, he's not some weirdo, right?"

"No way. I thought about a bunch of people, and he's the most suitable one, so I asked him."

"Who is ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it...? You, oppa?"

Da-bin bit her lip slightly as she asked me. Even though it was just a massage, her first netorase had her on edge.

"It's Jun-seo. Park Jun-seo."

"Huh??? Jun-seo oppa??"

"Yeah. Surprised?"

"No way! Oppa! How embarrassing!"

She punched my shoulder, her face flushing red. She'd reluctantly agreed to my netorase request, but hearing it was Jun-seo, someone she knew well, was clearly mortifying her.

I had a prepared line for this moment.

"Then should I call Choi Hyun-woo or Oh Han-gu?"

"Ugh, seriously! Oppa!"

Da-bin recoiled, shrieking at me. Yeah, those guys were proven instant remedies.

"Jun-seo's better, right?"

"Eek—oppa, you're such a perv!"

"Hehe. Oppa is a perv."

"Idiot..."

"Hehe. I'm an idiot. Hehe."

"Oppa, you really look like an idiot right now."

"I'm just so happy you're doing this for me."

"Aigoo—! You like it that much?"

"Uh... yeah..."

"Seriously... can't stop you... Oppa, but did you call Jun-seo oppa after hearing that story?"

"What story?"

"Ye-na broke up with Jun-seo oppa."

"What? I hadn't heard yet."

"Hmm... I see..."

I hadn't heard from Jun-seo yet about breaking up with Ye-na. They had split in the previous loop too, and even after regressing, the outcome was the same... No, there was a difference in timing.

Recalling the previous loop, the two were still a couple until Da-bin went out drinking alone with Ye-na. This point was before that in the previous loop.

In other words, they broke up even faster this time. Could my proposal of netorase to Jun-seo have influenced their breakup...?

It wasn't impossible. Was I accumulating karma like this...?

Anyway, I couldn't grasp the facts right now, so I focused on Da-bin. Jun-seo and Ye-na's breakup was already done. And above all... I could just earn netorase points, regress, and fix it.

Hotel room. The city nightscape filled the view beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows. The low-intensity lighting created a languid, cozy atmosphere.

I poured whiskey into the glasses on the table and lifted mine.

"Cheers."

"Cheers!"

"..."

Da-bin, embarrassed by the situation, silently raised her glass in response to our toast, saying nothing.

The hot burn sliding down my throat. Drinking with Da-bin was always right. She was the perfect side dish.

Jun-seo and I had planned a light drinking session to set the mood before giving her the massage.

Da-bin grimaced after a sip of whiskey—too strong for her—and looked for a snack. Jun-seo handed her one.

"Ah... thanks, Jun-seo oppa."

"Da-bin, always eat snacks with your drinks."

"Yesss..."

She nibbled on the snack he'd given her, her cheeks puffing like a hamster's.

The tempo slowed. If the mood dipped too much, it'd be harder to ramp up. As the netorase host, I spoke first.

"Hey, Jun-seo. You broke up?"

"Yeah... it happened."

"You okay?"

"Haha. Lying if I said yes. Thanks for inviting me out with you and Da-bin right now."

"Thanks? Da-bin's the one getting the massage and pampered. Right, Da-bin?"

She shot me a glare at my words, framing it like it was all for her. Even that was cute.

As I steered the conversation, Jun-seo jumped in earnestly.

"Do-yoon's basically a full cafe CEO now. Great employee benefits."

"Pfft! Employee benefits? No way—Jun-seo oppa."

Da-bin laughed at his humor. Personally, it wasn't that funny. But coming from Jun-seo, it was.

A handsome guy makes anything funny.

"It is employee benefits. Da-bin—I've gotten so good at massages from doing them for my ex-girlfriends. Never heard from Ye-na?"

"Ah... yeah! I think so!"

"Right? I did them a lot for Ye-na... sigh, ended up like this."

"Jun-seo oppa, no thoughts of getting back with Ye-na?"

"Ye-na wouldn't meet me."

"Ye-na liked you a ton."

"Yeah. Now it's just our Da-bin—"

"Y-yeah...? Huh?"

Da-bin flustered by Jun-seo's sly fox talk. I wasn't used to him like this either, but it made sense in context. He could switch speech styles by time, place, and person.

If I'd succeeded in cafes by luck, Jun-seo was a born businessman. He'd built multiple ventures from scratch, made bank, and dealt with all sorts. His ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠depth wasn't something I could predict.

Asking him for the massage seemed like a great call. Just supporting him would make things smooth.

I teased Jun-seo playfully.

"Don't covet my Da-bin."

"Sigh—yeah. If you weren't Do-yoon..."

"Y-you two... what're you saying..."

Da-bin shy at our playful WWE banter. Her reaction was cute and fun. Probably not just me—Jun-seo wanted to tease her more too.

"Jun-seo's jealous 'cause Da-bin's too pretty. Especially lonely after breaking up with Ye-na."

"CEO Do-yoon, why rub salt in the wound?"

"Tsk. With women always lining up for you, why the drama?"

"Even with lines, no one's like Da-bin."

"True... our Da-bin's exceptionally pretty."

Her cheeks flushed beet red under our praise-disguised teasing. Booze, embarrassment, annoyance mixing into crimson. Finally, she yelled at us.

"Oppa! Why do you keep doing this!"

Even her voice was pretty. If she was a side dish, she was top-shelf. My dick was already rock-hard, ready to burst.

As the drinks flowed and talk continued, the room's atmosphere heated up subtly. Jun-seo and I exchanged glances, deciding to start Da-bin's massage.

While she was in the shower, Jun-seo whispered to me quietly.

"Do-yoon."

"Yeah."

"Is it okay to go that far today?"

"What do you mean?"

"That... no. Uh... Da-bin looks too pretty."

"Spit it out."

"Sigh... during the massage, it might be hard to hold back."

"Jun-seo, you wanna do it, right?"

"Sorry, Do-yoon. But I'm going crazy horny."

"I get it. My ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fault for asking you."

"No. It's netorase, but... not some other guy's girl—crossing the line with your girlfriend..."

Park Jun-seo kept self-flagellating. Considering our time together, it was plausible. But was his intent genuine guilt, or poking my netorare instincts? Hard to tell.

From his side, he might wonder why I invited him for netorase but kept drawing lines. I test him, he tests me.

We might already be in the subtle seesaw game netorase creates.

I tossed it casually.

"Hey, but it's netorase—you came expecting some level."

"True..."

"Today... if Da-bin's cool with it, let's aim for a handjob max."

"Got it, Do-yoon."

Even drawing the line at handjob, I felt intensely anxious. Not worry he'd cross it—but focused on Da-bin.

One regret from the last loop: not watching Jae-min fuck Da-bin. It had its own charm, but let Jae-min cross way too far.

And honestly... I wanted to watch Da-bin fuck another guy directly.

Reason I didn't watch Jae-min and her last time: Da-bin found my presence burdensome. Natural for a woman—embarrassed showing her boyfriend another man fucking her.

But what about Da-bin's mind now...? The perk-boosted lust and netorase compliance piqued my curiosity.

I hoped she wouldn't mind me watching. If I couldn't spectate her sex... my netorase thirst would worsen.

Was I racing toward the bitter end...?

As Jun-seo and I set a line for tonight's netorase, the shower water suddenly stopped. Da-bin was out.