Chapter 159 - Reflections on the Influence of #bridge
It was probably because he'd gained his abilities without any particular purpose or goal, just living with the mindset that he could vent his sexual desires whenever he felt like it for fun.
Then he got hooked on the thrill and started writing various worldviews and scenarios for even higher-ranked works, but that was purely to pile fun on top of more fun.
Possessiveness—he'd actually been skeptical about it.
They all had husbands or boyfriends anyway, and they were friends on top of that. So it would be a lie to say he felt no guilt at all.
"But... that's what makes it even hotter..."
Guilt turned into a sense of taboo, and that taboo brought a strange pleasure.
If there really was a heaven, his ticket straight to hell was already stamped.
A smirk crept across his face.
The corners of his mouth kept rising endlessly.
"So I might as well enjoy it while it lasts."
He wanted to possess them. A simple desire. Now he had a goal, and his mind began racing toward that clear purpose.
Maeng Soyul.
Just a few days ago, she'd seen Nam Siu looking gaunt and worn out, wondering what had happened, but it seemed like nothing serious.
His face was back to its lively color, after all.
"You absolutely can't throw a tantrum at oppa, got it?"
"Yesss~."
The twins beamed innocently.
Maeng Soyul smiled warmly at her much younger siblings.
They were the driving force that let her survive in a world without dreams or hope.
"But when's hyung coming?"
"He's on his way, just wait a bit~. And it's cold outside. Here."
She bundled up her little brother's clothes tightly.
To her siblings, she was more than just a big sister—she was everything.
Bang bang!
The sound of someone knocking on the steel door echoed.
"He's here."
Maeng Soyul stood and glanced at the old mirror hanging on the wall.
"......"
She suddenly felt like she looked ugly.
With no nice clothes, she wore an old tteokbokki coat from her school days over a tweed dress.
"......Ha, I probably don't look like a kid, right?"
At 23, she worried a little about coming off as childish.
"Unniii~, hurryyy~."
Her little sister urged her to open the door faster from the side.
"Ah, okay."
She slipped on low-heeled shoes and opened the door.
"Hi~."
Nam Siu stood there in a white short padded jacket, a plain hoodie, and jeans.
Fashion didn't matter to Maeng Soyul. Her eyes only took in his smiling face.
"Ah, hello. Sorry. You should be resting."
"Nah, whatever. I'd just be bored at home anyway. Hey, kids~, hi~."
Seeing the kids run up behind her, he grinned brightly, and her heart eased.
He scooped them both up in his arms with both hands, his face straining a bit at their weight.
"Th-the k-kids are gr-growing up f-fast, huh?"
"They're wearing thick clothes... so yeah, heavy, right?"
She covered her mouth and stifled a laugh at how cute he was.
"They're a little heavy. Alright, down you go."
He stroked the siblings' heads while looking at Maeng Soyul.
"Decided where we're going today?"
"I tried looking it up, but I don't know any good places."
"Knew it."
"Sorry."
This time, he patted her head.
"It's fine. I found a spot. Let's head there."
"Ah... okay."
She'd really tried to find one, but she didn't know anywhere.
She regretted not going out more often, but nothing changed.
"Like botanical gardens or anything?"
"......I've never been, so I don't know."
"Hmm. With the kids... I thought about an amusement park, but it's pricey."
Maeng Soyul's eyes widened as she stared at him.
"You thought of an amusement park?"
"Yeah, you probably haven't been either."
"......Right."
Holding the kids' hands, they headed to the bus stop. He leaned in close.
His scent from beside her made her heart pound.
"Wanna go just the two of us sometime?"
"......"
Maeng Soyul stopped dead and looked up at him.
He waved his hands with a troubled face.
"Too much, right? Just kidding."
"......"
"Don't worry, I won't ask you out or anything."
Did he know she was thinking the exact opposite?
Smooth.
She reached out and tugged his sleeve.
"......?"
Standing on tiptoes, she spoke to him as he turned.
"Just the two of us."
"Huh? You sure? People might misunderstand if you're seen dating a guy like me."
His awkward yet considerate expression made her smile shyly, but her words were firm.
"I want them to misunderstand."
"......Wow."
Compared to other 23-year-olds, her experience was sorely lacking, so her expressions were blunt but sincere.
At the factory, beating around the bush led to misunderstandings, so this was her straightforward style from the field.
Pssht.
On the bus to the botanical garden, the siblings stared out the window with sparkling eyes, thrilled by everything.
"Nice weather today."
She wanted to keep talking but didn't know what topic to pick.
"Yeah. Ah, hold on."
"......?"
Suddenly, he opened the bag on his back and pulled out a camera.
"Got this as a gift recently."
"Ah......"
"I'll teach you photography while we're out shooting. Cool?"
Anything with him was fine.
"Yes, as long as it's with you, sunbae."
She didn't hesitate to say it out loud.
"......Wow."
His exclamation again. At first she wondered why, but noticing the side glances from others, she felt embarrassed for some reason.
She just couldn't figure out why.
"Soyul."
"Yes?"
"You're way more forward than I thought."
"......?"
She still didn't quite get the reason, but the embarrassment hit anyway.
"Have you been to this botanical garden before, sunbae?"
She changed the subject.
"Yeah, once last time. Looked decent. Lots of families go."
"Ah."
She thought "I see," then suddenly wondered who he'd gone with.
"With your family......"
"Hm, family was family, right?"
"......?"
It was an enigmatic answer.
Maybe they weren't family anymore?
Before she knew it, they'd arrived at the parking lot and got off.
"Kids, look here."
As they walked from the parking lot to the entrance, he waved.
"Stand here. I'll take a family photo."
The kids bounced excitedly to Maeng Soyul.
Thrilled about the photo, they grinned at the camera.
'Come to think of it, we've never taken a family photo......'
They'd snapped some with her phone, but never posed in front of a real camera.
Click.
"And Soyul, stand alone."
"Just me?"
Nam Siu grinned wide and pointed behind her.
"Pretty background."
A newly built cafe next to the botanical garden entrance under a clear blue sky without a hint of smog.
Click.
"You too, sunbae......"
"I'm good. I'm here to take yours."
He carefully put the camera back in his bag and patted her shoulder.
"I'll teach you photography later, so learn well and take mine then."
"Okay."
Just making plans to spend time with him made her heart flutter.
"Lots of families here."
As he said, the botanical garden was full of parents with kids.
Watching them, Maeng Soyul had a cheeky fantasy.
'Do we look like a couple......?'
With her young siblings, maybe it looked that way.
She wondered what he thought.
"What're you thinking?"
His question, as he tended to the kids first while entering, made her blurt out her unfiltered thought.
"Hoping we look like a married couple."
"......"
"......Why."
Wasn't that a normal thought?
"......D-do you ever feel embarrassed saying stuff like that?"
"No, why. I just wanna be with you all the time...... Ah......"
Then she finally realized why she'd felt embarrassed for no reason before.
From his perspective, it was basically a straight-up confession.
Her face burned like it might explode.
"S-sorry."
"Huh? No need to apologize. If pretty Soyul thinks that way, I'm grateful."
"Then......"
"When you get a boyfriend later......"
She cut him off hastily.
"I want you. No one else."
Embarrassment aside, she had to make her feelings clear.
"That into me?"
He scratched his cheek and asked. Embarrassment flooded her, but she didn't look away.
"Yes, I told you before. You didn't forget, right?"
"How could I. Hmm...... scenario influence or something."
"......"
He mumbled something at the end, but she missed it.
"Hmm, but Soyul. Why's your confession so unromantic."
"......?"
"Yeah, that's just how you are."
Siu chuckled and held out his hand.
"......Can I hold it?"
She stared at his outstretched hand.
"Don't want to?"
"No."
Grab.
Maeng Soyul, who'd only ever grabbed his sleeve before, lunged to hold his hand before it could slip away.
"Give me a clear answer. Do you like me, sunbae?"
"Hm~."
She glared cutely at him as he averted his eyes.
"Teasing me? Or do you not like me and you're just reluctantly accepting?"
"Teasing, and yes, let's date."
He grinned and shook their joined hands.
Then he let out a soft sigh.
"But dating shouldn't be like this. Today was for hanging with your siblings and photos."
"Ah.... I.... I've never dated, so I don't know how to confess."
She thought if you liked someone, you just confessed. Simple as that.
"N-no, confessing when you like someone is right, but... it's just... too... Sigh, didn't see this coming."
In the scenarios he'd grown used to over months, everything danced in his palm.
This unexpected situation threw him off.
"Pfft, whatever. Anyway."
He pulled her hand, kissed the back of it, and grinned.
"Congrats on becoming my girlfriend. Congrats to me on becoming Soyul's boyfriend."
"What's that?"
"Means 'take care of me.'"
As they stood there, her sulky-faced sibling piped up.
"Why keep standing here~?! Let's go in~!"
They both burst out laughing at once.
Watching the siblings run ahead, Siu leaned in and whispered in her ear.
"So, dinner just us two?"
"......"
She nodded slightly instead of answering.