Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Outsider Giving Massages to Friends
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ After a short break, their dance routine practice went on for a whopping two hours.
But as time wore on, even they started to look worn out.
The smiles lighting up their faces and that oddly sensual vibe gradually faded away.
And in the end, with Yoo So-ha—who'd been dashing back and forth, dancing and checking the unnies' moves—finally collapsing from exhaustion, the practice wrapped up.
Looking utterly drained, her face pale as she sprawled out on the gym floor, she panted heavily and said,
"Haa... haa... The unnies followed along so perfectly that I got way too hyped and pushed too hard without thinking about the aftermath..."
The other two friends who'd been learning the moves from So-ha were just as beat.
Han Si-a and Yoo So-mi had both slumped limply into the folding chairs, one after the other.
Seeing that, I decided to tend to them until they caught their breath.
While they'd been busting their asses practicing, I'd just sat there watching—so I wasn't tired at all...
I figured this was the least I could do.
Judging by their condition, any more dance practice today was out of the question.
So first, I straightened up the messy auditorium and grabbed a mop from the corner to clean the floor.
I packed away the laptop and power cables used for the videos and music, wiped up the spilled drinks...
Once the basic cleanup was done, I scanned around for anything else to tackle.
That's when I spotted Yoo So-ha panting hard, smacking her dry lips.
"So-ha. I'll grab you something cool to drink. Chug it down—you're gonna dehydrate at this rate."
So I headed off to fetch her a drink.
"Huh? No, Yi-an oppa! I can get up for that.... Ack...!! My leg!! Calf cramp!!"
But Yoo So-ha tried to hop up at my words and ended up cramping her calf instead.
Regardless of her intentions, the muscle contracted hard on the inside, sending waves of agony through her.
Flat on the floor, she clutched her right leg and started trembling uncontrollably.
In cases like this, you first stretch the cramped leg straight out and pull the toes upward to relax the muscle.
Luckily, being so into dance, she knew the drill and was trying to extend her leg to ease it herself.
But after hours of practice, her body was too drained to manage on her own.
In the end, I rushed over, straightened her leg for her, and only then did the spasm finally stop.
"Whew... whew... Thanks, Yi-an oppa. I usually handle these solo, but I was just too wiped out this time."
"Don't move—just lie there. I'll bring the drinks."
"But my leg still hurts... Could you maybe rub it for me? Won't take long..."
"Sure. Drink up first, and I'll work on your leg. Speak up if it hurts anywhere."
She eagerly took the drink I'd brought, gulped down a few sips, set the cup on the floor, and flopped back down.
Man, she put so much into just helping her unnie's friends—exhausting herself to collapse and cramp up like that.
Is she just that kind-hearted... or hopelessly naive?
Seeing her pour this much passion into a thankless task made her popularity at school click for me.
People are drawn to her for more than just her shining looks or friendly vibe, that's for sure.
With that, I bumped up my opinion of Yoo So-ha a notch and kneaded her calf for a good while.
.
.
.
"Calf feels good now, oppa. Thanks—I'm all better."
"And So-mi unnie! Could you maybe rub my shoulders too? They're crazy stiff from all that dancing."
Yoo So-ha then turned to her sister, Yoo So-mi, for a shoulder massage.
She'd been wincing around her eyes from the calf pain earlier, but now that it was gone, she flashed So-mi a bright, sunny smile.
"Of course! You busted your butt for us today—a little massage is the least I can do!"
"Thanks, unnie~♪ Um... Could you press a bit lower?"
"Yeah, lower. Now a little outward from there, like kneading... Yup! Right there!"
Why do the Yoo sisters always end up creating this weirdly steamy atmosphere whenever they're close?
...
Well, whatever. So-ha's pretty stacked up top too, so after dancing that hard, her shoulders could totally ache there.
They're both girls and sisters, after all. If it looks suggestive, that's on my dirty mind, obviously.
Still, watching them felt kinda awkward, so I had to look away again.
...
But somehow, as I turned, my eyes met Han Si-a's.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ *** Han Si-a POV
We overdid the dance practice, and now my body's a total mess.
My soles are throbbing, my arms and legs ache like they're bruised to the bone...
Truth be told, I wanted to flop onto the floor like So-ha.
But thanks to the strict upbringing since childhood, I managed to tough it out by just perching on the chair.
That's when I saw Jeong Yi-an massaging So-ha's calf.
Her pained expression easing bit by bit—looks like his massage is doing the trick.
...
But my feet and legs are killing me right now too. Think he'd do mine if I asked?
Sitting here post-practice feels like all the blood's rushing to my lower body—everything from my feet up is tingling numb.
If those big hands of his gripped and kneaded them firmly, it'd definitely feel way better.
But I'm all sweaty from the workout.
Plus, letting a guy touch my bare legs directly... even as friends, is that okay to ask? I hesitated a bit.
His massage on So-ha was unavoidable emergency care for the cramp—no one would bat an eye.
...But mine isn't cramping right now.
So I sat there agonizing over what to do, staring at Jeong Yi-an, and somehow he was looking my way too... our eyes locked.
.
.
.
"Sigh, if your feet hurt that bad, why hold back and not say something? I already felt guilty just sitting there watching you practice—figured I'd help however I could. This is a no-brainer."
When I cautiously brought it up, he accepted like it was nothing.
...Or maybe he really sees it that way.
But a guy touching a girl's feet or legs while she's seated? That's bound to get awkward.
Not even an emergency, and him laying hands on bare, sensitive spots like feet or calves is embarrassing enough on its own.
The truly mortifying part comes from the unique positioning.
To reach her feet, he has to bend down and look up from below.
And if he glances up at her face, his gaze inevitably sweeps feet, legs, crotch, waist, chest—all the way up.
During conversation, it happens over and over—dozens of times even.
He doesn't seem to clock it much, and I didn't wanna make things weird by pointing it out.
Honestly, if it weren't him, I'd never ask, not even on my deathbed...
.
.
.
This Jeong Yi-an guy's still innocently raring to massage my feet, pure as ever.
He just wants to help me out after all that exhausting practice.
Clueless about what he's actually getting into...
He looked just like a little kid eagerly trailing some stranger promising candy—kinda adorable.
"I'll start with the whole foot. If anything hurts or you want extra attention somewhere, just say the word, no pressure."
"Okay. Please do."
I offered my left foot to Jeong Yi-an, who was kneeling on the floor.
The pants I'd worn for practice were loose-legged and cropped for mobility,
so I gripped the hems with both hands to keep the insides from showing.
...
A flicker of bewilderment crossed his face for a second.
He'd finally twigged how awkward this was.
But too late now.
Knowing Jeong Yi-an, he'd be thinking, "Can't back out at this point. Just ignore it and power through quick."
.
.
.
While he massaged my foot, I struck up conversation several times, pretending to have requests—to pull his gaze up to my face.
Each time, he couldn't help scanning my whole body, looking all troubled.
Sometimes his eyes would stick on some part of me, then he'd snap out of it and jerk his gaze away...
Hehe... what a cute guy.
No clue why, but flustering him like this filled some deep itch inside me.
Like a bottomless jar, though—it just made me crave pushing him further.
"Feet are good now—could you do my calves too?"
"Si-a. Uh... that might be tough from here. Better to lie prone on the floor..."
"No need. Like this works fine."
Still seated, I lifted one leg and rested it on his shoulder.
His shoulder was way broader and more solid than a girl's narrow frame—felt super manly.
Having my calf massaged like this sparked all sorts of impulses to try more.
Wiggle my toes against his ear, drape both feet up there, beg him to work my thighs too...
Thoughts like that set my heart ablaze, like someone doused it in fuel.
My body felt invincible, like I could do anything without a second thought.
Should I? Just go for it?
...
That's when I felt an intense stare from the side.
So-mi, who'd been massaging her little sister.
But her gaze on me was icy cold,
and the fire raging in my chest until moments ago started fizzling out.
...
Coming back to my senses, I realized how ridiculous I'd nearly been.
If So-mi hadn't been watching, or if it were just him and me,
I might've actually done something stupid by now.
Best to steer clear of being alone with him as much as possible.
Anyway, the foot massage was super satisfying.
All that blood pooled in my toes from overdoing it felt back in place—my swollen feet were so much more comfortable.
But now that I'd snapped out of it, the embarrassment from everything hit all at once... Better hit the bathroom to cool off.
With So-ha somewhat recovered, we borrowed the staff restroom to wipe off the sweat.