The Bear and the Honey
Beep. Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep. I woke up to the sound of my alarm. Five-thirty in the morning. It was time to work out with Youngsun-nuna!
The workout course was the same as the day before: a 5km run along the Ttukseom riverside. It was just as grueling. My stamina wasn't going to magically improve in just two days. But then, an anomaly occurred. Just before we reached the turnaround point, Youngsun-nuna clutched her waist and hunched over. Goodness, what was wrong? We’d only run 2.5km!
"Nuna, are you in pain?" I approached her with concern, but she shook her head, saying she was fine. Still, I’d never seen her like this, and it weighed on my heart. "You seem to be hurting today. Are you sure you're okay?"
Looking closer, I noticed she was wearing a see-through windbreaker (the same one she’d worn back when we were doing graffiti on her body). Usually, she’d just go out in a sports bra and leggings because she said it was too hot.
"Nuna, you have to tell me. Is it body aches?"
"Ah, it’s that time of the month!" Youngsun-nuna pinched me while wincing. Ah, I see. So that was it. It hurt, but I was too embarrassed to even scream.
We started running again. Youngsun-nuna ran beside me and said, "Honestly, I’m on the lighter side of the pain. It’s my second day, so it should stop by Thursday."
Ah. So that was why she’d postponed our sex until Friday! She didn't want to do it while she was on her period. But to think she’d still come out to work out even when she wasn't feeling well. Worried, I asked, "Nuna, wouldn't it be better to rest if you're hurting?"
Youngsun-nuna shook her head. Her attitude was firm. "I have to be ready at all times. If I had an important boxing match scheduled and I was on my period, what would I say then? 'I can't do it'? Should I whine and ask them to postpone it? Do you think I could postpone the National Sports Festival?"
As I stayed silent, she continued. "I can't do that. You can't always step into the ring in perfect condition. Even if you can't overcome it, you have to get used to it!"
Youngsun-nuna’s eyes sparkled like diamonds as she declared this. How should I put it? I respected her for this. She was like the captain of a ship navigating through waves, someone who had made a firm resolve about how to handle her own life. Someone who held the rudder tight.
Youngsun-nuna looked at me, lost in thought, and added, "You know it’s embarrassing if you fall behind me when I’m not even feeling well, right? If you’re slower than me, that’s an extra 2km."
Damn it! Speed up! Unless I wanted to run 2km more! But unfortunately, I couldn't even beat Youngsun-nuna when she was unwell. In the end, I had to run an extra 2km, panting all the way.
"Water, water. Please, let me buy some water." My heart felt like it was going to pop out of my mouth. To keep the distance, I’d run all the way to the front of the boxing gym where Youngsun-nuna worked. My heart felt like it was going to explode just from that extra 2km!
But Nuna was completely fine. There was only a faint sheen of sweat on her forehead. Just how high was her stamina? I staggered into a convenience store, gasping for air.
"Water, and... oh, give me this too." After paying, I stood there until my breathing calmed down. When I came out, I drank the water and slipped the glass bottle into her pocket.
Nuna asked, startled, "Whoa! What’s this? It’s hot?"
It was honey water. I scratched my cheek and said, "Uh... they say a warm compress on your stomach helps when you're in pain. And don't walk around dressed so thinly."
Youngsun-nuna coughed, "Ahem, ahem," and looked away. Even her ears were red. She stammered out a thank you. "Uh, yeah. Thanks. Hey. I’ve never even received something like this before. This is a first."
Huh? I furrowed my brow in confusion. Wasn't the reason Youngsun-nuna didn't get fired even when she couldn't balance the PC bang's cash register because most of the people working out in this neighborhood were like older brothers to her? That was why the PC bang always had so many customers, too.
I couldn't hold back my curiosity. "Nuna, don't you know a lot of people through your workouts? Has no one ever taken care of you before?"
Youngsun-nuna scratched her head and said, "Well, I never really showed it. It felt weird to whine about not feeling well, so I’d just bury it and move on until now. I think you're the first person I've ever told..."
She looked away, seemingly shy after saying it. She’d only told me. That was... actually pretty cute! I couldn't help myself and hugged Youngsun-nuna’s waist. She flinched as if surprised, but she didn't push me away. Instead, she quickly checked to see if anyone was around, then closed her eyes and tilted her head at a 15-degree angle. A perfect position for a kiss. I gave her a light kiss on the lips, pulled back from the hug, and said, "Nuna. We’re close, aren't we? If you’re struggling or in pain, tell me. Don't suffer alone."
Youngsun-nuna’s eyes sparkled like a well reflecting the stars. Looking touched, she put her hands behind her back, wiggled her toes, and then hugged me tightly again. "You bad boy. Since when were you this kind? You usually treat me so badly..."
I laughed because she was so cute. I patted her waist while hugging her and whispered, "After we finish working out on Friday, I’m going to tease you mercilessly. Look forward to it."
Youngsun-nuna’s waist twisted seductively. She seemed incredibly aroused by my whisper and the hand stroking her waist. "Honestly... I want to hold your hand and go home right now..."
Was it true that people craved sex during their period? Youngsun-nuna whispered longingly, "If it weren't for the opening shift... I would have gone right away..."
Then, Youngsun-nuna checked her watch, her eyes widened, and she pulled away from me. "My dad’s going to be here soon! I have to open up!"
Youngsun-nuna ran into the building next door. I followed her and shouted toward the stairs, "See you Friday! After the workout. Straight to your place?"
Youngsun-nuna looked down at me from the stairs and nodded vigorously. Her face was already beaming with a smile, as if she were looking forward to Friday. "See you Friday then!"
"Yeah! See you Friday!" She waved at me and disappeared. Youngsun-nuna definitely had a cute side.
I turned to leave the stairs after saying goodbye, but—thud—I ran into a wall. "Ouch!" Damn it, did the door close? What kind of wall was this? I rubbed my forehead and looked ahead, but something was off. A mass of muscle. Steel-like abs. A bear-like physique. Trapezius muscles that looked ready to burst.
"Who might you be?" A low, bass voice boomed over my head. I was taller than average, but he was a full head taller than me. He was nearly 190cm tall, with a neck thicker than my thighs. Overwhelmed by his size, I looked up. A buzz cut. A calm, steady gaze. When I couldn't say anything, he stared straight into my eyes.
"You don't look like a student at our boxing gym." He stroked his chin while scanning my body up and down, when another voice came from outside the building. "Director, what’s going on?"
The bear turned around and chuckled. "Ah, I heard my daughter’s voice. I thought I was greeting a member. But I haven't seen this person before."
The boxing gym director? Youngsun-nuna’s words suddenly came to mind: It’s my dad’s gym, but he works me to the bone—
"Are... are you Youngsun-nuna’s father?" I stammered, and he showed interest in me. "That I am. Who are you?"
At the mention of Youngsun-nuna’s name, his gaze dropped. The bear sniffed the air around my shoulders and scanned me again. It felt like standing in front of a carnivore! Thinking I might get eaten, I hurriedly introduced myself. "Ah, I’m just a younger brother who knows Youngsun-nuna!"
I found myself using formal language without even realizing it. When I bowed, the father nodded. "Ah, I see. No wonder. Youngsun seemed to be in a good mood this morning... Do you work out with her?"
"Yes! That’s right!"
Youngsun-nuna’s father scanned my body up and down. Then, looking pleased, he chuckled and patted my shoulder. It felt like being kicked by a bear’s paw. "Hm, good. If you’re not busy later, come visit the gym sometime. Our gym is full of nothing but rough-looking guys. I think that’s why my pretty daughter grew up to be such a tomboy... It would be nice to have a normal, handsome member like you."
Just then, a man who had been called a 'rough-looking guy' walked in and grumbled. "No, Director. What part of me looks rough?"
If the director was a bear, the person who just walked in felt like a Malayan sun bear. His limbs were long, and there was a strange glint of madness in his eyes. I guess you could say he was someone suited for boxing. Seeing the man who entered, the father clicked his tongue. "Eh, it’s a lost cause, a lost cause. Anyway, make sure you get along well with my daughter!"
After giving me that instruction, the director strode up the stairs. The Malayan sun bear, however, didn't go up; he looked at me with concern, and once he heard the door close, he blurted out, "If you date Youngsun, you’re probably going to have a hard time."
His voice sounded genuinely pitying. I waved my hands. "No, date Youngsun-nuna? What are you talking about!"
"Not dating? Suit yourself." The Malayan sun bear walked up the stairs as if he’d said his piece. What on earth did he mean? I couldn't hold back and asked, "But what happens if you date Youngsun-nuna?"
The Malayan sun bear grinned at my voice and looked back. "Oh, so you are interested in Youngsun. If you date Youngsun, you’ll have over a hundred 'older brothers' who are like her real brother."
"A-a hundred?" I asked, horrified, and the Malayan sun bear nodded. He then warned me, "Don't you dare make Youngsun shed a tear. If she even looks a little depressed, the members who have been watching her since she was seven years old will come to kill you."
Sweat trickled down my back on its own. "Anyway, good luck!" The Malayan sun bear was actually quite a nice guy, despite the madness in his eyes. I said goodbye to his back as he walked in and walked home sluggishly. A sense of anxiety swirled in my head. Hmm. What would happen if they found out I tied Youngsun-nuna up and teased her until she cried...? Surely... they wouldn't actually kill me, right? I shook off the ominous imagination of the Malayan sun bear and the grizzly bear happily splitting my body in two, and slowly ran the remaining 2km back home. Before my date with Charles, I’d almost been eaten alive...