Bali's Final Day
The last day of our honeymoon in Bali. Changhee and I spent it sunbathing together, just like any other day. By now, his body bore a sharp white bikini line etched clearly across his skin, while mine, tanned completely nude, glowed a deep bronze. We lounged lazily with mojitos, savoring our final sun-drenched afternoon in Bali, when Jeongsook asked about her husband—his friend, Kim Hancheol. She had been holding back the question for days, worried it might ruin our honeymoon.
"It's been about four months since I last saw him, and at least a month since our last text. Why do you ask all of a sudden…?"
Four months ago meant Changhee was still working at the company, so he must have met Kim Hancheol as Lee Changjun. Back then, his male appearance hadn't yet become strangely out of place.
"You know how it is—he's Jeongsook's husband. Things seem a little off between them lately, and I wondered if there might be trouble at home. But Jeongsook won't say a word. So I thought maybe you'd heard something."
"Hoho… He's always been like that since college. A bit complicated when it comes to women… Oh dear, here I am badmouthing a friend. Hahaha…"
"It's fine. That's what married life is—gossiping about friends a little. Heh. But when you met him, did anything feel off? Any talk about home, or complaints about Jeongsook?"
Changhee rolled from his stomach onto his back, gazing up at the sky. I couldn't read his expression behind the sunglasses, but he seemed to be thinking over my question.
"Ah! He asked how I keep my skin so nice. Said he was jealous of my complexion. He also complimented my manicure… It seemed casual at the time, but thinking back, it was strange. He'd never asked anything like that before, never even brought up women that way."
As I listened, Dr. Ma Yeojeong suddenly came to mind. Hypnotherapy, the Magic Word… Perhaps they had already reached the stage where those tools were no longer necessary. I believed Jeongsook's promised "day of envy" was drawing near.
"What would you do if one of your friends turned out like you? Someone who finds it easier to live as a woman, just like you do?"
Changhee sat up, removed his sunglasses, and stared straight at me. Still lying down, I took another sip of my mojito and pulled out a cigarette. He lit it for me and spoke.
"Why do I get the feeling that this friend of yours, Jeongsook, is up to something strange? And now you're saying odd things out of nowhere… What's going on?"
"For example?"
I was stalling, trying to find a gentler way to break the news and spare him the shock. It was irritating, but I still couldn't decide whether to just say it outright.
"Unni, I may have been an ordinary office worker, but I'm not stupid. That person's behavior and words at Delma already bothered me, and after hearing what you just said, I'm certain something's being done to Hancheol. Something like secretly feeding him hormones…"
I finally took off my own sunglasses, sat up, and faced him. Reading the confirmation on my face, he bit his lip hard, then gave a small, hesitant nod.
"I always knew that friend Hancheol would get what was coming to him someday. Even back in school, he had a reputation for making girls cry. There were rumors he forced someone into an abortion. His father was powerful back then, so everything got swept under the rug. Now he's ruined his own family…"
I lit a fresh cigarette, passed it to Changhee, and lit another for myself. While I did, he continued.
"If he was like that in school, imagine how he acted at work. We weren't at the same company, but word spread about his problems, and even his few remaining friends drifted away. I didn't have many friends to begin with, and when I defended him, I ended up getting ostracized too. Still, he always brushed it off like it was nothing and changed the subject. There was no point in pressing the issue, so we just moved on, again and again…"
He took a seductive drag and exhaled a long stream of smoke. Then, in a flat tone, he went on.
"Eventually he couldn't hold down a job and quit. He started his own company, threw every bit of money he had into it, rushed into marriage, and I thought he'd finally come to his senses. But about six months ago, I realized nothing was going right. And even then, he was still chasing after other women…"
Changhee stubbed out his cigarette, gazed at the blue horizon, let out a short sigh, then stood and stretched. After a few vigorous stretches, he turned to me.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear what you and your friend are planning. And no matter what she does to Hancheol, please ask her not to make him ugly. I don't want him as pretty as me, but if he's going to be seen, he'd better be pretty. Heh…"
He forced a bitter smile, but tears welled in his eyes.
"I know how disgusting it feels when something bad happens to a friend. But don't be too upset. It might sound heartless, but this is between Jeongsook and her husband. Thinking of it as your friend's problem will only hurt you more."
"I know. I'm not sad right now. It hurts that he never listened when I warned him he'd be punished someday, but if he's reflecting now, that's good. If he needs to start over, I'd like to help him. Is that okay?"
"Of course. That's why I brought it up—I hoped you'd say that. Come here. Unni mode is over. From now on, I want Changnyeo, not Changhee. Heh…"
Changhee shot me a sultry glance and laughed. Then, flashing his white teeth, he hurried inside. He was following his own rule: 'Changnyeo' never faced her 'Master' without makeup, so he needed to apply heavy makeup and prepare for the coming abuse.
I left him to get ready and lay back on the sunbed, lighting another cigarette. I thought of Jeongsook and her husband. Before we left Delma, she had said we could meet once we returned from the honeymoon. I was quietly curious what he would look like.
"You know I had a thing for Changhee, right? Now that he's your woman, I have to forget him cleanly. So don't you think I need someone better than Changhee?"
That crazy bitch… I'd thought I was crazy too, but after claiming Changhee, all I wanted was a stable life. I no longer sought another lesbian partner; I only thought of Changhee, my husband and my wife. Would Jeongsook be the same? Now that she had what she wanted, would she stop her madness? But I knew it wasn't that simple. Like me, she would keep going until she possessed both 'Changhee' and 'Changnyeo.' If her husband didn't become like Changhee…
Changhee's nasal voice calling for me snapped me out of my thoughts. I finished my mojito and stood. Until yesterday we'd shopped late, partied at nightclubs, and rolled around after coming home, but today we were going to have sex in broad daylight. The thought sent a thrill through me.
I stretched my other foot between his legs and nudged the dildo buried in his anus. He twisted and moaned. I kept moving my toes, stimulating him. Lewd cries spilled from his mouth. Between his legs, a white shaft rose softly. I called that erection "feminine" or "cute." Once it stood, I also called it a "lollipop" or "cotton candy." No matter the name, it was delicious.
I picked up the thick dildo gag from the side table and slowly brought it toward his mouth. Feeling my hand, he lifted his head. With a pouty, childlike expression, he lightly shook his head. Even that resistance was charming. Soon he opened wide and took the gag fully into his mouth. While I fastened the strap, the white shaft between his legs was already pointing skyward. It stood quite tall today. Looking at it, I suddenly thought of the Washington Monument. But this one commemorated our marriage! Smiling with satisfaction, I gave a gentle tug on the leash attached to his collar. Changhee took a step closer. I grabbed the white shaft and led him into the bedroom. 'Changnyeo,' anticipating my oral service, followed with a bright smile, trotting along and whimpering like a puppy.