Episode 16: Choi Si-joon Is in Pain
Episode 16: Choi Si-joon Is in Pain
16Episode: Choi Sijun Is in Pain.
Remembering her own absurd behavior, Park Haru immediately packed her things to leave the room, but then she remembered the words, 'I placed an order with the front desk' and 'You can stay here over the weekend,' and sat back down on the bed.
"Th-This is for practical purposes!"
It definitely wasn't because she wanted to stay in a nice room at a luxury hotel she'd never experienced before.
Park Haru carefully picked up the phone on the table and pressed a button.
After a few rings, a polite, kind greeting came through.
- Good morning, valued guest.
"Ah, yes... hello..."
- How may I assist you?
"Ah, well, the person who came with me yesterday ordered some food..."
Even though it was just a phone call, Park Haru couldn't understand why she felt so intimidated.
Even to her own ears, her voice sounded small, but the person on the line waited patiently.
- That's correct. Shall we prepare your meal?
"Yes..."
- We will prepare it with care. Is there anything else you need?
"No, I'm fine."
- Yes, thank you. If you are busy or do not wish to be disturbed, please press the 'Do Not Disturb' button next to the door. We will prepare the food at the designated spot and quietly withdraw.
"Okay..."
She'd thought her family was well-off and that she'd experienced a lot, but there were always levels above her.
"Is this a real hotel...?"
Even the way they chose their words and showed consideration was on another level from anything she'd experienced.
"Am I in trouble...?"
Park Haru was already afraid she wouldn't be able to go back to normal after experiencing something like this.
"Was I supposed to press this?"
Before going in to wash up, she pressed the button next to the door.
"Not his type? No way... I look good."
Park Haru was quite proud of her figure, built up during her trainee days and inherited from her mother, an obscure former model.
"Why didn't he touch me? I was absolutely touchable..."
She was a woman who'd been fending off stares and advances from the opposite sex since well before she was an adult.
She couldn't wrap her head around Choi Sijun, who hadn't laid a finger on her when she was completely defenseless and drunk.
"Ah, underwear... ugh, whatever."
It bothered her a little to have to wear yesterday's underwear again. But since she planned to head straight home from here, she just hung them up haphazardly and got in the shower.
"Wow... amazing..."
She came out with a towel wrapped around her head and admired the small but neatly arranged dishes on the living room table.
Park Haru forgot to dry her hair, drawn to the table by the smell of the food. She sat down and picked up her spoon.
"Mmm!!"
It didn't taste much different from the chain-restaurant porridge she could get outside, but the experience of eating it was far more pleasant.
"I can't put it into words..."
She regretted her limited vocabulary, having missed out on a proper education because she'd focused on her trainee life.
"Should I read some books..."
Her teacher and supervisor, Professor Choi Sijun, always recommended reading in class, and there was a reason for it.
[ Books! Read books! Comic books are okay too! Novels are even better! Just! No picture-only ones! Even comic books need to have some text in them! ]
After a nap following her meal and with the effects of the alcohol still lingering, Park Haru left the hotel after the sun had set.
"I feel like I shouldn't stay any longer..."
---
"Ms. Haru?"
"Eek! Hello! I have to go!"
Park Haru's reaction was unusual. For a whole week after the team dinner, she had been startled and avoided me whenever she saw me.
For some reason, I felt like a criminal.
The TA who'd gotten closer to me since the dinner subtly asked if something had happened, but I couldn't give her an answer.
"Aw, come on~ you're young, attractive people, aren't you?"
"It's... it's just that nothing really happened."
"Really?"
"Yes..."
"Hmm... that's strange... my married man's intuition tells me there's definitely something going on..."
The senior TA and I were both left with nothing but questions as we went our separate ways to our offices.
"I'm back."
"You're back?"
"Yeah."
"Come here. Smooch! Smooch! Smooch!"
After her honest confession, our relationship had grown even closer. We were already so close I couldn't imagine getting closer, but it felt like a wall had completely vanished.
To borrow her expression, if we had an open relationship or were just regular people, we'd probably be glued to each other in public too.
Honestly, I didn't know a relationship that was over ten years old could reignite like this.
"Go change your clothes and let's eat."
"Yeah."
That aside, my feelings still weren't completely sorted out, but I decided not to dwell on it too much.
'It's not like I can magically get more girlfriends just because I want them...'
"Thank you for the meal."
My diet wasn't over yet, so my meal was still just salad and eggs, but my stomach must have adapted because I felt noticeably fuller than before.
They say humans are creatures of adaptation. It's terrifying.
"Oh, right. I'm not going to the gym today."
"Huh?"
A rare piece of good news.
"Oh? Do you hate working out that much? You look like the cat that got the cream."
"Huh? No, no."
I must have smiled brightly without realizing it. After hearing her comment, I quickly tried to force the corners of my mouth down, but they didn't go down easily.
"But I'm not sure this is good for you."
After saying something so meaningful, she left the table and then came back from the room, placing something on the table with a thud.
"Ah, fuck..."
What had to come had come. She'd wanted to do it last time, but the hair was too short, so we postponed to avoid injury. Today must be the day for waxing.
Though we do it regularly, it brings a new kind of agony every time. Both physically and mentally.
Maybe this is how a death row inmate waiting for their sentence feels?
I lay down on the massage bed, hugging my partner, the whale plushie, and waited.
"Shall we begin?"
"Hoo... just a moment... let's go."
"Okay, it's cold~"
She seemed incredibly thrilled by my reaction, but I couldn't complain.
"Ugh, it's cold..."
Even though she was only applying it around my genitals, the gel felt like it was enveloping my entire lower body.
"It's okay, it's okay."
Her touch was always pleasant, but at this very moment, it gave me goosebumps.
"Urrrrrgh!!!!!"
The moment of agony passed, and she slowly applied a soothing, skin-calming cream.
Even after that kind of pain, this damn involuntary muscle started moving with zero tact.
"No, Sijun-ah. It's too sensitive for a while."
The mentally exhausting part might not even be the waxing itself, but this. After waxing, you have to be careful for a few days to let your skin stabilize.
"I know... but it doesn't move according to my will."
"Wait here. I'm going to wash my hands."
"Yeah..."
Even while she went to wash her hands, I couldn't move at all.
"Oh dear, did it hurt that much? You're even shedding tears?"
"Huh? Am I crying?"
"You held up well."
She wiped the tears that had pooled in the corners of my eyes and bent down to give me a light kiss.
"I really can't get used to it..."
"It's bound to be hard for you. Your hair is too thick."
They say you get used to it after a few times, but for me, it's agonizing every single time.
---
"Hey?"
The house was noisy, so I woke up. I went out to the living room to find her already up and getting ready, even though the streetlights were still on outside.
"Oh, did you wake up? Sorry. I woke up late too, so I rushed to get ready."
"It's okay. But isn't it too early? It's not even... 4 a.m. yet?"
I looked at the clock, and it was approaching 4.
"I know... Go back to sleep. You have work today too."
"I'll sleep after you leave."
I helped her pack her bag roughly as she rushed to get ready.
Just as she was about to leave, she turned back, gave me a light kiss as I stood by the shoe cabinet, and hurried out.
"Mwah! I'll be back!"
I stared at the front door she had just left through for a moment, shook my head, turned off the living room lights, and went into the bedroom.
"They say actors really aren't just anyone."
It's a lifestyle a commoner like me can't even dream of.
I went back to bed and tried to sleep again, but having moved around a bit to help her, my sleepiness was completely gone.
"I'm screwed."
"Yaaawn... Ah, sorry."
During the bimonthly TA office meeting, I couldn't fight off the drowsiness and kept yawning.
"If no one has anything important to say, let's wrap it up a bit early."
Rather than ruining the atmosphere by constantly yawning, since lunchtime was approaching, I planned to finish early and sleep in my office.
"Yes, let's do that."
Fortunately, thanks to the consideration of the TAs, the meeting ended early.
"Thank you. If you have anything to say, please let me know even after lunch."
"Okay."
"Ugh, so sleepy..."
As soon as I entered the office, I put the documents on my desk, unfolded the sofa into a makeshift bed, and was just getting ready to sleep when the office alarm rang.
"Yes, come in."
"Oh, Ms. Haru?"
Park Haru, who had been avoiding me, entered the office.
"Teacher? Why 'teacher'? Are you trying to create distance?"
I was dumbfounded by Park Haru's sudden question.
"Well... you were avoiding me, so I thought you were uncomfortable."
"That's not it at all. Change the title back. Quickly."
"Ah, yes, Ms. Haru."
"Next time, if possible, drop the 'Ms.' and just use my name..."
"Pardon?"
I truly didn't hear a single thing she said.
"S-So... are you going to sleep?"
She looked at the sofa for a moment and asked.
"Ah, yes. I had a rough night's sleep."
Part of it was the poor sleep, but oddly enough, I get extremely tired for a few days after waxing—like full-body aches.
"What about lunch?"
"I'll skip it. Even if I find time to eat something simple later, if I don't sleep now, I don't think I can work."
"Th-Then wait a moment!"
I waited because it seemed like she was going to leave the office and come right back, but my body didn't wait for Park Haru.
"Yaaaawn."
After a yawn so wide it hurt the corners of my mouth, I lay down on the sofa and fell asleep.