Episode 63: Park Ha-ru Doesn't Want to Go to Work
Episode 63: Park Ha-ru Doesn't Want to Go to Work
Chapter 63: Park Haru Doesn't Want to Go to Work
"Where are you off to today?"
She'd definitely said she had no particular schedule today.
Yet there she was, bustling about since morning, meticulously primping in front of the mirror.
Seeing her put on her makeup with more care than usual, and catching the faint trail of her perfume, I felt an involuntary flutter in my chest. Hoping, just maybe, it was for a date with me, I forced down the grin threatening to spread across my face and asked, my voice brimming with anticipation.
"Meeting Nara."
But my expectations shattered into a million pieces in under a second. She answered dismissively, still gazing contentedly at her reflection.
"Nara?"
"Yeah."
"Why doesn't that kid ever hang out with me..."
Ever since Eunhwi nuna first met Nara and Haru together, the three of them had been meeting up quite often. Whether they'd made a group chat or were holding some kind of secret council, I had no idea, but one thing was clear: they'd built a connection behind my back.
I had a nagging feeling she was getting some weird ideas(?) pumped into her head during these meetings with Nara, but since none of it ever seemed to land badly for me, I didn't bother to object. If anything, the way both nuna and the girls treated me had gotten... bolder, should I say.
"Mwah! Haru will be here soon."
As I watched her put on her makeup in a daze, nuna walked over, planted a light kiss on my lips, and stepped back. As I stood there with a dumbfounded look from the sudden skinship, she added with a beaming smile.
"Why is Haru coming over?"
"She's bored. I thought about playing with her, but she said she's got a schedule tonight, so I just told her to play with you instead."
"Uh... don't I get a say in this?"
"You don't want to?"
"No, it's not that I don't want to..."
It was a strange feeling.
It felt like one of those famous meme situations. That whole 'We're all hanging out at your place, wanna come too?' vibe where the roles are totally reversed. This is definitely my apartment, yet I felt like I'd become an optional accessory in my own space.
Finished with her makeup, nuna gave me another light peck on the lips, and then, with eyes full of mischief, she stared straight into mine and whispered.
"Haru's got a schedule tonight, so don't be too rough with her today. I heard you get pretty intense with her, huh?"
"......!"
My heart practically dropped to the floor. When the hell did they become close enough to share that kind of pillow talk(?)?
I couldn't even guess what Haru had told nuna, or if nuna had just coaxed it out of her.
As I stood there flustered, mouth opening and closing like a fish, nuna wrapped her arms around my neck with a satisfied look and pulled me into a deeper kiss.
"Smooch, slurp, mwah."
Just as my mind started going hazy from the suggestive sounds filling the room, nuna pulled away slightly.
"All my lipstick's gone now."
"Just put more on. I'm off~"
She wiped the smudged lipstick roughly with her finger, blew me a hand kiss, and headed out the front door.
Ever since Sieun nuna left for the States, it felt like Eunhwi nuna had become noticeably more physically affectionate. Was she trying to fill the empty space out of consideration? Or was it just pure instinct? No, come to think of it, Eunhwi nuna had always been uninhibited about showing affection from the very beginning.
Ding-dong~
Not long after, the doorbell rang.
Even knowing the only person it could be was Haru, I found myself reflexively straightening my clothes. When I opened the door, there was Haru, standing with a radiant smile.
"Hey, oppa."
"Welcome."
The moment we saw each other, we were in each other's arms, sharing a fierce kiss.
"Slurp, smooch, smack."
These intense kisses were becoming our standard greeting.
"Pwah~ Haah, haah..."
"Come on in."
Haru slipped inside like she belonged there, tossing her bag in the living room.
She was wearing a comfy t-shirt and short shorts. Did she realize that looking effortlessly dressed up was somehow even more stimulating? But I had to hold myself back.
Because we didn't have much time today.
"What time is your schedule today?"
"Tonight... 10 PM."
"That's pretty late..."
"I know, right!"
Clearly disgruntled about the late-night schedule, Haru launched into a full-blown rant.
She must be tired from her recently skyrocketing workload, but seeing her grumble in front of me like a little kid was nothing but adorable.
As I listened to her talk, Eunhwi nuna's words suddenly popped into my head, and I asked Haru.
"By the way... what do you and Eunhwi nuna even talk about?"
"Hmm? Why, what did she say?"
Haru tilted her head and looked up at me.
Gazing into her clear eyes, the memory of what nuna had said about me being 'intense' flooded back, making my face burn. Just how much had Eunhwi nuna gone around telling people?
"Nothing, just... you two seem close."
"I like Eunhwi unnie. We get along really well, and more than anything, she understands our situation the best."
She wasn't wrong. She's one of the people involved, sure, but Eunhwi nuna's unique brand of tolerance seems to really embrace both Haru and me.
Thanks to nuna, we could both see each other without much anxiety or major issues.
"But oppa, Eunhwi unnie told me you agreed to hang out with me today?"
"More accurately, she just dumped you on me before she left."
"Unnecessarily honest, aren't we."
"Do you hate it?"
"... Well, I don't hate it. That's part of your charm."
Haru scooted closer and plastered herself against my side. A subtle, sweet scent tickled my nose.
A different kind of tension from when the nunas were around began to fill the room.
"But, oppa."
"Yeah?"
"Don't you think we do it every time we see each other lately?"
"You think so? Wasn't it just me doing it before?"
"Well... you have a point."
"So, what about today?"
Instead of answering my question, Haru buried her face deep into my shoulder.
I could see the stray strands of hair falling over her slightly flushed ears. The pattern was that Haru would boldly make the first move, but then turn all shy like this at the decisive moment.
"You said you didn't have much time today."
Haru mumbled the words. But her hand was already toying with the hem of my t-shirt. Seeing her words and actions so at odds, a snicker slipped out before I could stop it.
"So, we're not doing anything if there's no time?"
"No... I didn't say we weren't. It's just... it's kind of a shame."
Haru raised her head and looked at me squarely.
Her gaze was even deeper than before. The time left until her 10 PM schedule was about 12 hours. A careless thought crept up: wouldn't it be enough to just do it quickly and then get some sleep?
"A shame?"
"Of course it's a shame..."
"Then, next time, should we make a whole day of it?"
"Sounds good. That day, I'll turn off my phone and spend the whole day just with you. I'll keep it a secret from Eunhwi unnie, too."
"What about today, then?"
"Today... I want to stay and make it a long one too..."
As she said that, Haru tightened her arms around my waist.
The warmth of her body seeped through my clothes.
The ticking of the living room clock seemed unusually loud. Adrift in the moment where every minute, every second felt precious, we stayed like that for a while, just feeling each other's breath.
"Oppa, so what did Eunhwi unnie say earlier that made your face go so red?"
Haru pressed again, a mischievous smile on her face. Flustered, I averted my gaze.
"I told you, nothing."
"Liar. She said something weird, didn't she? What, like you're too rough at night... something like that?"
Under Haru's teasing interrogation, I finally surrendered, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead.
"She told me... that I get pretty intense with you."
"Pffft! What the, unnie is so...!"
Haru burst out laughing, playfully hitting my chest with a weak fist. Haru's cheeks had flushed pink. In a voice still thick with laughter, she whispered in my ear.
"She's not wrong, though. You really are... a little rough."
"That's because you keep provoking me. And..."
"And?"
"And... you like it."
"Since when?!"
Seeing Haru's eyes widen as if she'd been wronged, I gently cupped the back of her head and pulled her into an embrace.
The teasing banter was over, but the current flowing between our touching bodies had already surpassed the level of mere jokes.
Every time her smooth legs, bare beneath her short shorts, brushed against mine, I could feel my rational mind gradually eroding.
"We can't have you late for your schedule, so... wanna do it fast today?"
At my low voice, Haru seemed to hesitate for a moment, but then she clambered onto me, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"What do you mean, 'do it fast'? I'm not sure I know what that means... Show me, oppa."
At her provocative words, I finally let out the breath I'd been holding and laid her down on the sofa. The contrast of her casual outfit against the leather texture of the couch made her look even more fragile and pretty to me. The midday sunlight streaming through the living room window caught the ends of her hair, making them sparkle.
"Don't regret this. Even if you end up leaving at 10 PM with your eyes all unfocused, it's not my problem."
"Tch... If that happens, it's your fault."
"I said, not my problem."
We found each other's lips once more.
"Slurp, smack, mwah, oppa heh♥"
"I love you, Haru."
"Love you too, smooch, smack♥"
Soon, only the sounds of our ragged breathing and rustling clothes echoed through the living room.
Time was passing, but at least in this moment, it felt like we were the only two people in the world.
Eunhwi nuna's advice, the busy schedule looming ahead, the complicated gazes from around us—they all faded into a blur.
The only thing in the world was Haru's eyes, looking up at me as she panted for breath.
"Oppa... I love you."
At her confession, spilling out in the crucial moment, instead of answering, I pulled her deeper into my arms, clutching her shoulders.
"I might not make it to my schedule today... Haru."
"Then just call in sick. Say you're too sick to go."
How many times had we asked, how many times answered? But the answer we gave each other was always the same.