Just a Walk
That night.
"Where are you going?"
"Ah, j-just for a quick walk..."
"...? Where to?"
I mumbled something vague. If I offered no excuse at all, it would be dangerous—and people might go to the trouble of waking up to come looking for me.
Minseo wore an inscrutable expression. She seemed to think I was trying to run away from her.
Well. Looking at it that way, it wasn't such a bad idea—I even thought I should start using walks as an excuse to get out more often...
But that wasn't what mattered.
We still hadn't built a machine for making clothes. In other words, if you lost something, that was the end of it.
And underwear was one of those human essentials.
Of course, you might wonder if it was really that important—but looked at another way, was there any reason to go through the discomfort of wearing something you didn't strictly need? (Not wearing any was actually more comfortable.)
There were various tedious arguments about hygiene and support and so on...
But for me right now, the biggest reason was the collapse of the weekly cycle. Meaning, if I didn't get it back, I'd have to wear the same underwear for another day.
Of course, if I just said something, someone would lend me a pair. Or Soyeon could pull one out of storage.
But then I'd have to tell them everything. And Soyeon might have that same reaction again.
I didn't want to be a burden. Even if I couldn't be of any help to anyone, I at least shouldn't get in the way.
Minseo, Jiwoo, Soyeon, Dahyeon—they were all exhausted from their own work. Having something else to worry about on top of that... wouldn't do anyone any good.
And more than anything, there was the problem of what came after making it public. Would there even be any proper punishment?
They could put access restrictions in place, but these were significant personnel. The one who'd end up locked up would almost certainly be me.
I was a useless person, and they weren't. And for everyone's sake, spending most of my day with the security team was actually advantageous.
Would people really risk their lives for someone who contributed nothing?
Of course, they'd all lived in developed societies as functioning adults, so they might take my side—but I didn't want to open that Pandora's box.
It was like how someone who drinks every day never goes to the hospital. Better to live in ignorance and drop dead suddenly than to have the bad results confirmed to your face.
So please—don't let me end up imprisoned after some meeting, only to be executed after a long, long prison sentence. Just let me die someday in my sleep with a hole in my head, never knowing a thing...
"...Ah, aah~. S-so cool and refreshing."
Click.
I forced a performance of calm as I closed the door.
A dark corridor stretched out before me, the kind where ghosts might appear. Unlike daytime, it carried an eerie atmosphere that made me want to go right back into a room and bring someone along.
Just walking through a place like this was hard enough. Even a brightly lit empty hallway could trigger primal fear—and here the lights were off entirely.
...Of course, there was no other way. I just had to walk the corridor. I needed my underwear back.
"..."
I walked. My stride seemed to grow shorter with every step—probably because I could roughly guess what would happen once I reached that room.
What choice did I have?
I could live with wearing slightly uncomfortable underwear for a day, but I had a feeling they wouldn't just keep the thing as a simple souvenir.
Thinking about that made my skin crawl. Lusting after my body was disgusting enough in itself, but still within the realm of normal—imagining them doing various things with my underwear, though...
And more than that, I had no guarantee they'd only taken one pair.
I walked slowly. Hoping no one would come out of their rooms and take an interest in me.
Soon the door came into view, and light was spilling through the gap. Maybe they'd unlocked the seal out of laziness.
"..."
Hoo. I steadied my breathing for a moment. There was a woman in there too, so I wouldn't suddenly get raped. Yeah. That was enough.
A little touching—I'd already gotten somewhat used to that.
I raised my fist and knocked lightly on the door.
Tapping my thumbnail unconsciously with my index fingernail as I waited, the door soon swung wide open. My dark-adapted vision was suddenly flooded with light, and I squinted.
"Ah. You're here! Come in!"
Haebin, greeting me. A woman whose gray eyes might have been contacts or whose black hair might have been dyed—wearing a short-sleeved shirt and shorts.
"What? Why are you here?"
"...Ah, hello..."
Whenever I entered a space where several other people lived together, I was always startled by the different scent of the room. Like they'd put on a diffuser—or rather, the smell of women.
"Ah, her. I took her panties earlier."
"..."
The woman lying on her side with her feet against her calf, reading a book—the one who could at least serve as some kind of anchor for me—looked back and forth between Haebin and me.
"......Pfft. Ridiculous."
"Ah..."
So maybe I'd been hoping she'd say something like Just give it back and go, or Stop it already. Administrator. Here—
"Ahaha! Come over here. You're sleeping with us tonight, right?"
"Ah, ah... Th-that is. I, I told them I was going, so I, I should g-go—"
Haebin threw a strong arm around my shoulders like a wrestler and started dragging me toward her bed.
"Ah, uwah...!"
"Ah, hey Administrator~. Come to hang out?"
"I, I have to, g-go..."
"Huh? Why?"
The other woman sitting on the opposite bed felt no pangs of conscience at the sight and sprang up to watch me.
"...I, I didn't, t-tell them I was coming..."
"Lying already. Give me your terminal."
"...What?"
I'd only asked back once at Haebin's question, but she was already rummaging through my pants pocket as if she had no intention of taking no for an answer.
She shoved her hand into the pocket of my pants—freshly washed and still damp—and—
"U-uh...!"
"There we go."
Haebin held the terminal up to my face to unlock it, then immediately started working her thumb. I tried to stop her quickly. From what I could roughly see of the screen, she'd opened the messenger window.
I reached out. The reason I'd come so obediently was ultimately because I figured people would come looking if too much time passed.
Haebin rejected my reaching hand. With her arm around my shoulders, I couldn't get the right angle.
And it was awkward to insist further and try to snatch it—
Because if it came down to force, I'd lose.
"I already told them. Heh heh! Now let's sleep together?"
"Ah, uh..."
"Heh heh!"
What was so exciting about this? Haebin shoved the terminal into her own pocket and plopped down on the bed without any warning, pulling me along.
"So, what should we play? Hmm? Tell me. Let's hear some ideas."
"...Th-that..."
"If it's boring, I'm keeping the underwear. Heh heh!"
Asking me suddenly like that—what ideas was I supposed to come up with? I didn't even know what kinds of entertainment existed in this world. I couldn't exactly suggest a thumb war or something.
"...P-please, g-give it back..."
So I had no choice but to answer that way.
Besides, this woman probably hadn't asked because she actually wanted to play together. As she'd said, she was in the middle of bullying me—she'd just opened her mouth because she was bored.
"Hmm. Ah, did you put underwear on?"
"...Ah, n-no..."
After a stretch of meaningless conversation—Haebin asked as if something had just occurred to her (though she'd clearly been thinking it from the start), and my body flinched and trembled.
For reference, in situations like this, not reacting as much as possible was—of course properly defending and responding would be far better, but when you couldn't do that—the best method.
This was the survival strategy of the socially weak. The important thing was to guide things so the mask didn't come off as much as possible.
If the atmosphere turned hostile, hands might start flying—so you had to maintain at least a surface-level friendly mood if you wanted to avoid things that could be avoided.
"Really?"
"...Y-you told me, n-not to wear any..."
It was a lie. I'd kept wearing them until the pre-bed shower, when I'd taken them off while watching for others' eyes.
"Ah. She actually listens. Augh. Can you all step out for a bit? I can't hold back."
Her face was full of smiles. She immediately turned and asked the others that, but no answer came back. Haebin didn't seem to have said it expecting a response either.
"..."
"Look. You're wearing something on top."
"Euk..."
As naturally as a long-married couple with good chemistry, Haebin pulled at my top. And still I had to stay still.
"......"
Something I'd learned from the past few days of enduring, I suppose.
Thinking carefully about it, the fact that my underwear had been stolen today, and that the relationship had changed this way—maybe it was because of my vivid reactions.
Still, if there was any consolation—
Even though these people had long since crossed every line, and even though I'd briefly exposed my lower half while having my underwear taken, they hadn't made any physical contact.
At least, I wouldn't lose my masculine chastity here.
"And below... Kya. Lewd."
"Hey."
"Heh heh! But you really don't grow any hair? Hmm?"
The woman who'd been reading reacted, but Haebin just smiled. Even though the voice was clearly chilling, she didn't seem afraid of it at all.
"...Yes..."
"Weird. You're not lying about your age, are you? Well, that body doesn't look like it. Your chest is a bit small, though?"
"......"
The fact of showing bare skin had perhaps diluted somewhat by now—a slight flush of the face was the full extent of my reaction.
After all, they'd already seen the body once. It was like the psychology of flinching back when mud splashes on you because it's dirty, but after rolling around in the muck, you'll lie down anywhere on the ground.
"Your reactions are kind of... boring."
"Ah..."
After groping my body for a bit, Haebin muttered that. It felt like things were going as intended.
Strictly speaking, the touch was even weaker than Minseo's—and thinking that, I was reminded once again that Minseo was a complete lunatic, a total freak.
Looking back, she really was a strange person. If it had been purely for personal pleasure like this, I might understand—but even though the reason was entirely sexual desire, somehow when she actually had the chance she was considerate of me.
"What are you thinking about?"
"...! Ah, nothing..."
"Hmph. Boring. Get up."
Haebin pushed my back. At that—huh?
Was I being let go already? This fast?
Of course it was good news with nothing bad about it, but it made my earlier resolve look a little ridiculous.
"Aeut..."
Like a chick that had nested in another species' nest, Haebin shoved me firmly with her foot, then reached into the gap between the bed and the wall and pulled out my white underwear.
Looking at the somewhat wrinkled underwear that must have been wedged somewhere, I thought the end of this side quest—which had been surprisingly large in volume for what it was—was approaching.
"Ahaha. Look at that face. Want me to give this to you?"
So when my expression relaxed a little and that characteristic relief of wanting to hurry back and fall asleep set in—
"...Y-yes, i-if you would, g-give it, that would be good..."
"Heh heh. Then, um... Take off your pants. Right now."
Haebin said that while still lying on the bed.
"...R-right now— ah, euk..."
I'd almost asked again. I couldn't know what new excuse she'd grab to drag the conversation out...
Despite the dilution, the shame I still felt made me turn my head to look at the woman who'd closed her book and was watching.
In other words, I sent a look asking for help, but...
"What."
"Ahaha! Yeoreum seems to like you! Help her out a little."
"What are you talking about. Ugh. Shut up. You shut up too. Ah ah, don't open your mouth."
After responding to Haebin's words, she threatened the woman on the lower bunk who was about to add something by looking ready to throw her book.
How should I put it. I felt like I'd become a clown. I was standing here for their entertainment, but I felt like I wasn't being treated as a human being—just an amusing object.
"..."
Fidgeting. In the end, unable to endure the expectant glances everyone was casting my way, my eyes darted around—
"What are you doing? I said take them off. Honestly I want to see too. Getting to see Han Yeoreum naked?"
"Uh, yes...?"
"Take them off. Top first. Heh."
At the seductive smile of that woman.
So this was how it was. I had no choice, so I just grabbed the hem of my top.
"Wow, she doesn't listen to me. Traitor."
Ignoring Haebin's voice from behind, I slowly started to lift my top—then, thinking it looked like some kind of striptease act, I hurriedly pulled the clothes off.
My hair got caught in the clothes and became a bit of a mess before gravity pulled it back down, and the insulating layer between skin and fabric vanished, leaving a cool sensation.
"..."
My face burned, but I could endure it well enough. The fact was, morning and evening, during showers, I sometimes ran into security team members—
Even if standing alone stripped in the center like this was awkward, well, I'd already rolled in the mud. Yeah, it clearly didn't matter at all.
"She's actually taking it off. Wow. Look how skinny."
My skin stung. I could feel those gazes raking over my body, and even the goosebumps that rose—people were watching like it was entertaining.
"U-uh... P-please give it back..."
I had no choice but to say.
Of course, when I turned to look, Haebin just tapped her own chest with a delighted smile.
"......I-if I take them off, you'll g-give it—"
"Depends how you do? First of all, you keep not taking them off right away... so the odds have dropped a bit?"
Fuck. She clearly intended to only give it back once I was completely naked.
Even when I turned my head again and met the others' eyes, far from stopping her, they were just watching with the gaze of people enjoying some entertainment—like watching a drama or a movie.
"..."
I sent both hands behind my back and unhooked the clasp with little tugs. The continuous pressure I'd never experienced in my days as a man disappeared, and soon the bra hung on, barely covering the front.
"H-huu..."
That comfort felt so strange.
I slowly slid the shoulder straps to the side. Naturally it slipped down, and when I pulled one arm free, the bra dropped to the floor with a soft sound—and Haebin immediately took it again.
Looking now, she'd also collected the top I'd taken off at some point—
"Ahaha. Ah, don't cover up. So tiny. No, you know I mean cute because it's small, right? Super small! Cute! Heh heh!"
"U-uh... P-please give it...!"
"Ahaha...! Yeah yeah. I'll give it. Can you turn around once?"
"..."
I turned around once. Those tiny footstep sounds were so clear in my ears.
"It is small. Well, not like super small. Heh heh. Being stranded isn't so bad, huh?"
The woman had completely lost interest in her book now. I was so embarrassed I could barely lift my head.
"Ah, it's getting hard."
"...! H-hurry and g-give it!!"
"Heh heh. Why is it standing up? Do you maybe like this kind of thing? Have we not been considerate enough all this time?"
"U-uuuh...!"
There was nothing left to endure or not endure. I could feel serious scratches forming on my self-esteem.
My precious little seed...
"I-it's because I'm c-cold...!"
So when I raised my voice.
"Ahaha...! Don't get mad. Even if you shake your bare chest around like that, it's not scary at all."
Haebin finally handed over the underwear. She held out the one with a white ribbon in the center that I hadn't wanted to wear at all when I first saw it.
At the same time—
"Want to change here?"
A voice from behind.
"...What?"
I was wearing nothing but a single pair of pants. Toward the owner of the voice behind me—I'd never felt this level of betrayal in my life. Of course, I'd known she wasn't on my side either.
"Hey. Throw those over."
"The clothes?"
"All of them."
Haebin threw the clothes in an arc, and the woman on the bunk bed caught them.
"I'm gonna go wash up a bit? Just realized I forgot to brush my teeth. Heh."
She smirked at me and stepped down the bed ladder.
Me, without even underwear, in nothing but pants.
The fact that underwear goes inside pants, and the security team members who looked like they'd never lend me other clothes, lined up in my head—and on the far right was an equals sign.
And to the right of that equals sign was the future of an exposure walk—walking to the shower room with bare breasts, wearing only pants.
"...!"
I lunged to stop her, but the woman burst out laughing and left the room at high speed.