Just the Two of Us at Home
Outside the hair salon, Lee Yurim looked at Yang Dajun, who was standing right next to her, with a pouting expression.
'As expected, Dajun... women just flock to him.'
The thought that he had made another female friend besides her made her feel uneasy, even as they left the salon.
'Of all the people to run into.'
On her way to the salon to pick up Yang Dajun, her path had crossed with a girl. A girl with golden eyes and beige hair tied in a side-ponytail. Even though she had only made brief eye contact, feeling a sense of déjà vu, she had assumed it was just a coincidence. But it turned out this girl and Yang Dajun were acquaintances.
Seeing them greet each other so warmly, as if they were close, she bit her lip. Yang Dajun had accepted the greeting with his usual timid nature, but for some reason, it made her blood boil.
I’m the person closest to Dajun.
I’m the only childhood friend who stays by his side.
He’s such a kind boy who doesn't know any other women besides me.
Lee Yurim glared at the girl in front of her who kept acting so friendly.
'...She’s the one who got Dajun’s number.'
She hadn't seen her up close at school, but it was definitely this girl. This was the first time Lee Yurim had seen Chae Riji in person.
'Sigh.'
She had come to pick up Yang Dajun, only to end up looking like a fool. Lee Yurim let out a sigh and asked Yang Dajun cautiously as they walked down the street.
"Is she the one? Chae..."
"Chae Riji. She asked me to hang out, but I told her I was busy."
Hearing that they had been exchanging texts even after swapping numbers made her bite her lip slightly. It was a relief that he wasn't the type of boy so open that he would just follow a girl he’d met for the first time just because she asked to hang out.
'...Still, it’s a good thing if he makes friends.'
She forced herself to accept that it was a good thing for her childhood friend. Yet, a sense of disappointment lingered in a corner of her heart. Lee Yurim found it hard to figure out why she felt this way.
Walking along the path with Yang Dajun, gazes began to gather around the two of them. Every passerby would glance at them once. Yang Dajun felt burdened by it.
"They keep staring..."
"Come over to my side."
Yang Dajun didn't know why they were staring. He was trembling like a baby bird, afraid of the unfamiliar attention. If he just didn't look back, it would be fine, but he kept making eye contact with passersby, only to be startled over and over again.
'Dummy.'
It probably wasn't easy for him to be out and about after spending so much time at home. Lee Yurim patted Yang Dajun’s shoulder, trying to distract him.
"Your haircut, it suits you well."
"Thanks."
It was a compliment she could give a hundred times and never get tired of. Perhaps because his hair was neat, his features stood out, drawing even more attention. Of course, Lee Yurim was also receiving attention, but the fact that the gazes were focused on Yang Dajun was more important.
'He’ll probably make more friends than this once he starts school.'
Yang Dajun, who had lived quietly until now, would make friends and gradually become more outgoing. 'Then what happens to me...' She should be cheering for him since it was a positive change, but was she being too selfish for wishing things would just stay as they were?
'What are you saying, don't be so narrow-minded.'
Strangely, whenever she thought of Yang Dajun, she couldn't keep a bold heart. Unlike a woman, she kept worrying. Lee Yurim let out a small sigh so Yang Dajun wouldn't hear.
'Do I not look like a woman to him...?'
It was just a shame that Yang Dajun had answered without hesitation. Maybe he said that because he didn't see her as a woman. Perhaps it was because they had known each other for too long.
'Or maybe...'
Lee Yurim shook her head as if it were nonsense. She couldn't consider herself unattractive, as other men had confessed to her frequently. But she didn't need any of those men. The only boy Lee Yurim looked at was Yang Dajun.
'How I look to you is what matters most.'
She quickly took out her phone, turned on selfie mode, and checked her face. Seeing that, Yang Dajun blinked and scrutinized Lee Yurim’s face here and there.
"I didn't ask you anything?"
"I know. I just looked for a second."
'Hehehe...'
Lee Yurim swallowed her laughter. He thought she was looking in the mirror because something was on her face. When she said it wasn't that, he furrowed his brows and tilted his head. It was disappointing that he didn't know how she felt, but Lee Yurim still loved that side of him.
'So innocent.'
Since they had all this history, if she just showed her feminine side, wouldn't he eventually see her as a woman? Her steps became light at the positive thought. Lee Yurim clenched her fists and pumped herself up.
'Let's do this, I'm definitely going to date him!'
As it happened, today would be a great opportunity. Her parents weren't home, and her younger sister, Lee Yeryeong, had said she was going out. So, they would study together, get closer, and fall into a sweet, romantic atmosphere...
"Ugh."
Lee Yurim squeezed her eyes shut and covered her face. When she shook her head at the dizzying imagination, Yang Dajun, who had been watching from the side, suddenly chimed in.
"Are you cold?"
"N-no."
"I'll touch your ears for you."
"Hey, hey, don't..."
She pulled her body back when he reached out his arm to touch her. Whenever Yang Dajun touched her, she felt a tingling sensation like static electricity. So, she dodged him left and right, thinking she absolutely couldn't let him touch her.
"Ah, I can't reach."
"Uh-huh. Come back when you've grown taller."
"Aww..."
Hehehe.
He stood on his tiptoes trying to reach her, but it was no use. No matter how hard he tried, he just ended up waving his arms in the air. 'I hope he stays like that even later.' Because if they ever kissed, he would have to stand on his tiptoes in front of her too. Just thinking about it made her heart flutter. Lee Yurim felt her nose tingle and said to Yang Dajun:
"My parents are all out, is that okay?"
"Hm? Of course it's okay."
He nodded without hesitation. With no one else in the house, just the two of them, a man and a woman. Yang Dajun didn't know the meaning of that. 'So incredibly naive.' In Lee Yurim’s opinion, it was a good thing it was her; if it had been any other woman, he would have been taken away with bad intentions. Well, what can you do? I have to treat him well. 'Still... I have to warn him.' She shook her head and called out to Yang Dajun, who was walking along happily. Her voice was lower than before.
"Hey."
"Why...?"
Yang Dajun stopped walking with a surprised expression. She had only lowered her voice, yet he was already terrified. 'I didn't mean to do that.' Acting really wasn't for her. She couldn't bring herself to say anything harsh even after seeing the look on his face as he looked up at her. Lee Yurim placed her hand on Yang Dajun’s head and ruffled it messily.
"Why are you doing that..."
"No, let's study hard. Hehehe."
"Ahhh, don't, don't."
Perhaps regretting the hair he’d spent so much effort on, he waved his hands and tried to run away. Despite being short, he was flapping about trying to avoid Lee Yurim.
*
Arriving at Lee Yurim’s house with high expectations. Unexpectedly, 'Lee Yeryeong' was still inside.
"What the, you said you were going out...!"
Lee Yurim grabbed her head and pouted.
*
'She looks really disappointed.'
Lee Yurim had been wearing a gloomy face ever since they left the hair salon. She seemed upset because I had made it clear that I didn't have a girlfriend, and therefore, Lee Yurim wasn't my girlfriend.
'It's cute when a girl acts like that.'
It’s not that I dislike Lee Yurim. In fact, I’d welcome a girl like her. But for the sake of my own desires, it’s unavoidable. Instead, I planned to subtly touch her and offer some 'service' once we got to her place. 'She’ll like it if I comfort her a bit.' If I cheered her up, she’d brighten up again, and I’d be able to advance our relationship. Though it would take a lot of effort to get Lee Yurim to take action herself.
Whether she knew my thoughts or not, Lee Yurim clenched her fist alone and wore an incredibly proud smile.
"Hey, let's study hard. Hehehe."
"Ah, don't, don't."
I wondered what she was doing, but she was completely ruffling my hair. I struggled reflexively, but I couldn't resist because she was taller. 'Heh, it actually feels good.' I experienced that no matter how much I struggled, I couldn't overcome her. It was like indirectly experiencing the feeling of being taken by a girl. Lee Yurim looked down at me, trying to stroke my hair, and I struggled a bit before pretending to give in and quietly accepting her touch.
As we walked down the street like that, we finally arrived in front of the apartment where Lee Yurim lived. My impression was simple.
'It's tall...'
An apartment 'Yang Dajun' had visited a few times. For 'me', it felt different. Unlike the run-down house I lived in, it soared high. With its well-maintained facilities and exterior, it was a home I couldn't even dream of in my current situation.
"You're going to strain your neck."
"Hehe..."
I let out a laugh at Lee Yurim’s remark. My thoughts drifted to Lee Yurim’s family. 'They said they were a dual-income household.' According to my memory, both of Lee Yurim’s parents worked. I had also heard that her only younger sister had decided to attend the same school as us.
'And she said she went out today.'
That meant there was no one at Lee Yurim’s house right now. A man and a woman in their prime, all alone with no one to stop them. 'Still, she wouldn't jump me.' Even if our relationship progressed, there were stages to these things. Given Lee Yurim’s personality, she wouldn't cross the line today, no matter how seductive I acted. At most, she’d just fidget at my actions and give me a pitiful look.
'...That's hot.'
I was excited to enjoy that precarious feeling. With a pounding heart, I linked my arm with Lee Yurim’s and got on the elevator.
"Stomach ache?"
"I'm nervous..."
"What, it's not like it's your first time here. Hehehe."
Lee Yurim laughed and pushed me with her shoulder. It was probably a joke, but I lost my balance slightly. I deliberately pouted and hit Lee Yurim back to tell her to stop.
"Ah, don't push."
Slap.
Along with the sound of skin hitting skin, Lee Yurim’s buttocks wobbled.
"Ha, haa..."
Perhaps it hurt because I hit her, she even poked her tongue out and let out a strange moan. I watched her giggle as she stood on her tiptoes, unable to keep her feet on the floor.
"Does it hurt that much?"
"...Ugh, of course. Want to try getting hit?"
"You're going to hit a man?"
I deliberately narrowed my brows and said that, and Lee Yurim let out a deep sigh. Then she began to gently rub her own buttocks. 'Does my hand hurt?' Curious, I tapped her buttocks. Lee Yurim was absolutely horrified.
"A boy, and he doesn't even know how to be shy..."
She grabbed my arm and told me to stop, but I didn't care and kept hitting her until the elevator arrived, making a rhythmic thwack sound.
And finally, we arrived at Lee Yurim’s house. As I followed Lee Yurim, she opened the digital door lock and held the door open for me as usual.
"There, come on in."
"Thanks."
I glanced at her face as I passed by, and she was blushing slightly and smiling at me. She must have been expecting a lot. But the one who greeted us wasn't an empty house, but a girl.
"Unnie, you're home?"
'What, you said there was no one home.'
Standing in front of us was Lee Yurim’s younger sister, 'Lee Yeryeong'. Perhaps not knowing this, Lee Yurim leaned forward and said with wide eyes:
"You said you were going out...?"
"Just, you know, I was home."
Her sharp tone was completely different from her older sister, Lee Yurim. 'Her impression has changed.' When I played with Lee Yurim as a child, I used to include her younger sister, Lee Yeryeong, too. According to Yang Dajun’s memory, she was a quiet kid back then. '...Now she looks like a fox.' With long, curly brown hair and reddish-brown eyes, Lee Yeryeong curved her eyes like crescent moons, smiled softly, and looked at me.
"Hmm... Oppa, it's been a while, hasn't it?"