Yerim at the Convenience Store (5)
"Dad, come eat!"
Dad had holed himself up in the room the moment he finished washing up, as if the embarrassment were more than he could stand. It wasn't as if this were his first time in someone else's house, yet the way he scurried straight back inside after bathing made him look just like a squirrel.
"Why do you keep going into my room, Papa?"
Iseul said it like she was complaining, but she was clearly delighted at the thought of Hanbyul coming and going from her room. The silly grin plastered across her face gave her away completely.
Prodded by the two girls, Hanbyul finally emerged from the doorway. Stepping out of the dim room into the bright living-room light, he squinted a little.
"Ah... sorry, Iseul."
He dragged himself out like a drowned rat, his whole body sagging — and his eyes were swollen puffy, with a hint of redness besides. There was no way the two of them would miss that.
"Dad, did you cry? Your eyes are all swollen..."
"Daaad... what's wrong..."
Whether they had sensed the shift in Hanbyul's mood or not, worry poured out of them. Even when he insisted he was fine, they wouldn't believe a word of it, so he hurriedly changed the subject.
"L-let's just eat first. I'm hungry..."
The girls let his painfully awkward performance slide. It was getting hard to tell who was supposed to be worrying about whom.
What is all this...
He hadn't expected much, but the moment he saw the food on the table, he was stunned. Somehow they had put together a whole spread — sliced boiled pork, fresh kimchi, and tuna porridge, all laid out together. Steam curled up from the dishes, each one looking utterly delicious.
"Dad, you try it first."
At Jia's urging, he scooped up a spoonful of porridge. The rich aroma of sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds bloomed in his nose, and the warm, silky swallow sent a shiver through his taste buds.
It's good.
It was so good. The thought that his daughter — the same girl who had once struggled just to fry an egg — had made porridge for him... maybe that was what made his chest swell. He wasn't entirely sure why, but the emotion welling up inside him brought tears to his eyes.
Jia and Iseul saw the tears sliding down his cheeks.
"Dad, are you sure you're okay...?"
"Why are you crying all of a sudden..."
Hanbyul's sudden tears left them fidgeting in their seats, unable even to pick up their spoons. There was nothing more inconsiderate than keeping people from eating when delicious food was sitting right in front of them.
"Ah... no... it's just so good. Thank you... my girls..."
He could feel his exhausted heart slowly mending under their warmth. And yet the fact that even as they took such care of him, all he had given them was hurt and disappointment — that made him shudder. He bit down on the inside of his cheek in self-reproach, and the taste of blood filled his mouth. The skin had split, and blood seeped out. That metallic taste only reminded him once more of the price of his sins.
"This is amazing...! Jia, Iseul! Come on, eat!!!"
He cranked his energy way up and piled boiled pork onto Jia and Iseul's plates. Watching him, they gave him that you're hopeless look, then snorted a laugh and picked up their spoons.
"I really never know what to make of you, Dad..."
"Papa! Feed me~"
"Hey! Don't you have hands?! Don't you have feet?!"
They had barely sat down to eat together and already the kids were bickering. At times like this they really were just a pair of kindergartners.
"Alright! You worked hard making all this food. Dad'll feed you. Here! Aaah~"
He picked up a piece of meat from the plate and fed it to Iseul, who had her mouth open like a baby bird.
"Aaah~ chomp! Mmm~ so goood!!!"
Iseul carried on about how delicious it was without even chewing. Jia seemed both annoyed and, deep down, a little envious. She shot Iseul a sour look, then parted her own lips just a little.
"Ah..."
Missing that would have been grounds for having his dad license revoked, so he immediately picked up a piece of meat and slipped it into Jia's mouth.
"H-hmph...!"
The way she chewed with her face all red was just too cute. Looking at these two, so adorable he wanted to nibble their cheeks—
"Aigoo~ why are you both so cute!"
He beamed with crinkled eyes and reached out to stroke both girls' soft cheeks.
"Hnn...!"
"Papa...♡"
Hanbyul paced in front of the front door, a mix of anxiety and worry churning inside him. And no wonder — he had arrived home with no idea how Jia had explained things to Jiwoo.
What did she tell her...?
He fretted that she might have exaggerated everything. Jia had said she was staying over at Iseul's to hang out, so there was no one he could lean on. She must have been too absorbed in playing — she wasn't reading his texts or picking up his calls.
What am I supposed to do...?
Hanbyul dithered like a husband who had been kicked out of his own house. Then he stopped dead.
Alright. I'll open it.
He steeled himself and reached for the handle — and the door flew open, swinging outward from the inside as if someone had been waiting. Someone was standing there.
"Ah..."
"Hanbyul. Do I really have to come out here like this...?"
The front door stood wide open. Jiwoo was planted on the threshold, her expression sharp, brows furrowed. In one hand she held the cat plushie he had given her as a gift back when they were dating in high school.
It's been so long since I've seen that...
Of course, a brief trip down memory lane was a luxury Hanbyul could not afford right now.
"Did you have to worry me this much? This is why I can't help being so obsessed with you. Do you have any idea how scared I was? You come home late without even thinking about how I feel."
"I-I'm sorry..."
"You couldn't even contact me? You could've called on the way today. Are you trying to drive me crazy?!"
"J-Jiwoo..."
Neighbors started peeking out from every direction, thinking a couple's fight had broken out. Sensing those stares, Jiwoo quickly cut off her scolding.
"Just come inside."
She ushered Hanbyul into the house. A chill settled over him the moment he stepped through the door. Jiwoo led the way with her arms locked tightly across her chest, and the instant they reached the living room she spun around and fixed him with a piercing glare.
"You know what I'm about to say, don't you?"
"Y-yeah..."
Even if he had had ten mouths, he wouldn't have had a word to say.
"Honestly... Jeon Hanbyul."
"Uh... Jiwoo..."
The atmosphere in the house was like walking on thin ice. He was so cowed he couldn't keep his hands still for even a second. What kind of lecture was he about to get? How was he going to be scolded? What kind of lesson was he in for? All sorts of thoughts rattled around in his head — and then she did something that blew every last one of them away.
She pulled him into her arms.
"I was so worried..."
No — Hanbyul found himself wrapped in Jiwoo's embrace. She squeezed him tight, as if she never wanted to let go.
"J-Jiwoo..."
Just as I was starting to run out of breath, she took me by the shoulders and met my eyes.
"Hanbyul, you're okay, right...? I was so worried..."
The softened atmosphere, the moisture in her eyes — they soothed the tangle in his chest. That one sentence moved him so deeply that the tears came bursting out all over again.
"Hic... hic... sob..."
Jiwoo waited for me while I cried all over again. Once he had gathered himself somewhat, he forced a smile, trying to lift the gloomy mood.
"Why do I keep crying like this... I guess I'm getting old, Jiwoo..."
"What are you talking about... you idiot..."
Jiwoo patted him gently, comforting his worn-out heart.
"Let's just go to bed for today. For a while, don't push yourself. Just focus on resting."
Jiwoo covered Hanbyul's face with her own. For a brief moment, her husband wore a dazed expression. It took about three seconds before he rubbed his lips and registered the soft, moist sensation. Then, as she pulled back and her face came into view again, he realized that sensation had come from her lips.
She must have found that vacant look of his adorable.
"Mmnh... mmph... smooch...♡"
She kissed him again, sucking on his lips, and only after swallowing did she finally look satisfied.
"Heheh♡"
It wasn't until he saw her licking her lips that Hanbyul snapped back to himself.
"Uh... ah... uh..."
"I love you, Hanbyul. I love you so much♡ I can't live without you... so don't leave me."
Listening to his wife's sweet confession, he headed into the master bedroom. He wished this sweet time could last forever, but reality was not so kind. That fairy-tale happiness, that precious time, didn't last long at all.
Because of the previous day's phone call with Yerim, she had gotten leverage on him. The moment his wife and daughter left the house, Hanbyul headed for the convenience store out front like livestock being led to slaughter. He knew it was stupid, but she had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and all he could feel was trapped.
Ding-a-ling~
The bell he had never paid any mind to before sounded downright ominous today.
"Welcome... ah... you're here? O-ppa."
Yerim looked thoroughly undone. She was wearing a knit top, but it clung so tightly that her ample chest stood out in sharp relief. The skin-tight jeans didn't help either. Just looking at her made his face burn. Whether she had planned it or not, she smiled at the way Hanbyul couldn't keep his eyes still.
"Oppa~♡"
There were customers around, so it seemed she wasn't planning to do anything weird just yet.
"Come in here first."
She brought him behind the counter and sat him in a chair. With customers present, he obeyed without a fuss. There were too many people around to bring up the hidden camera just yet, so he sat quietly.
"Hmm...?"
She looked him over once, then took off her convenience store vest. The moment that blue vest — which had been like a partition — disappeared, Yerim's breasts came into even sharper focus. Then she tugged open the high-necked knit, letting the heat escape. Hot steam visibly rose in wisps. Now that he looked, her hair was plastered to her skin with sweat, and beads of it trickled down around her neck.
Nngh...!
He whipped his head away from the dizzying sight. What on earth was she planning that she would go this far, even putting up with the sweat? His vision was already going dark.
He glanced around. She scanned the store again, and the moment everyone's attention was elsewhere—
"Oppa."
She bent slightly at the waist and whispered in his ear. Hanbyul watched her warily, on high alert. Then, in an instant, she bared her chest.
She hadn't been wearing a bra under the knit. The thick scent of sweat mixed with her feminine pheromones and body heat, hitting him like a powerful aphrodisiac. Her plump, springy breasts sagged downward, and her cherry-like, succulent nipples caught the light. As she spread her breasts apart, sweat and slick stretched between them like threads. Yerim seduced him with her feminine pheromones and those proud, milky mounds.
It worked♡
Hanbyul's pupils went slack. He just stared blankly at her breasts. Seizing the moment of his daze, she shoved his face between her breasts and rubbed. Sweat smeared onto him, and when he opened his mouth to breathe, he ended up licking her with his tongue.
Mmph... mmph... nngh...!
That was the moment a customer started approaching.
"Mmph!!!"
Yerim thought fast and hid Hanbyul.
"Oh my... the part-timer..."