Playing with Fire (1)
Zixu couldn't focus on the movie at all. All sorts of fantasies swirled through her mind, and she knew full well that none of them could ever become reality unless she made the first move herself.
She groaned inwardly. Of course, on the outside she pretended nothing was wrong. She was used to that by now—it was a performance she'd long since worn into her bones.
Every time Kang-jun shifted even slightly, Zixu's body froze solid. She knew nothing would happen, yet she couldn't help hoping for some kind of skinship. Kang-jun, for his part, had little interest in the movie either. Watching her reactions was entertainment enough.
Cute.
Zixu was radiating tension. Kang-jun leaned back deep into the sofa and casually draped both arms over the backrest.
"You can relax and watch too."
"Yes, Team Leader."
Look at her pretending to be so composed. Kang-jun held back a snort of laughter. She had no idea he was scanning her figure up and down from behind.
She really is pretty, no doubt about it.
She wasn't the type for cute charms, but as far as looks went, there wasn't a single flaw. And her figure was excellent too… She was definitely a woman too good to let slip away.
An hour later the ending credits rolled and the movie finished. Even after it ended, the two of them stayed in that same position for a moment. That only made the atmosphere stranger.
Kang-jun tapped Zixu on the back. She flinched.
"That was fun, right?"
"Yes. I… enjoyed it too."
Kang-jun stretched with a big yawn and stood up. The clock showed 10:27 a.m. The weather was bright and clear—perfect. Come to think of it, it was spring now. The early morning air still held a chill, but outside it was full spring weather. The budding trees looked lovely.
"Want to go for a walk? The weather's too nice. Feels like a waste to stay cooped up inside."
"Yes!"
Zixu dashed into her room and lightly powdered her face. In a way, this was a date. She calmed her pounding heart.
About thirty minutes later, the two left the team house. It was a bit chilly, but for Zixu, who had endured the dungeon's bitter cold many times, this was nothing.
They headed to a nearby park. Being spring, there were quite a few people—couples too. Zixu was so lost in her own imaginings that none of it registered. Just walking alone with Kang-jun like this felt wonderful. As a handsome man and beautiful woman pair, they drew plenty of stares.
Kang-jun had thoroughly planned the date route. The short walk stretched longer. But Zixu willingly followed his suggestions. To outsiders it might look like the man was actively pursuing her, but only the two of them knew it was thoroughly the opposite.
Okay. Kang-jun raised the limit a little more. Two hundred coupons weren't some random dog's name—he had to succeed no matter what. To get this heavy, cold beauty to make that kind of request, he needed that kind of stimulation.
Since it was nominally a walk, going too far was awkward. They circled the park three or four times, window-shopped the streets, went to the mart for groceries—that was about the limit.
Carrying bags full in both hands, they arrived back at the team house at 1:13 p.m. After putting away the groceries they got a bit hungry and ate the sandwiches they'd bought together. If something had stuck to her lips he could have used it as an excuse to create a steamy atmosphere, but Zixu was thorough in that regard—she didn't even drip, let alone get anything on her. That natural skinship attempt failed.
Kang-jun made two cups of coffee. She accepted with thanks and sipped it. When the conversation died, the atmosphere suddenly turned strange. He had deliberately sat next to her instead of across. His gaze briefly touched her pale nape.
Zixu said nothing, just fiddling with the rim of the coffee cup with her thumb, staring down at the amber liquid. She too realized the atmosphere had suddenly grown oddly charged.
"Zixu."
"Yes?"
The moment she turned her head to look at him, she realized their faces were right up against each other. Close enough for their breaths to mingle. Uh…. She froze as if turned to stone. Her eyelids fluttered several times, then trembled.
Even with zero experience in this area, she instinctively knew this moment was significant. She even held her breath for a second. Her gaze kept darting between his nose and lips. She couldn't look him in the eyes.
Kang-jun's face slowly moved closer. Zixu slowly closed her eyes. And their lips met. At first it was a light peck. But as they met two times, three times, it grew deeper.
It was her first kiss, so she was clumsy. Kang-jun led. Her words were plain, but her actions held no hesitation. They eventually mixed tongues. She kept missing the timing to breathe, snorting rough breaths through her nose several times.
The kiss alone continued for nearly five minutes. Her body crumbled easily under the new stimulation. He held her loosened waist firmly with his arm.
Just as the reins were about to slip a little, suddenly beep-beep-beep-beep—the sound of the door unlocking. They immediately pulled apart and straightened their disheveled clothes as if nothing had happened. Soon Ogre Man and Troll Girl came in.
"You're back already?"
"Yeah, Boss?"
"Me? Just drinking some coffee."
Zixu kept her bright red face lowered, panting roughly. Of course the clueless Ogre Man seemed completely unaware of what had happened between them. Troll Girl at least had a slightly suspicious look in her eyes, but she didn't particularly care. Whether the two were that kind of couple or not was none of her business.
"Alright, go rest."
"Okay."
As they went in, the two entered Ogre Man's room together. Clearly about to fuck. The moment they closed the door, rough panting started up, and Zixu couldn't take it and sprang to her feet.
"I… I'll go to my room too."
"Sure."
Zixu set her empty coffee cup in the sink and hurried into her room. Kang-jun thought it was for the best. Awkwardly backing off after the kiss like an idiot would have been a bit unsightly, and the giant couple had cut it off nicely.
She must be pretty heated up.
On top of that, when that giant couple fucked, the whole team house got noisy, so to cool her heated body she'd have no choice but to comfort herself.
Zixu dove onto the bed the moment she entered her room. Her body was burning. She couldn't forget that intense kiss just now. It was good. Really, so good. She had never felt a thrill more electric than that. She wanted to run to Kang-jun right now and beg him to kiss her again.
Her crotch was already flooded. She felt like she was going crazy. She was suddenly scared, as if she'd touched something enormous. At the same time, jealousy toward Hye-mi exploded. Then she resented herself for being jealous of that pure girl. Strictly speaking, wasn't she the rolling stone that had come later? …But she couldn't give him up. Because of this kiss, that resolve only grew firmer.
Yeah, as long as I don't get caught.
She even started thinking such wicked thoughts. Hye-mi was a bit dense, so if she thoroughly deceived her, she definitely wouldn't notice. What am I thinking! Then she cursed herself again for planning to deceive someone like a sister. Then the jealousy cycle repeated….
Zixu even reached the thought of why Kang-jun had kissed her. Was it because neither of them could overcome the atmosphere of that moment? He had clearly approached first. But wasn't she also guilty for not refusing? Yeah, we're accomplices. Team Leader and I are in the same boat. She rationalized it that way.
She was anxious. She started chewing her thumbnail again. Every time she recalled the kiss scene, happiness and anxiety hit at once. Shouldn't she ask why he did it? No matter how impulsive, he wouldn't kiss if he had no feelings at all, right? Was it really a mistake? Was she the only one having this conflict?
Zixu's head felt like it would explode from all the speculation. Ultimately, she knew none of these questions would be resolved without hearing his answer. But her feet wouldn't move easily. She put her hand on the doorknob thinking she had to ask now, then let go, repeating it several times.
She bit her lower lip hard enough to leave deep tooth marks. Why did we kiss? She launched into a full parade of fantasies on that topic. Forbidden love content naturally came up too. Then her thoughts developed into how she didn't fall short of Hye-mi in any way.
No. That's not it.
Every time something related to Hye-mi came up, her chest tightened with guilt. The face of her smiling innocently, calling her "Unnie," floated before her eyes. …But it was erased by that intense kiss with him. Then redrawn, erased, repeating.
Alright, let's ask. She finally mustered the courage and twisted the doorknob. The door creaked open. From the living room came the panting moans of a man and woman. That made her feel even more insane. Hot breath hissed through her slightly parted lips.
Her feet wouldn't leave the ground easily. She stood stealthily like a thief cat in front of his door, but couldn't find the courage to open it. …She really didn't think she could do that.
Thinking what if Kang-jun suddenly flung the door open, she was about to return to her room when—
!
The door really did fling open. Zixu's heart dropped as if she'd been caught stealing, and she didn't know what to do.
"Ah…"
Her dropped gaze darted back and forth. Her mind was a mess. She madly regretted why she had come here.
Kang-jun snatched Zixu's wrist and pulled her into the room. It was so sudden her body tilted forward a little. When the door slammed shut, she could hear her heart pounding. She was so tense her ears rang with tinnitus.
"Why'd you come?"
Zixu just kept breathing roughly with her head dropped. She was trembling so much her vision swam. Right now Hye-mi and everything else didn't enter her mind.
Kang-jun persistently waited for Zixu's answer. Her legs gave out. So she leaned lightly against the wall.
Kang-jun gently pulled Zixu over and sat her on the edge of the bed. He dragged a chair in front of her and sat facing her.
"Why were you in front of the door?"
Zixu's mouth was sealed shut and wouldn't open. Kang-jun took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out.
After several attempts, she finally opened her mouth.
"Earlier… why… did you do that?"
For the first time she slightly raised her eyes to meet his gaze, then dropped them again.
"Do what?"
"That… kiss…"
The last words were like an ant crawling.
"Did you hate it? …Then I'm sorry."
"No, it's not that…"
Zixu quickly shook her head denying his words. Then realizing her own disgraceful behavior, she hung her head low again. A continuous stream of actions unlike her. Her nickname of Ice Beauty would cry.
"I was wondering… why you did it."
Her two hands fidgeted on her thighs. Kang-jun looked down at that and smiled crookedly. From here on, the wordplay was important.
"I thought we felt the same."
"…What?"
"Then why didn't you refuse?"
Zixu opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, then closed it again. Silence flowed once more. After a long while she opened her mouth.
"About… Hye-mi…"
"…Don't tell her?"
Zixu slowly nodded.
"Got it. …Is that what you came to say?"
Her head bent even lower. It seemed there was something more she wanted to confirm.
"Team Leader, what does… ‘the same feelings’ mean?"
Indeed, modern people's sense of morality was this hard to pierce. Kang-jun gently led her around until Zixu herself smashed it.
"Do I really have to say it?"
"I want to hear it."
"Then let me ask first. What did you think when you heard ‘the same feelings’?"
She swallowed hard.
"Liking… that kind of thing."
"Right. I like you. Do you like me?"
Her chest expanded and contracted repeatedly. Hearing him say he liked her directly made her so happy she felt like she could fly into the sky. But she was too embarrassed to show that in front of him.
"…Yes."
"How much?"
"A lot… I like you a lot."
Finally. Kang-jun had at last heard the words "I like you" from this ice beauty's mouth. It had taken quite a while to get here.
But she still didn't seem to have completely thrown off her conscience. Hye-mi kept bothering her. Kang-jun didn't particularly make it comfortable for her. He intended to let her taste that mix of guilt and pleasure. That way a person's compensation psychology would grow stronger. Since she was taking that much risk, she would desire even greater pleasure….
That makes her easier to handle.
"Shall we keep it secret from Hye-mi?"
"…Yes."
"Then, with me… do you want to end it here?"
Zixu slowly shook her head. She didn't want that. They had even confirmed each other's feelings.
"Then what do you want to do?"
Her fingers fidgeted. This time no answer came.
"Just… want to keep this kind of relationship going?"
"…If we can hide it, I want to hide it."
"Behind Hye-mi's back?"
She couldn't bring herself to say outright that they should become a secret relationship, so she avoided answering. But silent affirmation could be felt.
"Alright… so you're saying that would be more comfortable for you?"
"Yes…"
"I'll still continue that kind of relationship with Hye-mi, you know?"
"I don't want to hurt Hye-mi."
It was actually a selfish choice, but she didn't seem to want to completely tear down her last bit of conscience. Of course that was a kind of insurance in case they got caught. Zixu was human too—she wouldn't be without such thoughts.
"Then let's do that."
Kang-jun stood from the chair. Zixu, thinking the conversation was over, stood with him. He suddenly grabbed her as she turned to leave and kissed her. The startled woman briefly pressed both arms to her chest in resistance, but soon melted.
The dense kiss continued again. …Yeah, this is enough.
Zixu had reached the most realistic solution she could manage.