Senior's House!
I had to report this immediately.
Isolate Sirin and get myself examined first—
The thought cut off halfway through.
"Sunbaenim."
Star-shaped pupils filled my entire field of vision. Sirin dropped the bright smile she'd been wearing and looked straight into my eyes.
"There was nothing wrong with today's investigation."
"What are you…"
"You just dozed off for a bit because you were tired."
That was complete nonsense.
In my hand I still held the wing the fairy had torn off while crying. From beyond the glass, soft sobs still drifted out of the dollhouse.
There was no way this was safe.
I had to report the Small Fairy's abnormal behavior right now and decide on a disposition.
Isolate Sirin, who appeared to have influenced the Small Fairy, and—
I tried to hold onto the thought, but it slipped through my fingers like sand and vanished.
"You can rest now."
Sirin's voice drew closer. My head grew heavy; my eyelids sank.
Three steps to the emergency button. Please! Please! Please—! Move! Just move, damn it!
"It was you! From the start!"
"Good night, Sunbaenim."
Strength left my body.
I expected to hit the floor, but a soft arm slipped behind my waist. Sirin caught me lightly and settled me into the control-room chair.
"Whew. That was close."
In front of the unconscious Seollin, Sirin pressed a hand to her chest and exhaled.
She sealed the wing, placed it in a container, set the container on the desk, and removed Seollin's goggles.
Then she cupped Seollin's cheeks with both hands.
"It's a problem when you catch on this quickly."
Soft.
Her thumbs pressed into the flesh of Seollin's cheeks and slowly pushed.
When she pushed to the right, Seollin's lips puckered; when she pressed the other side, the cheek rounded out.
Sirin kneaded the soft cheeks for a while.
She poked them with a fingertip, gently tugged with both hands, then cradled them in her palms to feel the warmth. The face that normally scolded her the moment their eyes met now moved obediently under her touch.
"If only you'd let me touch you like this while you're awake."
It was almost a murmur to herself.
Sirin pulled Seollin's cheek once more. She must have tugged fairly hard; the skin flushed a little red.
"Will this leave a mark?"
Despite the worried tone, her hands never left. She rubbed the reddened spot with her thumb and smiled in satisfaction.
Slide.
Her thumb traveled from cheek to the corner of Seollin's mouth.
She pressed lightly on the lower lip of the sleeping Seollin, making it dent inward. Sirin brought her face close and simply gazed at those lips for a time.
If she kissed her now, Seollin would never know.
That was exactly what Sirin disliked. For their first kiss, she wanted Seollin to open her eyes and look at her. Whether Seollin froze in surprise or shoved her away in anger, she wanted to see every expression.
"I'll collect this later. Heehee."
She withdrew the finger that had been pressing the lip and left a short suggestion in Seollin's mind: the investigation had been ordinary, the Small Fairy was safe, and she was so exhausted today that she just wanted to go home and rest.
She didn't push it in deeply this time either. When given strong commands, Seollin would reject them even while asleep, so it was easier to gently amplify thoughts she already held and blend them in.
Once everything was finished, Sirin slipped the goggles back onto Seollin's head. She returned the container with the wing to a conspicuous spot on the desk.
Snap.
She flicked her fingers.
"Wake up now."
Seollin's eyelids fluttered. Sirin quietly slipped out the door.
When I opened my eyes, the control-room ceiling filled my view.
Blink. Blink.
I blinked for a while, then pushed myself upright.
My neck and shoulders were stiff, and my right cheek stung as if someone had pinched it.
"What the…"
No one was around.
Sirin was nowhere to be seen either. On the desk sat a sealed container holding a transparent wing and a revised report.
Looking at the wing brought back what had happened inside the containment chamber.
The fairy that had taken the ballpoint pen couldn't find the object and had handed me one of its wings instead.
A bit of an extreme transaction.
Compared to how extreme some of the others could get, though, it was practically ordinary.
I walked over to the containment glass.
The dollhouse with its red roof was quiet. Door and windows were all shut; nothing inside was visible.
"Asleep?"
No answer came.
No bloodstains or broken objects on the floor, and the biometrics on the monitoring equipment remained stable.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Rewrite the report, send the wing to analysis, and today's work would be done. Until further instructions arrived, the Small Fairy would simply continue under observation in its current state.
More than that, I'm exhausted…
My head felt heavy and my shoulders ached worse than usual. After shuttling back and forth between the washing room and the containment chamber all day, of course my body was worn out.
I just wanted to go home, wash up, and collapse somewhere comfortable.
Once every last task was finished, I headed straight home.
.
.
.
The moment I shut the front door I peeled off the goggles and white lab coat.
I kicked off my jeans at the bedroom doorway and tossed them into the laundry basket—perfect shot.
I pulled the sweater over my head while walking toward the bathroom. The sweat-damp fabric snagged on my chest, forcing me to struggle for a moment.
"Seriously, these things are uselessly huge…"
When I finally flung the sweater aside, my breasts appeared, compressed by a black bra. Long red marks remained where the straps had dug into my shoulders.
In the mirror stood a woman with wet bangs pushed back.
Black hair fell past her shoulders, and the curves that had been hidden under sweater and jeans stood out clearly again. Below a slender waist her hips flared wide, and inside the bra sat a pair of breasts so large they were hard to support with one hand—heavy and solid.
I'd looked at this body every day for four years.
Hah.
It still felt strange sometimes.
Back when I lived as a man, if a woman like this had been standing around the house in her underwear, I wouldn't have known where to put my eyes.
I unhooked the bra and the compressed breasts settled softly downward. The sudden release of pressure made breathing easier, but the weight remained fully on my shoulders and back.
I cupped them with both hands and lifted them a few times. My shoulders felt considerably freer. Light.
"…Not like I can just cut them off."
I muttered to myself as I turned on the shower.
Ever since becoming a woman—maybe because of the hormones—I'd started talking to myself like some girl. I'm a real man, damn it!
Warm water poured over my head. Black hair clung stickily to my neck and back; the stream ran over my shoulders and down the rounded surfaces of my breasts.
Stiff muscles slowly loosened under the heat.
"Haa…"
It felt good.
Nnngh…
I braced one hand against the wall and aimed the shower spray at my right shoulder.
Press. Press.
Each time my fingers dug into a knot, a dull ache bloomed and then faded.
The hand massaging my shoulder drifted down past my collarbone. I rubbed the strap marks left on the upper curve of my breast, then cupped the underside that pulled under its own weight and lifted it with my palm.
Fatigue seemed to wash away with the warm water.
After working up a lather I washed slowly from my neck downward. Arms, underarms, the space between and beneath my breasts—my hands passed over all of it. Slippery foam slid down my waist and past my navel.
Because soap bubbles had collected in my navel, I hooked a finger and scooped them out little by little. The simultaneous ticklish and tingling sensation felt a little strange.
When I twisted my arms behind me to wash my back, my breasts swayed with the motion. Even after four years I still wasn't used to the way flesh jiggled every time I moved in the narrow bathroom.
I washed down to my thighs and calves, then rinsed the foam first.
Finally I aimed the water at my right cheek. When I pressed it with a fingertip it still hurt a little.
"Did I bump into something…?"
I couldn't remember.
By the time I finished showering my body felt pleasantly limp. I roughly squeezed the water from my hair and wrapped a large towel over my chest.
I only realized I hadn't brought a change of clothes after I opened the bathroom door.
"Ah."
The living-room lights were on.
Lee Sirin was sitting on the sofa…
Still in the same short black skirt and white shirt. Wearing that even after clocking out…
Her golden hair spilled long over the back of the sofa, and she held my television remote in one hand.
"Did you wash up nicely?"
I stared at Sirin while still gripping the doorknob.
—Why are you here.
I tried to say it, but the words wouldn't come out.
Come to think of it, had we planned to hang out today?
I seemed to remember saying we should rest at home after work and grab some late-night snacks.
I couldn't recall when we'd made the promise, yet the sight of Sirin sitting there didn't feel strange at all.
"Sunbae, thanks for inviting me over today!"
"Did I… invite you?"
"Yes. You insisted I come."
"I guess I did…"
Sirin's gaze traveled from my wet hair down to my bare shoulders. It slowly traced the upper swell of my chest above the towel and the water droplets beading on my legs.
My face heated.
"D-don't look at me like that."
"Why? You're pretty."
Sirin set the remote down and rose from the sofa. Bare legs stretched long beneath the short hem of her skirt. With every step she took toward me I retreated toward the bathroom.
My back hit the door.
"Stay right there."
"You're dripping. We need to dry you off."
Ignoring me, Sirin reached out. Her index finger wiped a droplet from my collarbone. The fingertip that slid along my wet skin brushed the edge of the towel, and my body flinched.
"Hands off!"
Even when I grabbed her wrist she only smiled. Up close, her star-shaped pupils caught the ceiling light and glittered more vividly. A sweet fruity scent mixed with the smell of shampoo.
"Sunbaenim looks even prettier after a shower."
"What's that supposed to mean…?"
"You're always pretty, but right now I can see just how pretty you are, and I like that."
Her gaze lingered on the upper curve of my chest above the towel. Belatedly I covered myself with one hand.
I only realized that pressing my arms together made my breasts push up even more after Sirin's smile deepened.
"Are you a pervert?"
"Huh? We're both girls."
I shoved the wrist I was holding. Sirin obediently stepped back two paces, but her eyes remained sticky on me.
"I'm going to put clothes on, so wait."
"I'm fine with you like this."
"Hey."
"Yes! I'll wait."
I clutched the top of the towel with one hand and headed for the bedroom.
After changing into an oversized short-sleeved top and short sleep shorts, I came out to find Sirin holding a hair dryer in one hand.
"Come here. I'll dry your hair for you."
"I can do it myself."
"You invited me over, Sunbaenim. I want to repay you somehow."
"…Who repays someone by drying their hair?"
Pat. Pat.
Sirin patted the floor in front of the sofa with her palm.
I was about to refuse, but the wet hair clinging to my neck was annoying enough that I sat down in front of her.
Whirrr.
Warm air blew from the dryer.
Sirin lifted my black hair with one hand and dried it slowly from the roots. Every time her fingers raked lightly across my scalp, the tension in my shoulders eased a little more.
Hnn…
I could feel both of Sirin's legs behind my back.
Whenever she shifted position, her bare thighs brushed against me. Strands of hair slipped forward and tickled my cheek.
"Does it feel nice?"
"Not bad."
"Then should I do this for you from now on?"
"You're coming to my place again…?"
"You don't want me to?"
Click.
The dryer fell silent.
Sirin leaned forward and rested her chin on my shoulder. Right beside me I could see her star-shaped eyes.
Heehee.
She laughed softly, as if something delighted her.
Between the renewed whir of the dryer, her chest brushed lightly against my back and then drew away.
Even after my hair was almost dry, Sirin ran her fingers through it a few more times. At the end she gently pressed her palm against the crown of my head.
"All done, Sunbaenim."
"Thanks."
After answering I felt a strange sensation.
Had I ever let this kid dry my hair before? Why did it feel so natural? The whole situation right now—
Before I could seize the question, Sirin held her phone out in front of my shoulder. The screen was packed with delivery-food options.
She pressed her chin into my shoulder again.
The knotted muscle twinged under the pressure, yet somehow it felt good.
"Sunbaenim, I'm hungry. Let's get late-night snacks."
"…What do you want?"
"Chicken's good, tteokbokki's good, pizza's good, malatang's good! I want to try jokbal too."
"…You're going to eat all that?"
"We can take our time together."
"Even for two people that's way too much."
"Then you pick, Sunbaenim. Anything's fine."
Anything?
This crazy girl?
I scrolled through the screen, thinking for a moment.
Spicy tteokbokki with fried snacks, chicken with beer.
I preferred not to mess up tomorrow's work if I could help it… still…
"…Half-and-half chicken."
"Great!"
"And one spicy tteokbokki."
"That's my Sunbaenim!"
Heehee.
A laugh mixed with her voice sounded right beside my ear.
Sirin's lips were close enough to brush the shell of my ear.
"Need anything to drink?"
"Then beer…!"
"There's some in the fridge."
"If we drink, I can stay over tonight, right?"
I turned my head. Sirin's face was closer than I'd expected. At a distance where our noses almost touched, I met her blue eyes.
"Who said you could sleep over?"
"You invited me, Sunbaenim!"
Had I really invited this kid?
The doubt didn't last long. Sirin's chin was resting on my shoulder, and the fingers overlapping mine were warm.
Her star-shaped pupils curved into crescent moons.
Ding-dong.
I'd only ordered a moment ago, yet the delivery had already arrived. My head throbbed.