The Confession (3)
We stepped out of the shower, still damp, and lowered Se-hyun onto the bed. Ji-ye pulled out the blanket from the floor and draped it over us both. Han Su-ah curled up against my arm, humming a soft tune under her breath as she pulled the blanket up to cover us too.
“So… what do you plan to do now?”
“Huh?”
When Su-ah asked, I answered before she could finish. She let out a quiet sigh and said, “You forgot, didn’t you? About Ji-ye. What are we going to do with that girl? Leaving her like this doesn’t seem like the best idea.”
“Ah… that’s not it. It’s fine.”
“Why?”
Su-ah looked up at me from inside my arms. I reached for my phone, turned the screen toward her, and explained, “The conquest is already finished. From now on, I just need to treat them even better.”
Se-hyun had already been added to the list of conquered targets. The final quest condition had been for her to acknowledge me as her master. She probably decided on the spot when she saw me with Se-hyun and Su-ah. Maybe what Su-ah did by coming here today had helped me make that choice.
“What’s this? Oh my! Se-hyun and I are right here too!”
Su-ah scrolled through the screen with obvious interest. “Hoo… so this means the conquest is complete? You caught the fish, huh?”
“Hahaha… no need to say it like that. It’s not like that.”
“Tch, you can’t even joke around.”
Su-ah planted a quick kiss on my cheek and whispered, “So? What’s written here?”
“Um… wanna take a look?”
There was no point in keeping secrets from Su-ah anymore. I tapped her profile, unlocked the screen, and handed her the phone. She kept humming as she scrolled down.
“Hoo… so that’s how it is? I thought something felt off about you… Oh my.”
At the end of the scroll, when she reached the title and skills section, Su-ah grinned from ear to ear and gently stroked my stomach.
“What’s this? ‘Official Wife’? Huh? What does that even mean~”
She seemed to find it a little too straightforward.
***
The next morning, we left Se-hyun—who was sulking because I hadn’t woken her up—on the way to the restaurant. After we each finished a bowl of haejangguk, we parted ways to go back to our normal lives. When we reached the restaurant, we ordered, and Se-hyun drank water while giving me a sideways glare.
“Disgusting.”
“I passed out from crying first, what could I do? Hey, do you really have to go pick up Min-ji? Your class is this evening, right?”
“…She went to see her dad.”
When the topic of her husband came up, Su-ah wore a slightly embarrassed smile.
“It’s okay, Master. Se-hyun’s husband… I mean…”
“What, there’s nothing to hide. And Teacher Kim already knows, right? Our separation is basically over.”
Se-hyun pulled out a tissue and roughly wiped her water-stained lips.
“We didn’t even marry for love in the first place, just because Min-ji was born. I didn’t file for divorce because I thought our daughter was at fault… but I’ve been rethinking it lately.”
Su-ah turned to Se-hyun and asked, “Why? Did your husband leave?”
“He’s such a jerk, right, sis? Obviously he’s probably at some hotel with a college student right now. I’ll be the one to file first.”
The conversation continued in that adult way. They talked about property division, lawyers, and such, and I simply listened, nodding quietly with my mouth closed. It really hit me how young I was compared to these two—barely more than a boy in this world. I still had so much ahead of me.
While we were talking, Se-hyun suddenly grinned at me mischievously.
“What? You look bored because you couldn’t keep up with the conversation?”
“Huh? Master, you’re bored?”
“Not at all. Don’t worry. I was thinking about what I’ll teach tomorrow.”
Honestly, my main job was teaching my two daughters. I had simply been doing my job. But strangely, when I mentioned the girls, Su-ah let out a light laugh and said to Se-hyun, “Really? I thought you first thought I was dating your daughter?”
“You too, sis? I was worried about my daughter not being able to handle the emotional stuff at first.”
“You weren’t in that state back then.”
“Shut up, Teacher Kim.”
Se-hyun rolled her eyes cutely and continued, “Luckily your taste is very unique.”
“Aha… I guess so. Still, I’m… um… no.”
Su-ah vaguely answered with a mischievous smile, but the food arrived and we had to move on.
***
“Haa…”
At the same time, in the convenience store downstairs from our studio, Ji-ye sat slumped over the counter, her mind hazy as she replayed yesterday’s events. For an exhibitionist who had worked alone for years, the pleasure of fainting from just one insertion was an experience she would never forget. She rested her chin on her arms, staring blankly at the books.
She remembered the size that barely fit even if her mouth was stretched wide, the hardness that would crack her teeth if she bit down, and most of all, the heat that made her lips burn.
It was an unforgettable sensation—one that a normal aunt like her might never experience even in death. “…”
Thinking about it made her chest feel tight. But today was different. The reaction didn’t show through her clothes. The only reason was that she had taken extra care with her underwear. Normally she would have worn a plain T-shirt and decent jeans, unconsciously teasing people’s eyes. She hadn’t admitted it, but she still had a decent figure. She had just underestimated herself. If she hadn’t, Se-hyun wouldn’t have noticed her at all.
Today she even stopped to check herself in the mirror for a moment. The memory of yesterday had made her think twice. Most of all, she worried Se-hyun might not come again if she didn’t dress a little better.
“Haa…”
She had even put on the bra she rarely wore, but Se-hyun still hadn’t shown up. In her mind, the image of Su-ah and Se-hyun from last night kept flashing through her thoughts. Two women in their forties—older than her by about eight years—looked younger and more sensual than her. Standing in front of them, the mature woman’s charm that years of hardship couldn’t dim, made her own body feel plain.
“…I want to see him again.”
She muttered that to herself, idly rubbing her thighs to pass the time.
***
“This is stable enough. You’re good at math and English, right?”
“Uwaaah…”
Min-ji always slumped after class, completely exhausted. It was easy to imagine how much her emotions swung—she took after her mother. While organizing the materials, Min-ji mumbled, “Teacher, are you busy?”
“Huh? Yeah, I have to go home. It’s getting late.”
“Can’t you listen to my worries then?”
“Worries?”
Keeping a student’s mental health was part of my job.
“Okay. I’ll listen. What’s wrong?”
“There’s… something.”
Min-ji slowly began to open up. The topic wasn’t new. It was exactly what Se-hyun had talked about this morning at the restaurant.
Min-ji had seen her father’s affair with her own eyes yesterday.
“…”
“Honestly, I hate him, and I resent him, but it wasn’t like I didn’t know… but seeing it up close, my head went white. What do I even do…?”
I didn’t think anyone could answer that. Frankly, telling the daughter of the affair partner about this would only make things worse. I kept my expression neutral and said, “Do you know about your mom?”
“It seems like she knows. I heard her talking to dad yesterday.”
“Ah… I see.”
That was why you couldn’t casually drink cold water in front of kids. It was surprisingly easy to accidentally spill everything.
I didn’t know what to say to Min-ji. I absolutely couldn’t tell her about her parents’ affair in one go. But I also couldn’t stay silent.
“What do you think?”
In the end, I took the safest route.
Min-ji sighed heavily and answered slowly, “I just… I hope mom is happy. Dad has been seeing other women for so long. I wish mom could find happiness with someone else too.”
“You’re quite mature, Min-ji.”
“I don’t know…”
Min-ji stayed hunched over her desk, quietly crying without saying another word. I gently patted her back and stayed beside her until the sobs quieted.
“Rest well.”
After leaving Min-ji to recover, I stepped out and found Se-hyun standing in front of the bedroom door, biting her lip tightly.
“Did class end?”
“Yeah.”
“Min-ji… is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine. I’ll take care of her.”
“Thank you, Teacher Kim.”
Se-hyun spoke in a slightly trembling voice.