Can I Take a Quick Look at Yours?
Ihyeon didn't answer my question right away.
Inside the cozy room, the anime's opening theme song continued to play softly in the background.
Click.
She pressed the pause button on the remote and turned around to face me. I shifted as well, turning toward her. Sitting face-to-face on the narrow sofa brought our faces dangerously close—so close that I could distinctly see the fine lines of her lips, coated in a soft pink gloss.
"To be honest... I've been watching your sister's stream. Yeoeun-ssi's channel."
Ihyeon broke the silence, speaking quietly.
"You mentioned before that you were going to appear on her stream, remember? I've been tuning in ever since."
She no longer seemed particularly flustered.
"It was my first time ever watching internet live streams, but... Yeoeun-ssi's broadcasts suit me surprisingly well."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Her voice is soothing, and the overall atmosphere is relaxing. I often leave her past broadcasts playing when I go to sleep."
Yeoeun-noona's viewer demographic tended toward a higher age group. Besides people in their twenties, she had a substantial following in their thirties and even forties. Personally, I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but women seemed to find her voice particularly pleasant. On the flip side, I had heard she had practically zero male viewers.
"So whenever I have some free time, I make sure to catch her stream. That's how I already knew you and Yeoeun-ssi both love anime."
"Ah, I see. But do you even play games, Noona? Her main content is gaming."
"I don't play them myself, but just watching turned out to be really fun."
As she spoke, Ihyeon handed me a cushion and a blanket. It seemed she hadn't brought them over for herself after all.
"I watched every moment you were on stream, too. But I really wasn't trying to keep it a secret from you."
"Then why didn't you mention it?"
"I thought it might feel burdensome. You already know how I feel about you, so if you found out I was religiously watching your sister's stream, it might have felt overwhelming."
Ihyeon confessed that she had agonized for hours over whether she should send me a message saying she had enjoyed the broadcast.
"In the end, I thought it would be better to tell you in person. But you noticed before I could even bring it up."
"Ah, so that's what happened. I understand."
I had only brought it up to tease her playfully, but Ihyeon had responded with dead seriousness. Naturally, I matched her earnest tone.
"Are you feeling embarrassed or burdened by it at all?"
"No. I'm really fine. And what I said just now wasn't meant as an interrogation, either."
"Really? What a relief. I was terrified you might think I was keeping secrets from you."
A look of relief washed over her features, and a faint smile returned to her face. Then, carefully reading my mood, she added one more confession.
"Um... earlier at the cafe, you asked for my Inbyeol account."
"Yes."
"*Sigh.* I'll be completely honest about that, too. Please don't misunderstand me."
Taking advantage of the momentum, Ihyeon made another confession. When I actually heard it, it turned out to be utterly trivial.
"It's true. So you really don't need to pay it any mind. From now on, I'm only going to look at your photos, Jeongseo. Those other pictures just popped up because of the algorithm..."
"Noona."
Ihyeon was worried I might get jealous. More than that, she seemed terrified that I would look down on her with disgust, thinking she was some creep who spent all day ogling photos of men.
"That's completely fine, too. You don't have to show me your phone."
"Huh?"
"Watching porn is fine, too. Women watch a lot of porn, don't they?"
Ihyeon, who had been about to offer me her phone, froze in shock at my blunt words.
"Uh... well, we certainly watch a lot more than men do, I suppose."
"Right. I have no intention of policing things like that."
"Ah, but for a woman, I barely watch any at all! Really, only once in a blue moon..."
"*Chuckle.* Sure. I understand."
Ihyeon cared for me deeply. The other day, she had solemnly laid her feelings bare before me. While her reasons were understandable, I had still thought her attachment to me bordered on excessive.
"Virtual things don't matter, but you can't do that sort of thing in real life."
"Huh? Of course not! What are you even saying? In fact, I'm not even going to watch porn anymore."
"Yes. That's enough for me. And also..."
As my own emotions had gradually begun to awaken, I had realized something: the human heart isn't something that can simply be controlled at will. I still didn't fully comprehend the emotion called romantic love, but...
"Things like this. It's fine when you're alone with me, but I'd like you to be more careful normally."
"Huh? About what?"
I leaned in closer to her until our breaths brushed against each other.
"Right here. Your chest is completely exposed. Be careful with things like this. Don't go showing it to other men."
"Ah... *giggle.* Yes! I understand."
The neckline of the dress she was wearing had parted, revealing a deep view of her cleavage. When I pointed it out, Ihyeon let out a sweet giggle, looking at me as if I were utterly adorable.
"As if any man would even be interested in looking at that."
"Promise me anyway. Do you know your panties are visible right now, too? I'm completely serious."
"Yes. I give you my solemn promise. Unless I'm meeting you, I'll only wear pants and clothes with tight collars. Will that do?"
"Yes. Thank you."
I had exposed my clinging possessiveness to her—something that might easily have come across as suffocating or repulsive. Yet Ihyeon seemed thrilled. Her face glowed brighter and happier than I had ever seen it.
We settled back side-by-side to watch the anime. Proping cushions behind our backs, we found a comfortable position, setting the blanket aside next to us.
"...So that's how the story unfolds in the original work."
"I'll have to binge-read the whole thing once I get home. The plot is really entertaining."
I intended to reward Ihyeon. After all, she had voluntarily confessed things that she might have considered shameful secrets. It was only right to repay her honesty and her devoted heart.
"Oh, right. Noona, what's your Pajijik ID?"
As I asked, I casually leaned my head against her shoulder. Ideally, I would have liked to have her lean on me, but this position felt far more natural given our physical disparity.
"...It's... Why do you ask?"
"Hm? I couldn't hear you clearly."
"JOY... Spelled in English letters. It's Joy."
"Wait, really? You're JOY-nim?"
"Yeah. It's my nickname."
Having leaned against her for a brief moment, I sat back up straight.
"Ah... Joy, Jo Ihyeon. That makes sense. But why did you donate so much money?"
"I wanted to do something for you... You took precious time out of your busy schedule to appear on stream. You should get something out of it."
"I'm fine. I'm far more worried about you, Noona."
If it had been small donations of ten or twenty thousand won, that would have been one thing. But she had gone way too far. While doctors were high-earning professionals, as far as I knew, she was ultimately still living on a regular hospital salary. Without realizing it, I slipped into nagging mode.
"You bought a car recently, too. Your regular expenses must be piling up. And seeing that you live alone, isn't your current place either a monthly rental or a jeonse deposit?"
"Huh? Uh, well... Jeongseo-ya."
"I appreciate the sentiment. But please don't do that from now on."
"You really are something... Are you sure you're only twenty?"
Ihyeon looked thoroughly baffled. She mumbled that because I seemed to lack common sense in certain areas, she had never expected me to lecture her on personal finance like this.
I couldn't help it; my possessiveness had gotten the better of me. She was a grown adult with her own financial judgment, yet I had spoken strictly by my own standards.
"You're worrying about me, aren't you?"
"Of course. I know you've saved diligently, but you shouldn't blow through your savings like that."
"I'm... truly touched. But Jeongseo, you barely even use the card I gave you."
"I used it the other day."
Hearing my reply, Ihyeon pulled out her phone and showed me the screen. The transaction history displayed my single purchase at a convenience store from a few days ago.
"1,800 won. This single purchase was all there was."
"Yes. I bought what I needed and used it well. Thank you."
"*Hehe.* What did you buy with 1,800 won? Wait... that's not the point."
"Banana milk."
Ihyeon quickly gathered her melting expression, trying to look serious again.
"Good boy. But you know, Jeongseo..."
"Yes?"
"I wasn't going to say anything because it feels a little childish, but..."
"Yes."
"Noona has plenty of money. What you're worried about isn't going to happen. You have no idea how frugally I live on regular days."
"Really? Just how much do you have? Do you own real estate or something?"
I assumed she was just posturing. Chuckling lightly, I shifted my posture. Lying down sideways, I rested my head directly on her soft, squishy thighs. They were delightfully plush, feeling as if they hadn't touched a single workout machine in her entire life.
"Yeah. I do."
"Really? That's impressive, but you still need to save. How can you claim to live frugally when you drop donations like that?"
The moment I laid my head down, Ihyeon's body froze stiff. She was sitting with both legs stretched out straight, her plump thighs pressed tightly together against the sofa cushions—and my head was resting squarely on one of them. Through my cheek, I could feel the sheer, silky texture of her thin stockings.
"Um... well, since you're so mature, Jeongseo, I'll just tell you."
"Alright."
Ihyeon gingerly rested her hand on my hair. Given how confidently she spoke, I assumed she owned a single apartment unit. Securing an apartment in Seoul was no easy feat, though people often took out substantial mortgages to do so.
"The officetel I'm living in right now."
"Yes."
As expected. Was she saying she owned the unit outright instead of paying rent?
"That entire officetel building belongs to me."
"Right. Not having to pay rent makes a huge difference. Especially in Seoul, with such a great location..."
"Jeongseo. The officetel. Build. Ing. The entire commercial building belongs to me."
I had been lying sideways with my eyes fixed on the television screen. At her words, I spun around in sheer shock.
Her full, voluptuous breasts immediately filled my field of vision.
"The whole building?"
"Yes. I also have installment savings, stocks, and index funds. Even some crypto..."
Ihyeon offered to show me the asset portfolio she had audited recently if I wanted. Hearing the long list of financial instruments rolling off her tongue, it was clear she managed her wealth meticulously.
"So you really don't need to worry about the money I spend on you."
"You're filthy rich, Noona."
"Mhm. Those donations were well within what I can comfortably afford. And you're the only person I've ever donated to."
It seemed my concerns were entirely unwarranted. With that, I rolled back over toward the TV.
"That's why I was completely serious when I offered to sponsor you before."
"Yes. But I'm still fine. In order to live a complete life, I have to achieve the things I want by my own power."
"Hm? A-ah, I see. You're so admirable like that, Jeongseo."
To be honest, accepting her financial backing wouldn't hurt anything. But right now, that wasn't what held my interest.
Still lying down, I reached out and lightly tugged at the sheer stocking hugging her leg. Snap. I let the fabric twang softly, observing her reaction. She remained seated, her body completely rigid, but I wasn't getting the reaction I had hoped for. She merely seemed to be enduring the stiffness so that I could rest comfortably on her lap.
Ah, right.
I realized this approach was entirely wrong. Recalling our very first encounter, I pushed myself up.
"Huh? Why? Were you uncomfortable?"
"No. Just stretching out my legs."
Leaning my back against the corner of the sofa, I stretched my legs out straight. This time, my bare feet rested directly on top of her plush thighs.
Wait... look at this woman.
Her gaze locked onto my feet in an instant.
This was the right answer.
Now, all I had to do was wait for the fish to take the bait.