Pillow Talk
"I'm back."
"Haaam... Welcome home, Spica."
When Spica returned home loaded down with bags, Sihyun was lying on the living room sofa, enjoying a light afternoon nap. He stirred at the sound of her entering and greeted her warmly.
"What's for lunch?"
"It's eel rice bowl."
"Oh. Eel sounds good."
The eel had been grilled until tender yet chewy, then coated in a sweet-savory sauce to create a delicious grilled eel rice bowl. After sleeping in lazily from the morning, they enjoyed a tasty lunch followed by tea for dessert. The air conditioner was running at full blast, making the inside refreshingly cool compared to the blazing sunlight outside. It felt like pure paradise.
"Anything interesting happen today?"
"No. There weren't any dispatches, so I just stayed on standby."
"That's good. Peaceful days are the best."
"Yes."
While Sihyun sipped his tea in serene calm, Spica had been fidgeting restlessly ever since before the meal. Before coming home, her mind had been filled with the urge to charge straight at him, but after leisurely eating and drinking tea, her head had cooled off. Now the tension was creeping in.
She wanted sex. Sihyun had been the one to suggest it, yet something felt fundamentally off. It was like a programmer staring at code that was running perfectly despite knowing there had to be a bug hidden somewhere.
"Um... Sihyun-ssi."
"Yes? What is it, Spica?"
His voice was undeniably sweet, yet the back of her neck prickled with chills and refused to settle.
"If you're tired, we really don't have to..."
"......"
Spica knew perfectly well that he'd done nothing but sleep since morning and couldn't possibly be tired, but she said it anyway. Sihyun didn't reply, simply drinking his tea in silence. Even though he was the one drinking, Spica's throat felt parched.
"When you're finished, wash up and come to the bedroom."
"Yes, sir."
With only those words, Sihyun headed into Spica's room. She entered the bathroom feeling like she was walking to the gallows.
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Spica took a much longer shower than usual. But she knew that dragging it out too much would only invite trouble, so she finished before it became excessive.
After her shower, Spica returned to her room with her heart pounding. This was the first time in her life she'd ever felt this nervous about entering her own bedroom.
Wrapped in nothing but a single towel, the sight that greeted Spica was Sihyun already tucked beneath the blanket she'd slept under the night before. The air conditioner in her room was running, so the space was already cool. The ceiling light was off, and thick curtains blocked the windows, making the room dim. Still, the faint sunlight leaking beneath the curtains and the lantern's soft indirect lighting made it easy enough to see. Even without that, as a magical girl, Spica's eyes could navigate the darkness without any trouble. Besides, it was her own room, so there was no chance of bumping into anything.
Yet Spica couldn't bring herself to take a single step forward.
"You're here?"
"Yes..."
"Then come on in."
Sihyun lifted the blanket in invitation. Through the gap, she caught a glimpse of his completely naked body. It was only for a moment, but she felt like she might faint. She'd seen it on their first day, and she'd barged in on him bathing several times since, yet every time she laid eyes on his small, pale, naked form, her heart raced and raw lust surged through her.
She could feel blood rushing to her magically created male organ against her will. If she stayed like this, it would rise completely. The towel would tent obviously, and Sihyun would notice. Before that could happen, Spica hurriedly slipped under the blanket.
Before the cool air from the conditioner could chill her body, she was safely beneath the covers. She'd been in this same blanket yesterday and had woken up in it this morning, yet somehow it smelled even better than usual. The warm, fluffy embrace soothed her nerves. Then she realized Sihyun's smiling face was right in front of her, and her heart began to pound wildly. They hadn't even started, and she was already losing control.
"Okay, stay still for a moment~"
"Huh? Eep!"
"Is this your arm? Let's see..."
Sihyun fumbled around under the blanket until, after a few attempts, he found her hand. He successfully interlaced their fingers without looking and beamed with satisfaction. Seeing him so completely relaxed left Spica utterly bewildered.
"Shall we talk?"
"Wh-what would you like to talk about?"
"Pillow talk."
"Pillow talk?"
"Yep."
Sihyun guided her hand to rest against his cheek. She felt the soft, plush texture of his skin against the back of her hand.
"I heard pillow talk is really important between lovers."
"Isn't pillow talk supposed to happen after sex?"
"That's true, but if we do it today, won't I just pass out again?"
"......"
Guilty as charged, Spica had no rebuttal.
"Spica."
"Yes, Sihyun-ssi."
"You have to look me in the eyes and be completely honest."
"Understood."
"What am I to you, Spica?"
In that instant, Spica understood exactly why pillow talk was meant to happen after sex.
"You are the person I love."
"Hmm..."
She'd answered instantly without hesitation, but Sihyun didn't seem particularly moved.
"Not just an outlet for your sexual desires?"
"No! It's not like that... I just..."
"Just?"
"It's true that I have trouble controlling my lust sometimes..."
"Well... I suppose that's possible."
"But more than anyone, I want to make you happy."
The sincerity radiating from Spica as she stared straight into his eyes allowed Sihyun to relax even further.
"Still, you don't really know what I like, do you?"
"Your favorite foods are hearty soups and meat dishes. You prefer pork over beef. You love meat but enjoy balanced meals with vegetables too. For sweets, you like things that are soft and not overly sugary. But when drinking tea, you prefer them a bit sweeter. Your favorite black tea is that company's Earl Grey, and for green tea, you like the other company's sejak the most. You drink black tea more often. You don't care much for coffee or herbal teas. You're not fond of salty snacks either. Your favorite color is sky blue. You prefer deeper sky blue that's closer to blue rather than pale sky blue, but you still like sky blue more than pure blue even if it's lighter. Your hobby is gaming. You mainly enjoy single-player games, especially adventure and puzzle types. You don't hate action games, but you're not into FPS shooters. Lately you've been more relaxed, so you've started picking up RPGs with longer playtimes. Not long ago you began playing that major online game that came out five years ago. You don't dislike online games, but you prefer cooperative PVE titles over PVP. You occasionally log into the MMORPG you've played for years, though your playtime is long while your gear isn't particularly high-spec."
"Whoa. That's enough, you can stop."
"Should I stop?"
"Yeah. Let's stop there."
Sihyun could clearly feel the depth of Spica's love.
"Could you feel my love?"
"Yes. I felt other things too, though."
Like obsession. He decided not to mention that.
"Sihyun-ssi, I will make you happy."
"Yeah... Th-thank you."
"I will make you happy."
"Thank you very much..."
Spica pressed her face closer. Trapped in the bed with both hands held, Sihyun had nowhere to run. This was entirely his own doing.
"I'll give you anything you want. Money, jewels, the whole world, everything. Just live incredibly happily and look only at me."
Spica took his free hand and pressed a light kiss to the back of it.
"If you don't want sex, I won't force you."
"...It's not that I don't want it."
"Really?"
"But you always come at me with those bloodshot eyes. I got scared that you only wanted my body."
".....I'm sorry, Sihyun-ssi."
"It's fine. Magical girls seem to have strong sexual urges. And after throwing that little tantrum, I feel a bit better too."
Sihyun burrowed into Spica's embrace. Her soft breasts pressed against his face, sharing her warmth.
"You're a magical girl who saves the world. Compared to that, I'm just an unemployed bum who couldn't even get a job. I thought a relationship based only on physical desire would be enough."
"Should I cut it off?"
"No, that's okay. I don't want to force you to choose only physical love or only emotional love."
Even with a body this unsexy, the fact that she still liked him was something to be grateful for.
"Then... should we just hold hands and sleep tonight?"
"......"
"Sihyun-ssi?"
Sihyun pressed even closer, burying his face completely between her breasts. Though his voice was tiny, Spica's exceptional hearing as a magical girl caught every word.
"...About me."
"Yes."
"...If it feels too good, it actually gets painful."
"Yes, I'm sorry."
"..........So please be gentle."
"......"
Though she couldn't see his face, Spica could clearly tell that the ears of the man nestled against her chest had turned bright red.
"Understood."
Spica decided that pillow talk was the absolute best.