The Meaning of an Apology
Not too big, not too small. This was exactly average. If anything, considering her petite frame, it might even be on the larger side.
"You saw it?! Now stop—"
"No!"
"What do you mean, no...?"
"Ah...."
The urgent cry had burst out of me before I knew it.
Because I wanted to look a little longer. Jian had bared her chest herself—ending things now just felt like a waste.
"I haven't finished looking yet."
"Goddammit...! How long are you going to stare...! You said just a second...!!"
"Just ten more seconds."
"...Fine. Exactly ten seconds.... Not one more....."
"Deal."
Jian's face had flushed crimson as she turned her head away. Ten seconds left on the clock. I leaned forward, bringing my face as close as I could.
"You can look, that's it..! If you try anything else, I'll actually kill you...!!"
"Don't worry."
"......"
My hands were on the larger side, so she would fit snugly in my palm. But size wasn't what mattered. It was the shape and the color. A flower blooming on pale, creamy flesh—pink areolas and nipples.
"Your skin is seriously amazing."
"Don't evaluate me..! It gives me goosebumps....!!"
"Doesn't look like goosebumps to me. Something else seems to be standing up."
"What...?"
"......"
I lifted my head and met Jian's eyes for a moment. Then those eyes dropped right back down. Straight to my stiffening cock.
"No it's not. It's nothing."
"...You perverted bastard...!!!!"
"AAAAGH!!!!"
I collapsed to the floor clutching my stomped foot, glaring up at Jian. My shirt was already pulled back down, and she was staring at me with murder in her eyes—though they looked suspiciously glassy, like tears were welling up.
Pointing out that the ten seconds weren't up yet would probably be pushing my luck.
"That's enough...!!"
"Yep. You're staying here. Until you get your deposits back."
"Don't push it. Or I really will kill you...!!"
Jian spun around with an icy gust and disappeared into her room. Meanwhile I sat on the floor, massaging my throbbing foot, lost in thought.
Her nipple had definitely been hard. Why, though? Was she turned on from showing me her chest? Just like I'd gotten aroused looking at it.
Thunk!
"Wow.... I got aroused looking at Lee Jian...."
I'd never once thought of Jian as a woman before. So why wouldn't this damn thing calm down?
It took ages for my aroused cock to settle, and then I limped downstairs, my foot still aching with every step.
"Are you okay..?"
"Huh??"
"We heard a loud noise....."
"Ah... hahaha... I'm fine."
"Then Jian and Hayeon....."
"They've decided to stay here until they get their deposits back."
"Oh..! That's wonderful news!"
"Good for them."
"Oh..! Y-yes... thank you...."
Han Jihee rejoiced as if it were her own doing, and Han Na-kyung thumped Lee Hayeon on the back in congratulations. That made Hayeon stumble, but she still bowed her head and offered her thanks anyway.
And so my cohabitation with the four women began. Whether we could all get along, though, remained to be seen.
When I got up the next morning and walked into the living room, it was piled high with luggage. Disassembled bed frames included.
"Did we wake you?? Were we too loud?"
"Not at all. But what's all this?"
"My things. The master bedroom should be yours, Woojin-ssi."
"No, it's fine. Just take it. That room's plenty big enough for me."
"How could I ask the landlord to take the small room? Absolutely not!"
"I really don't mind...."
Thanks to Han Jihee's stubbornness, a full-scale move-in operation kicked off first thing in the morning—so involved that not just me but everyone came down to help.
"You're being ridiculous. You barely have any stuff—just use the small room."
"Mom's the one who insisted. So don't pick a fight for no reason."
Somehow, I ended up alone in the master bedroom with Jian. We were bickering like nothing had happened, but at the same time, we were doing something neither of us would normally do.
Exactly what we were doing right now. Sneaking glances at each other, eyes awkwardly meeting.
"Ahem..!"
"Wh-what?!"
"Who said anything?"
"Goddammit...!"
"Why are you getting mad? Am I not even allowed to look at you?? You looked at me too, remember!"
"That's because I wasn't just looking!"
"If you weren't just looking, then what?"
"You looked at my chest again!!"
"I did n-not!"
Lie. I'd been glancing back and forth—her face, then her chest, her face, then her chest. Yesterday's image was still flickering right in front of my eyes.
"Go ahead and tell people about yesterday. See what happens. I'll kill you for real."
"You're one to talk—don't go spreading any more weird rumors about me."
"......"
An awkward silence fell for a moment. And then she started stammering so obviously that anyone could tell.
"So you are sorry, huh?"
"N-no, I'm not!"
"Ha... Right. Of course. What else would you expect from Lee Jian—she doesn't even know what an apology is."
"...That's not what this is about...."
"Then what is it about?"
"Those rumors about you! I didn't start them!!!"
I stared at her as she exploded. And my eyes narrowed, little by little. Because she was lying.
"So now you want us to get along? Then don't lie—just apologize. I won't accept it, but still."
"Goddammit...!! It's not a lie!"
"Everyone said they heard it from you. So they were all lying, were they?"
"You're exactly the same."
"How so?"
"Same as the people who wouldn't believe you."
"......"
The rumors about me that had spread through school had been truly vile. That I cheated on my girlfriend. That I forced her into sadistic sex. That when we broke up, I cursed at her and hit her.
There were, of course, friends who believed me over the rumors. But I kept my distance from them on purpose. I didn't want them getting dragged into the mess because of me. As a result, I spent two months trudging through campus alone under everyone's hostile stares.
And now she was claiming she hadn't started those rumors?
"Then who did?"
"That's....! Haa.... I don't know either."
"Hey, Jian."
"What?"
"Was it really not you?"
"If I say no, will you believe me?"
"I will."
"What...?"
"I said I'll believe you. Because like you said, I don't want to become one of those people either."
"......"
The eyes looking back at me wavered. And then came a very small voice.
"It wasn't me..."
"Okay."
"I mean, it's not like I never talked about you at all....! But I never said anything that awful! I swear!"
"I said okay."
"You... you believe me..?"
"I do."
"Then...."
"Ah, don't get the wrong idea, though."
"What misunderstanding..?"
"I've hated you since before those rumors ever started."
"......"
The look in her eyes went stone cold. I'd just said something I didn't have to say.
Then again, there was something I did have to say too.
"I hate you too?! From the second I first met you, you were completely insuffera—!"
"Sorry for misunderstanding you all this time."
"...Huh?"
"I said I'm sorry."
"Uh... uh....."
"Just take that box with you, alright?"
"Huh?? Uh, okay...."
I picked up the box full of assorted things and walked out of the room. That cloying, mushy atmosphere was absolutely not my thing. Especially not with Lee Jian.
Switching rooms had turned out to be the right call after all. Yesterday I'd arrived with just one suitcase, but the rest of my things—the ones the lawyer hadn't gotten around to delivering—had all shown up today. Which meant I was holed up in my room all day, unpacking and cleaning.
"Did you buy it? Or had you been using it already?"
"Huh? What?"
Han Na-kyung had appeared at some point, leaning against the doorframe, and gestured at the bed with a tilt of her chin.
"The bed."
"It's not like I sleep with anyone, is it?"
"Nope."
"Then you must toss and turn a lot."
"I sleep just fine, actually. Dad just bought it for me because he says a big bed is always better."
"Ah."
"Anyway, why are you dressed like that at this hour?"
She was in her leather jacket and leather pants, same as yesterday. It was eight o'clock. If she was going out, it'd be for drinks—was she planning to drive drunk?
"Don't tell me you—"
"I'll pass on the lecture."
"Hey! No drunk driving! That's—!"
"Drunk..."
"AAAAGH!!!"
The scream came the instant I bolted out of the room to stop her. Lee Hayeon had suddenly popped up out of nowhere. How long had she been standing there?
"S-sorry for startling you....."
"No... you're fine. Did you need something from me?"
"Na, Na-kyung... she'd never drive drunk... she always follows the signals too..."
"Ah.... Well, that's a relief."
"......"
Why was she just standing there? Was there something else she wanted to say?
"If you've got something to say, go ahead. No need to be shy."
"Ac-actually...!"
"Actually?"
"C-can I... ask you for a favor...?"
"Oh, is that all? I already said I'm fine. It's my stuff—my job to unpack it."
"But we all helped with Auntie's boxes....."
"That's different. She's older. And a woman."
"Auntie's not that old....."
"How old is she??"
"Thirty-eight....."
Han Na-kyung was twenty, same age as Lee Hayeon. Which meant Han Jihee had given birth at eighteen??
"Wow.... Holy crap..."
"S-so... can I ask you for that favor...?"
"Seriously, it's fine. I'm all done now."
"Oh......"
"By the way, when did you get home? I'm starving."
"Th-the cafe closes at ten....."
"What?? Then what about dinner??"
"We usually fend for ourselves....."
"......"
She'd said she'd cook delicious meals for us every day. Why did this feel like a scam?
"Then should we order something, just us?"
"I-I, I, I....!"
"Are you okay?"
"Ah..! It's just... I'm really uncomfortable around men.... I'm s-sorry...."
She'd stammered yesterday when handing me the towel too, but not this badly.
"It's okay. That happens. But living with me must be pretty hard on you, then."
"That's why.... I wanted to ask for... he...!"
"Ask for...?"
"He, your help..! Could I... ask for your help..?"
I had no idea what she meant, but it seemed like this was genuinely what she'd been trying to say all along.
"Help with what, exactly?"
"Just, just this...! Talking like this, and having you around us....... "
Whoa.
Was it because her skin was so pale? Her face was turning bright red. Was she about to burst?
I'd better rescue her before that happened.
"Well, that's not so hard. Okay. I'll help."
"Th-th-thank you....!"
"No need to thank me. Where's Jian, by the way? It'd feel a little rude to order for just the two of us."
"Sh-she said she already... ate and came back....."
"She went out??"
"Yes... sh-she has a part-time job...."
"I see... then the two of us will eat, then. Hayeon, what do you like?"
"......"
"Hayeon??"
"I-I....! I like everything....."
"Hmm... that's the hardest possible answer. Fine, I'll just order without asking. Don't regret it later."
"Okaaay....."
Moving day calls for Chinese food. I ordered jajangmyeon and a few other dishes. And apparently "I like everything" was the truth, because Hayeon ate evenly and thoroughly across the whole spread. Not a huge amount, mind you.
"Th-thank you for the meal..! I'll clear the table..!"
"Nope. We clear it together."
"B-but you're the one who paid, Oppa...."
"You said you wanted me around, didn't you? So we do things together."
"Ah.... Okay....."
"Can I ask you one thing? A really personal question."
"Y-y-you can ask..!"
Watching her squeeze her eyes shut as she answered, I chuckled and asked.
"Why are you so uncomfortable around men?"
"Ah......"
What is this? The mood just shifted completely. As if there were some serious reason behind it.
"Well, you see....."
Ding-dong~ Ding-dong~ ding-ding-ding-dong~~
Her answer was swallowed by the doorbell ringing through the living room. In its place came the drunken ranting of some drunkard.
"Seo Woojin~!!!! Hey, you bastard! Get out here RIGHT NOW!!!!!"
"Sigh....."
Watching Jian sway and scream through the interphone screen, I let out a long sigh.
"I-I'll go...!"
"No. She's calling for me. You clean up the food."
"But....."
"Come out NOW!!! You rotten bastard!!!!!!"
"You heard her?"
"Th-then... I'll leave it to you....."
"Right."
I shut off the noisy interphone, slipped on my slippers, and headed out the front door.
"Seo Woojin, you bastard! You no-good piece of trash!!!"
"What is wrong with you..! Keep it down!"
"Woojin?? Where are you?! Where ARE you?!!"
"Would you quiet down..! You're embarrassing the whole neighborhood...!"
I hurried over, opened the gate, and dragged the swaying Jian inside.
"Hooooo....."
"Ugh!! What are you doing getting this drunk so early in the evening..!"
"You bad man.... Seo Woojin, you bad man....."
She breathed into my face, then shook off the wrist I was holding and staggered.
"What? What now? What could possibly be wrong this time?"
"Everything about you is wrong! Everything!! There isn't a single thing about you I like!"
"...Takes one to know one."
"Goddammit...!!"
"Save the screaming for inside. You're making a scene."
"Let go! Don't touch me!!!"
"If anyone saw, they'd think I was doing something to you..! Then how about you stand up straight!"
"Hooooo......."
"Ugh!! Breathe the other way! Breathe THAT way!!"
"You little shit....."
Glaring at me through half-lidded eyes, Jian staggered—then took one long stride toward me. I instinctively backed away, but a hand seized me by the collar and held me in place.
"What? You want a punch??"
"Hooooo...."
"Please just breathe the other way....!!"
"If you apologize like that..... then I'm the one who feels bad, you jerk....."
"What are you talking about..!"
"I'm sorry too...."
"What..?"
"I said I'm sorry tooooo!!!"
"Ugh, your breath reeks of booze..!!"
Standing on tiptoe, she shoved her face right up to mine, the smell of alcohol washing over me. Then she let go of my collar and dropped her hand.
And that hand—
Grab!
Caught hold of my pants.
"Hey..! Hey!! Those are my pants..!"
"I know... you pervert....."
"Who's the one doing perverted things right now..! Fine! I don't know what for, but I was wrong, okay! So let go of that and talk to me. Hmm??"
"Apologies again..... I hate it.... I hate you....."
"Right. I'm so hateful, so let go of my pants.... Hey!!"
Down they went. All the way down in one clean motion, straight to my ankles. Which left Jian, who'd been yanking on my pants, kneeling on the ground, panting hot breath onto—
My little guy, still covered by my boxers.
"Haaaaa......"
"Wh-where are you blowing air..!!"
"Stop pretending.... You love this, don't you... when someone sucks it....."
"What...?"
"Ah... or does it have to be Iseul for you to like it?"
"......"
Min Iseul. The name of Jian's best friend—and my ex-girlfriend.
"Why is that name coming up right now? Don't tell me Iseul told you even that about me?"
"She did. That you go crazy for it when someone sucks you here... gagh!!"
"This is insane, seriously..! So what? You're going to suck it for me?"
"Yes."
"Huh??"
"I'll suck it... as an apology..... Me too..... I was sorry....."
"Hey... J-Jian...!"
She really touched it. Her tongue, stretched out as far as it would go, head tilted up.