Mountain After Mountain
With men and women mixed evenly in the group, the sudden suggestion to play mountain-after-mountain drew a chorus of protests from the girls.
“Ugh, that bastard Jo Byeongchan is a total pervert!”
“Crazy fucker!”
“Hey, if you don’t like it, just drink. People who want to play are gonna play anyway, so why pull this crap? Fine, I’ll go first. Seoah~”
“Ah, shit. Don’t do anything weird.”
“Who starts with weird stuff right away? See, just holding hands. Happy now?”
He was clearly planning to start with light skinship and then savor every last bit of the snowball he’d set rolling once his own turn came around.
Stupid bastard. I can see right through you. You really think Seoah’s going to fall for that? Just drink and be done with it.
The intensity climbed little by little until, by the time my turn arrived, hugs had already been added to the mix.
First time, so maybe keep it gentle.
I gave Gu Somin a small, awkward nod of greeting once more.
“Sorry to do this when we’ve only just met. I just really don’t want to drink.”
“Oh, no, it’s fine. It’s just a game.”
In one corner Lim Taehoon was seething. I shot him a sidelong glance, then took Gu Somin’s hand.
Sss—
I brushed the back of her hand in a light caress. Naturally a Red Spot sat right there; the moment I swept over it, Gu Somin let out a startled little sound at the unexpectedly soft pressure.
“Mm—”
She clapped a hand over her mouth, eyes wide. The sound had slipped out before she could stop it.
I grinned and kept climbing the mountain, turn by turn.
I ran my palm once along Gu Somin’s thigh, clearing the Red Spots one after another. Then I pulled her into an embrace and applied gentle pressure to the nape of her neck. Even though I worked quickly, her lips parted slightly and her gaze went hazy, as if her mind were slipping away.
That was when I discovered something new. Until moments ago only Red Spots had been visible on Gu Somin’s body; now Pink Spots were blooming across her skin like flowers.
So the Pink Spots really do shift according to the other person’s feelings or current state of mind?
There was only one way to confirm it: wait until she left my side and sat back down next to Lim Taehoon.
Now it was time to go one step beyond a hug. For a light finishing touch I brushed the earlobe where a Pink Spot shimmered, as if asking, Is this one of your sensitive spots?
The answer was unmistakable.
“Hnn— khmm.”
A soft nasal sound escaped her as she hunched her shoulders; I’d clearly hit the mark.
In truth none of it was particularly meaningful skinship. We hadn’t rubbed anything intimate together or even pressed our lips close. Everything had been light touches and light contact, nothing strange. Yet Gu Somin was already looking at me with different eyes than before.
This is why I do pressure-point work.
The turn came around to Lim Taehoon. Like an idiot he reached for the chest of the girl beside him—only to be stopped cold when she simply chose the penalty drink instead.
“Puhahaha!”
“Dude, how can you just drink it and leave him hanging like that?!”
“Taehoon suddenly tried to jump the mountain all the way to Taebaek.”
“Yeah, fair enough.”
Lim Taehoon’s face turned beet-red even though he hadn’t drunk a drop; he sat there fuming like a drunk.
Seriously? What’s so great about a guy like that that she’d date him? All sorts of questions crowded my head, and before I knew it I was looking at Gu Somin again.
She must have felt the gaze, because she turned toward me.
“Is there something on my face?”
“No. I was just wondering what kind of life someone as beautiful as you must lead.”
“…Nothing special. Same as everyone else. But Junhyun-ssi, your hands really are different—must be the therapist thing.”
“Were they? My father always taught me that women should be cherished and held carefully.”
Complete bullshit, of course.
Still, the lie seemed to land well; she kept staring at me for a long moment.
Well, looking at the way that bastard Lim Taehoon behaved, it was hard to believe he’d ever cherished her.
“Hey, one more round!”
Jo Byeongchan whined, and no one objected.
Mixing the genders had made the game more thrilling and fun than expected. The only one getting heated and competitive seemed to be Lim Taehoon. The sole voice of opposition belonged to Seoah.
“Ugh, I’m out.”
“Aww, why~ Just one last round. Everyone’s still hungry for more.”
This was where I had to step in.
“Seoah.”
I called her name softly; she jumped.
“Y-yeah?”
“Let’s do it.”
“Uh… okay.”
She agreed so readily that the others’ faces went blank. The way she looked and moved—utterly obedient to my words—was almost lewd. She might as well have been a bride on her wedding night.
“Go on, do it! Do whatever! Shit, what are you gonna do?”
“How about we start around this level this time?”
Seizing the moment, Jo Byeongchan casually stroked Seoah’s thigh—only for a second, a light squeeze and release.
“Oh, getting spicier already? We’re really gonna push the progress bar, huh?”
Seoah’s turn stayed mild, but from the next person onward the skinship grew bold.
By the time it reached me again, the stack already included earlobe-sucking and cheek kisses.
“Well then, excuse me once more.”
I spoke to Gu Somin while taking another good look at her.
How could a face be that small? The old claim that celebrities’ faces were the size of a CD didn’t feel like exaggeration. Her jawline looked carved by a sculptor’s knife, her skin creamy and springy from careful care. Even seated she didn’t lose to the men in presence, and those long legs made her look at least 173 cm. Standing next to me she’d probably match my height or even look taller.
Even a woman like this had her own problems—enough to end up with someone like Lim Taehoon. What on earth was the reason?
I kept thinking as I worked through each touch. I pushed aside the thought that this was simply a woman’s body and let pure curiosity take over: I wanted to know this person.
All that remained was the cheek kiss. Across from me Seoah’s eyes burned hot, but it didn’t matter. I could make her sit and stand on command, or have her bark while grinding her hips against my cock if I wanted.
The moment I pulled Gu Somin close and leaned in for the cheek kiss, the guys around us started raising hell.
“Yo~ Taehoon’s gonna lose it! Take it easy!”
“What’s there to get mad about~ It’s a game~ And if he’s worried about his girlfriend he can just drink himself!”
Lim Taehoon puffed up with empty pride.
“Who the fuck said anything about drinking? Like you said, it’s a game, and my girl isn’t the type to fall for some loser nerd just because of this.”
In that instant I felt it: Gu Somin’s eyes flashed sharply toward Lim Taehoon, then snapped back. She glanced at me with deliberately seductive eyes, parted her lips slightly, and spoke.
“As expected of a famous therapist—your hands really are gentle.”
“You’re too kind. Though… I’m a bit conflicted. Going any further than a cheek kiss feels pretty rude. Want to split the penalty drink?”
“No. Is there any need? If there’s something you want to do, just do it. I’ll take it all.”
This time she glared openly at Lim Taehoon.
That so? Then let’s see…
I looked at Gu Somin’s lips.
Huh?
I’d seen plenty of phenomena by now, but never a spot of this color. From her lower lip down to her chin ran a patch of dazzling, multicolored light—pink, purple, red, and blue swirling together in a mysterious blend. As I stared fixedly at that brilliant spot, Gu Somin closed her eyes as if she already knew what was coming.
I brought my face closer, little by little. At the same time I tapped and burst the Pink Spots that had appeared along her legs.
This skinship hadn’t been planned, yet Gu Somin didn’t resist. Instead she exhaled a quick, shaky breath.
“Hnn—”
Closer still. The moment our breath finally mingled, something slammed into my skull and a vision unfurled before my eyes.
A pure white wedding dress. The bride was beautiful. Lim Taehoon staggering home drunk. A flower vase and dishes shattered on the floor. Bruises blooming across her skin. A child’s muffled sobs. An orthopedic surgeon’s voice: “You won’t be able to exercise anymore.” “It’s a complete mess.” “You said your knees hurt when you walk, didn’t you? Then you shouldn’t have kept walking…” “There’s nothing more we can do to help.” “You’ve had this diagnosis since you were twenty and just kept using it hard.” “Back then it might have been a few loose stitches, but keep straining them and those stitches eventually ruin the whole garment.” “I’m sorry. There’s nothing left to say.” Gu Somin collapsing in despair. Then Lim Taehoon taking up with another woman and starting divorce proceedings. And finally Gu Somin making the ultimate, irreversible choice.
What is this? A panorama of the past? No… something’s different.
The wedding dress, the end of her modeling career—this was clearly… the future. I had just seen what would happen to Gu Somin.
The instant our lips brushed lightly, Lim Taehoon shot to his feet and roared.
“Ah, fuck! Hold on a second!”
He couldn’t take it anymore and bellowed at the top of his lungs.
Then he grabbed the penalty glass already poured on the table and downed it in huge gulps.
“Ooooh! Black knight!”
“A man protects his own girlfriend!”
“Nice~ Said he wouldn’t drink and then this?”
“Fuck it. Whatever, I’ll just drink the damn thing. Hey, Somin. This isn’t working. Get over here. Sit next to me.”
So he still wanted to look after his own girlfriend, at least.
I felt the loss of the kiss with Gu Somin, but not because of simple physical pleasure. If I had truly seen the future, I wanted to see it more clearly. I also wanted to know why her future had appeared to me at all.
I wasn’t the only one disappointed. Gu Somin’s parted lips twitched as if she meant to say something; she forced the words down and moved to Lim Taehoon’s side as ordered.
Not long after she sat beside him, every Pink Spot on her body vanished, leaving only Red Spots behind.
The reason I had seen her future was painfully obvious.
Future Gu Somin was sending me a distress call. If it was me, I could change that future—her modeling career, her injured knees, even her future husband. I could help with all of it.
Lim Taehoon wrapped an arm tightly around his girlfriend’s waist once more.
I had to find a way to crack that ironclad security.
Time passed, and talk turned to where we should go for the second round.
Sunday night was still young.
I raised my hand so every classmate could hear.
“I know a good table bar. The manager’s a friend of mine.”
“Oh yeah? So we’ll get freebies left and right?”
“Eh, but a table bar? That’s gonna cost a fortune.”
“They’re running a Halloween event—every server is in a bunny outfit. You know the ones. Fishnet stockings.”
“Whoa, for real? Then we’re definitely going. Let’s go, let’s go.”
The girls looked scandalized.
“Hey, are we the only ones with eyes? What about us?”
So I answered.
“The guys are wearing bunny outfits too.”
And just like that, almost no one was left behind as we decided to head to Jin Ayoung’s bar.