My Sister's Friend (2)
"Wow~ When Oppa teaches me, it just sinks straight into my ears."
The button on her shirt swayed precariously.
"Can't you teach me again tomorrow? Please?"
Every time that chest, ready to burst free, entered my field of vision, something inside me tightened with a helpless, stifling feeling. Her pure white dress shirt, wrinkled in places, clung to her body, and the short skirt hugged her thighs tightly. Park Seoh-ah sat right beside me in what people commonly called an office look. On my right, my little sister sat reading a book. I had a pair of retake students to tutor, one on either side.
"...Sure. Even if it's not studying, if you need help with anything, come find me."
"Really? You can't take that back, okay? Got it?"
"...Yeah."
Park Seoh-ah dragged her chair closer and linked her arm through mine. The soft, yielding sensation of her arm pressed directly against my forearm. I glanced at her without thinking, and my gaze slid straight down to her chest. When I had seen her yesterday, Park Seoh-ah's chest had looked on the larger side, but not like this. Today she seemed to have deliberately squeezed herself into clothes that were far too tight. It was an outfit concept that made me wonder if she was really a retake student at all.
What was her goal? Did she want to drive me crazy? If so, she had already succeeded. My noisy heart left me light-headed. The fragrant scent rising from her hair was quietly addictive. While I was still struggling to drag my eyes back under control, Park Seoh-ah leaned in and whispered against my ear.
"You've been peeking at my chest the whole time, and now your face is bright red. Per~vert♥"
My face flared hot in an instant. No—had it already been burning? They say women catch every single glance a man throws. It really was true. The moment I flinched, Park Seoh-ah smiled sweetly. My heart dropped with a heavy thud at the sight of her eyes narrowing into crescent moons.
"Just kidding. There's no way a nice guy like Oppa would ever peek."
She slowly stroked my forearm.
"You're just blushing because you're sitting next to someone pretty. From being excited, that is."
"...Yeah."
"Huh? Did you just say I'm pretty? Are you flirting with me? What are you trying to do by seducing me, hmm?"
"..."
I had never thought of myself as particularly airheaded. But when a girl as pretty as Park Seoh-ah approached me this freely, even staying sane became difficult. I could barely tell what I was answering. If she asked for something right now, I felt certain I would end up agreeing to something completely ridiculous. Park Seoh-ah was simply the sociable type by nature. Even though there was probably no deeper meaning, I was already spinning fantasies. Doing this to my little sister's friend was mortifying. I forced out a reply and turned my head toward my sister.
She was staring at the problem sheet with terrifying concentration. Only her jaw, steadily chewing gum, moved with any diligence. I couldn't bring myself to interrupt.
Hoo~
Suddenly Park Seoh-ah blew a puff of air into my ear. My body jerked at the unfamiliar sensation, as if someone were kneading my brain itself.
"Ah! Found Oppa's weak spot. Your ears are sensitive."
She whispered while pouring hot breath against me.
"Why are you so cute? Haa, I want to hug you."
Thump-thump♡
I looked at her with wavering eyes. Park Seoh-ah gazed back with a seductive, smiling look of her own. The longer our eyes stayed locked, the more I felt myself growing stupid. My lips twitched; the crown of my head prickled. Her eyes were so pretty, her lips so bright red and full...
My body gradually leaned forward. The moment our breaths were about to mingle, my sister's dry voice cut through the air.
"Oppa. I don't get this."
It was like a bucket of cold water dumped over my head. My mind snapped clear. I stared at my trembling fingertips and swallowed hard. Leaving Park Seoh-ah—who wore a meaningful little expression—behind me, I turned away.
Thump-thump-thump-thump♡
Had I almost kissed her just now? With my sister sitting right there? And Park Seoh-ah... why hadn't she stopped me when I leaned in...? Calling me cute like that...
I was clearly looking at my sister, teaching my sister. Yet my head was so full of Park Seoh-ah that there was no room left for anything else. I had no idea whether I was explaining anything properly. Even while I diligently answered questions, my gaze kept drifting back toward her. The moment my sister's questions ended, I couldn't hold back any longer and spun around at once. Park Seoh-ah, however, was simply concentrating with a serious expression, as if nothing earlier had happened at all. I quietly held my breath so I wouldn't break either of their focus.
A little later my chest began to feel ticklish. I wondered for a second if my heart had broken, then quickly found the source of that fluttering emotion. It had been a long time since people gathered around the table like this. Father rarely came home. My sister usually bought food outside and came back late. Because I ate alone, I often just threw together simple meals in my room. It would be nice to eat together sometimes.
I watched Park Seoh-ah diligently scribbling with a mechanical pencil in her notebook and thought of the Memory Gum. A few months earlier, Memory Gum had appeared and I had given it to my sister. That day she said studying had gone incredibly well and asked for more. She even scolded me for only giving her one instead of several, but there was no way more would appear. It might show up again the next day, and even then the amount she wanted probably wouldn't come out. So I had roughly bought ordinary gum from the convenience store and handed it over. I figured if she chewed it believing it was Memory Gum, a placebo effect might produce something similar. After that, my sister bought and chewed the regular gum I had given her every single day. Even now she was working on ordinary bubble gum. People said chewing gum helped concentration, so it wasn't completely pointless.
I slipped my hand into my pocket. Somehow I had the distinct feeling that if I pulled something out right now, Memory Gum would appear. An ordinary pants pocket with nothing inside. Suddenly my fingertips sank into an unknown space—as if plunging into water, or drifting through a vast void like outer space. A hollow sensation of traversing another dimension rose for a moment. Then something caught in my hand and the feeling snapped back to normal. I didn't feel any instruction sheet. That meant it wasn't an item I was seeing for the first time. It was small like gum, yet strangely a little thicker. I carefully drew the object out of my pocket.
This was...
It was the Memory Gum I had wished for. But unlike before, it came as a whole pack instead of singles. Maybe because I had wanted to give some to both Park Seoh-ah and my sister, multiple pieces had appeared. When I opened the packaging, seven sticks sat inside. My Pocket ability was truly mysterious. It didn't have to be the pants pocket I was currently wearing; a bag, the inner pocket of a jacket—anything worked. Even a complete stranger's pocket that wasn't mine was fine. As long as I tried to pull something out, I could take it from any pocket. Conversely, if I didn't go through a pocket, I couldn't retrieve items at all.
I held the gum out to Park Seoh-ah. After a brief hesitation I didn't give any to my sister. The effect would be completely different from what she was chewing now. Since there was no guarantee I could keep supplying it forever, it was better for her to stay fooled.
Park Seoh-ah popped a piece into her mouth, chewed a few times, then her eyes went round.
"Wow. Oppa, already my vision feels completely different. It feels like my brain is twice as active as usual!"
What? That was exact. She had good instincts.
"Really? I heard chewing gum helps with concentration. Want me to give you this?"
"Ah, yes! Thank you, Oppa."
Receiving a whole pack of Memory Gum, Park Seoh-ah puffed her cheeks cutely.
"I feel too sorry just taking things from Oppa. What should I do? Just say the word. I'll do anything for you."
Anything, huh. I crushed the bad thought that flickered up for a split second and answered.
"It's just gum. You don't have to."
"Then if there's something you want later, tell me. I'll definitely do it."
Park Seoh-ah licked her lips in a faintly suggestive way.
"Since it's Oppa, I can do anything."
"..."
Why did the word "anything" keep getting emphasized? Whether thanks to the Memory Gum or not, the Park Seoh-ah who had been chatting a moment ago instantly sank into deep concentration. Her lips kept working the gum with soft little movements. Looking at those bright red lips glistening with saliva, a strange emotion bloomed. Were lips always such a bewitching part of the body? Did saliva always shine like that? My heart pounded in a bizarre, heavy rhythm.
How much time passed after that? The duration of Memory Gum was thirty minutes. The effect should have ended long ago, yet she showed no sign of breaking focus. Pretending to check my phone, I snuck a glance at her—and our eyes met. Park Seoh-ah smiled sweetly.
"The gum Oppa gave me must have something special in it. I never had concentration this good. My head feels so clear."
"That's good. Glad it helped."
"The gum is super delicious. Is that why? Oppa, try one too."
She started to take a piece out, then put it back.
"Ah, no. Since Oppa gave it to me, it's precious, so I'll eat it all myself. Instead..."
Park Seoh-ah pressed her entire body against mine. Once again her chest met my arm. Before I could even process the soft, yielding sensation, she brought her small face right up close.
"Hoo~"
Then she blew a stream of breath straight onto my nose. The sweet scent of the gum bloomed thickly at the tip of my nose.
"How is it? Smells good, right?"
"...Uh, yeah. Good... smell."
Thump-thump-thump-thump♡
What... what was she doing right now?
"Then smell more. Is this better? Haaa~"
Park Seoh-ah's mouth scent spread densely across my face. This time it was warm, moist, and far more intense. Sticky breath carrying the smell of her mouth was exhaled right against me. I didn't understand why.
Sniff.
Sniff sniff.
I reflexively flared my nostrils and sucked the scent in. Realizing how strange I must look, I tried to stop at once—but.
"Haa♥ Haaa♥"
Those openly seductive breathing sounds made my body flinch, and I inhaled a full lungful of her mouth scent. I couldn't stop. I couldn't quit. I wanted to draw it in even deeper. Sniffing someone's mouth smell this frantically—there was no more perverted sight than this. Even so...
"Oppa. Do you like it that much? You're sniffing so hard♥ Not even a puppy♥ Cute♥"
Flinch♡
Park Seoh-ah spoke with a sweet, smiling look in her eyes.
"Smell more♥ Inhale deeper♥ Haaa♥"
Sniff sniff sniff♡
"Feels good, right♥ Mouth smell is completely fragrant, right♥"
Instead of answering I only kept sniffing.
Sniff sniff sniff♡
"Pfft. Then sniff more♥ More, more♥ Haaa♥"
With Park Seoh-ah urging me to keep smelling, I couldn't form a single coherent thought.