Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Soft, Chewy Skin
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Mmm. The situation felt a little peculiar.
On a massive sofa big enough for several grown men to lie down comfortably. The furry blanket draped over me wrapped my body in cozy warmth.
A popular anime was playing on the huge screen in front of us. I'd loved anime in my past life too, so I was watching it pretty intently now.
Smooth—
My body twitched reflexively at the sensation of fingers sliding under my belly.
Han Sea-ah, sensing that faint tremble, looked down at me with worried eyes.
"You okay? Does it hurt?"
"No. I'm fine."
Being fine was the real problem.
Right now, I was lying side by side with Han Sea-ah on this huge sofa, letting her stroke my bare belly. Not over my clothes—directly on my skin.
The shape of her hand moving in slow circles over my stomach was clearly visible through the blanket.
Normally, someone slipping their hand inside your clothes should feel unpleasant. So what was this comfort?
Lying there belly-up, getting petted like this—it felt like I was a pet or something.
"Sarang, ah."
Han Sea-ah held a nacho chip slathered in cheese right up to my lips.
I crunched down on the chip that slipped between my lips. A perfect blend of richness and nuttiness filled my mouth satisfyingly.
Just lying there with her on the sofa, watching anime, my eyelids started growing heavy, blinking lazily.
Her fingers tapping lightly around my navel. At first, it had made my face burn with embarrassment, but now it felt downright soothing.
"Sea-ah unnie."
"Yeah?"
"Why are you so nice to me?"
Anyone would think it was weird. A top star with everything going for her, fussing over a mere trainee like me this much.
"'Cause your face is my type."
Was that really the only reason?
Her hesitant expression suggested there was more to it.
"And... honestly, I've always thought it'd be nice to have a cute daughter like you."
"A daughter?"
"Yeah. I never really thought about it before, but as I've gotten older, I've started wanting a family."
Han Sea-ah scratched her cheek with an awkward smile.
A family. Was that why she'd been so thrilled with the salad I'd made her the other day?
"I've thought it'd be great to have a cute, sweet daughter just like you at home."
"......"
Han Sea-ah didn't know me at all.
I could never be a good, kind person. To me, kindness was just dead weight that did nothing useful in the real world.
Even now, a corner of my mind was churning through ways to pull her into my corner. Connections like hers would definitely pay off big later.
At this distance, I could probably win her affection easily enough.
But for some reason, the words wouldn't come.
Was it her hand gently stroking my belly? Or the way she looked at me?
I didn't want to deceive her.
All the lies and manipulations I'd casually spewed to win people over before—they stuck in my throat now, refusing to come out.
"No, what am I even saying? I just like you 'cause you're pretty, Sarang."
She grinned and patted my belly lightly with her palm—pat, pat.
"......Me too."
"Huh?"
"I wish I had a mom like you, Sea-ah unnie."
The words slipped out against my will. I was flustered even as I said them.
It was a blatant slip-up. To her, it might sound like I was insulting my own birth mother, painting myself as an ungrateful daughter.
She'd definitely be disappointed. Who'd think well of someone who couldn't even feel warmly toward their own family?
"I-I'm just gonna close my eyes for a bit."
In the end, I squeezed my eyes shut and dodged.
"O-Oh, uh... sure."
I could hear the surprise she wasn't hiding in her voice.
She was disappointed, after all.
And yet, her hand continued to caress slow circles around my navel with endless tenderness.
Tender enough that I might actually fall asleep any moment.
Huff... huff...
The faint, rhythmic breathing repeated softly.
The little girl lying beside her had drifted off into a deep sleep before she knew it.
Han Sea-ah stared blankly at her for a while.
[I wish Sea-ah unnie were my mom.]
Those shy, averted eyes and careful words echoed in her mind like a refrain.
It was different this time. That hadn't been acting.
Her heart pounded, her face flushed hot.
A smile spread across her lips, ready to burst into laughter at any second, veins practically pulsing with it.
God. She's too cute.
She wanted to pull the girl into her arms right then and squeeze her tight until she couldn't breathe.
But could she? Watching the girl sleep so peacefully under her touch, Han Sea-ah just smiled.
"Sleep well."
Even after the girl fell asleep, Han Sea-ah didn't stop stroking her belly.
What was it?
At first, she'd just wanted to warm Sarang's tummy. But at some point, her hand kept lingering there, addicted to the soft, chewy texture of that skin.
It was like playing with pure white modeling clay as a kid—that oddly captivating sensation at her fingertips.
Sometimes, playfully pressing a finger lightly into the lower belly made Sarang twitch even in her sleep. Even that reaction was addictive.
And so, Han Sea-ah spent a leisurely time caressing the belly of the sleeping Sarang beside her until the anime ended.
"Anime's more fun than dramas."
She turned off the screen as the ending OST played and shifted her body slightly toward Sarang.
'......Is her home life rough?'
Oh Seo-hee had called. Sarang's condition was pretty bad, could she look after her instead?
Her period and a cold on top of it—any woman would hate that.
Han Sea-ah herself would've been cursing up a storm on a day like that, whining about what she'd done wrong and lamenting her fate everywhere.
But Sarang was different.
Even with her body burning up like a furnace and in clear pain, she didn't complain once. Like she was used to enduring this kind of suffering.
Coming out of the house with a cold and her period was weird to begin with. Normally, you'd burrow under the covers and not want to move.
'I'll ask Seo-hee later.'
She'd already invited her over twice. They were close enough now for this much meddling, right?
Surely she wasn't being abused or neglected at home.
If that was really the case, she'd be furious at Sarang's parents.
Some people spend every day in loneliness without a family.
Huff... huff...
Han Sea-ah's eyes grew misty with emotion as she gazed at the soundly sleeping Sarang.
"If it's okay with you, Sarang... you could just move in here."
Having someone at home brought more comfort than she'd expected.
She'd held back from prying or assuming too much before, figuring Sarang had a family. But if she really was suffering abuse...
Then maybe she could take her in here.
She wanted a lovely daughter to greet her every day when she came home from work.
Her hand paused on the belly for a moment.
Then her slender middle finger.
Poke—
Pressed lightly into Sarang's navel.
Twitch—
Sarang's body shivered faintly in response.
Pfft. So cute.
"......There must've been an umbilical cord right here."
It would've been nice if it connected to me.
The thought crossed her mind suddenly.
How long had I slept?
When I opened my eyes again, pitch-black night had settled in.
Right there on the sofa where I'd fallen asleep. Han Sea-ah was sleeping soundly beside me now too.
I sat up and checked my phone.
2 a.m. Way too late to head home now. Leaving might even be a bother at this hour.
I checked my condition. Thanks to her care, the cold seemed completely gone.
My period was still going, but with the body aches gone, I felt much better.
"......"
I gazed at the sleeping Han Sea-ah for a moment.
Her looks were still unreal. No matter how many times I looked, her beauty never got old.
A sudden idea hit me, and I got up, heading to the fridge.
Opening it, the same ingredients from last time were neatly stocked. I could make the same salad. Not sure if she'd like it again, but.
I wanted to repay her care, even just a little, like she'd done for me.
"......"
I stared blankly into the compartment for a bit.
Of course, beyond the salad veggies, all sorts of ingredients were stacked neatly inside.
If I knew how to cook, I could've made something way tastier with those.
For the first time, my instant ramen-only skills felt pathetic.
"......Maybe I should learn to cook."
For the first time in this life.
The thought of learning something on my own flickered through my mind.