Min-ah's Dilemma
After we finished and stepped out of the storeroom together, Eun-ju and I couldn't escape the knowing looks from the three part-timers. Well, of course we couldn't. We hadn't exactly been subtle about it, had we? Thankfully it seemed like they hadn't heard any of the actual sounds... but they were clearly assuming we'd at least been fooling around.
Anyway, we'd woken the owner, so it was time to leave.
"See you later."
"Take care."
Whether she'd given up on hiding it or wanted to show them I was hers, Eun-ju leaned in and planted a light goodbye kiss on my lips. The three part-timers shrieking was a given.
If the little fox finds out about this, she's going to lose her mind.
I could only hope word of it never reached that kid's ears.
I considered driving, then decided to just walk at a leisurely pace. Interestingly enough, Eun-ju's coffee shop sat roughly halfway between her house and my friend's place, so it was only a ten-to-fifteen-minute walk.
That said, Min-ah might have a thing or two to say to me. Last night's events were finally coming back in vivid detail — how I'd pawned my friend off on her and bolted out of there by myself.
I should at least bring her something tasty.
Little things like that pile up into resentment, and that's how you lose a woman's heart. So maintenance is always essential. I pondered what to get her, then stopped at a shop along the way, picked up some macarons, and headed home. Something about them just felt right.
When I stepped inside the house... what was this? It was awfully quiet.
Hmm. I wasn't exactly expecting a parade, but I figured there was an eighty percent chance she'd come running out... Is she still asleep?
Puzzled, I went in and opened my friend's door first. Empty. Come to think of it, I hadn't seen his shoes either. He must have gone out.
In that case...
I opened Min-ah's door next. She was there. But something about her seemed off.
"Ah, Uncle? You're back?"
"Yeah... here. A present. Take it."
"Thank you. Hehe."
She sat up in bed and hugged the macarons I handed her tight against her chest. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion and her hair was a bit of a mess. What was this? Had she been put through the wringer all night?
"Did your dad keep you up all night?"
"Huh? Ah, no. Hehehe."
Hmm. Then there was only one other possibility. I scratched my cheek and asked.
"It's that time of the month?"
"Yep. It started this morning."
That thing no woman can escape — her period. It varies from person to person, but the first or second day is usually the worst. For Min-ah, it was the first day?
"Medicine?"
"I ran out, so I haven't..."
"Really? Hold on."
I pulled a pill from my coat pocket. It was a headache medicine I took occasionally when I'd strained my eyes too much or hadn't gotten enough sleep and the fatigue climbed all the way into a headache. And among this medicine's functions was menstrual pain relief as well.
"Hehe. Thank you, Uncle!"
"Don't mention it. I'll get you some water — just hang on."
I mixed hot and cold to the right temperature and brought her a glass of lukewarm water. Min-ah beamed and tossed the pill into her mouth.
Ah, crap. You shouldn't take that on an empty stomach.
"Just hang on. I'll go grab some porridge."
I left the girl who insisted she was fine and quickly ducked into a supermarket for a container of rice porridge. Honestly I wanted to make it myself or buy some from a proper shop, but she'd already taken the medicine, so filling her stomach sooner rather than later was what mattered. If I delayed, her stomach would be burning.
That said, it was pretty likely Min-ah hadn't gotten pregnant this month. I couldn't tell whether the blood coming out now was period blood or implantation bleeding. But Min-ah and I had only been having sex for about a week, so we'd probably missed her fertile window.
Well, that was fine by me. It meant I could enjoy another month of that tight, springy little pussy that belonged to a girl who hadn't been pregnant yet.
"Eat up and get some more rest. I'll wake you later."
Min-ah popped a spoonful of porridge into her mouth and glanced at me. I didn't know what it was, but she clearly had something to say. When I smiled and told her to go ahead, she set down her spoon and spoke carefully.
"Umm... can I sleep with you, Uncle?"
"Hmm? Well, I don't really mind, but... your dad's still here, isn't he?"
That was the thing. Camping was one thing, but when we each had our own perfectly good rooms and beds, sleeping pressed up against each other? Even a guy as oblivious as my friend would find that weird.
But our Min-ah. She fidgeted with her hands and wouldn't back down.
"Even sooo... if I sleep with you, Uncle, I think I could forget about how much I hurt and sleep comfortably..."
She sent me a pleading look. Countless little stars sparkled in those big, round, adorable eyes and came flying straight into my face.
Ugh... wait. That's cheating! Come on, reason — snap out of it...!!!
But it was already too late. My reason, having taken a direct hit from Min-ah's finishing move, had already melted into a puddle like chocolate left out under the blazing midsummer sun. Any will to resist had long since vanished.
"F-fine..."
"Yay!!!"
The kid bounced her shoulders in a little victory dance. Was she really even in pain...? No — maybe I'd just fallen for a highly sophisticated scheme. Ugh.
After she finished eating and brushed her teeth, I watched her trot after me like a chick following its mother, sighed, and lifted the covers.
I just hope this ends with actual sleeping...
Then I saw Min-ah slip in with a little giggle, and I had a feeling it wasn't going to be that easy. Was it because she'd eaten? She seemed full of energy. A little uneasy, I climbed in and settled down myself.
Come to think of it, I need to get some sleep too.
I'd been short on rest after enthusiastically going at it with two foxes.
Silence settled over us along with the blanket. Rustle, rustle. Under the covers, Min-ah wriggled her way into my arms, then poked just her head out from under the blanket. The bright, adorable girl was gazing at me quietly, a pleasant little smile hanging on her lips.
"Uncle."
"Yeah?"
"Do you really love me, Uncle?"
She's looking for the obvious answer.
"I do."
I moved my hand slowly, stroking her hair very gently and carefully. It must have felt good, because she nuzzled her cheek against my chest.
Sometimes stroking a girl's hair like this is better than a kiss. A woman's hair carries enormous psychological meaning — put bluntly, unless she's given a man a considerable piece of her heart, she won't let him touch it freely. By stroking that hair, a man can convey boundless trust, and a woman can find peace of mind and certainty in his love. All from this extremely simple action, without any need to ramble on with words.
The girl lifted her head again. Those big, round eyes looked up at me from below.
"Uncle."
"I'm listening. Go ahead."
"I have something I'm worried about..."
Worried? What happened while I was gone? Min-ah's face grew quite serious, so I hardened my own expression and listened quietly. She seemed to organize her thoughts for a moment, then spoke softly. And that worry of hers was...
"I want to marry you, Uncle... but I feel like if I say that, Dad will be sad."
I nearly choked. That was her worry? Well, it was a topic that was bound to come up eventually, but seriously, this was way too fast. It had only been a week and she was already...?
Normally it takes a woman at least a month for her feelings to really heat up. Unlike men, who spike fast in a short burst, women show a much gentler curve of affection. Of course, there are always exceptions.
The problem is that most of those exceptions burn out in a few days and fizzle.
A short blaze, then nothing. Was Min-ah that type? Too soon to tell. I'd know if I watched a little longer.
Anyway, she was agonizing over whether to tell her dad... Thank god she'd asked me first. It meant I could stop her.
"Well, I think he might even cheer us on, too."
No. Not even close. What father would want his daughter marrying a man more than twenty years older? Something my friend had said suddenly came back to me — that she only thought about herself and wasn't good at empathizing with other people.
Min-ah's serious expression melted away and she beamed again. That sunny smile quickly dissolved the heavy atmosphere.
"So that's what I'm struggling with! What do you think, Uncle?"
Hmm. How should I answer this. Yeah. That would work. I organized my thoughts, then continued while stroking the girl's hair.
"You know how hard your dad's had it since your mom disappeared, right?"
"Yes."
This girl who looked just like my first love. Looking at her, I was reminded of the one who'd married my friend... the one who'd long since departed for heaven far, far away. My friend was probably even more affected than I was, not less.
"So what happens if you leave him too?"
She pondered that, then tilted her head and asked back.
"If we get married, you and me and Dad can all just live together, right?"
...She couldn't be serious. But her eyes were quite earnest. I was going to have to explain this more specifically.
"Fathers... they think of it as their daughter being taken away when she gets married."
"Whaaat?"
Min-ah's face said she couldn't comprehend it. Like it was complete nonsense. Like I was lying to her.
"Ugh. Don't look at me like that. It's the truth."
"I... see."
"So if you go telling him you want to get married already... the shock is going to be pretty big. He might even start drinking more than he does now."
"That can't happen..."
Worry settled heavily across Min-ah's face. No matter how much she only thought about herself, this was her own parent. The only family she had left in this world. She probably couldn't throw that away so easily.
Had she reached a conclusion after thinking it over? Her frozen lips started to move.
"Hmm... then when would be a good time to tell him?"
"Why not do it around the same time as everyone else? Look up the average marriage age. Your dad is lonely without your mom, so you can go a little later than that."
Min-ah started tapping rapidly at her smartphone. Then she peered at the screen and her face fell in massive disappointment.
"Hiiing. That's way too late!!"
"What's it say?"
"Thirty. I have to wait another nine years!"
Tears welled up in her eyes like she really, truly hated that idea. I soothed her gently as I spoke.
"We can take it slow. What, are you worried your love for me is going to change over those nine years?"
Then she answered with a face full of confidence.
"Mine won't! I'm worried about you, Uncle!"
Oof. That hit a nerve. I had nothing to say. Min-ah eyed me sideways and continued.
"Honestly I do trust you, Uncle, but I don't think the people around you are going to leave you alone. Do you know how many vixens there are these days!"
Vixens... heh. Hearing such a cute young lady use a word you'd expect from someone much older made me laugh on its own. Well, it seemed like we'd resolved things for now.
I gave her a little peck on the lips and offered a line — the same line countless men have used to deceive women.
"I won't get married until then. I'll wait. You trust your uncle, right?"
"Yeees♥"