ST - 5

Jiiing.

It was early morning.

Eo-ryeong twitched slightly at the vibration that woke her from her deep sleep. She barely lifted her heavy, stiff eyelids, as if they had iron weights on them, and stretched out her hand.

Where is it?

I’m sure I put it here yesterday...

After fumbling around for a while, she finally grabbed something. The cold feel of the phone in her palm brought her groggy mind somewhat back to reality. Her barely focused vision captured the unfamiliar surroundings.

After rubbing her blurry eyes, as if they had sand in them, she remembered the events of last night. She had expected to go to her own place, but for some reason, Choi Dam-young had brought her to his officetel.

Eo-ryeong couldn’t help but gape when she first opened the door and stepped inside. She knew he associated with a certain crowd, and she had a vague idea that his family was well-off...

‘Do you... live with anyone?’

It was so spacious and luxurious that she had to ask. To be honest, it was called an officetel, but the open, duplex interior was comparable in size to a top-class apartment.

He, who had thrown his car keys anywhere, picked her up as she stood blankly at the front door and replied, ‘Huh? No.’ After that, she had no time to look around the house. The passion that had been somewhat contained at school resumed as soon as they returned home, starting from the entrance.

Eo-ryeong had barely managed to reach the bedroom, feeling her way along the wall with his semen-dripping cock inside her. Not being able to leave from there all night was nothing different from any other night. She had fallen asleep like that and woke up now.

On the large bed, big enough for three people to roll around on, Eo-ryeong glanced back. Choi Dam-young, who was as naked as she was, was sound asleep with his head on the pillow.

Meanwhile, the phone in her hand vibrated again. Afraid that he might wake up, Eo-ryeong quickly touched the screen to check the notification, but she froze in a different way.

There were 12 missed calls from Ha-jin.

[Where are you?]

[You’re not home?]

Seeing the messages that had arrived 5 minutes ago, her spine went cold as if she had been splashed with cold water. As she stiffened, not knowing what to do, another message arrived shortly after.

[Don’t tell me you stayed out all night?]

Even though Ha-jin wasn’t in front of her, Eo-ryeong shot up like someone who had been scolded.

Her thoughts came to a halt for a moment. Should she call her sister right away? Or would it be better to go home as quickly as possible? If she called now, she would definitely get a lecture, and she didn’t want Choi Dam-young to hear it.

“Euhm...”

Just then, he stirred slightly.

She held her breath, wondering if he had woken up. Fortunately, that wasn’t the case. Choi Dam-young simply turned his large body towards where Eo-ryeong was lying, showing no other signs. Quietly relieved, Eo-ryeong carefully got out of bed and went into the bathroom.

“Heoeh...”

She couldn’t help but gasp at her reflection in the clean mirror. The kiss marks, which she had begged him to make discreetly since it was now summer, were all over every part of her body that could be barely covered by clothes.

Even the area around her ankle, which he had suddenly become obsessed with last night, was no exception. Rather, it was darkly and roundly imprinted like a bruise. Choi Dam-young had truly attacked her last night as if he was going to devour her from head to toe.

Knock knock.

While she was washing, a knock came between the sounds of the water. Eo-ryeong quickly turned off the shower and grabbed a large towel to roughly cover her body before opening the door.

Choi Dam-young, who was pushing back his messy hair as if to show he had just woken up, yawned widely.

“Were you washing up?”

“Yes.”

He leaned his slightly tilted head against the door frame and quietly looked at Eo-ryeong. Eo-ryeong, tilting her head at his intense gaze, belatedly remembered her appearance. Before she could even tell him to leave since she hadn’t finished washing, he pulled her in abruptly.

“Ah, beautiful.”

His lips stuck to Eo-ryeong’s neck, as if he still hadn’t had enough even after doing so much all night.

Eo-ryeong’s eyelids fluttered at the sound of his kisses and the way his hands lovingly caressed her skin. It was an expression of affection that was embarrassing and awkward to hear when she was in her right mind, unlike when she was completely lost in the pleasure he gave her.

“I’m, I’m not pretty.”

It wasn’t that she didn’t find it nice, but Eo-ryeong often felt suffocated by the expressions Choi Dam-young casually poured out.

It was as if she was wearing clothes that were too good for her. At the same time, it made her feel good enough to make her toes curl, and on the other hand, she was also afraid that it would suddenly disappear as quickly as it had been given.

It was truly a complex emotion.

Anyone else would have laughed it off. Or they would have just been shy.

Eo-ryeong was faced with her own flaw of scrutinizing and dwelling on even the smallest actions of others at times like this.

“What are you talking about? I’ve never seen anyone as pretty as you.”

“...Liar.”

This time, it wasn’t just a petulant complaint, but her true feelings.

Even their first meeting at the hotel swimming pool was like that.

Back then, the women clinging to his side were all beauties who would be second to none. Of course, his appearance, which was among them, was the most extraordinary... The point was that there were many, many women prettier than her around him.

“Liar?”

He let out a somewhat dumbfounded laugh.

“Can you still say that after seeing this?”

Choi Dam-young gestured somewhere with his eyes.

Eo-ryeong innocently followed his gaze and then took a step back with a “heok” sound when she saw his erect cock, which was so stiff it could knock on her navel. Since they were both completely naked, there was a high possibility that the night’s activities would continue if he wanted. Choi Dam-young chuckled as if he had noticed her wariness.

“I... I can’t do any more...”

“I know. You said that yesterday and cried.”

He rubbed Eo-ryeong’s soft eyes with his fingers as if he remembered it clearly.

“But why are you washing up so quickly? Let’s wash together.”

“Ah, I think I have to go now...”

“Already? It’s morning.”

She had nothing to say to him, who asked with a puzzled look. It was because she didn’t want to talk about her sister. After hesitating, she weakly made up an excuse, “I have something to do at home...” Choi Dam-young looked quite disappointed.

“Then don’t leave after you wash up, wait for me.”

“Yes? Why?”

“I have to take you home.”

He said with an expression that still showed he was sleepy. She hurriedly grabbed him, who was turning to go wash his face in another bathroom.

“I can go by myself!”

She felt like she was causing him trouble, and for once, her voice came out loudly. Of course, it seemed like it had no effect on him, who followed her hand and bit her cheek...

“You’ll get in trouble if you don’t wait.”

Instead, she only received a stern warning along with a finger that came close to her face. With no other choice, she washed up and waited in the living room. After a while, he appeared, wearing a navy t-shirt and black slacks with a cap pressed down on his head.

“Let’s go.”

He looked at the front door that closed with a click and then bent down towards Eo-ryeong.

“Guess the password.”

“Gues...s?”

“0914.”

“......Huh?”

Eo-ryeong reacted a beat late.

It was because the numbers that brushed past her ears were quite familiar. Choi Dam-young brought his lips close to Eo-ryeong’s earlobe, as if to kiss it, and whispered.

“If you want to come, you don’t have to contact me. You’re more than welcome to come in and press the password anytime.”

It was a four-digit number that represented Eo-ryeong’s birthday. Her heart tightened as if she had received an unexpected gift.

Eo-ryeong didn’t know what to say, so she just moved her lips, and instead expressed herself by tightly holding his hand. Choi Dam-young smiled pleasantly, held her hand back, and headed for the underground parking lot.

“Ah, those guys. They’re really loud.”

Choi Dam-young, who glanced at his phone on the way home, muttered in an unusually prickly tone.

Eo-ryeong, who was unknowingly trembling her legs, afraid of going home where her sister was waiting, widened her eyes. Choi Dam-young, who had noticed Eo-ryeong, said as he switched to silent mode, bothered by the constantly ringing notifications.

“The guys I went to the pub with yesterday keep texting me.”

“What are they saying?”

“They want to see you, baby.”

Just in time, the signal changed, and Choi Dam-young turned the steering wheel smoothly, letting out a dry, hollow laugh.

“They’re talking nonsense.”

The car shook slightly as the wheels went over a speed bump. Eo-ryeong’s heart seemed to flutter like that too. Her ugly feelings shook her again. Even though she hadn’t heard anything properly, she couldn’t help but wonder if he was saying that because he was embarrassed to show her off.

So she mustered up her courage and opened her mouth.

“I don’t mind meeting them...”

“I do. They’re all trash, they’re bad for my baby’s health.”

Friends... weren’t they?

Eo-ryeong tilted her head.

“And I’m so busy looking at you, I don’t have time to show you to anyone else.”

His clear words filled her with intangible affection. Eo-ryeong curled her lips, feeling a ticklish sensation at the pit of her stomach.

Soon, he shifted gears.

Only then did she realize that they had already arrived in front of her house.

Eo-ryeong, recalling the messages and missed calls left like a time bomb, quickly unfastened her seatbelt. For some reason, she couldn’t help but feel anxious thinking about Ha-jin, who had recently become increasingly sensitive and had severe mood swings.

“You’re taking away my joy like this.”

Choi Dam-young, who had been deprived of his task by her hasty hands, acted quite disappointed. Then he grabbed Eo-ryeong’s wrist, who was about to grab the door handle as if to get out right away.

“Baby.”

“Yes?”

“Just going?”

Eo-ryeong, fluttering her big eyes, let out an exclamation and turned to him.

Choi Dam-young turned his face straight, as if he was used to it. She kissed his smooth cheek like porcelain. It was a greeting she gave every time she got out of the car.

It started with his request, but now Eo-ryeong did it herself, grateful that he took her home like this. Today, she had forgotten all about it because she was distracted by her sister.

“Give me one more.”

It wasn’t a difficult task. Eo-ryeong approached him again.

Just before her lips brushed his cheek, Choi Dam-young quickly turned his head so that their lips met. The “pop” sound was a little louder than before. He, who had acted shamelessly, smiled smoothly.

“Are you going home?”

“I have to.”

He glanced at the phone he had thrown into the console box and added.

“Seeing how chaotic it is, I think I’ll have to go out tonight...”

Eo-ryeong nodded and got out of the car with a farewell glance.

She sweated profusely to send him away, who seemed like he was going to wait until she went inside. Only when the sound of the exhaust faded away did she finally take a step. As she pressed the door lock and opened the door, she felt a strong sense of tension from the entrance, and her throat tightened.

“Wow, you really did stay out all night?”

Ha-jin, sitting cross-legged on the two-seater sofa, burst into a disbelieving laugh as she saw Eo-ryeong coming in.

“Are you crazy?”

Her gaze felt like being trapped in a thorn bush, mercilessly scratching her skin. It was as if she was being soaked in poison.

Eo-ryeong unconsciously wrapped one arm around the other. It was an attitude that revealed her shrunken heart. Moments ago, she had faced Choi Dam-young and smiled without any burden, but now her face was filled with gloom.

“Where were you?”

“......”

“Did you meet someone?”

“No. It was just the festival yesterday...”

“So you stayed at a classmate’s house? Do you even have friends? That’s even more surprising.”

Ha-jin, who had been firing questions non-stop, got up from the sofa and walked towards her. Seeing her twisted mind, it seemed like today wouldn’t pass smoothly either.

Even in the midst of this, Eo-ryeong tried her best not to let her sister find out about her relationship with Choi Dam-young. Ha-jin was not someone to be underestimated, and if she caught even a little tail, it would be only a matter of time before she found out.

“What’s with that attitude? Are you getting bold? Who do you think you got this house thanks to?”

Her sharp, manicured nails tapped her forehead. Eo-ryeong unconsciously stepped back at the threatening aura. But Ha-jin followed her relentlessly.

It was always like this. Her sister acted viciously like a cat, and Eo-ryeong cowered like a mouse, as if she was going to be eaten.

“I was able to get it because I asked Dad!”

That was certainly true.

Eo-ryeong wanted to leave that large main house but couldn’t muster the courage. She was afraid that even taking a single step would be blocked by a wall, forcing her to retreat, which was close to being scared beforehand.

It was Ha-jin who helped her then. However, it was by no means an act of goodwill or altruism.

Ha-jin wanted to move out as soon as she entered university, but her father wouldn’t allow it.

Her father knew very well that she had developed some very bad habits since high school. This included smoking, drinking, and casually changing men like meals, treating sex as lightly as a feather.

Perhaps he thought that if he allowed her to live alone, she would become even more reckless than she already was, so he firmly stated that she absolutely couldn’t move out.

‘You tell him. Say you want to live alone.’

Ha-jin, grinding her teeth at her father’s strictness, soon changed her target to Eo-ryeong. Her father, who was initially indifferent and considered Eo-ryeong a reminder of his infidelity, felt somewhat uncomfortable with her. So, if Eo-ryeong asked and she lent her support, there was a high possibility of making it happen.

Eo-ryeong was like a puppet she could use freely, so if Eo-ryeong got a house, it would be the same as her having another house to control. With that thought, she willingly helped her half-sister. And as expected, things went according to her plan.

Perhaps because of that, Ha-jin always considered Eo-ryeong living alone here, away from the main house, as her doing, and she would become furious whenever Eo-ryeong showed an attitude that didn’t show gratitude.

“Ha, if you’re not here again when I come home, I’ll make you move out of here right away.”

“......Why did you look for me?”

“I’m hungry. Make me some food.”

Eo-ryeong bit her lip tightly to hide her hollow laugh. Was that the only reason she had called so many times before dawn and left threatening messages?

She felt a surge of resentment at the thought of herself, who had to rush here immediately at her sister’s call, and at Choi Dam-young’s trouble, who had to force himself to get up and leave the house early in the morning.

However, her sister would become even more furious if she cried. Eo-ryeong tried to hold back her tears by pressing her fingernails into her palm.

The bag hanging precariously on her shoulder slid down her arm with that movement. Something fell out of the bag’s entrance, which was hanging open because she hadn’t closed it properly.

Ha-jin’s gaze, which was returning to the sofa after finishing her business, was caught by it.

“What’s this?”

Eo-ryeong, who was trying to suppress her emotions as usual, gradually widened her eyes as she saw the new piercing on the floor and Ha-jin reaching for it.

“It’s a piercing.”

Ha-jin scoffed as if she had encountered another absurd thing. Then, as if she liked the shape, she turned the packaged item back and forth and casually murmured.

“You don’t wear piercings anyway, so you don’t need it, right?”

“No, that’s not allowed!”

Eo-ryeong, who had been anxiously watching her, unconsciously reached out and grabbed it. Ha-jin blinked slowly, as if she hadn’t realized what had just happened. Her eyes quickly turned sharp, resembling a lynx.

“What? Give it back.”

“No, I don’t want to...”

“Ha, seriously.”

Ha-jin took a deep breath, as if trying to hold back something boiling inside her. Eo-ryeong reflexively shuddered. It was because she always ended up being hit after her sister showed such an attitude. So her heart was already pounding.

But, but this isn’t allowed. It’s something I bought because I thought it would suit Choi Dam-young.

She had been nervous about being caught by him while they were together in the lecture room yesterday. Fortunately, because it was in a small pocket on the chest of her cheongsam, she was able to move it to her bag and hide it later.

She couldn’t hide the anticipation that was rising from deep inside her chest, wondering what kind of expression Choi Dam-young would make when he received it, whether he would smile like his usual self. That’s why she mustered the courage she wouldn’t normally have.

“Give it back, while I’m asking nicely.”

Ha-jin seemed to notice something was wrong when Eo-ryeong, who normally had no material desires and never dared to argue with her, suddenly stood her ground.

Her intention to back down, thinking it was just annoying, twisted grotesquely, and she stretched out her palm. When Eo-ryeong still didn’t give it to her, she tried to take it by force.

“Let go!”

“I don’t want to, I said... Ah!”

Slap!

Her face snapped to the side, and a flash of light appeared before her eyes. A burning sensation clung to one cheek. Eo-ryeong, who had suddenly been slapped, lost her grip. Ha-jin didn’t miss the opportunity and quickly took the piercing from her hand.

“Ouch, my hand hurts.”

Ha-jin, who had hit her, shook her hand nervously as if she were the victim. Eo-ryeong slowly raised her awkwardly bent upper body and brought her hand to her cheek. Ha-jin looked at her and paused.

As her fingertips touched something, a stinging pain spread. Ha-jin’s sharp nails were like weapons. She could clearly feel the red scratch on the grazed area, even without looking in the mirror.

“See, why do you make me angry?”

Ha-jin, who seemed displeased with having wasted her energy on such a thing in the morning, clicked her tongue and headed for the sofa. Picking up her scattered cardigan, she said she had lost her appetite and patted Eo-ryeong’s shoulder before leaving the house. In the meantime, she didn’t forget to take the piercing.

After being left alone, the self-loathing that crept into her chest was now so familiar that it made her nauseous. Eo-ryeong silently swallowed her tears as she leaned against the wall.

After a while, she became dazed.

The piercing.

It was so small and insignificant.

Honestly, she could just buy another similar one.

But being robbed of it so helplessly made her feel like someone who had been robbed of something precious that couldn’t be defined by one thing—her last remaining life, or pride, or dignity.

She felt weak and her mind was hazy. That was because it was something that was familiar to Eo-ryeong and therefore fueled her fear.

If it’s discovered, it will be taken away.

Like what she experienced with the piercing, she feared that Choi Dam-young would be taken away so helplessly if he was discovered...

Perhaps that was something that was inevitably foreseen.

Eo-ryeong went to bed and buried her face in the pillow.

The many times she had spent with Choi Dam-young felt like a dream, so bitter was reality. Eo-ryeong silently soaked the pillowcase with tears and fell asleep, overcome by the languid fatigue that pressed down on her limbs.

Ding-dong.

The sound of the doorbell broke into her submerged consciousness.

Eo-ryeong, who had fallen asleep without even realizing it, hurriedly got out of bed. Her mind, not fully free from sleepiness, became flustered. She wondered if Ha-jin had returned.

Remembering the events of the morning, she should have stayed inside and resisted. However, her mind, which had been broken and damaged by her for so long, made her perform habitual actions without any room for resistance.

She went to the front door without even fixing her appearance and opened it wide.

And so...

“Ta-da.”

“......”

“Were you sleeping?”

Choi Dam-young, holding a large shopping bag, smiled and greeted her, leaving her bewildered.

What surprised her more was the color of the sky visible behind Choi Dam-young. It was morning when she got out of his car, but now the red glow of the sunset was spreading across the sky. Her body, weakened from not resting properly since yesterday, had taken a considerable rest.

“H-how...”

“I came because I missed you...”

Choi Dam-young, who was stepping inside while speaking, suddenly stopped.

Instead of the abruptly cut-off voice, a hand with manly, prominent knuckles reached out and lifted Eo-ryeong’s chin.

“What happened to your face?” The gentle voice instantly turned icy.

Not only that, but the smoothly smiling expression also turned coldly rigid. Only then did Eo-ryeong recall the morning’s commotion. And the stinging trace left on her cheek by Ha-jin’s fingernails.

“Who did this?” Eo-ryeong hurriedly tried to cover it with her hair, but it was already discovered. Choi Dam-young grasped Eo-ryeong’s chin, fixed her towards him, and asked in a chilly tone. Though there was still a hint of gentleness, the gaze that meticulously scanned the wound clearly contained the aura of a well-sharpened blade.

“It’s nothing.” Eo-ryeong smiled and grabbed his arm, pulling it down.

“I just fell...” It was a part of the face difficult to injure by falling. Even without hearing it, wasn’t it a place that fueled the reasonable suspicion that she had been hit by someone? The weakness of the excuse was vividly conveyed even to herself.

Fortunately, however, Choi Dam-young only glanced briefly and entered the house without saying anything else.

“I was going to ask, but you weren’t answering your phone.” “I didn’t see my phone... I slept as soon as I got home. I guess I was tired.” Choi Dam-young, who placed the shopping bag on the dining table, approached and hugged Eo-ryeong’s waist.

“We did get pretty intense yesterday, didn’t we?” It was a peaceful nuance, so much so that it was impossible to recall the icy atmosphere that had just plummeted. The playful look was similar to usual. Eo-ryeong easily noticed that he was being considerate so that she wouldn’t be bothered.

“But you said you had plans...” “Yeah. I ran away.” “R-ran away?” “Our Eo-ryeong makes me so much fun that meeting other guys has become boring.” Tsk, Choi Dam-young clicked his tongue as if in lament. Eo-ryeong was distracted by him taking something out of the shopping bag and didn’t pay much attention to his words.

“Oh? Cake...?” What came out was none other than a cake. A whole cake, not just a slice. When she didn’t know what it was, it was just so-so, but when its identity was revealed, it suddenly seemed like the air was filled with sweetness. Perhaps it was because Choi Dam-young’s actions felt so sweet.

“Was it someone’s birthday among your friends?” At her innocent question, Choi Dam-young burst into a clear laugh. Why was he laughing? Eo-ryeong, who was quite sincere, blinked in confusion at the sudden laughter.

“Honey, you can eat cake even if it’s not your birthday.” That’s true, but wouldn’t it usually be just a slice, not a whole cake like this...?

“This is my favorite shop, and I stopped by on the way because I wanted to feed Eo-ryeong too.” Eo-ryeong stared blankly at the hand that was taking the cake out of the box, wondering if it would suit her taste.

Just like when he prepared simple food for her, he stopped by and bought it just because he wanted to feed her. The sincerity embedded in his words was so intense that she felt nauseous.

“I’m sorry...” And seeing that, she was reminded of the piercing.

She had bought it because she wanted to give him as much as he gave her, but she had lost it so helplessly.

Even though he didn’t know about the gift, she felt like she had already ruined something she was supposed to give, and she apologized involuntarily. Tears also welled up. The tears she had been holding back since morning showed their presence, stinging under Choi Dam-young’s simple comfort.

Every time this happened, she felt incredibly foolish and inadequate for being helpless against Ha-jin.

Also, knowing how incompetent she was, she was afraid that Choi Dam-young might get tired of her or bored with her. As her thoughts deepened, she couldn’t stop digging deeper into the hole. Eo-ryeong had so little confidence in herself.

“Uh...” Choi Dam-young, who was taking out the cake, rolled his eyes in embarrassment.

“Where in my words was there something for you to apologize for?” He tilted his head in confusion, then looked at Eo-ryeong, who was quickly shaking her head, and let out a small laugh. Then he gestured for her to come closer. When she approached hesitantly, he pulled Eo-ryeong into a tight hug, like an animal snatching its prey.

“I’m staying over tonight. Is that okay?” “Yes...” “I didn’t bring any clothes, so I’ll be naked all night.” “Yes, yes.” “I’d be embarrassed to be naked alone, so I’ll undress Eo-ryeong too.” “Th-that’s...” She was obedient in some ways, but also timid in others. Choi Dam-young laughed out loud and rested his chin on Eo-ryeong’s crown. In that state, he asked casually.

“Why did you apologize, Eo-ryeong?” The small body in his arms clearly stiffened.

Eo-ryeong moved her lips for a long time. Choi Dam-young waited without any prompting. Every time, she realized how different he was from others.

Since childhood, when having a conversation, there were many who got frustrated and annoyed at the silence that occurred while she, being introverted, pondered over the questions several times to be cautious. Especially because her deceased stepmother and Ha-jin harshly scolded her in this regard, she even developed a stutter that she didn’t originally have. Out of fear that she had to say something.

“If I say sorry...” “Yes.” “It stops...” In the past, she felt wronged about the things that were forced on her or the mistakes she didn’t make. So she tried to resist. But under the repeated cycle, she gradually became numb and tired. So she just apologized to defuse the situation quickly. She apologized unconsciously and mechanically even if she didn’t do anything.

Because that’s how the situation ended.

Her stepmother’s abuse and Ha-jin’s hysterical temper...

“Hmm... okay.” It was a vague answer, but Choi Dam-young simply brushed it off instead of digging into the details. Well, even without digging, it was something he could vaguely guess.

He lightly changed the subject, asking, “What should we do for fun?”

Eo-ryeong glanced at the front door as a habit.

Even in this situation, she found herself ridiculous for worrying if her sister would return. She really had no sense...

Fortunately, Ha-jin didn’t show her face for at least a week after such a commotion. It was probably because seeing Eo-ryeong made her angry, but she was grateful for her absence.

The home date activity was decided to be a movie.

While Eo-ryeong was getting plates and forks from the kitchen, Choi Dam-young was looking for a movie for them to watch. Since they would be sitting for a long time, they chose to sit on the floor and lean against the sofa instead of sitting on it. Eo-ryeong brought pillows and blankets from the bedroom.

“You smell like baby.” Choi Dam-young buried his nose in the pillows and blankets she brought and sniffed, making such sounds that Eo-ryeong’s neck turned the color of autumn leaves in embarrassment. She didn’t know why she always felt like hiding somewhere when he was the one doing strange things.

The movie he chose was an action movie. As she was absorbed in the intense development from the beginning, something slipped into her mouth. It was the fork Choi Dam-young was holding.

Something soft crumbled on her tongue. A sweet taste that made her smack her lips softly enveloped her tongue. Only then did she realize that he had fed her a bite of cake.

“Should I change the fork? I haven’t used it yet...” “Huh? Why?” She thought it would be better to change it since his saliva had touched it, but Choi Dam-young shrugged casually and put the fork, which only had brown cream left, into his mouth and sucked it.

The same fork that had just been in Eo-ryeong’s mouth.

As she quietly watched him, Choi Dam-young, belatedly noticing the direction of her gaze, soon smiled brightly. Immediately after, he provocatively licked the fork, as if to show off. In reality, he only took out his red tongue and rubbed it here and there, but Eo-ryeong, who was thinking that it was almost like an indirect kiss with him, felt inexplicably flustered and quickly turned her head away.

“Does it suit your taste?” “It’s delicious...” Truly... It was a pity that she could only express it like this, as the cake’s taste was excellent. Even with the same cream and bread, the way it melted in her mouth was completely different from what was sold in convenience stores or cafes. That’s why she kept reaching for it.

Choi Dam-young, who had bought the cake, only ate a couple of bites and put down the fork. He leaned his body against the soft pillow Eo-ryeong had brought, fiddling with her fingers while focusing on the movie.

At first, they exchanged various everyday conversations, but as the movie progressed, they gradually fell silent. Eo-ryeong, having eaten enough, also put down the fork and leaned her back against his side.

But perhaps the problem was that she was full. Even though the TV was noisy with the sounds of loud gunshots and car tires screeching, she gradually felt sleepy.

She had rested well in the morning and slept for a long time, but she was sleepy again. Eo-ryeong rubbed her eyes to wake herself up and drank the milk she had brought, remembering it while eating the cake.

“Honey, are you sleepy?” Choi Dam-young, who seemed to notice her drowsiness, grabbed her arm and pulled her to lean against him. Eo-ryeong nodded in an awkward posture, neither sitting nor lying down.

“Then just sleep. Why are you trying to stay awake?” He smiled and pulled Eo-ryeong closer with a little more force. Her small, slender body, compared to Choi Dam-young, helplessly collapsed into his wide embrace. Suddenly, Eo-ryeong, who was lying down with her head on his arm, rolled her heavy eyes and looked up at him diagonally.

“We were going to watch the movie together...” “Are you afraid I’ll be disappointed?” Choi Dam-young let out a small chuckle and wrapped his large palm around Eo-ryeong’s back.

“It’s okay, just sleep if you’re sleepy.” “...” “Lullaby, lullaby?” He smiled playfully and patted her back with his palm, as if putting a baby to sleep.

Eo-ryeong couldn’t help but smile at his easygoing attitude. Although she tried to stay awake, she drifted off into a light nap as Choi Dam-young gently patted her back.

Then, without anyone waking her, she suddenly woke up and slowly opened her eyelids.

Choi Dam-young’s face was right in front of her. He was looking at his phone, not the movie that was still playing loudly. As she shifted, feeling a slight stiffness in her shoulder from sleeping on her side, he turned to her.

“Are you awake?” Eo-ryeong, blinking her eyes, belatedly realized that she was resting her head on his right arm. She had been asleep for at least a few minutes, though she didn’t know exactly how long. Eo-ryeong quickly sat up.

“Huh? Why?” “Isn’t your arm, isn’t your arm numb?” “A little? But it’s bearable. I was having fun struggling to type messages, though.” Fun while struggling...? Confused, she tilted her head, and Choi Dam-young lightly shook the phone he was holding in his left hand.

“Want to see?” He showed her the messenger window with the replies he had just sent.

[Did you really leave?] [I’m wathicng a mvvie] [???] [ㅋ] [What the f***? Are you not coming back?] [no I’m palying wth her] [This crazy guy, what’s wrong with you again ㅠㅠ] The messages exchanged between his friend and him were full of incomprehensible words and misspellings.

Choi Dam-young pointed at his friend’s frustrated reaction and giggled like a mischievous boy. Eo-ryeong followed suit with an awkward laugh, but then, realizing that this wasn’t the time for that, she quickly reached out and massaged his arm, which had been offered to her like a sacrifice. Choi Dam-young leaned his head loosely against the sofa and watched Eo-ryeong.

“Are you massaging it because you think it’s numb?” “...” “Cute.” He seemed perfectly fine, not needing a massage at all, as he casually pushed himself up with his arm and pressed his lips against Eo-ryeong’s. After a “pop” sound of friction, their eyes met.

Eo-ryeong slightly parted her lips as if she had been trained to do so. Choi Dam-young smiled and pushed his tongue into the gap, revealing coral-colored mucous membranes. It was a soft kiss, like the cozy, languid atmosphere of the evening.

“My arm isn’t the only thing that hurts.” Her hands, which were awkwardly floating in the air, were grabbed by him and pulled somewhere. Something heavy and very firm touched her fingertips. Even without opening her eyes, she could guess what it was, but she couldn’t help but lift her eyelids at the embarrassment.

As expected, it was his crotch.

“How can I bear it when you’re breathing softly against my chest?” The kiss stopped, but their lips were still touching, so she felt his whispering movements more directly than ever. The feeling of their lips brushing against each other, which had been mixing wetly just a moment ago, was strange.

Eo-ryeong flinched, pulling back her hand that was pressed against his crotch.

“My back still hurts...” “Then should we just kiss more?” At her nod, he tilted his chin diagonally and pressed his lips against hers again.

While they repeatedly collided and separated, his finger slipped between their lips and applied something to her lips. Eo-ryeong, instinctively sticking out her tongue, realized it was the cream from the cake, thanks to the sweet taste.

He curved his eyes into soft lines and licked it off. It was the same action as before, but the addition of cream changed the intensity.

It was a little sweeter, a little stickier. It really felt like she was being slowly eaten by him, a strange feeling.

Just as she was focusing on the sensation that was melting all her senses, as if pouring sugar into her insides, something caught her attention.

White letters appearing on a black screen.

The movie was already showing the end credits.

Choi Dam-young, who had just parted his lips and was licking the sweet taste from the inside of his cheek, followed her gaze and also noticed the screen.

“I don’t know why time flies so fast when I’m with you.” Eo-ryeong understood his words very easily. She felt the same way. Time spent with Choi Dam-young was like... water flowing without being able to be grasped, or an arrow already released from the bow.

The room, where the movie had ended, was filled with the unique atmosphere of the afternoon.

Perhaps exhausted from the long, tongue-entwining kiss, he relaxed his posture slightly and pulled Eo-ryeong closer.

They were now facing each other, with pillows under their heads.

She wasn’t sleepy, but her mind was hazy and blank, like just before falling asleep. For some reason, she felt fluffy.

“Shall we ask each other questions we want to know?” It was a light suggestion, and Eo-ryeong readily nodded. He raised and lifted his eyebrows as if to tell her to go first.

Hmm, Eo-ryeong hummed.

“How old are you?”

The question she finally asked, her eyes sparkling, was so unexpectedly wholesome that Choi Dam-young couldn’t hold back his laughter.

“You were still wondering?”

It had been a while since she asked that question...

Choi Dam-young, who seemed to find it so funny that tears were about to well up, lightly rubbed his eyes and gave his answer.

“I’m twenty-seven. Four years older than you.”

Soon, he propped himself up slightly and rested his head on his arm.

“What position do you want to have sex in next time?”

Compared to her innocent question, the returned question was blatantly explicit.

Eo-ryeong’s hazel eyes shook in confusion, as if they had lost their way. Choi Dam-young found it quite amusing. Just as he was thinking if it was too direct, she whispered something in his ear.

Choi Dam-young felt a pang in his heart when she shyly whispered, “The one we did yesterday...” without avoiding the question. Then, he wanted to severely berate himself for the nonsense he had spoken a few minutes ago about not doing it today.

“What’s your family like?”

“Both my parents are healthy, and I have two brothers. I’m the blessed second son.”

“Blessed?”

“I don’t have to bear the burden like the eldest, and I don’t need to be overprotected like the youngest.”

I see. For Eo-ryeong, who had an exceptionally unusual half-sister, it was a relationship she couldn’t quite picture. Still, since they were blood relatives, having two more people who looked like him was a good thing for the world, she thought.

“What color do you like, Eo-ryeong?”

Eo-ryeong felt a bit dizzy at his skill in easily shifting the question’s intensity from light to deep. Still, she faithfully gave her answer.

“Yellow.”

“Ah, it suits you. You’re kind of like a chick.”

Now he was even bringing up chicks. Eo-ryeong let it slide without saying anything. It was her turn to ask a question.

“When is your birthday?”

“April 5th.”

“It’s spring.”

Even his birthday was so like him. A season when everything comes to life and breathes with vitality. He was a man who seemed to have been born with that blossoming blessing.

It was Choi Dam-young’s turn again.

“Why are you so helpless against Lee Ha-jin?”

It was a question that struck like a surprise attack.

Her spine stiffened and the back of her neck froze, as if she had been bitten by a snake’s fangs. Just a moment ago, there was still a hint of laughter, but Choi Dam-young’s face had lost all its playfulness.

So Eo-ryeong easily realized that he was asking sincerely.

“Ah, uh, my sister...”

Her nerves tingled all over, as if she had been bitten by a snake’s fangs. She felt like something she had been hiding deep inside her had been touched.

As always, she wanted to run away far, far away, but when she saw Choi Dam-young staring at her with eyes that seemed to be supporting her firmly, she hated her weak self.

Eo-ryeong slowly raised her reclining upper body.

Choi Dam-young maintained his posture but clearly showed that he was focusing on her reactions and appearance.

When was it?

A layer of memory, which she had hidden because she didn’t want to remember, was peeled away. Words leaked out between her parted teeth like a groan or a sigh.

“When I was in the first year of high school...”

It was the day she arrived home before Ha-jin.

The interior of the house, which was no different from usual, felt strangely out of place. Everything was clean without a speck of dust, and everything was bathed in the warm sunlight from the large windows, identical to her memories, but strangely, a chilling, desolate coldness was subtly spread under her feet.

She soon realized.

It was the emptiness that came from absence.

Neither the housekeeper who usually greeted her, nor the stepmother who always found fault with her, nor anyone else’s footsteps could be heard. It was like an empty house, or even a haunted house.

Eo-ryeong suddenly turned her feet away from her room.

She didn’t know why she made that decision at the time. She just felt like she had to. Intuition, perhaps? An indefinable human sixth sense. It tingled somewhere in her brain and led her to her parents’ bedroom on the inside of the first floor.

Opening the door was easy, but what followed was a sight so heavy that it took her breath away.

The shadow cast by the body of a person hanging from the ceiling covered Eo-ryeong like a harsh and cruel shadow. Seeing a scene that she would only see in movies or dramas, she couldn’t find any sense of reality.

But it was an undeniable reality.

Her stepmother’s suicide, who had devoted her entire life to persecuting her with her eyes wide open, was a clear reality.

‘Why?’

That was the first question that came to her mind.

I was the one who was harassed, I was the one who cried every night, soaking my pillow with resentment and exhaustion. I was the one who was treated like a cold dish and grew up eating only scraps since I came into this house, so why is my stepmother, who was practically the perpetrator, in this state?

But the dead gave no answer, and only the cold silence emitted by the corpse enveloped Eo-ryeong.

‘I’d rather die than live with that vermin.’

At that moment, she remembered the words her stepmother had often uttered habitually, patting her chest while looking at her hesitant self. Once the words took over her mind, they were firmly embedded like nails, and no matter how hard she tried, they wouldn’t come out. Eo-ryeong was in a state of confusion, so much so that she couldn’t even remember that her stepmother had been suffering from depression.

There was no time to think deeply.

All she could think was that she had to pull it down to the floor. She felt like she wanted to hide it, as if she were seeing her own fault, and she also felt an urgency that this scene would be an unbearable wound for Ha-jin.

She dragged a chair and barely cut the cloth that was tied around her neck. The aura of death, swirling like the fog of hell, poured over her body, and the chair fell over with a crash.

And then.

‘I’m home. Why is no one here?’

Ha-jin came back.

Her confident steps in slippers, like Eo-ryeong, seemed to feel something was wrong and headed straight here. The approaching footsteps and her stepmother’s blue-faced body hanging below her. Her urgent heart emitted a sense of helplessness rather than giving any commands.

As she sat blankly like a person in despair, a lively figure stopped at the door. Eo-ryeong felt a chilling shiver running from the top of her head to the tips of her toes.

‘What... what are you doing!’

Ha-jin, who took off her slippers and rushed at her as if she was going to turn them inside out, was like a demon. With Eo-ryeong’s frozen heart, anything she saw at that time would have felt that way.

Rough hands pushed her shoulders and body. The corpse that had been resting on her knees was moved into Ha-jin’s arms. Ha-jin, filled with shock and despair, quickly burst into tears.

‘Mom, Mom! Open your eyes. What should I do...’

In the midst of it, Eo-ryeong felt a dizziness as if the space was distorting.

The loneliness she felt as an outsider who couldn’t fit in, even though they shared blood, the situation where the tables seemed to have turned due to her stepmother’s wrong choice, even though she had suffered all the damage while growing up, and the unknown emotional turmoil that was stabbing up her throat...

Unidentifiable emotions swirled.

Ha-jin couldn’t come to her senses until the funeral. The usual Ha-jin, who used to look down on her with her cat-like eyes haughtily raised, was like a thick and strong wick, but now she only showed weakness, like a reed swaying greatly in a light breeze.

Then, just before the funeral procession, Ha-jin, dressed in black mourning clothes, regained her senses and immediately converted all her emotions into resentment. And she poured everything, like a dark, lost mass, onto Eo-ryeong.

“It’s all your fault.”

Eo-ryeong still remembers those eyes.

“If you hadn’t come to our house, Mom would have lived longer.”

Red veins bulged, and her pupils were filled with a sharp murderous intent.

“Our mom died, so why are you still alive?”

“I wish you were dead.”

Like rocks falling off a cliff, harsh words endlessly poured into Eo-ryeong’s heart. Eo-ryeong easily understood that this was Ha-jin’s way of coping with the death of her blood relative.

Ha-jin’s words were full of falsehoods.

Eo-ryeong was not at fault for that death.

However, the scene of her stepmother’s body dangling from the ceiling, or her habitually passive nature, meant she always chose to swallow her words rather than speak them out.

Ha-jin, who had lost her mother, looked extremely unstable at a glance. She seemed so fragile that one wrong word could throw her into that abyss.

“Let’s endure.”

She thought it was better to endure and let it pass, rather than risk Ha-jin making a wrong choice in a fit of anger like her stepmother, especially since she was so young and might end her life in such a shocking way.

With that thought, she endured and persevered every moment.

As these memories piled up, confronting Ha-jin became burdensome. It was as if she had become accustomed to that helplessness and weakness.

Whenever she recalled the death of Madam Han, the funeral home, or the afterimage of Ha-jin glaring at her murderously in black mourning clothes, something in her heart would sink. And when she came to her senses, she would end up silently obeying her tyranny and intimidation.

It was a kind of trauma.

Seeing someone hang themselves and take their own life was too much for a mere high school student to handle.

And it was Choi Dam-young, who had quietly listened, not Eo-ryeong, who had barely opened up, who recognized it as trauma. Her face and hands were so pale, as if she were suffocating just from reflecting on the past, that he felt sorry for her.

“Eo-ryeong.”

Her face, darkened to the point of losing its light, turned to him. Choi Dam-young, with an unusually serious look, said softly.

“It’s not your fault.”

Choi Dam-young’s pupils, fixed on her face, were clear and firm. That’s why it resonated so deeply. The subsequent affirmation caused a ripple in her heart.

“How is that your fault? Ask anyone on the street, and no one will say it’s your fault.”

One word from someone else had a completely different power than what she had thought and repeated hundreds of times.

Eo-ryeong was not at fault for Madam Han’s death, and Ha-jin’s resentment and hatred lacked validity.

Eo-ryeong was the one who knew this more accurately than anyone else.

However, when she repeated it to herself to the point of self-hypnosis, it had no effect at all. But the direct words that someone else presented, judged at her eye level, took over her world as if they could control it.

Above all, because it was Choi Dam-young, who easily did things she couldn’t do, her nose tingled even more.

He had never said anything wrong.

So, so this time too...

Choi Dam-young smiled awkwardly.

“Don’t cry.”

A warm hand touched her cheek.

“I don’t really like making you cry like this.”

Perhaps because of the tears flowing down her cheek, the scar in the middle of it stung. His soft touch gently wiped away the tears without hurting her.

Somewhere in her heart, which had been crumpled and distorted to hide what it was holding, slowly unfolded, petal by petal, as if it had been conquered by his touch.

It stung and tickled at the same time.

It was similar to the sensation of a scar healing and new flesh growing in its place.

Eo-ryeong didn’t hold back the emotional overflow that surged like a burst dam today.

When he pressed the used ointment tube, the milky white ointment oozed out through the open nozzle.

Choi Dam-young carefully rubbed the right amount onto Eo-ryeong’s cheek. Fortunately, Eo-ryeong, who was curled up like a shrimp on the bed and fast asleep, continued to breathe deeply without making a sound.

Choi Dam-young roughly wiped his slippery fingers and looked down at her quietly.

Before falling asleep, she had talked non-stop, pouring out everything she had suppressed and endured. Like a child passionately explaining their wronged position to their parents because of a friend’s mistake.

Even in the midst of that, her pauses and hesitations showed how thoughtful and cautious she was.

After pouring out so much, she fell asleep as if exhausted.

He felt sorry for her posture, curled up with her head on the pillow, so he immediately picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. After laying her down, Choi Dam-young first found the ointment. He had been bothered by the scar on her cheek all along.

“Lee Ha-jin is famous for her recent bouts of crazy behavior.”

It was at a meeting today, a brief visit, where the topic of Ha-jin had casually come up.

The faces at the drinking parties he occasionally attended when he had time were always changing. So, Choi Dam-young had met Ha-jin sometimes, and sometimes he hadn’t. Lately, he had been completely absorbed in spending time with Eo-ryeong, and since he only showed up about once a month, the chances of meeting her were slim.

The group gathered at the table was eager to tell Choi Dam-young the latest news.

They teased him with light nicknames like “crazy” and “womanizer,” but when Choi Dam-young appeared, they all gathered around him and subtly watched his reactions. This was not just a leisure activity; it was a place where social prestige and status were also considered.

That’s what the meeting was in the first place.

They were all about the same, but they were a group of blood elites who couldn’t help but stand out in Korean society as a whole.

“She got into a fight with Kim Dong-woo a few days ago while drinking.”

“While drinking? Why?”

“She’s been sensitive lately, and Kim Dong-woo must have provoked her by asking if she was having her period or something. Anyway, Kim Dong-woo is a moron; he’s the only one who doesn’t know why he’s not popular with women.”

“Has Lee Ha-jin always been like that?”

“She was a bit rude, but not to that extent. If it were the old days, she would have thrown a drink in Dong-woo’s face and left. She’s a bit arrogant, isn’t she? She would have left, thinking it’s better to avoid confronting him. I don’t know why she’s acting like this lately. Is something going on at home?”

Choi Dam-young twirled the glass of alcohol offered by the person who was rambling. Ha-jin’s family, as one of the participants in the meeting, was also formidable, and of course, Eo-ryeong was also a daughter of that family.

However, unlike Ha-jin, who wore luxury brands from head to toe and adorned herself with all sorts of sparkling things beautifully and stylishly, Eo-ryeong lived a modest life that could be mistaken for the daughter of an ordinary family.

Just thinking about the rented room she lived in...

He had heard that they were half-sisters, and it seemed there was a difference that stemmed from that.

“It’s probably not a family matter.”

“Huh? How do you know that?”

Because Eo-ryeong didn’t show any particular signs of a family issue. Since he had no intention of saying that directly, Choi Dam-young responded by drinking water. Either way, it was proof that her recent sensitivity was her own problem, not a family issue.

For Choi Dam-young, that wasn’t important.

“How much did she torment her with that crazy behavior?”

The problem was that the result of that crazy behavior was the scar on Eo-ryeong’s cheek.

Tick, tick, tick.

The electronic sound coming from outside the bedroom in the distance scratched his eardrums. After hearing the sound of the door lock being unlocked without any hesitation and the sound of shoes being taken off nervously, he could guess who it was without looking.

Choi Dam-young carefully covered Eo-ryeong with the blanket and came out of the bedroom.

“What are you?”

Ha-jin, entering as if it were her own home, widened her eyes as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have when she saw Choi Dam-young coming out of the bedroom.

Choi Dam-young closed the bedroom door tightly, as if to block her, and walked to the sofa to sit down. He looked as natural as if he were the owner of the house, no less than Ha-jin.

Ha-jin’s blank head followed his movements, turning creakily.

“What are you doing here?”

“What do you think? Can’t you tell?”

Choi Dam-young, stretching his long legs out, shook the cigarette case placed on one side and took out a cigarette. While repeatedly holding the Zippo lighter, Ha-jin approached with an expression as if she had been hit on the back of the head.

“You two... what’s going on? Why are you at Eo-ryeong’s house?”

“Ha-jin, let’s not act clueless.”

Chik. The blue flame that bloomed and the red embers that spread almost touched the end of the cigarette.

He was about to light it habitually, but then he remembered that this was Eo-ryeong’s house and that the smell would linger, so he quickly relaxed his hand. Although he was a heavy smoker, he hadn’t been able to smoke much in front of Eo-ryeong’s clear and innocent eyes for a long time, as if he felt guilty.

Choi Dam-young eventually lowered the cigarette from his mouth and broke it in half.

“Ha.”

Ha-jin, who seemed to have finished organizing her thoughts in the meantime, let out a scoff and took a step closer. Then, she glared at the bedroom with her big eyes wide open. She was in a murderous mood, as if she would barge in and grab Eo-ryeong by the hair at any moment.

“Be quiet and leave.”

That murderous intent was blocked by Choi Dam-young’s soft words.

“Don’t wake the baby for no reason.”

Ha-jin’s hands, clenched into fists, trembled slightly. Even though she was furious at what she had just found out, she couldn’t dare to attack him because of who he was. Choi Dam-young twisted his lips in a mocking smile at her cowardly behavior of picking her targets.

Ha-jin stood there as if nailed to the spot, then turned around and left the house.

It was an exit that exuded a feeling of resentment.