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As Bomi took off her sweater, a fitted dress was revealed, suspended by thin straps over her shoulders. It wasn’t a significant exposure, but Jinhan quickly turned his head away.
“You weren’t like that in the studio, were you?”
“No, the studio has a lot of computers, so we keep the air conditioning on all the time.”
“Don’t dress like that outside.”
“Is this too revealing?”
“It’s not that... Never mind. Let’s eat.”
Jinhan was experiencing the after-effects of living alone for a long time. Bomi was the first woman he’d brought into his home, and it was hard to maintain his composure. Moreover, he had been struggling emotionally recently. His soul, which he thought was fine, was full of vulnerabilities, reacting intensely to even small stimuli. Bomi seemed completely unaware of Jinhan’s state. Facing her innocent face, he felt unfairly wronged all by himself.
“Let’s have a glass of wine.”
“Sounds good!”
He artfully arranged the steak on a plate and added some accompanying vegetables. As soon as he dressed the washed salad greens, Jinhan went for the wine first. Food wasn’t the priority right now. The main goal was to calm his rampaging emotions with alcohol and regain his composure.
“Can you hold your liquor?”
“Moderately.”
“Drink up.”
Jinhan and Bomi lightly clinked their wine glasses. Enjoying an atmosphere that rivaled a restaurant, they both, as if on cue, emptied their first glass in one go.
“Wow, delicious!”
“Drink slowly.”
“Senior I-young kept me tied up all day, so I was exhausted. Drinking on an empty stomach makes me a bit tipsy.”
Before long, the steak was merely an accompaniment. Jinhan, who had only seen Bomi as a child, was secretly surprised after having a deep conversation with her. She was more substantial than she appeared. Without realizing it, he ended up revealing his inner thoughts, which he hadn’t told anyone else, and found unexpected comfort.
“Oppa, you only have two older brothers, right?”
“Yes.”
“You don’t seem like the youngest at all; you’re just like the eldest son.”
“Really?”
“Our Yumi is still a complete baby, you know.”
“No matter what, comparing me to an elementary schooler is a bit much.”
Bomi burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. Jinhan chuckled along with her. Having finished their meal at the dining table, the two moved to the living room. They sat on the long horizontal sofa, one leg propped up, leaning against the backrest, with whisky glasses in their hands. Their eyes, facing each other, slowly became hazy with alcohol. It was a pleasant drowsiness.
“Why did you cut your hair short?”
“No reason. Is it bad?”
“No. It suits you well.”
Jinhan’s voice, as he scratched his neck as if weighed down by sleep, was incredibly languid. His gaze drifted along Bomi’s delicate face, earlobes, and slender neck, as if appreciating a work of art. Was she always this pretty? Everything about her was small and delicate; he felt like if he took a bite, he would taste sweetness. Jinhan, emboldened by the alcohol, imagined leaving teeth marks on her soft skin and Bomi letting out a small gasp. Without realizing it, his Adam’s apple bobbed significantly as Bomi’s hand touched his neck.
“Oppa, your necklace is pretty.”
“Ah... Do you want this?”
“Really?”
“I bought it when I went to Italy; they said anyone could wear it, regardless of gender.”
Jinhan placed his whisky glass on the table and unclasped his necklace. Bomi couldn’t take her eyes off the gender-neutral pendant, finding it mysterious.
“Is it weird that it’s already been used? Should I buy you a new one?”
“No, it’s fine. This necklace is really pretty.”
“Just take this one, and I’ll buy you a better one later.”
As Jinhan held up both ends of the necklace, Bomi giggled and lifted her chin. For a moment, her fair, extended neckline filled his vision. Jinhan held his breath for a moment and then put the necklace on Bomi. Clink, it fastened, and a small vibration resonated in the air. Jinhan, overcome by an uncontrollable urge to kiss her, swallowed thickly.
“It suits you.”
“It does?”
He needed to pull away from Bomi, but his body wouldn’t obey. From that position, he lowered his face, touching the fine hairs below Bomi’s earlobe. Jinhan’s lips pressed against Bomi’s skin. She held her breath as if she was going to hiccup, and her eyes seemed to drown in clear water.
“Oppa...”
“Your scent is sweet. It’s a funny excuse, isn’t it?”
Even as he spoke, his lips caressed Bomi’s skin. Like a child learning to speak, he mumbled, moving from her earlobe to her cheek.
“You were definitely a younger sister to me.”
“And now?”
Bomi, starting to run out of breath, squirmed continuously, pulling her shoulders in. She bit her lower lip to endure the sweet tickling sensation.
“You kept provoking me, and look how strange I’ve become.”
“How do you feel, Oppa?”
“I want to lie down with you like this.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Jinhan grabbed Bomi’s wrist. At his limit, he gasped for breath. He had had enough to drink, so he leaned over Bomi, meeting her eyes. His vision kept blurring. Each time, they gazed at each other, slowly exchanging ‘eye kisses.’
“The world is moving. I must be drunk.”
“It might get even shakier. Hold on tight.”
________________________________________
Jinhan crushed Bomi’s lips with his own. He consumed her as if she were completely his, biting into her skin slightly, pulling it into his mouth. Bomi was the one who had stayed by Jinhan’s side during his loneliest and most desperate moments. The thought of how he had only seen her as a child until now felt utterly meaningless to him. If only he had known earlier. He even had the foolish regret that if he had, things wouldn’t have reached this worst point.
“When did you grow up so much?”
“I grew up a long time ago. You just didn’t notice, that’s all.”
“You’re right. I was thoughtless.”
It was an unprepared situation. Both were drunk, and a spontaneous night followed, with neither initiating it more than the other. Before they knew it, midnight passed, and dawn arrived. He brought cold water and a blanket, covering Bomi with it.
“Are you tired?”
“...It hurts.”
“I’m sorry. I just lost control.”
“Is it always like this?”
“Yes.”
Bomi, having experienced the adult world, first took a sip of water. Then she quietly watched Jinhan, who was sitting next to her in his natural state. At the hospital, he was so against showing his naked body, but now...
“Oppa, your body is beautiful.”
“You say the strangest things.”
“I really want to draw you naked, Oppa.”
Sleep was already clouding Bomi’s eyes. Jinhan picked her up and carried her to the bedroom. Bomi, looking around the cozy scenery, nestled into Jinhan’s embrace. She fell asleep mid-conversation in her drowsiness.
...
When she lifted her heavy eyelids, she didn’t know how long she had slept, but the outside was bright. The worry of having stayed out all night washed over her.
“I didn’t call Mom.”
She tried to get out of bed but found no clothes. Bomi, in a hurry, wrapped herself in the blanket Jinhan had given her the night before. The moment she took a step, an unexpected dull ache shot through her. It was the after-effect of spending the night with Jinhan. She shuffled awkwardly to the living room. Jinhan, who was already lively, ran out from the kitchen.
“You’re awake?”
“Yes, Oppa.”
“Your walk seems uncomfortable.”
“Th-that’s not it. By any way, are my clothes...”
“I washed them and put them in the dryer. Just a moment.”
Jinhan was preparing breakfast. His face, which had been dark until yesterday, was bright as if nothing had happened. As he served the meal after giving Bomi her washed clothes, he couldn’t stop humming. Bomi, watching him curiously, asked.
“Oppa, you seem happy.”
“Of course I am. How could I not be, now that I have a girlfriend?”
“Are we dating?”
“Isn’t that obvious? We slept together last night.”
“Ah! That’s right.”
“You’re so silly.”
Bomi, dressed, sat in the dining chair Jinhan pulled out for her. She admired the doenjang jjigae (fermented soybean paste stew) and neatly grilled rolled omelets.
“This looks really delicious!”
“Eat up.”
Jinhan gazed at Bomi as she tasted the rice and stew, his eyes full of love. He couldn’t believe how beautiful she was now that he saw her as a woman, not just a younger sister. There was a reward for enduring the temptation all this time. He was confident that meeting Bomi now was perhaps the best timing.
“Let’s go see your mother later.”
“Why my mom?”
“There’s the studio issue, and you stayed out all night. Your phone rang earlier, and I told her I’d visit her in person.”
“What did Dad say, by any chance?”
“I only spoke with your mother for now.”
Today was Saturday. If she went home, her entire family might be waiting eagerly for Bomi, especially the youngest, Yumi. Recently, as Yumi, an elementary school student, grew up, she had become particularly interested in Bomi. She wondered how much Yumi would grill her if she found out her sister hadn’t come home. Just thinking about it made her tired.
A moment later, Bomi finished her meal and took a shower. As she took out her basic cosmetics from the studio and applied them, Jinhan hugged her from behind.
“You smell nice.”
“I do?”
“This makes me want to do it again.”
“Were you always like this, Oppa?”
“I’m restraining myself because I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Really?”
Bomi, in a playful mood, grabbed Jinhan’s thigh and squeezed. The more she squeezed, the more he winced and endured.
“That’s enough.”
“Come on, are you struggling with just this much?”
Jinhan’s enduring expression was incredibly seductive. Just as she was enjoying the show, he raised one corner of his mouth.
“If you provoked me, you’ll have to take responsibility, won’t you?”
“Huh?”
“I’m sorry, but I’m back to how I was yesterday.”
Afterward, Bomi had to cling to Jinhan as if she were dying in his arms. It was too much of a price to pay for a joke. For her, who had truly tasted the adult world, washing up had become meaningless. She buried her face in Jinhan’s embrace, completely exhausted.
“Oppa, you were mean.”
“I’m feeling much better now.”
“Feeling better about what?”
“It’s just one of those things. Oh, right, what does your sister like?”
“Ah, you don’t know I have two younger siblings, do you?”
“Besides the elementary schooler, there’s another one?”
“I’m the eldest, Semi, who just turned twenty, is the second, and Yumi is the youngest.”
Bomi’s mom called, telling them to come slowly for lunch at home. The two barely left the house and picked out plenty of snacks and gifts that Bomi’s younger siblings would like.
“Will this be enough?”
“Plenty. My siblings are totally hitting the jackpot.”
Her second sister, Semi, was usually quiet and reserved. She wondered what she would say when she saw Jinhan. As for Yumi... she would probably be won over by the gifts.
“You know we still have two dates left, right?”
“Does that even matter?”
“It does. For the second date, we’re going on a trip together.”
They arrived at Bomi’s house and rang the doorbell. Just as he was neatly adjusting his collar, Yumi came out and opened the gate herself. Yumi, with a thoroughly sulky face, firmly stood in front of Jinhan.
“Mister, what’s your relationship with my eldest sister?”
Yumi was smaller than children her age. But the charisma emanating from her eyes surpassed that of an adult. In Yumi’s small hand were the five flowers she had “stolen” from Jinhan. She probably believed that she had exchanged five flowers for her older sister.
“Uh... boyfriend?”
“My eldest sister would never fall in love with a man like you, mister!”
“Why do you think that?”
“My eldest sister has someone else she loves!”
That someone is me, sweetie, he wanted to say, but Bomi, her face bright red, covered Yumi’s mouth. She was so embarrassed that she couldn’t make eye contact with Jinhan.
“I’m sorry, Oppa. She just likes me too much.”
Just then, Bomi’s mother, Seonggyeong, rushed out. She was startled to see her youngest daughter confronting Jinhan.
“Jinhan, you’re here?”
“Ah, yes. It’s been a while.”
“Yumi has an unusually strong attachment to Bomi. Please understand.”
“It’s okay.”
He didn’t show it, but Jinhan was secretly flustered. He forced a smile and tried to stroke Yumi’s head, but the girl slapped his hand away. At this point, he realized it wasn’t a situation to be taken lightly.
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