Chapter 33
“……Ahem.”
After finishing her day and returning to the dormitory, Baek Seol-ah came out of the bathroom after washing up.
She sat naked on the bed and used a towel to dry her long white hair.
Then she picked up her smartphone.
[Baek Seol-ah: Hyeonseong]
[Baek Seol-ah: Are you asleep?]
The recipient of the messages she tapped out with one hand was Lee Hyeonseong. Her boyfriend.
She wanted to belatedly ask for his understanding and permission regarding what had happened today.
Before long, the messenger app’s unread indicator disappeared, and a reply soon came back.
[Hyeonseong: No, I’m not asleep]
[Hyeonseong: Why? Is something wrong?]
“Hmm……”
Baek Seol-ah let out a low groan with a slightly uncomfortable expression at the reply she received.
Now that it was time to message her boyfriend, pangs of conscience had begun to set in.
‘I really have gotten way too lax about boundaries.’
In truth, if this had been the past, she would never even have dreamed of going on a date with another man while Lee Hyeonseong was in the picture.
Even taking into account the changes in her daily life caused by NTS play, which had created a huge crack in her once-straightforward view of romance, this was going a little too far.
She had made plans to go on a date with Han Taeyang without so much as a word to Lee Hyeonseong.
During the day, she had merely grabbed Han Taeyang in a hurry because he looked as though he might leave to attend class at any moment, but looking back now, it had definitely been reckless.
Baek Seol-ah reflected on it, albeit belatedly, and nevertheless resolutely typed her next message.
Tap, tap, tap.
[Baek Seol-ah: It’s nothing, but]
[Baek Seol-ah: You know, I was wondering]
[Baek Seol-ah: Is it okay if I go hang out with Han Taeyang for a bit this weekend?]
[Baek Seol-ah: Downtown]
In other words, this was an idea that Baek Seol-ah from a month ago would never even have imagined.
She was saying she wanted to go on a date with another man despite having a boyfriend……
Even asking her boyfriend directly for permission to do something so crazy would have been unthinkable to her; she would have felt guilty just thinking about it.
But a lot had changed by now, hadn’t it?
Baek Seol-ah had already grown fairly close to Han Taeyang, and all those changes had begun because of Lee Hyeonseong’s unreasonable request.
That was why, even though she knew this was far from normal, she had eventually brought it up.
Because Lee Hyeonseong always bore a considerable share of the responsibility for this entire chain of events.
She felt sorry for him as his girlfriend, but not enough to hesitate to bring it up.
‘……It’s just that there’s something I need to check. Yeah. That’s all.’
Of course, deep down, she tried to make excuses in order to preserve the love triangle in her heart, which was beginning to wear thin.
She wasn’t particularly trying to enjoy a weekend date with Han Taeyang.
There was simply something she needed to check, so she had no choice but to dress up the weekend plans as a date.
By making her intentions and purpose clear to herself, Baek Seol-ah managed to ease her emotional guilt a little.
It wasn’t as though she had no misgivings at all……
Her expression did grow slightly darker, though.
That lasted only a moment.
‘……The reply is a little late…….’
The unread indicator had disappeared long ago, yet the silence in their conversation was unusually long. Just as Baek Seol-ah blinked and checked the screen again,
the screen flashed, and Lee Hyeonseong’s reply arrived in the messenger app.
[Hyeonseong: You can go ahead, no problem]
[Hyeonseong: (Thumbs-up emoji)]
“……Huh?”
The reply she received was actually quite different from what Baek Seol-ah had expected.
She had thought that, at the very least, her boyfriend would show some resistance this time.
But reality was the opposite. He didn’t argue that it was some absurd idea, nor did he even ask whether she had a reason for wanting to do it.
It was a breezily decisive answer that meant he would agree unconditionally, regardless of the circumstances.
Baek Seol-ah opened her golden eyes wide, wearing a slightly dazed expression.
Really? Just like that?
Even she, who prided herself on understanding Lee Hyeonseong inside and out, found this reaction unexpected.
Baek Seol-ah stared blankly with her mouth open for a moment, then belatedly came to her senses and replied to the message.
[Baek Seol-ah: Really? I can really go?]
[Baek Seol-ah: If you don’t want me to, just say so. You know I won’t do it if you say no]
Perhaps because she had been acting overly domineering lately, Lee Hyeonseong might have become intimidated by her.
A positive answer given reluctantly in that state was not the sincere answer Baek Seol-ah wanted.
It was true that, after Lee Hyeonseong’s NTS request, Baek Seol-ah had been considerably disappointed in him and had lost some of her affection.
As a result, the power dynamic in their relationship had recently become unmistakably lopsided……
Even so, it had not gone far enough to destroy their relationship, and she believed that they needed to have no lingering resentment if they were going to rebuild their trust in each other.
In other words, she hoped Lee Hyeonseong wouldn’t be so afraid of being harshly scolded by her that he kept things he disliked to himself instead of speaking honestly……
But.
[Hyeonseong: I’m saying this because I’m really okay with it]
[Hyeonseong: Go ahead and enjoy yourself as much as you want]
“……Eek.”
Even after Baek Seol-ah gave him one chance to correct himself, Lee Hyeonseong immediately replied without the slightest hesitation.
As though he genuinely didn’t care at all.
What was more, his wording had changed from ‘You can go ahead, no problem’ to ‘Go ahead and enjoy yourself as much as you want.’
That clearly meant he truly had no problem with it, leaving Baek Seol-ah even more bewildered.
‘No, why?’
Had this bastard finally lost it? She had actually gone so far as to think that.
It was extremely rare for her to have a thought about Lee Hyeonseong that included profanity.
His response was so disconcertingly carefree that she could hardly keep from using a word that harsh.
Even though Baek Seol-ah had been the one to bring it up first, she somehow ended up feeling annoyed.
Even so, his beloved girlfriend was saying she was going to spend the weekend with another man.
Wasn’t he supposed to be at least a little jealous?
‘……How annoying.’
She pursed her lips and typed several more messages.
Her eyes had already narrowed sharply, as though she were testing him.
[Baek Seol-ah: Then]
[Baek Seol-ah: Can I go to a motel too? After the date]
She wasn’t even trying to hide the fact that it was a date anymore. More precisely, she had no room left to think about hiding it.
She felt conflicting expectations welling up from deep within her heart and swallowed dryly.
[Hyeonseong: Yep yep]
“……”
Another immediate reply. A cross-shaped vein bulged between Baek Seol-ah’s brows.
‘Yep yep?’
She had never received an answer quite this irritating before.
Was it just her imagination, or did it seem utterly lacking in sincerity?
Baek Seol-ah began typing even faster.
Tap-tap-tap-
[Baek Seol-ah: I’m definitely going to have sex, okay? Is that all right?]
[Hyeonseong: Yep yep]
“……”
Tap-tap-tap-tap-
[Baek Seol-ah: ……I’m going to suck his dick too]
[Baek Seol-ah: I’m going to kiss him too]
[Baek Seol-ah: I’m really going to go wild]
[Hyeonseong: Wow]
[Hyeonseong: (Standing-ovation emoji)]
“Oh, fuck.”
Thud!
In the end, Baek Seol-ah’s patience gave out first. Heat rushed to the top of her head, and she threw down the smartphone she had been holding.
In truth, this had probably been a fight whose outcome was decided from the start.
Baek Seol-ah had secretly wanted Lee Hyeonseong to put his foot down and stop her like a boyfriend should, while he seemed to have no intention of doing anything of the sort.
“Bastard. You asshole.”
Thud, thud, thud!
Baek Seol-ah didn’t even look at the smartphone lying facedown on the bed and instead pounded the poor pillow with petulant fists. Thud, thud, thud, bam, bam, bam.
As if ‘Yep yep’ weren’t irritating enough, he had even sent a standing-ovation emoji? Was he making fun of his girlfriend?
“Ugh, so annoying……!”
There was no way to suppress the anger surging inside her. Bang! Baek Seol-ah raised both tightly clenched fists high and slammed them straight into the pillow.
After panting several times, still slightly worked up from the exertion, she bit her lip tightly.
“……Phew.”
She blew out a short breath, sending her bangs fluttering, then calmly composed herself.
She soon rose slowly to her feet and took a pair of panties from the dresser.
Then she sat on the bed again, stretched out her smooth legs, and grumbled inwardly as she put on her panties.
‘Seriously, if I’d known I would get such unequivocal approval, I wouldn’t have agonized over it alone.’
At this rate, wouldn’t she just end up looking like a fool who had needlessly felt guilt and remorse all by herself?
She had known for a long time that Lee Hyeonseong was no ordinary pervert……
But perhaps even that wasn’t enough to describe him. He was a pervert beyond anything she could have imagined.
Baek Seol-ah glanced at the smartphone once more, a trace of regret in her eyes.
“……Whatever.”
Was a pathetic boyfriend who felt no anger or concern when his girlfriend said she was going to have a steamy romp with another man really any concern of hers?
It was better this way. Now that she had even received official permission, she would truly enjoy herself and come back, just as she had said.
The date, and the night at the motel.
Even kissing another man.
As rich, sticky, and sweet as possible.
“……”
Trickle-
By then, Baek Seol-ah had put on her underwear for bed when she suddenly felt something viscous trickling between her thighs.
It was obvious even without looking. Nine times out of ten, it was natural lubrication.
“Haa.”
Baek Seol-ah closed her eyes with a troubled sigh.
And, one hour later.
“……Hng.”
Splurt, splurt-
She threw the slightly sticky white tissue into the trash can, then opened the window with her face flushed red.
To air out the room.
*****
Late at night. Room 901 of Cheongwoon Academy’s male dormitory.
Ding-dong, slam!
“I’m back!”
The black-haired ponytail girl, Seo Ahyeon, punched in the password and entered, looking as proud as a victorious general.
“Oh, you’re back……?”
Han Taeyang was lounging on the sofa while looking at his phone, but the moment he lifted his head, he froze.
Was it because Seo Ahyeon was trying hard to gather her cute, petite breasts and thrust them out confidently, making him feel rather sorry for her?
No, not really. Han Taeyang believed that even Seo Ahyeon’s modest chest surely had its admirers—and he was one of them.
In other words, his expression had not stiffened because he was paying particular attention to Seo Ahyeon’s posture or pose.
Naturally, it was because of something else……
“……Seo Ahyeon?”
“Hmph.”
Han Taeyang stared blankly at one of her hands for a moment before awkwardly saying her name, and Seo Ahyeon promptly flashed a triumphant V sign.
“The conversation took a while, but I definitely took care of it! I’m completely free now.”
“……”
“I’m now accepting boyfriend applications, so if you’re interested, Mr. Han Taeyang, why don’t you throw your hat in the ring?”
She cast sidelong glances at Han Taeyang with a faint blush, trying hard to hide her embarrassment.
Rather than immediately responding to the killer line she had just delivered, Han Taeyang instead said,
“……Seo Ahyeon, don’t tell me.”
“Hmm?”
He stared at the reddish liquid on the back of Seo Ahyeon’s hand with an inexplicably serious expression.
Even though it looked slightly dried…… any way he looked at it, it was human blood.
Han Taeyang asked again, his eyes wide with alarm.
“Don’t tell me you killed him? Kim Minjun…….”
“What?”
Seo Ahyeon was just as startled and flinched hard. She checked the blood smeared on her fist once, then hurriedly protested.
“N-no, you bastard! Who did I kill? He’s alive and well……!”
“……”
“Wh-what’s with that look? Why don’t you believe me? I swear! I-I just gave him a little pat.”
“……”
“……Um, well. His cheek. With my fist. Just a little tap?”