I lay dazed on the bed.
Not a single ounce of strength remained in my hands or feet.
The plush mattress.
My body sinking into it.
I was completely limp.
It felt like my body and mind were about to melt away at any moment.
The room was cool from the air conditioning, but it didn't seem to help much.
"Haa…"
My mood was strange.
Well, more accurately, my mind was—but either way, something was off.
Like a stone thrown into a quiet lakeside.
It sent ripples across the surface, refusing to settle.
"...Crazy bitch."
Was I always this emotional? I didn't think so. The doubt toward myself only grew.
"...Fucking idiot."
I clutched my head with my hands.
If there had been a mouse hole, I would've hidden myself away in it.
But what's done is done.
There was no undoing or reversing it, leaving me only with mounting frustration.
"...Why can't I take it back?"
I could just pretend it never happened.
What happened yesterday was just a fluke—nothing more, nothing less.
Even the auntie didn't look at us strangely.
Sharing a bed, under the same blanket… she had just smiled faintly, as if pleased by the sight, before leaving.
"...Gulp."
It wasn't hard.
All I had to do was never see Kim Dohyun again.
It wasn't like we'd ever cross paths again anyway.
"Sweetie~"
"Ah! You scared me!"
The sudden opening of the door made me jump.
No, more accurately, I was so startled that I actually leapt up.
"You! You scared me more! Come out for a second?"
"...Ah, why?"
"Just come."
"Haa…"
Click— The door closed.
I hurriedly pulled up the panties that had been draped over my thighs.
"Ah…"
They were soaked.
Drenched beyond what a simple wipe could fix, the fabric clinging damply.
"...So annoying."
Tossing these into the laundry hamper was out of the question.
I'd either have to sneak them in when the rest of the laundry was being done or deal with them myself.
Swish— Swoosh—
I rolled them up tightly, sliding them down my legs.
With a snap, they slipped off my ankles—completely drenched at a glance.
"...Fuck."
Kim Dohyun's face flashed in my mind.
What was I even trying to do? It wasn't like I'd meant for this to happen… but his face popped up in my head as naturally as breathing.
Grind— My teeth clenched.
Whose fault was this anyway? Why did I have to suffer because of him?
"Haaa…"
A deep sigh escaped me.
I rolled up the panties in my hand and stuffed them deep into a drawer.
Just as I was about to pull out a fresh pair and slide them up my legs—
Drip—
"...Goddammit. Please, just stop…"
Something trickled down between my thighs, trailing down my legs.
It was warm.
The scent—familiar yet impossible to get used to—wafted up from below.
My first thought was to wipe it away.
I stomped over to the vanity and irritably yanked out a wet wipe.
"Ah, hng… Haa, haaah…"
It hadn't been this bad earlier… but every time Kim Dohyun's face crossed my mind, I could feel myself growing wetter.
"...Ah, fuck… That pathetic bastard… Haa, hng…!"
The wipe brushed against my lower body.
My fingers, stiff with tension, grazed over the spot.
"Ah, ahng…"
The pleasure was sharper than before.
…This felt much better.
"...You want me to take this to the neighbors? Seriously…?"
"Your sister called yesterday."
"...Auntie did?"
"She said she was happy to see your face after so long."
"...Ah, no? I just greeted her in passing when coming and going…"
"Back in the day, you were always running in and out of their house, but ever since you kids grew up, you stopped. I think she missed that."
"...Ah, uh, yeah."
"Bring Dohyun with you sometimes too. Mom's about to forget what he looks like."
"..."
The side dish container handed to me by Mom.
The same one that had held the side dishes Auntie gave us—now refilled with our own.
"...Can't you just go, Mom? This is annoying…"
Whack—!
"Eek!"
"If this is annoying, how do you even breathe? Half the food that goes down your throat comes from their house!"
"Ah, why… You didn't have to hit me…"
The slap on my butt from Mom stung more than usual today.
And for some reason, it also tingled, making it hard to stay still.
"F-fine… I'll go… Just let me go already…"
I rubbed my sore butt.
Then, with reluctant steps, I began to move.
"If Auntie offers you anything, say yes. We've still got plenty left from what she gave us earlier."
"...Got it."
Just moments ago, I'd sworn I'd never go back there again.
Thud— Thud— Thud—
I felt like a pig being led to slaughter.
My footsteps were heavy, my heart pounding like it was about to burst.
"...I-I'm really going now!"
"Hurry up."
…It was Mom's order, so I had no choice.
I didn't want to go… and running into Kim Dohyun again wasn't exactly appealing, but if I just handed over this side dish to Auntie, it'd be over.
"...I'll just say Mom sent me, right?"
"Did my daughter get heatstroke? You didn't even eat today… You've been acting weird."
"Ah, whatever… Anyway, I'll tell Auntie Mom sent me…"
Mom stared at me with a strange look.
Unable to hold her gaze, I quickly pushed open the front door and stepped out.
Clatter— Ding-dong—
"Huu…"
Summer was still sweltering.
The cool air vanished, replaced by scorching sunlight that felt like it was cooking my skin.
"Ahem… Hmm!"
I cleared my throat for no reason.
Then, step by slow step… I made my way to the house next door—Kim Dohyun's house.
"Haa, huu… Haaa…"
For a secondond, I almost knocked before catching myself.
My mind was somewhere else—probably because of this damn heat.
Ding-dong—
The crisp chime of the doorbell rang in my ears like thunder.
"Ah, hng… Haa, haaa…"
Auntie would come out, right? But what if he answered? Should I greet him? Or just ignore him and walk in?
My legs trembled.
More accurately, the backs of my knees shook.
I couldn't stand still.
Fidgeting, even I thought I looked ridiculous.
But there was nothing I could do—my frustration only grew.
I hugged the side dish container to my chest.
When I realized even my fingertips were trembling, I wished for a hole to crawl into again.
"Ah, fuck…"
Regret flooded in like a tidal wave.
Even though I was the one who'd done it yesterday, I couldn't muster the courage to face Kim Dohyun now.
Clatter—
Right as I was drowning in those thoughts, the door opened.
I stared blankly at it swinging open without anyone asking who was there.
"Oh, Eunji! I've been seeing you a lot lately."
"Ah, y-yeah… Um, Mom made some side dishes… She told me to bring them over…"
"Mm. She called earlier."
My voice trembled.
My heart felt like it had dropped straight into my stomach.
"It's hot out, isn't it? Come in for a bit."
"Ah, no, I, uh…"
"Hurry!"
Auntie took the container from my arms—more like snatched it.
She even grabbed my wrist and pulled me inside before I could refuse.
"Have you eaten?"
"Uh, eaten?"
"Yeah, eaten."
"...Ah, no."
Not a lie.
I'd skipped breakfast, and it was almost lunchtime now.
"Sojin went to work today too, right?"
"...Ah, y-yeah, probably…"
The slightly familiar scenery from yesterday.
"Ah, hello!"
"Hey, long time no see."
The kindly smiling uncle neatly folded his newspaper and set it aside on the table.
"Have you eaten?"
"...Uh, ah, no…"
"Honey, wasn't there an extra set of utensils?"
"No need to ask—Eunji's old set is still here."
"Oh? Then you can eat with us. Right?"
"Ah, i-is that okay…?"
Two pairs of eyes fixed on me.
Under their intense gazes, I floundered before being dragged to the table by Auntie.
"Looking for something?"
"No, ah, no?!"
I'd been glancing around when the uncle's question startled me.
"Dohyun went to the store for an errand."
"Ah… Yeah… But, um… I wasn't looking for Dohyun or anything…"
"Oh, really? You kept looking around, so I thought you were."
Auntie's lips curled slightly as she said that, her smile not fading for a secondond.
"If he went to make tofu, he'll be gone a while."
"...I swear, it's not that…"
"Oh, come on, Uncle knows. You're just saying that."
The uncle's face was also full of smiles.
I regretted coming, my entire body burning up.
"Hng…"
But leaving now was impossible.
I sat there, fidgeting, forcing myself to stay put.
"Oh my, my son has no manners."
The electronic beep of the door lock sounded from the entrance.
Soon after, a faint clatter reached the kitchen.
"Ugh, it's so hot outside… Can't I just eat whatever's—ah…"
A grumbling voice I didn't usually hear.
"...Oh, hey?"
Kim Dohyun, startled, greeted me.
But my lips wouldn't part.
How could they? The moment I saw his face—that dumbfounded expression—something trickled down between my thighs.