*
Kim Tae-yeon narrowed her eyes and glared at Kim Si-woo, who was lying next to her.
How many times had she batted away Kim Si-woo's hand, which had been subtly reaching for her chest?
If any other human had done this, she would never have let it slide.
She probably would have broken their wrist on the spot.
She remembered doing that a few times in the past.
'Honestly, I don't know.'
It was already borderline sexual harassment, but to be honest, she wasn't that angry.
She didn't know if it was because she was getting used to it, or because of the debt she felt towards Kim Si-woo.
It would be a lie to say she didn't feel indebted.
He had helped her out several times, and she had only received without giving back in situations where she should have repaid him.
She had finally treated him to a meal today to repay him, but honestly, could she say that she had paid him back with just that?
'It was delicious, but...'
It would be a lie to say that the price wasn't a burden. She had some income thanks to her temporary license, but it wasn't much.
It wasn't enough to repay Kang Seo-jun's family for helping her.
The Ajumma had stubbornly refused to accept it, but it seemed she couldn't help but feel burdened by the interest.
She felt relieved that she could repay what she had received in this way, but should she consider this a debt as well?
'I don't know.'
She couldn't quite understand her own feelings.
What did she want to do? Even if she asked herself, she couldn't give a definite answer.
'Is this, what I'm doing now, the right thing to do?'
Honestly, she didn't feel that uncomfortable being half-embraced by Kim Si-woo right now.
On the contrary, she felt a sense of stability, even a feeling of coziness.
How long had it been since she felt this way? She thought she had felt this way before when she was embraced by Kim Si-woo.
She didn't know why, but she felt a sense of peace, and the scent from Kim Si-woo's arms felt sweet.
"How is it? Does it feel like you're getting used to it?"
"Well... I guess I'm getting a little used to it..."
But still, shouldn't this be wrong?
She couldn't help but feel uncomfortable in a corner of her heart, no matter what the intention was.
It was clear that Kang Seo-jun wouldn't see it in a good light if he were in his shoes.
Besides, Kim Si-woo already had a lover, didn't he?
Depending on the person, it could be seen as an act of adultery.
Whether it was her or Kim Si-woo.
"Yeah, this doesn't seem right."
"Huh?"
"This method seems wrong."
"No, think about it again. It's a big deal if you make a mistake, you know?"
"Then I think I can just refuse like I'm doing now."
He seemed to have some complaints, but if she talked to Kang Seo-jun, wouldn't he understand?
As she thought that and tried to push away Kim Si-woo's arm, the cell phone she had placed by her head began to vibrate.
"...?"
When she checked the screen, the caller was Kang Seo-jun. She asked Kim Si-woo for his understanding and answered the phone.
"Tae-yeon-ah... have you thought about it?"
"Hmm..."
He brought up the topic as soon as she answered the phone.
Was Kang Seo-jun feeling pressured as well?
It seemed like she had to give him the answer she had been pondering.
"I don't think I'm ready yet."
"What?"
Kang Seo-jun's voice, which she heard at the same time as her answer, seemed to contain a lot of emotion.
Did her answer trigger something? The anger that had been suppressed all this time exploded, and she could hear him shouting over the receiver.
"D-Do you hate it that much?! Why do you keep saying no?!"
"Seo-jun. This is all for you..."
"Don't lie!! I looked it up on the internet too!! Other Awakened people are all fine with it! Why is it only you, Tae-yeon, who can't do it?!"
"It's because I'm a little sensitive..."
"Lies! You just hate me, don't you? Because I'm short... and I don't have any money anymore!!"
"Kang Seo-jun. You know that's not true, don't you?"
"Yeah... it's because my family doesn't have any money anymore, right? Huh? Because I'm short and weak..."
"..."
She thought it was nothing, but had he been building up a lot of resentment while being rejected?
Kim Tae-yeon turned her head to check Kim Si-woo's face at Kang Seo-jun's voice, which sounded quite sharp even when she just listened to it.
She didn't know why she did it, but if Kang Seo-jun was going to act like this, she couldn't help it.
"Okay. I'll try too..."
"R-Really?"
"Yeah."
It would probably take a long time to unconsciously stop herself from throwing a punch, but there was no other way for now.
Kim Si-woo's lips seemed to be turning up, and she probably wasn't mistaken.
"T-T-Thank you, Tae-yeon-ah... I didn't mean it... I just got angry and said weird things..."
"It's okay... Ugh..."
She turned her head at the sudden stimulation and saw Kim Si-woo grinning and grabbing her chest.
"Tae-yeon-ah? What's wrong?"
"No... hmm... I accidentally bumped into something..."
"Does it hurt a lot? Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Y-Yeah... Hng..."
She didn't usually feel much, but now she felt ticklish every time Kim Si-woo touched her.
She didn't know why, but she also felt a burning sensation, and it was hard to hold back the strange sounds that were coming out.
"Are you hurt a lot? D-Did I cause it? Because I called..."
"N-No... I... I have something urgent to do, so let's talk later."
"Okay..."
She hurriedly hung up the phone before she could hear Kang Seo-jun's answer.
"Kim Si-woo. What are you doing right now?"
Touching her while she was on the phone, was this guy out of his mind?
"Hmm? Just practicing?"
"What kind of practice is that? You're just messing around."
"I'll apologize if you're angry. It just looked like the atmosphere was serious."
"Well... it's nothing much."
"Why? Am I not involved?"
"It's none of your business."
"Don't tell me you're going to ask another bastard?"
"..."
__Uhm.
She flinched without realizing it when she saw Kim Si-woo glaring at her with a fierce expression.
"Do you think I'd do something like that?"
The thought of another man touching her body like Kim Si-woo made her feel unpleasant.
He was a habitual sexual harasser, what did he think of her?
When she glared at Kim Si-woo with an unpleasant feeling, Kim Si-woo smiled and stroked her hair as if he liked it.
"Then that's good. You did well."
"Ha, what is he doing..."
She was so dumbfounded that she couldn't even laugh.
"Alright, alright. Then let's start practicing in earnest."
"I don't think I've agreed to do it yet."
"Seo-jun wants it so much. Shouldn't you try?"
"What does that have to do with you touching my chest?"
"If you get used to this, you'll be okay with lighter contact than this, right? The beginning is always the hardest."
"What nonsense is that... Ugh... W-Wait...!"
Kim Si-woo started to openly fondle her chest, and he started to touch her chest with both hands.
"S-Stop it. Kim Si-woo!!!"
"You have to try for Seo-jun."
"D-Do you think I don't know that you're just touching me because you want to!!"
Was he trying to cross the line because she was accepting it without getting angry?
She glared at Kim Si-woo with a strange feeling that kept tickling her down below.
"Okay. Don't get angry. I just wanted to help."
How could he be so shameless?
"But if you only touch one side, the size might be different, so I'll touch the other side the same way."
"...I-Is that true?"
"You have to massage both sides, right? It can't be helped."
She didn't care much about her appearance, but she would still be bothered if there was a big difference.
'Haa... Is it too late to say anything now?'
She should have been firm and angry from the beginning.
It felt like letting it slide had backfired.
But still, he was still touching her over her clothes, so could she say that Kim Si-woo was keeping his distance?
Kim Tae-yeon's mind became complicated.
'That's not the point... What's been poking me since earlier?'
Right now, she and Kim Si-woo were completely close to each other.
He was hugging her tightly from behind and touching her chest, and something hard and long near her butt kept poking her.
"Stop playing around."
"Huh? I'm touching you pretty seriously."
"Not that... Stop poking me. It's been uncomfortable since earlier."
"I'm not doing anything."
"...If you keep doing that, there's a limit to how much I can take. Stop if I tell you to."
"I told you I didn't do anything?"
Was he going to let it slide again this time?
If he kept doing this, she couldn't see him in a good light, no matter how much it was Kim Si-woo.
"Stop poking me down there!"
"Ah. That? It's a physiological phenomenon. I'm sorry."
"A physiological phenomenon...?"
At the word physiological phenomenon, she remembered the knowledge she had learned in sex education class in the past.
The male genitalia gets bigger when aroused, or so they said.
'What... is it a wooden stick or something...'
Was the thing that kept poking her butt Kim Si-woo's manhood?
"O-Okay... Do something about it!"
"This is something that men can't help. Just think of it as getting used to it in advance."
"O-Okay, but don't rub it!!"
She couldn't help but be conscious of the clear size she felt over her clothes, even if she tried not to be.
Did all men have such big things attached to them?
'Even Kang Seo-jun?'
The thought of Kang Seo-jun's physique having such a hideous thing attached to it didn't match at all.
No, Kim Si-woo's was probably abnormally large.
She remembered Kim Si-woo's appearance that she had seen in the space where she and Kim Si-woo were trapped alone in the past.
That thing with the hideous size and the raised entrance was probably poking her butt right now.
"Sorry."
She would have to be satisfied with an apology that didn't feel sincere at all.
'That's not the point... The tickling feeling seems to be getting stronger...'
She couldn't help but twist her body because she kept feeling a throbbing sensation down below.
She was embarrassed because she could feel the sensation of Kim Si-woo's thing rubbing against her every time she did that.
"It's because you're moving. It's not me, okay?"
"I... I know. I... I think this is enough for today. S-Stop it!"
She felt like she wouldn't be herself if she stayed in Kim Si-woo's arms any longer.
Kim Tae-yeon hurriedly got out of Kim Si-woo's arms and put on her coat.
"Are you leaving already?"
"Yeah."
"I thought we were going to sleep together."
"What do you mean sleep together..."
"What's wrong with that? We've already slept together and peed together."