Although Shin So-hee’s outfit was extremely eye-catching, Yoo Ha-neul and Lee Soo-ah were impressive in their own ways.
Yoo Ha-neul was wearing a black t-shirt that originally fit my body, so the chest area was stretched tight.
The part that should have been black was stretched by her white skin, making it appear a bit lighter.
…If you zoomed in on that area, you might mistake it for stockings instead of a shirt.
By the way, she wasn’t wearing pants either.
Should I establish a rule that they have to wear pants in my room?
Lee Soo-ah…
At least she had the most normal outfit out of the three, since she was wearing my pajamas.
Of course, her bust was so much larger than mine that the chest area was stretched to its limits.
Honestly, the buttons were so strained that you could probably stick a finger through the gaps between them.
“……”
And the three of them were silent.
Well, of course they were.
They had just gone through an extremely embarrassing experience.
There was something I had completely overlooked, panicking as I had been over their outfits.
Normally, people don’t walk around half-dressed in their friend’s house, even if they feel comfortable undressing at home.
The reason is simple.
Even if they don’t mind being seen by their friend, there’s always the possibility of being seen by ‘their friend’s family’.
Actually, it’s not just a possibility.
If you’re at a friend’s house and they’re a minor, it’s only natural that you’re going to be ‘seen’.
Were they reassured by the fact that I lived in a mansion?
Or had they forgotten we were just in a “room” because this room was bigger than most houses?
The most serious issue, however, was that they seemed to have forgotten that this mansion was full of staff.
Yes, there were plenty of people living in this mansion besides me.
Even though they move around without making any noise.
And this room was a place where the maids could enter at any time without needing to be called.
The look on Yang Hye-in’s face, frozen in shock, holding a half-seasoned, half-fried boneless chicken she had delivered to my door, was something you couldn’t witness without feeling embarrassed.
Of course, Yang Hye-in was a professional maid.
She didn’t show her embarrassment.
The frozen moment on her face was just for an instant.
…But the fact that they made eye contact with the maid was the real issue.
“…Shall we eat?”
Fortunately, the room was spacious enough to have a table.
I said this to the three, who were hanging their heads around the chicken placed in the center of the table, and they all nodded weakly.
…I know you don’t have clothes, but if you’re going to dress like that, you should have done it just before bed.
“……”
For a while, we all ate the chicken in silence.
What should I say to them?
…Offering any kind of consolation would just make things more awkward, right?
“Ah, that’s right!”
“Huh!”
Suddenly, in the midst of our silent chicken eating, Ha-neul seemed to remember something and shouted, startling everyone.
“When I came into this room, I saw there’s a door lock next to the door.”
“Ah, right. Now that you mention it, there really is one.”
Shin So-hee nodded quickly in agreement.
What was this sudden change in topic?
“Yeah, it’s a little strange to have one in front of a bedroom door instead of the mansion entrance.”
Even Lee Soo-ah joined in on the conversation.
It seemed they all wanted to forget the embarrassing incident that just happened.
If they focused on a different topic, they wouldn’t have to sit there recalling what had just transpired.
“That’s true…”
When I responded, the three of them stiffened.
“…Huh? What’s wrong?”
Seeing their reaction, I paused, chopsticks halfway to the next piece of chicken.
“Uh, well, it’s just that, there’s a door lock on ‘your room’, right? If you don’t know why it’s there…”
Ha-neul asked hesitantly.
“…It’s probably been there since I was young?”
Even as I answered, I wasn’t completely sure.
I didn’t have Ye Sara’s memories.
I could only guess.
Their faces turned a little pale.
“Huh? Ah, no, don’t worry. You can unlock it from the inside.”
At my response, they all let out small sighs of relief.
The tension in the room eased slightly.
“That’s a relief, then.”
Lee Soo-ah muttered, somewhat reassured.
“So, it’s there to keep people from coming in randomly?”
Shin So-hee asked.
“Exactly. Only registered people can open that door.”
In fact, I’d never actually opened the door myself.
Every time, Yang Hye-in opened it first.
…Surely, my fingerprint would work, right?
At the very least, people like Yang Hye-in or…
“Maybe the maid or the Chairwoman would be registered.”
I mumbled this as I moved my chopsticks again.
Despite the time that had passed, my stomach still felt full from dinner.
I didn’t think I could eat much more.
What a waste, I thought, as I brought the chicken to my mouth.
Then I realized all of them were staring at me intently.
“Chairwoman…?”
Shin So-hee muttered.
“Uh, yeah. The chairwoman of the Eugene Group.”
When I said this, their faces grew even more rigid.
“So, this ‘Chairwoman’ locked you in here and made sure no one else but them could come in?”
Ha-neul asked calmly.
“Uh, yeah…?”
Hadn’t I already told them a bit about my situation last time?
“Wait, by Chairwoman, you mean Chairwoman Choi Na-kyung, right?”
Lee Soo-ah asked with a serious expression.
“That’s right…?”
“Your ‘stepmother’, correct?”
Well, yes.
Of course, when I’d talked to her on the phone, she seemed to prefer being called Chairwoman rather than Mother.
I still didn’t know why.
Maybe I’d understand once I met her.
…Honestly, I wasn’t too keen on meeting her in person.
“Stepmother?”
Shin So-hee’s eyes widened slightly.
“Yeah, she’s my father’s wife, so, my stepmother.”
As I said this and took a bite of chicken, I sensed the tension drain from Shin So-hee’s shoulders.
What had she been worried about this time?
“Stepmother…”
Ha-neul muttered to herself with a serious expression again.
Ugh, why were they going back and forth so much today?
*
“…Hey, guys? Shouldn’t we bring in some blankets? Can we really all sleep like this, squeezed together?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Shin So-hee, who had taken the spot to my right, said this.
Unlike me, lying on my back and staring at the ceiling, Shin So-hee was lying on her side, facing me.
She wasn’t overtly clinging to me like she had been outside, but I could feel her eyes on me.
“If we all lie on our sides, we’ll have enough space…”
A voice came from my left.
Lying there was Lee Soo-ah.
Just like Shin So-hee, she was lying on her side, facing me.
Thanks to them both, I couldn’t turn to either side.
“Why am I the only one…?”
Why are you asking that?
You chose that spot yourself.
From the far right, behind Shin So-hee, I heard Ha-neul’s voice.
She sounded a bit pitiful, but there was nothing I could do.
For some reason, the girls had argued over who would sleep next to me, settling the matter by drawing lots with chopsticks.
That’s how the order had been decided.
They hadn’t even been choosing who would lie next to me, just the order in which they’d lie down.
So there wasn’t anything to complain about.
“……”
Um… so are we just going to sleep like this?
We managed to fit on the bed.
Thanks to the others lying on their sides, the bed space turned out to be more manageable than I thought.
Of course, if even one of them turned over, it’d get cramped quickly.
The blanket was long enough that it draped over the edge of the bed, so the four of us could all share it.
“……”
Should I say goodnight?
I thought about it, but decided to stay quiet.
None of the others were speaking, either.
The only sound in the room was the quiet breathing of the four of us lying in bed.
“…Aren’t you going to sleep?”
Shin So-hee whispered.
I could feel her breath on my cheek.
Was she still watching me with her eyes open?
“Uh, yeah, I’m going to…”
Even though it was later than my usual bedtime, I couldn’t fall asleep, probably because I had girls lying on either side of me.
I had never experienced anything like this, even in my mid-twenties, so I was too tense to sleep.
“……”
“Sara.”
Lee Soo-ah whispered my name.
“Y-yeah?”
“We have school tomorrow…”
Yeah, we do.
I knew that, too. I knew we had to go to school tomorrow, which is why I also knew I had to get some sleep.
But how am I supposed to sleep like this?!
“……”
At least Ha-neul, who wasn’t next to me, was staying quiet.
“……”
Sigh, okay.
Let’s sleep.
Sleep.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I could still hear their breathing beside me, but closing my eyes made me less aware of them.
Alright, now I’m… alone.
I’m lying in bed by myself, with no one next to me.
…
Before I fell asleep, I could hear a steady breathing sound from beside me.
It seemed like Lee Soo-ah had fallen asleep.
“……”
Yeah, what am I even doing?
Being the only one left awake doesn’t make any sense.
If they’re able to fall asleep so easily, that means they weren’t nervous about lying here with me in the first place.
I’d been too self-conscious about them the whole time.
They’re my friends.
My friends.
Thinking that made me feel a bit more at ease.
Now, I felt like I could finally fall asleep.
*
In the darkened room.
The three girls, not quite lying side by side, were lying beside Sara, who was stretched out on the bed.
They held their breaths and waited.
Sara’s breathing, which had been tense and trembling, gradually became even and calm.
Still, they didn’t move.
They weren’t yet sure that she was fully asleep.
…
Some time passed after Sara’s breathing eased.
Her breath became shallow and regular.
Soft and rhythmic.
Was she asleep now?
No one spoke, but all three girls seemed to be thinking the same thing.
The first to move was Shin So-hee, lying on Sara’s right.
She carefully reached out and drew Sara’s right arm towards her.
Through the thin fabric of Sara’s pajamas, she could feel her warmth.
Shin So-hee gently embraced the delicate arm she had pulled towards her.
Sara didn’t wake up.
Seeing no reaction from Sara, Shin So-hee slowly pressed her body closer.
Her chest, stomach, and thighs all made contact with Sara’s right side.
Lowering her head, Shin So-hee positioned her face close to Sara’s neck.
She thought she had picked the right spot to align their eyes when lying down.
It was a pity Sara wasn’t looking her way.
Shin So-hee lowered her head, pressing her face gently against Sara’s neck.
Slowly, she inhaled deeply, taking care not to make too much noise.
Sara’s body still carried a fragrant scent.
It seemed the smell of her shower still lingered.
…Beyond that scent, Shin So-hee could faintly smell the natural fragrance of her skin.
Sara still didn’t wake up.
Next to move was Lee Soo-ah, lying on Sara’s left.
Lee Soo-ah didn’t want much.
She didn’t intend to get as close as Shin So-hee, and for now, she didn’t plan to.
But she wasn’t closing her eyes.
She simply looked at Sara’s face.
In the dark room, her vision slowly adjusted to the darkness.
Sara’s sleeping face gradually appeared in the dim light.
Though she could only make out the silhouette, Lee Soo-ah was satisfied.
She could already vividly picture Sara’s beautiful face in her mind.
Lowering her right hand, she searched for Sara’s hand beneath the blanket.
Finding Sara’s slender hand, Lee Soo-ah gently intertwined her fingers with hers.
She could feel the warmth of Sara’s hand.
Lee Soo-ah lightly wrapped her left arm around Sara’s left arm.
Sara still didn’t wake up.
The last one to move was, of course, Yoo Ha-neul, who lay the farthest away, filled with discontent.
Yoo Ha-neul waited for a long time.
Who knew how much time had passed.
The rustling movements of the other two girls had stopped.
In the dark, Yoo Ha-neul could just make out Shin So-hee’s back.
Her back was rising and falling steadily.
She had fallen asleep.
If you listened closely, you could hear another steady breath.
It was faint, but Lee Soo-ah, lying farthest away, must have also fallen asleep.
Yoo Ha-neul slowly, very slowly, sat up.
There were a lot of people on the bed.
If she wasn’t careful, she might shake the bed and wake someone up.
If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to do what she wanted.
She spent several minutes sitting up, never taking her eyes off Shin So-hee’s back.
Carefully avoiding Shin So-hee’s body, Yoo Ha-neul climbed over her, concentrating on her fingers and toes to make sure she didn’t touch her.
Fortunately, Shin So-hee and Lee Soo-ah were only clinging to one arm each.
Shin So-hee had buried her face in Sara’s collarbone, but that was all.
Avoiding the two of them, Yoo Ha-neul slowly reached out her hand.
Between Sara’s waist and her hip.
It took her several minutes.
She found Sara’s waist.
Sara had a slim figure, but her lower body was more developed than one might think.
Though her legs were thin, Yoo Ha-neul was certain that if Sara ate well and exercised regularly, she would develop a slender waist and contrasting hips.
And having that basic frame—
Made it easy to slip her hand under Sara’s waist.
It was proof that her waist and hips formed a clear line of contrast.
Slowly, Yoo Ha-neul slipped her hand in.
By the time her arm was almost entirely beneath Sara, it looked as though she was clinging to her waist.
Then, she slowly lowered her head.
Turning her head to the left, Yoo Ha-neul pressed her face against Sara’s slightly rising chest.
Thump thump, she could hear Sara’s heartbeat.
Sara still didn’t wake up.
Finally, Yoo Ha-neul relaxed and closed her eyes.
Thump thump.
Lulled by the sound of Sara’s heartbeat, Yoo Ha-neul slowly drifted off to sleep.