In the dark room.
Lying on the mattress, I was looking up at the ceiling.
I could feel Choi Yiseoâs presence, who seemed to have used the same shampoo I did, a fragrant scent coming off her skin.
While looking at her with her eyes closed, I gave her a slight smile.
âDid it hurt?â
ââ¦â¦â
There was no particular response.
Was she flustered then?
âSorry, I should have been gentler while doing it.â
ââ¦â¦â
Still no response.
Even though itâs too early to fall asleep. Moreover, I could feel a slight clench in the hand I was holding.
âIâm sorry I couldnât hold myself back.â
Squeeze.
Now, Choi Yiseo is digging into the back of my hand with her fingernails. But I continue to speak.
âSince itâs the first time, it must haveâ¦â
âWhat are you doing?â
In the end.
Unable to bear it, Choi Yiseo glares at me as she slowly opens her eyes. As to her reaction that seems to ask what nonsense Iâm spouting, I pout and answer.
âImage training.â
âWhat kind of image training is this?â
âAssuming it happened, like, what you would say?â
Of course.
There was no progress with Choi Yiseo.
In the end, after getting beaten up by her, having my condom taken away, eating steamed chicken, drinking alcohol, and watching a movie, we ended up sleeping.
The movie wasnât romance but action, so only a longing for battle remained in my body.
Despite being a man and a woman in the same room, any fluffy and lovely atmosphere had already been ventilated out the window.
âDonât do that.â
Choi Yiseo closes her eyes again with annoyance. It seems my attempt at role-playing wasnât to her liking.
Just then, feeling an itch on my left calf, I let go of Choi Yiseoâs hand to scratch it.
Clench.
Choi Yiseo snatches my hand back again.
âMy calves are itchy.â
âJust get up and scratch it with your other hand.â
Still with her eyes closed, she responds indifferently. Itâs absurd to see her not wanting sex yet not letting go of my hand.
Eventually, I scratched my calf with the other hand and lay back down again. Choi Yiseo was still holding my hand, but since she said that that is as far as she goes, I neither advanced nor retreated.
Our tightly intertwined hands seemed determined not to let go.
âI donât know.â
I forcibly suppressed the excitement surging through me and slowly closed my eyes.
Iâm not sure if Iâll be able to fall asleep tonight.
But I guess I have to at least try to get some sleep.
Isnât there something like this thing?
Where upon waking up you find a beautiful girl clinging tightly to you, hugging you.
Honestly, I was a bit hopeful since itâs a cliché situation in Japanese anime and manga.
âYouâre really sharp.â
Upon waking up, Choi Yiseo was sleeping with the exact same posture and distance like a soldier.
Thinking about it, I remember she did the same when we slept in the sauna too.
Carefully releasing the hand of the peacefully sleeping Choi Yiseo, I check the time.
It was 7:30 a.m.
Waking earlier than usual must be partly because I was tense with Choi Yiseo beside me.
Conversely, Choi Yiseo, perhaps having gone to bed late due to similar tension, is still soundly asleep.
Her breathing softly in her sleep was so lovely that I wanted to take a photo of her.
âWhat to eat for breakfast?â
Is it because I just woke up?
Or is it because the scent of my ex-girlfriendâs shampoo is coming from my hair?
The excitement from yesterday has calmly settled, and my rational mind is now thinking about breakfast.
Looking back now, I think I must have been crazy. Even if Choi Yiseo tempted me, the fact remained that I was about to do it with someone who wasnât even my girlfriend.
âIs this really my fault?â
Isnât the person who tempted the other at fault?
Anyway.
After waking up and regaining my senses, I hurried to the bathroom to wash up.
Although I preferred rice in the morning, since I had steamed chicken yesterday, I thought about going to a bakery to buy something like a sandwich for breakfast after finishing my shower.
Choi Yiseo, who seemed to have woken up, was sitting up looking blankly on the mattress.
Her messy hair looked quite adorable.
âYouâre awake?â
As I called out to Choi Yiseo while drying my hair, she looked up at me blankly. Then, startled, she wrapped herself with the blanket.
âAh, oh? Th-thatâs right!â
ââ¦Youâre embarrassed now?â
âI-Iâm not embarrassed?â
I can clearly see that youâre regretting the actions you took yesterday, right?
Iâve been through it once myself, so it doesnât seem too strange to me.
âIâm going to buy some bread for breakfast. Do you have anything youâd like? â
âAh, anything is fine. Iâm fine with eating everything.â
âAlright, Iâll be right back.â
Wearing only a coat, I step outside. As I close the door and lean against it for a moment.
âAaaaah!â
A scream sounded from inside.
âChoi Yiseo, youâre crazy! Crazy woman! Crazy woman! Craaazy womaaan!â
âDie! Just die! Please dieeee!â
âIsnât that the sound of the blanket getting ripped?â
After enjoying Choi Yiseoâs reaction of hitting the blanket and mattress while screaming, I went to the bakery as planned.
âWow, youâre back?â
Choi Yiseo, awkwardly waiting for me looking like sheâd already washed up. She was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, and not the T-shirt I gave her.
It was fortunate for Choi Yiseo that we went to a coin laundry after eating yesterday.
âI bought some bread. Got some milk too.â
She immediately takes out a sandwich from the paper bag.
âA vegetable sandwich for you, whoâs going to take a body profile photo.â
ââ¦â¦â
âPlus, unsweetened plain yogurt.â
ââ¦â¦â
âAnd finally, a chocolate donut to blow all your efforts out the window at once.â
As I hand over all three with a smile, Choi Yiseo blankly looks at what I gave her and then bursts into a slight chuckle.
âWhatâs this? If you were going to do this, why did you buy the first two?â
âActually, giving up after trying is the most entertaining to those watching, isnât it? You eat chicken breast for a diet, but then you end up ordering fried chicken an hour later, right? So, you eat both chicken breast and fried chicken, consuming more than before you started your diet.â
While talking about such trivial matters, I tear open a bread wrapper. It looks delicious, being freshly baked and still warm.
âShould I eat it on the go?â
Checking the time, itâs already 8:30 a.m. Thereâs a lecture at 9 oâclock today, so it seemed better to go to the classroom early and eat there instead of eating now.
âAh, right. You have a 5-hour break today.â
ââ¦Thanks for reminding me of something so pleasant.â
When will the hell of a 5-hour break on Tuesday ever end?
Glaring at Choi Yiseo, who pointed it out specifically, I grab the bread. Then, suddenly looking at Choi Yiseoâs current state, I add something more.
âIf it makes you feel better, put on a hat and a mask.â
Since Choi Yiseo had short hair, her hair dried quickly, but I wondered if it might be a bit awkward since she hadnât put on any makeup.
âI donât usually wear makeup much⦠But still, lend it to me.â
There are quite a few people who donât like to show their bare faces, but in the case of Choi Yiseo, itâs either because she doesnât usually wear makeup or sheâs confident in herself, she didnât seem to have much of an aversion to either.
Anyway, I stepped outside with Choi Yiseo, who had put on my hat and a mask.
Running a little, we arrived in 20 minutes. It was nice having a house close to the university.
After locating a spot in the corner, I took the bread out. It had cooled a little, but it still tasted good.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
âHm? It tastes good, maybe because it was bought in the morning.â
âArenât sandwiches supposed to be fine regardless of the time?â
ââ¦â¦â
âOr did they claim it was fresh after it came processed from the factory as plain yogurt?â
ââ¦â¦â
As I was teasing Choi Yiseo, who was making strange comments, a cold breeze quietly approached.
âHello.â
It was Seo Yerin, who I had played games with yesterday. Initially, she greeted me with a smile, but as she sat down and saw us eating bread, she tilted her head in confusion.
âHmm? Did you two come together?â
âCough! Cough!â
Choi Yiseo, seemingly caught off guard, started coughing. I patted her back as I responded.
âWe bumped into each other at the bakery on our way here. Seems like she overslept too.â
âAh, I see.â
Seo Yerin smiled and slyly pointed at the sweet red bean bread I was eating.
âLet me have a bite.â
Normally, I would never share, but today it felt like I had to give in, so I reluctantly offered it.
âMmm.â
I wondered if the pretty kids always make such noises when they eat, but anyway.
I just let it slide, thinking it was cute.
âHuh.â
ââ¦â¦â
And then, as if a tram was moving forward, she stuffs even more red bean bread into her mouth.
âWhat are you doing?â
Finally, after finishing the bread, Seo Yerin smiles contentedly. Sheâs got bread crumbs on her cheeks but covers her mouth with her hand and laughs modestly, really making me want to flick her on the forehead.
Itâs not a big deal since there are plenty of other breads to eat. I would have given her some if she had asked.
This time, I took out a cream bread, and Seo Yerin tilted her head.
âBut your taste in bread is kind of old-fashioned.â
âAh, I thought so too.â
Choi Yiseo immediately chimes in, as if she had been waiting for this.
âYou look that way because you only gorge on bread and cakes with strange names at cafés.â
Sorry, but this isnât outdated, itâs called having solid roots.
Red bean bread, cream bread, streusel bread, etc.
Who would dare call these fundamentally rich breads outdated?
When we had almost finished eating the bread,
Seo Yerin, who had been staring at us blankly, said with a bright smile,
âShould we have rice for lunch today? Since we ate bread?â
âOf course.â
âSigh.â
How can you push your non-lacking roots of bread, and for lunch at that? No matter how much we have the three musketeers of fundamental bread, how can it compare to a hearty and warm bowl of soup or spicy pork stir-fry?
These are the very foundation of fundamentals.
âIs there anything you want to eat for lunch, Yiseo?â
âHuh? I canât really think of anything particularâ¦.â
And between them, with me in the middle, they continued their conversation. Glancing at Seo Yerin, who was smiling pleasantly, it seems she hadnât noticed anything unusual.
Woong!
My phone vibrated.
I stepped back a little so as not to interrupt their conversation and checked my phone.
Seo Yerin: Yiseoâs hat.
Seo Yerin: Wasnât it at your house?
ââ¦â¦â
A chill ran down my spine the moment I saw one of Seo Yerinâs hands under the table, while she was still talking and laughing with Choi Yiseo.
I was amazed that she could send a text without even looking at her phoneâs keypad, and at the same timeâ¦
âWoojin, where did you buy this bread? Itâs delicious.â
Seeing her grin mischievously, completely unrelated to the content of her message, gives me the creeps.