112 - I Unknowingly Rejected My Favorite

EP.112 #112. Not Yet I thought about how harmless a creature she seemed. Doa lay in my arms, utterly motionless, her soft breaths the only sound. I reached out to fix her disheveled bangs, watching her in silence. She must have been exhausted. After all, I recalled us merging our bodies at least four times. It felt like magic. Without a word, we desired each other passionately until we were completely spent, leading to this very moment. “Doa.” I checked the time on my phone, knowing it was time for her to wake up. “Umm...” She burrowed inward, as if refusing to wake. Underneath the covers, our clothes were still absent. Her skin felt tender and soft against mine. “It's time to wake up. Doa.” I wished we could stay here one more day. As I gently shook her shoulder, she blinked her eyes open hazily, her first words being: “...Water.” “Huh?” “...Give me water.” Her thirst was noticeable. Asking for water right upon waking was unlike her, so I quickly got up and fetched a bottle of water from the fridge. When I handed it to her after unscrewing the cap, Doa, still eyes closed, merely puckered her lips expectantly. “...Feed me.” Although feeding her was easy, the likelihood of her spilling it was high... I managed to sit her up and place the bottle in her hands. “Now drink.” “Mm...” Gulp, gulp The sound of water traveling down her throat. Doa finally seemed to gather herself, smiling at me brightly. “...Good morning, oppa.” “Yeah. Good morning.” Her makeup was gone and her hair a mess, yet to my eyes, she was the most beautiful thing. “What time is it?” “It's a bit past 10.” We had until 11 to check out. Just enough time for a quick shower. “Guess we should get ready to leave...” Despite saying that, Doa tried to snuggle back down. I quickly reached out to keep her upper body from lying back down. “You'll end up going out without washing up.” “Do you dislike me being messy?” What a tease. I had a suspicion Doa knew just how cute she looked and was pressing her advantage. “Maybe I'd mind a little if you were messy?” I tried to stir her with words I didn't mean. “...Really?” Ignoring her reply, Doa made a sound of disbelief and nuzzled into my chest. “I like you even if you're messy, oppa...” Her arms wrapped around my waist, as if to keep me trapped. “How can you say that...” Her words made me feel like I was the bad guy, even though I wasn't. “No, that's not what I meant.” “Meanie...” Ignoring my response, she hammered her point home. Yet I soon realized she didn’t mean it. Doa's eyes were closed again as she lay there. “...Hey, Doa.” Oh well. If it comes to this, I have my own plans. Though I've never done this before, today felt like the right time to try something new. A moment where a bit of force seemed appropriate. I slipped one hand behind her back, and the other under her thighs, and lifted her up in one swift motion. “Eek?” Doa's eyes widened, not knowing what I'd do next. “I'm going to help you wash up.” I nudged open the bathroom door with my foot and turned on the shower. * * * It seemed we were destined to be late checking out. Despite my decisive action, we couldn't avoid tardiness. Perhaps my actions were the very reason for our delay. I’d never realized just how sensual it could be to wash each other while both were unclothed. If the nighttime carried us with its intoxicating air, the morning offered a more vivid thrill. “Thank you.” After apologizing for being late and handing over the key, we slowly headed toward the bus stop. Holding hands, our breaths formed white clouds in the chilly air. “...Did you have fun?” Doa halted her steps and glanced back at the ski resort. “Of course.” It was an undeniable truth, hardly needing words. “What was the most fun part?” Unlike before, answering took a pause. Not because I didn't know the answer. But rather because saying it aloud was... Instead, I let an awkward laugh serve as my reply, prompting Doa to whisper in a voice barely audible. “...Pervert.” I didn’t bother denying it. After all, if you think about it, Doa was the reason. I used to be content with 2D, you know? 3D and videos... It seemed too late to lament my predicament now that we've come this far. “So what did you like the most?” I turned the question back on her. Would she claim that skiing in a wholesome manner was her favorite part? But given the ruckus she made with the instructor yesterday, that didn't seem likely. Honestly, my own skiing skills were laughable, making it difficult to joke about having had fun. “Just everything.” Doa opted to placate the moment with a vague answer. But I didn't mind it at all. “Everything with you was good.” Having said something so cliché herself, Doa nervously fidgeted her fingers in my palm. “Though, if we come again next year, I hope that darn ski instructor isn’t there.” Doa kicked at a snowball ahead in mock frustration. “Maybe we should just spend the day sledding next year.” “Yeah, that wouldn’t be too bad.” If we’re going to roll around anyway, it might as well be comfortably on a sled. With her carrying my bag and me carrying hers, we navigated the partially snow-covered asphalt, eventually reaching the parking lot crowded with buses. We boarded the bus heading to Seoul and settled into a cozy corner seat. We began discussing how Doa would spend the remainder of her vacation time. “First, mara-tang is a must, you know.” “That's a given; we've talked about it before, so it’s on the list.” “Hmm... and then...” Doa, having somewhat organized her thoughts, opened her phone’s notes app and eagerly started listing the things she wanted to do. “We probably can’t do everything, though.” “Really? You think so?” “You'd probably need at least another week of vacation to fit it all in.” As much as playing around was fun, it would be unwise to spend an entire week’s vacation solely on leisure. Resting days were a must, offering much-needed recharging time that might not come around again soon. Even though she enjoyed our time together, she’d also need those moments at home to unwind in comfort. “Then, I suppose I’ll spend the last day just at home with you.” She nodded, smiling contentedly as she adjusted her calendar. “Yeah. Let’s do that—stay in.” “And I’m not cooking. We're ordering in.” “I love delivery.” Since she usually cooked more than I did, it meant I ordered takeout much more frequently. “More than the meals I cook for you?” “Your cooking is the best, Doa.” If ever there was a time to utter a small white lie, it was now. Homemade meals without any additives rarely surpassed delivery food. “In that case, I’ll just cook again that day! What do you want to eat?” Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, as if something had been mistranslated. “...Let's save the effort and just order in.” I chuckled awkwardly, and Doa playfully pinched my thigh before resting her head on my shoulder. We had over three hours of travel ahead, so we decided to get some more rest. We drifted in and out of sleep until we finally arrived in Seoul. Once off the bus, Doa and I gathered our belongings and stepped inside the terminal. “Ugh. After a long bus ride, having to take yet another bus is a bit much.” Her tone hinted at mild frustration as she stretched leisurely. “Want to take a taxi?” If Doa was too tired, a taxi would be a viable option. “No, it's fine. It's not that far.” Doa mentioned she needed a quick stop at the restroom, so I leaned against the wall and took out my phone. Just as I noticed the emptiness from not receiving notifications from Luke’s channel... -Bzzzz An unfamiliar number. Typically, I ignore calls from area codes or numbers that start with 070, but seeing a clear mobile number from someone, I hesitated briefly before answering. [Hello?] [Oh, yes. Is this Han Taemin?] A young male voice came through the other side. [Yes, that's me.] [Hi, this is Kim Dohun, the manager reaching out about your YM casting.] [Oh... I see...] I didn’t expect the call to come this soon. [Are you available to talk now?] I saw Doa approaching from a distance. [No, I’ll call you back later.] Right now, I wanted to forget about work-related concerns and spend a little more time with Doa.