MUL - Chapter 13

Before I could even collect the scattered pieces of my voice, Nam Kangwoo's lips gently descended upon mine. This crazy bastard...

His hand, cupping my cheek, tilted my head up. Our lips, pressed together, repeatedly bit and released mine gently. I tried to push Nam Kangwoo away with hands that felt weak and unresponsive from just waking up, and even grabbed at his arm around my cheek, but to no avail.

Warm flesh invaded my parted lips. Nam Kangwoo's tongue slowly traced the sensitive membrane inside my mouth, quickly intertwining with my stiff tongue. Each time our lips met and parted, a wet sound tickled the air. The kiss was as gentle as his touch. Nam Kangwoo sensually rubbed my earlobe and the rim of my ear with hands as smooth as silk.

"Hngh..."

A sound as sensual as Nam Kangwoo's touch escaped from deep within my throat. A faint chuckle echoed between our joined lips.

Nam Kangwoo climbed onto the recliner, pressing his body against mine so I couldn't pull away. Straddling my thighs, he tilted his head, deepening the kiss.

Our tongues tangled as if he couldn't bear to be separated even for a moment. My body felt frozen, unable to move. All I could do was open my mouth and receive Nam Kangwoo's kiss. Each time saliva pooled in my mouth and trickled down my throat, Nam Kangwoo's hand traced my Adam's apple with a lingering touch.

Smack, smack, his lips lightly touched and parted from mine, as if savoring the afterglow. Through my tightly shut eyelids, eyes that showed not a hint of thirst quenched were revealed. I couldn't even wipe the saliva from my glistening lips as I met Nam Kangwoo's gaze.

"Ha Yeoul."

"..."

"Anything more than this, I'll be first."

Nam Kangwoo's thumb wiped the saliva from my glistening lips. Crazy... crazy... bastards...

I wished he would at least tell me what could be more than this. My heart was beating too fast. It was pounding, throbbing so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

"You... you really... you guys really..."

I slapped Nam Kangwoo's hand away and rubbed my lips. Covering my flushed, swollen lips with the back of my hand, I trembled.

I was scared. Of Mo Taehee, and Nam Kangwoo. Could Seo Jaehoon also want to do something like this with me?

"I knocked outside, but there was no answer, so I came in and found you sleeping."

Nam Kangwoo effortlessly shifted his weight off me and onto the floor. The sight of his bulging center flashed before my eyes. I couldn't hide the sudden heat rising to my face and turned away. Dusk had already settled outside the window.

I couldn't even breathe. In the fleeting moment our eyes met, Nam Kangwoo's gaze was still full of heat.

"Ha Yeoul."

I felt like I really didn't know anymore. If I were to reveal that I wasn't Ha Yeoul, now might be the most opportune moment.

"...I... I'm not Ha Yeoul."

"So?"

To my impulsive confession, laced with a metallic edge, Nam Kangwoo responded with a face that seemed to ask what the problem was.

"What's the problem with that?"

I stared, wide-eyed, at Nam Kangwoo's nonchalant response to my confession. Wait, wait a minute. What...

"The others are waiting outside."

"Nam Kangwoo."

"What's going to change if you say it yourself when everyone already knows?"

"I'm..."

I'm not Ha Yeoul, so why is everyone acting like it's no big deal? My breathing was uneven, and my body trembled intermittently.

"Sort out your priorities properly. I've been saying this all along, there's no need to go the long way around when there's an easy path."

It seemed like the "easy path" this crazy bastard was talking about was his arms.

Nam Kangwoo reached out and caressed my face. His palm, still as smooth as silk, cupped my cheek, and he lowered his head as if to kiss me again.

"..."

"Ah, maybe this will make it easier to understand. When we noticed. You see, you've never once called us by our names."

Just a little, only a few inches away. Nam Kang-woo whispered from a distance where our lips would touch if I just moved them. He smiled with his eyes, a face I had never seen before.

Nam Kangwoo straightened up and turned away. He walked across the room, stopping at the door, and leaned against the wall, waiting for me to move. As if waiting for me to finally move.

I moved without a choice. Even sorting out the complicated thoughts in my head felt like a luxury, and I walked forward with a blank face. It was time to go outside.

As I walked up to Nam Kangwoo, the damn bastard had developed a bad habit in the meantime, caressing my lips. He pressed down on my plump, swollen lips with his straight fingers.

"Anyone can tell you just kissed someone."

"..."

"I like that anyone can tell, Ha Yeoul."

A chill ran down my spine. The words "crazy bastard" involuntarily slipped from my lips.

Since I woke up in this place, whenever I called Nam Kangwoo, Mo Taehee, and Seo Jaehoon, I always called them by their names. Kangwoo, Taehee, Jaehoon. Like that. So, they knew I wasn't Ha Yeoul since then?

As I stepped out the door, the gazes of those who thought of me as Ha Yeoul's friend, whose names I had been so eager to call, all turned to me.

What exactly was the relationship between Ha Yeoul and the three of them? The more time I spent with them, the less I knew. It was impossible to define. Were they friends? Or just roommates, like they were saved in Ha Yeoul's phone? Or, maybe not even that.

"Yeoul-ah."

Mo Taehee called my name, looking at my blank face. As always, so affectionately.

How did the three of them call me? I slowly walked over and sat down in what seemed to be my spot. In front of the five of us, sitting around the living room table, were glasses of alcohol.

"Yeoul-ah, are you feeling a little better now?"

Park Min-ah asked sweetly. Her pronunciation was all rounded, as if she had already had a few drinks. With the empty seat that was probably Nam Kangwoo's next to her, Park Min-ah's cheeks were flushed just enough to look pretty.

I nodded with a dazed expression.

"Yeah. After a little rest."

I finished my perfunctory answer and fidgeted with the empty glass in front of me.

It seemed like the drinking session had been going on for a while, as Seo Jaehoon's fair skin was also flushed. They should have just drunk among themselves and cleaned up, why did they call me? My head was so complicated that I wished Park Min-ah and those bastards would all just go to their rooms.

I awkwardly fidgeted with the empty glass that no one was filling, then reached out and grabbed the soju bottle. That's it, let's see what Ha Yeoul's alcohol tolerance is. I don't know anymore.

***

"Noo, I mean, Yeoul-ah. You... you look so sexy today..."

Park Min-ah's eyes were half-closed. I laughed at her words. Ah, it feels good to be tipsy. Usually, the world would sway when I stood up, but after drinking, the world swayed even when I was just sitting still.

"Me? Isn't it a good thing if I'm sexy...?"

I continued my dazed conversation with Park Min-ah. I smiled brightly and met her eyes, unaware that Mo Taehee's touch next to me was becoming increasingly blatant. Park Min-ah, her face flushed with heat, turned her head.

"What's wrong?"

I asked with a half-mumbled pronunciation.

"Why are you smiling so close to me like that? It makes my heart flutter..."

At Park Min-ah's words about her heart fluttering, I reflexively apologized. I knew that feeling well these days, having so many things that made my heart flutter.

"Ah... sorry, sorry. You shouldn't have your heart flutter. I know that feeling pretty well these days? It's really... the feeling is... really weird. Right?"

I think I was rambling nonsense, not even knowing what Park Min-ah meant.

Ah, but why is Mo Taehee touching my hand so much?

I straightened up, having been leaning towards Park Min-ah. Then, I stared intently at Mo Taehee's actions, who was spreading my hand wide and placing it on top of his, then caressing each of my fingers one by one.

"Hey, you."

"Yeah, Yeoul-ah."

"Let go of my hand."

"Okay."

Mo Taehee must have been drunk too, because he answered well but didn't listen at all. His touch, grabbing my wrist and gently rubbing the inside of my arm, tickled me, and I giggled.

"Pfft- it tickles."

I felt better as I got drunk. I collapsed into Mo Taehee's arms, resting my face on his broad shoulder and muttering meaningless words. Mo Taehee, who had hugged me without thinking, froze momentarily and didn't move.

"Soju is delicious. I like alcohol. I want to drink more. Let's drink this every day."

I straightened up from Mo Taehee and spoke to Seo Jaehoon and Nam Kangwoo, who were sitting across from me.

"Let's drink this every day, okay? This is really delicious."

I put the empty glass to my mouth and tilted it, shaking out the last few drops, and reached out. In that gap, I checked on Park Min-ah, but she was already drunk, lying straight on the sofa. Her alcohol tolerance is weaker than mine.

I felt relieved that I had a higher alcohol tolerance and couldn't hide the laughter that kept bursting out, laughing out loud.

"Hey, is he drinking alcohol for the first time?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

I heard Nam Kangwoo and Seo Jaehoon's voices from the front. It didn't seem like they were talking about me, so I decided to let it go.

"Hey. But you guys, where did you put my door?"

"What?"

"I mean my door. You guys all have doors, but why doesn't my room have a door?"

I spilled out the words that had been inside me, as if my mouth had burst open.

"You... crazy bastards, stop bothering me. Really, why do you make people... make my heart flutter so much. Huh? You too. You, you really... hey, you too, you also want to... huh?"

"What?"

I muttered incomprehensible words. And alcohol made people brave. I stretched out my finger and pointed it at Seo Jaehoon.

"Do you want to kiss me too? Huh?"

I wish someone would shut my mouth. I couldn't control myself once I started drinking. My head knew, but my damn mouth wouldn't listen.

Seo Jaehoon spat out the water he was drinking at my unfiltered words. Ptooey- 

Small droplets of water fell on my face and the table.

"W-what did you say?"

Seo Jaehoon asked with a flushed face. Glaring at Mo Taehee and Nam Kangwoo as if he would kill them. Ah, I think I was included in that too.

How disgusting... spitting out water and making a fuss. I wiped my wet face with my palm and continued.

"Do you want to kiss me too! Look at this, damn it. Look at my lips... This bastard, that bastard... really... I'm so scared, damn it..."

I squeezed out a lamenting voice. Life is a bitch... I don't know how my life has become like this.

I reached out and grabbed the soju bottle, filling my glass to the brim.

"Does soju flow so smoothly that it's called 'sool' (alcohol)?"

And saying something like a middle schooler with chuunibyou.​