Spa World Kiln Sauna - 24-hour sauna
After paying at the counter, I changed into the provided clothes and stepped inside.
"You look great, oppa! HAHAHA."
"Yeah? HAHAHA."
"You're cute~"
I looked around, scanning for Seolhyo as voices overlapped around me.
"Don't lie, Dad forced you that time! HAHAHA."
"You little punk, that wasn't forcing, it was-"
"Forget it, old man~"
I kept walking.
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Want some seaweed soup?"
I reached the sleeping area and started checking each room.
A few times, I got shouted at and even got invited inside.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"
"H-Hi… what's your name? Do you want to lie down too?"
I ignored them and moved on, crouching to peek into the next room.
There she was.
Lying on her back, her left arm resting over her eyes, a hair tie loosely around her wrist.
I exhaled in relief and stepped back into the hallway. Pulling out my phone, I quickly called Minsu hyung.
When the call connected, I spoke quietly, "Hyung, I found her. She's at the sauna."
A voice came from the other end. "Don't let her leave. I'll be there."
"I don't think that's a good idea, hyung," I replied immediately. "She's still upset… I don't think she wants to see you right now. It's probably better if she calms down first. I'll stay with her and make sure nothing happens."
There was a pause.
Minsu thought back to earlier when Seojin ignored him mid-fight because Seolhyo got hurt.
After a long moment, he spoke.
"…Alright."
The line clicked off.
-
In the nap room, Seolhyo lay still.
Her chest felt tight, like it was being squeezed.
Her fingers curled into the blanket.
Even Seojin…
Then
A familiar voice, just outside.
"Rim… Rim…"
She lifted her hand slightly and peeked.
And saw Seojin crouching.
There was a faint bruise on the side of his cheek grazed by her gorilla of a brother.
Guilt swallowed her whole.
She quickly covered her eyes again, turning away, her body trembling as a soft sob escaped.
I stayed quiet for a moment… then crawled inside.
Lifting the blanket, I lay down beside her and pulled it over myself.
She shifted slightly, turning her body away from me.
I murmured as I placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Rim…"
She stirred at the sound of my voice and flinched when she felt my touch but she didn't move away.
I shifted, resting my right arm under my head, her hair brushing lightly against my skin.
Leaning closer, I whispered behind her, "Rim… won't you look at me?"
Her body trembled, a soft sob escaping as she began to cry.
For a while, we stayed like that the quiet sound of her breathing and soft crying filling the small room.
After some time, she calmed a little and slowly turned toward me, eyes downcast, avoiding mine.
Gently, I cupped her cheeks and wiped away the tear streaks. "Don't worry,"
I murmured with a faint smile. "I wasn't that hurt."
She closed her eyes, letting me wipe her tears. "…I'm sorry… because of my stupid brother…"
Her voice shook as tears started building up again.
I leaned closer until our foreheads touched.
With a teasing smile, I said, "Now, now… stop crying, or you'll flood this place."
She squinted at me, then suddenly wrapped her arms around my waist, holding on tightly as she buried her face in my chest.
"…You're not angry?"
I let out a soft chuckle, gently caressing the back of her head. "Why would I be? None of this happened because you wanted it."
She didn't answer just stayed there, holding onto me.
Then, without warning
Growlll…
I glanced down at her. "Hungry?"
Embarrassed, she kept her face buried and gave a small nod.
I chuckled, a faint smile tugging at my lips.
Reaching up, I lightly pinched her cheeks. "Wait here, okay? I'll go buy something."
I crawled out of the room and headed to the dining area.
I ordered a lunch box with rice, kimchi, sausage, egg, and seaweed, along with rice balls and two bottles of sikhye.
When I returned to the sleeping area, I set the food just outside her pod.
Leaning down, I called softly, "Rim, get up. Let's eat."
Seolhyo sat up, brushed her hair back with her hands, then slipped out from under the blanket and crawled out.
Her hair was a tangled mess.
I gently grabbed her wrist and guided her to sit in front of me.
Taking the hair tie looped around her wrist, I carefully gathered her hair and tied it up for her.
"There," I said, brushing a few loose strands behind her ear.
Then I reached for the tray, picked it up, and handed her one of the lunch boxes.
"Here. Eat."
She smiled faintly and took it.
We ate quietly side by side.
When we were done, we wandered over to the massage chairs and settled into them, letting ourselves sink in as the vibrations worked through our bodies.
After that, we headed to the resting area.
We sat on the floor with our backs against the wall, a small pile of magazines and comic books between us.
As we read, I draped my arm gently around her shoulders, holding the book with my free hand.
Her head rested lightly against my shoulder.
Time slowly passed.
Later, we went to the bathroom to brush our teeth.
When we finished, I returned to my locker to put my toothbrush back, then leaned against it while waiting for Seolhyo.
A few moments later, she stepped out.
We went back to her room and lay down facing each other under the same blanket.
Even without the light, I could make out her face.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I smiled faintly. "Why are you thanking me?"
Her eyes met mine, soft. "It's just… after everything that happened, you're still so good to me."
I reached out and brushed her bangs away from her forehead. "Isn't that what I'm supposed to do?"
Seolhyo held my gaze.
Then, with a sudden, tender smile, she pulled the blanket over our heads.
She leaned in and her lips met mine.
I responded instantly, wrapping my arms tight around her waist and pulling her into a deeper embrace.
My surprise quickly melted into desire as I deepened the kiss, gently guiding my tongue to meet hers.
Her hands, now bolder, began a slow exploration, tracing the line of my abs before moving up to my chest.
Matching her desire, my hands slipped beneath the hem of her shirt, searching for the warmth of her skin.
My palms moved upward to the soft curve of her breast. When I gently cupped and squeezed, a quiet, sharp flinch passed through her.
I slipped my hands further, past the barrier of her bra, and my fingertips found the sensitive nipple.
A soft, throaty moan escaped her lips, a sound of pure, unrestrained pleasure.
After nearly five minutes of deep kissing, we finally broke apart.
A thin, glistening bridge of saliva briefly connected our lips before snapping.
I muttered, "That was wild… we should do that more sometime."
Seolhyo's face was flushed with a deep, delightful blush, but her eyes held a different kind of warmth.
"…This is a one-time thing," she said.
I smirk, continuing to squeeze her breast and mold it in my hand. "Is it…?"
Seolhyo lets out a low moan, her body shivering at the sensation.
She grabs my arms, her breath uneven as she squints up at me. "Hnnngghh… s-stop… that's enough.."
I gave her breast a last, gentle squeeze before drawing my hand away.
I lifted my hand to tenderly cup her cheek and said,
"I love you."
She blushed, burying her face against my neck.
Her arms tightened around me as she whispered in a low tone, "I… love you too…"
We settled in, lost in the quiet comfort of the hug.