Chapter 33: Between Friends and Secret Affections

On a day like any other, I wasn’t streaming or doing anything productive. Sometimes you have those kinds of days.

Days when you don’t feel like doing anything—no streaming, no chatting, no stirring things up.

I’m bored.

… Should I just, you know, relieve myself?

… mmm

No. After getting caught by Song Chae-hyun, I haven’t really felt like doing it.

I was tortured by that memory for a bit, kicking my blankets, but soon enough, I was lying back down, worn out. Eventually, as I lay around aimlessly, I absentmindedly picked up my phone. When you’re bored, you just automatically reach for your phone.

I opened KakaoTalk. There were dozens of messages piled up there.

They were all messages from people worried about me. Even with my body swapped, my phone hadn’t changed, so they were all messages directed to Tae-yeon.

When Song Chae-hyun asked why I was using my brother’s phone, I made up some excuse about him handing it down to me and left it at that.

Of course, I have no intention of replying to any of them now.

With my body changed like this, there’s no reason to meet those people anymore, and honestly, most of them were just drinking buddies.

So, ignoring all those messages, I clicked on the group chat pinned at the top.

I never knew I’d feel like this. Every time I chat with them, there’s a flutter somewhere in my chest.

“Unnies, what are you doing?”

In an instant, the little “2” next to my message disappeared.

“Why?”

“What’s up?”

“Are you having a hard time? Should I come over?”

“Are you okay? Should I come by?”

“What’s going on?”

…

Why are they reacting like this?

I was just bored and wanted to chat.

“No, it’s nothing | just bored… haha. What are you all up to?”

“Oh, really?”

“I’m at the gym right now.”

She sent a photo.

“Oh…”

It was a picture of Song Chae-hyun in the gym, taking a selfie in the full-length mirror in leggings and a sports bra.

I clicked on the picture for a closer look. But I couldn’t help glancing around first.

I felt a little guilty, but since she took it for me to see, it should be fine, right?

The first thing that caught my eye was her toned abs, the well-defined muscle areas.

… Everything on her looks about 1.5 times thicker than me.

She’s taller, with a naturally larger frame than mine, and now she’s built muscle on top of it…

Before I knew it, I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth.

My heart was racing.

Of course, I was drawn to her femininity; it was captivating. But the strong, athletic build… it somehow kept my gaze fixed on her.

Since becoming a woman, there’s something that’s changed a bit.

It’s my desire for women.

Before, I just appreciated feminine qualities, but now I find myself drawn to tall women. And if they seem stronger than me, it stirs up… something strange in me.

I briefly wondered if that meant I might be attracted to men, but no, that didn’t seem right.

My old aversion to men is still there, to some extent.

Just then, another KakaoTalk notification came.

“You’ve seen my muscles plenty of times before.”

“Do you want to feel them sometime?”

Oh.

I’d always wanted to ask, but guilt held me back, so I never brought it up.

But now she offered it herself.

Wait… did she catch me staring?

…

Hopefully, it doesn’t come off as weird.

Girls seem to be pretty relaxed about physical touch, so it should be okay.

“Is that alright?”

The phone buzzed again.

“Of course, haha, anytime.”

“But, I-hyun, would you like to chat privately?”

“Huh? Why?”

“I just thought you might feel more comfortable…”

“Actually, I would.”

“I thought maybe you didn’t like being in big group chats.”

“Then, the other people might… haha.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind ^^. Say whatever you like.”

What are they talking about?

Anyway, I prefer talking together with everyone.

“Don’t worry about it! I like chatting with all of you here, haha. It’s nice.”

“Alright… got it.”

“Sure.”

The three of us are really close, after all.

I happily stared at the chat for a moment.

Oh.

I just thought of a great idea.

“Oh!”

“How about we go get something to eat?”

I was starting to want to meet up with the three of us again. It had been a little while now.

Another KakaoTalk notification sounded.

“Oh, should we?”

“Sounds good.”

Lying on my stomach, I kicked my feet up and down on the blanket.

I was already excited.

“I know a place that’s perfect for just two people to go to!”

“Huh?”

What? Why only two?

We should all go together.

“Why just two people?”

“Huh? I mean, just me and I-hyun should go.”

“Hmm?”

No way.

“No, Chae-hyun unnie should come too!”

After a moment’s pause, Yu Ji-eun finally replied with two short messages.

“Oh.”

“Okay.”

… What was that?

Anyway, Chae-hyun unnie is okay with it, right?

“Oh, of course.”

“Where should we go?”

I started typing.

“How about Athel King this time?”

“Athel King?”

“I know a better place.”

“Let’s go there.”

“Oh.”

“No, actually…”

Swelling with anticipation, I added with a hopeful heart, expecting them to praise my thoughtfulness.

“This time, it’s on me!”

We were at an outdoor café area.

Around me, like satellites, Song Chae-hyun walked in circles, while Yu Ji-eun stood quietly in front of me.

…

And there I sat, head bowed, in my seat.

“I-hyun, are you listening?”

“…Yes…”

Hearing my weak reply, Song Chae-hyun sighed and continued her lecture.

“I-hyun, you need to save money. You told me before you don’t even have enough to cover rent, let alone your phone bill. So how are you going to cover ours too?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Honestly, usually, I would’ve stood up, asking why she was lecturing me.

But with Song Chae-hyun, I was afraid to do that.

What’s the difference, I wonder…

I just wanted to treat them out of gratitude. Was that really something to be scolded for?

I glanced over at Yu Ji-eun with pleading eyes.

“Eek…”

But she was looking at me with a similar expression. Then, she spoke.

“Honestly, she’s right. You really lack financial awareness. I could help you out a bit, but if you develop bad habits…”

Why is it that whenever the three of us get together, it feels like they team up to lecture me?

After chatting for a bit at the café, we headed to Athel King.

Even if I wasn’t going to pay, it was my idea to go to Athel King.

Whenever I meet with Yu Ji-eun, we always end up eating something fancy, so I was craving a more casual buffet.

I also felt guilty about letting her pay again.

I guess my taste for cheap food is never going away.

Yu Ji-eun said she didn’t mind as long as we were okay with it, and since Song Chae-hyun also likes Athel King, we had no issues.

True to her tall stature, Song Chae-hyun came back with a plate piled high with all sorts of dishes, while Yu Ji-eun opted for Western cuisine and even bought a glass of wine separately at the wine bar.

“Wow…”

I let out a gasp as I looked over my own plate.

Spaghetti, pizza, and roast duck were all neatly arranged.

Swallowing my anticipation, I picked up a slice of roast duck coated in mustard and put it in my mouth.

“Mmm…”

…

“Delicious…!”

Right, I wanted to eat this, too.

Before I could even swallow one piece, I put another piece in my mouth. But it still felt like something was missing, so I added yet another piece.

My cheeks quickly puffed up, filled to the brim.

Seeing this, Song Chae-hyun chuckled, gently patting my head.

“Honestly, you get full after two or three plates, so why do you love buffets so much?”

“True,” agreed Yu Ji-eun, smiling.

“Mhm…” I murmured, cheeks full.

Chae-hyun kept gently patting my head for a few seconds.

…

I felt like I was being treated like a kid. Not that I disliked it, though…

After a dozen or so seconds, Chae-hyun finally lifted her hand from my head.

But as soon as she did, Ji-eun’s hand took its place, patting me just as gently.

Chae-hyun looked directly at Ji-eun, and Ji-eun returned her gaze.

For some reason, Ji-eun’s eyes narrowed a bit.

After a moment, Ji-eun removed her hand, only for Chae-hyun to start patting my head again.

And when Chae-hyun stopped, Ji-eun’s hand would be back on my head. This pattern continued for a while.

“Um… unnie?”

I asked, during Chae-hyun’s turn.

What was with this strange situation?

Some sort of… ritual?

“Oh, sorry.”

The moment Chae-hyun removed her hand, Ji-eun’s hand replaced it again, patting my head.

What was going on?

After that, Chae-hyun’s expression seemed a bit off.

Is my head that fun to pat…? Should I have let them pat it a bit more? It’s not like it would wear out.

Feeling a bit guilty, I turned to Chae-hyun.

“Chae-hyun unnie.”

“Hm?”

I leaned my head towards her, encouraging her to pat me again.

“Aww, you’re so cute,” she said, ruffling my hair affectionately.

But now, it was Ji-eun’s turn to look displeased.

Ji-eun stared blankly at me, a young girl caught between two women.

“Here, open wide—ah~”

“I’m not a kid…” I protested, though not very convincingly.

“Ah~”

“…Ah…”

Ji-eun forced a smile but kept thinking to herself.

From our very first meeting, Ji-eun had noticed something.

“I would’ve thought someone with that appearance wouldn’t have this kind of charm…”

The more she saw, the more she realized I had an unexpected playful side.

“…Look at that.”

That relaxed smile directed towards Ji-eun.

She tried to respond with a smile but found it hard to keep her expression from faltering.

Then, Chae-hyun spoke up.

“Hey, I-hyun, remember that time we met at my place a few days ago?”

“Huh? Yes?”

“My place? Oh…”

Remembering that day, Ji-eun clenched her jaw slightly.

Thinking back on it, she realized that her judgment had been a mistake.

She had given Chae-hyun far too much ground.

“Even if I was busy, I should’ve forced myself to be there.”

Chae-hyun looked down at me, her expression shifting as if a new idea had come to mind.

“Oh, and remember, we made a little secret that day, didn’t we?”

“Uh, unnie!”

As soon as Moon I-hyun heard that, she quickly tried to cover Song Chae-hyun’s mouth in surprise.

Chae-hyun gently pushed her hand away, smiling as if she found it adorable.

“What’s this?”

A secret?

“What kind of secret?”

Yu Ji-eun’s curiosity got the better of her, and a hint of anxiety began to show on her face.

Noticing Ji-eun’s expression, a sly smile curved across Chae-hyun’s lips.

“Um… what kind of secret is it?”

Unable to hold back, Ji-eun finally asked.

I-hyun, sweating nervously under Chae-hyun’s arm, forced a laugh.

“It’s… a secret.”

As they finished their meal and started saying their goodbyes, Ji-eun observed the two of them, still glued together.

“… Their relationship has definitely progressed.”

The casual physical affection, the easy smiles—they’d become closer, more at ease.

If it were still just Chae-hyun initiating all the contact, she wouldn’t have minded.

“I-hyun, want to feel my arm?”

“Really? …Wow, it’s so firm!”

…

“I-hyun, should I give you a hug?”

“Sure…” I-hyun replied, her eyes crinkling into a smile as she agreed.

Ji-eun could see that I-hyun was starting to enjoy the attention, and a small frown formed on her lips.

This didn’t sit well with her. Not at all.

“It was a pleasure. Hope we get to meet again soon,” Ji-eun said, masking her thoughts.

“See you next time, I-hyun!” Chae-hyun added.

After saying their goodbyes, I-hyun parted ways with them. Today had been fun, just like the other times.

She used to think that relationships were boring without alcohol, but with Chae-hyun and Ji-eun, it felt like she’d have fun no matter what they did together.

And it seemed like the two got along well with each other, too. I-hyun felt like she was building a great bridge between them.

As they prepared to leave, both offered to walk her home, but I-hyun mentioned that she had someplace else to stop by and insisted they head off.

Leaving the two, who looked slightly disappointed, she began walking away.

Then, a notification came through on her phone.

It was from Ji-eun.

Checking the message, she saw it read:

“I-hyun, would you like to have a drink with me?”