Chapter 28.2

Chapter 28.2

“Then, I’ll take a shower first.”

Startled, Miran dropped the plastic dish covered in white soap suds from her hands. It clattered loudly inside the sink. She quickly picked it up, mumbling without looking at him.

“Y-yeah, okay. Um, the new toothbrush is in the cabinet. You can take a towel from there too.”

“Okay.”

André headed to the bathroom but paused momentarily, realizing he didn’t have any condoms with him today either. He felt a pang of frustration but quickly shifted his thoughts.

There were plenty of ways to have fun without penetration. In fact, it might be safer that way.

After finishing his shower, André hesitated for a moment before deciding to only put his pants back on. Despite taking a cold shower, his body still felt warm, and putting on a shirt felt too stifling. Besides, he knew he’d end up taking it off again anyway.

When André stepped out of the bathroom, Miran was standing in front of the hanger, inadvertently turning around at the sound of the door and awkwardly squeaking.

“Uh… well, I’ll just…”

Clutching her change of clothes to her chest, she quickly scurried into the bathroom, shutting the door as if someone might chase her.

André pulled out a chair at the table roughly and slouched back into it, leaning against the backrest in a rare display of dishevelment. As soon as Miran disappeared, his mood plummeted.

Left alone in the cramped, stifling space, he found himself with time to think, and the rationality shaken by lust quickly gave way to a sense of self-loathing.

‘What the hell am I even doing here?’

The sound of running water came from the bathroom. André, his expression hardened and cold, tapped his fingers repetitively on the tabletop.

‘Should I just leave now?’

It felt like the dam holding back his lust since last night had suddenly burst. Seeing how he’d let his desire drive him to come all the way here, he realized he had already lost control over his rationality.

He was afraid of what might happen if he went all the way with Miran, fearing he might do something even worse. His usually ironclad self-control and restraint seemed full of holes lately.

This impulsive behavior had to be the last time. But he no longer trusted himself.

Just as André was about to get up after glaring at the rooftop room’s entrance for a while, the bathroom door creaked open.

Miran emerged from her shower, wearing a checkered mini skirt and a tight crop top. André’s gaze slowly crawled up from her long, slender legs to her slim waist, exposed by about half a hand’s width, to her perfectly balanced chest, her distinct features, and the long, flowing hair framing her small face.

Everything he had been wrestling with moments ago evaporated instantly. André realized, with a wry smile tugging at his lips, that he was more susceptible to visual stimuli than he had thought. He beckoned Miran with a slight curl of his finger.

“Come here.”

She hesitated briefly, her eyes filled with anticipation and caution, before slowly stepping toward him. André grabbed her waist and effortlessly lifted her onto the table.

“Oh! W-what are you doing?”

Miran flailed her legs, trying to get down, but he tightened his grip around her waist. He wondered if her organs were even properly inside her ribs; his thumbs and middle fingers almost touched as they encircled her waist. Their eyes met at about the same level. When Miran stopped resisting, he released his grip on her waist.

André leaned back in the chair, arms crossed, his legs spread wide. His dark green eyes roamed over her without hesitation. Miran sensed the unbridled desire in his gaze and swallowed dryly, holding her breath. He seemed to have no intention of hiding his thoughts.

When he continued to just watch her silently, Miran began swinging her legs, her toes wiggling. She brushed her hair behind her ear with a delicate motion, glanced at him, then quickly looked down.

Unable to bear the awkward silence, she started chattering meaninglessly to fill the silence.

“Um, by the way, thanks for last night. For… lending me your cardigan, I mean. Did you find your way back to the main road okay this morning? Oh, you must have, since you’re back here now. Uh, so, are we improvising again this time? I memorized the script, but I’m still worried—”

Miran abruptly lifted her head at the sudden sound of rustling.