LFG 57

“Then, see you at the sauna!”

“Okay. Please take care of the kids. Teacher Jung.”

“Our young ladies don’t need much looking after. Teacher Kim and the other teachers will have a hard time~ Dealing with those guys.”

“Ahahaha…”

The tattered people exchanged bland greetings and then parted ways.

That’s when the group, including Ki Jae-eon, entered the men’s bath.

Everyone familiarly opened their shoe lockers and put their shoes in, but Ki Jae-eon stood alone, blankly looking around. He had a face that said he didn’t know what to do. Then, he carefully followed the actions of the other children and put his shoes in. His movements were very awkward.

In fact, it was understandable, as it was Ki Jae-eon’s first time at a sauna. No, to be more precise, it was his first time at a ‘public bathhouse’ like this. He thought he had become accustomed to the group bathhouse while staying at the main office… but when he entered a more formal place than that, he became nervous.

His stiff movements, like a wooden statue, were maintained even after entering the bathhouse.

The sound of bubbling water tickling his ears.

The unique humid and cozy smell.

The echoing sound of wet voices.

And.

“You kids! Don’t run around, it’s dawn!”

“Wahahahaha!”

“Kids, please! Wash before you go in!”

“Teacher Min-su, are you going to get a body scrub? They’re available now. Kids, are you going to get a scrub??”

“Lane 1- Lee. Gyeong. Hak! Ennntering!”

Everything came together to create a new mess.

Were these really the people who had fought a life-or-death battle just a few hours ago? Ki Jae-eon briefly closed and opened his eyes at the chaotic reality unfolding before him.

Wasn’t bathing a kind of cultivation to calm the mind and enjoy a kind of meditation? Ki Jae-eon briefly closed and opened his eyes at the chaotic reality unfolding before him.

Even more shocking was that everyone was revealing their lower bodies as they were! Ki Jae-eon was the only one with a towel around his waist. Countless elephants were captured in his shaking gaze. It was truly a scene from the savanna. All of them together in the bath like that? Ugh, something felt wrong. Wasn’t it too unhygienic? Ki Jae-eon hesitated and stood there, unable to do anything. Of course, one might think he was being unnecessarily picky. But Ki Jae-eon’s bottom line was… one or two at most, but going in with a whole group like this was really too much. Frankly, wasn’t this just like making broth?

Just then.

“Hyung, what are you doing there?”

A voice with a languid resonance was heard from the side.

“Aren’t you going into the bath? You need to warm up your body.”

It was Ahn Seo-myeong.

It seemed like it hadn’t even been ten minutes since he came in, but he had already finished showering.

Unlike usual, he had swept his bangs back coolly, revealing his round forehead.

Thanks to that, his face looked several times smaller.

“Ah, I, I’m okay.”

As he glanced at the bath, which was densely packed with monkeys in a hot spring, and quietly backed away, small complaints flew in, “What is it-!”, “Let’s get close!”

“Leave him alone, he said he doesn’t want to.”

It was none other than Kim Ju-won who saved Ki Jae-eon.

“Hey, you don’t have to come in if you don’t want to.”

He lightly patted Ki Jae-eon’s shoulder and told him not to push himself.

This is the virtue of a friend…

“The bath here is a bit hot. It’s understandable to be scared.”

“…?”

Watching his back as he smirked and passed by, Ki Jae-eon quietly headed straight for the shower booth.

With a cold expression, he turned on the water with a squeak and carefully washed his whole body before walking towards the bath. Chap chap. There was even a hint of determination in his footsteps. That’s right. Ki Jae-eon couldn’t stand ‘scared? lol’ either.

As Ki Jae-eon soaked his body, Kim Ju-won whistled briefly.

“Hyung, should I get you some cold water?”

“……F-first.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll understand if you get up first… the bath here is so hot.”

“……!”

The corners of Kim Ju-won’s lips twitched. He laughed and splashed hot water on his face as if to show off, shouting, “Ah! Good-!” Ki Jae-eon also didn’t give in and splashed his shoulders. The children next to them giggled at the subtle war of nerves spreading.

“Jae-eon Hyung was just a man after all. Shivers.”

“Ah, all the intelligence is dead.”

“My heart is swelling with pettiness.”

“Ah- isn’t this the life of a man.”

“Damn, only one person is coming out alive.”

“Nope. I’m setting up a home here. I’ll die here even if I die. I’ll have my wedding here too.”

“Huh, who would marry Gyeong-hak? Did he sell the country in his past life?”

The battle that continued until someone collapsed was thwarted by Kim Yeong, who suddenly appeared. What are you kids doing so dangerously! With a stern scolding, both Ki Jae-eon and Kim Ju-won had no choice but to quickly get out of the bath.

“What if you pass out?”

How come not one of you thought to stop them. Aish-. As Kim Yeong was holding his forehead, Teacher Park, with a long scrub towel around his neck, appeared and burst into a hearty laugh.

“Hahaha, don’t scold them too much, Teacher.”

“Teacher Park……”

“Isn’t it nice to see. Jae-eon! That guy looks so good getting along like that.”

“……”

“Just a pointless pride fight, useless pranks… aren’t they just guys of that age.”

At that moment, the words that Kim Yeong had once said to Ki Jae-eon came to mind.

-‘They’re good kids, so get along well. As friends, not just colleagues.’

He didn’t know that their relationship would develop this far at that time.

“Yes, it is. It’s very nice to see.”

Before he knew it, a smile bloomed on Kim Yeong’s face as well.

“Kids are kids, I guess.”

Meanwhile, Ki Jae-eon was sitting with all his energy drained, repeatedly pouring cold water on himself. His white skin was flushed red and wouldn’t cool down. Especially his shoulders and abdomen. The area below his navel was dyed a light pink color.

“You’re being foolish.”

Chwaaa- Ahn Seo-myeong’s evaluation was scathing even as he sat next to him and poured cold water on him.

Twitch.

“Are you becoming like Kim Ju-won Hyung?”

That’s not good. Ahn Seo-myeong tilted his head with a hmm, and at the same time turned the faucet.

“……!”

Chwaat- The stream of water with increased pressure aimed accurately at his chest. The small, pink nipples were a slightly darker color than usual to match the flushed skin, and they were particularly prominent and stood out when hit by the cold stream of water. W-wait a minute. As Ki Jae-eon twisted his upper body, the stream of water gradually went down as if asking where he was running. Hick-. Ahn Seo-myeong, who was tormenting the area around his navel, starting with his prominent ribs, finally blocked the water with his hand.

“Stop it, it’s okay. I-it’s cold.”

“It’s cold. Because it’s cold water.”

That was true.

Leaving Ki Jae-eon, who had nothing to say, Ahn Seo-myeong slipped a scrub towel onto his hand. Then he grabbed Ki Jae-eon’s arm tightly. His white, thin arm was caught in his smaller hand and dragged along powerlessly. As he let go of his hand, a red handprint quickly appeared.

Ahn Seo-myeong stared intently at his handprint and said indifferently.

“Hyung’s skin is thin, so I’ll just rub it roughly. Your body is already cold, so it doesn’t seem to matter much.”

“Ah, you don’t have to……”

“Really?”

Ahn Seo-myeong glanced indifferently at the bath he had entered earlier.

Ki Jae-eon followed and looked that way. It was true that it felt a little uncomfortable to only wipe with a shower towel.

“Or you can leave it to a professional like the other Hyungs.”

I’m just an amateur after all. At the end of his listless words, a tearing scream was heard from afar, “Aaaack-!” The sound of clapping was a bonus. What on earth was going on over there? Ki Jae-eon shook his head in a panic. I think I’ll be okay. As he politely refused, Ahn Seo-myeong also nodded.

“I’ll scrub you.”

“U-uh. I’ll do it for you when you’re done.”

He had never scrubbed or wiped someone else’s body before, but he was learning now, so he would be able to follow along to some extent. Ahn Seo-myeong read Ki Jae-eon’s thoughts and smirked lightly, nodding his head.

“Yes, well. Go ahead.”

Sak- Sak- The hand that started to gently rub the surface of his skin felt better than he thought. It doesn’t hurt. Rather, the sound of bubbling water and the warm air created a good synergy and even gave a strange healing. It’s getting drowsy. Sak- Sak-. It was the moment he closed his eyes slightly, entrusting his body to the gently rubbing hand.

“!”

Ki Jae-eon flinched greatly. Then Ahn Seo-myeong stared at him with a look that asked what was wrong. His black eyes were as indifferent as usual. The two exchanged glances without a word. The surroundings were noisy with wahahaha-, but only this place was quiet. Ah, ah… that’s. As he watched Ki Jae-eon’s face slowly turning red, Ahn Seo-myeong tilted his head.

“Does it hurt?”

Ki Jae-eon moved his wet lips and answered in a voice as small as an ant, “No….”

“Tell me if it hurts. I’ll do it gently.”

“……U-uh.”

‘Rather than that…….’

His hand came inside his arm, from his armpit to his chest, so naturally that he was surprised. Because such sensitive areas had never been touched by anyone else before. Did he really have to do it? But he didn’t bother to ask. Frankly, it was embarrassing to even ask.

As he looked at the clock on the bathhouse wall and wished for time to pass quickly.

“Hyung.”

A firm voice was heard from below.

“Stop twitching.”

The hand that had been nudging his side slowly fell away, then lightly slapped him once—not hard enough to hurt. “Hiss,” Ki Jae-eon twisted his side, and Ahn Seo-myeong lifted his head to meet his gaze.

“Why do you keep dodging?”

It felt like he was being scolded.

“…It, it tickles.”

“Don’t avoid my hand.”

He seemed to dislike that more than Ki Jae-eon wriggling around.

Ki Jae-eon waited quietly without replying, and again, the hand moved smoothly.

“Push out your chest a bit.”

But from earlier, the nuance was a bit strange.

However, since this was originally a place for doing such things, he obediently did as he was told.

Ki Jae-eon pushed out his chest with force, making the deepest part of his waist concave. He kept thinking that something about the posture was odd, but the other person was too serious for him to feel embarrassed. His youthful face was flushed with how focused he was. He was working so hard… Um, Ki Jae-eon wiggled his toes, trying his best to endure the unfamiliar sensation.

But then.

When the rough Korean exfoliating mitt pinched his dry chest and gently touched the protruding tips, he couldn’t help but gasp. A ticklish, stinging touch. His waist automatically trembled at the sensation he had never felt before. Like stimulating his chest with a stiff brush, an unknown chill ran through him. Perhaps because his body was so sensitive, the sound of water droplets seemed louder than before.

Ki Jae-eon lowered his gaze diagonally and bit his lower lip tightly. The tingling at his toes wasn’t a pleasant sensation. Eventually, unable to bear it any longer, he hesitantly opened his lips.

“Um, hiss, excuse me…”

Ahn Seo-myeong cut him off in the middle of trying to say it was okay to stop now.

“If we act shy here…”

Perhaps because of the echo unique to bathhouses, his voice, which seemed to vibrate, resonated particularly clearly in his ear.

“The atmosphere will get really weird.”

A slightly mischievous tone.

“Do you want that?”

The blunt corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

Ah, that face again. Eyes full of playfulness, uncharacteristic of him.