Swallowed - Chapter 37

Thanks to her newfound confidence, Seyoung was able to approach the interview more comfortably than expected. The professors, aware of her unique situation, focused on whether she could effectively convey her thoughts and whether her choice of words and expressions were appropriate.

Since she had grades that far exceeded the school’s cut-off requirement, her acceptance was practically guaranteed. Now, she only needed to wait for the results at the end of the month, gather the necessary documents, and submit them.

“Seyoung, the only thing left to prepare is your personal statement, right?”

「For now, yes.」

Daram, after much deliberation, also applied and went through the interview process. She had hesitated until the last moment but decided it was better to go. Seyoung and Daram had applied to different schools. Daram was also considering working in Hong Kong after graduation, so she applied to a partner university in Hong Kong.

“Hey, Jjang-Daram, isn’t it about time you started drinking iced coffee?”

“They say cold drinks aren’t good for you. Why do you keep insisting?”

Yujeong, who had just returned to her seat with a coffee, teased Daram, as usual. She couldn’t believe Daram was still drinking hot Americanos, even though spring was in full bloom. After hearing Daram’s response, Yujeong giggled.

“Isn’t that a thing in China? I heard they even drink beer warm. Does Hong Kong do that too? Sounds like you’d fit right in.”

Despite Daram glaring at her, Yujeong continued to giggle, amused by her own joke. Then, out of nowhere, she slumped her shoulders and sighed.

“What am I going to do when you all leave? Who will I hang out with?”

“You still have Donghyeon.”

“Why did he come up all of a sudden?”

“When are you two going to start dating?”

“Da-Dating? No way. Friends don’t do that.”

Yujeong strongly denied it and quickly took a sip from her straw, draining more than half her coffee in seconds. Still flustered, she huffed and kept denying it.

“Who said anything? You know denying it like that just makes it more suspicious, right?”

“Ugh, seriously. Friendship doesn’t just turn into love.”

“It can. Male-female friendships can easily flip into romance.”

“Oh, look at Daram acting like she knows so much, even though she’s never had a boyfriend.”

“Whatever.”

Seyoung smiled at the bickering pair, but as they teased each other, she could hear people whispering behind her. Ever since that one time in the cafeteria when she had spoken English, these sorts of reactions had become more frequent. It must have been quite shocking for them to hear someone they thought was mute speaking so naturally.

“Ugh, they’re staring so much.”

Seeing the people whispering, Yujeong shot them a sharp glare, and they quickly pretended they hadn’t said anything.

「They’re probably just curious.」

“Does being curious make it okay to be rude? You know what I’ve learned in college? Manners are a matter of intelligence. When I first heard that, I wondered how that made sense, but seriously, rude people are usually pretty dumb.”

Yujeong shuddered in disgust. Seyoung smiled, feeling grateful that Yujeong got angry on her behalf. Without Daram and Yujeong, she wouldn’t have enjoyed her college life nearly as much.

She thought back to when she first met the two of them. They all had something in common: none of them had attended orientation or the entrance ceremony. Each had their own reasons and circumstances, but during their first class, while others formed groups, the three of them ended up together and introduced themselves.

It was hard to believe that had been two years ago. And in just half a year, they would all go their separate ways. Once they graduated, they would drift apart even more, busy with their own lives. Thinking about it made her appreciate this time even more.

“By the way, what’s gotten into you lately?”

Yujeong poked at the ice in her empty cup and asked slyly. Seyoung blinked, confused by the question, until Yujeong tapped her neck.

「Nothing really.」

“Nothing? There’s always a reason behind everything people do.”

Daram chimed in, and Yujeong nodded in agreement. Seyoung instinctively touched her exposed neck, where her hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

“You’ve been tying up your hair, speaking in front of others. Our Han Seyoung’s been changing lately, hasn’t she?”

「…….」

“And all of this just happens to coincide with getting a super-hot boyfriend?”

Seyoung couldn’t deny that Jaeha had influenced her, so she simply smiled faintly. Seeing that smile, Yujeong shuddered dramatically.

“You’re really something. How did you manage not to contact him for two whole years, even though you liked him so much? If it were me, I would’ve stuck to him, offering to help with his studies. You’re good at studying too, after all. You could’ve tutored him.”

「Jaeha was already a good student. His mom wanted him to go to med school.」

“Come on, being a good student and getting advice from someone who’s been through the college entrance exam are totally different.”

Ever since high school, Jaeha had been recognized for his potential, and all the teachers agreed he was destined for Seoul National University’s medical school. His mother’s high expectations played a role, but he proved himself by scoring top marks on the mock exams, achieving national rankings early on. Some even said he’d finished preparing for the college entrance exam before starting high school, leaving Seyoung in no position to compare.

「Anyway, we ended up meeting here, right?」

“True. The professors really seem to like Baek Jaeha. I guess that’s no surprise, considering he’s a scholarship student, his dad’s a hospital director, and isn’t his brother a doctor too?”

「He’s still a resident.」

“So, future doctor in the making. Hey, Seyoung… do you think—?”

Yujeong hesitated for a moment, and Seyoung tilted her head curiously. Whenever Yujeong hesitated like this, it usually meant she was about to ask a pointless or tactless question that made Daram frown.

“If Jaeha’s dad is a hospital director, couldn’t he help with your speech therapy? If Jaeha asked him, wouldn’t he?”

Ah. Seyoung shook her head lightly, and Daram sighed, as if to say, “I thought so.” Daram was the type of friend who avoided bringing up sensitive topics, while Yujeong couldn’t help but ask when she was curious.

“I’ve already tried every possible treatment. The central nervous system doesn’t regenerate, so all I can do is wait for natural recovery. Sometimes other cells collaborate to improve recovery potential.”

“So… there’s no other way?”

“That’s why I found an alternative. At least this way I can communicate with my own voice.”

Yujeong, her eyes filled with emotion, tightly gripped Seyoung’s hand. Seyoung, who had been looking at her phone, glanced up. Yujeong, unable to contain her overflowing emotions, pulled Seyoung into a hug.

“I’ll always cheer for you. And don’t listen to those idiots—there’s nothing funny about how you speak.”

“Ugh, let go.”

“Our Han Seyoung’s voice is so pretty!”

Daram threw her empty cup at Yujeong to get her to stop. Yujeong’s voice had echoed so loudly in the café lobby that they had drawn unwanted attention, so Daram intervened. Embarrassed, Yujeong let go of Seyoung.

“Anyway, the point is, be happy with Jaeha.”

Seyoung was speechless at how Yujeong could come to such a conclusion.

***

Waking up to Jaeha’s face in front of her was better than she had expected. Seyoung often found herself staring at his face before falling asleep. Jaeha wasn’t a light sleeper, but since they started living together, Seyoung’s sleeping hours had decreased.

To be more accurate, she felt like sleeping was a waste of time. She would stare at Jaeha’s face until her eyes grew heavy, soaking in every detail until she drifted off, as if falling asleep was the last thing on her mind.

Even after waking up earlier than Jaeha, she would watch him sleep again. His sleeping face was even more sculpture-like than when he was awake, and she never got tired of looking at it. His long, thick eyelashes stretched out confidently, and his firm nose and perfectly shaped lips made her want to touch him.

Instead of touching, she traced his features in the air. She wasn’t particularly skilled at drawing, but sketching in the air made her feel like she was perfectly replicating Jaeha.

His long eyelashes fluttered for a moment, and then he slowly opened his eyes, catching sight of her hand in front of him. He grabbed it. Seyoung didn’t pull away. Bringing her hand to his mouth, Jaeha, without hesitation, bit down on her fingertips.

“Ah.”

“It’s real…”

Had he bitten her by reflex? Seyoung let out a soft, thread-like laugh. But Jaeha didn’t stop at just a nibble. He sucked on her fingers, making her feel strange. When she tried to pull her hand away, he sat up, only to collapse on top of her.

“Suck my chest.”

His voice, thick with sleep, sounded deep and sensual. Before Seyoung could even react to what he said, Jaeha tugged down the neckline of her T-shirt, exposing one of her breasts, and buried his face in it. Without giving her a chance to resist, he began to suck, as if he expected something to come out. Her nipple, now stiff, was caught in his mouth, and he sucked on it with a fervor, even though nothing would come out. Only the area below grew wetter, making Seyoung’s body twitch and squirm.

With Jaeha’s weight pinning her down, there was no way to escape. His free hand slipped under her shirt, grabbing and kneading her other breast.

The only reason they could afford to do this leisurely in the morning was because it was Saturday. Plus, she had been on her period, so the past few days had been a time of forced restraint, which probably contributed to his enthusiasm.

It was as if Jaeha was trying to make up for all the missed opportunities to touch and suck. Seyoung, dazed and dizzy, let out a soft moan as the ceiling seemed to lower and rise before her eyes.

“Uhh, today…”

Seyoung barely managed to recall that today was the day they had planned to go to the tennis club, and she pushed against Jaeha’s forehead. If she didn’t stop him now, it felt like they would end up doing far more than just this.

Jaeha lifted his head, his eyes filled with disappointment. Seyoung glanced down to see her nipple had already swollen. Jaeha grinned mischievously and pressed his fingertip against it, making her gasp.

“I always think you’re so rational, Sunbae. Even though you’re so wet down here, giving off such a lewd scent, do you really want to stop?”