[Chatroom with Iga-yun]
– Iga-yun: It’s been a while since we last greeted each other.
– Iga-yun: We probably have something to discuss, don’t we?
– Ah.. Yes, I apologize for lying to you.
– Is it about Gawol? Or Camellia?
– Iga-yun: Both. But you don’t need to apologize.
– Iga-yun: On the contrary, I feel like I should apologize.
– Iga-yun: Oh, Camellia. There’s also something I’d like to tell you.
– Iga-yun: If you’ll allow me, I’ll take you. Of course, if you’re uncomfortable, you can say no.
– There’s no need for you to apologize, I think.
– Still, meeting is fine.
– I’ve come to terms with my feelings now, at least a bit.
– Iga-yun: Then, would Friday work for you?
– Yes, it’s fine.
– It doesn’t matter what time it is.
– Iga-yun: Great. I’ll see you Friday evening.
– Iga-yun: And I’ll pay for the meal.
In Korea, the word “massage” tends to carry a bad connotation.
It’s because it often gives a decadent impression.
But not every establishment is like that, and massage itself isn’t inherently improper.
During my time as a kendo player, I lived with constant muscle pain.
My body always carried the aftereffects of the previous day’s training, anywhere on my body.
Although my family wasn’t poor, we also weren’t wealthy enough to splurge on luxuries.
So during my athlete days, I never really had a massage.
Sometimes our master used to rub my shoulders, but that was about it.
Even that was more of a gesture of politeness.
For some reason, adults tend to knead shoulders often.
To me, massage was an unfamiliar concept.
“Are we really going in?”
“Are you shy?”
“Kind of… yeah.”
To be honest, very much so.
“This place isn’t weird, I promise. You’ll like it once you try.”
“I’m not sure…”
“It’s okay. Everyone is scared the first time.”
Anyway, I wasn’t someone who judged the word “massage” negatively.
Moreover, the place Elderlyn recommended looked upscale at first glance.
It was clearly a proper place where professionals provided legitimate services, not some seedy spot.
I understood that rationally.
But… will I be okay?
Just the thought of someone touching my body felt like a massive hurdle.
And of course, I’ll need to undress.
“Are we really going in?”
“We’re already here. Are you chickening out? It’s my condition, anyway.”
“Uh, alright… I’ll go.”
We had a conversation in the car.
Elderlyn assured me she would help me in various ways.
Among the things she mentioned was offering the use of her studio, and if needed, providing equipment and setup for broadcasts.
In return, her “conditions” included no gloomy thoughts, fulfilling three wishes, and making appearances as a guest on her stream.
Really, it wasn’t demanding anything disadvantageous to me.
Even at this meeting, Serin paid for everything.
All I had to do was show up and spend some time.
Objectively speaking, I owed her a lot of gratitude.
So I couldn’t bring myself to decline and came along, but the moment we were shown to the changing room, I froze like a statue.
“Please take a quick shower, and put on the disposable underwear you’ll find in the cabinet. I’ll wait outside.”
“Here? Right here?”
“Why are you so shy? Aren’t you from an all-girls high school?”
No, actually, I’m from an all-boys high school, an all-boys middle school, and a sports university.
The creeping guilt started to surface.
As I snapped back to reality, I felt a choking sensation because Yuserin had already started undressing.
Compared to Sansa, Elderlyn felt much more girlish.
But seeing her well-maintained figure, all previous thoughts of her being “girlish” disappeared. The black underwear beneath her shirt and the mature air she gave off struck me.
Shyly, I turned my head away, feeling my face heat up as I bit my lip.
Reflecting on it now, that’s how it was.
Elderlyn was an influential figure in the female streamer community, recognized for her beauty by many.
Compared to her, I felt like a washed-up, gym-rat-turned-couch-potato.
While I lost myself in this reflection, now that I actually saw her, it was an overwhelming sight.
“Isn’t Da-eun going to undress?”
“I’ll undress after you go in first.”
“Alright. Let me know if you need help.”
Thankfully, Elderlyn smiled softly without deliberately teasing me.
I turned my back while confirming the sound of the shower booth closing.
Only then did I hesitantly begin removing my clothes, carefully folding them.
I jumped into the booth as quietly as possible, locking the door.
The interior was surprisingly clean and upscale.
‘Is this really the world of the upper class? Now that I think about it, the underwear she was wearing looked rather expensive… Not that it matters.’
Snap back to reality.
I slapped my cheeks twice and began washing my body.
Thankfully, as the water touched my skin, the distracting thoughts seemed to fade.
It held little meaning.
Having never experienced massage before, I didn’t know that the one-time-use underwear provided was much smaller than I anticipated.
You want me to wear this?
For real?
The cool air touched my skin.
It was either because summer was approaching and the air conditioning had been turned on, or because my body was slightly damp. Either way, it felt a bit chilly to me.
Thankfully, I didn’t have to walk around completely bare.
There was temporary clothing prepared beneath the cabinet.
A light beige lounge gown. It didn’t completely cover my body, but it was decent enough.
“The customer requested that we don’t touch the area below the left knee. Is that correct?”
“Yes. Light contact is okay, but no applying pressure.”
“I’ll inform the responsible staff.”
I’d rather no one touched me at all, but I couldn’t say that to the staff, who was smiling kindly.
It would also be disrespectful to Serin, who brought me here.
Still, it seems money truly is the ultimate power.
Even in the service, luxury establishments are different.
Instead of crutches, a staff member helped me sit on a plush chair.
In front of the chair were individual footbaths, each exuding a refreshing pine scent.
Once both Elderlyn and I had dipped our feet into them, the staff bowed and left.
“Ah, it’s warm.”
The pine-scented water was infused with faint herbal aromas, so the atmosphere relaxed my mood.
Although I had dried my hair somewhat, moisture still clung to it.
My forehead brushed my eyes and I moved it aside.
As I did, I felt a gaze from nearby.
Directly aimed at my chest.
“Why are you looking at me like that…?”
“Just noticing. Our Da-eun has a much better figure than I thought. Did you just choose the wrong clothes?”
“…”
“Can I touch?”
“Absolutely not!”
She didn’t hear that.
Pretend I didn’t say anything.
My face is also not red at all.
Thankfully, two masseuses entered before it got too awkward.
They clearly heard my warning about avoiding my left foot and started handling my right leg.
The warm fingertips touching the water gently pressed against my foot.
And the moment my foot was firmly pressed on the sole:
“Ah!”
I involuntarily blurted out.
Even though Korean masseuses might be deaf, the problem was Elderlyn sitting next to me, whose lips were clearly twitching to suppress laughter.
I want to cover my face in embarrassment.
But that would be too obvious, right?
So I just blocked my mouth with my hand and averted my gaze.
“Stop laughing.”
“Alright, sorry.”
It wasn’t really a sincere apology.
I wanted to say more, but I couldn’t.
Apparently, my body is far more sensitive than average.
The fingers massaging between my toes were crystal clear sensations.
Softly, gently pressed without a single callous, every press felt like something was unwinding.
It was as if happiness was melting into my bloodstream.
‘Oh, uh… what do I do? This feels really good…’
How does a foot massage feel so refreshing?
I almost resented not being allowed to massage my left foot.
With each stimulating touch, the tension melted away like sand.
Meanwhile, the hand working the foot slowly worked its way up, pressing the heel or Achilles tendon and sweeping the calf.
I couldn’t help but marvel at the expertise, my mouth hanging open unconsciously.
How long was I lost in thought?
While the masseuse dried my damp legs with a towel, I tried to regain my composure, subtly wiping away the drool on my hand.
The masseuse smiled at me.
I awkwardly smiled back, and with a respectful gesture, they pointed towards the center of the room.
Apparently, I was meant to lie down on the bed.
Ah, right.
The foot massage was just the start.
