Mia's timing couldn't be more impeccable. At least I had the foresight of locking the door, which would buy me enough time to tidy myself up. The lights were on, so there was no way I could avoid her.

Eun Ha's cum-slicked face was twisted in a sweaty fluster. Her eyes fixed on me, silently pleading me not to open that door. But not opening it would only arouse more suspicion. The house was big, but not that big.

The fact that we both were missing would stir up questions.

Naturally, I didn't think that Mia would jump to exaggerated conclusions. But I reminded myself that this world didn't follow the natural rules or the common sense I was used to. And her reaction was not something I was able to predict.

"Dae Ho, I know you're there! Stop playing and open up!" Mia's impatient voice echoed off.

"Auntie, go hide under my bed." I whispered, nuzzling Eun Ha's shoulder.

"B-But…"

"Just do it!"

She bit her bottom lip, got on all fours — sticking up that delicious butt of hers in my direction — before she 'attempted' to crawl under the bed.

Now, Eun Ha was not fat by any means, in fact, she was on the thin side, but her curves were more of a hindrance than a help at the moment. She managed to push her upper half under the frame, but her lower half, specifically those two spheres of goodness, prevented her from forcing herself all the way in.

"D-Dae Ho, I'm stuck!" She whispered, panicked.

'Fuck…'

There was no way this was happening.

Eun Ha shook her lively butt left and right, bare legs and feet trying to move, but the frame plank pinning her down had paralyzed her movement.

"Dae Ho!" Outside, Mia's impatience was teetering on the edge.

"I'm coming! One moment, Mia Noona. I'm naked!"

"So what? It's not like I haven't seen you naked before."

"..."

I ignored her. "Auntie, I'll try to push you in, okay?"

"Hmhm." There was hesitance in her tone, but the urgency of the situation prevailed over it.

I walked up to her squirming lower body and placed my hands on her wide backside.

She trembled, squeaking a bit.

'Come on now, don't make such noises.'

I sighed and squeezed a bit, fingers sinking into the soft, pliable flesh for a better grip. I could hear her breathing heavily under my bed. Slowly, I applied strength to my hands, and started pushing her.

The fabric of her nightgown, in that particular area, was quite wet.

And considering what we'd been up to five minutes earlier, it didn't come as a surprise.

With a grunt of exertion, Eun Ha's bubbly rear plopped past the bed frame. I immediately pulled the sheets down, covering that narrow gap between the ground and the bed.

I didn't want to take chances.

After I made sure I was presentable enough, with my cock back in my pants, I ran up to the door, unlocked it, and swung it open.

Mia was on the other side, arms crossed and right foot tapping on the ground.

She raised an eyebrow at me.

"So, what do you need?" I asked, catching my breath.

Her eyes narrowed. "You sure took your sweet time."

"I've been working out."

"Naked?"

"I didn't want my clothes to get sweaty." I didn't miss a beat.

"It looks like you got them sweaty anyway." Mia observed.

I looked down at myself, noticing some damp patches. Some of it was sweat alright, but the minor stains were from my…

"A much better sight than me completely naked, right?" I joked.

Mia's lips curled up in amusement. "You've changed, Dae Ho."

It was weird being addressed as 'Dae Ho'. It was my name, yes, but it was only two days old to me, not enough time to grow attached to it.

"Everyone changes." I said, hoping to put an end to the conversation.

"Hmm. True, but you…" Mia cupped her chin, eyeing me up and down. "But you've gone through such a drastic change that I can't recognize you anymore."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" I probed.

Mia went silent for a couple of seconds, chewing it over in her head. "Good." She said, at last. "You finally decided to grow up."

I crossed my arms, amused. "Are you proud of me?"

"Tch." She curled a strand of dyed hair around her finger and looked away. "I guess…"

"Then…"

"Can I come in?" She asked, one hand on her hip.

"It smells inside. Why don't we go over to your room?" I suggested.

"It's fine. I don't mind. Besides…" A smirk flashed across her face. "I'd really like to see how you're keeping up with your workout schedule. Care to show me?"

'No way. Poor Eun Ha is still under my bed.'

"Can we do it tomorrow, Mia Noona? You see, I'm really tired right now." I flexed my arms for emphasis.

"Hoh? Chickening out?"

I smiled. "Consider it a tactical retreat if you must. If I were to show you right now, I would only embarrass myself. So why not spare your little bro's dignity and consent to his request?"

"Even the way you talk changed…" Mia muttered. "Did you fall in love with someone?"

"Nope."

My reply was steady and honest. There was no reason for her to doubt me.

"Hmm."

The air of suspicion lessened, but the argument was not over yet.

However, a continuous chirping melody rang out from Mia's pocket. She clicked her tongue and pulled her phone out, tapping a quick message to whoever had texted her.

She sighed, fixed her eyes back on me, and poked my chest playfully. "Alright, Mr. Bodybuilder. Tomorrow. Got it?"

I simply nodded, smile never leaving my face.

She stared at me for a few seconds longer before she turned on her heel and walked off, fingers scampering across the keyboard of her smartphone.

Once she was out of sight, I heaved a deep sigh.

I looked both ways before I retreated inside, locked the door, and leaned against it.

"You can come out. It's safe now." I announced, mentally tired.

'These women are going to be the death of me.'

I noticed some movement underneath my bed before Eun Ha's head shyly poked out, her face flustered. "Is she gone?"

"Yes… she didn't suspect anything… hopefully." I couldn't be too sure.

"Is that so?" Eun Ha managed to crawl out from under there without my help. She didn't climb back to her feet, however. She just sat there, on the floor, hunched forward.

She was still dirty, so I walked up to a drawer and retrieved a handful of tissues.

"Here. Stay still."

I went down on one knee.

Eun Ha looked up at me.

I ignored those big, purple, doe eyes of hers and with the utmost tenderness, I started wiping off the sticky trails of cum smeared across her face. "What a day, huh?" I broke the awkward silence.

She stifled back a laugh, fingers over her mouth. "I'm glad, though." I raised an eyebrow at that. "It looks like you're going to be fine on your own. Sorry for doubting you."

I parted a strand of almond-brown hair out of her eyes, so I could reach the stained spot behind it. My fingers moved slowly and carefully, dabbing at her forehead with a clean tissue. "No, it's fine… while the method was a bit weird, your concern is much appreciated, Auntie."

She laughed again, cheeks a bit red.

We lapsed into a comfortable silence as I continued working on her face.

"Here… you're all cleaned up." Then I glanced at her nightgown, which sported visible damp spots. "Well, besides that. Why don't you take a shower first?"

"Hmhm." Eun Ha nodded. I extended a hand, which she gladly took.

I pulled her up, and she almost tumbled into my arms.

"Sorry, my legs got numb."

I waved her off. "Don't worry about it. But you should be quick. Mia Noona might still be prowling outside, and Su Ah Noona likes to get her midnight snacks."

It was fine if Su Ah saw her coming out of my room, but Mia was a different matter. She had a keen intuition, and would definitely pick up on the hidden nuances of our earlier interaction and Eun Ha's stained apparel.

Things would blow up into the high heavens.

Eun Ha nodded seriously. I unlocked the door and quietly opened it.

She stepped on the threshold and looked at me, an internal conflict seemingly preventing her from speaking her mind. I didn't need to see the war in her head to know where the issue stemmed from.

"I won't talk about this with anyone, Auntie." I assured her. "It'll be our little secret."

She smiled. "Goodnight, Dae Ho. Don't forget to masturbate a lot so you can stay healthy!"

"..."

And then she walked off, the pitter-patter of her bare feet fading into the distance.

'Might as well get another workout session in. Just to clear my head…'

──⇌ ⋆★⋆ ⇋──

Cha Mia's POV:

"Breakfast is ready ~" Eun Ha yelled from the bottom of the stairs.

When Mia walked into the hallway that led to the stairs, she halfway expected to see Dae Ho there as well. Their rooms were next to each other, so it was common for them to make the trip down together.

It was almost a rite, at this point.

Except that he wasn't there.

Mia narrowed her eyes, swept her hair over her shoulder, and headed down.

When she got to the kitchen, Dae Ho was already there, at the table.

He looked up at her and smiled. "Good morning."

That smile… was not the one she was used to. Gone was the cheerful light. What replaced it was a sharp curve that sat beneath confident eyes. Mia couldn't comprehend what happened to Dae Ho to undergo this extreme change.

Changes seldom were sudden; they were gradual… like growing up. You wouldn't notice until you compare yourself with a picture of the past. A sudden change could be attributed to a traumatic event. It had to be powerful to trigger that kind of mental transformation.

Dae Ho had lost his parents, but that was seven years ago.

What happened to him in the span of two days?

"Good morning…" Mia sighed to herself and sat at her usual spot, next to him.

A breakup, perhaps? He did say he was 'not' in love with anyone. Maybe he was before, and whoever he was with decided to cut him off. It would also explain why he was so gloomy the other day.

She clamped her chopsticks around a strip of fish and tucked it in her mouth.

It was not as if Dae Ho seemed to be in pain. There was no reason for her to get involved with his problems, right?

But what if it was a facade? A mask to cover the cracks.

Mia unconsciously grunted in frustration as she chewed.

"Such unlady-like sounds, Mia Noona." Dae Ho said with a chuckle. "The food isn't going anywhere."

She finished chewing, swallowed, and then turned to glare at him. "You didn't forget your promise, did you?"

Dae Ho tapped his chin, faking innocence. "What promise? Why don't I remember?"

'Ugh! This guy…'

"Kidding." He followed up, that 'annoying' smile fixed in place. "Of course, I didn't forget, Mia Noona."

"Good!" She turned away, tucking a wayward shock of hair behind her ear as she did so.

Even his presence was different. He wasn't slouching. He wasn't avoiding eye contact. Instead, he sought it with each interaction. It made her a bit flustered, because thinking and speaking while holding that kind of sharp gaze was not simple.

It was driving her mad!

Her eating become a bit too rough as she stewed in her thoughts.

Eventually, Eun Ha joined them at the table, and, for some reason, Mia sensed a slight tension descend upon them. She stared at her mother, whose cheeks were colored a bit as she stole a glimpse of Dae Ho, who smoothly ignored it and continued eating.

Mia saw the thoughts spiraling in Eun Ha's eyes. Then, not even a few seconds later, she tore her gaze off Dae Ho, and the tension disappeared.

'What was that?'