Brain-work is a one way connection Chapter 2

 

Han Do-kyung. Speaking of her, she is the chairwoman of the Goguryeo Scholarship Foundation and my mother, a person for whom her career and network are more important than her biological daughter, me.

I once had a paternity test because I suspected she was my stepmother. It turns out she was my biological mother.

It took me two hours to accept the fact that my mom simply loved her work more than me.

"Get married. For my sake."

"Who am I supposed to marry...?"

"I've found someone good for you."

"...Good for whom?"

Mom responded with an elegant smile instead of an answer.

"Go to this place tomorrow evening at 7 PM. Even though our families have already discussed everything, the two of you should at least meet."

The person in question was the youngest son of the president of Y University. In other words, someone good enough for Mom.

This marriage was a result of the intricate connections between Mom’s Goguryeo Scholarship Foundation, my aunt’s Cultural Research Institute, and the distinguished researchers at Y University.

I was one of the input values. I, who had been dilly-dally loafing around idly like scorched rice sticking to the bottom of a pot¹, not thinking of getting a job.

¹누룽지마냥 눌어붙어 탱자탱자 놀다: To loaf around at home, laze around like a crispy overcooked rice.

In short, I was being sold off as part of Mom's 'Research Professor Support Project'.

"I won't do it! I won't get married!"

I protested vehemently.

"You know I am working on projects with universities in Kazakhstan, right?"

I couldn’t win against the real power in the household.

"You stepmother!"

"Stepmothers are okay with international marriages too."

I sought help from my dad, but it was useless. He was on Mom’s side. Because my dad was a professor at Y University.

Is it okay for a couple to join forces like this? In this big house, is there really no one on my side? Apart from the various companion gadgets hidden around, is there no one to provide me with warmth…!

"Your mom still works day and night to fill the career gap caused by giving birth to you..."

She only calls herself 'mom' at times like this.

The line itself was a scene from a melodrama I've been hearing for 27 years. A melodrama that has been rerun over a hundred times.

It was often aired with great acclaim when my grades hit rock bottom, or when I was blinded by the outdated oppas, who were more famous for their promiscuity than their singing skills.

“It’s not like I’m asking you to get married right away; is having one meal together so difficult that you have to make your poor mother feel like this…”

"...Have I torn your heart apart?"

"No. Don’t make me angry, and just go when I ask you nicely."

Surely, it must be a match arranged by stepmothers, so the other party must likely be in a similar situation. I heard he’s thirty-two years old; What other reason could there be for a man to still be single well past the marriageable age?

It means he has no intention of getting married, despite his family’s nagging to do so. Or he might have some flaws.

Anyway, I doubt we’ll discuss marriage just from a matchmaking meeting.

"Don’t worry, Penis Johnson. You're the only one for me."

And whoever comes along, they won’t compare to my vibrator with its 100 thrusts per minute.

 

***

 

"Hello~"

An upscale restaurant I came to with the thought of just grabbing an expensive meal. Even though I arrived 15 minutes before the appointment time, there was already a man, presuably my to-be-fiance, waiting in the private room I was led to. 

The first thing I noticed was his jet-black hair.

"I’ve heard a lot about you~ My name is..."

The man turned around, his dark hair flowing. The next thing I noticed were his thick, slightly groomed, straight eyebrows.

“…Han Yui”

A sharp nose, full lips, a chiseled jawline, and broad shoulders. A seemingly soft, wide chest.

Calming my heart, I slowly, naturally, and politely – without making it too obvious – let my gaze drift downward.

With my cookie radar¹, I evaluated his crotch area for some Big Dick Energy. It’s a crucial process to distinguish between his balls and his unerect penis.

¹"꼬춘" is a slang word for "penis," and "쿠키" means "cookie." Together, "꼬춘 쿠키" translates to "penis cookie." In this context, it seems to be used metaphorically to refer to the narrator's intuition or inner sense about male genitalia, likely implying a playful or imaginative perspective.

Cockballs,

Qualified!

The watch on my left wrist issued a warning alarm. My heart rate was too high, despite no physical activity.

Shut up you ignorant appliance. Holding my beating heart, I checked the man's shoes one last time.

"Hello."

Black leather shoes. He was wearing shiny, clean black leather shoes.

"I’ve heard a lot about you. I'm Baek Eun-soo."

How could his name be Baek Eun-soo too?               

"Please, have a seat."

I couldn’t help but wonder how many thrusts per minute this Baek Eun-soo could manage inside me.

A rare sight, a ‘man’ among ground rice cakes and deep sea fish.

He actually existed.

Lost in thought, I carefully observed this Baek Eun-soo.

A forehead that was neither too wide nor too narrow. A forehead complimented, as if he knew his forehead was one of his strengths, by fashionable pomade hair.

“I’m sorry, but if you don’t mind, could you sit over here? It’s because I cleaned that spot in advance.

Does he part his hair with a comb every morning? Does he fix it stiffly himself? If so, does he use spray? Or could it be gel? Isn't that too erotic?!

"Would you like to order?"

His thick, straight eyebrows moved slightly as he spoke in a calm voice. His sharp cat-like eyes followed. Their ends curled upwards in a way that could easily captivate many women.

And those eyes, like black pearls. They sparkled under the fluorescent light, as if they could see right through my soul.

"...Han Yui?"

"Yes, yes. That's right."

I'm Han Yui, and I’ve fallen for you. I'm on the verge of welcoming this absurdly arranged marriage with open arms.

"Are you not going to order?"

But I will eat.

"Oh, I'll have… the seafood cream pasta."

A slight wrinkle appeared on Baek Eun-soo's forehead. I wonder why. Did I inadvertently imply I'd eat him up? I don’t know, but even the bridge of his furrowed nose was magnificent.

His nose was big, sharp and masculine. It exuded a manly charm. Though it might initially give off a strong impression, this was neutralized by his clearly cool-toned white skin, enhancing his striking features.

In short, he looked like a ‘flower boy’¹, a term favored by those dwindling anchovies and deep-sea fish. I’m saying he’s handsome.

¹기생오라비: gisaeng brother; a person who doesn't work, is active mainly at night, has pale skin and no muscles, and focuses only on their appearance, not seeming diligent.

How does he shave to keep his jaw so clean? By any chance, does he shave down there too? In my case, I have a condition where I don’t need to shave, because I don’t grow hair. Is it unfair for us to discover such an intimate commonality at our first meeting?

“Eun soo, um… I’m sorry to ask at our first meeting…”

“Yes, please go ahead.”

“I came here without knowing anything, but are you by any chance a model? You’re incredibly beautiful.”

“Thank you for the compliment, but I’m just an ordinary office worker.”

What? You’re not ordinary. If you were an ordinary office worker, I would have started dating long ago and would have a truckload of ex-boyfriends by now.

"I’ll be ordering, please."

How can a handsome man also have such beautiful hands? I admired the veins on the back of his hand and took a good look at his body. His muscles were flawless, with a well-defined mass.

I imagined it for a moment. Baek Eun-soo pressing my precious parts with his shoe and talking dirty words.

Baek Eun-soo, with those black pearl-like eyes, looking at me coldly. Slightly frowning while loosening his tie (it must be done roughly), pressing down on my panties and calmly insulting me. Something classic like, 'What did I do to get you so wet?'

"One seafood cream pasta."

I was happy. I wanted to become one with him as soon as possible... Why one?

"Oh? Aren’t you going to eat, Eun-soo?"

"I don't usually eat out."

"What? Why not?"

"It's unsanitary."

You don’t eat out because it’s unsanitary? And here I am, eating this unsanitary seafood cream pasta.

Baek Eun-soo explained as he saw my expression.

“You don't know the cooking process. I can't verify it myself..."

This unordinary man, who met all my strict conditions and even hit my specific ‘point’, who gave off a rough yet oddly sharp vibe,

"Even though I arrived early and disinfected the table and seats, I couldn’t inspect the kitchen... So I’m hesitant to eat."

"Oh, don't worry about me. Please go ahead and eat. Your food will get cold."

He really wasn’t ordinary.

 

***

 

"So?"

So, instead of eating unsanitary seafood cream pasta alone in front of the unordinary Baek Eun-soo, I’m now eating unsanitary grilled clams with my cram school friends.

"Why did you cancel and come all the way here?"

At Wolmido.

"You said a real man came, not a six-part stickleback¹.

¹A wordplay with the original 8등신 ‘8 proportions’, which means to have a well-proportioned figure, or to have a golden ratio. By saying 6등신 they are making fun of someone’s proportions or height.

"Yeah."

"Tall, handsome, and well-built, right?"

“Yeah.”

He was handsome. Tall, well-built. Although you can’t truly know a man’s manliness until you see him naked, he even exuded a strong male scent.

And while he seemed a bit obsessive-compulsive, he had an okay vibe.

We laughed and shared our socially prepared hobbies. I found out he had a healthy hobby of working out. So, I emphasized my social hobby of exercising too.

When he asked what kind of exercise, I vaguely said mostly leg-stretching Hatha yoga. We also shared stories about our families, staying within the bounds appropriate for those whose families had already established connections.

During our conversation, we even discovered that both our fathers were university professors.

Everything was going great. Until my clams landed in his crotch.

"What?"

"I mean, I spilled some clams on his crotch. Along with the cream sauce. It was all sticky and gooey."

"..."

"So I wiped it off,"

"..."

"And he had an erection."

Who said cram school friends would naturally drift apart after the college entrance exam?

We’ve been stuck together for seven years now, and they still delight at every incident of mine.

"Stop laughing, guys. The clams are shaking."

"Wait a moment. Which clam? The one under your pants? Or the pasta clam that flew onto his crotch? Don't tell me you..."

"Damn it..."

Yes. The clam shell from the seafood cream pasta bounced like a skipping stone and landed in Baek Eun-soo's crotch.