Chapter 18

My goodness! He wasn't wearing any clothes! Well, since he had been in the shower until a moment ago, it wasn't strange that he was undressed. However, she didn't have the courage to face him without a single stitch of clothing on.

Ah. Was I actually a 'Confucian Girl' all along?

"Just... just put something on."

With her hands turning cold, Bo Bae spoke in a forced, calm voice while holding the ice pack in her other hand.

"I didn't... bring any clothes."

"How can you go take a shower and not bring any clothes?"

"I don't usually carry them with me."

"Good grief."

"I live alone, whose eyes do I have to be mindful of?"

At his words, Bo Bae immediately shook her head as she imagined Ho Rang wandering around naked after a shower.

Of course, in a house where he lived alone, whether he walked around naked or danced stark naked shouldn't matter. But...

"Well, I live here with you now, so please be a bit more mindful."

"Are you just going to keep nagging me?"

She couldn't do that. Regardless, she couldn't just leave an injured person lying on the bathroom floor. However, the house was pitch black due to the neighborhood-wide blackout. It was so dark she couldn't see an inch in front of her, and her eyes weren't adjusting to the darkness easily. Moreover, Bo Bae had never been to the second floor, so she didn't know the layout at all.

"Where are the clothes?"

"In the dressing room."

"I'll go upstairs, so can you explain the way?"

"Go up the stairs, take the railing, turn right, and it's the second room. There’s a coat rack right in front of the door, a bathrobe should be hanging there."

"Got it."

Bo Bae began to fumble her way up the stairs, gripping the railing.

If it were a simple broken lightbulb and not a blackout, Bo Bae could have turned the lights on with her abilities. But if she turned them on now, she would be faced with his naked body. Ugh. Just the thought was embarrassing.

Determined not to let such a situation unfold, Bo Bae climbed the stairs carefully, trying her best not to let her powers manifest. After reaching the last step, she fumbled her way into the room. Just as he said, a robe was hanging on the rack.

"I found the robe. Where is the bathroom?"

When Bo Bae shouted, his voice drifted from quite close by.

"Right in front of the dressing room. Come out and walk straight."

Bo Bae headed toward the bathroom with the robe. Perhaps she had grown accustomed to the darkness, as it didn't feel like a total void anymore. Something very faint appeared like a silhouette, and it felt like she could see a rather large person.

"Mr. Baek Ho Rang? Are you here?"

When Bo Bae asked, Ho Rang reached out his hand.

"I'm here."

As Bo Bae waved her arms and moved forward bit by bit, something touched her fingertips. Something incredibly smooth, soft, yet firm.

As Bo Bae continued to fumble with that "something" to move forward, Ho Rang's sharp voice rang out.

"Where are you touching?"

"What do you mean 'where'? I didn't mean to...."

"You just touched my butt."

Oh my, so that was his butt? It's quite... pert.

Bo Bae swallowed her inner thoughts and handed over the robe.

"Don't misunderstand. I didn't touch it on purpose. It was an accident."

"Fine, just help me up."

"Give me your hand."

When Ho Rang reached out, Bo Bae pulled him to his feet. She then draped one of his arms over her neck to support him.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah. Hold on."

Ho Rang, who had sprained his ankle, barely managed to stand by leaning on Bo Bae. However, not yet used to the dark, he lost his balance and staggered.

"Be careful."

"It's hard to keep my balance standing on one foot."

Truly, he couldn't see a thing and couldn't even tell how his body was moving. Despite having just showered, sweat was pouring off him like rain. With his sight completely gone, it felt as though only his sense of smell, touch, and hearing remained.

"Put this on now."

When Bo Bae handed him the robe, Ho Rang struggled to get into it.

"Where is the sleeve?"

Since he couldn't see, even putting on a robe was a high-level task. While he was grunting and searching for the armhole, the scent of wildflowers tickled the tip of his nose.

Ho Rang unconsciously turned his head toward the fragrance. It was a sweet, cozy scent. He couldn't tell if it was perfume, lotion, or Bo Bae’s natural body scent, but it was so sweet and fragrant he felt like burying his nose in it.

What is this scent?

As he turned his head toward the fragrance, something brushed against his face. The thing gently stroking his cheek was none other than Bo Bae's hair. A few strands had escaped her tight ponytail and were tickling Ho Rang's face.

With his sight gone, his senses of smell and touch had become extremely sensitive. Considering how his heart was racing at such a minor scent and touch.

To make matters worse, her breath was now tickling Ho Rang's ear. He didn't know exactly how close he was to Bo Bae, but he could hear her breathing right by his ear. Short, somewhat heavy breaths repeatedly brushed against his ear and vanished.

Ho Rang moved quickly to keep from losing his mind. The moment he reached out his arm to slide it into the bathrobe, his fingertips touched something soft and fluffy. Thinking it was just the bunched-up fabric of the robe, he reached out again, only for a sharp voice to pierce his ears.

"Where are you touching?"

"Wh-what? What do you mean 'where'?"

"You just touched my chest!"

The thing my hand touched was a breast?

In an instant, Ho Rang’s face flushed bright red. His whole body was already on edge from her scent and breathing, and now he had touched her chest. Of course, it was a mere brush rather than a deliberate touch, but with his other senses dead, his sense of touch was terrifyingly sensitive right now.

"I-I'm sorry. But it was an accident. You know that. You know I didn't do it on purpose."

Ho Rang threw her own words back at her, and Bo Bae, knowing the situation was unavoidable, let it slide.

"Just be careful."

"What am I supposed to do when I can't see a thing?"

"Wait. I'll help you."

Bo Bae grunted as she moved her body here and there to help him, but Ho Rang was preoccupied with the soft, rounded sensation lingering on his fingertips. That soft, squishy texture was driving him crazy. But he had to pull himself together.

Bo Bae guided him to the railing so he could hold onto it. Then, she held the robe up from behind so he could put it on easily.

"Here, put your hand in."

"Where? Here?"

"No, not there. Where is it? Give me your hand."

When Ho Rang reached out, Bo Bae grabbed his hand. It was a large, firm hand, incomparable to a woman's. After passing the veins felt on the back of his hand and guiding his thick wrist and muscular forearm into the robe, she felt as if the air had grown hotter. Why was it so hot just from helping him put his hand in a sleeve?

Feeling too hot, Bo Bae fanned the neck of her T-shirt, blowing air inside with her mouth. It seemed to cool her sweat a little and take the edge off the heat.

"Phew. Now we just need to do the other side. Give me this arm, too."

As Bo Bae reached out, she felt Ho Rang flinched and pulled his body back.

"What is it?"

"It's... it's fine. I'll do the rest myself."

"Why? We're almost done. Give me your hand."

"I said it's fine!"

When Bo Bae reached out again, Ho Rang slapped her hand away. In the silence, only the sound of his low, heavy breathing could be heard.

Startled by his sudden behavior, Bo Bae stared blankly into the darkness. Just a moment ago, he had been leaning on her while getting dressed. She couldn't understand why he, who had been acting so compliant and gentle, was suddenly like this.

"Why are you suddenly angry?"

"It's nothing, so don't worry about it."

"I really can't figure you out."

Bo Bae pouted and stepped away from him. She watched him putting on the robe in the dark. Although she couldn't see anything, she faced the darkness, guessing he was somewhere around there, ready to catch him if he fell.

But Ho Rang was extremely uncomfortable with her being nearby. No matter how much she couldn't see, facing a woman while naked was deeply distressing. Especially in this state.

Actually, while Bo Bae was helping him put his hand in the robe earlier, she had brushed against his most sensitive spot. He didn't know if it was her hand or somewhere near her waist that brushed him, but one thing was certain.

Since his most sensitive area had been stimulated while all his senses were at their peak, that "fellow" wouldn't be subsiding easily.

That was why Ho Rang had no choice but to push Bo Bae away. He didn't even want to think about what would happen if she stayed close and they brushed against each other again.

Ho Rang moved desperately to put his other hand into the sleeve. But no matter how much he flailed his arm, his hand wouldn't go in.

"Where on earth is it?"

As he muttered in an irritated voice, Bo Bae reached her hand out towards him.

"See? You can't do it alone, can you? I told you I'd help."

"It's fine. I don't need help."

"This is going to take all night. Let me help... Whoa, whoa!"

The moment Bo Bae reached out, Ho Rang turned his body aside to avoid her. Because of that, Bo Bae lost her balance and her body lunged forward.

"No!"

He didn't think. His only thought was that Bo Bae shouldn't get hurt either. Forgetting that his own body wasn't in good shape, Ho Rang threw himself forward to save her.

Thud!

With a loud noise, Ho Rang's back hit the floor first. Then, Bo Bae's body fell on top of him.

"Ugh."

"Ouch."

Ho Rang’s groan was followed by Bo Bae’s exclamation.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes. I'm fine, but what about you, Mr. Baek Ho Rang?"

"I'm fine too."

Thank goodness. As Bo Bae muttered that, her eyes suddenly widened.

Something was strange. She had clearly fallen on top of Ho Rang, but she felt something large and hard beneath her. At first, she thought, Why is there a baseball bat here? But, no matter how much she thought about it, it wasn't a baseball bat.

Then what is this? What is this long, big, and hard thing?

Haha. No way. It can't be what I think it is.

Just as she was shaking her head at the lewd thoughts popping up, Ho Rang’s cool voice drifted over.

"Stop touching it and get up, will you?"

"Kyaaaak!"

The moment she confirmed the identity of the object pinned beneath her, Bo Bae scrambled to her feet.

She had suspected it, but to think it was actually that. To think she had felt a man's thing underneath her. She felt like she might have even touched it for a brief second.

"I must be crazy. I've lost it."

As Bo Bae’s string of reason snapped, the lights in the blacked-out house suddenly flickered on!

"Oh my god!"

In that instant, she saw Ho Rang lying on the floor with his robe half-draped over him. Ho Rang quickly covered himself with the robe, but there was no way she didn't see it.

With such a clear presence, there was no way she could have missed it. No way at all!

Wailing over why the lights had to turn on right now, Bo Bae tried to control her power.

Thankfully, the lights went out. It wasn't that the blackout was over, but rather that the lights had briefly turned on due to Bo Bae's ability.

Wholesome thoughts. Wholesome thoughts. Wholesome thoughts... But as soon as Ho Rang's body drifted back into Bo Bae's mind, the lights in the dark house flickered on again.

"Oh my god!"

Control the power again.

Think of Ho Rang's body again.

Control the power again.

Think of Ho Rang's body again.

Every time Bo Bae’s endurance wavered, Ho Rang’s house flickered on and off.

Like the bulbs decorating a Christmas tree, Ho Rang’s house sparkled all night long.