Jinwoo and Sohee were headed to the department store on the subway.
Sohee was clutching her smartphone in one hand, continuously texting someone.
In her other hand, she was holding a shopping bag with clothes she was planning to return today.
Checking the receipt of the clothes noona was holding, it turned out that the clothes Aunt Haeju gifted Sohee weren't your average-priced threads but some seriously pricey designer brand stuff.
Aunt Haeju often thought ahead about exchanges or returns when buying gifts for Jinwoo and his siblings, so she usually paid for the gifts in cash.
Sohee seemed bummed about not being able to wear the clothes she liked but was also getting pumped thinking about the cash she'd soon have in hand.
* * *
Jinwoo was on the subway and took a moment to text his mom.
"Mom, what are you up to?"
A reply soon came from his mom.
"I'm about to start making lunch."
"Do you still cook meals there?"
"Yeah, since I'm here~ I'm planning to~ Haeju is always busy and ends up ordering takeout."
"Now that you mention it, I've hardly ever seen Auntie cook. What's on the menu today?"
"I'm going to make some simple fried rice with eggs and ham."
The text conversation between Jinwoo and his mom flowed naturally, just like any ordinary mother and son.
"Lucky you, I've been thinking about the fried rice you made a few days ago. I haven't eaten at all today, but I kept thinking about you this morning."
Recalling the slightly pathetic message he sent in the morning, Jinwoo seemed to express his longing for his mom.
"Once I get my head straight, I'll go back and cook all the stuff you like."
Mom seemed apologetic as she typed her message.
Jinwoo was half-expecting that his mom's text about cooking might have some sexual undertones as well.
"Okay, I won't ask you anymore, but is it okay if we keep texting like this?"
"Yeah, texting seems fine. I find it more comforting to talk to you like this, now that I've tried it."
"Really?"
"Yeah~ It was a bit awkward at first, but now I'm getting more comfortable with it~ Since we can't see each other's faces, it feels like I can talk about more personal stuff, like with a friend."
A conversation with mom that might seem trivial in any ordinary mother-son relationship, But Jinwoo was genuinely happy.
"Like friends?"
Jinwoo asked with a hint of mischief.
"Yes, like friends."
Mom answered calmly.
"hehe"
Jinwoo sent a string of giggles to his mom, as if hinting at a sexual joke.
"Why? Is it weird?"
Mom asked, wondering if she had said something wrong.
"No, just happy~ But then, can I save your number as 'girlfriend'?"
Jinwoo half-jokingly asked his mom.
"Are you playing with me again? You don't really mean it, do you?! Just trying to tease me!!!"
Mom seemed a bit irritated as she responded to Jinwoo.
"It's not a joke? I'm serious."
Jinwoo continued to tease his mom.
"What if Sohee or Minji see it, what then?"
Mom seemed to take Jinwoo's words seriously, unexpectedly.
"They won't know~ Or should I make it obvious and write 'Haemi' next to it?"
Jinwoo continued to try to fluster his mom.
"Mom is going to cook now, so if you're going to keep talking like that, just stop! -_-^"
Finally, mom replied a bit angrily.
"Alright, alright~ You're cute when you react to my teasing."
Jinwoo realized from their morning conversation that mom's true feelings were quite different from her outward reactions.
So now, he wasn't easily intimidated by her seemingly angry tone or blunt responses.
Moreover, mom seemed to be unexpectedly serious about taking Jinwoo's playful words.
Jinwoo wanted to continue teasing and flustering her.
There was no response from mom for a while.
"This morning Sohee noona said because mom cooks so well, she can't lose weight."
Jinwoo naturally initiated another conversation with mom via text.
"That's a good excuse~ Sohee should stop snacking with her friends then."
Again, the conversation seemed like everyday banter between mom and Jinwoo.
Mom seemed to be responding casually, almost jabbing at Jinwoo with her texts.
"But from what I see, she hasn't gained any weight at all? Wanna see mom?"
Jinwoo wrote that and sneakily sent a photo of Sohee taken just before he left the house.
It was two photos of Sohee; one where she was bending over with her chest pressed together and another where she was standing properly and posing.
-The one where she's standing also shows more than half of her chest, looking just as provocative-
"Did you just take these?"
"Yeah, I'm on the subway heading to the department store now, but these were taken just before I left home."
Jinwoo felt as though he was showing off a girlfriend to his mom with a sense of pride as he texted.
"She looks pretty~ But isn't that too much cleavage showing? Is she out like that right now?"
Mom seemed worried about Sohee and asked Jinwoo about her current state.
"Yeah, Sohee is right in front of me, and she's dressed almost exactly like in the pictures."
Jinwoo reported exactly what he was seeing to his mom.
"Why is she wearing clothes like that these days? I thought she only dressed like that at home to tease you, but she goes out like that too?"
"Why? Are you jealous?"
Jinwoo asked, provoking his mom.
"Ha~ Why would I be jealous of my daughter? Oh, please."
Mom answered incredulously.
"Are they about the same size as yours, mom? I'd know for sure if I could compare them ㅎㅎ"
Jinwoo tried a risqué joke with his mom, feeling that she was somewhat receptive to sexual humor.
It seemed as if Mom was at a loss for words for a while.
Jinwoo was staring at Sohee's chest.
The deeply cut dress tightly wrapped around her, revealing more than half of her firm, full, and well-shaped flesh on the upper front of her slender torso.
In fact, male passengers in the train were sneaking glances at Sohee's chest.
Jinwoo felt a mix of pride and satisfaction but also understood his mom's concern about Sohee dressing provocatively.
As he watched his sister, he began to feel a stir in his groin.
"It's time for you, Jinwoo, to keep an eye on Sohee's clothes!"
That was the text message from Mom that came in at that moment.
"Me?"
"Yeah, Mom can't really say anything to Sohee anymore."
Sohee always folded under Mom's authority, unable to defy her.
However, Mom now spoke as if her authority as a guardian had been stripped away by Jinwoo.
Jinwoo thought that while there was an apparent tension in their mother-son relationship, in reality, Mom might sincerely desire fundamental obedience.
After all, Mom had never refused Jinwoo's sexual demands or commands, even if it meant relinquishing her authority over her daughters.
-The request to relinquish her guardianship seemed deliberate-The mother-son relationship between Mom and Jinwoo appeared twisted beyond repair, having reached a point of no return, unknown to both, regardless of the superficial tone of their current conversation.
"Alright, just wait a moment."
Jinwoo replied, acknowledging Mom's submissive stance.
Then, Jinwoo turned to Sohee, who was distracted by her smartphone, and said, "Noona, I just sent the photo I took of you earlier to Mom."
"What!?"
Sohee looked up from her smartphone.
"Mom said you look pretty in those clothes~"
"You sent a photo to Mom?"
Sohee seemed a bit flustered.
"Yeah, but she told me to keep an eye on your clothes."
"What did she say?"
"She said from now on you need my permission to wear such clothes!!"
With a triumphant air, Jinwoo approached Sohee and gathered the front of her bright pink cardigan towards the center, modestly covering her chest.
His fingers brushed lightly against the upper part of Sohee's firm breasts.
Sohee seemed a bit startled by Jinwoo's touch but didn't resist much.
Thanks to the tightened cardigan, her chest was now covered as if she were wearing ordinary clothes.
-Though it couldn't completely hide the volume of her ample chest - Jinwoo felt a sense of satisfaction, as if he had been granted permission by a girlfriend's mother to date her and asked to keep an eye on her.
Jinwoo immediately took his smartphone and snapped a photo of Sohee's adjusted bust to send to their mom.
Sohee slightly squinted her eyes, watching Jinwoo's actions with a look of disbelief.
The way Sohee looked at him, her gaze mixed with incredulity, somehow excited Jinwoo even more.
Jinwoo's arousal was gradually increasing.