In the dim light of dawn, the crisp winter air pierced my lungs.
"Huff, huff, huff."
The deserted back mountain at 4 a.m.
Climbing up here in the dead of night and taking deep breaths filled me with a refreshing chill.
"I came here because I wanted to... but do I really have to do this?"
-Rustle, rustle.
I pulled out the white, blocky lump I'd carefully brought in a plastic bag and shone my phone light on it.
Premium tofu that cost over 5,000 won per block.
I stood there blankly for a while, admiring its form.
"Hmm..."
Thinking about what I was about to do filled me with a deep sense of self-loathing.
I closed my eyes and recalled how I'd ended up here.
-It was beyond my imagination. Using hot tofu made it so...
"Pfft. Heh heh heh. Oh, fuck."
Just remembering that photo I'd seen online made me burst out laughing. At twenty-four years old, coming out here for something like this.
I slowly stroked the tree knothole I'd researched for so long.
'Perfect height, depth, length. And the shape. Hands down, this tree is the lewdest.'
Looking closer, it even resembled a woman's privates.
'Am I really going to stick it in here?'
I'd never planned on doing something like this at first, but ever since I was a kid, I'd been cursed with an abnormally intense curiosity.
Thinking back to kindergarten, when I learned girls didn't have dicks and got so shocked that I yanked off the panties of the girl right next to me—you could say I've been a crazy bastard with a touch of madness since childhood.
This whole thing was just another way to satisfy that curiosity.
Not lust, but curiosity. Just one burning question.
Fulfilling it was the purpose of my life, and following my desires was my pastime, my joy.
I stared at the tofu filling my hand.
The freshly bought tofu was still piping hot. Gripping it, it was soft and squishy, with the rich texture spilling between my fingers.
"Sigh."
After letting out a sigh, I pushed the tofu into the knothole.
Hot liquid from the fresh tofu trickled down the rim of the hole. The cold air made steam rise in wisps. That was prep for my wank session done.
-Ziiiip!
I unzipped my pants and pulled out my dick.
To get it hard, I took out my phone and played some porn.
-"Nngh, ahhhh!"
Soon, the moans of a woman lost in carnal pleasure poured through my wireless earbuds.
Blood rushed to my lower half, and without hesitation, I thrust it in.
-Squiiiish!
Liquid splattered all over my crotch. It felt kinda gross.
"Not quite right?"
-Thud! Thud! Splush! Thud!
It was slippery and hot.
I pistoned a few more times, but it didn't feel good enough to build toward climax.
-Thudthudthudthudthud!
Even speeding up did nothing for my arousal.
My interest fizzled out completely.
"Eh, whatever."
The reason I'd come all the way here was simple curiosity, not to get off.
Now that I knew it sucked, I decided to call it quits right then.
Sure, it was insane, but I'd already done it—what was the point now?
-Click.
I stuffed my now-limp dick back in my pants and zipped up.
Then I scooped out the tofu stuffed inside the tree.
-Squish!
"Huh?"
In that moment, something excessively hot touched my hand where it met the hole.
Startled, I yanked it out, and something stringy dangled from my fingertip.
"What the hell? Spiderwebs inside?"
Looking closer, it wasn't webs—it was sticky fluid.
Had something been in the knothole from the start? It was too viscous to be just water from the tofu.
I scooped out the tofu and stepped back, and once again, an eerie feeling washed over me.
"And why's the tree so red now?"
I was suspicious, but the sun was rising, so maybe I was just mistaking its natural color.
Not like questioning the tree would get me anything.
Time to head back.
I hurried down toward the base of the mountain.
From here on out was the sweet first day after finals—my head was already buzzing with plans for an awesome outsider campus life.
★★★★
The next morning.
I stared blankly down at the front door of my studio apartment.
"...Take responsibility."
There stood a little girl with strangely bright light-green hair, pointing at me accusingly.
"Take responsibility for my mom!"