Chapter 185 – Crossing the Yellow Line

Chapter 185: Chapter 185 – Crossing the Yellow Line

1:15 PM

- (Me). "So how do I make sense of this table?"

Sohen was sitting at his computer, confused by what one of his friends, who made money onlinе, had recently sent him.

- (Me). "..."

A large table was open on the screen, filled with data that Sohen was seeing for the first time.

(I should have listened to "him" more carefully...)

He scrolled up and down through it a few times when suddenly his body sent a clear signal.

The urge was ordinary, but quite urgent.

- (Me). "And here come two liters of Bestie Cola begging to come out..."

Sohen saved the file, pushed his chair back, and quickly stood up.

The hallway was quiet.

Usually at this time, you’d find either Karin or Phoebe in the bathroom... one of them was almost always laundry, cleaning, or just going about their business at this hour, but right now the house felt empty.

Karin had said that morning that she was going to visit her pregnant friend, and Phoebe had gone downtown with Maria.

Runo had been busy in the garden for several hours already.

Sohen walked up to the bathroom door, pushed it open, and went in without even closing it behind him.

(No one’s going to come in anyway.)

He walked over to the toilet, unbuttoned his shorts, took out his penis, and began to urinate.

- (Me). "Phew..."

The stream flowed steadily.

Sohen stood there relaxed, staring at the wall in front of him, when suddenly the bathroom door flew open.

- (Me). "What the...?!"

Runo burst into the room.

She was wearing old gardening gloves, short shorts, and a T-shirt, and she was a little sweaty.

There was a noticeable dark patch of mud on her right thigh.

Runo kept her gaze fixed on that very spot and walked quickly straight to the sink, trying at the same time to scrape off the dirt with her gloved hand.

- (Me). "Grandma, this is taken. I’m actually here to..."

- (Runo). "Why does it always turn out so awkward for me?"

- (Me). "Grandma? I..."

- (Runo). "Next time I need to wear something more comfortable and suitable for this job."

- (Me). "Grandma? Hey, Grandma? Can you even hear me? Why are you still..."

Looking closer, Sohen noticed she was wearing white wireless earbuds, which were the reason Runo wasn’t responding as expected.

- (Me). "Damn it!..."

Sohen tried to stop the rush by force, tensing his muscles, but... it was already too late.

His body didn’t have time to react.

- (Me). "Stop! Grandma, stop! You’re about to..."

Runo crashed into him at full speed.

- (Runo). "What?!"

She yelped in surprise, instinctively recoiling backward... and at that moment, her foot tripped over her own.

- (Runo). "Oh?!..."

Runo started falling backward and reflexively grabbed the nearest thing her fingers could reach... the right hem of his shorts.

The weight of a grown woman, the sudden jerk, and the force with which she clung on did their job.

- (Me). "Shit..."

Sohen was spun around almost 180 degrees.

He lost his balance for just a moment, but that was enough.

Runo’s buttocks hit the tile floor softly but firmly, and a moment later...

- (Me). "Fucking hell..."

- (Runo). "Honey?..."

(sound of liquid splashing)

- (Me). "..."

- (Runo). "..."

The grandmother and grandson’s eyes widened in shock.

Sohen, standing across from Runo with his penis in his hand, didn’t quite manage to stop in time.

- (Me). "Oh no..."

- (Runo). "..."

What he hadn’t managed to ejaculate from his penis... ended up on his grandmother’s head.

- (Me). "..."

- (Runo). "..."

The warm, yellowish liquid splashed onto Runo’s beautiful gray hair, then began to trickle down her forehead, cheeks, and lips.

- (Runo). "..."

Runo froze with her mouth open, completely baffled by what was happening.

Her eyes were huge.

A few seconds later, the drops of urine had already reached her chin and were gently falling onto her T-shirt.

- (Me). "..."

Sohen also stood rooted to the spot.

His brain simply shut down for a second.

He watched as a yellowish stream hit the grandmother’s gray but still thick hair, then slowly trickled down her skin.

Only after a few endlessly long seconds did his body finally give in.

- (Me). "Ahh..."

The stream was weakening.

Sohen abruptly turned his head to the side, barely managing to stop the flow before it ended.

His hand was trembling.

A deathly silence hung in the bathroom, broken only by the quiet dripping and the heavy breathing of the two people.

- (Me). "..."

- (Runo). "..."

Runo was still sitting on the floor.

Her hair was wet, her face glistening with moisture.

She slowly raised her hand and ran her fingers across her cheek, looking at them with silent wonder.

- (Runo). "..."

Then her gaze rose higher... straight to her grandson.

- (Me). "..."

Sohen stood there, holding his shorts with one hand, completely unable to get a single word out.

His eyes, too, were wide with horror.

They stared at each other for a few seconds that stretched into an eternity.

And only then did Runo speak quietly, almost in a whisper:

- (Runo). "Sohen?..."

- (Me). "Grandma, I... Hah... Um... I... I... I..."

Sohen abruptly looked away.

With one hand, he struggled to button his shorts, walked past Runo, and headed for the bathroom door.

Her cheeks were burning so badly that it felt as if my skin was about to peel off.

- (Me). "I’m sorry, Grandma..."

His voice broke.

He couldn’t even finish a full sentence; he just yanked the door open and nearly flew out into the hallway, barely managing to keep himself from slamming it shut with all his might.

His steps were quick and uneven.

He practically ran to his room, closed the door, and leaned his back against it, breathing heavily.

Sohen ran his trembling hands over his face.

- (Me). "Shit... Shit, shit, and shit..."

(I peed on grandma... How am I supposed to look her in the eye now? On top of that, I apologized half-heartedly and left her all alone. Even though I’m not entirely to blame here, but... Fuck. What the hell...)

...

Sohen sat in his room for a long time.

At first he tried to calm down, and then he forced himself to get back to work.

The table, and soon the numbers and graphs — all of this helped him at least partially push what had happened in the bathroom out of his head.

He worked almost mechanically, but he... worked.

- (Me). "Okay. That’s it for now."

When the smell of food and muffled voices drifted in from the kitchen, Sohen realized that evening had already fallen.

- (Me). "..."

(I need to go.)

He saved all his files, turned off the monitor, left the room, and headed to the kitchen.

All the familiar faces had already gathered there.

A few minutes later.

- (Me). "Hmm..."

The atmosphere turned out to be surprisingly calm and even warm.

No one looked tense.

- (Runo). "..."

Runo was sitting in her usual spot; her hair was freshly washed and neatly tied back.

She was acting completely normal.

- (Me). "..."

Sohen caught her glances at him several times, but there was neither judgment nor awkwardness in them.

Just ordinary, calm attention.

This made him feel a little better.

(Phew...)

Dinner was accompanied by lively conversation.

Karin talked about her pregnant friend:

- (Karin). "Kirara is already seven months pregnant. Her belly is big, but she’s holding up great. Today, she, I, and Carolina went shopping for things for her future daughter. Then we sat in a café for almost two hours. Carolina kept asking when I’d finally decide to have a second child..."

She glanced at Sohen and winked at him with a gentle smile.

- (Me). "???"

(That was a hint for me to...)

Phoebe chimed in:

- (Phoebe). "Maria and I were downtown. First, we stopped by a new fabric store — they’d just gotten in some beautiful Italian fabrics. I picked up a few yards for future projects. Then we sat in a café and drew sketches. Maria wants to try making a short dress with an asymmetrical hem, and I’m thinking about a new collection of pajamas. If everything works out, we might even put something up for sale in the fall."

Runo listened attentively, nodding occasionally, and when it was her turn to speak, she calmly said:

- (Runo). "My day was a bit boring today. Just the garden and phone calls with Sister Aoki, Sister Julia, and a few other women."

Of course, not a word was said about what had happened in the bathroom... and who would even talk about something like that anyway.

- (Phoebe). "What’s new with you, big brother?"

- (Me). "Same old, same old. Just the crypt and... the crypt."

- (Phoebe). "Boring."

- (Me). "Yeah."

No one asked for any further details.

Dinner ended fifteen minutes later in the same calm atmosphere.

We all cleared the table together, then went to our rooms.

About an hour passed.

- (Me). "..."

(Let’s go...)

At that moment, Sohen was standing at his grandmother’s door.

He hesitated for a few seconds, then knocked gently.

- (Runo). "Come in."

He opened the door.

Runo was sitting on the bed with her legs tucked under her.

A large, thick hardcover notebook lay on her lap.

- (Runo). "Maybe this is better?..."

She was quickly jotting something down with a pen, but as soon as she saw Sohen, she immediately closed her notebook and set it aside on the nightstand.

- (Runo). "Sohen? Did you need something?"

- (Me). "Yes, Grandma..."

Sohen was standing by the door, still holding onto the doorknob.

He was silent for a few seconds, then began quietly:

- (Me). "Grandma... I came because of what happened earlier today. In the bathroom."

Runo just nodded, showing she was listening.

- (Me). "I feel really awkward. I didn’t even have time to figure out what was going on before it all happened. It was a complete accident, but still... I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have run away the way I did."

He spoke without really looking up.

His voice was steady, but quieter than usual.

- (Runo). "Phew..."

Runo sighed and shifted slightly in bed.

The movement was slow, almost lazy.

She ran her fingertips over the blanket, as if recalling something.

- (Runo). "Come closer. Don’t just stand in the doorway."

Sohen hesitantly took a few steps and stopped at the edge of the bed.

Runo looked up at him, and there was no judgment in her gaze.

- (Runo). "I’m sorry, too. I’m the one who barged in... without looking, like a complete fool."

She fell silent for a moment, as if searching for the right words.

- (Runo). "It all happened so fast, and... for the first few seconds, I was more surprised than angry."

She ran her fingers over the blanket again.

This time, the gesture was slower.

- (Runo). "You didn’t have to run away. I wouldn’t have started screaming, not even for sure..."

- (Me). "???"

Her last words came out a little quieter and... somehow strange.

Sohen looked up, but she was already looking away.

- (Me). "Are you... okay after that?"

Runo shrugged.

For some reason, a barely noticeable smile appeared on her face, one the young man couldn’t quite figure out.

(That’s weird. It’s kind of like mockery, and at the same time... acceptance? What the hell?)

- (Me). "It was enough to wash my hair and change clothes for you to call me ’granny’ again, ha-ha..."

She looked at him again.

Her gaze lingered a little longer than necessary.

- (Runo). "You’ve been acting a little too composed all evening. I noticed."

- (Me). "I was trying not to think... It didn’t really work out."

- (Runo). "I understand... Listen, Sohen... let’s make a deal. We’ve both apologized. It was a silly accident. And we’re not bringing it up again. Okay?"

Runo’s words throughout the conversation had been clear and straightforward, but for some reason, Sohen sensed... an unspoken subtext in them.

- (Me). "..."

(Hmm...)

Sohen nodded slowly.

- (Me). "Okay... and thank you."

- (Runo). "You’re welcome."

She tilted her head slightly.

- (Runo). "And next time... if something like this happens again... just don’t run away right away. Okay?"

- (Me). "I’ll try."

Hearing those words, Runo smiled, this time noticeably and warmly, then...

- (Runo). "That’s good. Now go. It’s late, and you look tired enough as it is today."

Sohen nodded again, hesitating for a moment as if he wanted to add something, but changed his mind.

- (Me). "Then... good night, Grandma."

- (Runo). "Good night, sweetie."

He quietly left, carefully closing the door behind him.

- (Me). "..."

(Phew... I was expecting a slightly different conversation, but I’m really glad it ended this way. Runo sometimes loves me too much, forgive me for just about anything. I hope a situation like this doesn’t happen again.)

He paused for a few seconds in the hallway, took a deep breath, and only then headed to his room.

("I’ll ’play around’ a little more with the crypto exchange, and then I’ll go to bed, since tomorrow...")

Meanwhile, in Runo’s room.

- (Runo). "..."

When the door closed, Runo stared at it for a few more seconds, and a moment later, she suddenly...

- (Runo). "Hehe... Hehehe... The bathtub... The bathtub’s full... Hehe..."