Johny's Apartment
The Small Bedroom
Johny Lee placed a pillow on the bamboo sleeping mat. He told Maggi to take off her black high heels and let her rest her chin on the pillow, lying comfortably flat on the bed.
Then, he took off his slippers, climbed onto the bed, and knelt beside her.
He placed his hands on the shoulders of her crisp white shirt with an apologetic touch and began to squeeze gently.
"Your cervical spine is a vital area; you must pay more attention to it in the future. Don't work for too long without a break, and don't stay in one sitting position for hours. You need to move around more. Hmm, is this pressure okay?"
Maggi buried her face in the pillow and hummed. "Mmm... it feels comfortable. Thank you."
"It's all my fault. Don't thank me."
"I told you it's not your fault. Hiss... it hurts there... lighter, please."
Johny quickly eased his strength, carefully lightening his touch. "Is this okay?"
"...Hoo... yes... hmm, that's perfect."
Squeezing and kneading, Johny began to mentally organize how to confess his feelings.
His eyes, however, weren't idle. Since Maggi was lying face down and couldn't see him, he figured she wouldn't know how he was looking at her.
So, Johny suppressed his pounding heart and brazenly let his gaze wander. He looked at her delicate earlobe, the curve of her neck, the arch of her back, her slender waist, ample hips, long legs, and sheer stockings.
Finally, he couldn't help but praise her internally. Maggi isn't just beautiful from the front; she's beautiful from the back too. Definitely a 360-degree beauty.
"Are you tired? Take a break if you want."
"Not tired. Not tired at all. We've just started. I'll massage your back for you too."
"Don't bother. You've worked all day too. Go to bed early."
"Don't say that. The cervical spine is all connected to the back muscles. I'll loosen up your back for you too."
Johny was mesmerized by her soft skin and couldn't bear to let go. Enjoying the touch of Maggi's body through the thin fabric, he slowly moved his hands down from her shoulders to her back, gripping in large, rhythmic handfuls.
Maggi seemed to be enjoying it, indistinct hums coming from inside the pillow.
Johny felt another surge of impulse. He gritted his back teeth and abruptly blurted out:
"Maggi! I... I love you!"
Ah ah ah! I said it! I finally said it!
Maggi's body stiffened noticeably. She lay there with her back to him, not saying a word.
Johny couldn't see her expression. Seeing her silence, he immediately panicked.
"I started having a crush on you when my mom and I first moved here years ago. Really. I... cough, cough... I'm not good with words, I don't know how to say it properly, but I really, really like you, Maggi. You... uh... will you be my girlfriend?"
Maggi remained silent.
Johny was in agony, his face flushed with anxiety.
After a long moment, Maggi sat up from the bed. She smoothed her messy hair and turned her head to look at him with sad eyes.
"Johny... I'm sorry. Big Sister has always treated you like a younger brother."
Okay, I was rejected.
Johny felt a wave of disappointment, but he was self-aware and had already prepared himself mentally. In fact, if Maggi had agreed immediately, Johny would have found it unbelievable.
Feeling depressed, Johny felt it was necessary to ask for the reason to improve his chances next time.
"...Maggi, please don't use the 'brother' excuse to brush me off. I really want to know what's wrong with me. Uh, do you dislike my appearance? It's true, my looks really aren't worthy of you..."
Lack of money and looks had always been a source of deep insecurity for Johny.
Maggi shook her head, interrupting him. "I'm not that shallow. It's not about your natural appearance."
"It's not?" Johny was stunned. "Then what's the problem?"
Maggi didn't look at him directly. She kept her head slightly lowered toward the windowsill, her tone apologetic.
"I just feel you're not the type I usually go for. Sigh, how to put it? Appearance is innate; no one can change that. But other aspects can be worked on. Maybe it's a difference in standards. I know you're used to living casually, but I can only accept men who take care of their grooming. Long fingernails are absolutely intolerable to me. Beards must be cleanly shaven, and hair must be neatly styled. That kind of cleanliness is what looks good to me; it has nothing to do with handsome features."
Johny froze.
He used to neglect his appearance, so he had never paid attention to his fingernails, stubble, or messy hair!
Damn it! I didn't expect to lose points here!
"BACK!!!"
...
Flash!
The scene reset.
What came into view was Maggi's confused expression, looking up from the pillow.
"Doing what?"
Johny blinked, disoriented. "Uh, did I say something?"
"I don't know," Maggi mumbled into the pillow. "You called my name, and then stopped. What were you going to say?"
Johny breathed a massive sigh of relief. He chuckled awkwardly. "No, no. I, well... I just wanted to ask if the pressure was okay."
Phew, that was close! I almost ran out of time!
"Hehe, the pressure is just right. I didn't expect my Johny to be quite good at massaging."
He had originally planned to massage her for a while longer, but seeing his fingernails digging into Maggi's shirt, Johny instinctively pulled his hands back as if they were burning.
"Let's stop here for now. Drink some water and rest; I'll massage you again later. Uh, I... I'm going to the restroom! I'll be right back!"
Maggi chuckled behind him. "Go ahead. Oh, put on the new suit and let me see it!"
"Okay!"
Covering the stubble on his face with one hand, he rushed out of the room. He hugged the bag with the new suit and darted into the bathroom.
He turned on the light, locked the door, and grabbed his razor. He completely shaved off the layer of stubble on his chin.
Then he grabbed the nail clippers and trimmed his fingernails until not even half a millimeter of white remained. He rinsed his greasy hair with water, combed it back, and restyled it neatly with a hairdryer.
Everything looks OK!
Johny smiled cleanly at himself in the mirror. He put on the crisp new navy suit and opened the bathroom door.
Maggi was in the living room, playing with her new iPhone 4. "Why are you changing in the bathroom? I left the bedroom for you... Eh?"
Turning to look at Johny, Maggi was startled.
"When did you shave your beard? And your hair..."
Maggi didn't notice his expensive clothes first; she noticed his grooming. Sure enough, her words about liking clean men weren't just an excuse—she really valued these details!
Johny was secretly pleased. He lied smoothly. "My old razor always had problems; I could never shave cleanly. The nail clippers were dull too. I just bought new ones at the mall, so it'll be better from now on. Honestly, being so sloppy... I couldn't stand it myself. I've always preferred a cleaner look."
He held up his ten immaculate fingers for Maggi to see.
Maggi nodded in strong agreement. She quickly came over to adjust his collar.
"I thought you just didn't care about hygiene. So it was because your tools were broken? Good. Look how good you look now. Mm."
Maggi looked him up and down a few times, a genuine smile appearing on her lips.
"...Really handsome!"
Hahaha! Success!
I made a good impression on Maggi!
Johny decided to start planning his second confession immediately!
Hope it succeeds next time!!
Authors Note:-
That's the 34th chapter.
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