Yeon Minha squinted through the fingers that covered her face.
She thought she was already familiar with that sensation.
She had casually asked for an escort from the Jeokhwa Family’s main house while subtly intertwining her arms. She had buried her face in his chest and even rested her head on those broad shoulders.
But just peeling off a single layer of outerwear, she hadn’t expected it to be this stimulating.
Thoughts of Baek Seoyeon and club activities had long been wiped clean from her mind.
“…”
Yeon Minha quickly fanned herself, trying to cool down her heated head.
The absurdity and sensuality were undeniable, but it didn’t make her feel repulsed.
‘Let’s just think of it as a preview…for practice…’
Yeon Minha lowered her hands that were covering her face and, instead, put on a rather serious expression.
“…Huh.”
After taking a few deep breaths, she casually opened the door again, as if nothing had happened.
Lee Hyun had already thrown his jacket back on and was sitting blankly on the living room floor.
Seeing this, Yeon Minha couldn’t help but let out a sigh internally.
“…I’m sorry. I didn’t expect you to come this early.”
As Lee Hyun offered an embarrassed apology, Yeon Minha calmly shook her head.
“I was a little surprised, but it’s fine. More importantly, why don’t you finish what you were doing? I don’t mind.”
“If someone’s watching, I can’t train properly.”
“W-Well…?”
Yeon Minha shot him a side-eye with a somehow annoyed look.
She stood silently for a moment, deep in thought. Then she pulled out a dry towel from the corner, knelt in front of him, and sat quietly.
“What…are you doing?”
“Take it off.”
“Excuse me?”
Lee Hyun responded, flustered, but Yeon Minha urged him without raising an eyebrow.
“I said to take off your jacket. You’re sweating a lot; how can you just throw that over on top? It’ll smell.”
“…Ah.”
Lee Hyun agreed with Yeon Minha’s words, yet he still hesitated to reveal his skin.
That shyness was absurd yet didn’t feel too bad.
“Just give it to me. I’ll do it.”
“I told you before, your touch is too rough and clumsy for something delicate like this. Just take it off quietly. I’m helping you out, after all.”
“Still…”
Yeon Minha pretended to be angry and pressed him again.
“What do you think I am? Just because I see a bit of a guy’s bare skin, do you think I’m going to faint or something? I’d rather not let the dormitory smell, so hurry up.”
With her repeated coercive persuasion, Lee Hyun finally began to take off the outerwear he had draped over his upper body. Perhaps he had already taken off his school uniform shirt, as he was wearing only a short-sleeved shirt.
Soon, his rock-solid, muscular physique, which had excited Yeon Minha, was revealed again.
Not too thick or thin, it looked just right.
Perhaps due to having already finished a workout, the light sweat on him made him appear larger and harder than usual.
‘…Ugh.’
Feeling that sticky heat, Yeon Minha swallowed audibly.
While half-heartedly wiping the sweat, Yeon Minha found herself cautiously stroking his exposed body with her white, shiny fingers.
As a strong impulse surged with each touch of that firmness, Yeon Minha had to exert all her effort to keep her emotions in check.
“Senior.”
“Uh, yeah? Why suddenly? You surprised me…”
Yeon Minha was jolted back to reality by the voice calling her.
“What am I, some kind of animal? You can’t just pet me like that.”
“W-Who’s petting you…?!”
Feeling a pang of guilt, Yeon Minha raised her voice.
However, she ultimately couldn’t resist the curiosity that kept creeping in.
“Hmm…It just feels…weird.”
She carefully asked in a calm tone.
“Is a man supposed to be this hard…?”
“I’m not sure either. I’ve hardly touched anyone else’s body. I guess they’re all probably similar?”
“Oh, really…how interesting…”
Yeon Minha’s white, slender fingers were now fiddling with the top button of his shirt. If he insisted, there was no way for her to refuse. It was her fate.
But Lee Hyun, tilting his head, got up as if he had no interest and reached out.
“I don’t really understand what you mean. More importantly, can I have the towel? I’ll handle the rest.”
“…Forget it.”
Yeon Minha glared at Lee Hyun with a fierce look and slammed the bedroom door shut behind her.
*
After just one attempt, I gave up training in the dormitory. I really didn’t want to run into Yeon Minha in an embarrassing situation again.
Of course, I couldn’t choose the communal training room either.
Unlike class times when professors or teaching assistants would control the students, I was sick of dodging the dozens of mouths that constantly tried to interrupt my training that I eventually fled from that place.
In the end, the only choice left was the old training room in Building A, where that annoying Jin Yeseo was waiting.
And Jin Yeseo began to torment me in more malicious ways.
As I hastily tried to avoid her, she inscrutably showed up at the training room earlier than usual. On deliberately late days, she would find a spot in the corner and watch my training in a shadowy manner.
It wasn’t too bad as long as I didn’t engage her in conversation since she would remain still like a plant… but that underlying unease from her watching me never went away.
And the moment I couldn’t take it anymore and stepped out, she would then get up and start that self-destructive training.
It didn’t seem like she was trying to analyze or steal my techniques. After all, her unique magic included applying particle theory within the body. Simply observing the external movements wouldn’t easily allow her to obtain it.
Moreover, what I was doing here was mostly repetitive practice of basic movements.
Since the opponent was a sparring dummy, there were limits to how much skills I could draw out.
And to be precise, what Jin Yeseo was looking at was not entirely me, but something within a smaller range.
The blade in my hand. It was just a cheap training tool, not a high-end luxury or custom-made item.
Even though it looked blurry and dull, I could definitely sense her longing, lack, and admiration directed at it.
And every time I fought her, I felt her bold yet rash tendencies typical of an offensive-element mage.
In addition, it was clear that her physique was significantly well-trained compared to ordinary offensive-element mages.
It wasn’t that hard to guess the source of those emotions.
However, I still couldn’t explain her bizarre obsession with training and strength.
For the past few days, I had been troubled over my uncomfortable cohabitation with Jin Yeseo. It would still take nearly ten days for the repairs on the private training room in Building B to be completed.
In the meantime…
I unexpectedly ran into a certain familiar female student in the hallway of the cradle.
*
“Oh my, hello.”
The female student with navy blue hair opened her eyes wide in surprise as she recognized me. She brushed her hair slightly behind her ear and gave a light greeting.
She was one of the group members who accompanied me on the southern quest. She was the one who threw me a candy as a token of gratitude for helping her escape from danger during the Nakseongil Festival.
“So…Kihawun?”
“That’s right. You remembered me this time?”
The girl smiled in surprise and brought her hand near her mouth.
“I enjoyed the candy. It was delicious.”
“Well, it was nothing special. I just bought it casually when I went to the capital. Are you on your way to class?”
“Yes, I’m going to the magic combat class.”
“Oh… that sounds tough. I’m off to monster physiology. They said there’s a quiz today, but…I haven’t studied at all…”
The navy-haired girl chattered about trivial matters.
We weren’t on bad terms, but we weren’t close enough for deep conversations either. After exchanging a few short sentences, we turned back in our respective directions.
“You too, do your best. Well then…”
Then suddenly, a few words that the girl had said when she gave me the candy came to mind.
“You’re going to duel with Yeseo this time, right? I’ll be cheering for you. Even though Yeseo is my friend, I owe you my life…”
“If you ever need my help, just come to me. I’ll help as long as I can.”
“…Wait a second. I have something to ask.”
“Why?”
I caught the female student who was about to disappear around the corner again.
It wasn’t a grand help, but perhaps I could gain a clue to resolve my current uncomfortable situation from her.
“I remember you said you were friends with Jin Yeseo. Can I ask how close you are?”
“…What’s with that strange question?”
The girl looked puzzled but answered my question earnestly.
“It’s just okay. We chat about our worries and occasionally grab a drink together? Recently, Yeseo has been busy, so we haven’t met much…But why do you ask?”
“…I need help from before.”
*
After the bell signaling the end of all academic scheduling rang.
“I found zone a183-b…”
Instead of heading to the training room in Building A, I went to the pergola behind the garden as I had promised Haewon. It was so tucked away that there wasn’t a person in sight.
The sun was half-submerged in the western sea beyond the walls surrounding the cradle. The gentle breeze was making the surrounding reeds sway like waves.
As I sat there waiting idly, I soon heard the sound of footsteps approaching, rustling softly.
“You came early, huh?”
The navy-haired girl recognized me and waved her hand.
“I just arrived. But why specifically call me here? We could’ve just met in front of the main building, right?”
“No way.”
“Why?”
“Because there’s someone who absolutely hates seeing you talking to a girl.”
The girl pretended to look around dramatically.
“If she finds out, I might be doomed.”
“What? Who’s that?”
“It’s probably better if you don’t know. This is a girl’s matter.”
Haewon shook her head, seemingly not willing to explain. A hint of suspicion flared up, but what mattered now was the important issue.
“Well, that’s fine. So, about…”
“Wait. Before that, can I ask you one thing?”
“What is it?”
Haewon suddenly interrupted my words, now wearing a serious expression.
“Do you like Yeseo?”
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