“Hmm.”
– Hm, hm…
After barely managing to stop Hong Yeon-hwa, who was about to barge through the healing room door carrying me, we agreed to take a short break.
“One more time, hm.”
– Sniff…
Inside the rest room furnished with a fluffy sofa and bed.
Hong Yeon-hwa sat me on the bed, quickly grabbed some tissues, and began to dab at my nose to clear the blood clogging my sinuses.
Though her tone had a hint of embarrassment, it didn’t feel bad at all, so I obediently leaned my face towards her.
“Really? Are you really okay? You can’t hide your pain, got it?”
[Really]
[Absolutely]
[I’m okay]
I nodded repeatedly.
I was just a bit worn out from overexerting myself.
Even my confession necklace revealed my innocence, but the worry etched on Hong Yeon-hwa’s face wouldn’t go away.
The gentle caress on my cheek was filled with concern, too.
I thought maybe she was being overly protective, but oddly, I enjoyed all that attention.
It felt nice to have those worried eyes on me, and I loved it when she murmured worried words while stroking my cheek…
‘Ugh, so clingy…’
Even I knew that was a rather clingy thought. I felt guilty about how worried Hong Yeon-hwa was for me, who was only acting out of pure concern.
– Zzz…
Suddenly, everything felt hazy. It was different from the earlier dizziness. It was a familiar feeling.
[Sleepy]
[So sleepy]
[Fluffy blanket]
I was sleepy. The preliminaries were over, and the irresistible sleepiness crept in between the slight loosening of my mental grip.
‘How many days has it been since I slept?’
I had been awake for almost four days since the night before the midterm evaluation.
I was fine during the written exam or when briefly battling in the dungeon, but after having a serious fight in the preliminaries, the drowsiness hit me like a truck…
‘I really need to sleep…’
I felt a sense of crisis that I might just collapse and fall asleep right here.
It wouldn’t be an issue if I slept here, but I’d rather fall asleep in the dorm if I had to.
More importantly, my first opponent in the main tournament wasn’t exactly favorable.
[Tournament Main Matchups (Group A)]
(1) Lee Ha-yul │ Baek Ahrin
‘Baek Ahrin.’
Of all people, my first opponent was Baek Ahrin.
To be honest, I could already predict the outcome, but it was with someone like Baek Ahrin, who could handle the ‘Changhae’ like a pro.
There might be something to learn from the duel, so should I be happy about it…?
Still, I had to get my condition ready since it was my opponent.
I needed to quickly take some medicine in the dorm and get some sleep.
With that thought, I tried to rise from the couch.
“…Ha-yul. If you’re sleepy, you can take a deep sleep.”
I couldn’t get up. On hearing the necklace’s voice complain of sleepiness, Hong Yeon-hwa blinked and suddenly pulled my head to her chest.
Squeeze… A soft, warm sensation rubbed against my face.
Especially intensified by the warmth that cut through my clothes, consciousness was swiftly slipping away.
[Sleepy]
[Fluffy]
[Warm]
[Dormitory]
‘Ah… I need to sleep in the dorm…’
While I struggled to cling to my slightly fading awareness, Hong Yeon-hwa put her lips close to my ear.
“It’s okay. You can sleep here. I’m here, you know? So nice…”
Her gentle voice coaxed me into slumber.
The soft feeling on my face and the warmth radiating from her embrace were downright compelling.
– Shh…
‘Hik.’
Suddenly, my body trembled. A tickling sensation stabbed my stomach.
Wondering what it was, I looked down to find Hong Yeon-hwa’s hand slipping under my shirt and rubbing my belly.
‘W-what…’
What was going on? Why was her hand under my clothes? I couldn’t quite grasp it, and question marks floated above my head as her fingers continued to move.
– Rub, rub…
‘Ugh, aghhh…’
The gentle palm rubbed my belly, relaying a cozy warmth. The warmth pooled in my previously empty stomach.
It was soft and warm. This sensation didn’t stay in my belly; it spread throughout my whole body in a calm wave.
It felt like I had stepped into warm water, and I gasped for breath.
“Good boy. Our Ha-yul is going~ to sleep?”
But it felt good. It was definitely not uncomfortable…
My already crumbling consciousness seemed to melt away completely.
‘Hong Yeon-hwa says it’s fine? So warm. I like getting my head patted. It’s soft and comfy. I like her warmth, and I love being cared for and getting affection from someone…’
My eyes were already closed.
Add to that, my body was exhausted from consecutive duels.
This was unavoidable.
With my back being patted and my belly being rubbed, my awareness began to fade even more.
*
“…Ha-yul? Are you asleep?”
Hong Yeon-hwa whispered gently into Lee Ha-yul’s ear.
There was no response. He was just buried in her chest, breathing steadily.
His shallow, hurried breaths calmed down with her rubbing.
A smile crept onto Hong Yeon-hwa’s lips. Then, she suddenly jerked in surprise and whipped her head around, scanning the area.
The rest area was filled with various products including a foldable bed.
Looking around, she found no students using the facilities since the tournament was still ongoing in many places.
After checking her surroundings, Hong Yeon-hwa carefully lifted Lee Ha-yul, who was curled up in her lap.
She patted his bottom to adjust his position, pulling him a little higher on her thighs.
As he shifted, the fragrance wafted up right in front of her face.
He had been radiating a scent, but now, sweaty from sleep, the scent was much more intense.
“…….”
Hong Yeon-hwa swallowed hard and slipped her hand into the space pocket secured to her belt.
After rummaging for a moment, she pulled out a cool glass bottle.
The bottle was elegantly designed, containing what seemed to be a piece of stardust.
It was a high-quality stamina recovery potion she had prepared in advance.
Though it was a bit pricey, the effect was guaranteed.
Since its effect was simply stamina recovery, there was no issue concerning doping tests in the main tournament.
Originally, she planned just to hand it to Lee Ha-yul.
But every time she did, he felt too thankful for just receiving, so she occasionally gave him one while he slept.
– Pop
As she pulled out the cork, a refreshing aroma penetrated the air.
…Although that scent was quickly overshadowed by Lee Ha-yul’s scent.
One hand held the stamina recovery potion while the other gently tapped his lips.
– Mmm…
At first, his lips were tightly shut, hesitating like he was wary of outside contact, but as she tapped carefully, they began to part slightly.
The lips opened. It was a surprisingly easy process. With just a few taps, his tiny mouth opened like an automatic door.
Hong Yeon-hwa made a peculiar expression.
‘Isn’t he too relaxed?’
While she had that thought, upon reconsideration, it didn’t seem that way.
Despite giving off a harmless vibe, there was a sense of some psychological barrier.
It felt like that barrier was only broken down with a select few people.
And she was one of them.
“……”
She tipped the bottle towards his pink lips.
– Gulp…
As she poured the potion into his mouth, Lee Ha-yul’s eyes trembled as he gulped it down.
Hong Yeon-hwa let out a sigh of relief. She had brought a sweet flavor on purpose just in case he would spit it out.
The contents were soon emptied.
As the empty bottle clinked to the ground, his mouth that had been open closed again.
– Phew
He took a deep breath before burying his face back into Hong Yeon-hwa’s embrace.
“…Mmm.”
Hong Yeon-hwa went back to rubbing Lee Ha-yul’s belly. While doing so, she intentionally conveyed the warmth of Gop-hwa to him.
This wasn’t just about wanting to touch him; it was to help the potion work effectively throughout his body.
She checked the surroundings again. No one was around.
After confirming that, she buried her face in the enticing strands of his hair.
– Sniff…
Her nose wrinkled as she inhaled deeply, taking in the scent of him.
‘Wow.’
Her vision danced.
There was a scent filling her nose that was hard to articulate.
The intoxicating scent she had strongly picked up in the Tower of Growth and the refreshing smell of grass that brought to mind the vitality of a forest…
“Wow… Seriously, damn…”
Hong Yeon-hwa was so entranced by the fragrance that even her limited profanity slipped out.
And then, it happened.
[No cursing]
[Like Yeon-hwa]
Lee Ha-yul, who had been sound asleep, scrunched up his face and shook his head.
Startled, Hong Yeon-hwa quickly pulled away, and the necklace jangled to spit out its words.
Then silence returned…
“…Ha-yul, are you awake?”
Hong Yeon-hwa asked, patting his back. There was no response. Breathing resumed its steady rhythm. It seemed it was simply a sleep-talking instinct.
A smile quirked at the corner of Hong Yeon-hwa’s mouth.
She glanced at the necklace dangling from Lee Ha-yul’s neck.
The confession necklace. An artifact gifted by Elia.
To be honest, she felt a bit displeased.
She had been looking for a similar artifact to give him herself, but now she felt robbed since it had been taken.
But hearing Lee Ha-yul’s shy thoughts revealed, she found herself somewhat satisfied.
The necklace unconsciously brought up the words.
He dislikes cursing. But Hong Yeon-hwa is fine…
That was such an adorable sentiment. In fact, even now, he was acting like he was awake and gently wagging his tail, trying to tempt her.
‘…This is Ha-yul’s fault.’
The impulses surged, the tendrils of Gop-hwa writhed.
It was a damp and sultry fantasy akin to what the flames of Gop-hwa could have ignited.
But she held back.
Understanding that acting on those urges would lead to dire consequences.
– Want to propose?
No need for that. Even without forcing it, it felt inevitable to happen eventually.
This way, she could keep that silly little child who knew nothing in her embrace, and later, she could deal with the shameless guy who claimed to be her teacher.
If she could just endure until then, she’d be able to do far more than anything she had in mind.
“……”
Lee Ha-yul was far too fragile. He was a child who needed someone to protect him.
Therefore, she should hold him tight and care for him so he wouldn’t get hurt in this world.
That’s what Hong Yeon-hwa truly believed.
Even now, he was sleeping soundly in her embrace.
This wasn’t just her imposition; Ha-yul was wishing for it too.
He liked living snuggled against Hong Yeon-hwa, eating well from her hand, and being cared for.
So this behavior wasn’t entirely wrong either.
Hong Yeon-hwa thought as she justified her actions, burying her face back in his hair.
– Thump
“!?”
The sound of something dropping caused her to jerk her head up.
The open door. The crumpled plastic bag rolling on the floor and a pair of human legs.
Uh-oh, she realized. She had been too distracted. The thickened honey scent had clouded her mind.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s gaze rose. She locked eyes with quivering green irises.
Green eyes. Brown hair. A familiar face.
Her pale complexion and trembling lips weren’t familiar at all.
Choi Ji-yeon.
Currently a second-year student at Shio-ram, a successor of the Taesan Clan.
During childhood, they were quite friendly under the banner of the three major families, so she used to call her comfortably ‘Ji-yeon Unni.’
And now, it was an unwelcome reunion with someone she hadn’t interacted with in a while.
“……”
Not a pleasant reunion at all.
Choi Ji-yeon’s mouth opened and closed. Completely at a loss for words, Hong Yeon-hwa began to assess her own state.
…With Lee Ha-yul blissfully asleep in her arms, her hand was under his shirt rubbing his belly, and her face buried deep into his fragrant hair…
“Um… Sorry for interrupting.”
“…Unni? Wait a minute.”
The hesitant mouth finally managed to spit out some human language. Her unfocused eyes squeezed shut, and she pivoted to make her escape.
It wasn’t an inquiry, it was a retreat.
“No, no! Hey! Just a minute…!”
Hong Yeon-hwa’s sorrowful scream echoed through the rest area.
*
[Player Affection System: Affinity]
Lee Ha-yul → Hong Yeon-hwa
●●●●●●●●○○(84▷85/100)
‘?’, ‘Guilt’, ‘Gratitude’, ‘Warmth’, ‘Guilt’
…
Lee Ha-yul → Choi Ji-yeon
●●○○○○○○○○(21/100)
‘Successor of Taesan’
…
[Failed to meet the conditions for解除 ‘Curse of Silence’]
[Failed to meet the conditions for解除 ‘Curse of Loneliness’]
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