Atra had a lot to say.
Didn’t you say you’d return safe and sound during break? Not to worry and that you’d come back in one piece. But why did you go to China? And what kind of trouble did you stir up over there? Are you intentionally seeking danger, poking your head into messes like in Shifnaha?
What’s the scoop on the Gop-hwa Clan? Why are those ruffians treating you like their beloved soulmate?
And what’s with that metal thing on your left arm?
Scolding, nagging, concerns, and endless thoughts swirled chaotically in Atra’s mind. She struggled to find her opening words.
“Ah…”
She couldn’t even spit it out.
The only thing that slipped from her lips was a dazed gasp.
Atra clung onto her slipping sanity, fearing her instincts would overtake her reason and make her act on impulse.
With great effort to rein in her urges, she hugged Lee Ha-yul tightly.
It was the same as before… but his now smaller form nestled perfectly against her.
A sense of fulfillment that was hard to describe filled her chest.
Her body shivered as if something missing was being perfectly fit in place.
Amidst this, a unique scent kept teasing her nose.
As she slowly opened her previously shut eyes, she saw hair so white, it seemed like something from a dream.
The alps inside the magical realm had a color purer than the elusive Tianshuahua that blooms once every few decades… it looked absolutely pristine.
The scent wafting from that hair was beyond what could be attributed to human flesh.
It carried a sweet, rich honey aroma, mingled with a cozy smell reminiscent of dried blankets basked in the morning sun…
It was Lee Ha-yul’s signature scent.
Atra’s eyes trembled.
It was an aroma that had previously been hard to resist, but now it was overwhelming.
She couldn’t hold back.
Burrowing her nose into that tempting hair, she inhaled deeply.
“Sniff… Haah…”
As she took a deep breath, the scent filled her nostrils.
Atra’s body quivered again as she buried her nose deeper into that hair, drowning herself in the scent.
“Uh, um… wait a minute. You look a bit much…?”
Riana, who had been sitting beside her, opened her mouth in shock but couldn’t find the words.
She glanced around cautiously, looking for a way out.
To anyone watching, what Atra was doing seemed quite dangerous.
Her appearance certainly didn’t look good.
Her once shining golden pupils were dull and shaking as if lost, and there were red veins standing out in her eyes.
Her hair, which once flowed elegantly, was now limp, with dark shadows under her eyes.
She looked like a wreck, possibly someone who had just hit rock bottom. Honestly, it wouldn’t have been surprising if she were caught smoking or drinking.
Indeed, Atra had contemplated reaching for both several times. Whenever she was stressed in the past, she’d always used cigarettes as an outlet.
But she couldn’t bring herself to do it.
She remembered the shocking experience she had with Lee Ha-yul.
If she had actually touched them, Ha-yul probably would have kicked up a fuss.
If that happened, Atra’s already anxious heart might have shattered into pieces, leading her to truly become a wreck.
Atra, in her disheveled state, engulfed the small Lee Ha-yul in her embrace, burying her face in his hair, was quite the sight… she appeared to be an incredibly dangerous person.
Despite Riana’s warning, Atra wasn’t about to hold back.
She was far too overwhelmed to care about such trivialities.
All she cared about was holding Lee Ha-yul tight and indulging in his scent.
“Haaah…”
How much time had passed?
After finally calming her urges, a flicker of rationality returned to Atra.
It felt like the profound anxieties and pains of the past few days were beginning to ease.
Tiny lights flickered in her once-dulled pupils.
With a dizzy sigh, Atra slowly lifted her head.
The white hair receded from her view.
“…Huh?”
And then, she saw Lee Ha-yul’s teary face.
His gentle eyes drooped, filled with a gloomy expression.
Thump! Atra’s heart plummeted. It was an unsettling feeling, like standing on the edge of a cliff.
“Uh, I’m sorry. Did I… hug you too tightly? Is something wrong, or are you feeling upset…?”
Had she given in too much to her impulses?
The sliver of rationality she regained was ringing alarm bells.
It suddenly dawned on her that he might indeed be feeling uncomfortable.
In the past, she felt the aroma only when Ha-yul was preoccupied or sleeping, but this time she had acted way too overtly.
Atra hurriedly adjusted her awkward embrace, continuously muttering apologies.
Ha-yul’s eyes trembled.
Then, he bit his lip, as if searching for his emotions, and buried his face deeply into Atra’s chest.
[I’m sorry…]
“Mhm…?”
Ha-yul’s necklace. Due to his smaller size, the confession necklace wrapped around his neck danced lightly.
[I’m really sorry…]
Repeated apologies poured out.
Even a sniffle sounded from the depths of Atra’s bosom.
Both Atra and Riana rushed to comfort the sobbing Lee Ha-yul.
*
Before heading to China, to be honest, Atra didn’t think it would be without danger.
China was a region rife with dungeons and monsters.
Going there to deal with the Death Cult while also thrashing some monsters and thinking it would be a walk in the park was a bit too optimistic.
So she made sure to prepare some emergency escape methods.
A long-distance space leap using spatial powers.
Since she had memorized the coordinates in advance, she planned to bolt at the first sign of true danger.
That was her insurance, allowing her bravery even when faced with the Death Cult’s leader.
In terms of abilities, she had grown tremendously and felt capable of matching her mentor, which made her confident in her responses.
But then something even more troublesome than the Death Cult’s leader appeared—a two-headed dragon.
Having played a role in the disaster, she couldn’t just turn tail and run.
Also, with dangers lurking where she could reach, she wanted to minimize any potential damage… so she charged in.
And faced the brink of death over and over.
If it weren’t for her inexplicable body regeneration, she would have been a corpse, melt away from the poison.
It hurt terribly.
The sensation of her poisoned body dying was horrifying.
The triad of burning, freezing, and crumbling back to earth was terrifying.
Dying alone, twisted like a bug in some unknown place, was frightening.
[I’m sorry…]
That was nothing compared to how much pain she felt now.
Channeling her slightly restored mental energy, she activated her observation power.
In a narrow range, her mentor’s figure appeared.
It was a mess.
His once sparkling eyes were dull, and the ends of his hair had become frayed and brittle.
She heard from Professor Riana that it took less than a week for them to be rescued and brought here after going missing… and her mentor looked pale and worn.
It’s my fault.
[Guilt]
[Regret]
[Shame]
[I’m really sorry…]
Her heart ached.
Because of her incompetent self, her mentor suffered.
The thought of burdening him made tears prick at her eyes.
It was an extremely brazen action, and yet her mentor, as well as Professor Riana, comforted her. Seeing that brought more tears to her eyes.
“…Ha-yul. Do you really feel remorse?”
[Yes, I made a mistake…]
[It’s my fault…]
A little while later.
As her mentor asked, looking like deep in thought, Atra nodded vigorously without hesitation, burying her face in their embrace.
“Really? You do realize that if you make a mistake, you should receive punishment, right?”
[Yes…]
“Hmm…”
Once again, Atra nodded without faltering.
She was aware that she had committed a major wrong.
As a result, her mentor gave her a strange look.
It was hard to read.
Questions about correctness and hesitation filled her mind… emotions surged.
Embracing her within his arms, her mentor plopped heavily into the chair behind his desk.
Then, he lowered the hand that had been soothing her back and started to pat her behind.
– Gulp
She swallowed and braced herself.
She hadn’t heard yet what kind of punishment she would receive.
Fear washed over her, but she steeled herself to accept whatever came; after all, it was her own fault.
With that resolve, she stiffened her body, but the hand which had been patting her behind suddenly dropped, before lightly swinging.
– Crack…!
– Huh!?
In her darkening vision, a tiny star materialized for a moment.
The electrifying sensation spread to her backside, then trickled down her spine. Her back arched involuntarily.
That feeling was quite familiar. It had been quite recent. Back then, it was even stronger, and while it was milder now, she couldn’t forget this bizarre sensation.
[M-Mentor…?]
Quivering, she asked, but her mentor didn’t respond; he continued with his hand.
– Crack…!
Her body jerked.
It was ticklish… and the strange warmth spread through her.
Only then did she realize what kind of action this was.
Corporal punishment… specifically, a punishment of smacking the behind—something usually done to children.
Her face flushed with heat. Though she wasn’t a child, being spanked in such a way made her feel embarrassed and humiliated.
Her face turned crimson.
To hide it, she buried her face back in his chest, and the smacking stopped.
“Does it hurt a lot?”
Instead of the spanks, gentle strokes replaced the sensation.
Her mentor patted her head softly with one hand, while the other continued gently caressing her rear.
“If it’s hurting too much, we can stop here.”
His voice held an undertone of concern. Despite raising his hand for punishment, he seemed to worry that it might hurt too much.
She peeked out and replied.
[…It doesn’t hurt that much.]
Her rear was warm… tingling all over but not actually painful.
Even though her body had transformed and aged down, she knew she didn’t possess the delicate skin and bones like an actual child.
The chances of receiving any bruises from this kind of embarrassing punishment were slim.
It was a surprisingly gentle punishment in itself. Frankly, getting spanked on the behind was nothing compared to real punishment.
“Well then, let’s go for a bit longer.”
[Yes…]
Still, she felt a flutter of embarrassment.
As she couldn’t dare raise her eyes, the pats continued.
– Crack! Crack! Crack!
“Ugh…”
It didn’t hurt.
Just, warm… and made her feel tingly. With embarrassment and shame lurking there too.
Considering she felt such emotions, it seemed this punishment had an intended meaning.
If she didn’t want to experience such shame again, she would try to control her behavior.
– Wham!
‘…?’
At that moment, an inexplicable sensation washed over her.
– Crack!
The palm clapped against her rear.
In an instant, her backside was enveloped, and after a few gentle strokes, it dropped away, only to repeat.
From that hand, she could sense affection and care.
It felt less like a slap and more like a gentle tap.
Suddenly, her brow twitched.
The ambiguous feeling gradually became clearer.
In the corner of her mind, the image of a parent patting a child’s bottom floated up.
That image… began to incorporate other figures.
Her confession necklace clinked against her neck.
[Comfort]
A dull voice echoed around.
“…What?”
The hand paused. Her mentor’s expression turned vacant.
‘Oh.’
Her mouth dropped open.
In the brief moment she had been distracted, the necklace unconsciously spilled out her feelings.
[Reassurance]
[Touch]
[Affection]
[Bottom pats are nice]
– Click click…
The dull voice rang out into the now-still room.
Her face, already bright red, turned the color of a boiled lobster.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
