"Be mine."
"…?"
I was so dumbfounded that I stood frozen, unable to even pull my chin free from Sia's grip.
And why wouldn't I be? Some random woman I'd never met before suddenly threw a straight-up confession at me out of nowhere.
To top it off, since coming to this world, no woman had ever grabbed my face and declared, "You're mine!" like this, so my brain just short-circuited.
What should I do?
What's the right reaction here?
The reason I was hesitating was because of Sia's eyes—they were sparkling with an intensity that could light up a room.
"They say the eyes are the window to the soul, revealing exactly what's inside."
Her eyes were too clear for me to just grab her hand, twist it away, and snap at her for daring to treat me like her possession.
Instead of burning with lust, her gaze was like someone who'd discovered a hidden gem in a rough stone
full of joy.
The stark contrast between her words and the emotions in her eyes left me utterly confused.
Meanwhile, Mina, who had been staring at me with wide eyes and an open mouth, finally stepped in to stop Sia.
"Unnie! You can't just do that to a guy!!!"
"I don't care about that. We're all just people…"
"If you're going to say that, at least don't phrase it in a way that could be misunderstood! That was way too suggestive, seriously!"
Mina, who moments ago had been trembling in front of Sia, was now boldly smacking Sia's shoulder with her tiny hands.
Thanks to that, Sia's hand, which had been gently holding my chin, slipped away.
I lazily lowered my eyes, rubbing my chin as if it was no big deal.
"Sehwa, I'll explain slowly, so please don't misunderstand. Sia-unnie is just… like this, okay?"
Mina stammered as she spoke to me, pointing at her head and twirling her finger in a circular motion.
Sia shot her a fiery glare, but I ignored it and gestured for Mina to continue.
"Ugh… Okay, so, Sia-unnie's been all about sports her whole life, so she's a bit rough around the edges. Last time, she did something like this to another guy and almost got reported—"
"Enough."
Sia cut her off, and Mina, who had been veering off-topic, quickly got back on track.
"…Sorry. Anyway, Sehwa, it's just that when unnie likes someone, she talks like this. Oh! But by 'like,' I don't mean that it's about work!"
"What kind of work? Is this what you were talking about before?"
Frustrated by Mina's vague explanations, I responded in a cold, pressing tone, and she finally answered.
"…Right, I didn't tell you. But unnie, is this really a job a high schooler can do?"
"Hah."
"Hey, Mina, stay out of this. I'll explain."
Sia and I let out simultaneous sighs of exasperation as Mina kept dodging the main point.
Clearly fed up, Sia pushed the stuttering Mina aside in one swift motion and stepped in front of me.
As our faces got closer, I had to stifle a laugh.
With her petite face and delicate features, Sia looked like a cold, cat-like beauty, comparable to Hayul or Mina.
(A woman like this acting so tough… This world is still so strange.)
As I stood there with a subtle expression, Sia scanned me up and down, nodding in satisfaction.
"You're perfect. You're exactly the talent I've been looking for."
"Unnie, stop staring at Sehwa and just tell him already… You're gonna get yourself in trouble."
"Sorry, my bad. Ahem. Let me formally introduce myself. I'm Lee Sia, the head of security for Valkyrie, the biggest club in Gangnam."
Sia tried to sound calm, but the pride on her face was unmistakable.
I smirked and motioned for her to continue.
"You must be curious. Why would the head of security for the biggest club in Gangnam want you? A guy, no less. Am I right?"
I nodded.
"Of course. The head of security for the biggest club in Gangnam…"
"Hold on. Can you skip the unnecessary adjectives and just say the club's name?"
It was cute the first couple of times, but hearing that phrase repeatedly was driving me insane.
Sia froze for a moment, looking slightly hurt, before continuing in a flat tone.
"…Fine. Anyway, the reason our Valkyrie wants you as a guard is that we get a lot of male customers. That's obvious, right? If there are no guys, women won't come either."
I could already guess where this was going.
"Because of that… it gets complicated. Since most of our guards are women, dealing with male customers can be a real headache. A few of our team members have already almost been sued."
"So you need me?"
"Exactly. You're quick. Your looks and strength are exactly what I'm looking for."
(This isn't some Three Kingdoms warlord recruiting a general.)
I finally understood Sia's behavior, but at first, I thought she was just crazy.
Touching a guy's body like that without permission could easily be considered harassment in this world.
The thought sent a shiver down my spine.
(Damn… This is insane. I'm starting to think like this naturally now.)
I brushed my hair back, shaking off the stray thoughts, and said, "I get it."
"Right? So, my offer…?"
Hmm.
It's not a bad deal.
(I was going to look for a job anyway. The timing's perfect.)
Just as I was about to channel Zhuge Liang and declare my acceptance of her offer, a sudden thought flashed through my mind.
"Then, can you do me one favor?"
"What? Don't worry about the pay. We can adjust your work schedule around school—"
"No, not that."
Instead…
"Let's have a sparring match."
---
___
Inside a ring surrounded by black sponge padding and wire mesh.
Sia, wearing gloves, was glaring at her opponent.
That opponent was Ryu Sehwa, a guy.
Despite his delicate, black-rose-like appearance, the way he silently bit down on his mouthguard and wrapped his hands exuded a wild charm.
(Hmm… A sparring match? With a high school guy, no less.)
Was he mad because she touched his face earlier?
Even after apologizing multiple times, Sehwa just smiled and urged her to hurry up, refusing to back down from his request.
But just go easy on him because he's a guy? Or because she was in the wrong and should let him vent his anger?
That didn't align with Sia's principles.
Man or woman, you give it your all.
(specially in the ring. Sorry, kid, but no matter how talented you are…)
There's no way you can beat me.
Her fighting skills, born from her physical prowess, were what had carried her from the bottom to where she was now.
Back when she was deep into martial arts, she'd even received offers to go pro. Could a kid like him keep up with her in the ring?
With a hint of pity in her eyes, she looked at Sehwa and made a handicap offer.
"I won't use my left arm. Just for punches, of course."
It wasn't about going easy on him she'd noticed the unhealed wound on Sehwa's left hand.
The stitches were still visible, and punching with it could worsen the injury.
Sehwa smiled faintly and replied, "Me too."
"…"
She'd assumed he wouldn't use it either, but "me too"?
Was he planning to fight with that injured hand?
Even if he said that, he'd likely end up using it instinctively if pushed into a corner.
That wasn't a bad thing it's human nature.
She decided she'd stop the match if it came to that and coldly scanned the surroundings.
A crowd had gathered around the ring, buzzing with excitement.
"What's this? Sia's sparring with a guy?"
"Unnie! Go easy on him and switch to jiu-jitsu! What an opportunity! I'm so jealous!"
Sia's face flushed without her realizing it.
(What are they saying? On the sacred ring, no less…)
Ignoring the mix of cheers and teasing, she got into position, waiting for the bell to ring, and asked Sehwa, "If it shifts to something other than striking, like grappling, is that okay?"
She figured she should check.
In grappling like jiu-jitsu, the physical contact could get intense, and a guy might not be comfortable with that.
"Of course. If it's just striking, it's not MMA—it's kickboxing."
Sehwa laughed as if the question was absurd, and despite the blushing faces of the women in the crowd, Sia nodded in satisfaction.
(As expected. He's someone I've recognized.)
---
I missed this.
The fragments of emotion you can only feel standing in the ring.
The heart pounding as if it's about to burst.
The tension wrapping around your body, not born from fear.
Everything else.
I rolled my shoulders they moved perfectly.
It felt so good, I could hardly remember the past.
I threw a jab into the air, and there was no pain.
The days of enduring the sensation crawling up my arm with every punch, squeezing every ounce of strength from my body, were gone.
If there was one thing I regretted…
(Real men's fights are shirtless, wearing just shorts. But if I stripped here… what would happen?)
Even though my opponent was a woman, I couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
My first sparring match since becoming Shasha.
Still…
(It's fine. I should be grateful for this. What more could I want?)
I tapped the ground with my foot, shaking off unnecessary thoughts, eagerly waiting for the bell to signal the start of the fight.
"Ryu Sehwa… Fighting!"
Among the noisy crowd surrounding the ring, a clear, distinct voice cheering for me caught my attention.
I glanced over and saw a familiar face, who quickly bowed their head upon meeting my eyes.
With a slight smile that I quickly suppressed, I raised both arms in a guard position.
*Ding—*
As the bell rang, Sia and I stepped forward as if on cue, tapping our gloves together.
"I'll try not to leave too many scratches on that pretty face of yours."
I thought it was a taunt, but Sia's serious expression was so amusing that I fired back.
"I'll be careful not to hurt that beautiful face of yours either."
At my words, Sia's tightly closed lips trembled, and she stepped back.
Sia struck first.
She closed the distance in an instant, feinting with her left fist toward my face before pausing and throwing a punch with her right.
Recalling our agreement not to use our left arms, I smacked my lips in regret.
Sia's fast, powerful punch came straight at me, but I dodged it with a backward step.
Her missed punch cut through the air with a whoosh.
*Whoosh. Whoosh.*
Due to our height difference, ducking to avoid her punches was tricky, but I managed to defend while occasionally landing counterattacks.
Using the reach advantage from my long legs and arms, my attacks kept hitting Sia's guard, and she bit her lip as if making a decision.
"Sorry. I didn't want to go this far."
With that, as I threw a punch, Sia ducked slightly, wrapped both arms around my waist, and pulled me in.
I furrowed my brow, struggling to stay upright, but the difference in strength was too much to overcome.
*Thud.*
In the end, I was on the ground, with Sia sitting on my stomach. Boos erupted from the crowd.
"She totally planned that!"
"Oh my gosh! Sia-unnie's a woman after all!"
Sia's face flushed slightly, as if she'd heard them.
Seizing the moment when her attention wavered, I thrust my hips upward, flipping her to the side in an instant.
The positions reversed Sia was now on her back, wrapping her legs around me, and I quickly climbed onto her stomach.
"You can't lose focus during a match."
Feeling good about taking the upper hand, I let out a playful remark.
Sia's face turned angry…
(Why is her face turning red…?)
_________________________________________
Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id
/ Reversalnovel.web.id