The trembling of her racing heart seemed to spread to her hands.
Mina let out a groan, put down her pen, and buried her face in her pillow. Even with her eyes closed, his face appeared in the darkness, tormenting her.
Not in a bad way, of course.
"If you come to me, you won't be able to escape...?"
Sehwa's words, spoken with a fierce expression like a final warning, kept her from focusing on her studies. A guy who looks like that, saying lines like that it was like something straight out of a manga, a perfect yandere vibe. Not that she'd mind, considering that face of his.
Mina sighed. She'd never cared about guys' looks before, but Sehwa was way beyond her usual standards. His teasing had already shaken her heart, and the traits he showed his personality were more than enough to break down the walls she'd built up.
So what if he has tattoos? They're just sexy.
A rough personality? That's not bad either.
"Beating someone up isn't even a big deal. They started it first, didn't they? Ugh, why did that dog have to be there..."
Mina smiled warmly, recalling that beautiful and heartwarming scene. Her ears perked up at the clattering sound coming from the kitchen. As a delicious aroma began to fill the house, making her mouth water, a voice called out to her.
"Mina! Come eat!"
Mina tossed her pillow aside, bolted out of her room, and sat at the dining table. Despite her enthusiasm, she hesitated to pick up her spoon and cautiously spoke up.
"Mom... is it okay if I learn martial arts?"
Her mother, sitting across from her, paused and looked at her curiously.
"Martial arts? What about your studies?"
"I'll... do both."
Mina's voice was barely a whisper, and her mother's stern gaze made her shrink as she began to probe.
"What's gotten into you, honey? You said you'd study hard to meet a good guy."
"I... I think I already met him. No! I mean, we're not dating yet. I want to learn martial arts from him... to protect him."
Mina squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for her mother's scolding. But when it didn't come, she cautiously opened her eyes to look at her mom. Her mother's face was a mix of complex emotions, her blue eyes eerily similar to Mina's filled with pride.
"Honey, I've always felt sorry. Because of how things ended with your dad, I knew you avoided guys."
"Mom, I told you, that doesn't matter."
At Mina's somber words, her mother let out a hearty laugh.
"Alright, alright. I'm sorry. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. Whether you train with him or date him, it's all fine. Should I get you some birth control pills?"
"No! It's not like that!"
"Hmm, really? Even if he's good at sports, learning martial arts from him... isn't that just an excuse to get closer? Maybe roll around together a bit, huh?"
"I said no!"
Mina's face flushed as she shouted, and her mother burst into laughter, saying she was just teasing. Mina shot her a resentful glance but couldn't help a small smile as she picked up her chopsticks.
---
___
Looking up at the night sky, where faint stars glimmered through the city's smog, I felt like all the annoying things bothering me turned to dust and disappeared.
This was definitely the best remedy for a cluttered mind.
I lit another cigarette and started sorting through my thoughts.
Hyemin had blocked the parents' attempts to sue me.
The only problem left was the mother of the main instigator a prosecutor. That woman was the issue.
Whether it was the smoke or the frustration, something heavy filled my chest. An inexplicable urge kept rising, and I felt like there was an easy solution I just couldn't grasp.
Without realizing it, I gripped the cigarette too hard, nearly crushing it. Startled, I loosened my grip, put it to my lips, and frowned.
Smoking like this felt like I was trying to look cool. It wasn't my preferred way, but my mouth moved on its own, puffing away.
After a while, I thought to myself:
(What kind of idiot am I being?)
The smoke stung my eyes, so I irritably spat out the cigarette and pulled out my phone. Since my mood was already sour, I decided to look at the dog pictures Hayul sent me.
While staring at the adorable puppy filling the screen, I remembered her words.
(She told me to come see the dog later. I don't have anything to do anyway—should I go now? Before dealing with that mess tomorrow. Not a bad idea.)
The thought of that prosecutor lady grilling me about hitting her son made me feel like crap, so I impulsively called Hayul.
"Hello?"
"Noona, are you working today?"
"Sehwa! I'm off today. I covered a shift last time, so..."
Hayul's voice sounded tired and soft. I hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"You sound exhausted, noona. I was wondering if I could come see the dog now..."
"...What? Really? I was just saying that, but you're actually coming?"
"Oh, sorry. You were just being polite, weren't you?"
I didn't know.
Blaming myself for taking her words literally, I was about to hang up when Hayul's desperate voice came through.
"No, no! That's not what I meant. You can come! Want anything to eat?"
"Uh... do you have any beer? I'm feeling a bit stuffy. Sorry if that's rude."
Hayul made a small, thoughtful sound.
"Okay... sounds like you're dealing with something tough."
"Yeah, just... some stuff. I'll head over now."
I hung up, my face lighting up with anticipation as I walked to Hayul's place. Seeing the dog would be great, and the thought of refreshing beer after so long lifted my spirits.
Beer barely counts as alcohol, right? That's probably why sweet Hayul was okay with it.
Why did I have to stress over something as simple as beer? A flicker of irritation rose, but I quickly brushed it off with a grin.
*Just drink and enjoy.*
---
At Hayul's place, I rang the doorbell, and she opened the door, dressed similarly to last time.
"Hey, come in!"
"Good to see you!"
As I returned her greeting, my eyes naturally drifted to her legs.
*Goddamn.*
Those dolphin shorts again. Her plump thighs and slender calves looked so tempting, I couldn't help but want to give them a squeeze.
Was I finally getting used to this world?
Even though women here acted like men, I hadn't felt much desire before. But now, I could feel a slight rush of blood down below.
Maybe it was because I'd spent my past life so focused on training that I had no experience with women.
In this world, men could sleep with women easily, but my old-fashioned morals held me back.
Grabbing those massive breasts right in front of me would probably make Hayul blush and enjoy it, but... something about it felt off.
Tearing my eyes away from her legs, I followed her inside, where a pleasant fragrance filled the air. It definitely felt like a single woman's home.
"Noona, did you spray something?"
"Huh? Does it smell bad? Sorry, I should've used something since I live alone."
(So that's her natural scent... coming from her skin.)
The thought sent a wave of heat through me, and I quickly changed the subject to keep my emotions in check.
"Where's the dog? Did you name it?"
"Yeah, I named it Maru."
The simple, cute name made me smile. Seeing my grin, Hayul smiled back, clearly pleased.
"Go to the room. I'll grab the beer. Oh, what about your allergies?"
"I'll be fine if I don't touch it. I'll take some meds next time."
"Okay... make sure you do next time."
Hayul's cheeks flushed slightly as she led me to the room and went to get the beer.
I locked eyes with a yellow furball staring at me curiously. Smiling at the adorable creature, I heard the door open as Hayul returned with two cans of beer.
"Here you go."
"Thanks—oh, it's cold!"
Hayul giggled, pressing the chilly can against my cheek.
"Payback for last time," she said playfully, reminding me of when I'd put a cold coffee against her neck.
She remembered that? Hayul's gotten more playful. I chuckled, opened the beer, and took a sip.
Hayul followed suit, tilting the can to her lips and drinking deeply.
Our conversation mostly revolved around the dog. Hayul seemed careful not to ask about my personal life.
"Did you get its vaccinations? Oh, I forgot to send you money. I'll do it when I get home."
"No, no, it's fine! Taking care of Maru feels healing for me too."
"Still..."
As I spoke, Maru, who'd been sprawled on the floor, suddenly hopped onto my lap. Since I was wearing shorts, I could feel its fur directly. Hayul's eyes widened, and she stood up to pull Maru off me.
"Maru, no! Sehwa's allergic!"
"Noona, careful—"
Maybe because she was a lightweight, Hayul stumbled toward me, her legs tangling as she fell. I quickly moved Maru aside to keep it safe and caught Hayul in my arms as we both went down.
Our bodies pressed together like a hamburger, and I could feel the soft, heavy weight of her chest against mine. Her smooth cheek brushed against mine, sending a jolt through me.
Warning bells rang in my head.
Trying to escape the situation, I whispered into her ear.
"Noona, let's get up."
"Oh, I'm heavy, sorry, so sorry!"
Hayul, trembling, hurriedly got up, apologizing profusely. She probably felt guilty for "crushing" me, but honestly...
(It felt kinda nice.)
More than nice, even. But I couldn't say that out loud. The atmosphere was already weird, and saying something would make it even more awkward maybe even dangerously so.
As a guy, I wouldn't mind, but it still felt like crossing a line. Taking advantage of this world's rules to mess around with women felt wrong, and I didn't know what I'd do if I let myself go too far.
(Especially with someone as nice as her.)
It was my last shred of conscience talking.
But as Hayul bowed, her chest swaying with every movement, I couldn't tear my eyes away—hardly the thoughts of someone with a conscience.
"Noona, it's fine. Stop apologizing."
If she kept going, I wouldn't be able to hold back.
I'd never gotten fully hard before, but if my body reacted now, it'd probably burst through my shorts. I didn't want to show thar to Hayul, who was still just a "close" noona.
I grabbed her shoulders to calm her down, then headed to the door to put on my shoes.
"Thanks. Guess you're a bit of a lightweight, huh?"
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll come back next time."
I glanced at her sad expression, opened the door, and left.
That night, lying in bed, I couldn't sleep.
The sensation of Hayul's body and her ridiculously pretty face kept replaying in my mind.
_________________________________________
Translated by Reversalmanhwa.web.id
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