No answer means I should check by touching it myself, right?
I'd braced myself for it.
No matter what insults came my way, I planned to humbly accept them.
After all, I'd acted like total trash.
But Han Chae-ah looking at me and smiling? That was nowhere in my expectations.
And on top of that...
⚙ DAILY QUEST ⚙Ask if you can touch her breasts: 0/1
I never imagined the quest I'd completed this morning would pop up again today.
'I definitely finished it this morning.'
It even gave me a reward. What the hell is this?
It's not like you're trying to screw me over or anything.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙This quest was issued yesterday. Today's quest remains incomplete.
The system kindly responded.
So kindly it almost brought tears to my eyes.
Thanks.
Damn it.
You're really trying to bury me socially, huh.
Rubbing it in like that.
My gut boiled, but I couldn't let it show on my face.
Because right in front of me sat Han Chae-ah, the Yeonsung University goddess I'd asked about her panties this morning.
She had no idea what was floating in my vision and smiled casually.
"Sunbae, you're taking this class too?"
I managed my expression at her proactively approaching demeanor.
At first, I thought she might be some kind of pervert who liked this stuff.
After all, I'd seen how vulgar her inner desires were on Sexgram.
But her smiling face showed no sign of that.
A smile like she wanted to pretend nothing had happened.
Ignoring her wasn't the smart move.
Han Chae-ah drew more attention than anyone.
Even now, as she sat next to me, several students stared intently at her.
This was a major required course for third-years.
With no classmates from my year around, the usual crowd around her was absent.
The other third-years in the class were just watching, hoping to get close to their junior Han Chae-ah somehow.
They had no intention of awkwardly bringing up the earlier incident with the guy she'd decided to treat like it never happened.
"It's a third-year class. What about you—taking this one?"
"Yeah. Professor Choi's famous for teaching well. And last fall semester, when I was a sophomore, he specifically asked me to take this class next year."
"The professor personally requested it?"
"Yes."
Damn, she's really caught his eye.
'No professor could resist that.'
Seeing her steadily climbing the grad school path reminded me of my classmate still slaving away in the lab.
She'd taken a similar route.
Getting properly marked by Professor Choi Ik-hyeon, that is.
Of course, imagining her as a grad student was hard to picture.
Her looks were too outstanding for that.
"Good luck with it."
I flicked my hand.
The signal that our business was done—get lost.
She was too uncomfortable to stick around with.
Not just the morning incident, but the stares from the other students now that she was next to me felt burdensome.
I just wished she'd leave already.
"Why aren't you going?"
She sat in the seat next to me and started unpacking her bag.
"You're the only person I know in this lecture hall."
"..."
For real?
No matter how few acquaintances she had, she'd sit next to the guy who sexually harassed her this morning?
I couldn't wrap my head around it.
Was I being too much of a goody-two-shoes?
Do kids these days just ask about panty colors right off the bat? She seemed a bit embarrassed but answered readily enough...
'No way that's it.'
Even if kids today are open-minded, they don't ask about panty colors.
It's just an internet meme.
Something's up.
She's after something.
As the person involved, I couldn't bring myself to ask.
I felt uneasy.
What the hell does this girl want, coming at me like this?
No clue.
'She's not cozying up to gather evidence for a lawsuit, is she?'
I was just a broke military returnee student with nothing to my name.
Hell, I couldn't even land a proper job, scraping by on part-time gigs. How much money did she think I had?
Countless versions of Kim Jinwoo in my head spat out every possible assumption.
But none rang true.
So my conclusion:
Ignore her.
I'd resolved to ignore her after the mental council of Jinwoos reached a consensus.
Sometimes you gotta take the long way around.
"Alright, then. Let's prep for class. Professor Choi's lectures are tough."
"He assigns a lot of group projects too."
What am I supposed to do about that...
Fine.
I got it.
This girl's scheme:
Use the morning incident as leverage to exploit me.
Not for money—for labor.
Unlike her, I'm a proper third-year. That's what she wants to use.
-Sunbae, if you don't want to get sued, how about doing my assignments too? You don't mind, right?
For better grades.
Clever bitch.
Even knowing her game, I couldn't do shit about it.
She already held a powerful weapon.
'Stop.'
Stop overthinking.
Too many stray thoughts.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
The morning stunt had my mind racing with nonsense.
As if Han Chae-ah would approach me with some scheming plot...
"Sunbae, no group members for the group project?"
Spot on.
I could already picture myself drowning alone in Professor Choi's assignments.
Social suicide might be better.
"Nope..."
My voice trembled like a cow headed to slaughter as I answered.
"Perfect. Wanna team up then?"
No.
The word wouldn't leave my mouth.
Damn it.
"Ha, haha, that'd. Be. Just. Great?"
I was trapped in a snare I couldn't escape.
She smiled, seemingly quite satisfied, as I forced an awkward laugh.
"I was stressing over who to group with."
Every moment was a thorny path.
In a suffocating space, only suffocating topics poured out.
Topics so heavy they felt like they'd choke me to death.
Kim Jinwoo looked at her.
She smiled like she'd achieved her goal and pulled out her books and stationery to prep for class.
'Yeah. At least I got off cheap.'
I didn't know what further threats she'd pull later, but this was a bargain.
Think of it as paying off my life debt.
The problem was...
⚙ DAILY QUEST ⚙Ask if you can touch her breasts: 0/1
This goddamn quest.
The accursed quest truly out to kill me.
Failing it meant death.
The horrific pain I'd felt that morning.
The agony of my heart being squeezed, lungs crushed.
The slow suffocation, oxygen deprivation, the sensation of dying bit by bit—it was still vivid.
Not some quick pain, but a grinding torment that crushed the soul. "Horrific" didn't even cover it.
I never wanted to feel it again.
Standing on the line between life and death.
Way more terrifying than I'd imagined.
That's why I did it.
To Han Chae-ah.
The process was intense, but she wouldn't listen, and I didn't want to die either—I had to be desperate.
'We've come this far... just do it one more time?'
Are you insane?
You know exactly what'll happen if you get caught for that shit?
I couldn't believe my own thoughts.
Once you cross the line once, the temptation grows.
Maybe twice is fine? Sloppy thinking.
"Haa."
A sigh escaped from sheer frustration.
No point hiding it.
"Eep!"
As I sighed, a hamster-like squeak came from beside me.
I turned to look.
Han Chae-ah was staring at me in surprise.
"Ah, it's nothing!"
Why are you startled?
'What's up with her?'
Something's off.
Isn't that pencil case the same one she took out earlier? Why's she pulling it out again?
But the thought didn't last.
"Good day, everyone."
The professor had entered.
True to his reputation for tough classes, he had a stern face.
The deepest impression was the heavy wrinkle on his forehead.
The furrowed brow beneath it spoke volumes of the stress he carried.
"Familiar faces all around. I trust you all had a good break. And by third-year, you know I don't slack on the first day. So I'll just quickly cover the syllabus and dive in."
I glanced back at her.
...
Han Chae-ah's eyes flicked toward me.
In her hand was the pencil case she'd definitely already taken out earlier.
Pretending to put it back in her bag, she turned her face slightly my way, her gaze...
landing on my arm.
"What are you doing?"
Forgetting we were in class, I asked her without thinking.
"Ah..."
Our eyes met at last.
"W-Well, you see..."
"What's with you since earlier? Suddenly acting like we're buddies. Is it because of what I said this morning?"
"Huh? No, that's..."
"Sorry for asking about your panty color out of nowhere. But I had my reasons..."
"A-Are you crazy?"
She shot up and yelled.
This crazy bitch.
Screaming like that in Professor Choi's class?
"...Chae-ah, feel free to have lover's quarrels elsewhere, but please spare my class?"
Naturally, it drew the professor's attention.
"Ah, sorry."
Realizing what she'd done, she bowed her head.
"Jinwoo, you too—go easy. Can't have a returnee dragging a junior around right from the start."
"...Sorry."
This is bullshit.
She screamed, so why am I getting dragged in?
Now I'd properly caught the professor's eye at the semester's start.
He wouldn't dock grades over this, but I'd be singled out for every assignment from now on. Another sigh escaped.
"P-People are around—what are you saying?"
"Isn't it? Then what's your reason for approaching me like this?"
"Th-That's..."
"If you want an apology for this morning, I can do that. But not like this."
"I-I didn't especially want an apology..."
"Then what? You didn't suggest teaming up on purpose?"
Han Chae-ah struggled to respond.
Something's there.
I just couldn't pinpoint it.
'No.'
I had a rough idea, actually.
Why this girl suddenly approached me.
Why she plopped down next to me.
Why she reacted so sensitively, like she'd been caught sneaking peeks at my body.
-Ah, I wanna masturbate.
-Haa, no hot guy to rape me?
-I like powerful types who pin me down with thick arms and force themselves on me while I can't move.
-Ah, just imagining it makes me wet.
And this morning's events.
-What color are your panties, you fucking bitch? Answer me!
If Sexgram was real, I could roughly guess what she wanted.
Just a hunch, though.
I couldn't be sure.
Even if she harbored those thoughts, reality was a different beast.
'Should I test it?'
I had justification.
⚙ DAILY QUEST ⚙Ask if you can touch her breasts: 0/1
I can't die.
What to say?
Same meaning, but nuance changes with delivery.
"Can I touch your boobs?"
That's not what she wants.
Ask like a dumbass, and it's lawsuit endgame.
-I like guys who grope me by force. Makes my womb get ready for pregnancy.
Yeah.
A bit rougher.
Tailored for the perv girl who approached the panty-asking perv.
"Your bra matches your panties—sky blue, right?"
"Huh?"
A startled reaction without disgust.
Looks like I nailed it.
"You asked, sunbae. Whether your bra matches your panties in sky blue. Answer me."
"Ugh..."
Startled, Han Chae-ah squirmed.
Her eyes darted to the blackboard where the professor stood.
He'd already started class, fully focused.
"No answer means I should check by touching it myself, right?"
"No, that's not—"
She's speechless.
Those chatty little lips produced no words.
Can't process the situation? Brain lag from shock?
"This bitch, really. Won't answer to the end. Fine. No answer means I touch."
"..."
⚙ DAILY QUEST ⚙Ask if you can touch her breasts: 1/1 Quest completed.
Done.
The completion message popped up just from asking.
As expected.
No need to actually touch.
Speechless Chae-ah squeezed her eyes shut.
As if she wouldn't resist even if I groped her chest right then.
Jinwoo smiled at her.
He let out a deliberate mocking laugh.
"Nah. Not touching."
"Yes?"
"I'm not the perv who gropes tits during class. And yours? Not appealing."
Liar.
I wanted to grope them bad.
Overflowing with appeal.
How do you ignore those huge tits whose curves show even through clothes?
Not getting to fondle those ripe breasts...
What a waste.
Such a shame.
But I'm a rational adult.
Gotta hold back.
"Ah..."
A sigh came from someone else's mouth—not mine.