The reason Han Chae-ah, a second-year student, ended up taking Professor Choi Ik-hyeon's third-year lecture on modern literary theory was simple.
A circumstance she couldn't easily refuse.
For someone like her, who played the role of a good person and a kind girl, it was a proposal too hard to turn down from her professor.
Honestly, it was burdensome.
Especially since the intention behind it was so obvious.
Graduate student.
Among her peers, Han Chae-ah's grades were top-tier, good enough to count on one hand.
A bona fide top student who even received scholarships.
Choi Ik-hyeon, the department head of Yeonsung University's Korean Literature Department and a renowned figure in academia, wanted her to join his research lab.
"Give it a try. It could be a great opportunity for you, Chae-ah. If it suits you, it might even become a major turning point for focusing on your studies."
She wanted to refuse, but she couldn't.
Refusing would shatter the image she'd built.
It was a burdensome, heavy position.
Taking a class with third-years, no less.
Even her classmates who might have wanted to join her all turned it down.
"Professor Choi's classes are a bit..."
"He gives a ton of assignments. Even his first-year classes were like that—third-year must be worse."
"Sorry, if it were another third-year class maybe, but Professor Choi is scary."
In the end, she was the only one entering the third-year class.
"I'll be in class with the seniors..."
Seniors made her particularly uncomfortable.
The Korean Lit Department was famously female-dominated.
With far more female seniors than males, many of them envied her.
All the attention from the few male students in the department went straight to Han Chae-ah.
"I don't even need the attention."
Heading into that awkward spot didn't feel great.
It would've been better if she had friends there.
That's when she spotted Kim Jinwoo.
He flinched upon seeing her.
He'd treated her so roughly earlier.
Why act like he didn't know her now?
Han Chae-ah noticed how clean Kim Jinwoo's surroundings were.
The other seniors were all huddled in groups, but he sat alone, isolated.
Just like her, entering a third-year class for the first time.
Maybe that's why.
She felt a little relieved.
He was the pervert who'd asked that creepy question this morning, but at least he was a familiar face.
An ill-fated one, but still.
She still remembered it vividly.
His rough voice as he grabbed and twisted her wrist, demanding her panties' color.
The desire spilling out alongside the curses.
"He does like me, doesn't he?"
Otherwise, he wouldn't be panicking like that.
Perfect.
This was a chance to subtly confirm it.
As she sat next to him, his forearm stood out sharply.
His thick forearm exposed by slightly rolled-up sleeves.
He must not have skipped workouts at all—the muscle valley split right down the middle was crystal clear.
"Wow."
She found her gaze drawn to it without realizing.
It was completely different from hers.
The opposite of her own soft, hairless arm.
His forearm and wrist, exuding raw masculinity, stole the attention of a woman full of curiosity.
Wild.
Too wild.
To get another look at the hand of a man with muscles she'd never have, she deliberately repacked her pencil case and snuck a glance.
She knew it was embarrassing behavior on her part.
"But this senior did something embarrassing to me too."
It was a petty revenge for him asking about her panties' color that morning.
"It's really big... Are all guys like this?"
The other seniors didn't give off that vibe at all.
A few worked out, sure, but not like this.
"That hand on my arm..."
No wonder she couldn't break free.
With fingers that thick.
If this senior really did like her.
"Might be interesting...?"
Han Chae-ah immediately regretted the thought and her actions.
"No. I won't let you touch."
"What?"
"I'm not some pervert who gropes during class. And your chest? Not appealing."
She hadn't imagined hearing that.
Asking if her bra matched her panties.
Asking if he could grope her chest.
She'd screamed in shock at the harassment, forgetting they were in class.
And now he said her chest lacked appeal?
Ridiculous.
Her perky, teardrop-shaped breasts that swelled just right were one of the body parts she was most confident about.
When she'd done modeling, comments on her chest flooded in the most.
Men and women alike, their eyes stolen by her breasts.
No appeal? Please.
"What the hell is with this senior?"
Irritation bubbled up.
At his attitude, like he was toying with her.
"I-I wasn't planning to let you touch anyway."
So Chae-ah spat it out, her eyes flashing without thinking.
"Good. Then focus on class now."
Cancel that.
Cancel thinking this guy liking her might spark interest.
"Hopeless pervert."
Why did I sit next to him?
If it weren't a third-year class.
If there was just one familiar face.
I wouldn't have sat here.
"Annoying."
She was mad at herself for getting swayed by Kim Jinwoo's words.
Yet she couldn't focus on class because of his arm flexing every time he jotted notes.
Because of the gap moe from those thick hands gripping the pen so delicately.
"Get it together, Han Chae-ah."
Am I crazy?
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
He'd completed the quest, but there was no reward.
"Are you kidding? You put my life on the line and give no reward?"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[The quest's difficulty was deemed extremely low, so the reward has been automatically excluded. Furthermore, HQ judges that getting closer to this follower, 'Han_cha', is reward enough in itself.]
What nonsense.
What was getting closer was the courtroom, not Han Chae-ah.
Deflated, but he didn't press further.
It was a mysterious power that could kill him anytime, anywhere.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙[Going forward, we will provide quests of appropriate difficulty that offer rewards.]
Pressing more might cost him his life, so he backed off.
Throughout class, Kim Jinwoo felt Han Chae-ah's glare boring into him.
"Tch, did I go too far?"
Saying her chest had no appeal was a bit much, yeah?
Telling a girl with breasts like that they were meh was kinda rude.
But he couldn't grope them either.
The moment he did, Act 2 of his life was prison-bound for sure.
So he couldn't focus on class.
"Starting next week, we'll have group assignments. Pair up with classmates you get along with and form groups of 2 to 3."
"Thank you for the class."
The second class ended, he packed up and bolted.
It wasn't just because of Han Chae-ah.
"Jinwoo."
The one he really didn't want to talk to was someone else.
"P-Professor Choi."
"What's got you so scared? Think I'm dragging you to my lab?"
"Haha, no, sir."
Yeah.
Professor Choi Ik-hyeon.
That was the one he really didn't want to chat with.
If it weren't required, he'd never take this class.
"Your classmate's already helping out plenty, so you're good."
Poor classmate's face flashed in his mind.
Probably cursing Professor Choi right now.
"Wasn't calling you for that. I want you to be class rep this semester."
"Plenty of other students, sir."
"You? The most senior should set an example."
"I don't even know anyone now. Actually, you know I don't do department stuff."
"That's exactly why."
"..."
"You're at university—spend time with your peers. Holed up alone in your room all the time? What's the point? Be class rep, mingle a bit."
He couldn't refuse.
Looked like he'd been picked from the start.
"Got it, sir."
"Thanks. Oh, and."
He continued as if something just occurred to him.
"You know Chae-ah student?"
"Why?"
"If you do, I was gonna ask a favor."
"Recruit her to grad school under you?"
Obvious.
He wanted any top student under him.
Insatiable talent hunter.
"Not that close. And isn't your lab full already? No spot for Han Chae-ah, right?"
"Ye-won say that?"
"No? Just a hunch. No TA vibe."
"Then you wanna do it?"
"Am I some dog you name after yourself? Me?"
"What's wrong with you, Jinwoo?"
"No way. Can't handle the nagging under you."
"Kukuku, I like the honesty."
"I'll head out then."
He bowed to the professor.
That should get the point across.
That he'd never do grad school.
"No need to get more tangled with Han Chae-ah."
Already unnecessarily linked by two bad incidents.
End it here today.
They'd be in the same class and group projects ahead, sure.
"But no more than that."
His instincts screamed more ties would bring annoying school drama.
That's when it happened.
"Why'd you refuse?"
He turned at the familiar voice.
Han Chae-ah stood in the hallway.
Why haven't you left?
"What?"
"Why refuse?"
"Grad school?"
"No."
"The pitch to cozy up using the professor's request as an excuse?"
"Yes."
She nodded.
"Chance to get close to me, using the professor's ask as cover."
"..."
Some ego.
Well, she had the confidence for it.
But nodding here would bruise his pride.
He had zero intention.
His rebellious streak reared up.
"Me and you? Why?"
"Huh?"
"Why should I get close to you?"
Kim Jinwoo stepped toward her.
"Well, obviously..."
"Because I know your panties' color?"
"What?"
"You spilled your panties and bra color yourself, even shoved your chest at me asking to grope."
"I-I never did that!"
"Then how do I know your panties' color?"
"You made me say it..."
As he closed in one step, Han Chae-ah retreated one.
He cornered her until her back hit the wall.
"If I just say I told you to, and you blurt it out."
"..."
"If I say I'm stripping and groping your chest here, you gonna shove it out?"
Han Chae-ah, slammed against the wall, flinched and glanced behind her.
Shivering like a terrified rabbit.
"Answer. If I say I'm grabbing your tits, you gonna offer them up?"
Her trembling hands covered her chest.
Her slender frame, suppressible with one hand, resisted desperately.
How powerless she looked.
Her upturned eyes quivered.
"Y-You're really a pervert?"
No quest this time.
Yet it didn't feel good watching.
Her thinking she'd seized control because of his actions.
Her arrogant charge, convinced she was the top dog.
Smiling sweetly at others but cocky only to him.
It irritated him a bit.
"Pervert... You think I didn't notice?"
"N-Notice what?"
"Staring at my arm the whole class."
He raised his arm.
Han Chae-ah's eyes trembled.
Her gaze followed his raised arm.
Yeah.
He'd felt that stare the whole time.
The glare of anger.
"Imagining this arm kneading your tits or something?"
"..."
Han Chae-ah couldn't respond.
Whether she was glaring mad or actually turned on by his arm, didn't matter.
This was just the trigger anyway.
"D-Don't say crazy shit."
Her voice cracked, forced up.
Her excuses didn't matter either, true or not.
"Right?"
One clear fact: she'd refused.
Expressed she didn't want her chest groped.
"Then we end it here?"
"...Huh?"
"Misunderstanding cleared. I don't need to get close, you don't want groping. So we say bye here?"
End it here.
You forget my panty question, I forget your gaze.
Got it?
Her eyes on him wavered.
Hesitation in her direct stare.
"Or do you actually want it?"
He blatantly eyed her chest, legally.
"No answer?"
The curve under her casual blouse.
Her blouse screamed from what looked like D-cups.
Human history began with those soft curves since primordial times. The first warmth all life encounters, the safe haven for infants.
That maternal sanctuary asserting its presence called to him.
Dozens of thesis pages flooded his mind on why men succumb to mere fat lumps.
Conclusion: one.
Because breasts.
That's it.
Breasts are paradise.
Yearning for paradise is humanity's primal desire.
How massive a loss is a life untouched by them.
Ha.
Fuck.
Wanna grope so bad.
Bet it'd be soft as hell.
Softer than cotton but springy, softer than rubber but squishy, they say.
Fingers sinking in on contact— heavenly texture, no exaggeration.
Never touched any, so he often imagined the feel.
What would it be like?
Groping those breasts.
"Ha-ut!"
A lewd moan sounded.
What?
This sound?
Not like he turned on porn.
A beat after hearing it, unfamiliar sensation hit Kim Jinwoo's touch.
"...?"
He realized too late his hand was on Han Chae-ah's breast.
"S-Stop..."
He looked at Han Chae-ah staring up, eyes brimming.
Why'd he grope?
Meant to just scare and end it.
Panty question and her horny arm-gazing—mutual ignore was the goal.
Why?
"S-Sorry, Sunbaenim..."
Ah, Act 2 of despair begins.
"Soft."
Even amidst this, it's really soft.