Special Comfort

Like a lie.

The position that had hurt so much I screamed like a slaughtered pig just moments ago now didn’t hurt at all.

“Huh? H-how is this possible?”

“Well, of course it’s because you used healing magic~. It wasn’t that your bones broke, just that your muscles tore, right? So if you heal in that state~.”

“The wound heals in this position… so the muscles remain stretched out?”

“Exactly! Jin-sang, you’re smart. This is the flexibility training method that we healing magicians can do best. Holy arts can do something similar… but in terms of efficiency, we’re the best.”

I raised my body again and asked Bleks:

“But why did you do it so suddenly? I thought I was going to die from the pain.”

For real.

“Because it’s best to do it suddenly when you’re not expecting it. If I warned you beforehand and you tensed up, it would hurt more.”

“That’s… well, maybe? But still, that’s too much, Bleks!”

“Sorry, sorry~ But this position is the one where I can help quickly and the pain level is high. Considering what’s coming next, I thought it would be good for you to taste it first. Luna, I’m sorry too, did I scare you?”

“N-no. Um… I-I’m sorry for shouting.”

“Heh heh, no. Actually, your concern for your companion was very.nice♡”

“He-hehe…”

Hmm? Wait.

“What do you mean by ‘next’?”

“Hmm? I’m talking about the muscles we’ll stretch next~. You don’t think your entire body’s flexibility improved just from bending forward, do you?”

“Uh, well. Um… no, I don’t think so…”

No way… are we doing something similar again?

But in a different position?

A shiver ran through my body.

Bleks, unaware of my feelings, smiled brightly and said:

“I’ll help you with all the flexibility exercises we can do today. It will be painful, but it will all help Jin-sang in the future.”

“J-Jin-sang! Y-you can do it!”

Knowing it would help me, Luna didn’t stop it but instead cheered me on so I could endure.

To respond to Luna’s supportive heart.

And for my goal of returning to my original world, raising my reputation, joining the hero’s party, and defeating the Demon King.

I steeled my resolve.

Slowly rising from my seat, I closed my eyes tightly and shouted:

“Please take care of me!”

“Leave.it.to.me♡”

Ah, please stop with that voice.

And.

I screamed my lungs out at the training grounds until I achieved flexibility rivaling that of a gymnast.

◈

The next day.

After my usual routine.

After finishing my serving job and completing herb gathering and monster subjugation quests with Luna, I parted ways with her in the evening and came to Miriana-noona’s house.

I originally planned to invite Luna too, but she politely declined.

So I visited Miriana-noona’s house alone, ate food, and told her about what happened over the last three days.

Miriana-noona smiled brightly as she listened to my story.

Strangely, her shoulders were shaking a little.

I didn’t pay attention to that and finished telling the whole story.

After I finished and we completed our meal, Miriana-noona:

“Puhahahahaha! Ahh! Ah! My stomach! Kuhup! Hahahahaha! Sa-save me! Hahahahahaha!”

Burst into tremendous laughter.

“Noona! Why are you laughing!”

“J-Jin-sang! He-help me! Cough! Cough! Puhahahahaha! Ahh! I feel like I’m going to die from holding it in! Hahahahahahaha!”

My face frowned at her excessive laughter.

“Aren’t you laughing too much?”

“B-but… Puha! Puwup! How can I not laugh? You made a slime into a King Slime but almost got eaten instead, and then Puhup! You had this ridiculous ‘shell’ idea but flew off because you lacked strength… Kuhup! And then getting your body touched all over by that Bleks to increase flexibility at the training grounds… Aha! Ha! Hahahahaha!”

“Wait! I understand the first two, but that last one isn’t right! The touching was just to increase flexibility! And each time felt like I was dying from pain!”

“Ha…! Hahaha! S-so? Did your flexibility improve well?”

“The effect was definite. Look.”

I got up from the chair and stretched my legs fully, or bent my body so my palms touched the floor, or even assumed yoga-like positions where I bent my waist to grab my ankles.

“Wow, you can do all that?”

“Actually, increasing the flexibility of my waist hurt the most.”

Thanks to that, I can move this much now…

According to Bleks.

If I don’t stretch once a day, my body will quickly stiffen, so I should do it regularly.

Since I don’t want to feel that pain again, I planned to do this flexibility training daily, just like muscle training.

“Jin-sang.”

“What?”

“How about joining the circus instead of being an adventurer? Pfft, ha, you’d make good money?”

“Ah, Noona!”

I straightened up and protested to Miriana-noona:

“You know my goal and you say that! And stop teasing me!”

If you tease me too much, I’ll cry!

“Do you know how much I suffered!”

“Puhup! Kup! Kuhup! O-okay. Sorry, Jin-sang. I-I laughed too much, pfft!”

“Ah, if you’re going to say that, stop laughing first!”

“Yes! Kuhup! Puhahahaha!”

It took Miriana-noona about three minutes to finally stop laughing.

Isn’t it too much to start laughing again every time she tries to stop and sees my face?

“Haah! Haah! Ah… I haven’t laughed this much in a long time. Jin-sang, can you use that stamina recovery thing? I’m tired from laughing.”

“No.”

How can you say that after laughing at someone like that?

“Come on~ Huhh, haah. Don’t be like that. Noona will comfort Jin-sang who worked so hard~.”

“Stamina Heal.”

Woooong!

This is absolutely not because I want comfort.

It’s just that my very kind heart couldn’t leave Miriana-noona gasping.

“Phew. Thanks, Jin-sang. Your magic really is the best.”

“Whose magic is it? Of course it’s the best.”

Even though it’s a given ability, I’m the one using it, so it’s my ability.

“Then… shall Noona comfort you now♪”

“J-just to be clear, n-nothing indecent! I-I have a pure belief…!”

“Yes~ I know our Jin-sang has such a petty obsession, so don’t worry~.”

“It’s not petty!”

Ignoring my protest, Miriana-noona sat on the sofa.

“It’s comfort that our Jin-sang will like, so you can look forward to it.”

“What kind of comfort is it? Honestly, I’m not in a good mood right now? If it’s just some ordinary comfort, I’d rather not…”

Miriana-noona patted her thigh and said:

“Jin-sang~ Let’s do a lap pillow♪”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I can’t resist a lap pillow on Miriana-noona’s firm thighs!

I immediately went to the sofa and rested my head on Miriana-noona’s thigh.

Ahh~ My head feels so happy~.

“How is it, Jin-sang, good?”

“It’s nice.”

Especially the view of two large watermelons when looking up is very nice.

Hehe.

“Look at how your face instantly brightened up. Well, that’s your cute point, Jin-sang.”

“Hey, cute? Where can you find a dignified nice guy like me?”

“Jin-sang, I laughed so much earlier that I don’t want to laugh anymore, okay?”

I wasn’t trying to be funny.

“…Jin-sang.”

“Yes?”

“You can touch my breasts, you know?”

“Heup!”

It was such a fantastic thing to say.

But I know.

Th-this… is a trap!

It’s Miriana-noona’s scheme to target my purity!

“N-n-n-no touch! I-I won’t touch them!”

“Isn’t your voice trembling too much? You look pitiful.”

“Anyway, I-I won’t fall for such a trap!”

“Really? Then do you want to try a special lap pillow?”

“Special lap pillow?”

“Yes♪ Just like this, if Jin-sang were to flip over…”

“Flip over?”

“And bury your face between my thighs and smell them?”

Oh my!

Oh my goodness!

How can you say such awe—no, no, such outrageous and shameful things!

“A-a-a-a grown woman shouldn’t say things like that! Tsk!”

“Are you my mother, Jin-sang? So you don’t want to?”

“I lack the courage!”

The stimulation is too much!

“Pfft, good. You’re being honest this time. Then…”

Miriana-noona took something out from her bosom… specifically, from her cleavage.

“I’ll clean your ears for you♪”

It was an ear pick.

“Our innocent Jin-sang can handle this much, right?”

Hey, no harsh facts!

“What’s there to ‘handle’ about ear cleaning! I-I’ll gladly accept.”

I immediately flopped onto my side, facing the opposite side of the sofa.

“My~ Should you say such things~?”

I heard Miriana-noona’s voice as she grinned.

Hmph, it’s just ear cleaning, what’s so special about that.

I’ve cleaned my own ears many times.

Like when I applied too much force and hurt myself trying to scrape out stubborn earwax.

Or when I tried to dig out something a bit too deep and ended up pushing it further in, causing pain.

When I was young, my mom used to clean my ears too…

That really hurt.

My mom can’t control her strength when cleaning ears.

“Then I’ll start, Jin-sang? Heh heh, don’t make strange sounds, okay? Noona can’t hold back♪”

What can’t she hold back?

“What strange sounds? Just don’t hurt me, please.”

“Our Jin-sang has never had a good ear-cleaning experience, huh?”

“What’s good or bad about ear cleaning? Just hurry up.”

If it hurts, I’ll endure it while feeling Miriana-noona’s thigh sensation.

“Okay, I got it.”

And Miriana-noona inserted the ear pick into my ear and started scraping.

Scratch… scratch…

“Ahung! Huh?”

What?