Side Story 3. Hot Spring Trip (9)

Women’s Bath

Eun Yuha had never once felt jealous of others in her life. Before Yuseong’s downfall, she was the youngest sister, doted on and loved by her older brothers, and she had even awakened to the tremendous superpower of Doll Master.

Such a Yuha felt jealousy for the first time here today. And not towards powerful overseas competitors or rival companies, but truly felt envy and jealousy towards a love rival over one person.

Doong-doong-sil. Yuha instinctively submerged her mouth in the water at the sight of the two watermelon-sized masses floating on the surface. Otherwise, her pouting lips felt like they would be exposed to that love rival.

Burururu. Yuha subtly scanned her surroundings, pretending not to, amidst the hot spring’s steam.

Seok Harang, Cheon Gaeul, Himeji Hikari, Yooishin.

Hikari, being a minor, was out of the question. Whatever her future growth potential, it held no immediate significance. Even Phoenix had only introduced Hikari as an outstanding talent, without treating her with any special favor.

Eun Yuha, 1 win.

Next was Seok Harang. Upon reaching SS-rank, her skin became even finer, and all her remaining baby fat disappeared, bringing her closer to the physique of a mature woman, but her chest faithfully followed the Korean genetics inherited from her father, Heo Yun-hwan. Even if it was close to standard size, Yuha was at least much kinder than Harang.

Eun Yuha, 2 wins.

Yuha was on a winning streak, but she had no choice but to kneel before the overwhelming power of the undisputed number one. That naturally formed hill floating on the water shamelessly flaunted its presence. Since Yuha’s database confirmed that no artificial procedures were involved, Yuha swallowed her tears of blood and readily admitted her defeat.

Eun Yuha, 2 wins, 1 loss.

From here, it gradually gets ambiguous. Yooishin, a female Hero whom Yuseong had been eyeing to recruit into their PMC, but who instead joined Phoenix’s monstrous human legion. Now an executive of the Azure Syndicate known as Gungseong, she boasted considerable volume, not losing to Yuha.

She couldn’t touch or directly measure the size, so she had to search the database, but unfortunately, Yooishin had never once measured her body dimensions at Yuseong’s Hero Suit store. Just in case, she even searched if any underwear sizes purchased from Yuseong’s clothing store remained, but miraculously, not a single one was left.

Yuha was convinced. ‘That woman is a Yuseong boycott activist.’ Yuha’s gaze towards Yooishin naturally turned sour due to her harsh spending habits of not using a single product from Yuha’s company. Naturally, her estimate of Yooishin’s size also became biased.

Eun Yuha, a narrow 3 wins, 1 loss. Yuha closed her eyes with a satisfied expression. Harang, who was next to her, splashed water on Yuha’s face.

“Kyaa?!”

“Hey unnie, what are you so triumphant about, looking at someone else’s chest however you please?”

“…No? I didn’t look?”

“Unnie, you’re A-class, so it’s all obvious. You didn’t look, but you’re a scary person, in my opinion, Yooishin unnie is bigger.”

Ppajik. Yuha ground her teeth and lifted her head from the water. Yooishin’s gaze sharpened.

“Chairperson-nim?”

“……Why, Gungseong?”

“I believe I introduced myself as Yooishin earlier.”

“I’m not close enough to call Gungseong-nim by name.”

Yooishin twisted the corner of her mouth for a moment before realizing the reason.

“Are you perhaps saying this because I remarked that Yuseong’s Hero Suits are trash? But you must admit it. Version 1.7 suits were the worst in terms of stability.”

“Hmph. Version 1.8 came out right after 1.6, you know? There’s no such thing in Yuseong’s history.”

“That’s fortunate. At least they know what their dark history is. Anyway, I’ll never buy them for the rest of my life.”

“Excuse me? I’m the one sending all the supplies going up to Seoul, you know? Don’t you know that the light purple lace underwear you were wearing earlier is also our product?”

“……It’s fine, I didn’t buy it with my own money.”

Amidst the fierce debate between the entrepreneur and the boycott activist, Harang subtly moved closer to Gaeul. Gaeul, who had been fully enjoying the warmth of the hot spring, turned her gaze.

“Oh my? What’s going on?”

“Can I touch you once?”

“……What?”

Gaeul flinched and put some distance between them. Already, most of Gaeul’s Tentacles were being observed as if dissected by Hikari, who was sitting right next to her. Harang swallowed hard and pointed with her finger.

“Both of them.”

“……Do as you please.”

Gaeul raised both hands, declaring surrender. Harang very slowly raised her hand, like a mountaineer taking her first step onto a colossal peak she had never seen in her life.

“Wow, that’s amazing, awesome.”

“Hey, you, wait a minute.”

Gaeul grabbed Harang’s wrist with a Tentacle.

“Why are you so good at this? It doesn’t seem like you’ve only done it once or twice?”

“…….”

Harang subtly averted her gaze. As someone who already knew well what feelings Gaeul had for the Bluebird from Yuha, if Gaeul knew what she was daring to play with, Gaeul would surely flip out. So Harang immediately changed the subject.

“Unnie, how do you really manage your body? Do you adjust your diet separately? Like a celebrity diet?”

“I don’t manage it. It’s genetics. I have a body type that doesn’t gain weight.”

Tsk. Harang unconsciously clicked her tongue. At the same time, Hikari, who was next to her, lowered her Tentacles and tilted her head.

“Isn’t it a body type where mana is concentrated in the chest?”

“What?”

The gazes of the four women converged on Hikari. Hikari lifted her smartwatch (waterproof) and brought up the screen.

“Everyone has a unique mana pattern, and the main points where it acts within the body differ. Where mana circulates better, physical functions also improve.”

“That, perhaps, are you saying that rumor is true?”

At Yooishin’s question, Hikari thought for a moment before clapping her hands.

“The theory of physical correction according to rank increase? That’s not a rumor. It’s Professor Do-nim’s theory, isn’t it? I think it’s correct. If the samples weren’t predominantly male, it would have been registered in academic journals, you know?”

Hikari explained the ‘Sample Survey on the Dynamics of Physical Correction According to Mana Rank Improvement,’ which was filled with all sorts of technical terms.

“Since the samples were male, I can only talk mainly about males, but it applies equally to females. As the rank increases, the mana within the body moves more, and accordingly, physical functions naturally improve.”

“……..”

Hikari immediately stopped explaining at the sight of the four women, who looked somewhat fed up, and held up three fingers.

“1. Increased daily calorie consumption. 2. Natural physical correction. 3. Enhanced sexual function. To summarize the paper, there are three main effects.”

“Thanks for the summary.”

Gaeul was genuinely grateful. Gaeul wasn’t so heartless as to interrupt a young girl with a bright future excitedly speaking. Yooishin touched her thigh and marveled.

“Then, my thigh fat decreasing too…?”

“I think it was corrected during awakening. In the direction unnie desired.”

Hikari tapped her temple.

“Ultimately, what would be the standard for ideal body correction? It’s the will of the mana’s owner that’s involved. This is where Professor Do-nim and I differ in opinion. Professor Do-nim’s opinion is that physical correction due to mana’s influence simply changes the body into a practical physique to combat monsters, while I believe mana reads the body owner’s brainwaves and changes the body in the desired direction…….”

Yooishin made a tearful face at the increasingly long explanation, but the others subtly averted their gaze. Ultimately, the three women used Yooishin as a shield and moved closer.

“Unnie, is there anything that got better after you became S-rank?”

“…My age-related fat did decrease a bit. What about you, Harang?”

Harang whispered very softly, as if speaking a national secret.

“……It went up one cup.”

“Really?”

“It’s probably true. The customer-nim also mentioned something with a similar nuance.”

Gaeul’s and Harang’s gazes simultaneously fixed on Yuha. Yuha waved her hand as if making an excuse and quickly continued speaking.

“That’s just what was said, and I don’t know what it’s actually like! We can’t ask the person herself right now, can we?”

“……Th-that’s true.”

Harang nodded with an awkward expression. Even though she had come to bathe and soak in the hot spring, Harang deliberately entered the hot spring with her hair tied up with a blue butterfly hairpin.

“Hey Yuha unnie. Did anything change when you awakened?”

“…I awakened as A-class from the beginning.”

They couldn’t cross-verify. The three women ultimately had no choice but to seek an expert’s opinion. Hikari, who was still rapid-firing a barrage of specialized knowledge at Yooishin, became thirsty from the overly long explanation.

“……First, shouldn’t we go out and continue talking?”

Before they knew it, the time was past 10 o’clock.

* * *

“That’s right.”

Under Phoenix’s public declaration, everyone realized the truth. Hikari, in particular, clapped her hands and beamed with delight that her hypothesis was correct. Phoenix continued her explanation, sipping strawberry milk from a triangular pack with a straw.

“Primarily, the influence of genetics is significant, and secondarily, the influence of mana occurs. In any case, it’s true that physical correction is applied when one’s rank awakens.”

“Then, me, perhaps there too…?”

At Hayate’s question, Phoenix blinked her lips for a moment before nodding.

“Even if it doesn’t suddenly increase by 2 or 3 times, think of it as getting about 1cm longer each time your rank goes up.”

“I’m already S-rank? Is there no hope?”

“S-rank is S-rank, you know. Could you come here for a moment and give me your hand?”

Hayate hesitantly stood up and took Phoenix’s hand. Gaeul, realizing what Phoenix was about to do, bit her lip, but Phoenix merely closed her eyes and scanned Hayate’s mana.

“It’s troublesome to tell you everything, so I’ll just tell you the highest. Himeji Hayate, wind attribute maximum 96. It’s about 94 right now.”

“O-only 2 more and I’ll be SS-rank?”

“That ‘2’ will probably be tens of times the amount of effort you’ve put in so far, you know? Not many people reach SS-rank. Unless everyone knows their own level, that is.”

Phoenix mulled over her memories for a moment. Both Ryu Cheon-seong and Eun Yuha, it was very clear how uncomfortable and anxious they were about not being able to accurately gauge their own level. Phoenix pointed at Hikari with her index finger. Hikari, who had been singled out, waited for Phoenix’s words in a kneeling posture.

“The mana pattern detector, it’s only in the planning stage right now, right?”

“Yes, yes! It’s still just a concept-“

“I’ll supply A-grade Cores as much as you want, so try making one. Eun Yuha Chairperson-nim will also provide budget support.”

“Doctor Hikari-nim, if you’re short on budget, please tell me anytime.”

Before she knew it, Yuha was looking at Hikari as an equal. The tangible and intangible future value Yuha would gain through Hikari transcended imagination.

“Since I’m quite a wealthy person. If you wish, I will procure the world’s best research facilities and equipment.”

“Th-thank you, hiccup.”

Hikari hiccupped and gasped for breath. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she soon burst into sorrowful sobs.

“Thank you, hic! Oh, hwaaaang!!”

Hayate rushed to her side and comforted Hikari. She didn’t ask why she was crying, but simply hugged her silently and patted her back. Hikari’s tears were tears of happiness shed from a joyful heart.

Phoenix silently drank her strawberry milk, looked around at the bewildered audience, and wiggled her fingers twice.

“On a happy day like today, a drink for everyone?”

Everyone raised a toast. Whether Heroes, Villains, or ordinary people, those gathered in the room even released the mana that suppressed their intoxication, clinked their glasses, and stayed up all night together.

* * *

June 7th, 4 AM, Hwangshindang Mixed Bath.

“It’s finally quiet now.”

I soaked myself in the hot spring where rain was falling, slowly exhaling my intoxication. My alcohol-laced breath, carried away with the hot spring’s steam, rose into the night sky and disappeared.

‘If not now, I won’t be able to come here again, so I should enjoy it one more time.’

Fortunately, Changyeom showed no reaction, perhaps having fallen asleep drunk. I enjoyed this tranquility, listening to the sound of the rain, as if I were alone in the entire world.

Kkiiiiik.

The door opened. Who could have come here at this hour of dawn? I flicked my finger, casting a light.

There was-

“Customer-nim, what are you doing here at this hour?”

It was the owner, Ha Seontae. More than Phoenix’s naked body being seen by a man, my mouth went dry at the stern gaze of Ha Seontae, who was wearing a yellow raincoat.

“Other customers are sleeping, so making water noises like this is troublesome.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“If someone other than me had come, what were you planning to do, customer-nim?”

“…….”

My face turned red. Ha Seontae sighed and checked his wristwatch.

“I’ll hang a ‘Cleaning in Progress’ sign outside, so please tidy up and come out by 30 minutes.”

“……Yes.”

Speechless.

I watched Ha Seontae in his yellow raincoat turn his back and disappear from the hot spring bath, then I stood up.

“I thought someone would come.”

It’s a shame, but let’s look forward to next time.

I quietly stood up and exited the bath.

After that, I obediently returned to my room.

There was no suggestive event I had hoped for, and I spent the night alone, welcoming the dawn by myself.

“…….”

‘Right, what kind of event like that now?’

Jjak.

I slapped my cheeks with both hands and composed myself.

‘Let’s just focus on my survival.’

And save the world while I’m at it.

“……The sun is really beautiful.”

The sun rose above the horizon.

The break was over.