Chapter 134: Who is the clingy one?

Read o​n Kat​Re​adingCafe

There are children running around inside an old building.

A girl who’s beauty, despite wearing shabby clothes, is not dulled at all. Her white hair fluttering softly as she runs around.

It seemed like a rather tense situation, but the smile painted across her face suggested otherwise.

Huffing and puffing, she runs up the stairs, heading toward a dead end towards the attic where they always gather.

She came here on purpose.

To get caught.

“Hey! Aren’t you going to stop?”

The sound of hurried footsteps followed her.

What could have caused this chase? It happened so often that she can’t even remember.

As usual, the girl probably teased the boy, and he exploded in anger.

She slightly slowed down and glanced back, only for the blue-eyed boy to pounce on her.

“Kyaa!”

The girl, knocked down by him, let out a sharp cry yet in response she only laughed brightly, as if she found it amusing.

In the dimly lit attic, the children’s eyes, still full of light, recognized each other.

The girl, looking at the boy on top of her, raised the corner of her mouth.

“Tommy, you’re being too intense.”

“What?”

“You’re sweating so much, your face is red, and your breathing is heavy. Aren’t you too excited?”

With a mischievous smile that you wouldn’t expect from a young girl, she subtly covered her body. Despite her youthful appearance, her white skin, straight limbs, and the intense aura she exuded were captivating.

“Really…”

You pervert—

Her whispering voice was provocatively sweet.

What about the boy? A shy young boy like him couldn’t do much. His face, now even redder than before, looked like it might explode at any moment.

He probably shouted something. It happened the same way every time.

It’s your fault, you’re the one who’s wrong, and so on. He scolded her.

Then, the bold girl retorted.

“Let me give you some advice, Tommy.”

Her smiling face momentarily captivated him, but it was obvious she was about to say something ridiculous, so his anger flared up again.

But the boy at that time didn’t have the ability to stop her, so what could he do? He could only listen while grumbling.

The girl, who knew this well, placed a finger on her lips and continued. Her rosy, delicate lips parted, and her voice, like a spring breeze, tickled the boy’s ear.

“Clingy guys aren’t popular.”

.

.

.

It just reminded him of the past. It felt like yesterday, yet despite that also like a distant memory.

Back when Sugar didn’t know that Riley was Riley.

“There are two main ways to disrupt the mind. One is sensory disturbance in reality, and the other is intrusion in dreams. The methods of dealing with them are different. Today, we’ll learn about the latter. Later we will commence practical exercises as well.”

As Riley reminisced, he glanced to the side and saw Sugar nodding off. The last class on Monday, Mental Defense, ironically completely incapacitated Sugar’s mind.

“Zzz…”

Sleep.

Now that he thought about it, this girl. Every night, she sleeps in a man’s shirt—one that’s been worn once—as her pajamas.

Pretending not to care, she craves the man’s warmth every day.

The boy from back then couldn’t have imagined this.

‘Who’s the clingy one here?’

It’s not that he dislikes it. It filled him with a slow sense of satisfaction. Riley is just as clingy as Sugar.

The difference is only in how they choose to express it.

Riley activated the magical tool he had painstakingly gathered materials for and created. Using just one of its simple functions.

“…!”

Soon, Sugar’s eyes snapped open at the sensation of vibration spreading from her neck.

“Why are you already practicing alone? Snap out of it.”

Riley whispered to Sugar, who had just woken up, Sugar turning and giving an annoyed look in return. It’s not like she was angry about being woken up.

She’s been like this since yesterday.

“Recognizing that it’s a dream is the first step in defense. You’re mages, so you’re very good at imagining things. That’s why it’s hard to notice, but there’s still a method. Try spinning a top. Check the clock repeatedly, as you do gradually it will show a time that doesn’t make sense.”

She’s acting like this because he saw Ian’s chest yesterday. It was an unavoidable accident, so Riley has nothing to say. It’s not like he wanted to see it, but the shirt tore while he was scouting.

“Look at your face. You’ve been sulking all day.”

“No, I’m not sulking.”

Sugar pouted slightly as she answered.

“Once you recognize it, you need to respond. Don’t let the enemy control you. The dream is yours alone. Establish an absolute symbol of yourself. A precious object, a person. Anything that can give you strength.”

Then Riley gently tickled Sugar’s neck.

“Stop it…”

“It’s not like I wanted to see it. Calm down.”

“What? I’m not even mad.”

“You are mad.”

This kind of relationship would have been unimaginable for the boy back then.

He was always at Sugar’s mercy.

Of course, he did think about crushing Sugar when he grew up. A childish wish, a boy’s stubborn desire to beat this cheeky, bold girl.

That feeling, when he thought about it later, was a kind of affection. A childish love for the girl who said she would become his family.

One late summer, the image of the girl who asked him to call her name was vivid. If you trace the origin of the sticky, hot affection deep in the man’s heart, wasn’t that the beginning?

I would gladly give my life for you, a precious woman I cherish that much. My only family.

I want to guarantee her a stable and free future, the woman who continues to affirm, cherish, and embrace me.

The emotions built up since childhood have been slightly twisted by the many pranks and Sugar’s fate, but it’s certain that they are genuine and deep.

Riley looked at his pouting partner.

A relationship that’s clearly more than friends and in a way, even more than lovers.

They’re covering it up with the term “most precious childhood friend.”

It’s frustrating, but at the same time, he understood. There’s still a mountain of unresolved issues, so they don’t have the right to develop their relationship further. They haven’t even graduated, let alone eliminated the cult, and there’s plenty of time.

Or maybe, he just didn’t want to admit it.

‘Is this love?’

Me? For her? Hah. No way.

Even now, the sight of his sulking partner is so cute that he  suppresses the rising desire with his fragile pride and pretends not to notice. Every night, he calls her name, and even though he’s put a collar on her, he still acts like this.

It’s hard to put his sticky feelings into words, and once he does, it feels like they’ll grow uncontrollably. Even after coming this far, his stubbornness rises.

Will this woman even accept him if he goes further?

“Why would I be mad… As your elder sister, I’m just scolding you strictly for moral guidance.”

She doesn’t seem to have any intention of developing their relationship either. So, for now, he’s satisfied with this line.

For now.

However, there’s something he does wish she’d realize—

“It’s funny. You’re jealous all day. You’re literally keeping an eye on everyone who comes near me.”

“No, I’m not. It’s just… I don’t want bad people to approach you. That’s all.”

—that she’s an incredibly clingy woman.

It’s not just him.

“Now, here’s a good example. Lovers who are so close they fight. You can set each other’s images as guardians in your dreams. It won’t be hard for you two to create symbols.”

“That’s not it…!”

Following the professor’s words, the students’ gazes turned toward Sugar and Riley. Sugar muttered shyly, but no one listened.

***************

“This will be on the final exam. I hope you keep up with the classes from now on.”

Ah. The students in the classroom groaned at the difficult exam content.

Anyway, the class is over, so it’s time to escape. The students chattered noisily as they left the classroom one by one.

While packing her things, Sugar glanced to the side. Ian, dressed neatly in a suit, and Leon, who looked dazed beside her.

She doesn’t know what happened between the two yesterday.

She’s curious, but she figures they’ll tell her when the time comes. For now, she just wants to be alone, so she quickly slipped out.

The air, filled with the scent of early summer, enveloped her. Summer vacation is about a month away, so it’s understandable.

Heading straight to the east building, Sugar entered the Sugar Mill and threw herself onto the sofa, it was big enough that it could almost be called a bed.

A place filled with the scents of Riley and herself. She lay down there and opened her notebook to start taking notes.

‘Apostles: Six. (Sometimes vacant)’

‘Each has one of their five senses + vocal cords damaged. They use magic related to those parts.’

It’s a topic she’s wanted to discuss with Riley for a while. It’s better to talk about it before exam preparations get too busy. For now, she wrote down whatever came to mind for organization.

‘[List]

Vision – Louveci

Smell –

Taste –

Hearing –

Touch –

Vocal Cords – Claude’

Currently, she only knows two for sure. Sugar isn’t in the cult, and the involvement of the Cult of Unity makes it possible that things are different from the original.

‘Next is the Cult of Unity… Leader Menes Prophen. And the fused beings… Beastkin. Relationship with the Gem Dragons.’

She once received materials from Ian and looked through them. Sugar twirled her pen and continued organizing.

‘Given the personalities of the Gem Dragons I know, it’s unlikely they’re closely involved with heretics. This isn’t certain, so I’ll skip it… Next, their ultimate goal. Louveci’s followers want me to gain some kind of power. To rise higher. But what about the opposing forces? What does the Shadow Cult, allied with the Cult of Unity, want?’

They’re scheming something in the shadows, but their goal is unknown. They haven’t directly reached out to Sugar yet.

They’re just quietly building the Crystal Tower.

‘Let’s think differently. The reason Louveci’s followers want me to rise higher. Maybe the opposing forces are doing something that only I, with increased power, can stop?’

Gaining power, rising higher, increasing one’s rank.

She roughly understood. What could it mean to tell the Saintess to increase her rank?

‘…Get closer to God.’

Become more divine.

Sugar put down her pen at that point. She didn’t want to think any further, she buried her face in the sofa and took deep breaths.

She curled up and sank into her thoughts. In the space filled with Riley’s dense magical energy, she absentmindedly fiddled with the choker he had given her.

She would do anything for him. Whatever he wants, whatever he desires, she wants to do it for him. If it means protecting him, she would gladly become the Evil God’s Saintess.

Then what about herself?

Does Sugar want something from Riley?

She thought it was enough just to see him healthy and living the life he wants. So why does her heart feel so twisted now?

‘It’s not like I wanted to see Riley.’

In the end, it was yesterday’s incident that was the problem.

It was just a minor incident. It wasn’t like she planned for it to happen, it was pure coincidence.

‘But Riley saw a noblewoman’s bare skin, so he’s in the wrong.’

And that noblewoman is also her best friend.

That’s all.

Sugar didn’t want to think anymore, so she buried her face completely.

Then, feeling suffocated, she exhaled sharply and got up from the sofa. She immediately took off her cloak and headed to the mirror.

“Hmm…”

She examined her body from various angles, gauging her size. Compared to Ian’s bursting—literally bursting—chest from yesterday, it’s laughable. Compared to Ian, no one stands a chance. Even a vast lake is just a puddle compared to the ocean.

Sugar’s isn’t that small either. As someone with a soft, plump body, hers is modestly sized, fitting perfectly in Riley’s hands.

‘No… Why is Riley the standard?’

‘This is stupid. It hurts my pride. It’s annoying to worry about these useless lumps of fat on myself while others have it better.’

Whatever size he likes. Whatever his preferences are, she’s already accommodated him a lot.

‘I allowed him to put a collar on me. I allowed him to leave a kiss mark below it. I even let him touch my lower belly and grope me to some extent.’

If he did this to another girl, it would be a big deal. She generously offered herself for her friend who’s interested in the female body.

And yet, he looks elsewhere. She doesn’t care if he greets or talks to other girls. But to see their bare skin? That’s unforgivable.

“That stupid… That stupid button…”

With her face red, Sugar pulled hard on the back of her blouse.

“Ouch. Why won’t it come off? Do you know who I am? I’m the Evil God’s Saintess, the one who makes people tremble in fear and shed tears…”

People would definitely cry if they saw this. It’s pitiful to see her deliberately trying to pop a button by pulling on her clothes.

But it seems even the Evil God’s Saintess couldn’t overcome a single button. It didn’t budge.

She didn’t want to use magic for the sake of her pride, but it seems she has no choice.

Just as she was about to channel magic into her arm.

“Hey.”

A pitiful voice called from behind. Sugar turned around with a creak.

Her eyes met Riley’s, who was leaning against the doorframe.

“How much did you see…?”

“From when you went ‘hmm’ and started fiddling with your chest.”

“So… you saw everything from the beginning?”

“Was that the beginning?”

The poor woman, who was so absorbed in the mirror that she didn’t notice someone coming, ran to the window and threw herself out. Or rather, she tried to, but Riley quickly grabbed her.

“Let me go!! I want to die!! Let me die!!”

“Calm down! It’s embarrassing to get caught trying to pop a button on purpose, but…!”

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

Forget it, forget it—!

The hollow scream echoed pitifully.