Chapter 180:  It’s not like they’ve never reacted before, right?

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The game of reading the atmosphere had begun.

Four men and women stood in front of the dormitory building, silently gauging each other’s moods.

They had been given two double rooms. They needed to pair up appropriately and enter their assigned rooms.

The most ideal combination would be Sugar and Ian, Riley and Leon—since it was only natural for people of the same gender to share a room.

However, in Sugar’s mind, the men were also targets of suspicion—well, not exactly, but still.

Especially that black-haired guy. She really didn’t like him lately. Earlier that day, she’d heard him say something that made her skin crawl.

“You were cute.”

‘Ugh. Creep.’

Was she insane enough to let him share a room with her childhood friend? Absolutely not. Just the thought of it made her shudder—like watching a centipede’s legs twitch after being crushed.

But letting him stay with Ian wasn’t any better. The situation was already awkward since Ian was perceived as male, and now he was the target of that guy’s flirting.

What a sleazy bastard.

She was even considering having three of them share one room while leaving that guy alone when—

“…I’ll share a room with Leon.”

“Huh?”

“We already room together at school. It’s just like usual.”

Oh, come on.

Sugar stared at Ian in disbelief. Even though she spoke casually, the way she avoided her gaze was irritating.

‘Now that I think about it, Ian seems interested in that guy…’

As she pondered what to do about them, Riley placed a hand on her shoulder.

Sugar stiffened.

“Then let’s split up like that.”

Ah. So the problem wasn’t Leon after all.

She swallowed quietly.

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

Dinner was an ordeal where it was hard to tell if the food was going into their mouths or their noses.

“Oyo… Eheu… Hyuu…”

After the meal, someone was making strange noises, groaning in discomfort. Surprisingly, it wasn’t Sugar. It was Her Holiness, her face buried deep in her hood.

The trouble had started when Sugar said, “I’ll have some wine.” She was exhausted, and she figured that if she drank a little and used drowsiness as an excuse to sleep early, her childhood friend wouldn’t dare bother her.

But once she ordered a bottle, everyone else held out their glasses too. Riley had a glass, Ian had a glass, Leon had a glass.

Were they all planning to drink and sleep early like her? Or were they scheming to use the alcohol as an excuse for something else?

An unreadable tension rose among the group of young men and women.

And so, with everyone having had a drink, a problem arose near the end of dinner.

‘Huh… Why am I so sleepy…?’

Mid-meal, Ian started nodding off before slumping against her chair.

Sugar realized her mistake. Now that she thought about it, she’d never seen Ian drink back in the Holy City. She should’ve asked or given a warning.

‘My body feels hot… I’m so sleepy… This is weird…’

Oh, Ian. Your alcohol tolerance is practically nonexistent.

The three sober adults panicked as they stared at Ian, who was now completely out of it.

Now, they were carrying her back to the room on someone’s back.

Who was carrying him? Well, who else would it be?

“Hey… Hand him over to us. You take the room alone. We’ll put him in ours.”

“Is that really necessary?”

“Yes.”

“What exactly are you worried about?”

“Drunken impulses… unspeakable things… hmm…”

“Excuse me. I’m not even drunk, and are you insane? Who would dare lay a hand on him? Besides, we’re both men… What kind of thoughts are you even having? I can’t believe this.”

“Leon, don’t you think your usual behavior is the problem here?”

As they bickered like always, Riley leaned slightly against Sugar. The height difference was so great that it looked less like a lean and more like he was trying to swallow her whole.

“Sugar.”

He deliberately whispered into her ear. Her skin prickled with goosebumps.

“I think I’m drunk. Take care of me.”

“Don’t lie! You only had one glass!”

“I have a weak tolerance.”

“I’ve heard everything from the old man! You once downed five bottles of wine by yourself!”

“Ah, the hangover that day was brutal.”

She clutched her forehead at his shameless response.

“Ugh… Everyone, just go inside… Let’s just sleep… We’re busy tomorrow… No nonsense, just sleep…”

Staggering, she entered the room with Riley.

“I’m showering first…”

“How proactive.”

Why is he like this?!

Without another word, she stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door.

After her shower, she flopped onto the bed and checked the casino blueprints—the ones Praline had drawn.

But why was the bed so bouncy? Her body sank into the mattress, making it hard to examine the diagrams while lying face-down.

“I’ll shower too.”

“…Yeah.”

She had to pretend to be asleep by the time Riley came out. Adjusting her position on the bed, she glared holes into the blueprints.

“…”

No matter how hard she looked, nothing seemed to register.

She couldn’t focus.

“Ugh…!”

Slamming the blueprints onto the nightstand, Sugar got out of bed and headed for her luggage. She pulled out some clothes and laid them in a straight line down the center of the mattress—a boundary.

Only then did she feel at ease, flopping back onto the bed and yanking the covers over her head.

…

She held her breath, quiet.

The sound of running water from the bathroom. The slight dip of the mattress. Her own breathing. The faint pulse of her childhood friend’s mana.

Sugar exhaled sharply and shut her eyes.

Tomorrow’s going to be busy. Just go to sleep.

She pretended not to hear the bathroom door open. Ignored the sound of footsteps.

“What’s this?”

A dry, amused scoff followed. Still, she kept up the act—pretending to sleep, pretending to sleep.

Even when fingers tugged at the blanket, she kept her eyes closed, breathing steady.

“You’re not asleep. Why are you faking it?”

Pretending. Pretending.

“Why’d you line up clothes on the bed? Is this a boundary? ‘Don’t cross this line’?”

Pretending. Pretending.

“Haah… Sugar.”

The mattress dipped as he climbed onto the bed. Riley pulled her stiff body into a tight embrace.

After all the effort of making that line… Completely ignored.

“Keep pretending, and I’ll mess with you.”

“…”

“Sugar.”

Despite his threat, his touch was gentle, just a brush against her cheek. Her resolve wavered, and she cracked an eye open.

“Why were you pretending?”

“I was… really trying to sleep.”

At her answer, Riley’s expression twisted—something between wounded and sulky. In fact, he’d looked like that all day.

“You’re not sick of me, are you?”

“Huh…?”

“You’ve been keeping your distance lately.”

They hadn’t held hands once today.

Hell, ever since leaving the Holy City, she’d barely let him touch her. The moment the mood shifted, she’d either cling to Ian or outright leave.

Had that hurt him?

Her chest tightened.

“Riley… There’s no way I’d ever dislike you.”

If anything, she liked him too much—that was the problem.

“Then why the distance?”

“It’s just…”

She was just… confused.

After that dizzying, euphoric exchange of saliva, something in Sugar had shifted.

They’d kissed. They’d gone further. But excusing it as “just between friends” didn’t work anymore—they’d crossed too far.

Now, even holding hands felt embarrassing.

Her role was crumbling. Her unshakable position—Riley’s irreplaceable friend and family—was being rattled by that friend himself, and she couldn’t handle it.

What they were now wasn’t friends. Wasn’t family.

‘This is… like lovers.’

She’d thought about it occasionally since he’d marked her, but she could always wrap it up as “because you’re my most important friend.”

Lately, though… that excuse wasn’t working.

‘I don’t get it…’

The way she’d bared her teeth at that female friend he’d met outside.

The way she reacted to every little thing he did.

The way she kept sinking deeper into pleasure.

She didn’t understand anything anymore—least of all herself.

There was the Sugar who thought ‘This is wrong’ and the Sugar who whispered ‘But it’s okay.’ She seemed lax, but in some ways, she clung fiercely to responsibility and morals.

The conflict left her head spinning. And in the end, the solution she’d chosen was distance.

Meeting his gaze, she spoke softly.

“Riley… Don’t be upset.”

“Hah. Who’s upset?”

“I’m sorry. Let me hug you.”

She said she’d hug him, but she was really the one being hugged—her small frame left no other option. Still, she squeezed him with all her strength.

“I kept my distance because… lately, I’ve just…”

She hesitated.

A beat of silence.

Then, she tried again.

“You’ve been too clingy lately, dummy.”

“What?”

“Tone it down. You’re a creep, a creep, a creep. No one likes a sticky guy.”

Riley pinched her nose.

“Ow!”

As Sugar yelped, he released her, then casually stepped over the clothes-line boundary to his side of the bed.

“…Riley?”

“I’ll do as you want.”

In other words—he’d respect the line. Keep his distance. That’s what it sounded like.

“You’re my most precious childhood friend, after all.”

He turned his back to her, tossing out Sugar’s usual catchphrase. Whether he was mocking her or genuinely meant it, she couldn’t tell.

But this just made her more conscious of the tension.

Fidgeting with her fingers, Sugar lay there, staring at Riley’s back.

Guilt welled up inside her. If Riley started keeping his distance the way she had, she’d lose her mind.

She wouldn’t be able to stand it.

“…”

Sugar got up and went to her luggage, rummaging through it before pulling out a lip balm. Dragging her white sleepwear along the floor, she climbed back onto the bed.

“Riley.”

“…”

“Rileyyyy.”

“What.”

“Your lips were chapped earlier.”

“Mine?”

Had they been? He hadn’t noticed.

But why did that matter?

As Riley slowly turned his head, Sugar straddled him.

“What are you…”

“I’ll just put some lip balm on you. That’s all.”

Cupping his cheeks, she leaned in.

Her sticky lips pressed against his dry ones, sliding slowly from side to side. The slick, wet sounds were embarrassingly loud.

“Mmm… ngh… hah…”

After a long moment, she pulled away.

“Hah… Nice and moist now.”

Her flushed face and bright smile might’ve looked innocent—if not for the thick, feminine scent clinging to her.

“…Still rough.”

“Still?”

“More.”

“Mmm…”

Their lips met again.

It was just lip balm. If their tongues happened to brush, it was purely accidental.

Even if it made her feel weightless. Even if her lower belly grew heavy, making it hard to stay still. It was just lip balm.

…What about Riley?

The thought suddenly crossed her mind.

Her friend, who’d been sulking because she’d kept her distance.

Is he feeling the same way I am right now?

She’d never paid attention before, but now curiosity burned in her. Maybe it was the sexual curiosity that came with sharing such intimate moments.

It wasn’t a feeling she should have toward a friend—but she couldn’t deny it. She already knew what this was.

And now, she wondered if he felt it too.

The way to check was simple. Male arousal was far more obvious than a woman’s.

Under the guise of squirming from her own desire, Sugar subtly focused on his lower half. Just out of curiosity. Just to confirm.

“Nngh… chu…”

Mixing lip balm and saliva, she pressed her body flush against his.

Here… here? This should be the spot. Ah. Right.

Unlike his firm muscles, the sensation there was different.

—Squish. Squish.

…Huh?

Something felt off. She tried again.

—Squish. Squish.

Wait…

No way.

Unbelievable. She had to check a third time.

—Squish. Squish.

On the third attempt, Riley grabbed her waist, immobilizing her. She couldn’t try again—but it didn’t matter.

Her observation was complete.

First of all, the size is…

She’d sat on his thighs enough times to gauge it. She already knew.

No, that’s not the issue right now.

Snapping back to reality, she focused on the real problem.

The texture.

It wasn’t hard at all. Not even a hint of arousal.

This guy…

Despite their sloppy, saliva-swapping act—he wasn’t reacting.

The shock hit her like a truck.

Just me? Am I the only one like this? Am I the only one turned on?

Humiliation made her head spin, but a deeper thought surfaced.

Wait, now that I think about it…

She mentally reviewed everything they’d done so far—and there’d been a lot. She picked out the most memorable moments.

Marking him. Groping. Chest play. Deep kisses.

A series of shameless, lewd acts.

Every time, Sugar had been overwhelmed by pleasure, left gasping and mindless.

But—but—

In every single one of those moments, her childhood friend had—

…Never reacted even once, right?

The realization sent a chill down her spine.