episode_0133

Although there was a minor incident where Hong Yeonhwa kicked me between the legs, still, the time spent in Busan could be said to have been quite fulfilling in its own way.

Winning over Hong Yeonhwa after knocking out(?) Hong Myeongseon, a dinner with her family, and another passionate night spent together.

“Enough, stop it! I can’t go on any more!?”

Just like the day before, after thoroughly exhausting Cheon Soyul, I succeeded in similarly exhausting Hong Yeonhwa.

What would be my evaluation?

She seemed to last a bit longer than Cheon Soyul, but she certainly couldn’t compare to Baek Ayun or Kanzaki Rie.

Should I say she was just at an adequate level? She wasn’t flimsy, but her body wasn’t particularly extraordinary either.

Chirp chirp.

Anyway, the second morning finally dawned. I hadn’t originally intended to stay at this mansion for two days, but then again, you never know how things will turn out.

However, if I skipped any more lectures, I’d have to face Teacher-nim Kim Kyunghun.

And I also had to keep my promise to Yang Chan-ho to keep an eye on Violet, didn’t I?

I haphazardly gathered my belongings, and it was no different for Cheon Soyul, who, unlike the previous day, had completely lost all strength from my persistent assault.

Her two legs trembled as she began to pack her bag.

It was then that Hong Yeonhwa’s expression subtly changed to one of disappointment.

“…Are you leaving?”

Cheon Soyul and I looked back at her. Slightly flustered by our simultaneous gazes, Hong Yeonhwa soon crossed her arms and turned her head slightly.

“No, well. It’s not like I’m saying you should stay a little longer. I was just wondering if you were really leaving…?”

“What are you talking about, Yeonhwa-Yeonhwa?”

I let out a soft laugh and muttered. If she wanted me to stay longer, that was it, and if she didn’t want me to leave, that was it. What kind of clumsy excuse was ‘I just wondered if you were really leaving’?

After staying for two days, I realized that despite her snippy demeanor, she was more affectionate than I’d thought.

She must have kicked me between the legs yesterday because she was upset by my words.

I was merely sorry for realizing her feelings so late.

I looked at Hong Yeonhwa with eyes that conveyed pity, and she recoiled in disgust.

“What, what kind of look is that? Don’t look at me like that. It feels bad.”

“Don’t be too lonely, I’ll visit often.”

“…I don’t need that? I just… it’s not you, it’s Soyul Unnie…”

“Right, right.”

I decided to just ignore Hong Yeonhwa’s pathetic excuse. I nodded with a roughly ‘I know everything’ expression, and she, perhaps enraged, kicked my shin once more. Thud!

“Ouch!?”

Of course, it didn’t hurt. ‘I’ didn’t hurt, but Hong Yeonhwa screamed.

This was the price for underestimating the physical abilities of a mage who had stolen the leg strength of a close-combat Awakened. Haha.

Just as I was childishly bickering with Hong Yeonhwa for a while, Cheon Soyul glanced at her smartphone and spoke to me.

“Let’s go, the train time is almost up.”

It was time to go back.

“Then I’m really leaving.”

“…Ugh, don’t touch me!?”

I gave a light nod, roughly ruffled Hong Yeonhwa’s hair, and then left the room. The person in question might have shrieked, but what did I care? I knew she secretly liked it.

“We’ll be taking our leave now, Grandfather-nim.”

Before leaving the mansion, Cheon Soyul and I bid our final farewells to Hong Myeongseon and the other elders of the Hong family.

I bowed deeply to Hong Yeonhwa, her parents, and Hong Myeongseon, who had come out to the courtyard to see us off, and smiled faintly.

“We’ll see you again. Goodbye, then.”

“Don’t come again!!”

Hong Myeongseon roared out, but it was nothing to worry about.

“Hoho, Father, really now.”

Hong Yeonhwa’s mother, who was hitting his back, waved her hand at us.

I bowed once more with an awkward smile, then left the mansion.

*****

“Was the Yin-Harvesting and Yang-Replenishing satisfactory? You lecherous bastard.”

“Hmm…”

It was Cheon Soyul, perched on her seat, resting her chin on her hand, speaking to me.

She looked up at me diagonally, wearing a somewhat twisted smile.

“She really seemed to like it, for two whole days. So, it’s true that you prefer younger girls, huh?”

As she said that, I couldn’t suppress a feeling of slight injustice and retorted to her.

“No, it’s only a one-year difference.”

The age difference between Hong Yeonhwa, me, and Cheon Soyul was merely one year.

Considering birthdays, it might not even be that significant.

But why was she glaring at me like some lecher from a wuxia novel who lusts after young women? We were only in our early twenties to begin with, weren’t we?

This was simply her jealousy because I had focused a bit more on Hong Yeonhwa for two nights.

Realizing that fact, I somehow felt pity for this side of Cheon Soyul.

I placed a hand on my forehead, shook my head, and said.

“Really, your jealous side is cute, but if you get this obsessive, even I get tired.”

“…”

And then Cheon Soyul fell silent.

The surroundings instantly grew quiet.

She wasn’t angry, nor was she blushing in embarrassment; her cold gaze simply staring at me was too much of a burden.

Feeling cold sweat soak my back, I bowed my head.

“I apologize for my nonsense.”

“Good, as long as you know.”

Cheon Soyul clicked her tongue and waved her hand dismissively. I felt grateful for being forgiven and subtly hunched my posture…

It was then that Cheon Soyul’s hand touched my chin.

“…Hm?”

“Come here for a moment.”

After confirming that there were no eyes watching around them, Cheon Soyul pulled me in and gave me a light peck.

It wasn’t the deep tongue-exchanging kiss they usually shared every night, but a simple peck.

Watching Cheon Soyul’s alluring expression as she subtly pulled away, still holding my chin, I spaced out for a moment.

“…Wh-what was that?”

“I just kissed you.”

I said in a voice mixed with bewilderment, and Cheon Soyul replied nonchalantly.

She wrapped her arms around my neck again and pressed her lips against mine. Smack, smack.

“No, really, what’s gotten into her.”

Though bewildered, I couldn’t bring myself to push her away and accepted her kisses. It wasn’t that I disliked it, but given the location… I was a little flustered.

“…Remember. I’m the first one.”

“What?”

Cheon Soyul merely said that in a whisper, then, as if she didn’t want to see me blinking widely, she blushed and slapped my cheek. Thwack.

“D-don’t make that annoying expression.”

“…No, what the—”

Having been slapped unexpectedly, I felt dumbfounded yet burst into a hollow laugh.

Just when I wondered why she was suddenly acting like this again.

“?! Hey, hey. What are you doing.”

I silently chuckled, pulled Cheon Soyul tightly, and made her sit on my lap. How cute.

“Set your worries aside, my dear wife, I’m not going anywhere without you.”

“Wh-who said I was worried about that?!”

Cheon Soyul shrieked, trying to escape from me, but it was futile.

There was no way she could shake me off with pure physical strength.

Although we had reserved two seats, we somehow ended up sitting in one, but what of it?

If two people sat in a seat bought for one, it wouldn’t be a big problem, even if it meant being a freeloading customer.

Embracing Cheon Soyul, as if binding her arms, I kissed her neck.

She flinched for a moment, then trembled violently.

“Hmm.”

I pondered for a moment, looking at my wife-nim, who seemed to be stunned. The conclusion that came after serious thought was only one.

“…Even so, I wouldn’t be able to do it inside the train, right?”

Indeed, I wasn’t completely shameless enough to do such things in a public place.

Although I couldn’t deny the desire to try, it would probably be a nuisance.

“Wh-what…?”

However, Cheon Soyul didn’t even acknowledge my consideration; she only turned back to me, her face pale with fright. She tried to escape again.

“You crazy lunatic…! Don’t even think about that in a situation like this!”

“It’s a joke, a joke.”

I chuckled as I said it, but it seemed she couldn’t hear me anymore. Cheon Soyul made a tearful face and cried out in a small voice.

“It’s my fault for getting caught by a guy like this, truly, ah…!”

She knows it well. I muttered that to myself, not uttering it aloud.

Strictly speaking, wasn’t it she who seduced me first?

After getting me entangled like this, does she think I’d let her go now? Absolutely not. I need to take this all the way to marriage.

“Honey, how many kids would you like?”

“!!?”

I whispered in Cheon Soyul’s ear in a low voice, and she trembled, her eyelashes fluttering with a somewhat entranced expression.

My wife-nim, who was especially sensitive to her ears. Though, in truth, there wasn’t a single spot on her body that wasn’t sensitive.

In any case, the train departed on time. It would take approximately an hour and a half to travel from Busan Station to Daejeon Station.

It was now time to return to Cheongsong Academy.

Although we couldn’t enjoy the sea, wasn’t it a good trip overall?

At least for me, it was. I hoped Cheon Soyul thought so too, since we were already on our way.

Thinking that, I suddenly turned my head towards the window. The sea in front of Busan Station.

I was merely smiling at the thought of Cheon Soyul, looking at the blue sky.

BOOM!

With an explosion that rang in my ears, black smoke shot up from the middle of the Busan sea.