Ch.228228. Courage Potion

A gold bracelet gleaming with a yellow luster in the light.

Made of thin chains, the kind that could be said to suit even my slender wrist.

And at the end of the chain, a heart shape.

“It says ‘Citrus’ engraved on it.”

“There’s a gemstone too.”

“…So there is.”

On the back, a yellow gemstone.

“Really. Filling it with so many things that symbolize you. I’m not a pet dog.”

“I was tired of only other people leaving their marks on you. I wanted to leave my mark too.”

“Marks… aren’t you afraid they’ll fade away?”

“More than that… it’s more like saying ‘you’re mine now.'”

“That’s not very convincing, even coming from you.”

Hyewon wouldn’t treat me like Blanc… would she?

No, she wouldn’t.

She wouldn’t.

“Well… I just. Like matching things like this.”

“I have nothing I can give you.”

“Ah, about that.”

Once again, she takes out another box from her bag.

She hands it to me.

“Would you put this on me?”

“…But I’m not the one giving it.”

“That’s why I’m asking you to put it on me. And after that… we’ll really be…”

She can’t finish her sentence.

Not because she’s nervous I might refuse.

“Sigh… really.”

“That’s what this is about, right?”

“Yes. Let’s go with that.”

In situations like this, it’s not good to delve too deeply.

She went to all this trouble to prepare, so dampening the mood would be…

Besides, I like it too.

Opening the box, this time there’s a bracelet shining with silver light.

It looks exactly like my bracelet, but with a different gemstone.

“And here’s my name again.”

“Why? Should I have put ‘Hyewon’ on yours too?”

“No. Well… I’m the unusual one here.”

Hyewon carefully extends her arm toward me.

I unfasten the bracelet with a small amethyst sparkling on it, wide open.

Well, what is there to think about?

It’s adjusted to fit Hyewon’s size perfectly.

The way it dangles looks nice.

“What will you do if you break it when you go out on a mission?”

“I was planning to reinforce it with maximum magic.”

“That’s such a Hyewon-like solution.”

Considering she says that despite having options like taking it off when showering.

“Oh no, I’ve been captured by a villain, what should I do?”

“What else? You should just willingly fall to corruption.”

“Won’t Yuri unnie say something about that?”

“She’s already fallen back into corruption herself.”

“Then I guess I can fall without worry too.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll tell Citrus I’ll take responsibility.”

“You’ll take responsibility?”

“Well, there’s no reason why I can’t.”

“Hehe… Then, Villain Bine who’s been captured by a magical girl.”

“Yes, I’m Bine.”

“Are you going to run away?”

“Are you going to try to catch me?”

“It’s hard. My back has been getting stiff lately.”

“Isn’t that because you’ve been working overtime a lot?”

“The cause of that overtime is right in front of me.”

“Well… then I should compensate you accordingly.”

“It’s too precious. I want to monopolize this person all to myself.”

“Unfortunately, that’s not possible.”

“Really?”

“If you make time, if we work it out through conversation, maybe a day or two. Well… after some more time passes, perhaps up to a week?”

“Yunseul will barge in midway.”

“No way.”

“She might come in pretending it was a mistake.”

“Would Blanc do that?”

“Well… maybe it’ll get better with time.”

“Time is probably the medicine. But right now, I want to talk about you rather than Blanc.”

“…I’m a woman too, you know.”

“When you suddenly say things like that.”

“I’ve got things piling up.”

“…Come on.”

“I’m holding back.”

“…Really.”

“Let’s have a drink first.”

“Alright.”

The clear sound rings out again with a chime.

The night sky only grows deeper.

“I love you.”

“And?”

“Go out with me, right now.”

Without any preamble.

Just like her personality, charging forward like a cheetah.

Well, I should match her pace.

“My answer was already ‘yes,’ Hyewon.”

It might seem bland, but we had already shared our hearts.

Well, after that.

We had dinner like ordinary couples.

Up here, where cars race along the roads below and the river can be seen.

Offering food to each other, feeding each other.

Sharing delicious drinks.

Perhaps I was reassured that nothing had changed from before.

Any food would taste delicious here.

With alcohol in my system, I’m feeling pretty good.

Maybe it’s okay to be a little bold.

Since I’ve had some drinks.

What’s wrong with being a little different after drinking?

Dessert arrives, and in the empty restaurant.

I quietly move closer to Hyewon’s side, to her lips.

My first kiss with her was…

The taste of sweet chocolate cake.

And the warmth of wine.

* * *

“You’re drunk.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“Suddenly?”

“Well… does it matter? We’re lovers now. Isn’t this what everyone does? It doesn’t matter, right? Since we’re lovers.”

“You’re drunk.”

“The dessert is delicious. Such deep flavor.”

“We just kissed.”

“I guess your lips are my dessert.”

Completely drunk.

I didn’t know she’d be this lightweight.

If I had known, I might have tried giving her alcohol when she was a villain.

No, I promised to forget about that time, why am I bringing it up now?

There’s no need for that anymore.

Instead… the mood is a bit heightened.

If we go up to the room like this, I don’t know what I might do with her.

“Shall we take a little walk?”

“A walk?”

“You seem pretty drunk, how about getting some fresh air?”

“Can’t we just stay seated a bit longer?”

“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“But it’s fine…”

“I’m not fine. If we stay like this, I might end up doing something without being able to control myself.”

“What…? Ah. That. Well. Since you’re different from Blanc, in that regard, I’m actually more…”

What on earth is she saying so casually?

Is there some magic that makes people honest when they drink?

No, more than that… does she think she’d be the one dominating me?

No matter how I look at it, I could easily overpower that small body.

And although I didn’t want to see it, Bine’s vulnerable side…

What would it be like between two women? Thinking of the videos I once looked up when I first started thinking of Bine that way.

Bine would definitely be…

The one being ‘dominated.’

That day… which was actually quite recent.

Seeing how Yunseul handled her, Bine seemed to prefer that kind of treatment, almost excessively.

Well, so.

I don’t think I’ll lose in this area.

So, looking at Bine’s confident expression… it makes me laugh.

Like a cute cat hissing.

A kitten puffing itself up as a warning.

Every time I see Bine, I think of a black cat.

Especially a small kitten.

Expressionless on the surface, yet every action reveals her feelings.

If you look closely, that expressionless face clearly shows happiness, sadness, displeasure, and joy.

The inability to hide her expressions.

Her small lips fidgeting.

She tries to hide the corners of her mouth, but fails.

That’s how Bine is.

Well… these are things Yunseul told me when she said she needed to analyze her.

Who would have thought I’d use this knowledge in a situation like this?

“Let’s just take a quick walk around. They say the lake is nice to walk around at night.”

“Well… if Hyewon begs like that, I can’t refuse.”

Even her flushed face is cute.

This feeling of wanting to bite her, the slight tightening in my chest, the pounding…

Whew.

I must be addicted to Bine.

Like a poisonous herb.

I went down the building with Bine by my side, who was slightly—or perhaps not—staggering.

Bright lights illuminated the walking path around the lake, and the lake reflected the soft moonlight.

A quiet walk in the deepening night.

Well, there are some people around.

But few pay attention to us, and most are busy with their own groups, so it feels secluded.

Being a magical girl is really inconvenient.

But then, I wonder if it’s okay for a magical girl to get a villain drunk and bring her to a place like this.

But who cares?

Is being a magical girl important right now?

I just think Bine is much more important.

Well, I did care about Bine even when I was acting as a magical girl.

But it was a completely different kind of concern than now.

Perhaps she’s sobering up from the alcohol as we walk a bit.

Bine is trying to subtly slip away from my embrace.

I preferred how she was nuzzling her head against me when we left the lobby.

Seeing this makes me want to get her drunk again.

“Bine.”

“Ah, yes?”

“Don’t try to sneak away.”

“…It’s embarrassing.”

“You stole my first kiss earlier and now you’re saying this?”

“Ugh…”

That expression of frustration but inability to do anything—it’s another face I’ve wanted to see.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to see such expressions before.

Now… they come out so easily.

“Shall we go back after walking once around?”

“…Yes.”

You’re too cute.

Really…

In the end, you make it impossible to resist.

* * *

When I came to my senses, I was in Hyewon’s arms.

When I regained consciousness again.

I had bathed and was wearing a robe.

“That beer… don’t we have to pay for it…?”

“Yes. Why?”

“No… if you’re going to drink that, wouldn’t it be better to get it from the convenience store downstairs…”

“You want me to go down like this?”

“Well, no, but…”

Hyewon cracked open the beer can she was holding.

She downed it in one go.

“Ahh… Whew. Refreshing.”

“Yes… well. If you say so.”

“Bine.”

“Yes…?”

“We’re dating now, right?”

“Yes…?”

“Then… what you did with Yunseul that day. Can I do it too?”

“…What?”

“No, let’s do it.”

“…Eh?”

Thump—!

The golden sun, emboldened, pounces on me.