Ch.57Chapter 57. A Wholesome Kiss

“What? What kind of warning is this?”

“It’s a vibration threshold warning, sir.”

I was starting to get nervous too.

The damaged engines couldn’t hold up even when shut down.

Would it really be possible to withstand this with the engine running?

“What’s the current RPM?”

“It’s stopped at 166.”

“Manager! Jinsoo said we only need to hold up to 160! Let’s stop this!”

“Will the mounting bracket hold if we push it to 180?”

“Yes. It’ll be close to the limit, but I expect it will handle it without problems.”

“Then push it. Up to 180.”

Warning lights flashed repeatedly with a blaring alarm.

The mounting bracket would hold according to them, but the real concern was the fuel tank support.

We only needed to hold up to 160, but now he wanted to push all the way to 180…

“RPM 170… Still rising.”

The engine vibration was definitely worse than before.

Some engineers flinched nervously.

I found myself grinding my teeth without realizing it.

Shit. It’s going to blow.

“RPM 180! We’ve reached it!”

“Woohoo!”

“Wow! Holy crap! I thought we were going to die, Manager!”

Cheers erupted so loud my ears rang.

It was a success.

A huge success.

We’d solved even the safety issues that weren’t in the business requirements—a massive triumph.

How that flimsy fuel tank support managed to hold was a mystery…

But anyway, I was glad it worked out.

“Hey! Shouldn’t we have some kind of ceremony?”

“Haha. Are you going to pay us?”

“What are you talking about, Jinsoo…?”

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward.

What? Why?

“Um, Jinsoo…”

“Yes, Manager.”

“The ‘money’ for the ceremony isn’t that kind of money.”

“…?!”

Oh, for crying out loud.

It felt like my world was crashing down.

.

.

.

“Let’s finish up and go home!”

“Yes, sir!”

The engine prototype was moved to the maintenance bay.

After all the engineers left, the maintenance workers began their post-inspection.

Thud…!

A maintenance worker equipped with a gas mask and protective suit landed inside the engine.

Though they had ventilated the area, the risk of suffocation remained, so he carried an oxygen tank.

“Hmm. Everything’s tight. No problems.”

He tapped the walls.

Shook things.

Tightened any visible bolts.

Considering the small amount of play designed to absorb shock, everything seemed fine.

Rattle, rattle…

“Huh?”

But there was one thing that shook severely.

The fuel tank that stored fuel before it entered the combustion chamber.

Specifically, the support holding it.

“Senior!”

“What!”

“Can you check the library for… what’s it called… the engine fuel tank support? How many inches of play should it have?”

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“This seems to be shaking too much!”

“That’s normal! The engine vibration is intense! Everything needs some give to withstand it! We’re going for dinner, so hurry up!”

“But still…”

“If you’re worried, tighten the screws a bit more! I’m leaving first!”

“Damn it…”

Is this much shaking really just designed play…?

The maintenance worker tilted his head in confusion but tightened the bolts anyway.

However, they wouldn’t turn any further.

He considered reporting to the manager if it was truly serious, but…

“Coming up now!”

Dismissing it as unimportant, he climbed up the ladder.

***

What is a kiss?

Cuss closed her eyes and struggled to answer this philosophical question.

“Alice.”

“Yes?”

“I want to kiss.”

“Umm…?”

But thinking alone wasn’t enough.

She felt she needed to experience it directly to understand.

Somehow, kissing seemed different from other expressions of bonding.

It was difficult to explain precisely, but it just felt that way.

When I kissed Jinsoo’s cheek.

And when Jinsoo kissed Juliane.

The atmosphere between those two moments was clearly different.

What exactly created that difference?

“What? Now? With me?”

“Yes.”

“Between girls?”

“Is that not allowed? It’s just an expression of bonding.”

“I guess it’s not forbidden…?”

Confused, Alice pondered for a moment.

Perhaps she had developed a fixed idea that kissing was something between men and women, having seen her parents kiss lovingly so often.

In France, people kiss as a greeting.

It didn’t seem problematic.

“Hmm… then on the cheek.”

“Okay.”

Alice closed her eyes and turned her head slightly.

She brushed her hair aside to expose her cheek.

Soon, she felt Cuss’s rough breath on her cheek.

“Hehehe… It tickles, hurry up.”

“Okay… ugh…”

Smooch.

Soft lips touched her cheek.

In that moment, she felt goosebumps.

This was the first time someone other than her parents had kissed her…

“Hmm.”

As the lips pulled away, she felt a strange sense of disappointment.

It was an odd sensation.

Strangely, she also felt a sense of guilt…

But this wasn’t wrong.

As Cuss said, it was just an expression of friendship.

“Are you satisfied now?”

“I’m still not sure.”

“…”

What does she mean she’s not sure?

Cuss thought seriously for a moment, then looked into Alice’s eyes.

Huh? Could it be?

Is she thinking what I think she’s thinking?

“Why, why, why? What is it, Cuss?”

“I need to try kissing on the lips.”

“…!”

I expected that.

Still, I couldn’t help feeling flustered.

Isn’t a kiss as a greeting only on the cheek?

Isn’t kissing on the lips more like… romantic?

Well, kissing parents isn’t romantic…

So maybe this is okay too?

“Do you dislike it?”

“Huh, what?”

“If Alice dislikes it, I won’t do it.”

The conclusion was already made.

All my mental circuits were just making excuses to justify the decision.

“It’s okay…”

Alice nodded shyly.

With Cuss being so insistent.

And I’m a little curious too.

Besides, no one’s watching, so trying once wouldn’t hurt.

…That’s how Alice rationalized it.

“Okay. Mmm…”

Mentally prepared, Alice squeezed her eyes shut and thrust her face forward.

But after a while, no lips came to meet hers.

Wondering what was happening, she opened her eyes slightly.

She saw Cuss positioning her hands in the air, tilting her head.

“What are you doing?”

“I was checking if this posture is correct.”

“Posture?”

“I’ve got it now.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, Cuss put her hand behind Alice’s waist and pulled her close.

In an instant, Alice was pressed against Cuss.

Her face buried in Cuss’s slightly swollen chest.

“Hmm. Our heights don’t match.”

“Eep?!”

Cuss frowned and bent down slightly.

Their eye levels still didn’t match, but if Alice lifted her head a bit, their lips could meet.

She hadn’t expected this position at all…

This was like the kisses her parents shared when they couldn’t wait to get to their bedroom.

‘No. This isn’t strange.’

We’re just trying it out of curiosity.

It’s not with any weird intentions.

It’s just a normal expression of bonding!

“Eeh?”

But when Cuss’s right hand grabbed the back of her head, Alice’s mind went blank.

She couldn’t pull back now.

Cuss was slowly, forcefully bringing their faces closer.

‘Wawawawa…!’

She’s really doing it.

My lips are about to be explored by Cuss.

Like how father does to mother, rubbing lips until saliva overflows.

“Chu…”

Gently.

Moist lips made contact.

She didn’t feel any particular aversion.

But…

“Hmm…?”

Nothing else happened.

No tongue parting her lips.

No nibbling or tugging.

Isn’t that what kissing is supposed to be?

But Cuss just kept her lips pressed lightly against Alice’s, not even applying much pressure.

Does she not know how to kiss?

Alice slowly moved her mouth to part Cuss’s lower lip with her tongue…

“Mmph?!”

At that moment.

Cuss jerked her head back in shock.

As Alice stared blankly at Cuss’s reddened face…

‘Oh no!’

She realized what she had just done.

Despite saying it was just like a greeting.

Despite claiming it was merely an expression of friendship.

Without realizing it, she had tried to imitate a romantic kiss.

But isn’t Cuss partly responsible too?

Embracing her waist, holding the back of her head so she couldn’t escape, creating this strange atmosphere.

And then just pressing lips together innocently.

Isn’t it natural to misunderstand?

“Were you surprised?”

“Um, uh? No.”

But seeing Cuss’s embarrassed face immediately filled Alice with guilt.

What had she done to such an innocent girl?

“I still don’t understand.”

She thought she had grasped the situation similarly.

But it was very different from Juliane and Jinsoo’s kiss.

Maybe if they hadn’t pulled apart, it would have felt similar.

No, that wouldn’t have been it.

It felt like something important was missing.

Something important…

*

“Mmmpfff!”

“Please be quiet…”

Jake covered Tom’s mouth tightly while checking if they’d been noticed.

Fortunately, neither Alice nor Cuss seemed to have heard them.

He had no choice but to silence Tom when he suddenly tried to shout as the two girls pressed their lips together.

“Have you calmed down?”

“…”

“You won’t shout?”

“…”

Tom nodded vigorously.

Only then did Jake remove his hand.

“Phew! But Jake, this is big news. BIG news. We need to spread rumors about them dating…”

“Hey.”

As Tom tried to run off, Jake frowned and grabbed him.

“Did you learn your father’s teachings through your ass?”

“Why, why are you like this, Jake? This is our chance to mess with Cuss. Don’t you remember how she knocked you down with that cheap move?”

“…”

Jake shut his mouth in embarrassment.

Though he had been caught off guard, it wasn’t really a cheap move.

He just never imagined she would use a judo technique on him.

And he certainly didn’t expect to pass out after taking an elbow drop and liver shot.

It was clearly an act of violence, but he couldn’t admit that a 7th grader had been beaten by a 1st grader.

Though Cuss clearly didn’t have the physique of a typical 1st grader…

“I know you don’t like her. But there are lines we shouldn’t cross.”

“What do you mean?”

“We shouldn’t mess with someone’s sexual identity. That’s too vile.”

“…?”

While it might look like homosexuality at first glance, the reality was different.

Jake, having felt that soft yet firm sensation between Cuss’s legs, knew better.

Cuss must be struggling with her own identity issues.

If they spread unsavory rumors now, it could seriously disrupt Cuss’s identity formation.

This went beyond getting someone expelled—it was about someone’s entire life.

“Today’s events are a secret. Got it?”

“Why?”

“Because I said so. Are you going to disobey your brother?”

“I-I’ll keep quiet…”

As Jake applied pressure to his shoulder, Tom answered with a grimace.

Then he thought:

‘Jake must like Cuss too!!!’

To discover a weakness of his mortal enemy and keep it secret?

This could only mean he had feelings for her.