Ch.8830. To the Forest of Soso and Ash (3)

“A good opportunity.”

At the Blood Demon’s words, Soso remained silent. Though she had never been in a relationship before, she understood that this was indeed a special situation, just as the Blood Demon suggested.

‘We’re both clothed, but…’

If Soso could muster just a bit more courage, two young people alone together could certainly create a situation where they’d become properly aware of each other.

Seeming to sense Soso’s thoughts, the Blood Demon spoke.

“How long are you going to wear those smelly clothes? Not taking them off comfortably in this warm open-air hot spring.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. How could I… when I’m with Minsu…”

“Isn’t that precisely why you should, since you’re with Lee Minsu?”

The Blood Demon was right. Her feelings were already firm. This was a rare opportunity—a good chance to create a situation where Minsu would become aware of her.

Realistically, if they remained clothed like this, nothing would happen in this lovely open-air hot spring.

“Besides, no matter how much you washed them with water and your hands, the stench from your clothes is terrible. Since I share this body with you, I’d like to enjoy the hot spring more leisurely. It would be nice to have some alcohol too, if possible.”

“In a place like this? You sound like an old person…”

But thinking about it, it wasn’t such a strange suggestion.

Japan, Korea’s neighboring country, was known for its hot spring culture. They often placed ladles in the bath to hold bottles of alcohol, enjoying drinks while bathing.

“There are plenty of excuses to drink. If necessary, I could even borrow your mouth to—”

“No, that’s enough!”

The mood was good now that she and Minsu were speaking comfortably with each other.

This moment reminded her of their Aince days, and she wanted to maintain this newfound closeness with Minsu. If the Blood Demon suddenly started making lewd comments to Minsu…

Minsu might misunderstand and think she was a strange woman.

“Anyway, I’ll handle this myself, so just go back inside for now.”

After quieting the Blood Demon, Soso refocused on enjoying the hot spring. Though it was relatively just a pool of collected water, the flowing current was gradually making it lukewarm.

Whenever that happened, Minsu would release fire-attribute mana around them to heat the water. It seemed like a simple use of mana, but Soso was secretly amazed.

‘If I tried to use mana in a similar way, I’d probably evaporate all the water in this small stream.’

It was an incredibly precise mana control.

When they first entered the stream, the water temperature was high enough to feel hot on her toes, but now Minsu was skillfully maintaining a perfect temperature for hot spring bathing.

Being able to maintain such temperature in flowing water rather than still water meant…

‘He’s definitely reached a high-class level of magic usage.’

He was truly impressive. Despite a two-year gap, Minsu was adapting to the field as if there had been no break at all. This made Soso feel somewhat impatient.

‘If I want to be a woman worthy of Minsu, I need to become stronger too.’

That way, just as Minsu had made her his partner for this mission, she wouldn’t lose him to Yuri or Arin.

Like during the exchange competition, when Yuri took Minsu as her pair partner. She refused to let anything happen that would distance her from Minsu again without her being able to do anything about it.

‘Yes. There’s no need to hesitate now.’

Soso strengthened her resolve and spoke to Minsu.

“Isn’t it a bit strange to bathe with clothes on like this?”

At those words, Minsu looked at her thoughtfully.

“Is it? I guess so, but people often go into valleys or beaches with clothes on, so it’s not that strange…”

Since Minsu was also clothed like her, Soso almost lost her confidence at his words, but she steeled herself again and continued.

“Still, there’s no need to keep them on, right? After creating such a nice open-air hot spring…”

“Well, if that’s the case…”

Minsu casually took off his top. Soso’s heart skipped a beat.

‘Minsu’s body… I knew it was quite good when I saw it before, but it’s still so stimulating.’

He was relatively tall and seemed to have worked out diligently.

In fact, Minsu’s current physique was exactly the type women preferred. Of course, Soso would have liked him even if he were still chubby like before.

‘No, I shouldn’t be having such strange thoughts already.’

But that was as far as it went. Pretending it was nothing, Soso continued speaking to Minsu.

“Hmm. Aren’t you going to take off your pants? They must be uncomfortable.”

“My pants? That’s a bit…”

She knew what it meant. The implications of two grown adults sitting side by side in just their underwear. But Soso was quite desperate now.

‘No. If nothing happens at this rate, I’ll miss a good opportunity.’

She exaggerated her voice.

“Aren’t you being self-conscious? Who said they wanted to see your underwear? Once you’re in the water, it’s not visible anyway.”

“That’s true. Well, we’re just friends after all.”

With that, Minsu nonchalantly removed his pants and tossed them outside the stream.

‘Wait, just like that!’

But she couldn’t back down now.

‘I’m always wearing my lucky underwear anyway.’

Just like Minsu had done moments ago, Soso took off her pink hoodie and tossed it aside.

Minsu’s eyes widened in surprise. Soso spoke even more brazenly.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not much different from a swimsuit.”

And then, like Minsu, she removed her pants as well.

***

Soso had changed a lot in two years.

After awakening her Heavenly Demon Divine Art, she had lost weight and become prettier, but now her aura was different again.

The Soso I remember was always that Aince figure, but during the two-year gap, she had become an adult.

‘What’s this? This makes me more conscious of her.’

Though it was deep into the night, the moonlight made it easy for awakened ones like Soso and me to see our surroundings.

And as I became accustomed to heating the water—controlling mana—I had created several flame orbs around us.

Soso, who had thrown off her clothes, had her silhouette illuminated by that firelight. Those beautiful feminine curves momentarily made my face flush.

‘Was Soso’s figure always this good…’

Of course, I had noticed when she wore figure-revealing clothes like tank tops and leggings.

But her bare skin visible above the water’s surface and the curves of her chest were more stimulating than expected. Even her matching black underwear…

I unconsciously turned my head away. I had never thought of Soso as a woman before.

But indeed, this nighttime open-air hot spring created a peculiar atmosphere.

And naturally, to move my mana, I too had relaxed my usual tension, trying to loosen my body as much as possible. Perhaps my mind had unconsciously relaxed as well.

And though I’m a flame sorcerer, I’ve always been weak to warm water.

‘What am I thinking?’

Soso seemed to notice my reaction of turning my head away. She tested me by saying:

“Hmm. What’s wrong? Don’t tell me you’re conscious of me?”

I couldn’t deny it. I deliberately turned my head away from Soso’s gaze as she kept trying to make eye contact with me.

‘Still, it’s good to bathe properly. I can’t just leave like this…’

The sacred power in the stigmata on my palm was responding. Bathing was a religious purification ritual.

The Archbishop had also said that before coming into contact with the holy relic of Parma’s sanctification, one should cleanse their body thoroughly, whether through flame magic or any other means.

I didn’t want to reveal such wavering inner thoughts. I tried to answer nonchalantly.

“We’re friends, how could there be anything like that? Even if I were completely naked with you, Soso, nothing would…”

I ended up saying those cliché words that close opposite-sex friends often say. But the current Soso wasn’t so easily fooled.

“Really? For someone who says that, you were quite the charmer trying to seduce me like a successful man not too long ago.”

I remained silent at that. I had been forceful at the alumni meeting, trying not to be swayed by Soso. But when I didn’t respond, Soso playfully said:

“I’m joking. Like you said, it’s not like we’re completely naked. It’s just like wearing swimsuits, what could happen?”

Saying that, she slowly stood up. I could see water dripping down Soso’s wet body. Soon, her lower body, which had been submerged underwater, was fully revealed before my eyes.

In that moment, I desperately needed to think of something else.

‘It’s not underwear… if I think of it as a swimsuit, it’s not really strange…’

But like a gravure idol’s swimsuit photoshoot, Soso’s image as she rose, pushing her wet hair back, was stimulating.

With her looks and figure, she could easily be in a photoshoot right now.

I ended up turning my head away again.

“I’ll go get something to drink. For you too.”

Thankfully, Soso left for a moment. I raised the temperature of the now lukewarm water again.

‘What am I thinking? About Soso of all people.’

I thought that perhaps this difficulty in maintaining composure might be due to the effects of the second-level seal being released, and I refocused on controlling my mana.

***

I engaged in small talk with Soso when she returned.

It was awkward to have such conversations again, but since dropping formalities with Soso, the distance between us had been gradually narrowing. This time, Soso naturally opened up.

“So when Flame took on that AA dungeon mission, even among the field team people… Haha! Even the unlikely Father Stefano and Team Leader Seo got into an argument…”

And naturally, they began discussing the common topic they both had: Flame.

‘Being part of a guild for two years, I guess a lot has happened.’

Having recently attended meetings with major corporate guilds and special association departments, my sensitivity had dulled, but it was rare for a guild that started from scratch to reach S-rank in just two years.

A guild formed by Aince graduates—essentially a startup—would naturally start at D-rank.

Yuri and Soso, the core of Flame, seemed to have taken on all kinds of missions without discrimination, starting from the bottom.

Even in dangerous places like the current Ashen Forest, just as Soso had protected me, she had grown through constant real-world experience over those two years.

‘Compared to the original work…’

In the original story, unlike Yuri, Soso belonged to Siwoo’s guild, Justice. However, her connection wasn’t with Siwoo; she had been scouted by Chae Min-ah and recruited into Justice.

‘The original Soso awakened her Heavenly Demon Divine Art later and wasn’t as strong as she is now.’

Purely thinking about the novel’s storyline, it felt like they naturally involved Soso, an Aince classmate, to create the Muguk episode.

Since her personality was still the shy Soso, it seemed like her first foray into the martial world began in Chae Min-ah’s guild, someone she at least knew by face, rather than joining another guild.

‘It could be seen as something like a dispatch.’

So in this reality, which already differs from the original, another variable is the growth rate of Soso, the Lesser Heavenly Demon.

Soso’s current level is the 6th star of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art. Considering that in the original work, her level was the 5th star just before the Yeonjoong incident…

It means that the current Flame could potentially accomplish more than Justice.

‘Yes, even surpassing Siwoo’s protagonist buff.’

As I was lost in thought and remained silent for a moment, Soso linked her arm with mine. I had to desperately pretend not to notice the soft, squishy sensation against my chest.

“What are you thinking about so much? Don’t get distracted. Here, have a drink!”

Soso raised her cup. On a wooden board floating on the water’s surface were a bottle of alcohol, cups, and some dry snacks.

In the flowing water, the wooden board didn’t wobble at all. With the 6th star of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Soso had completely fixed the board in place using her special mana acceleration technique.

‘Incredible skill.’

It meant her control over mana was perfect. Newly appreciating how much my friend had developed, I desperately resisted the sensation transmitted from Soso’s arm linked with mine.

“What’s wrong? Aren’t you going to pick up your cup?”

My cup was also placed on the wooden board. Since I couldn’t drink alcohol, I had a non-alcoholic beverage, while Soso had already emptied half a bottle of bamboo leaf liquor.

‘Soso’s drinking habit is strangely like a company department head’s style.’

She became talkative and kept insisting I drink with her. Come to think of it, she did hold the position of team leader.

‘But she seems to be in a good mood.’

An awakened one of her level could easily avoid getting drunk. But she was clearly tipsy enough to keep linking arms with me.

“Oh my. What’s wrong? Your cheeks seem a bit flushed.”

“What are you talking about? Stop being drunk and silly.”

Soso noticed again as I avoided her gaze without answering.

“Could it be… you’re embarrassed because my chest is touching you?”

“Of course not. I told you, nothing would happen between us even if we were completely naked.”

“That makes me sad. I’ve already confessed to you, and you say that? That’s too harsh. *sniff sniff*…”

Pretending to be hurt by my words, Soso acted as if she was crying.

“Stop joking around. Let’s just toast. And let go of my arm, it’s uncomfortable.”

“Fine, fine.”

Soso took another sip of bamboo leaf liquor. But under the water’s surface, she didn’t stop tapping my palm.

“But why do you keep avoiding my eyes? You’re really embarrassed, aren’t you?”

“I’m not avoiding them. Are you drunk? You keep repeating yourself.”

“No, I’m not drunk at all. You keep being conscious of me, so I want to tease you.”

“You really are self-conscious, that’s what.”

When I said that to her, Soso gently interlaced her fingers with mine.

“Then this should be fine. If you’re really not affected, Minsu…”

Saying that, Soso whispered in my ear.

“Should we try kissing once?”