Why Are You Inserting Your Tongue? -1

“Cough!! Ugh… Noah? Are you sure we’re doing this right?”

“Hack! According to the instructions the mister gave us…”

Noah and Taehwa kept coughing.

It was because the smoke was too acrid. The pungent smoke continuously tickled their noses.

Even while continuously sneezing, Noah kept stirring with a ladle, and Taehwa kept adding firewood.

All sorts of ingredients mixed together, creating a bizarre appearance.

“Black devil’s wing… blue slime’s mucus… skull dog’s ribs…”

Rare ingredients collected over the past month. When they heated them all together in the witch’s cauldron, they melted down messily.

Though they frowned at the smell, Noah didn’t stop.

‘This is the way to save the mister.’

Drip.

Tears came out.

“Noah?”

“…”

“Why are you crying? The mister will be fine. You heard, right? Kraken is still active. I’m sure he’s doing—”

“Tsk… my eyes are stinging.”

Taehwa made a dumbfounded expression.

Though she sighed, her hands continued to add firewood.

“Anyway… there’s no use worrying. Actually, I don’t even have any reason to be involved in you worrying about your boyfriend—Whoa!?”

BOOM!

“Taehwa! Are you okay?”

“Uh… yes! I’m fine! But the flame!”

A fierce flame rose.

A devil’s flame that seemed like it would devour everything.

“Is that bastard Ragnarok trying to resurrect!?”

That must not happen.

The fire devil Ragnarok. Despite his grand title, he was a pervert with a hobby of burning women’s clothes, but he was still strong.

An opponent whose defeat couldn’t be guaranteed with just the two of them.

However, even after several minutes, Ragnarok didn’t appear. Instead, the liquid in the cauldron just started boiling more violently.

Noah noticed the change and quickly grabbed the ladle.

“Taehwa! Add more firewood!”

“More than this!?”

“I have a feeling something’s happening!”

Hearing Noah’s words, Taehwa reluctantly added more firewood.

It was branches from the Corrupt Ent. The magical energy contained within could fetch a high price, but that wasn’t important to Noah.

“Cough! Cough!”

Coughing came without rest.

The smoke was too spicy and toxic.

Still, Noah didn’t leave the front of the cauldron.

She could see it.

It was starting to appear.

A small bead began to form at the bottom of the cauldron, and the liquids began to flow into that bead.

How long did they continue to boil and reduce like that?

All that liquid was gone, and a strange bead mixing blue, olive, and deep pink colors appeared.

Swipe.

She picked up the bead. It was a small bead, about the size of a pinky nail.

“Kyukyu. Is this it?”

“Hack! Ugh… the smoke is too acrid…”

“This guy who ran away outside… anyway, check if this is right.”

“Yes. I’ll check.”

Kyukyu looked at the bead, and Noah swallowed nervously. When Kyukyu nodded, Noah clenched her fist tightly in joy.

“We did it!”

It was a success. A month of hard work had paid off.

However, Kyukyu had a slightly worried face.

“Kyukyu, what’s wrong?”

“Hmm… I should tell you clearly.”

“Hmm?”

“You need to hold that bead in your mouth, right?”

“Yes.”

“…Would you like to taste it?”

Following Kyukyu’s words, Noah licked the bead once with a slurp.

“Mmph!? Mmmph…!!”

She frowned intensely.

“What is this…!”

It’s bitter.

Excessively so.

“Good medicine is usually bitter.”

“Even so…!”

“A medicine to break the Demon King’s curse. I can’t even imagine how bitter it is.”

“It feels like drinking a concentrated extract of extremely bitter herbal medicine…”

Do I have to hold this in my mouth?

“This is going to be tough…”

But still.

“Using this as an excuse to k-ki… with the mister…”

“This isn’t an excuse. It’s an action that must be done to break the curse.”

“Anyway… sigh… what should I do?”

Noah said this while covering her mouth with her hand. From a distance, it might have looked like the innocence of a girl who was worried and embarrassed.

“Noah, put your hand down.”

“…Heh.”

But inside was the slyness of a hunter who had caught an opportunity.

In truth, Noah quite liked this method of breaking the curse. She was already dissatisfied with being seen as just a child, and this was a chance to definitely show her charm.

‘That’s surely what she’s thinking.’

Taehwa, who understood Noah’s inner thoughts all too well, spoke.

“Can you do it well?”

“A kiss… no, breaking the curse?”

“Yes. The mister will probably face us with full power. He ate that essence too, so he’ll be even stronger. And in the midst of that, you need to break the curse without mistakes in one go…”

Taehwa’s voice trailed off.

It was because she imagined numerous tentacles wielded by Kraken. Just imagining it gave her a headache. At the very least, they needed a sure method to break the curse.

Even some practice would help.

And it seems Noah agreed.

“…You have a point.”

“Right? There aren’t many opportunities, and the mister is super strong. We should try to finish it in one go if possible.”

“Then… we have no choice but to practice.”

Noah’s expression became serious.

“Noah?”

“There’s only one essence, only one chance. If we don’t aim and target properly, we’ll fail.”

“W-wait, Noah! First, calm down and—”

“Taehwa.”

“Y-yes?”

“Put your lips right here.”

Rustle.

Noah put the candy in her mouth and transformed into Iris.

“Dodge if you don’t want to get caught.”

“Get a hold of yourself, Na Noah…!”

As Iris charged at her, Taehwa transformed into Stella and rolled across the ground.

She had misspoken. She knew how serious Noah could be when it came to matters related to the mister!

Stella hurriedly flew up, but it might already have been too late.

“Caught you.”

“Huh!?”

Stella, with her shoulder grabbed by Iris, was pinned to the ground. The grass cushioned the fall so it didn’t hurt.

“Noah! Calm, calm down first!”

“I can’t make a mistake… I must succeed in one go!”

Her eyes, filled with starlight, were vibrating intensely.

Taehwa thought.

Was she really going to have her first kiss stolen by her friend here?

At that moment, a savior appeared to her.

Step.

“Noah, Taehwa. Eat these cherries—”

“Ah.”

“Oh.”

The pupils of Seo Jin-ah, who had come to Taehwa’s yard looking for the two, trembled.

“Sorry! I won’t disturb you!”

“Unni! Don’t talk nonsense and help me!! I… I’m going to be taken by Noah!!”

+++++

“Aha, so that’s what happened?”

“Yes. I want to succeed somehow in one go.”

Jin-ah’s face bloomed with a smile. Taehwa shuddered at her reaction.

“I was so scared… why are you smiling, unni?”

“Hmm? Sorry, sorry. I see… a way to succeed in one go.”

Clap!

Jin-ah clapped her hands.

“I might not know how to guarantee success, but I know a way to increase the odds.”

“What is it?”

“This.”

Jin-ah stuck out her tongue.

“Wouldn’t it work better if you forcefully push it in with your tongue?”

“What…?”

“You never know. According to the contract, he might have to spit it out. Noah, would you just eat something given to you by an enemy?”

“I wouldn’t.”

“That’s why. You might have to force him to eat it.”

Saying this, Jin-ah plucked a cherry stem. The long stem disappeared into her mouth, then…

“Here, like this.”

It reappeared with a knot tied in it.

“Wow! How did you do that, unni?”

“I practiced hard. You should try it too.”

Contrary to Taehwa, who was practicing diligently, Noah stared at this scene with a blank expression.

‘What on earth are they doing?’

It was difficult to understand the meaning of this activity.

Suddenly using the tongue, tying knots with cherry stems.

Of course, since there wasn’t much else to do by just sitting around, Noah also began trying to tie a knot with her tongue.

“Ugh… this is hard.”

“Not easy, right?”

Unlike the struggling Taehwa, Noah confidently stuck out her tongue.

“Like this?”

“What!? Why are you so good at this!?”

“Am I good?”

“You’re talented… the mister is lucky.”

“What is this used for?”

“What? Noah, you didn’t know?”

Noah nodded.

“Then come here for a second, let me whisper.”

“Okay.”

Only after hearing Taehwa’s whisper did Noah realize.

The meaning behind the practice she had been doing.

“No need to worry. With Noah’s skill, she can make him take the medicine in one go.”

“…Let me try one more time!”

“…No.”

Noah turned her body away and ran off somewhere.

‘With this.’

She hid her rising smile.

‘I might be able to seduce the mister.’

Of course, it was a ridiculous thought, but in Noah’s mind, the picture was already forming.

A rather red-tinged picture.

“Mister, please hang on a little longer… I’ll be there soon!”

+++++

“…Hmm.”

‘What’s wrong, Shin Hyun?’

“No… I just got goosebumps.”

Cold sweat ran down Shin Hyun’s back. It was a feeling that something ominous was about to happen.

And unfortunately.

‘These feelings of mine are always right.’

It feels like something is about to happen soon.

With that thought, Shin Hyun prepared to return to his room. It was to rest up just in case.

And a small hand stopped him.

It was the Demon King’s hand.

“Brother. Where are you going?”

“Ah. Sorry, I think I need to go do some work later.”

“I see… rest well.”

She had been depressed since being scolded by the rabbit creature.

He felt uncomfortable. After all, he was leaving a child alone in a place like this.

Of course, that creature wouldn’t do anything, but…

‘Should I just take her with me?’

He had thought about this at one point, but concluded it was impossible.

Not only would the Demon King refuse, but it seemed this child was also bound by some restrictions.

“…Sigh.”

“Brother. Is today that day?”

“Huh?”

“You said not to be surprised if you suddenly disappear.”

Ah, that’s what she meant.

“And what else did I say?”

“Umm…”

“I said I’ll definitely come back for you, remember?”

“Yes!”

“You must absolutely not do anything bad and wait, understand?”

The Demon King nodded.

“I understand. Let’s definitely play again later.”

Shin Hyun felt bitterness.

Let’s play again. If only he could keep that promise.

He was beginning to reach the limits of what he knew.

From here on, there would be many stories even he didn’t know.

But one thing was certain.

“Alright. I’ll definitely come back.”

The Demon King wasn’t as bad a child as he had thought. In the end, this child’s wrongdoings were due to the fault of that rabbit creature, the parent.

He would free Noah and this child from that creature’s clutches.

With that thought, Shin Hyun met a welcome face in a quiet empty space at dawn that day.

“Iris.”

“…Mister.”

The magical girl Iris, with her pink hair fluttering.

A smile formed at the corner of her mouth.

“Let’s smooch.”