episode_0122

In a quiet room where the sound of the fierce wind hitting the window can be distinctly heard.

Amidst a solemn and serious atmosphere, the dropping of a single cherry on the floor signals the beginning of a bet that cannot be conceded.

A bet with a wish at stake, where victory cannot be surrendered under any circumstances.

I started dropping fruits with utmost caution, determined to win the game no matter what.

“…I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

I don’t know how my plan to playfully tease while gaming ended up like this.

But that didn’t matter now. I was too upset about losing to Jaehyuk to care about anything else.

“Honestly, I won that round…!”

Even upon reflection, it was unjustifiable.

No, if they were going to merge, they could have done it more peacefully.

If they merged, the two pineapples slowly descending would have become a watermelon!

And then…

And then…!

“Sigh…”

Recalling the recent events reignited my anger.

Since there was nothing to be excited about, I took a deep breath to calm my emotions and refocused on the watermelon game.

Thud –

Plop –

About 20 minutes passed as I concentrated on the game in the heavy silence.

It was rewarding as the first watermelon appeared on the screen in all its glory.

Checking the scoreboard, I was close to 2000 points, a significant improvement from before.

I put on a confident expression and glanced at Jaehyuk.

“See, I’m at this level if there are no interferences, right? Celebrating barely crossing 1000 points!”

“Hmm, it seems like making two watermelons is a stretch, right? Or maybe, even 2000 points is a close call?”

“Ha! Just wait, I’ll show you one more watermelon!”

…Making unnecessary remarks on barely making one pineapple.

I tried to refocus on the screen with a chuckle, but at that moment, a strong arm wrapped around my waist.

Followed by a strange warmth on my back, I was startled and ended up placing the fruit in an odd place by mistake.

“Ah… Why are you doing this!?”

Seemingly insignificant on the surface, but a mistake that would have fatal consequences in the long run.

Annoyed by the unfair interference, I furrowed my brows and expressed my irritation, but…

“…Is your chest so empty that you hated being hugged? I just…”

“Oh, no… I, I mean…”

“I won’t do it again. If I knew you hated it so much…”

“I-I don’t hate it! It’s just the situation… No, I’ll keep hugging you…”

“Is that okay? Thank you.”

Seeing Jaehyuk release his grip with a sullen expression, I allowed the interference without protesting.

I tried to focus on the game again, but the faint, pleasant scent and the heat that made my body flush made it impossible to concentrate properly.

In the end, I couldn’t even make another pineapple and the game ended just as I was about to barely cross 2000 points.

“My prediction was right. But it’s a shame. If I had done a little better, I could have made a pineapple.”

As the final score appeared, Jaehyuk smiled contently, expressing his regret.

Listening to his insincere voice, I lightly poked his side and pouted.

“…Just wait and see. I’ll pay you back for what you did. I’ll return it tenfold… No, a hundredfold.”

“What did I do? I was just hugging you!”

“Tsk, if anyone hears, they’ll think I’m so petty to interfere, right? I’m just returning the love you gave me.”

“Ugh.”

Tongue-tied and unable to say a word, it seems like he still has a bit of conscience left.

Jaehyuk soon switched seats with me and sat in front of the laptop, starting the watermelon game in a tense atmosphere.

Thump! Thump thump!

It seemed like he was so desperate to win the wish ticket, pouring all his focus into the watermelon game from the start.

I watched that sight, feeling a hint of madness, and pondered how to disrupt him.

…It seemed difficult to do so in an ordinary way, maybe I needed to raise the stakes a bit?

Already mixed up to my tongue, it seemed like he wouldn’t even notice a simple distraction.

Thinking of some naughty pranks I planned to do later, I chose one with lower stakes and rushed into Jaehyuk’s embrace.

“What are you doing?”

Seeming a bit flustered with me sitting on his lap, Jaehyuk soon showed signs of losing concentration.

I quietly turned back, lightly kissed his cheek, and teasingly asked, tilting my head.

“You felt lonely in my arms earlier?”

“…”

“Wait, was that a lie? Oh, so you think you might lose the bet if I distract you too much?”

“Haha, why would I? Oh, it’s really comfortable being held.”

“Is that so? I like it because it’s warm. Keep holding me.”

“…Okay.”

Jaehyuk let out a defeated sigh, then quickly shifted his gaze back to the laptop screen.

A slightly roughened breath.

But making a mistake once or twice wasn’t enough to secure victory, so I immediately moved on to the next prank.

“Phew, it’s too warm in your arms. Ugh, it’s stuffy.”

“…”

“Ha! I think I might survive now. Huh? Why are you like that? Are you feeling unwell?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

As I unbuttoned a couple of buttons on my shirt to use the heat as an excuse, Jaehyuk briefly glanced at my chest before quickly closing his eyes.

The effect was much stronger than I had anticipated.

Watching his reaction akin to a deer caught in headlights, I playfully whispered in his ear.

“Do you want to touch?”

“…!”

“If you keep staring like that… you’ll embarrass yourself, you pervert.”

“Sorry.”

Blushing slightly, he covered his chest with his hand, then cleared his throat and turned his head away.

Seeing his flustered reaction and consecutive mistakes, I silently confirmed my victory.

But maybe I should disturb him a little more just in case? The goddess of luck might favor Jaehyuk, and I could still lose, right?

I was almost certain of winning, but I wanted to eliminate any possibility, no matter how slim.

To deliver the final blow, I prepared to play my last prank.

But at that moment.

“Heh, hehuk?!”

…I felt it.

How much desire Jaehyuk was harboring right now.

And.

How hard he was trying to suppress that boiling desire.

“Will you come down?”

“Huh? Uh, okay…”

If I continued to tease him, I might end up seeing Jaehyuk in a beastly state like at the horror festival.

Not fully prepared for that, I stopped playing around and calmly got off his lap.

After quickly checking the bet result, I ran to my room as fast as I could.

Staying in this awkward and uncomfortable atmosphere any longer might lead to an irreversible disaster.

—–

“Sigh.”

Alone in the living room after Jiwoo disappeared into her room, I stared blankly at the scoreboard, letting out a quiet sigh.

“In the end, I lost.”

It was disappointing not to win the wish ticket, but I didn’t feel too bad.

Reveling in revenge and indulging in lewd pranks, the vampire was satisfied just by seeing her.

But there was one problem.

“…I don’t know how much longer I can endure.”

It was that her patience was almost at its limit.

Someone once said,

Acting driven by instinct and desire, rather than reason, makes one not human but a beast.

Taking that statement to heart, I always made sure to act with reason ahead of instinct.

But lately, whenever I spent time with Jiyoo, I felt it.

The tendency to act on instinct was getting stronger.

And it was becoming increasingly difficult to control the rising desire.

“Is it because I’m holding back too much, or is there some other reason?”

Even after Jiyoo disappeared from sight, the excitement and fervor that wouldn’t easily subside.

Would focusing on the game help calm me down even a little? Hoping for a moment of respite, I tried playing the watermelon game again.

“…This is pointless.”

It was nothing but a futile distraction.

Instead, Jiyoo’s playful antics kept coming to mind, making the ache in my lower abdomen even more pronounced.

“What would she wish for?”

Back on the bed once again.

In an attempt to suppress the flames of desire burning within me, I began to speculate on what Jiyoo might wish for.

Given her personality, she probably wouldn’t make any unreasonable requests, and the most likely option would be related to vampires, right?

After a moment of contemplation, no clear answer came to mind.

I realize that there’s still a lot I don’t know about Jiyoo.

Well… she’s always been someone who pursues the ordinary and sensible, so she probably wouldn’t wish for something too out of the ordinary.

“Yeah, everything will be fine.”

An inexplicable sense of unease.

Shaking my head vigorously to dispel it, I began to prepare myself for self-comfort.

No matter how you look at it,

Unless I find the most certain solution, this excitement and fervor will never die down.