episode_0221

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“E-easy now… Please…”

Spirit. Attitude. Gaze. And even skill.

Judging by the atmosphere, it seems this kid is still the weakest in the class.

Though classified as an evolution-type with top-tier physical strength, I recall reporting that their inherently gentle nature meant they weren’t much of a concern.

It’d be best to control my strength to avoid hurting them while still maintaining a dominant presence.

“What’s this? You never show up for sparring—what’s the occasion? What about student council work?”

“…Just felt like I’d go crazy if I sat in that chair any longer.”

The next person to approach was a mutation-type female student I remembered as being decently capable.

I recall hearing she was scouted by an A-rank hero’s agency during last winter break.

I’ll keep the fight evenly matched in terms of raw strength before outmaneuvering her.

“…Got time?”

“…”

This one’s the top-ranked third-year.

A somewhat gloomy magic-type boy with an unsettlingly persistent flame motif.

Personally, I think his talents suit a villain far more than a hero.

Since second year, I’ve made sure to lose convincingly despite pretending to have improved, so it’d feel natural to put up some resistance before surrendering this time too.

Win.

Win.

Lose.

Win.

In the middle of a close match, it felt natural to win, so I won.

Throwing out a line like, “Huh, you’ve gotten a lot stronger since I last saw you,” I let it end in a draw.

I won.

“Phew…”

I did hold back, but maybe it’s because I got to use these cute-looking sandbags as stress relief.

Having vented a fraction of the Yoo Si-woo Stress built up inside me, I sat on a chair in the corner of the sparring arena and smiled faintly.

I felt slightly better.

In precise terms, maybe about 20% of the stress was gone?

Of course, the remaining 80% was still a lot, but this much was manageable.

I mean, carrying a cup filled to the brim is nerve-wracking, but one at 80% doesn’t feel like a big deal, right?

As long as I don’t drop it in frustration, there’s no risk of spilling.

So now…

“…Ugh.”

It’s time to return to the student council room.

Back to the mind-numbingly dull budget planning and calmly enduring Yoo Si-woo’s antics.

Suppressing a sigh so no one would hear, I got up from the chair.

Yoo Si-woo.

Left alone, they act like they have no boundaries, but if I get serious, they’ll shut up for about an hour. This time, I really need to give them a stern warning.

If they keep this up, I won’t even let them join me for workouts.

No—better yet, I should threaten to break their wrist and arm the moment they try clinging to me.

Since Yoo Si-woo is a summoner-type, they’re definitely not physically strong.

A warning that harsh should make them back off for at least a few days.

Given their personality, they won’t… completely give up, but…

“…Sigh.”

There are plenty of pretty, lively girls in the second year.

Why do they keep fixating on me, who’s not even that attractive…

Pressing the back of my hand against my throbbing forehead, I notified the supervising teacher that I was heading back before grabbing my outerwear and making my way to the showers.

10:42 AM.

Roughly 30 minutes had passed since Seo Woo-jin gently grabbed my wrist.

221

Maybe it was because classes weren’t fully over yet.

The showers, which I stopped by before returning to the student council room, were unusually empty.

The usual hum of some random girl’s off-key singing was absent for once.

Even the refreshing sound of running water from the showerheads was missing.

Back in my first year, when I frequented the sparring arena to pretend I was working hard, this was a common sight. Was it nostalgia that made it feel this way now?

It was… like having a massive swimming pool all to myself.

Laughing at my own childish thought, I stepped lightly into one of the shower stalls.

—Ssshhh

Warm water poured from the showerhead mounted on the wall, soaking my bluish-white hair from the crown of my head down to my chest, hips, thighs, and finally the tips of my toes.

This time, I tilted my head back, letting the water run over my face as I swept my hands from my cheeks up to my forehead, gathering the wet, seaweed-like strands and pushing them back.

This kept the hair from getting caught between my lips. Especially since my bangs and side strands were long.

Once my hair was thoroughly wet, it was time to apply shampoo…

“…?”

…or so I intended.

Startled by an odd, tingling sensation, I instinctively shied away from the shampoo, wriggling to the side like a cat startled by water.

“…? ……?”

What’s this?

I’ve never felt anything like this while showering before…

Tilting my head, I cautiously reached my hand back into the stream.

…But no, that wasn’t it.

This wasn’t the same. The sensation earlier was… weirder.

It seems just my hand touching the water isn’t enough.

Then maybe it needs to reach at least my forearm—no, my torso.

After readjusting my thoroughly drenched, limp hair, I hesitantly stepped back under the stream.

“Eek…”

The cascading water hit the crown of my head, my face, my collarbone, and then my chest before falling away.

Under normal circumstances, this would’ve been just an ordinary shower—nothing noteworthy.

But now, it felt strangely different.

The most noticeable thing was…

…the prickling sensation every time the water touched my skin.

Especially when it ran over my chest…

Every time the stream pressed against my nipples.

This tingling, electric feeling.

“…Ah…”

At first, it was… a kind of ticklish sensation.

Not unpleasant, though.

If anything, it felt good.

But at the same time, it was a little scary—awkward in a way I couldn’t quite describe.

Like a massage so good it’s unsettling?

Hmm. Trying to put it into words just made it more confusing.

…Ah, right.

It was more like…

“…Hic…”

The feeling I got yesterday when I awkwardly… touched myself.

“Hng… Hh…”

Standing dumbly under the showerhead, I clamped a hand over my mouth at the pleasure—similar to yesterday’s but slightly duller.

…It wasn’t that I disliked the sensation.

And it definitely wasn’t because I was embarrassed.

This was the academy.

Not home.

Outside.

If the student council president’s perverted moans were heard here…

That would be unacceptable.

“J-just, just a… Haah…”

Without even properly washing, I turned off the water and slumped against the shower stall, squatting as I panted heavily.

At the same time, I wondered why that sensation had suddenly resurfaced now. It took less than five seconds to piece it together.

Hadn’t I considered a hypothesis earlier?

That this heat-like thing might only kick in some time after being near Seo Woo-jin.

Gulp. Swallowing hard, I stepped back from the water and pressed the back of my hand to my forehead.

Just as expected, a faint warmth—not quite a fever—radiated against my skin.

Similar to the mild fever I’d had after walking Han Su-a home yesterday.

“…”

Which meant…

Seo Woo-jin really was…

The cause of this heat…

…Right?

“…”

Am I…

A complete pervert who goes into heat just from having my wrist touched?

Or worse, just from being near him briefly, like the night before last?

…A total degenerate?

Student Council Room.

Lying on the privately funded sofa, Yoo Si-woo stared blankly at the plain white ceiling.

Should I try changing my approach?

Or just treat this as a transitional phase and wait it out?

Squinting against the fluorescent light seeping through their fingers, they mused.

“Tough call~”

It’s not like I’m proposing marriage—just two people who know each other well having some fun. Why the aversion?

The stonewalling is part of the charm, but it’s getting a little exhausting at this point.

Their voice, thin as smoke in the quiet room, was followed by a light sneeze before they resumed fiddling with the handheld console resting on their chest.

“…Ah, should’ve captured this one.”

Never thought I’d spend over half a year fixated on one girl.

Guess it’s because I’ve always been the one approached, never the one doing the approaching.

Still, after all this effort, a little reciprocation would be nice. …So annoying.

Holding the console above their face, Yoo Si-woo clicked buttons absently before exhaling a bored sigh.

Looking back, I wasn’t this interested in Baek Seo-yeon at first.

Even if it had been a dry spell, her personality wasn’t my usual type.

“Cold” sums it up, I guess. That kind of demeanor never suited me.

You’re the first girl to treat me like this—respecting preferences is one thing, but… eh.

I’ve always preferred lively girls.

Stone-cold ones… ugh…

Anyway, my interest in Baek Seo-yeon started for the most cliché reason possible.

Just…

After running into her a few times at the academy, I just got curious.

If I had to put it into words, it was like being enchanted.

Well…

Given that Baek Seo-yeon is a fox-based mutation-type,

maybe I was literally enchanted.

—Click

Mid-game, a faint presence registered at the student council room’s entrance.

Hoping it was Baek Seo-yeon, they sat up slightly—only to spot familiar bluish-white hair.

Just as Yoo Si-woo brightened, ready to greet her warmly, their gaze lingered on her ears.

“…”

They looked… redder than usual.

Like the ears of those girls I used as playthings before Baek Seo-yeon.

For a second, I wondered if she had a crush, but dismissed the thought.

If there were such a guy, I’d have sniffed him out long ago.

Her routine was strictly “Academy → Home → Han River Park → Home → Academy,” leaving no room for male connections.

At most… well, there are guys in Class 3-A.

But all of them?

Way below my league.

Not even worth considering.

“Senior. Senior.”

“…”

Maybe she just stumbled upon some couple having outdoor sex in a secluded spot on campus. Shrugging it off, Yoo Si-woo called out as usual.

No response.

Ignoring me? No—more like her mind was elsewhere.

Walking slightly off-course, she jerked to a stop just before bumping into a chair. Definitely distracted.

So, did seeing something risqué mess with her head?

Amused by the usually icy senior acting so flustered, they tried again.

“Seo-yeon noona.”

“…”

“Noona?”

“…”

Still nothing.

Eyes slightly unfocused, she made it to her seat, plopped down with a creak, and just stared blankly at the stack of documents on her desk.

Watching closely, Yoo Si-woo smoothly rose from the sofa and approached.

Sure, part of it was curiosity—she’d been fine in the hallway earlier—but honestly?

Mostly, it felt like the perfect opportunity to strike.

“Did something happen?”

“…Ah, Si-woo…”

Perching on the edge of the desk, they finally got a reaction—but her voice was oddly gentle.

Not the usual thorny retort, but the kind tone reserved for beloved junior council members. Specifically, the female ones.

Hearing that, a belated realization hit.

Was the fever from yesterday not fully gone?

“…”

Then… maybe a little forced skinship would be okay now?

Like holding her hand, or wrapping an arm around her waist under the guise of support?

And if my hand accidentally brushed against her lower chest… surely she’d let it slide?

Disgusting fantasies—ones they’d never entertain normally—slowly seeped into Yoo Si-woo’s mind.

…Really,

it’s like I’ve been enchanted.

“Senior. You don’t look so good.”

“…”

“Was it the fever from yesterday? Still not better?”

“…Dunno, …really.”

“Dunno? You clearly look unwell.”

“…”

Gulp. Swallowing hard, Yoo Si-woo subtly slid their hand closer to Baek Seo-yeon’s.

But they hadn’t completely lost their senses—the moment she noticed, she yanked her hand away.

Hiding their disappointment, they pressed on.

“Then… should I help you to the infirmary? It’ll be hard to go alone.”

“…”

Baek Seo-yeon’s pale blue eyes fixed on Yoo Si-woo.

For a long, long moment—

they were stared down by those breathtakingly beautiful eyes.

But then—

“…Don’t, worry about it. I’ll go… by myself…”

“…”

“…I’ll be back soon, so just… handle the simple paperwork. No—actually, don’t touch anything…”

The answer Yoo Si-woo wanted never came.

Instead, all they got was an order to wait without interfering.