episode_0474

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Pushing aside my complicated feelings, one thing was clear—what I had to do.

Filming the video Baek Jiho wanted with Seo Woojin.

It was just adding a camera to what we usually did, so at best, it’d be a one-star difficulty quest.

The only thing slightly worrying me was, well… the second-semester finals looming right before Christmas?

So maybe squeezing in time for each other might be tight… but honestly, it’d probably work out.

…The video might be awkward, but the sex with him… I want it too.

That pervert would find a way to make time for me anyway.

He was the kind of guy who’d say something ridiculous like, “I don’t care if I die mid-sex,” so we’d probably finish filming before finals, which were about two weeks away.

Of course, how long it’d take for me to get used to the embarrassment of a camera being there… that remained to be seen.

But Baek Jiho liked it.

And I’m his girlfriend.

…Even if I don’t love it, I’ll try my best to go along with it.

“Dabin, you still not done changing?”

“…Huh? Oh, yeah. Done. I’m coming now.”

Still, maybe because of the unavoidable, slight disgust—

Unconsciously, my brows furrowed for a moment.

Staring blankly at the only meaningless photo I’d taken back in high school, tucked in the corner of the cabinet, I quickly caught up to my friends.

474

[Yozora] —Theeee hell? —I was just bored and messing around a little, okay?

[Seo Woojin] —Messing around, sure. Fine up to that point. —But what kind of ‘messing around’ makes Lee Jiyun mention you?

…Ending with a single “1” as the last reply.

Sighing lightly, I skimmed through the messages with Yozora again before turning off the screen.

Even though it was past 10 AM, she still hadn’t read the message I sent this morning—meaning she was definitely ignoring me on purpose.

As for why, a few reasons came to mind.

Maybe it was just Yozora being Yozora.

Or maybe she was deliberately provoking me so she could get scolded later.

Either way, it was annoying.

Instead of stirring up unnecessary trouble, why not just try to get closer to Lee Jiyun…?

Suppressing my irritation, I considered calling Yozora, but unfortunately, she’d be in class right now.

So, as I was typing out a “Stop messing around and contact me” in the already-ignored chat—

The infirmary door opened without a knock, drawing my gaze.

“…What? You’re the one who called me here.”

“No, you just came faster than I expected.”

There stood Baek Seoyeon, as always, looking displeased.

Neatly dressed in her uniform, layered with a pitch-black long padded coat—clearly someone who felt the cold easily.

I hadn’t planned on calling Seoyeon for this, but I had no choice.

With Yozora avoiding me like this, I needed to hear from someone close to her before talking to her directly.

So, someone who was both friends with Yozora and had free time right now.

Asking Seoyeon if she could come to the infirmary was what I’d done ten minutes ago.

(Leaving out the part where I implied, “You’ve got nothing better to do anyway since graduation prep means nothing to you.”)

Separately, she kinda looked like a penguin like this—kinda cute.

But if I said that out loud, she’d definitely snap, so I kept it to myself.

“Ten minutes isn’t that fast.”

“Wait, were you just standing outside for ten minutes? How’d you know it was exactly ten without checking the time?”

“…I-I glanced at my watch on the way. And here. I picked up some convenience store coffee since I was passing by anyway.”

When I pointed out the oddity, she brushed it off with a simple answer.

Then, she handed me the bag she was holding.

Inside the plain white bag was a strangely familiar coffee.

If I remembered right, it was the same one I’d bought and drank in front of her once before.

Honestly, I’d only bought it out of curiosity, and it wasn’t really my taste, but…

It wasn’t undrinkable.

And since she’d bought it with me in mind, I accepted it gratefully.

The other one was a café mocha—probably hers.

“Thanks. I was craving caffeine.”

“…It’s nothing. It’s not like it was expensive.”

“Ah, you can put your coat on the bed over there. I’m not using it right now.”

As I rustled through the bag, I noticed Seoyeon adjusting her long coat and pointed to the bed beside me.

It was meant for students who’d finished treatment but needed to rest, or for when multiple patients came in at once—otherwise unused, so it made a good coat rack.

After neatly hanging her coat, Seoyeon smoothed down her uniform skirt with both hands and sat properly in the chair.

A model-student posture, the kind teachers adored.

(Or, in other words, a pretentious posture.)

Watching her, I handed over the café mocha with a straw and asked,

“I called you because I had a question about Yozora.”

“…Ah. Yozora.”

Seoyeon repeated the name shortly before taking a sip.

A brief silence followed.

Then, in her usual flat tone, she asked back, “So?”

So I continued.

“Lately, she’s been doing weird stuff to Lee Jiyun… I was wondering if you’d heard anything. You two are close.”

“We are close, but… hard to say. Lately, she’s just been bugging me to go to Japan with her over the break. That’s about it. Nothing else.” She paused. “Though she did say something about having a ‘flawless new identity’ now, so I guess that’s why she’s being reckless.”

“Really?”

Disappointing, but nothing I could do.

Especially since Seoyeon only met Yozora outside the academy, so she wouldn’t know much about what was happening in class.

Guess I’ll try contacting Yozora again during break…

If she still doesn’t answer, maybe I should ask Sua.

As I sipped the bitter coffee and checked my phone again—

“…Is that all you wanted to ask me?”

“Yeah. For now.”

“…Hmm.”

Seoyeon hummed at my answer, then—

“…What? Why the sudden—”

“The coffee. You owe me.”

“Coffee money?”

“You thought you’d just drink it for free?”

She slipped off her dainty slippers and rested her feet—clad in pitch-black stockings—on my thighs.

I frowned.

“You want a massage or something?”

“Yes. Since I’m wearing stockings, you don’t have to worry about touching me and getting excited.”

“What if a thread snags?”

“You think stockings unravel that easily?”

“…Sigh. And I’m not even sure I’m good at this.”

“It’s not like I expect professional skill from you.”

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

With the stockings on, there’d be no skin contact.

And all she probably wanted was a bare-minimum effort anyway.

…She probably just wanted to boss me around for a bit.

After a few thoughts and a glance at the firmly closed infirmary door, I looked down at Seoyeon’s outstretched legs.

I didn’t know why she didn’t, but most people—Lee Hayoon included—knocked before entering the infirmary.

If someone came in, she’d have enough time to put her legs down.

“Tell me if it hurts.”

Muttering briefly, I set my coffee on the desk and started massaging her legs.

Under my fingertips wasn’t bare skin but the elastic, slippery texture of stockings.

Unsure how to begin, I defaulted to the simplest method—applying pressure with my fingers along her smooth calves and soft soles. Easy to adjust based on feedback.

As I kept going—with her occasionally quipping, “Wow, you really suck at this,” or “At least put some effort in,”—

Seoyeon, lightly tapping her slipper with her other foot, spoke up quietly.

“…I’m quitting being a villain after graduation.”

“…”

“Or maybe I’ll just go double-agent.”

For such a calm tone, it was a pretty heavy topic.

“We talked about this before, but… can you just quit like that?”

“Not easily. Most Wanted isn’t some school club run by kids.”

“Then…”

“But I’m stronger than I look. Even if I quit completely, it probably won’t be a big deal. …I am a gumiho, you know? How many people could actually take me down?”

“…True. That gumiho in Japan could use fox orbs or something, right?”

“Not as much as actual mages, but simple illusions? Easy.”

Still, she didn’t want to cause a scene, so she was leaning toward the more natural option—going double-agent.

As I kneaded her legs, I carefully sifted through my fading pre-regression memories.

Baek Seoyeon… wasn’t in them.

In a world where even villains could gain underground fame just for their looks or abilities—

This hard-to-please gumiho wasn’t there.

And it wasn’t like I had no connection to Most Wanted.

A gumiho with this prickly personality, sold off for money… didn’t exist in my memories.

I didn’t even recall Yozora ever mentioning her.

I tried digging deeper for a reason, but…

…Too much effort.

I gave up.

What’s the point of figuring it out now?

This is practically another world anyway.

So when Seoyeon suddenly said, “…Speaking of which…”—

I just glanced at her.

“…Is the house yours?”

“House? The one I live in?”

“Yeah. That one.”

“I rent it.”

“…Huh? Rent?”

At her bewildered expression, I tilted my head.

“What’s weird about renting?”

“…I did hear something about the building’s taxes being a mess lately, but… still.”

“Why’d you ask if it’s mine?”

“…I was wondering if you had a spare room or something.”

“You’ve got a place, don’t— Oh, right. The one you received.”

“……”

Well, if she wanted to distance herself from that label, using something given to her that way would feel uncomfortable.

Still, a solution came to mind.

Still massaging her legs, I pointed out the window with my index finger.

“I’ve got an unused room under contract. Wanna use that? It’s smaller than where you live now, though.”

“…Where even is that? Your place is in the complete opposite—”

“Just a place I rented for easier commuting.”

(Technically, it was to hide from Yozora, but whatever.)

A cleaning service would make it livable in no time.

When I asked if she was interested, though, Seoyeon made a conflicted face—unexpected.

Finally, she sighed deeply.

“…I’m an idiot for even asking…”

“You don’t like it?”

“I’ll figure it out myself. …Just keep massaging.”