Chapter 12 – Becoming Close (2)

Right after the first afternoon class. Fortunately, all three of them had a free period, so they sat down in a cozy cafe and chatted.

“Oh right, last time, what was it? Did you say you became the World Tree’s husband?”
“Exactly. I was curious about that.”

As Si-woo naturally responded to the topic that sprang up while drinking coffee, he suddenly spat out the coffee he was drinking.

“Pfft, ah! Cough, cough, that? It’s true, but… it’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal? It was all over the news. Look at this.”

In the article that Dal-rae presented, there was a picture of a tall, handsome Si-woo, accompanied by the reporter’s praising words.

-ㅇㅇ(152.44): Seriously, I sent this guy to write an article, and he comes back with praise instead hahaha
└ㅇㅇ : Well, he is the World Tree’s husband. Who wants to risk getting fired for badmouthing him?
-ㅇㅇ : Si-woo again? Really, Si-woo?
-LongLiveSiwooOppa : Oppa, you’re so handsome!
└ㅇㅇ : (Gulp)

└ Long live Siwoo oppa: What are you saying ── don’t believe this, oppa.
└ㅁ: Yeah~ Siwoo doesn’t even know your name.

Ah. This familiar sensation.
I could feel my heart warming, as if I had revisited my hometown through the way of speaking I sometimes see on the internet.

“That… is true? It’s really not a big deal.”
“How did it happen?”
“I don’t know. I was practicing, and suddenly a strange hologram? A window like that appeared. It told me to become a husband.”
“Oh, right. These husbands are using a system, weren’t they? So, what’s that about? Can I see the World Tree later?”
“Hmm, well, I’m more curious about Siheon’s mask than that. Siheon?”

Why is the conversation suddenly turning to me? My smiling face stiffened at the thought of discussing the World Tree or sucking up some info.
How should I explain this? I couldn’t honestly say it was an artifact, so after pondering for a while, I came up with an answer.

“It’s nothing special, just a keepsake from my grandfather.”
“Oh.”

The First Art of Excuses: Talula. It’s a method I employed before.
Seeing that my excuse seemed to have worked, a puzzled expression clouded Siwoo’s face.

“So, Siwoo. Have you encountered the World Tree?”

To shift the atmosphere, Dallae swiftly changed the topic, prompting Siwoo to close his mouth and force a smile.
It seemed he was reluctant to talk about it, but I had to score some points here.

“More than that, you wielded elemental magic quite well earlier. When did you learn it?”
“Uh, uh, yeah, you’re right. You’re good at using elemental magic.”

As I slyly made eye contact with Siwoo, he smiled appreciatively, touched by the small gesture.

[Current friends: 0 → 1]

The friend count updated immediately. The favorability rating also rose sharply to 42. It’s easy because he’s a man.
Now there are two left.

“Elemental magic? I’ve had a talent for it since I was young, so I learned it. It’s not difficult.”
“Really? Oh, I’ll go to the restroom for a moment. You two continue talking.”

As Si-woo rose from the seat beside her and entered the bathroom, Azalea’s words, which had flowed like a clear mountain stream, abruptly ceased.

‘Seems like he’s interested in Si-woo. Should I try bringing it up?’

Perhaps I could approach the situation naturally, as if Cupid’s arrow guided me. But first, I had to address this frustratingly low level of affection.

So, what should I do? I recalled hearing that when meeting a woman in a club for the first time, complimenting her appearance worked better than inquiring about her background.

However, when an unattractive person offers a compliment, they risk being seen as a stalker or a criminal.

“…Um, do you have something to say?”

Noticing the hesitation, Azalea furrowed her brow and hesitantly spoke. Somehow, this felt like déjà vu. The atmosphere was similar when we first met.

“I just thought you were really pretty.”
“Ah… Thank you.”

I clamped my mouth shut, stifling the absurdity laced within her drawn-out voice. As suspected, I was treated like a madman. Perhaps it would be better to talk openly rather than foolishly attempting to raise her affection.

“You seem very close to Si-woo. Have you known each other from the beginning?”
“Yes, we have. Why?”
“It’s just that it feels a bit uncomfortable to keep using honorifics. Since we’ll be seeing each other more often, how about we speak more casually?”
“If you want to, go ahead. I’m comfortable with honorifics.”
“You get along so well with Si-woo, though.”
“……”

Even though I’m the one saying it, I can’t help but feel persistent. At this point, getting upset wouldn’t be out of the ordinary.
However, what can I do? My closest friend is this woman, after all.
Azalea seemed to be mulling over it for a while, then sighed and took a long gulp of her drink.

“I’m sorry to say this, but… this makes me feel a bit uneasy.”

Her eyes, a shade of flustered pink, gazed at me.
A straightforward remark comes flying from within.

Well, there’s nothing that can be done about it.
To be honest, I hadn’t planned on getting everything sorted out from the first encounter.

“I apologize.”

I let out a sigh, then spoke with a somewhat serious expression on my face.

“I wanted to become friends. I guess my eagerness got ahead of me.”
“……”

As I proffered such excuses, a sudden surge of unjust emotions entwined within my heart. It’s not as if I truly wanted to do this. I know my place well, but doesn’t this accursed world constantly urge me to overstep my bounds?

– Slurp.

Just then, Si-woo returned.

“Did you arrive?”

Si-woo tilted his head upon seeing Azalea, who appeared somewhat weary.

“What were you two discussing?”
“Ah, it’s nothing important~”

Azalea glanced at me, seemingly wishing for me to chime in.

“Right. It’s nothing significant.”

For a moment, I entertained the dream that things would go smoothly today and we could become friends.

Damnation.

* * * * *

“Why do you look so disheartened?”
“The tree made a fool of me.”

In the evening after class, I called Lee Se-Young and found an appropriate bar. I had never come here to drink before, but this time, I couldn’t endure without a drink.

For heaven’s sake, ‘I wanted to be friends, but perhaps my heart was too eager.’ What utter nonsense. I’m not even a sweet-talking Casanova.

A sense of guilt over what he had done surged within him.

“Did you really come just because I called you?”
“You don’t have any friends. It’s only natural for a teacher to look after you in situations like this.”
“Ah… yes.”

He downed the glass of draft beer handed to him by the restaurant owner. It had been some time since he last drank, and it went down smoothly.

“Do you wear a mask even when the two of you meet?”
“I have to wear it all the time.”
“Phew, you’re not a rapist or something, are you? You’re so concerned about protecting your identity. Would you do the same with your teacher?”
“Yes. But how long have you known each other? Are you pretending to be close?”
“…What are you talking about? You’re the one who called me.”

Se-Young grumbled and put a steaming piece of freshly fried soy sauce chicken into her mouth. As he looked at her happily munching away, he suddenly remembered her face on the day he had assaulted her.

Now that he thought about it, she had seemed to enjoy it back then.

He chatted with her while drinking, eventually switching to soju mid-conversation. As they continued drinking, the words that had been stuck inside him began to spill out freely.

“Hey, rapist. Are you drunk now?”

“Ugh, don’t call me a rapist here, especially when you have a rape fantasy yourself.”
“What, what, what are you talking about? Who has such a fantasy?”
“Right here… Heh heh heh.”

Feeling mischievous, her mood was uplifted. It was as if all the suppressed desires were about to burst forth. Her self-esteem had taken a hit before, amplifying these feelings.

“What on earth do you mean?”

Se-Young, pretending to be angry, shot back at him with a cold glare.

“Really? It’s not true?”
“What isn’t?”
“That you like the idea of being raped.”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“…Shall we verify it?”

Se-Young scoffed incredulously, then drank the beer in front of her and exhaled forcefully. Slyly, I moved to the seat beside Se-Young. At that moment, the last remaining patron left the establishment.

“You sure know how to talk big when you can’t actually do anything. You’ve gotten so full of yourself just because I let you have your way once – Mmph!”

As he had done before, he lifted her mask slightly and stole a quick kiss.

“How about that?”
“I hate it, absolutely hate it.”

Se-Young’s eyes widened like marbles in surprise as she spat out curses. In contrast to the serious atmosphere, her slightly bent fingers were stiff with tension, trembling gently.

“Fine. It’s not your taste, is it?”
“O-of course! Who do you think you’re looking at-“
“But I like you, and I want to have you.”
“-Huh?”

He whispered in her ear.

“Follow me.”
“You… won’t leave me alone.”

Last time, she had said the same thing.

Se-Young and I had a relationship that was twisted from the start. If I didn’t sleep with her, I would have to die, and by some odd chance, her tastes aligned with that, creating a strange connection.

I got up from my seat, paid for the food, and stepped outside, inhaling the still cold night air.

‘Whew, save a friend? Then, a sex friend is a friend too. Damn.’

Se-Young, who followed me, looked somewhat uncomfortable. Her pupils trembled, and she couldn’t fix her gaze on one place – just like a child on the verge of asking for something.

Where should we go, a motel? No.

“Go in.”
“Here…?”

My feet came to a halt at the men’s restroom in the park.

“Are you insane? Sober up quickly…”
“Go in.”

I forcefully grabbed her shoulders, pushed her inside the restroom, closed the door, and locked it.

*Thud!*

A clean, single-occupancy toilet.
As I took a step closer to Se-Young, she backed away and cried out in a strained voice.

“Don’t do it! We can still stop now.”

I had never engaged in this type of play before, but I acted on the vague memories from adult films I had seen.

I gently gripped Se-Young’s hair and pulled her towards me.

“No…”

Though I hadn’t exerted much force, I embraced Se-Young from behind and stole a kiss as she let out a short cry.

The tongues of the two intertwined within each other’s mouths.
I could feel the timid heartbeat resonating from Se-Young’s neck, which I held tightly to avoid leaving any nail marks.

“Ha… Hah… Ugh…”

A ragged breath escaped my mouth.

As I reached out with both hands to tear off the shirt, buttons flew off.

“Ugh!”

Ignoring her feeble resistance as her body trembled, I gripped her large breasts, as if they were about to burst. Pale flesh peeked through my fingers.

“It hurts… Be gentler, please.”
“Shouldn’t you speak politely?”
“Please, be gentle…”
“I will, if you ask. But you should show sincerity, right?”
“…Yes?”

Se-Young’s gaze was unfocused as she stumbled, her legs giving way beneath her. The removed shirt failed to conceal the expanse of white skin above her navel.

*Zrrrk*

As I unzipped her pants, Se-Young’s pupils dilated.

“Do you know what to do?”

I heard a gulp – the sound of her swallowing. With her eyes locked onto my penis, Se-Young’s gaze quivered, and she whispered to me in a voice as timid as a mouse entering its hole.

“I… I know.”

Isn’t this too much?
No, I suppose it’s just like taking care of a grandchild.

Shielding her breasts with one hand, Se-Young gradually approached and shot a glance at me.

“Naughty one.”

And then she opened her mouth wide, taking my cock within.
Following that, a surge of electrifying pleasure rushed in.

It was an outcome beyond imagination.