The Eighth Balance Game
Watching Hayun put the boss through that kind of embarrassment left a sour taste in my mouth.
Thwack—
"Feel better?"
"Huh..? Woohyun?"
"It's nothing worth getting that worked up over. You've done way more for me than I could ever repay, so don't apologize."
She was always looking out for my comfort. If anything, I was the one who felt bad. It wasn't even something to be upset about in the first place.
"…Thanks for saying that. Still, Boss will fix it soon. Hayun, are you sorry for startling the boss?"
"…Yes."
Hayun's face made it painfully clear she was still sulking, but at least she answered.
…
"Boss, Hayun and I will walk home today."
"Alright.. See you both next week."
"Take care."
The boss drove off first. Hayun and I stood side by side and started walking toward home.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"If it wasn't that big a deal, then.."
Smack—!
"Eeeek… I wasn't even finished talking!!"
"It's obvious. You think you're on the same level as the boss?"
"Then something else, at least…"
She muttered about "something else" while staring at my hand. That had been the real goal all along, hadn't it?
"Haa…"
"…"
Hayun looked up at me with those pleading eyes.
"Ten minutes, max."
"…"
"Five minutes."
"Eeeeh.."
"One minute."
"I'll take it…"
She looked so dejected it was almost cute, so I settled on five.
"Five minutes. That's it."
"Yes!"
"And be nicer to the boss."
"I already am, though?"
"Be more polite. Don't pull that stunt from earlier again."
"But…"
"Do you even have the right to act like that?"
"…I'll be good."
The way she'd floated the idea that if it wasn't a big deal, she should get to touch me too — there was no way she was pulling that with our kind, beautiful boss.
"Where are we going..?"
"Inside."
"Why?"
"What if someone sees?"
"Ah.."
Doing it outside this whole time had been weird to begin with. We'd gotten lucky and never been caught, but there was no guarantee that would keep holding.
Ding—
I stepped into the elevator and hit the button for the fourth floor right away.
"We're doing it at my place??"
"Would you rather do it at mine?"
"I figured that's where we were going.."
"If we go to my place, I don't think you'd ever leave."
"Hmph.."
Apparently that had been the correct read. Let this cat-like creature into my apartment once and she might just claim the whole place as hers.
Ding—
We got off on the fourth floor and stepped into Hayun's apartment. This was only the second time I'd been inside a girl's place, but it didn't hit me the way Ajeong's had.
"Ta-da—!"
"Oh…"
The layout was identical to mine, of course. Surprisingly, it was a perfectly ordinary apartment — the kind you'd expect from a young woman. White and pink as the main colors. Even more surprising: no figurines, no manga, nothing. Everything was neatly put away.
"No figures or anything? Manga?"
"…Do I look like some filthy otaku to you?"
"You're not?"
"…They're at my parents' place."
"Knew it."
Apparently she'd left everything at home so she could focus on studying. I sat down on her bed, and she sat down right next to me.
"*Gulp.* Can I have some now?"
"You like it that much?"
"Yes… It's insanely good, and it makes me feel weird.. Like smoking a hundred Vita-sticks at once…?"
"Pfft. You tried that?"
"No.. I'm saying it's a feeling I can't even put into words. Just give it already.."
Watching her beg for a taste made me want to mess with her.
"Get up properly."
"Huh?"
She looked confused but followed my instructions anyway.
"Lie face-down."
"Eh… Why."
"If you don't want to, I'll just leave."
"I did it!"
Hayun dropped onto the bed on her stomach immediately.
"Tuck in a little more. Mm.. cat pose."
"Like this…?"
"Yeah. Stay just like that."
"Why.. mmph, *slurp*…"
She looked like she was about to protest, but the second I slipped my fingers into her mouth she zeroed in on sucking them.
This really does make her look like a cat.
Sharp-featured, cat-faced Hayun, down in a cat pose, sucking on my fingers.
Stroke—
I ran my hand through her hair. She turned her head like it tickled, but she couldn't fully resist while her mouth was occupied. I was starting to understand why people went out of their way to find stray cats just to feed them treats.
"Haaam.. *suuuck.. slurp.. pop!*"
"Five minutes are up."
"Eeeh.. just a little more."
"Here."
"*Sluuurp— pop!*"
"Want more?"
"Yes!"
"Behave from now on and I'll let you suck as a reward. Today's over, like we agreed."
"That's so mean."
"What was that?"
"Nothing…"
No matter how much she complained, she couldn't beat me. The fact that she kept pushing back even knowing that was kind of funny.
"So if I behave next week, you'll do it again?"
"Yeah."
"Okay… Are you leaving now?"
"I should."
"Stay and hang out.."
"Aren't you supposed to be studying?"
"…"
"Think about it, and I'll hang out with you next time. Study hard."
"Yeees.. Goodbye."
Stroke— swish.
I reached to ruffle her hair on the way out and she dodged.
Stroke—
"*Slurp..*"
I stuck my fingers out for a quick suck, then successfully messed up her hair.
"I'm really going."
"*Smack..* Goodbye…"
I left her place and headed home. Once again, the wetness on my fingers was hard to ignore.
"…*Slurp.*"
It had been long enough since she'd used a Vita-stick that there was no strawberry flavor left. But that strange, hard-to-place taste was still there.
Weird flavor.
I figured a real Vita-stick probably just tasted like ordinary strawberry.
Sunday rolled around again. The last three Balance Games had all been decent options, so I'd gotten my sense of ease back. Ever since I'd decided these things were well-disposed toward me, I'd started believing nothing truly catastrophic would happen.
Even the fourth Balance Game had felt like a disaster when I picked it, but living with it hadn't been that bad. I wasn't certain, but I had a feeling even the minor inconveniences might get sorted out by Ajeong eventually. I wanted to keep the impure thoughts to a minimum, but when a woman like Ajeong came on that strong, what was I supposed to do?
Today was the eighth Balance Game. Nearly two months had already passed since the day that completely rewrote my life. Looking back on everything that had changed, every single one of them was a happy thing. Financial freedom, a handsome face, absurd abilities. Thanks to all of it, I was living days so ridiculously good they barely felt real. And the longer this went on, the more abilities I'd pick up — plus the power to unlock the talents of people around me once a month. As long as the good options kept coming, that is.
Kokoa!
The eighth Balance Game had arrived. After three good weeks, what I felt wasn't dread — it was anticipation. What kind of good change was I about to get?
"Fuck…"
The second I saw the theme, every hopeful thought I'd been carrying evaporated.
No. Wait.
I still wasn't denying that these things were well-disposed toward me. Both options this time were miserable duds no matter which one I picked — but I just had to tough it out for a little while, same as always.
It was in the same vein as the second theme, [Shit-Flavored Curry vs Curry-Flavored Shit], and the situation was actually better than back then. I could see the timer, and I could handle this alone at home. Roughly two hours on the clock. They clearly expected me to wrap it up by lunch.
Either way, tomatoes were available at any neighborhood mart, so time wouldn't be the problem. All that was left was picking one of the two.
[Vomit-Flavored Tomato vs Tomato-Flavored Vomit]
Thinking back to the shit-flavored curry incident, going with Vomit-Flavored Tomato seemed like the safer call. At the end of the day, it was still fundamentally a tomato — no health issues to worry about.
"Haa…"
If there'd been a reward like last time, I could've at least eaten it with a slightly better attitude. Not today. I'd gotten rewards on the second and fifth, so by the pattern I half-expected one on the eighth — but it looked like that had been pushed back.
I didn't drag it out. I made the call. If there'd been a reward today, I might've weighed the thematic connection more carefully — but without one, eating a really disgusting tomato was the obvious choice.
"…"
"Haa…"
Apparently I had to go buy the tomato myself. The shit-flavored curry hadn't just materialized in front of me either, so I'd half expected this.
Yank—
I opened the fridge on the off chance. No miracle tomato had appeared.
I'd planned to spend this free Sunday at home in peace, undisturbed by anyone. So much for that.
Rustle—
I threw on some clothes, grabbed an eco-bag, and headed for the neighborhood mart.
Ding—!
The elevator stopped on the fourth floor on the way down. A girl in a cap and a mask hesitated for a second, then stepped inside.
"…"
She was clearly going to the first floor too — she didn't bother pressing a button, just shuffled into a corner. No question it was Jin Hayun.
"Hey."
"M..me?"
"Why are you pretending you don't know me?"
"…Hello."
Did she seriously think I wouldn't recognize her?
"I asked why you were pretending."
"…I'm not wearing makeup."
"Where are you going?"
"To study.."
"Really? First time I've ever seen you go study."
Technically once — the day the elevator broke and I ran into her on the stairs — but I hadn't acknowledged her then.
"..Where are you going, Oppa?"
"Me, uh.. grocery shopping."
"Ah.."
She still wouldn't look at me properly. We got off the elevator and stepped outside the building.
"Same direction, huh?"
"Y..yeah."
Normally I would've made conversation and taken my time, but right now I was in a hurry. Humiliating as it was, I needed to go buy a vomit-flavored tomato and eat it immediately.
I even have to spend money on this..
An annoying outing, time, and cash — all just to eat a vomit-flavored tomato. Fundamentally well-disposed, sure, but I should keep in mind that they also seemed to enjoy watching me suffer a little.
"Hoo…"
I pushed through the heat and into the mart. The blast of cool air hit me and my mood lifted on its own.
"Ugh."
I was standing just inside the entrance, soaking in the cold air, when someone bumped into me from behind.
"Ah, sorry— wait, why are you here?"
"Hehe…"
The person who'd walked into my back was Jin Hayun — the same girl who'd said she was going to study.