Sincerity

"Gasp!"

I bolted upright, sucking in a huge breath of air.

"Ugh..."

Instantly, an excruciating pain flared up, making every muscle in my body scream in agony.

I waited for the pain to subside a bit before looking around. The damp air and the way my breathing echoed suggested I was inside a cave.

Next to where I lay, a small campfire crackled quietly.

"Where... am I...?"

"Oh, you're awake?"

I turned my head toward the voice.

On the opposite side of the fire sat Yang Sora, looking utterly exhausted as she leaned weakly against the cave wall.

"Now that you're awake... I'm going to rest for a bit..."

Yang Sora spoke in a barely audible whisper, her voice strained.

Forcing my aching, protesting body to move, I dragged myself closer to get a better look at her.

"Are you alright, Sora?"

"Y-yeah... I'm... fine..."

Contrary to her words, she was in terrible shape. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Aside from being soaking wet, cold sweat was pouring down her face.

I gently reached out and placed my hand on her forehead. She was burning up.

"You don't look fine at all. You have a massive fever."

"Heheh..."

Sora squeezed out a weak smile.

"Did you start this fire?"

"Yeah... I don't know if you saw earlier, but my ability... it's a skill that discharges something like electricity... So, after dragging you into this cave, I went outside to gather some branches..."

"But didn't it cause a massive explosion earlier...?"

"Well... I can control it, even if it's a bit clumsy..."

Sora gasped for air, as if merely answering my questions was draining the last of her strength.

If I left her like this, her condition would only worsen. I had to warm her up somehow.

"Let's save the questions for later and focus on getting warm. First... I think you need to take off those wet clothes..."

"What are you saying... you pervert..."

"Your clothes are completely soaked. You'll never warm up like this."

"Ugh..."

Knowing I was right, Sora couldn't muster up a strong argument against it.

"I'll turn around. Take them off and hand them to me so I can dry them."

I turned my back to give her some privacy, then gathered some spare branches she had brought in to fashion a makeshift drying rack.

As I set up the rack, the rustling sound of clothes sliding off skin echoed from behind me. Because the cave was so quiet, the sound was incredibly sharp and clear, ringing right in my ears.

The sound fueled my imagination, creating a strangely tense, charged atmosphere.

"Um... I... I took them off..."

"O-okay, then toss them over here. I'll hang them up..."

The air between us instantly grew awkward.

Sora tossed her clothes toward me, and I hung them one by one on the makeshift rack near the fire.

Ugh... her panties and bra...

As I hung them up, I flinched slightly upon realizing I was holding her bra and panties. Trying my best not to show any reaction, I carefully hung the underwear as naturally as possible.

"Um, Sora, I need to dry my clothes too, so I'm going to take them off..."

"Y-yeah..."

Since I had to strip down as well, I gave her a heads-up so she wouldn't be startled, then shed my own soaking wet clothes.

The wet fabric clung stubbornly to my skin, making it a struggle to peel off, but I eventually managed and hung my clothes right next to hers.

The moment I was bare, the damp chill of the cave hit my wet skin, making me shiver violently.

"S-Sora, you must be freezing, so stay close to the fire, okay?"

"Okay..."

Neither of us could bring ourselves to speak first in this thick, heavy silence.

Only the crackling of the burning wood echoed through the cavern.

"Um... aren't you cold?"

I had kept my distance from the fire out of consideration for her, and noticing this, Sora broke the silence.

"I-I'm f-fine!"

I tried to sound cheerful, but my voice trembled uncontrollably from the cold.

"Ah..."

Step, step...

Sora didn't reply to my trembling voice. Instead, the soft sound of footsteps echoed in the quiet cave.

Soon, I felt a soft touch against my hand. It was Sora's hand.

"Um... you shouldn't catch a cold either... Come over here..."

"Huh?"

"Over here! I said come over..."

She raised her voice, then quickly mumbled the last part as if losing her confidence.

"But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠close your eyes when you turn around. Absolutely no peeking, okay?"

"Y-yes!"

I squeezed my eyes shut and turned around as instructed. Once she confirmed my eyes were closed, she took my hand and led me closer to the fire.

As we drew nearer, the radiating warmth of the flames began to wash over my skin.

"Sit down here. I'll... sit next to you..."

Still blind, I let her guide me and carefully sat down where she stopped.

The moment I settled, I felt her bare back press against mine. Instantly, my heart began to hammer wildly against my ribs.

"Mnh..."

Sora seemed to be in the same state; I could almost feel the rapid thumping of her heart through our touching backs.

Sitting back-to-back in complete silence, listening to the frantic rhythm of each other's hearts, the atmosphere grew increasingly intimate.

"Haa... haa..."

As I focused on the sound of our heartbeats, I suddenly noticed her ragged, heavy breathing.

Swept up in the mood, I had momentarily forgotten that she was suffering from a severe fever.

"Sora? Are you okay?"

"Ah... y-yeah..."

Her cracked voice and weak gasp made it painfully clear just how bad her condition was.

Ah, screw it!

I turned around, pulled her close so she was facing the fire, and pressed myself tightly against her back, wrapping my arms around her entire body.

Startled by my sudden movement and too weak from the fever to resist, Sora gasped and turned her head to look at me.

Her face was flushed with a deep blush that had nothing to do with her fever.

"W-w-w-what do you think you're doing?!"

"Shh, stay still. Your condition is getting worse, so we have to do this to keep you warm."

"B-but still!"

"I won't do anything weird, I swear. I'll even keep my eyes closed if you want."

"N-no, that's not... I mean..."

Confronted by my firm attitude, Sora could only mumble, unable to form a proper sentence.

"You're less cold now, right?"

"Y-yeah... it's warm..."

"Then that's all that matters. Let's just stay like this for now."

"Okay..."

Sora stopped resisting. She nodded quietly and nestled into my chest. Through the strands of her yellow hair, I could see her ears burning bright red. Of course, my own face and ears were likely in the exact same state.

I had spoken confidently, but with my arms wrapped around her waist, her voluptuous breasts pressed firmly against my upper arms, making their soft, bouncy presence impossible to ignore.

"Hey... why are you going this far...?"

"Huh?"

I was desperately reciting the national anthem in my head to distract myself from her touch when her quiet voice drifted into my ear.

Sora kept her eyes fixed on the flickering flames of the campfire.

"Honestly... we barely know each other. And it's not like I've been nice to you like Yun-seo has... So why... why are ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you risking your life for me...?"

Well, obviously it's because I need to fuck you to boost my stats, and I need to hitch a ride on your S-class potential.

I screamed the truth internally, but kept my mouth shut and remained silent.

When I didn't answer, Sora shifted restlessly in my arms, perhaps feeling anxious or impatient.

"Well... first of all, I promised Yun-seo that I'd bring you back safe and sound... And..."

"And...?"

"I don't really know. My body just moved before I could even think..."

"..."

Instead of snapping at me like she usually did, she listened quietly and seriously.

It wasn't the absolute truth, but I began to carefully weave genuine feelings into my explanation, listing the motivations that had driven me.

"I just... really wanted you to live. That was my very first thought. Maybe it's because the memory of being helped for the first time after being dragged into this bizarre Tower left such a deep impression on me..."

"I didn't really do anything to help..."

"No, you might not think so, but I received a lot of help from both you and Yun-seo. That's an undeniable fact."

"Snake..."

Staring into the fire, I felt my own emotions swelling the more I spoke.

Sora seemed to feel it too; her voice trembled slightly with unshed tears.

"Anyway, I don't want Yun-seo to die, and I don't want you to die either. That's how I truly feel."

After my quasi-confession, silence descended upon us once more.

Pressed tightly together, our combined body heat chased away the biting cold.

"Hey, Snake... I mean, Geum Seong-gi. I'm sorry..."

"For what?"

Sora was the one to break the silence again.

Surprised by her uncharacteristic apology and her using my actual name, I questioned her, my voice filled with confusion.

"We... we lied to you..."

"Ah..."

"You've probably noticed to some extent, but... my skill... it doesn't discharge forward. It discharges in a radius all around me..."

Since I had already read her status window, I already knew this. But since she didn't know that, I kept quiet and waited for her to continue.

Sora hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts, before speaking again.

"When we first got here... we joined a party with some other people..."

"You mentioned that in passing."

"Yeah... and then, while one of our party members was separated from us in the Trial Zone for a moment, they were targeted by veteran players who were hunting newbies..."

Although I couldn't see her face, I could feel the bitter expression she must be wearing.

I listened quietly as she continued her story.

"We found them before it was too late... I used my ability to try and save our friend, who was surrounded and being attacked by multiple people..."

Sora curled her knees to her chest and buried her face in them. This movement pulled my arms even tighter against her body.

"It was my first time using the skill, and I didn't know I could control the output, so I discharged it at full power. And... my attack hit our ally too..."

"What happened to them...?"

"Well... they didn't die. I guess we were lucky... but they ended up with severe burns covering their entire arm..."

Her voice was heavy with sorrow and guilt.

Even without hearing the rest, I had a strong feeling I knew exactly how this story ended.

"After that... once the other party members realized my ability damaged allies and enemies alike, they... they started keeping their distance from me. Except for Yun-seo..."

"I see..."

"Yeah... They didn't say anything to my face, of course, but I could feel it. They were avoiding me. That's why Yun-seo took me and left the party..."

It was exactly as I had expected.

Humans, especially in a lawless place like this, would instinctively try to eliminate any potential threat to themselves.

Even if that threat had just saved their lives, the moment they realized it could also harm them, they would instinctively push it away. It was a predictable, ugly truth.

"So that's what happened..."

"I told Yun-seo I was fine and tried to stop her, but she refused. She said she'd rather it just be the two of us..."

"That sounds exactly like something Yun-seo would do."

"Yeah... She might not look it, but once she makes up her mind, no one can break her stubbornness... Heheh..."

Getting it off her chest seemed to ease her mind, and seeing her let out a soft chuckle made me feel relieved as well.

"So... we decided to keep it a secret. As much as possible... especially since I figured out how to control the output after that..."

"If you can control the output, shouldn't it be fine?"

"Well... honestly, if I lower the output, the damage is way too weak. I probably couldn't even kill a single Kobold."

As Sora spoke, the questions I had held were resolved one by one.

"But if I raise it enough to actually deal decent damage, it'll hurt my allies too..."

"Hmm... that's a tough spot. If you have to stay far away to hunt, there's almost no point in being in a party..."

"Exactly... And once I use it, recharging it is a real pain..."

I already knew this as well, but I feigned ignorance, tilting my head as I asked her.

"Recharging?"

"Yeah... This ability works by discharging stored energy. It says it recharges through external stimulation... but I still don't know the exact mechanics..."

"Any ideas...?"

"Well... taking damage from external attacks recharges it... and, um... so far, I've been having Yun-seo tickle me to charge it."

"Tickling?"

"Yeah... but tickling only charges it by a tiny, pathetic fraction... Oh!..."

"Huh? What is it?"

Sora gasped as if she had just realized something mid-sentence.

Curious, I immediately asked her what was wrong, but her ears flushed bright red and she suddenly shut her mouth.

"T-there is... one other way it charged..."

Sora barely managed to squeeze the words out in a trembling, barely audible whisper. I leaned in closer to catch what she was saying.

"Back then..."

"Back then?"

"The fruit..."

"The... fruit...?"

I racked my brain, trying to connect the dots and figure out what she meant by "the fruit."

The only fruit we knew of was the Mauls Tree Fruit we had gathered for the first quest, right?

"The Mauls Tree Fruit? What about it? Does eating it recharge your skill?"

"N-no, not that! Um... you know... when you... my... breast..."

"Breast? Oh!..."

Connecting her embarrassed reaction with the word "breast," the memory of what had happened back then flashed in my mind.

Once I realized, it made perfect sense why she was dying of embarrassment.

My own face began to burn. The thick, sensual tension returned to the air, and only then did I become hyper-aware of my arms wrapped tightly around her.

Her soft underboob pressed against my forearm, while her firm thighs squeezed against my hands from below.

*Ahem...*

"A-at that time... it charged a lot... Yeah... way more than any other stimulation..."

I cleared my throat to break the spell, but the heavy atmosphere refused to dissipate. The more I tried to ignore it, the more vivid the sensation of her soft, naked skin became.

For a total virgin like me, this level of physical contact was too much to bear. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Slowly, my "snake" began to lift its head, transforming into a mighty dragon preparing to ascend to the heavens.

Not now... please... please... Bess... read the room...

Just when I had finally managed to connect with Sora on a deeper emotional level, my body betrayed me. Completely oblivious to the gravity of the moment, my lower half grew harder and harder.

Soon, completely independent of my will, it stood proudly at full mast, boasting its impressive size.

"Kyaah!"

Sora let out a sharp gasp, clearly feeling the hard protrusion pressing against her back.

Bracing myself to be kicked half to death just like last time, I frantically scrambled to make an excuse.

"U-um, Sora, you see... this is just... a natural physiological response..."

"Mnh..."

"I-I swear I wasn't thinking of anything weird..."

As I babbled in a panic, Sora merely trembled, remaining completely silent.

Sensing that her trembling was undoubtedly born of sheer, unadulterated rage, I swallowed hard and prepared for the worst.

"I-I'm sorry!"

Figuring a swift apology was my only hope of survival, I blurted it out and began to loosen my grip to pull away.

It was then.

"I-it's okay... You can stay like this..."

"Huh?"

I blinked, wondering if my ears were playing tricks on me.

"I said... you can stay... like this..."

I leaned over slightly to look at her face. It was so red it looked ready to burst.