Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Friendship (4)
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1.
It was as if time itself had frozen; only her face filled his vision.
Her cheeks flushed a soft peach color, just like when she'd stepped out of the shower, and her eyes wandered ambiguously, unsure where to settle.
Now he got it.
Sharon was just as awkward and embarrassed as Siwoo right now.
"Can I ask one more thing? It's nothing big."
"What is it?"
[Happy Halloween! I prepared a witch costume just for you!]
[Ow, fuck!]
That actor in the movie was pounding away for a good five minutes straight.
They were breezing through a year of sweet, memorable moments with all sorts of special, comedic events.
Of all the timings, this had to happen, and it was driving him nuts.
Sharon swallowed hard, then opened her mouth.
"In movies... they often go from kissing straight into sex, naturally. Like in that one."
"Yeah."
Scenes where a heated couple mixes bodies after kissing were pretty much a staple.
But Sharon's words trailed off there.
Wondering if she hadn't heard, Siwoo repeated himself.
"Yeah?"
After hesitating forever, Sharon finally mumbled.
"But asking stuff like this feels kinda rude."
"If we're close, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"
"Is that how it works?"
"Uh... probably?"
Even so, he could roughly guess what she wanted to ask, and it wasn't hard to answer.
"So... you've done it too, right? That."
Sharon's slender finger pointed at the screen, where right on cue, a guy was ejaculating deep inside his girlfriend.
"Yeah."
"I see. You suddenly seem so grown-up."
Sharon gave an ambiguous smile, then let out an awkward laugh.
Siwoo mirrored her with his own vague grin.
"So, like with kissing, does the timing to move to the next step just feel natural too?"
A powerful sense of déjà vu hit him.
It felt exactly like when he'd given the twins sex ed.
Was it his imagination? The moment he noticed, his eyes were sucked like into a black hole toward her cleavage.
Her upper breasts, ample enough to envelop Siwoo's dick with room to spare, gleamed softly in the dim light.
"Uh... yeah... sure."
Just then, Sharon's eyes followed his gaze down to her chest for a split second before flicking back up.
She'd definitely caught him staring at her breasts, even if it was super quick.
As he debated apologizing, Sharon casually straightened her leaning torso without a hint of concern.
"I see..."
And like that, not a word passed between them for the rest of the movie.
2.
"Hmm......"
The hour when normal folks enjoying everyday life would be fast asleep.
Sharon sat on her bed, swaying side to side, lost in deep thought.
She hadn't stayed up initially to brood over things.
Her main goal had been replenishing the mana in her utterly depleted Stigma after treating Siwoo post-battle with Della.
A witch's Stigma typically stored dense mana.
This thick mana had the property of drawing in surrounding mana.
Using that, witches pulled external mana into the Stigma, refined it, and made it usable—that was the "self-generation" process.
With her Stigma bone-dry now, its pull on mana was weakened.
To fill it completely at a leisurely pace would take about two weeks.
Homunculus hunting—her biggest income source—required mana, and without mana essences or other means to refill, her situation was dire.
She was staring down two weeks of wasted time, just sitting there.
"Sigh.... What to do...."
Her thoughts reached that point, and Sharon sighed, sinking the mattress.
It was all because of Della.
Even if she recovered some mana and resumed hunting, the areas she'd been working were now Della's turf.
Given that bitch's temperament, she'd cling to unneeded hunting grounds and threaten Sharon every time she encroached.
And not content with tormenting Sharon, she'd left Siwoo in that state too.
Just thinking about it made her fists tremble even now.
The most frustrating part was her own powerlessness—she was furious but couldn't confront Della right away.
"Should I leave...?"
Seoul was where Sharon had luckily settled after wandering aimlessly upon entering the present world.
She wasn't sure if she'd grown attached, but nowhere else felt as familiar for living.
Finding a new spot, securing hunting grounds, setting up a home—it'd take massive effort.
Meanwhile, tribute payments would pile up with interest snowballing, maybe even surpassing what she'd paid off so far.
And she'd have to live apart from Siwoo?
She had no face to ask him, who'd settled well, to leave with her over debts.
Not to mention, spilling everything might seem like begging him to cover her debts.
The thought left her feeling a bit lonely.
"No helping it..."
For now, she'd have to shake Siwoo off somehow and hunt in secret.
If Della caught her...
It burned her up.
Really burned her up, but she'd have no choice but to beg for mercy or take that shady part-time job Della suggested.
"Haa...."
Another deep sigh.
The spacious room felt suffocating, so Sharon stepped out, opening the door.
And for some reason, she slipped right into Siwoo's room across the hall.
Strangely, doing things with Siwoo let her forget her troubles, if only briefly.
Was there some aura around him? She could relax and forget complicated realities.
Even to the point of slacking on quarterly payments by fooling around.
"Snooore......"
He slept peacefully.
The chair she'd used while nursing him earlier was still there, so she perched on it carefully, not wanting to wake him.
His chest rose and fell evenly, accompanied by soft breathing.
"Looking better."
Today had been a day full of thoughts.
Seeing Siwoo collapsed after Della trashed him had filled her with guilt.
Yet he'd lied for her sake, and gratitude brought tears.
Thinking of him in the shower made her heart race.
An indescribably heightened, strange pounding.
Once it started, it didn't stop—even when she got home from work.
His thanks made it beat a bit faster than usual; facing him at dinner did too.
Everything familiar felt different, like a camera filter had changed.
For example...
She'd always known Siwoo occasionally glanced at her breasts but never minded.
It's not like they wore out from looking, and his gaze wasn't lecherous.
But today, it embarrassed her.
That's why she'd even worn the bra she hated because it was uncomfortable.
"Come to think of it..."
Sharon recalled what Siwoo had said when she asked how kissing worked during the movie.
'Your heart races.'
Sharon silently placed a hand between her breasts.
Thump-thump.
The pulse pumping blood through her body beat just a tad faster than normal.
All from stepping into Siwoo's room.
"It is racing...."
Sharon gazed down at Siwoo's sleeping face.
Then he had said:
'Then it's like your lips fill your whole view. You just want to kiss first, so you try it.'
Her eyes slid to Siwoo's lips.
His handsome face overall, but tonight, his slightly parted lips stood out vividly.
Little by little.
Her heart beat faster.
Did that mean she wanted to kiss him too?
"....What does it feel like?"
She was used to it from movies.
Moving or gentle BGM, heroine on tiptoes, hero supporting her waist.
Lights brighten suddenly between their close faces, camera swirling.
Lips overlap diagonally, tongues twist like braids, exploring mouths.
Sometimes sucking upper or lower lip.
"........"
Unthinkingly, Sharon touched her own lips.
Soft and squishy.
She moved her hand to Siwoo's slightly parted lips.
A bit thicker, but equally plush and springy.
Hard to believe they were body parts.
Just once.
What if she just brushed them lightly?
Sharon leaned forward a bit.
As their lips drew nearer, her heart pounded fast and hard.
Attempting a sneaky kiss with trembling feelings, she halted abruptly at about 1cm away.
His breath gently tickled her stopped lips.
Sharon felt her nasal breathing grow ragged, heart echoing in her head.
She bolted upright and fled Siwoo's room.
"Ugh, now I'm even more confused."
She'd come to escape real problems, but weird impulses only stirred her up.
A secret kiss?
Kissing was a big deal between man and woman.
Doing it one-sided without permission was cowardly cheating.
Had too many romance movies messed up her head?
"Good thoughts, good thoughts."
She plopped onto the sofa where they'd watched the movie.
Sharon soothed herself, deliberately redirecting her thoughts elsewhere.
Yeah, this idea was good.
"Hmm.... What should I do?"
Siwoo had gone all out helping her in every way.
Meanwhile, she hadn't even properly repaid him.
Just king crab and healing.
She knew Siwoo could order hundreds of king crabs if he wanted.
Her magic only healed physical wounds.
No spell could mend emotional scars.
She wanted to help him somehow, after he'd overexerted for her.
So she accessed the present world's Akashic Records—Google, repository of all creation's secrets.
"How... to comfort... a friend...."
Clumsy typing brought up a flood of results.
The present world's science was impressive.
Most things could be solved with this alone.
"Instead of fancy words, comfort sincerely.... Consider their feelings first.... Validate, support, affirm the situation's legitimacy...."
She wasn't an idiot; she knew that much.
The issue was comforting Siwoo openly without making it obvious.
She might hurt his pride with secondary damage.
"How to comfort a boyfriend?"
While sifting through pompous Akashic nonsense, she spotted a related search late.
In Korea, "boyfriend" meant romantic partner, literally or not.
She and Siwoo weren't dating.
Still, since he was a guy, it might help somewhat.
"Whatever, let's check it out."
Pet his head.
Hug him.
Kiss him.
Act cute.
As expected, tough without being lovers.
Not immediately useful, but maybe someday.
Hugging—she'd done that this afternoon...
"Huh?"
Then she found a post in a Q&A forum.
Title: 'My boyfriend's too down in the dumps.'
Summarized: Boyfriend failed civil service exam multiple times, upset but hides it, smiles forcibly; OP afraid to comfort lest she bruise his pride.
Perfectly matched Sharon and Siwoo's situation.
"This is it!"
Sharon inwardly shouted Eureka and hastily read replies.
[Let him touch your breasts. Straight fire.]
Her high expectations deflated with a snort.
Breasts? What?
"Idiot? If that worked, no guy would ever be troubled."
Well, Akashic Records or not, internet info had useful gems amid trash.
Scrolling carelessly, her eyes widened.
[Breasts are the best. When my bf bombed college entrance exams, I offered 'Wanna touch my boobs?' He was thrilled.]
Similar advice below.
Sharon read varied replies in shock.
Just looking at breasts cheers guys up.
Tried it from internet tip—worked great.
Show or let touch when angry too.
Women's breasts biologically/psychologically calm men.
And on, endless breast praise.
The finale: OP's response.
[Thanks^^ Did as you all suggested, bf loved it. He perked up—relieved. Gonna cheer him on another year.]
"Really? Just that works?"
Sharon stared blankly, turning off her phone screen.
Come to think of it, Siwoo had sneakily eyed her breasts.
If she let him ogle or touch openly, would it really comfort him?
Men were too hard to understand.