Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: How About a Draw? (3)
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At the foot of an unnamed mountain, somewhere along its slopes.
"Hwangdo, hurry up!"
"Baekdo, haah, haah. Please... go slower."
Baekdo, scaling the trees, flashed a cheeky grin at Hwangdo trailing behind her.
"Seriously, how are you gonna get anywhere being this slow?"
"It's because you're... ugh... too fast..."
"Pfft, that's what you get for always reading those weird magazines. No wonder you're so out of shape."
"They're not weird!"
Hwangdo's ears turned bright red at Baekdo's teasing. She huffed and puffed her way up the tree.
"Seriously... I hate you, Baekdo."
"I'm just stating facts."
Hwangdo puffed out her cheeks like she was sulking. Baekdo nonchalantly scratched the back of her neck.
"Still, doesn't climbing the mountain in the morning feel nice?"
"Not even a little! I just wanted to chat with Sajeo..."
"Chat about what? Something naughty again?"
Baekdo asked innocently, and Hwangdo flushed crimson, scrambling to defend herself.
"N-no, it's not naughty! It's preparation for the future, okay?"
"I just don't get you sometimes. All this talk about husbands..."
"Hmph, you should start preparing too, Baekdo. I hear tons of couples break up over bedroom issues."
"What?"
Baekdo snorted. She couldn't wrap her head around it.
'What kind of love breaks over something like that?'
It had been fifteen years since the three peach sisters were born.
Apart from the precocious Hwangdo, neither Baekdo nor Cheondo knew much about that sort of thing.
"The person I like won't care about that stuff. They'll love me anyway."
"What's your type, then?"
"Someone who always cooks for me... matches my food tastes. Reliable. Strong. And like me?"
Baekdo ticked off her wishlist on her fingers.
Hwangdo looked horrified.
"Someone like you...? They'd hate it."
Baekdo loved pranking Sajeo or anyone else.
Her flighty cheerfulness left everyone speechless.
Hwangdo recalled an old incident.
On Christmas, Baekdo had hung glitter on every peach tree in Dowon, only to get spanked for it.
Hwangdo had helped, only to get punished too. "You should've stopped her!" they'd said.
"No one like you exists in this world."
"That's why it'd be a match made in heaven, right? Rare finds."
Hwangdo had no comeback for her innocent logic.
"Oh, and they have to like firm peaches."
"What's that even mean? You're such an idiot."
"Hmph, peach preference is the most important! Even if everything else mismatches, as long as they like firm peaches, it's fine!"
Someone who cooks, is reliable and strong, playful like Baekdo, puts up with her pranks, and loves firm peaches.
"...You're ridiculous. Total idiot."
Someone like that exist?
Hwangdo shook her head.
Anyway, back to the point.
"Bedroom stuff is super important, okay?"
"Hmph, who divorces over sex?"
"The world's so rough these days! What if a prettier girl than you steals him? Like some tanned blonde foreigner...!"
"Your imagination's wild."
Baekdo put her hands on her hips.
"Prettier than me? As if!"
Monumental arrogance. Self-esteem that even the stubbornest couldn't match.
Hwangdo's half-lidded eyes turned to Baekdo.
Baekdo had flawless skin without a single blemish, innate beauty—but Hwangdo thought her personality ruined it.
"Pfft, your future hubby sounds pitiful."
Hwangdo stuck out her tongue.
Baekdo's ear twitched. Even the great Baekdo couldn't ignore such a serious warning.
"Is sex really that big a deal?"
"Of course! They say if the chemistry clicks, the marriage thrives! Know what happens if it doesn't?"
Darkness settled on Hwangdo's brow.
Like telling ghost stories around a midsummer room, her solemn expression made Baekdo swallow hard.
"Say the guy you love..."
"Yeah."
"...but the sex is unsatisfying."
"Right."
"What happens to him?"
Hwangdo went "Rawr!" mimicking a wolf with outstretched hands.
"Men and women are wolves. If unsatisfied, they hunt for better matches."
"What're you talking about?"
"Chasing pleasure."
Incomprehensible. But Hwangdo's earnestness inspired odd trust.
"Think about it. Arbor Day, your dream guy's not with you but hotel-hopping with another tree, going 'Ahh♡ Ohh♡'—how'd that feel?"
Hwangdo exaggerated moans. Baekdo thought.
Arbor Day... not with me? Her chest tightened suddenly.
"That won't happen. The one I love won't touch anyone else but me. And I won't either."
"That's why bans breed affairs—the thrill of the forbidden! Know what Sajeo calls me?"
"What?"
Hwangdo slapped her ample chest.
"Expert Hitomi!"
"Hitomi...?"
For some reason, it rang true.
"Experts say it: sex matters! If you don't prepare now, know what'll happen?"
"What... fine, what then?"
"You'll tap out in minutes! Satisfy only yourself, not him. Guys can go all day! Like two hours... you gotta train."
The talk veered off-topic, but Baekdo pondered seriously.
'Two hours?'
Then she reached a very Baekdo conclusion.
"No big deal."
"You know nothing."
Hwangdo, brain filled with salacious comics and mags, said so—but honestly, chemistry didn't faze her.
If it was someone she truly loved.
She believed they'd love her no matter what.
Baekdo trusted her judgment implicitly.
"Oh, Hwangdo."
"Yeah? What?"
Baekdo pointed at Hwangdo's shoulder, laughing.
"Bug on your shoulder."
"Kyaaah!"
Hwangdo jumped up, slipped on a branch, and tumbled down.
"Wh-what!? Eek! Baekdo, you jerk!!!!"
Her voice faded below. Baekdo cackled from the branch, watching.
"Puhahaha! If there really was one, I'd have freaked first and fallen. Forgot I hate bugs? Who's the idiot now!"
A playful, mysterious white girl of the mountains.
The tale of how she lost her parents' laughter and mimicked Cheondo's speech came soon after.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I had an old dream after so long.
...Faded memories of a now-nostalgic childhood.
Fresh tales of sweeping bushes with a stick, yelling "I've surpassed the master!" or "I'm the best in the world!"
Rubbing my throbbing head, I sat up, feeling refreshingly liberated like shedding skin.
"...My head hurts."
Did I drink too much yesterday?
Throat parched, I grabbed the blanket—then flinched at its unfamiliar texture.
Eyes snapped open. Motel.
"What the..."
Baekdo lifted the blanket. A strange man slept soundly there.
Drenched in sweat all over.
"...Huh."
Glancing down, a blatant male part entered her view.
"Eek!"
First time seeing one.
Trained from childhood without proper education, the shock hit like a gut punch.
"W-wait, hold on."
What happened yesterday?
Panicking, Baekdo searched for her clothes.
Black tank top... torn?
Ripped from the neck down. Bra wrecked too...
Pants and panties shamefully soaked.
"This is..."
Then faint memories resurfaced.
"Ah."
Cheap provocation. Storming to a motel.
Lowly tangled on the bed yesterday.
"Wha... what."
Clutching her head alone. Then a stir nearby.
"Ugh..."
Hungover guy squinted around, eyes meeting hers.
"Ah."
"......"
Silence. The only word for it.
Ruined. Why'd she flip out like that back then?
Lee Si-heon and his damn mouth...
Most humiliating quiet ever.
"Uh, hey."
Lee Si-heon broke the silence cautiously.
"Did it feel good?"
"You fucking psycho."
"Ack!"
She kicked his shoulder; he tumbled off the bed.
Hated how her eyes lingered on his annoyingly toned body.
God...
Calm down. As his martial arts master, as the elder, she had to stay composed despite this.
Couldn't show panic over one night to him of all people. No weakness.
"Crazy... fucking crazy..."
...But it wasn't easy. Thinking about it flushed her face; crudely, it pissed her off.
"Why're you so mad?"
Hated his casual vibe. Experienced, huh?
Fine, her self-esteem there was low anyway.
Never even masturbated... whatever, not a real partner, so whatever.
"Who could've predicted this."
"Shut up."
"Or... call it a draw?"
"Argh, seriously!!! "
Emotions exploded.
Flung off the blanket, heedless of exposure, she jumped up and stomped Lee Si-heon wildly.
"Ack! Wait, no, Master... eek! You hit bone. Bone! Bone!"
Nearly twenty minutes of that.
Lee Si-heon lay on the floor, shivering dramatically like a tragic princess, fake tears welling.
"You started it..."
"Get my clothes. Before the kids wake."
"Yes, ma'am."
He focused briefly, pulling dorm clothes from spatial magic.
Space magic down pat now. Proud yet infuriating.
"Out. Let me dress."
"You've seen it all already—"
"Wanna bleed today?"
"Nope. Gone."
He fled. She donned his clothes.
'His clothes, not mine...'
Fixed the gaping bra, slipped into baggy tee.
Wet panties uncomfortable, but no choice.
"Sigh."
Not spilled water, yet soaked. Flash of yesterday: gripped tight, no resistance.
-Haah, stop, stop! It's... weird...
-What's weird.
-...Third disciple... ah♡
"Agh!"
She kicked the rug, shook her head wildly.
He knew it all—face burned briefly. Vowed inwardly.
'Mention it... and I'll rip his limbs off.'
Dressed, composed, she exited.
Lee Si-heon leaned against the wall, eyes closed.
"Oh, there you are?"
That innocent face boiled her blood on sight.
"......"
"I'm awkward as hell too. Cut me some slack."
"...Haa. You're such a pain. Liquor my enemy."
She followed him meekly.
Checked out of the motel.
Ignoring the clerk's weird stare, they exited into dawn sky.
Early air eased her mood a bit.
"Feeling better?"
"Would be, if you shut up."
He slowed to match her pace, asked.
Snapped sharply; he gave a wry smile.
"Drink in moderation next time."
"...Yeah. But... yesterday, how far'd we go?"
"Not all the way."
Relief.
Truly.
'Why that dream suddenly?'
She glanced at Lee Si-heon.
Maskless face: still annoying, no matter how often seen.
Destiny so manless? Doing that with this guy.
Walked lost in thought.
"Hold up."
Suddenly, he spoke.
-Vrooom!
Shoulder yanked back.
Horn blared behind.
Car whizzed past, inches away.
Her tilting head hit his shoulder.
"Damn reckless. Walk on my left."
His cursing face glaring at the car.
Furrowed brow, sharp eyes.
...Memorable image.
Annoyance surged; she shoved his chest.
"Don't do unnecessary shit!"
"Huh?"
"......"
Not calming since morning.
"No, uh. Sorry."
"Kekeke, what was that? Admit it—you worried about the car denting."
His teasing, needless care, yesterday—all too much.
Head spun hot. Couldn't sort thoughts.
"Let's head back quick. Stop at a mart on the way. I'll make hangover stew."
She said nothing.
Couldn't.
Scrutinized his face slowly.
"...Do whatever."
Replayed, reflected a hundred times.
Still.
Utterly mismatched, not her type, utterly annoying face.