Why Do You Want to Get Stronger?
"Why go this far just to get stronger? Money?"
"Wanting to get stronger is only natural, isn't it? You wouldn't understa—ah, forget I said that."
"Yes, yes. I want to get stronger too. But I'm curious about the reason. The reason Isol-ssi can bare her own breasts like this."
"Th-this is because you—"
"That's right. I did it. But you didn't refuse, did you?"
"......"
The reason I bothered asking her this was to understand why she could now boldly do something that, only yesterday, had filled her with shame.
In other words, I wanted to grasp her internal motivation.
Of course, given her personality, she wouldn't talk easily.
But as these exchanges accumulated, I would be able to anticipate her way of thinking when certain situations arose—and that would make her far easier to use.
"I hate losing to anyone. I'd rather die than lose..."
I already know that without you having to say it out loud.
Anyone who spent even a few hours with Kim Isol would realize she was a mass of pure pride.
Even Baek Hwayeon and Lee Donggeul must know it.
That was probably why they stayed silent around her—to avoid picking a fight.
And yet, even after scraping the bottom at the Academy, she had somehow managed to stay alive.
Every single day must have been a string of defeats.
Was "I hate losing" just empty talk?
Had she lost so many times that she simply gave up?
"What I mean is, why go that far? Not everyone in the world will do anything just to get stronger, right?"
"I don't plan on doing just anything either. I have lines I won't cross. Standards."
"And how far does that line go?"
"...Why are you digging into every little thing like this?"
"Because this is the secret to how Baek Hwayeon got stronger. She told me willingly. Without all the pushback you're giving me right now."
"What? Why would she do that?"
There was no need to tell Kim Isol that Baek Hwayeon had done it for money.
If Isol went and asked her directly, Hwayeon would probably spill it easily enough.
But blabbing about it myself felt like bad manners.
"It's a secret. Just like the fact that I watched Isol-ssi pee is a secret. Don't go prying into other people's information so casually."
"Why the hell is that coming up now?!"
"I only used a provocative example so you'd understand more easily. So—how far does that line of yours go? I want to know in advance, in case I accidentally cross it."
"...I don't know either. If I don't want to do something, I won't do it even if it kills me."
What was this, elementary school?
Thinking I could hear anything deep from her had been my mistake.
No—I hadn't really expected much to begin with.
Kim Isol being Kim Isol, after all.
I had at least hoped the groundwork I laid today would let me hear something honest next time, but it seemed like a waste of effort.
"If you won't tell me, then I'll just do as I please. Don't get angry even if I cross your line."
"What? Wh-what are you planning to do?"
"You'll find out when it happens to you. No need to tense up like that."
"Wh-wh-who said I was tense?!"
I grabbed both of Kim Isol's ass cheeks and pulled her toward where I sat.
The springy feel of her ass transmitted through the fabric of her panties.
Her breasts, already close, now pressed perfectly against my face.
Still gripping her ass, I opened my hands and kneaded her cheeks while taking one of her nipples into my mouth.
Slurp. Suck. Slurp.
I sucked hard.
Kim Isol thrashed violently at the stimulation she had never experienced in her life, struggling to pull free.
But I tightened my grip on her ass and kept her from escaping.
"Hnn... you... th-this is... hiek... kyaa—!"
"Slurp... suck... hah... Why are you running away?"
In the end she used her mana.
She shoved my shoulders and scrambled backward.
At the same moment, the small fruit I had been sucking on popped free of my mouth.
That final tug must have hit her even harder.
I had sucked all the harder, refusing to let go.
Kim Isol collapsed onto the floor, covering her breasts with both hands and glaring at me.
Her eyes were already glistening, on the verge of spilling tears.
Why look at me like that?
She had wanted this herself.
"If you have no intention of getting stronger, then leave my room."
"D-does doing this really make you stronger? There's no way! You perverted bastard!"
"Didn't you see Lee Donggeul and Baek Hwayeon? If you can't believe it, then get out."
"...You—are you just bullying me on purpose?!"
"That's right. I'm giving Kim Isol special treatment."
"See! I knew it..."
"Don't misunderstand. Isol-ssi's potential is the highest, so I'm pushing you harder on purpose. I felt an enormous mana whose limits I couldn't even see. To drag all of it out, going easy won't do a thing. But if the person herself refuses to trust me like this, there's nothing I can do. Honestly, it might be faster if you just went off into some mountain, sat under a waterfall, and waited for enlightenment."
I stood from the bed and gestured for Kim Isol to leave through the door.
I picked up the clothes scattered on the floor and held them out to her.
Put them on and get out. Now.
"...I'm not going. I already said I'm not leaving... I won't leave until I get stronger."
"So does that mean you trust me?"
"......"
I held the clothes out again to the girl who still gave no answer.
When she didn't take them, I set them down in front of her, let out a deep sigh, and lay back on the bed.
I decided to watch and see just how long she planned to keep this up.
My cock still wasn't even properly hard, so I wouldn't feel particularly regretful if she left like this.
Even if I did, I could just call Lee Donggeul or Baek Hwayeon.
Only after I had been lying there for a long while did Kim Isol finally stand.
Then she walked toward me as I lay on the bed.
"Did I cross the line Isol-ssi was thinking of?"
"No... I was just surprised."
"Have you ever kissed anyone, Isol-ssi?"
"Why are you asking that now..."
"It's important. I need to know why the mana piled up inside your body won't come out. It could be mental, or it could be physical."
"So that's why... my breasts..."
"Yes, exactly."
"You sucked the other girls' breasts too, didn't you?"
"No comment."
"You perverted bastard... Are you sure I can get stronger than those bitches?"
"I can't give you a definite answer. But your potential is more than enough."
"So I just have to let you suck my breasts?"
No, you don't.
Do you really think I'd be satisfied with that little?
Well, your breasts do have excellent elasticity, pale skin, and a beautiful shape—but if I had to choose, I'd pick Lee Donggeul's.
"No. Isol-ssi's potential isn't enough with just that."
"Th-then..."
"Probably every corner of your entire body."
Lying on the bed, I casually checked Kim Isol's expression.
Not just her face—her whole body had flushed red.
Whether it was from humiliation or shame, I couldn't tell, but one thing was certain: she wasn't excited because she wanted to do this with me.
"Fine... I'll allow it. But if I don't get stronger, you'd better be ready."
"I refuse."
"What? You just said you'd do it!"
"When did I? I said that might be a way to draw out your potential—not that I wanted to do it. Aren't you confusing who is the one asking for a favor right now?"
Kim Isol bit her lip.
Judging by her reaction earlier, she had never even kissed anyone, yet she was ruining those cute, precious lips with her own teeth.
What a waste.
I said nothing and simply waited for Kim Isol to act.
I had already sent a clear enough signal that she was the one who needed to beg—so why no response?
Come on. Plead with me.
Beg me to make you stronger right away.
Beg me to suck every inch of your body.
"...Do it."
"I refuse."
"Do it."
"I said no."
"Do it already!"
"Do what, exactly?"
"Suck my breasts right now!"
"Do you even understand what you just said?"
"You son of a bitch. I'll kill you!"
Kim Isol suddenly grabbed my right arm as I lay there and yanked.
Perhaps I had been secretly hoping for a situation like this all along.
Hoping she would turn violent toward me.
If she truly meant to kill me she would have gone and fetched a sword on the spot, but the words she had just spat were nothing more than a threat.
She was a crazy bitch, but she still operated within the bounds of common sense.
The very fact that she tried to protect her pride meant she wasn't a complete psycho.
People without pride who charged in without caring about anything were far harder to deal with.
A prideful mass like her, on the other hand, became surprisingly easy to handle once you used that pride against her.
Just like when I made her wet herself before.
I cut off the source of her confidence once again.
"......"
"What's wrong?"
"My mana... again..."
"Pardon? Your mana disappeared again?"
"It was you after all. You fucking bastard."
Kim Isol seized me by the collar.
But with her mana gone, there was nothing she could do to a body protected by my shield.
Keeping my expression carefully controlled, I scolded her.
"Look at this. You act violently toward me and get cursed again. You really are a frustrating person, Isol-ssi."
"......"
"What are you going to do? Show me you peeing again? But that alone won't tell us whether you'll get stronger or not. Besides, you've already done it once—who knows if it'll even work a second time."
"What the hell do you want me to do then!!"
Watching her scream at the top of her lungs, a vile smile rose inside me.
The only thing you can do is submit to me.
And only now are you finally realizing that the initiative passed to me a long time ago?
With that enormous pride of yours, you would have gone mad if you didn't at least scream once.
"Isol-ssi. If mana were that easy to obtain, no one would envy the Awoken. And people like you wouldn't envy the higher ranks—or the very highest ranks—either. Leaving Transcendents aside, of course."
"I never thought it would be easy either. But even girls like Baek Hwayeon and Lee Donggeul got stronger in a day or two."
"That's exactly what I'm saying. What do you think is the difference between them and you?"
"...What."
"They followed every word I said. And you're acting like this."
"......"
Her tightly clenched fists had gone pale.
She was gripping so hard I wondered if her nails might dig into the flesh.
Well, whether Awoken or Supporter, even women couldn't grow their nails long.
They would just break right away.
So no matter how hard she clenched, it wouldn't be that serious.
While I was thinking about something else entirely, the trembling Kim Isol finally managed to open her mouth.
"Do it..."
"Please ask more politely. Ah—the way I'm talking, it almost sounds like I'm the one asking Isol-ssi for a favor, doesn't it? Do you have any idea how absurd this situation feels?"
"Please... do it."
"More politely."
"Please do it, Team Leader."
I would have preferred "Oppa," but that would probably just make her talk back more.
This much distance felt right.
Or should I train her completely and make her call me Master?
Looking at Kim Isol bowing her pride before me, I felt a quiet satisfaction.
Even I had never imagined, back in that Red Devil cave, that our relationship would change like this.
I lay back down on the bed.
Today I would take it easy and enjoy some service while lying down.
"I fully understand Isol-ssi's feelings. But as you know, I'm a rather suspicious person. Show me through your attitude and actions."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Your tone!"
"What... am I supposed to do..."
That seemed to be the limit of her speech.
How freely she must have run around spitting informal speech—did she talk to her own parents like this too?
Not that I could start etiquette lessons here either.
I had broken her spirit enough for now. Next.
"Would you mind taking my clothes off?"
"Why your clothes...?"
"As you briefly experienced earlier, only powerful contact between you and me can draw out your potential. First Isol-ssi does it for me, and then I'll do the exact same thing back to you. Or should I just do whatever I want to Isol-ssi's body? I might end up crossing that line you keep talking about."
After a moment of hesitation, Kim Isol finally moved.