Impure Intentions
As impure thoughts flooded my mind, I suddenly remembered having a seriously erotic dream. In it, Yura and I, living together, were tangled up fiercely, biting and sucking at each other. I wondered if maybe I hadn't just gotten blackout drunk and actually done something, but there wasn't a single trace of it. If we'd really gone at it like that, there should've at least been lipstick marks or bruises, but my body was pristine. The muscle aches gathering in my legs? That had to be from the booze. I felt refreshed, like I'd just had a solid night's sleep.
So... that really was just a dream? I did think she was pretty. That sweet smile, her snow-white, flawless skin. Sure, she had a bit of a turtle neck and a somewhat gloomy vibe, but that was probably just from her job. Looking at her social skills and the way she spoke, she was damn near a perfect hexagon of a woman. I'd hesitated to see my benefactor in a sexual light... but now that I'd had that dream, it felt like I'd committed some grave sin.
The truth was, I could feel it. How much she struggled around me as a man. But that wasn't just her problem. This world had a shattered gender ratio to begin with. Most women went their whole lives without pairing off, dying alone. With no basic experience around the opposite sex, they got all flustered just from someone approaching. Yura tried her best to act natural and keep her distance, but I could read it all plain as day. She'd flinch and tremble if I got too close. She'd deliberate forever before responding when I spoke to her.
"I was really rude last night..."
She already had trouble around me, and I'd patted her shoulder and touched her without any sense of distance—that must've been a lot for her. Especially in this gender-reversed world where the ratio was wrecked. "Damn, now I feel sorry. Tsk... I gotta watch how much I drink next time. Whatever."
What could I do? Water under the bridge. Apologizing for acting too familiar would just be weird now. But yeah, I still owed her an apology for blacking out. I knew my limits and didn't control myself—that was on me. With a deep sigh, I shoved aside the blanket covering me and sat up. Glancing at the clock, it was already noon. In a place with no day or night, what did time even matter? But at least it told me what Yura was probably up to right now.
"She's in the control room, I bet."
She was always glued to something in there at this hour... mostly scouting the shelter's perimeter with drones, from what I'd seen.
Clunk, clunk—I walked the same pristine white corridor as always. Robots of all sizes bustled about today too. Some seemed to be carrying seed trays or saplings. Elsewhere, a bunch of drones hauled a massive log together. A robot twice my size lugged steel plates. I still couldn't get used to it. I'd seen this stuff a lot lately, but the tech was so beyond modern capabilities it felt alien.
Dodging machines here and there, I reached Zone A (AI Control). Standing before the massive steel hatch, I activated the retinal scan.
[Confirmed. Baek Seohan-nim. Requesting approval from the administrator to open Zone A. Please wait a moment.]
A blue circle spun in the center of the screen as it asked me to wait. After about a minute, an approval notice popped up, followed by a harsh hiss of escaping gas from the steel hatch. Then came the grinding of gears. The complex panels—layered two or three deep—separated, finally opening the path inside.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping more? What brings you here?"
Yura was right there waiting at the door. Was it my imagination, or did her skin have an extra glow today? Somehow, her complexion looked healthier than usual. Hmm... must've had something good happen. Everything else could be a fluke, but that black suit she wore every day—the circuit network glowing pink was way too obvious.
"The hangover cleared up faster than I thought. If anything, I feel even more refreshed after drinking."
"Oh, that... A friend tried making booze with no hangover and failed. It doesn't eliminate it completely, but it gives a temporary awakening effect after it wears off. That's probably it."
What...? So the stuff I drank was that? No wonder there was no label and it tasted weird. I felt like a guinea pig, but whatever. I was satisfied just to have booze.
"Basically... a sleep aid disguised as alcohol? Yeah, something like that."
"Whoa..."
"No burden on the liver. No issues with your blood vessels... booze with a kick that actually gets you drunk? Safer than store-bought. Kinda like that? It's a failed experiment anyway..."
??? Excuse me? That's insane. Minus the hangover, it's perfect. Yura talked about this groundbreaking invention like trash. How unreal could this place get? But now it was daily life—I couldn't even complain.
"Oh, right! Sorry about last night, Yura. I got way too wasted, huh? Must've been a huge bother."
"Uh, wha? Oh! Drunk? Y-yeah! You, you drank a lot."
When I actually tried to apologize, she suddenly averted her eyes and started stammering for some reason. Did I really screw up that bad? Her pupils darted all over the place, unable to settle.
"I-it's fine! Stuff happens when you drink, haha!"
"..."
Did I mess up so bad she couldn't even speak? Yeah, when I get drunk, I turn into a total vegetable... I bump into walls, yell randomly—not picking fights, but exhausting everyone around me. Normally I'd stop at a light buzz, but it had been so long. Coming from a place where even water was scarce, my eyes rolled back the second I started drinking. Forgot all about moderation. Basically threw a tantrum at someone I'd just met.
"Seriously, I'm sorry. Must've been hell dealing with my drunken bullshit..."
"N-no, if anything you must've been hurting... all night..."
"All night?"
"Huh? No! I just meant in general! Like, stumbling around all night must've hurt, haha!"
Damn... I must've been a total mess. Couldn't even look up. Gotta drink alone quietly from now on. Couldn't face Yura if I pulled that again.
"Anyway, wanna come in? I was getting bored..."
She changed the subject, like that was apology enough, and led me into Zone A by the hand. Man, this place was a maze no matter how many times I came. Even in the thick darkness, countless cables snaked everywhere—big and small—all converging on one spot. The control room, overseeing every shelter system. Hundreds of monitors and holograms provided the only faint light.
She'd just been eating. A burger and cola sat on the matte metal desk. Her appetite matched her build—she'd polished off three easily, it looked like.
"Huh? Want a burger too?"
She read my mind as I stared. I nodded quietly without a word.
"Hold on."
Snap! She flicked her fingers. With a whir, a spherical drone descended from the ceiling like a bat. Its lid popped open, revealing a thick, fresh burger and cola right in front of me.
"Eat while you look around. It's just scouting footage—nothing much happening... I get bored alone. Just stay by my side."
We weren't quite at friend level yet, but the distance between us had shrunk a ton since first meeting. We were both too lonely. Better to stick together than be alone. If she wasn't so busy, we might spend every waking hour side by side. Especially as opposite sexes. Curiosity was inevitable. She was pretty, after all. Hard not to be drawn in.
And... and... what was this? Had it always been like this? My heart raced. I didn't remember feeling this before... Being near Yura, a fresh, vibrant scent wafted subtly. My body heated up out of nowhere. Why? I'd always been rationally curious, but today felt off. Yearning for her, maybe? My breathing grew irregular. And with it, flashes of last night's dream pierced my mind.
Gulp... The memory of being forced onto the bed and ravaged... Yura was the complete opposite of the person I knew. Biting, pinching, pinning me down. Even knowing it was a dream... not real... it felt as vivid as events from moments ago, making my body tingle and react.
"Huh? What's wrong? You look pale... You okay?"
Snapping out of my daze, she blinked at me curiously. Huh?! Did it show on my face? My head went blank for a second. I bit my lip, forcing my mind back to sanity. Was I losing it? Even if we'd gotten closer, that thought was way out of line. Toward my savior who saved my near-death ass... Had I been starving for sex after all the hardship outside? I couldn't understand it. Having such impure thoughts...