Chapter 7: The Reserve Protagonist
I was screwed.
I whipped around.
“Hey, watch it.”
“Ah, I’m sorry……”
The man who had bumped into my shoulder saw that I’d spilled something because of him. He scratched the back of his head with an apologetic look on his face.
“…It’s fine. No harm done.”
I started to say something, then stopped myself.
The water was already spilled. Getting angry would only draw stares from everyone around us. Nothing would be fixed.
Ugh. I brought extra as a backup, too.
I stared back and forth between my noona’s drink and the water bottle, face twisted in distress. I’d accidentally poured in twice as much as I’d originally planned.
What now? Do I just throw it all out?
Drinking the water of desire raised one’s sexual appetite for a set period of time.
I’d thought a little excitement would be necessary for the kiss, so I’d only meant to add the right amount. This was nowhere near the right amount.
If I drank all of it, I had no idea how far my lust would spike. During my tests I had only taken tiny sips at a time.
“Jinhyun~ I got the tickets! There were plenty of seats left.”
Shit.
While I was still debating what to do with the drink, Yujeong noona finished buying the movie tickets and walked over, waving two stubs.
No choice now.
I quickly stuffed the water bottle into my bag and screwed the lid back on the drink.
There wasn’t time to overthink it.
The first priority was hiding the fact that I had tampered with her drink.
“I bought some too. This one’s your cider, noona, and this is my cola. I just got a medium caramel popcorn.”
“Good job! A large would’ve been too much for us to finish.”
I let out a quiet sigh inside.
Well… it’ll work out somehow.
Yeah.
Having too much was still better than having none at all.
“The movie’s starting soon. I’m going to run to the bathroom real quick.”
“Okay. I’ll go after you get back.”
I stepped into the nearby men’s restroom and stood in front of the mirror.
Then I pulled the Charm Laser Stick out of my bag.
Hmm. I still haven’t tested this thing’s effect.
I stared at the lipstick-shaped device.
It was supposed to make any body part you hit with the beam for three seconds irresistibly attractive to the opposite sex for two hours. Since I hadn’t tried it yet, it remained an unknown item.
There hadn’t been any good test subjects in the first place.
Even if I used it on my hand instead of somewhere noticeable like my lips, I could hardly grab a random woman walking by and ask, Hey, doesn’t my hand look super attractive?
Still, every item I’d received from the app so far had worked perfectly. I figured I could trust this one too. The only worry was not knowing exactly how strong the effect would be.
Three seconds on the lips…
I looked at myself in the mirror and aimed the laser stick at my mouth.
A thick red beam shot out from the lipstick-shaped tool. Treating it like I was applying gloss, I held the beam on my lips for three full seconds.
“Daddy, what’s that?”
“Um… Daddy doesn’t know either. Maybe it’s one of those cosmetics your mom uses?”
People passing by gave me weird looks as I stood in front of the bathroom mirror firing a laser I’d never seen before at my own mouth.
I ignored them and made sure to coat every part of my lips.
Target: Lips
Duration: 2 hours
Effect: Creates mysterious charm and attraction when viewed by the opposite sex
- Ziiiing.
- Srrrk.
“Did it work?”
After successfully hitting my lips for three seconds, the area I’d targeted gave off a momentary glow.
Just to be safe I gave my upper and lower lips one more pass, then finally left the bathroom.
“Yujeong noona. I’m back.”
“Oh, you’re back?”
I called out to her. She turned around and looked at me.
“…….”
“Noona?”
“Huh? Oh—yeah! Right. I’ll go to the bathroom now too.”
Hmm…
When I called her name, it felt like her eyes had locked onto my lips for a split second.
Guess the effect is real.
I touched my lips. They didn’t feel any different, yet the item was clearly working in some mysterious way.
“Jinhyun. I’m back.”
After waiting about five minutes, noona returned from the restroom.
We gathered our drinks and popcorn and headed into the theater.
“Wow, there really aren’t many people here.”
The seats were surprisingly empty.
The movie was about to start, yet barely half the seats were filled.
It wasn’t a blockbuster, but still—on a weekend, the theater felt almost deserted. More people would trickle in, but it didn’t look like it would get past two-thirds full.
We sat side-by-side at the very end of the middle row.
While the movie is playing, please refrain from kicking the seat in front of you…
After the usual ads, the theater rules and emergency instructions played. Noona and I munched on popcorn and chatted about ordinary things.
Once the announcements ended, the lights finally dimmed and the movie began in earnest.
That Day’s Spring, We Broke Up.
Sad music flowed across a beautiful backdrop as the narration began.
“…….”
A few minutes after the movie started, I subtly turned my head and stole a glance at noona.
She was sipping her drink through a straw, eyes fixed on the screen.
I hope she doesn’t drink too much.
The sight made me a little nervous, but I turned back to the screen.
“Huh? This letter……”
“How did you……”
About twenty minutes into the film.
“Ah…!”
“…….”
Throughout the movie I kept finding excuses to brush my arm against hers. I even timed it so that when she reached for popcorn our hands would “accidentally” touch.
It was bolder than anything I would normally dare, but since noona had already consumed the equivalent of three candies, I felt confident enough to push further.
I was also checking how much of the drink she’d had. Fortunately she still seemed normal.
“Are you really leaving?”
“I’m sorry……”
Hmm. It’s better than I expected.
Roughly forty minutes had passed.
I chewed popcorn and reflected. I usually only watched dating sims or fantasy, but this romance film was surprisingly watchable.
The male and female leads’ love story was portrayed quite well.
Noona’s completely absorbed.
When I glanced sideways, she was staring at the screen with rapt attention.
But something’s… off.
Looking closer, I could tell she wasn’t her usual self.
Her breathing seemed a little labored—I could actually hear it. Even in the dim light from the screen, I could see that her face was faintly flushed.
“……?”
Right as I was thinking that, she noticed me watching her and turned to look at me.
“!”
“Ah.”
Our eyes met.
The moment they did, her face grew even redder. I felt embarrassed too, caught staring at her instead of the movie.
I gave an awkward smile and turned back to the screen.
I definitely put in too much.
Oh well.
Let’s just keep watching the movie…
“How… how could you do something like that!?”
“Shut up! You don’t understand anything!”
The movie had entered its climax.
Urgent music pounded, driving the heartbeat faster. The conflict between the leads had reached its peak.
A strange, heavy tension blanketed the entire theater.
The only sound that occasionally broke the silence was the rustle of someone grabbing popcorn.
Hmm.
I turned to look at noona’s face.
“Ah.”
She wasn’t watching the movie anymore—she was looking at me.
When our eyes met, she let out a tiny, breathless sound.
“…….”
“…….”
We stayed like that, gazes locked, neither of us moving.
The atmosphere had become oddly charged.
Beneath the theater’s quiet darkness, a taut new tension stretched between us.
It wasn’t the suspense of the film’s climax. It was something else entirely.
In that strange, razor-thin air, my mind spun at full speed.
Okay… what the hell do I do now?
Something was clearly wrong.
Noona’s breathing had grown even hotter than before. Her face was flushed deep red like a ripe apple.
At first glance she looked less excited and more like she was in pain. Her eyes had turned hazy, unfocused.
Shit…
I couldn’t turn away or do anything. I just kept staring into her eyes.
Then she spoke in a trembling whisper.
“Um… Jinhyun……”
“…Yes?”
Her voice shook delicately, sounding dangerously fragile.
Yet that very fragility stirred something inside me. There was a sweet, irresistible note in her tone.
It sounded like she was desperately holding something back.
“Jinhyun, I……”
She looked at me as she spoke.
Her eyes trembled. Her gaze drifted and then locked onto one spot. Following that shaky line of sight, I realized she was staring at my lips.
…Is this my chance?
The mood was perfect.
I’d watched her drink the spiked beverage, so I knew she was definitely aroused right now.
If I hadn’t known what was happening I might have asked if she needed the bathroom, but that wasn’t the case. I understood her condition perfectly.
“No… never mind. It’s nothing. Sorry.”
“…….”
She opened and closed her mouth several times, struggling to speak, then finally squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
She turned back toward the screen.
Ah.
It had definitely been an opening.
But my body refused to move.
I had only ever experienced romance through games and novels. With zero real-life experience in a situation like this, I couldn’t act.
I cursed myself and, just like her, turned back to the movie.
“I’m sorry. And thank you… really.”
“No. I’m the one who should apologize.”
“I love you……”
The movie was nearing its end.
The fierce conflict between the leads at the climax had finally resolved.
Heart-stirringly beautiful music poured out. The atmosphere soared to its emotional peak.
In a gorgeous sunset, the couple held hands.
Everyone knew what was coming—the highlight of any romance film: the leads’ kiss scene.
Even I focused intently on the screen.
[Boom— Bang—]
Fireworks lit up the couple as the male and female leads finally kissed.
I wonder how noona is watching this.
After seeing the kiss scene, I turned my head to the side.
“Mmm……”
That was the moment.
Huh…?
For a second I couldn’t process what had happened.
Noona’s face filled my vision.
At the same time, something soft pressed against my lips.
Her eyes were closed. A sweet perfume enveloped me.
Hot breath brushed my nose.
It was a kiss.
After a few seconds of pressing her lips to mine, she only pulled away once the fireworks sound on screen had faded.
Or rather, it was more accurate to say she collapsed against me.
“Haa… haa……”
“Th-this……”
I touched my lips with a stunned expression.
But that only lasted a moment.
“Haa……”
Seeing her slumped against my chest, panting heavily, I realized her condition was far worse than I’d thought.
I quickly picked up her drink cup and shook it.
There was still a little left, but she had drunk almost all of it.
Ah……
I grabbed her shoulder and gently shook her.
“N-noona! Are you okay?”
“I d-don’t know… Jinhyun. My body… it’s too……”
Her face was burning red. She was breathing in hot, shallow gasps.
I held her by both shoulders to help her sit up properly.
Her body was incredibly hot.
“…….”
“Ah……”
While supporting her, our eyes met again.
Our faces were so close. From her perspective, mine must have looked just as near.
Suddenly her gaze locked onto my lips once more.
“I’m sorry……”
“Huh?”
She apologized out of nowhere.
I didn’t understand what she was sorry for.
She had no idea that I was the one who had fed her something strange. I had zero intention of telling her, but if anyone owed an apology, it was me.
“I’m sorry, Jinhyun……”
I started to ask what she was sorry about.
“I can’t… hold back anymore.”
But I never got the chance to finish my question.
“Mmm… ha……”
Her mouth sealed mine.
I could clearly feel the heat of her breath and the impossibly soft texture of her lips.