Yggdrasil (3-12)
“Sorry for waking you while you were sleeping.”
“No, it's fine.”
Han Bom had said she had something to talk about, so we stepped outside the inn and sat side by side.
We could have talked inside the room, but I'd insisted that if she had something to say to me, we should do it out here.
Before the regression, that might not have mattered, but now we weren't at the point where we could be alone in a room together just chatting.
After apologizing, though, Han Bom fell completely silent, keeping her head bowed and letting out only quiet sighs.
Well, yeah. It must be way harder for her than it was for Hayeon.
Even Min Hayeon had struggled every time she pretended not to remember during regressions, watching me act oblivious.
But while Hayeon only had to worry about me, Han Bom was probably torn between me and her sister with all sorts of conflicts swirling around.
That said, what I was most curious about was what exactly Min Hayeon had told her up to now.
Given Hayeon's personality, she'd probably explained our relationship.
She definitely wouldn't have mentioned the regressions, though.
That wasn't something you could just say out loud.
As I sat there piecing together what their conversations might have been, Han Bom remained utterly silent.
I broke the ice first.
“Is this about Hayeon?”
“Y-yes?”
I proceeded carefully with the flustered Han Bom.
“I know she's your sister with Han Yeoreum. And I have a rough idea of how you feel about Hayeon, too.”
“...”
“Even so, I have no intention of giving up on Hayeon.”
Han Bom's face crumpled as she listened, then she muttered quietly to herself.
“Liar...”
“Huh?”
“It's nothing. And that's not why I called you out here.”
Han Bom stood from the bench and bent at the waist toward me, bowing deeply in gratitude.
“Thank you so much for today. If it weren't for you, we all would've been better off dead than living the lives we had.”
“Ah... I was just doing what needed to be done. Don't worry about it.”
“And for what your brother did... I'm sorry on his behalf.”
“Haha...”
Han Bom kept bowing, alternating between thanks and apologies.
Seeing her like this, she's kinda... different.
The Han Bom I'd seen so far was like a mix of a spoiled brat and a tomboy.
She'd assert herself boldly up front, but in those utterly hopeless situations, she'd get overwhelmed by me and fizzle out awkwardly most of the time.
But the Han Bom in front of me now was showing a mature side, acting like a proper adult.
Before the regression, she felt like a bratty high school girl. Now, she had the vibe of a fresh-faced newbie who'd been through some real-world grind.
With her head still lowered, Han Bom started recounting her thoughts from before Min Hayeon and I arrived here.
“To be honest... if we'd lost the last inn, too, I was planning to kill myself.”
“...”
“It was that scary. Losing everything and wondering how we'd be treated... But when death was staring me down, my hands and feet just shook, and I couldn't do a thing.”
The brushes with death she meant were probably nearly getting mauled by monsters in the dungeon and almost dying to the Red Summoners from the hallucinogens.
I played dumb and kept listening.
“That's when I realized—if you hadn't been there, I would've been too scared to even kill myself and just lived a pathetic, groveling life.”
I got what she meant.
I'd never considered suicide myself, but I don't think it's something you can just decide to do easily.
Only someone like Han Yeoreum with her regression ability could treat it like popping a piece of rice candy.
Normal people can't casually resolve to end it all.
No matter how miserable the life ahead looks, it's only once.
If Min Hayeon and I had come to Jepirum Village at the next summoning ritual instead of now, Han Bom would've been suffering in a hell even regression couldn't fix in the meantime.
“Really... thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“I'm just glad I could help.”
She'd thanked me in the first and second rounds too, but this was the first time it felt so genuine.
And then it got even deeper.
“I'm not just saying it to brush it off.”
“Huh? Whoa!”
In the spot lit only by moonlight, Han Bom looked at me and slowly lifted her T-shirt.
Her bra and pale skin gleamed beautifully in the moonlight as she whipped it off in an instant.
I whipped my head away in a panic, but my eyes were straining like mad to steal a glance at her body.
Damn, she's smoking hot.
[....]
Her shadowed collarbone and prominently visible ribs.
It was the textbook definition of slender.
No matter how many times I'd seen it, it always felt fresh and exciting.
Han Bom and I had shared plenty of naked chats before, so she should've been used to it, but stripping in the middle of the village square had her face flushing beet red with embarrassment.
After fully removing her short-sleeved top, she stepped right up to me and spoke.
“How do I... look?”
***
“Han Bom.”
“Eek...”
Having stripped off her top, Han Bom turned her flushed face aside as Seong Su-ho approached, wrapping her arms around herself to cover her bra.
It was her upper body, which she'd shown him multiple times before the regression, but thinking of it as the first time for the Su-ho in front of her now made embarrassment surge up uncontrollably.
She was curious what he'd do, but scared too.
As she squeezed her eyes shut, feeling her heart hammer like it was getting smashed with a mallet, something draped over her shoulders.
“...?”
Feeling the fabric, Han Bom opened her eyes to see a blue blanket covering her bare white torso.
Her gaze traveled, landing on Seong Su-ho beside her.
He gave a wry smile and spoke.
“Value your body.”
“B-but... that's not what I...”
Han Bom stammered in confusion at his actions and words, but Su-ho patted her shoulder to calm her.
“Save this for someone you really like, later.”
A mix of emotions flooded Han Bom at his words.
Humiliation that she wasn't attractive enough to tempt him even like this, and on the other hand, faith that before the regression, he'd truly loved her.
Pre-regression Su-ho had planted that belief in her with countless words.
That he loved her, that she was beautiful.
Ironically, the seed of that belief was still there, but now there was no one to nourish it.
Han Bom bowed her head and murmured softly.
“...You don't like me?”
“What? No way.”
“Or is my body that bad?”
“N-no, definitely not!”
Seeing Su-ho shout in flustered panic, Han Bom felt exasperated but couldn't help smiling.
Guess he really did like me back then.
Despite the frustration, she started feeling good inside.
The relationship had reset through regression, but her faith in what they'd had before had only grown stronger.
Even so, that faith exploding didn't erase the lingering regret so easily.
I don't wanna just let this slide... Feels like it'll get even harder if I do. Yeah, let's try that.
Han Bom decided to use the method that had worked to connect with Su-ho in the previous round.
She clutched her chest and let out a groan.
“Nngh...”
“Han Bom, what's wrong?”
“Ah, mister... I...”
Looking up at Su-ho with her face bright red, Han Bom started acting.
“M-my breasts... they're leaking milk.”
..
..
Han Bom smiled involuntarily as she watched Su-ho eagerly suckling her nipple.
Good. If regression happens again, I can start like this.
She never imagined their first intimate moment as man and woman would be breastfeeding.
At first, after taking the lactation inducer, the intense pain had made her regret it, but now she knew it was a godsend.
Nnngh... Doesn't even hurt anymore, and it feels... haah... so good...
Far from pain, each lick sent thrilling jolts stimulating her further.
Now, the act itself excited her as a link to Su-ho.
Pleasure, affection, bonds.
All mixed together, making her love for Su-ho even stickier and deeper.
I used to get pissed every time I looked at these tiny tits, heehee...
She'd always lamented her small chest.
But now, those once-useless little breasts felt utterly indispensable.
As she closed her eyes, savoring his lips on her nipple, Su-ho pulled away and said,
“All done. Feeling better now?”
“Haa... Yeah. Sorry, really. You must think I'm gross.”
“No way. Don't say that. No one would think that of you.”
His consideration made Han Bom happy, but also a bit worried.
...The amount coming out lately feels like it's tapering off.
The inducer was supposed to last a month.
She could feel the milk diminishing, the effects wearing off.
Won't be able to get more, huh? Before the next regression, I'll ask him to make one more.
Han Bom smiled at Su-ho, who was sucking the milk and then straightening her clothes.
“Um... thanks so much, mister. Can you... keep this a secret?”
“Won't tell Hayeon, promise.”
“I believe you.”
With that, the two headed back to the inn.
***
The next morning, we headed to the hunting grounds and started farming.
There was a clear difference from the first and second rounds.
The disruptors harassing the hunting spot had completely vanished.
Normally, they would've swarmed again the day after the duel, but I'd drilled it into Yang Ji-hyeon, so no annoyances showed up.
Han Bom seemed puzzled at first but eventually accepted it.
She probably figured killing Ben Crash was the decisive factor.
And Han Yeoreum.
She's probably talking with them right about now.
As expected, Han Yeoreum went hunting alone this time, so the Red Crescent would be making contact soon.
Gotta keep her under surveillance.
The Red Crescent summoners were basically my pawns now, and I'd ordered the contact myself.
Han Yeoreum no doubt thought she'd use them to take me down somehow, never imagining it was her own noose tightening.
“Let's take a break.”
“Sure.”
After some hunting, we paused at Min Hayeon's suggestion.
“Su-ho, can we talk for a sec...?”
“...? Yeah.”
Han Bom and the three beauties in our party started chatting among themselves, while Hayeon pulled me aside far enough that the other four couldn't hear, then cautiously spoke up.
“Su-ho, remember when I said Yeoreum might've regressed?”
“Yeah, but no hard proof...”
There wouldn't be proof for something like regression.
But Hayeon shook her head firmly and continued with a resolute expression.
“No proof, but... I think she did regress.”
“...What? How?”
Hayeon laid it out with total conviction.
“Overheard the other girls today by chance—turns out that bitch slept with some other woman.”
“Haha...”
I endured the needles Hayeon was firing straight at my conscience and focused.
Sleeping with a woman—how did that prove regression? But Hayeon, who'd watched her up close, thought differently.
“So I checked out the girl she slept with? And no matter how I look at it, she's not her type.”
“Uh... maybe they just clicked?”
“No. It's all about face and body for her. That's all she sees.”
“Haha...”
This stab hit harder, but I took it.
“So how's sleeping around prove regression?”
“Think about it—if she really wanted to hook up, wouldn't she have hit on the girls over there?”
“True...”
“She must've tried a few times. When it didn't work during regressions, she settled for some random chick.”
“...”
Nope... I'd just ordered her not to screw around.
I'd figured, like Hayeon, that Han Yeoreum wouldn't sleep with randos.
That's why I'd used the subordination on the three beauties to make them immune to her seduction,
and kept her from releasing her pent-up lust.
I'd pegged her as the type to pay pretty girls for sex rather than jerk off.
But against expectations, she must've been desperate enough to go for an average one.
“Plus, doesn't she seem weirdly subdued lately? Acting all cautious, like she's plotting something...”
“Yeah...”
“To me, it looks like she's biding her time for an opportunity.”
“Guess we really do need to watch out...”
I nodded along with Hayeon's words as convincingly as I could.
“And one more weird thing.”
“What?”
A regression hint caught on Hayeon's radar?
I perked up my ears, focusing intently, and Hayeon leaned in to whisper.
“Bom's... the way she looks at you isn't normal.”