What Is Wrong with These Men?
The gazes of the three men locked onto her all at once. They were hot, explicit, and transparently lustful—the eyes of different kinds of predators.
Hangyeol... no, "she," who had now completely become a woman, instinctively crossed her arms over her chest and curled her legs slightly inward. The hem of her thin dress, fluttering in the wind, tickled her thighs.
Ah... damn it, is this where the clichés start? It's because of this goddamn appearance. These stares are scarier than any monster.
She began to rack her brain to survive. With absolutely no one to lean on in this unfamiliar world, these men might be her only lifeline. However, their eyes held greed rather than pure goodwill. She had to look weak. As pitiful and fragile as possible.
"E-Excuse me... miss! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?!"
Chris, the young man in iron armor, took a step closer. His face was still as red as a ripe tomato, and his hands hovered awkwardly in the air, unsure of what to do.
"To be alone in such a treacherous forest... you must have gone through something terrible."
Luo, the tall man carrying a longsword, spoke with a deep scowl. His eyes gleamed with a mixture of half-concern and half-possessiveness.
"Are you really okay? You look so pale... We'll help you, so please don't worry too much."
Tayle, the blond archer, examined her complexion with eyes that looked as if they might burst into tears at any moment.
Hayeon swallowed a deep sigh internally.
What the hell am I supposed to say in this situation? I can't exactly say, "Actually, I used to be a guy, but some crazy god granted my wish in the worst way possible and turned me into a girl, and I almost got killed by a monster just now." I have to play on their sympathy and protective instincts as much as possible. I need to make them believe I'm a fragile, helpless thing that needs protecting.
Suddenly, an ultimate move flashed through her mind. It was a classic trope that had saved countless protagonists in novels and dramas: amnesia.
She widened her eyes, putting on her most fragile and confused expression. Making the rims of her eyes turn red as if she were about to burst into tears, she spoke in a delicate, trembling voice.
"I... I don't even know where this is. And... I can't... remember... who I am..."
At the end, she even added a slight sway, acting as if she were about to collapse. Inside, she was cringing hard enough to get goosebumps.
Ugh, Lee Hangyeol. What the hell are you doing right now? But what choice do I have? If I want to survive, I have to put on a show like this.
"What?! Y-You lost your memory?" Chris asked back in shock.
"There's no doubt about it! The shock from being attacked by those monsters earlier must have caused her memory loss!" Luo shouted in a confident voice, as if it were his own business.
"What should we do, Chris-hyung? Of all things, her memory... We can't just leave her in a dangerous place like this!" Tayle looked at Chris anxiously.
The three men instantly grew serious, as if they had entered an emergency state. Hayeon cheered inwardly.
Yes, it worked! Tropes really are great!
"Miss, is there... anything at all you can remember? Even the smallest thing? Like your name, or a familiar word..." Chris asked with a worried look.
My name? My name is Lee Hangyeol... but a girl's name... Ah!
Suddenly, the face of her younger sister, her only family, came to mind. Her sister's name might serve as a talisman to protect her core self in this hellish place.
Pretending to ponder for a moment, she spoke as if she were faintly recalling something.
"Uh... something... Ha... Hayeon... Yes! I think... the name Hayeon faintly comes to mind..."
Only after saying it did she realize.
I must be out of my mind! Why did I have to use my sister's name here of all places! Now I'm completely stuck with it!
However, the three men seemed to see hope in that name.
"Hayeon...! How can even your name be so beautiful!" Tayle let out a gasp of pure admiration.
"Miss Hayeon! This might be a clue to your memory! What a relief!" Luo's face also brightened.
"Alright, Miss Hayeon! Let's head to our camp first. It's dangerous here, so it would be best to look for a way to recover your memory in a safe place. We will protect you with our lives!" Chris declared gallantly.
Sigh... Right, I have no choice but to follow them for now. I have to exploit even their hypocritical kindness.
Now having become Hayeon, she forced a smile and nodded.
"Thank you... so much. You saved my life."
Can't you save my life too, you goddamn bastard of a god...
The path to the camp was more grueling than expected. It wasn't because of monsters. It was due to the excessive, over-the-top protection of the three men.
"Miss Hayeon, come this way! I will take the lead and secure the path!" As Chris tried to step forward reliably, Luo nudged him aside and stepped up.
"No, Miss Hayeon! A treacherous forest path like this is only safe when escorted by an experienced swordsman like me! Stay close behind me!"
"Ah, no, both of you are fine..."
As they walked along the forest path amidst this relentless overprotection, a menacing sound suddenly echoed from the bushes.
"Squeeeal!"
"Watch out! It's a forest boar!" Luo quickly drew his sword.
"Miss Hayeon, hide behind me! I will make sure to keep you safe!" Chris also adjusted his armor and took a defensive stance.
"Chris-hyung, Luo-hyung! I can handle a mere boar! Let me show you my archery skills!" Tayle shouted, drawing his bowstring.
Seriously, why are they making such a fuss over a single boar... The three of them can just handle it. They aren't going to fight over me again, are they?
Hayeon looked back and forth at the three men with anxious eyes. Sure enough, a subtle war of nerves was playing out among them over who would slay the boar.
"Sir Chris, Sir Luo, Tayle! Please don't fight because of me! It's... it's just a boar...!"
Hayeon tried to stop them with an awkward laugh, but sparks were already flying between the three men's eyes.
Ultimately, at the peak of the tense standoff, the boar charged first.
"Gwraaaah!"
"It's dangerous, Miss Hayeon!" Chris blocked the boar's path, raising his shield. However, he staggered back under the force of the boar's charge.
At that moment, Luo slashed the boar's leg with swift swordsmanship, and Tayle's subsequent arrow accurately pierced the beast's eye.
"Miss Hayeon, are you alright? You aren't hurt, are you?" The three men rushed to Hayeon simultaneously, asking with worried faces.
"I-I'm fine. Thanks to all of you..." Hayeon offered a small smile, but a sigh escaped her internally.
Do they think I'm some princess made of glass... This goddamn popularity.
The relentless stares and suffocating overprotection. At first, she had been grateful, but now it was starting to choke her.
After they had walked for a while longer, Hayeon felt her throat grow parched and spoke up cautiously.
"Could I... perhaps have some water?"
As if he had been waiting for this exact moment, Tayle quickly pulled out a canteen and approached her.
"Hayeon-nuna! I figured you'd be thirsty! This is clean water I've been saving! Please, have some first!"
Half a beat later, Chris refused to back down, pulling out a pouch of herbs.
"Miss Hayeon, this is much better than plain water. It's a tea brewed from herbs that are excellent for recovering your energy. I'll brew it for you right away."
Hayeon could only laugh awkwardly, caught between the passionate gazes of the two men.
No, I just... wanted a sip of water... Why does it feel like they're preparing for some grand battle...
Beside her, Luo silently toyed with the hilt of the sword at his waist and muttered quietly.
"...Pure water is best for Miss Hayeon. Stop showing off."
At those words, the other two men glared at Luo simultaneously. Hayeon realized once again that their kindness was not pure goodwill, but rather a petty competition between males trying to claim her.
By the time they reached the campsite, the sun was already setting. They lit a campfire in a fairly spacious clearing and unpacked their gear with practiced ease.
A moment later, Chris approached Hayeon and handed her a cup filled with water.
"Hayeon, you must have been very startled today, so drink this and get some rest. I added a few herbs to help you recover your strength. It's good for your body, so drink it all up."
His smile was endlessly gentle, but Hayeon caught a fleeting, chilling flash of desire deep within his eyes.
Herbs...? Is this safe?
An ominous foreboding crept over her, but she had no choice. Her throat was burning with thirst, and she had no idea what might happen if she rejected his kindness here.
She forced a smile and accepted the cup.
"...Thank you, Chris."
She gulped down the water in one go. The moment the cool liquid slid down her throat, she detected a very faint, bitter taste, but she brushed it off, assuming it was just the flavor of the herbs.
Not long after drinking the water, a strange sensation washed over her entire body. At first, she thought it was just a pleasant drowsiness. But soon, the sensation starting from her fingertips began to grow numb.
The campfire in front of her blurred and multiplied, and Chris's voice buzzed in her ears as if she were underwater. She tried to lift her arm, but it wouldn't budge, feeling as heavy as lead.
"Ugh... dizzy... My body... feels strange..."
Her tongue felt stiff, making it hard to even pronounce her words properly. Only then did she realize that the faint bitterness she had tasted was not from herbs.
Don't tell me... they're targeting... my body...
At her murmur, the kind mask slipped from Chris's face. In its place hung the mean, ugly smirk of a predator who had finally secured his prey.
"Haha, looks like the drug is finally kicking in. Don't worry, Hayeon. It's just a little medicine to... make your body run hot."
Catching Hayeon's staggering, collapsing body, he whispered in her ear like a serpent.
"Picking up a girl this beautiful who's even lost her memory right off the street... Haha, my luck is insane lately. Alright, shall we start having some real fun now?"
Ah... I've been had. From the very beginning... all of it... was a trap.
Hayeon's consciousness sank into a pitch-black abyss. The night of her despair was just beginning to raise its curtain.