Risk Level 6: Undine
"What on earth are you wearing...? Are you some kind of pervert?"
"It's not like I brought this to wear. All my other clothes got torn up, so this was the only thing left."
"..."
He decided to drop whatever else he'd been about to say after watching the woman pout like a child while making excuses. He knew continuing the conversation wouldn't accomplish much anyway.
"I prepared this specially for Harpy to wear. Never imagined I'd end up putting it on myself. I did wonder, just a little... if it might be fun to try something this bold, but actually wearing it was so embarrassing I was sweating bullets. Ahahaha."
"...At least you know it's embarrassing. That's something."
With a voice that sounded half-resigned, he nodded and kept tapping away at the terminal in his hand, coordinating the transport of the injured and cleanup of the scene. Watching him, the gray-haired woman began to radiate a mischievous glint in her eyes. Dressed in nothing but a few daring strings that barely qualified as a swimsuit, she looked every bit the seductive nurse. Silently, she slipped behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
His attention was so completely absorbed by the terminal that her playful impulse took over almost inevitably. Perhaps she simply didn't like how he could stare at something else while she stood right in front of him looking like this.
"Hah!"
"Hrk?!"
Startled by the sudden embrace from behind, he let out a rather undignified yelp and dropped the terminal. Thud! The device was caught by her hand, which had already shot forward into his view. Before he could even feel relief, the heavy, undeniable weight of two soft mounds pressed against the back of his head, and his face flushed bright red like a girl's.
"Luke? When a woman wears a swimsuit like this, it means 'Please look at my pretty body as much as you want,' you know?"
"..."
Because of their height difference, the back of his head was buried right between her breasts. He anxiously scanned the surroundings, terrified that one of the staff might see him in such a ridiculous position. At last his face came into view. Though clearly male, his small, slender frame and delicate build could easily be mistaken for a woman's. His face was the biggest culprit. With hair cut short, anyone seeing him for the first time—nine out of ten, or perhaps all ten—would swear he was a woman. No, a beauty. Beneath slightly dark gray hair were long, elegant lashes longer than most women's, moist dark-gray eyes, and skin so flawless it looked like he took better care of it than the woman behind him. A straight nose and lips pressed together as if slightly sulking completed the picture. Yet he was unmistakably male.
"Our dear Luke, let's see if that little thing has grown since last time. Ehehehe..."
"Aaaah...! Noona, stop!"
A rather unusual form of address slipped from his lips.
"It's been a while since I heard 'noona.' Makes my heart race~"
"Ugh, stop... I warned you...!"
The herbivore's shrill warning had no effect on the carnivore currently stripping him bare. But then—
"Hah!"
Flutter! Considering his build and the fact that he was being held from behind, it seemed impossible for the man called Luke to escape that luxurious, happy restraint. Yet in the blink of an eye he had slipped free, leaving his suit jacket behind in her arms. Better that than nothing.
"Ahem... Ahem. Cover yourself with that. And give me the terminal."
"You're worried about noona? You've grown a lot. I'm almost touched..."
"Don't be gross. Whenever you're around, the whole place turns indecent. Someone has to stay sane."
There was a reason he had to. He was none other than the director of the American branch of the Eunrang Art Museum. Of course, to any passing staff, the scene looked like nothing more than two beautiful sisters laughing and playing together.
"So... is your back okay?"
"Of course! ...is what I'd like to say, but salt water on the wound stings like crazy."
Just as she said, the skin on her back was torn up badly. If she'd been alone, she would have escaped to safety the moment she sensed danger. But she had shielded the counselor and Harpy from the explosion, taking the full brunt of the shock and debris. Though she acted calm, she had suffered the worst injuries in the incident. The swimsuit—or lack thereof—had at least served to keep both their eyes forward, even if it looked awkward. Of course, it was her own fault for choosing such a revealing outfit with impure intentions toward the innocent Harpy.
"Sorry about Woong. I thought if I stayed with you two, I could protect you both without a scratch."
"...Noona."
Though it had been an unavoidable accident, Luke quietly called out to the woman who seemed to feel responsible.
"...Yeah?"
He had seemed about to offer some words of comfort, but instead—
"Don't say things that don't suit you. It makes me feel weird."
"..."
The two of them were definitely blood-related.
*
"...This ceiling is new."
There was no need to say it out loud, but waking up in strange places after losing consciousness had become so routine that his heart no longer stirred easily.
"Mmm..."
Still, this was enough to make anyone react.
"Why...?"
Why were Harpy and I lying in the same bed, under the same blanket, wearing nothing but bathrobes?
"Ugh..."
Soft. Harpy, still half-asleep, snuggled closer, pressing her heavenly softness against my chest. The thick bathrobe was the only thing between us, and the pleasant weight of her body settling over mine made me painfully aware of how healthy I was. Blood rushed downward. As she shifted unconsciously, her robe loosened, revealing the deep, soft valley between her breasts. The urge to slip my hand inside surged so strongly that I nearly acted on it, but I managed to stop myself.
The surroundings looked exactly like a hotel room. Bathrobes over bare skin. This was clearly an intentional setup. And the only person who would pull something like this while expecting an impromptu event was, of course, the President.
Still, this much should be fine, right?
"Mmm... hnn..."
Harpy smiled happily in her sleep, her warm breath tickling my chest. I leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Ehehe..."
Her smile grew even brighter, as if she were having a pleasant dream. Seeing that lovely expression helped calm the stiffness below, if only a little. Harpy smelled like a baby—warm, milky, soothing. The scent made my heart settle and float at the same time. Of course, that changed completely during her heat... but that was a story for another time. I doubted there was any creature in the world that loved being held while sleeping as much as Harpy.
"Aww, what? You're not going to pounce?"
"...I knew you were there."
Just as I finished kissing Harpy's forehead and was about to close my eyes again, the President opened the door without a sound, exactly as expected.
"How's your body? Think you can move?"
"Yes... Still a bit sore everywhere, but I definitely feel lighter than before."
Even lying on the soft bed, a dull ache lingered in my back, but I must have received some treatment while I slept from exhaustion.
"I gave you basic treatment, but once we get back, have Undine take a proper look at you."
"Understood. But why are Harpy and I... dressed like this right now?"
It was the question I'd wanted to ask from the beginning. This time I managed to say it without falling into the President's pace. Probably because she was now wearing a proper suit instead of that daring swimsuit.
"You needed treatment, and Harpy wasn't injured but we ran some checks just in case. Don't worry, she was fine aside from some mild muscle pain."
'Of course, I had clothes ready for you afterward, but that would've been boring.'
"You do remember I can hear everything you're thinking, right?"
"Ahaha, right."
This wasn't the first time, either.
"Rest a bit more, then come out to the living room with Harpy. The schedule will proceed as planned even if the start was a little rocky."
"...That's a relief. Harpy was really looking forward to this. If you'd said no, I would've tried forcing the issue myself."
"Oh?"
'Now I want to pounce.'
"...Why does the conversation keep going in that direction?"
"Ahaha..."
"I'll make sure to protect Harpy from you, President."
I had to keep my Harpy safe from the President's clutches. Of course... imagining Harpy and the President tangled together was also quite... No. Harpy panting with teary eyes while the President slowly broke her down with wicked hands... No, no. What was I thinking?
"Huh?"
While I was lost in those dangerous thoughts, the President had already drawn close. And the atmosphere... why was she leaning over me?
"Hmm... You seem to be misunderstanding something."
'Come to think of it, you did protect them properly when they fell into the sea, too.'
Her husky voice, carrying the scent of cigars, tickled my ear. At the same time, her dark-gray eyes, usually filled with lazy amusement, looked straight at me.
"What I just said I wanted to pounce on wasn't Harpy..."
'Even with such a perfect setup, you were only focused on being lovey-dovey...'
"It was you, Woong."
"...!"
The rich scent of cigars washed over me. The President's unmistakable smell poured down over my face like spilled water. Her hair, hanging down, brushed against my cheeks and earlobes. We were close enough now to feel each other's warm breath. A soft kiss landed—not on my lips, but on my forehead. Still, the sudden change in atmosphere left me dazed, as if I'd been drinking.
"Ah... uh, President...?"
"Why so flustered? Don't tell me you're disappointed it was only this much?"
Ah... she was back to normal? Considering her usual behavior, ending it with just a forehead kiss was actually quite restrained for her. But earlier... for a moment, her eyes had looked at me the way someone might look at a beloved child. I hadn't found it strange at all.
"N-no, that's not it!"
"Rather than that, you should start thinking about how you're going to make it up to her."
"...?"
Make it up? I didn't understand at first, but then her finger pointed at my chest. Following her gaze, I looked down and saw—
"...U-uuu..."
Harpy was awake, her face flushed red, glaring at me with teary, resentful eyes while pouting adorably. Ahaha... When had our Harpy woken up? ...If we were talking this close, it would've been stranger if she hadn't woken up.
"...Sorry."
Harpy lightly pounded her tiny fists against my chest—soft little punches that sounded like they should come with a "boing boing" sound effect. They didn't hurt at all, but the sight of her long, sharp talons peeking out from between her fingers made me break into a cold sweat. Thanks to that, I could no longer ask the President about that strange, warm atmosphere from earlier.