My Man, Your Man (2)
Serena's bombshell remark left not only Siela but even Seong Hyun-jin too stunned to react.
"A bitch!?"
"What's the difference between that and some slut in heat rubbing up against another woman's man?"
Serena showed no trace of her usual respect toward Siela. No, she was openly hostile now. The fact that Serena, who always stuck to formal speech, was casually hurling insults made it crystal clear.
Of course, Siela wasn't about to take the abuse lying down. She clung even tighter to Seong Hyun-jin and snapped back with a fierce glare.
"Quit calling him your man! Hyun-jin's my boyfriend now too, you know?"
"Why would he be yours? He's my man to begin with."
With that, Serena yanked Seong Hyun-jin's hand, pulling him toward her. There was no way Siela could outmuscle a dragonkin like Serena, so she lost her grip on him.
"Ah…!"
Having claimed Seong Hyun-jin, Serena locked eyes with him, her face twisted with jealousy. As if seeking confirmation, she whispered,
"Honey, you like me better, right?"
"…Huh?"
"I'm prettier, and my boobs are bigger."
Serena flashed a beaming smile, acting all cute and coquettish. Seong Hyun-jin was a little thrown off by the expression.
She wasn't wrong about the breasts—Serena's were definitely bigger. As someone who could size up a woman's chest at a glance, Seong Hyun-jin knew it all too well.
As for who was prettier between Serena and Siela, it came down to personal taste. But recalling the chatter from the guys before Serena had gone public with their relationship… objectively, Serena's looks had a slight edge. It probably came from her elf blood, giving her that standout beauty.
Still, in Seong Hyun-jin's eyes, they were both so gorgeous it was impossible to pick a winner. They were his beautiful, lovable girlfriends, each with their own unique charm. In a moment of resignation, he answered honestly.
"Your boobs are bigger, yeah… but…"
"Don't tell me she's prettier?"
"No, you're both so pretty I can't say who's better."
At his words, both Serena and Siela blushed faintly. Serena especially.
…I'm in deep, aren't I?
This was a moment when she should still be fuming even if he called her the prettiest, but just hearing him say she was pretty was enough to satisfy her. Since she'd been so close, her softening expression had given her away, leaving her no room to get mad again.
Serena pouted up at Seong Hyun-jin before letting go of his arm. In a voice heavy with disappointment, she said,
"…I hate you."
"Serena, I'm sorry."
"I want to be alone today. Don't come looking for me."
With that, she released him and turned on her heel. Truth be told, she didn't want to be alone at all—it was just empty talk. But Serena was starting to realize something. To keep being loved like she always had, she needed to get craftier. Now that she had to share his love with Siela Teraport, she'd have to change if she wanted more of it.
It was a sly fox's ploy to prick his conscience and make him come chasing after her. And with Seong Hyun-jin's innocent side, he'd fall for it hook, line, and sinker. He'd come running soon enough.
Confident in that, Serena swept out of the room. Seong Hyun-jin stood there flustered for a moment before moving to follow her, just as she'd predicted.
Then Siela spoke up.
"Don't go, Hyun-jin."
"Huh? How can I not? She stormed off like that—I need to go calm her down…"
"Nah, you don't have to."
Siela gave a light scoff.
"That's just her fox routine."
"What?"
"She's doing it on purpose. She knows you'll worry and come running right away."
"…How do you know? She might really be mad."
Of course, Seong Hyun-jin had a point—it was possible. But Siela was certain it wasn't the case.
"I know for sure."
She'd caught it when Serena brushed past her on the way out: a smile.
"Her mouth was twitching up at the corners."
"……."
"And if she was really leaving, she'd have put some clothes on first, right?"
"…Oh."
Siela sighed.
"Looks like it'll take a while to get along with junior Serena."
"Still…"
"I know."
Siela recalled what Seong Hyun-jin had asked her to do before Serena showed up. Now that things had gone this way, he'd begged her to at least try to get along with Serena.
"You want us to get along. I'll try… but…"
She thought back to Serena calling her a bitch and ground her teeth.
As the daughter of the prestigious Teraport family, she wasn't used to hearing such degrading insults. She was furious, flustered, and only held back because Seong Hyun-jin was there.
"If she keeps talking like that, I won't stay quiet."
"…I'll tell Serena that."
Even Seong Hyun-jin thought "bitch" was over the line. Calling a woman who'd just lost her virginity that? Way too harsh. And honestly, if they were judging who acted more like one, Serena might take the cake…
…Better not think that.
If it slipped out carelessly, that'd be real trouble.
"So what do we do? If I don't go after her, she'll just get more upset…"
"Go, but take your time. Act like you weren't that worried about finding her. That way, you keep the upper hand."
"Upper hand?"
Siela nodded slightly. Then she probed his honest feelings.
"Be real, Hyun-jin. I'm not the last one, right? You'll want to win over Master someday too."
"Well…"
He couldn't deny it. Winning Karin's heart was one of his two lifelong goals. He didn't know if the day would come, but if it did, he wouldn't let it go.
"You think Serena won't get jealous then?"
"……."
"So you need to hold the reins, Hyun-jin. If you keep getting pushed around like this, Serena will have you wrapped around her finger."
Siela continued,
"Try it my way. She'll be way more compliant. In your situation, keeping control is crucial."
"How do you know all this? This is your first relationship too, isn't it?"
Caught off guard by his question, Siela hesitated. She glanced around slyly before whispering,
"…I read it in a book."
"…Ah, got it."
"And it's not 'senior'—it's 'sis'."
"Huh?"
Siela furrowed her brow a bit.
"I'm not calling you junior anymore, and I use your name. How long are you gonna keep calling me senior?"
"You really want me to call you sis?"
"Got a problem with that?"
Stumped for an alternative, Seong Hyun-jin felt it fit anyway—sis was easy enough. Pushing past the awkwardness, he tried it out.
"…Siela sis."
"……."
Siela startled, then blushed on her own.
"Th-this is more devastating than I thought…"
"?"
"Ahem! Anyway, keep calling me that from now on?"
"Yeah, sis."
Siela smiled, pleased. Then she gave him instructions.
"Get dressed, take it easy for a bit… and go look for junior Serena about twenty minutes before class starts."
"That late? By then, she'll have been waiting over an hour."
"Yep. And when you go, don't apologize. You've already said sorry for your part, and it wasn't even your fault to begin with."
"Huh?"
As Seong Hyun-jin shot her a doubtful look, Siela nodded like it was obvious.
"I told you, it's an act. If you cave now, she'll know this works and keep pulling it. You wanna deal with that every time?"
"Hmm…"
"So grit your teeth, set aside the guilt for a sec, and follow my lead."
She grinned confidently.
"If it works, you'll thank this sis later."
"And if it fails?"
"Doubt it will."
Her tone turned a touch bitter.
"Junior Serena's feelings for you seem the most genuine of anyone."
Tap, tap.
The sharp sound of someone gnawing their nails rang out clearly.
It was coming from a bench along the academy's walking path.
There sat a stunning dragon princess, anxiously biting her nails. Her beauty drew eyes, but up close, she was a mess compared to when she'd left the dorm. Her hair hung disheveled, her eyes were hollow and unsettling, and her nails were bitten so raw they might start bleeding any second.
Serena Eldark—the most famous first-year by far—was in a state of utter anxiety.
Other students, clueless to her turmoil, didn't dare ask and just hurried past, stealing glances.
And there was a clear reason for Serena's sudden distress.
Why isn't he coming…?
She'd been sure Seong Hyun-jin would come right after her, but over an hour had passed since she left the dorm, and there was no sign of him.
Maybe he couldn't find her? But this bench wasn't far from the Teraport dorms.
The old Seong Hyun-jin would've been here in a flash, yet he showed no reaction. Why?
The question filled her mind, and only one answer seemed possible.
No way…
Siela Teraport. The new woman in Seong Hyun-jin's heart, where she'd once been alone.
Now that she was there, was his attention on Serena waning? Was that why he hadn't come?
That… can't happen…
Her hands trembled. Was Siela Teraport stealing him away?
Seong Hyun-jin had become essential to her. That's how she'd endured his reckless embrace of Siela—knowing he stayed by her side.
But if he abandoned her…
Part of her wanted to go find him instead, but her pride wouldn't allow it. What kind of fool storms off in a huff, then chases after the other person?
Unable to go to him or give up waiting, her anxiety had built until she started biting her nails without realizing. That's how the hour had slipped by.
Serena checked the time—only twenty minutes until class. They barely had time to be together now.
Maybe she should head back to him, squeeze in whatever moments she could.
That was when she heard it.
"Serena, you've been here the whole time?"
A voice like salvation reached her ears.