Cracks in the Relationship (1)
Seong Hyun-jin lifted his head slightly. The mucous membranes that had been pressed firmly together parted with a subtle sensation, and Serena opened her eyes as well. Their gazes met briefly in the air before shyly drifting apart. Yet neither made any move to pull away. Even as their breaths still mingled so close.
A brief silence fell between the two. But it felt louder than ever before. The pounding of heartbeats, the sound of breaths drawing in and out, the gulp of dry swallows… Sounds that normally required straining to hear now rang out with crystal clarity.
At the end of the world's noisiest silence, Serena spoke first.
“…Seong Hyun-jin.”
Her words came out more firmly than before, steady and deliberate without a tremor. “I like you.”
At her heartfelt confession, Seong Hyun-jin’s lips twitched. He soon ducked his head shyly and murmured, “…I know.”
“Will you go out with me?”
“……!”
Seong Hyun-jin looked up again, his eyes searching hers as if to ask if she was sure. He hesitated, clearly wrestling with the decision.
Is what I feel for her… is this emotion I hold for Serena love?
He had pressed his lips to hers, but honestly, it had been impulsive. Something closer to a man’s inevitable response in an irresistible situation. Who could have refused? A beauty like Serena Eldark whispering for a kiss.
Of course, that didn’t mean he felt nothing for Serena Eldark. It was just… he couldn’t confidently call this feeling love.
Seong Hyun-jin already had someone deeply rooted in his heart.
…My love was meant only for my master.
What if it was just a fleeting desire for this woman named Serena? What if he was treating her as a mere replacement for Karin, who wouldn’t accept his feelings? What if embracing her with such intentions only ended up hurting her?
The relationship he’d formed with Serena Eldark was special to him too, which was why so many doubts swirled in his mind. It was his first time grappling with such tangled emotions, leaving his head spinning like it might burst.
Memories from his past life offered little help in moments like this. They were just echoes of the past, lacking the vividness of those original feelings.
Unable to find answers and merely wandering lost, Seong Hyun-jin couldn’t give a proper reply and kept delaying it.
Serena, sensing a faint smile, asked, “Just to make sure… you don’t dislike me, do you?”
Without a second thought, he answered, “How could I?”
“That’s enough, then.”
Serena gently clasped his hand. As if understanding his turmoil, she continued, “I get that you’re not sure about your feelings yet. It was me who fell for you first, not the other way around.”
“But… what I just did…”
“It’s not like it wears out.”
Dismissing it lightly, she added, “Besides, kissing anyone but you… I can’t even imagine it.”
“…You like me that much?”
“I told you, I like you. So…”
Serena whispered, her voice so sweetly loving that his eyes widened in surprise. “I’ll make you like me just as much.”
“…….”
“Give me that chance.”
Serena tilted her head back slightly, meeting his gaze. Her expression pretended nonchalance, but tension gripped her hand holding his.
“Can’t I?”
Seong Hyun-jin looked at Serena.
…I don’t know.
He stopped agonizing inwardly and decided to follow his heart for now. “It’s not… like I can’t.”
“…Really?”
He nodded faintly. Her face lit up at his words. Impulsively, she leaned in first this time, pressing her lips to his. A soft smack echoed as their mucous membranes met and parted lightly.
Feeling it, Seong Hyun-jin stared at her in surprise. “S-Serena?”
“I’ll do my best.” Serena beamed. “Since you accepted my feelings, I’ll work hard to make you fall for me.”
“…A-Alright.”
“So, take care of me from now on, okay?”
“Y-Yeah, me too…”
Seong Hyun-jin scratched his head as he replied. Noting his lingering hesitation, Serena asked, “You were thinking hard… Is it because of your master?”
“…….”
He couldn’t deny it. Seeing that, she said with a hint of regret, “It might be weird coming from me, but I don’t think I’d lose to any other girl out there. So typical of you.”
“It wasn’t about comparing…”
“And even if I don’t measure up to that master you adore…”
Serena placed a hand lightly on her chest, muttering poutily, “I’ve got… pretty decent size myself, you know?”
“…It wasn’t about your chest that I was worrying.”
“It wasn’t?”
Serena chuckled playfully. She brushed her red necktie aside, pointing to the shirt and buttons hugging her breasts. “If you want, you could check for yourself.”
“……!?”
His repeated startled reactions were endlessly amusing. They suited his still-youthful, boyish looks so well, making him irresistibly cute to her.
…So cute.
That’s why she kept teasing him, pushing the boundaries just a little. As Seong Hyun-jin froze in shock, Serena wondered if she’d gone too far and started to release the necktie.
“I was just kidding—ah?”
“…You said I could check.”
But she’d misjudged. His appearance might be boyish, but Seong Hyun-jin was a sturdy adult man. They were both consenting adults with no issues in that regard.
Teasing like that in such intimacy was tantamount to stoking a man’s lust.
Before she knew it, Seong Hyun-jin’s hand caught hers as she let go of the necktie. “Then I’ll check.”
He released their clasped hands and fingered her shirt button. “S-Seong Hyu…jin…?”
“Calling your boyfriend by his full name feels too stiff, doesn’t it?”
Pop. The first button came undone. Through the gap, her pale skin gleamed clearly. It was just the top one, revealing only her collarbone, but going lower would be dangerous.
Serena flustered, “W-Wait, I was joking…”
“Answer my question, Serena.”
“O-Okay… I-I’ll call you by name. So stop…”
But his hand didn’t stop. The second button popped open. Now her upper breasts were exposed, the edge of her undergarment peeking out.
“Say it.”
“Hy-Hyun-jin…”
“But just the name feels kinda lacking in something special, don’t you think?”
Serena shot him a bewildered look, but he only grinned mischievously and reached for the third button. Panicking, she grabbed his hand. “W-Wait…! I’m not ready for that yet…”
“Serena, you told me to check. You’re not going back on your word now, are you?”
“It was a joke!”
As her face flushed crimson, Seong Hyun-jin chuckled softly. “Then call me something special.”
“S-Special?”
“Might pull my focus that way.”
Smart as she was, Serena caught on. He wanted a pet name. She pondered, then tried cautiously, “J-Jina…?”
A safe diminutive from the end of his name. But he shook his head. “Too plain. It’s just the last syllable—like a mom calling her kid.”
“Then what am I supposed to—kyaa!?”
The third button popped. She yelped, arms flying to cover her chest. Any more, and her cleavage and bra would be fully exposed.
“Covering up means I can’t check.”
“I-I’m sorry, so please stop…!?”
“But Serena, you said it so confidently. I just want to verify.”
Unable to counter his logic, she racked her brain. Then, something clicked. In a coquettish voice, she called, “H-Honey…?”
“…Hm.”
Seong Hyun-jin smirked. Nodding approvingly, he said, “That one’s not bad.”
“……Y-You satisfied?”
He nodded and kindly rebuttoned her shirt for her. Serena sighed in relief, glaring at him pettily, but she couldn’t bring herself to get mad. Instead, she was a bit surprised.
As he fastened the buttons, his fingertips trembled faintly with tension. They slipped a few times, failing to catch on the first try. He made an awkward, troubled face. “…Sorry, this one’s tricky.”
“…….”
Then it hit her. The hands unbuttoning her earlier had all been bravado.
Her mother’s words rang true: Men naturally put on a show of bravado in front of women. Even for Seong Hyun-jin.
“Seong Hyun-jin…”
“We’re not doing full names anymore, remember?”
Blushing at his insistence, she fulfilled the promise with a sweet pet name. “…Honey, I’ve got a question.”
“Yeah, what?”
“Your hands are shaking right now.”
“…….”
His movements halted. Giggling, she teased, “Nervous, huh? All bold and casual unbuttoning me earlier.”
“N-No, it’s not?”
“Hmm, denying it makes it more obvious.”
“I said it’s not!”
“Bet you just wanted to hear me call you ‘honey.’ Acting all tough…”
Hitting the nail on the head, he glanced between the button and her. “Keep that up, and I really will check…”
“G-Go ahead then!”
“Think I won’t?!”
As they bantered with false bravado,
Bang!
“Junior!”
“……?”
The lecture hall door—which no one should have opened—burst wide, and one person strode in. Seong Hyun-jin whipped his head around in alarm, forcing Serena to look too.
“……Junior?”
And the intruder was…
“…Senior Yeonhui?”
It was Yeonhui. She’d come searching for Seong Hyun-jin. Asking around everywhere, she’d finally reached the Combat Department lecture hall—and hit the jackpot.
Guided by his voice from inside, she flung the door open joyfully, only to witness this scene.
The two so close they might as well have been fused.
The flushed cheeks of Serena and Seong Hyun-jin.
Serena’s shirt with two buttons undone.
Yeonhui finally understood the anxiety gnawing at her.
It was ridiculous. She’d been the one to tempt him first in the hospital room, so why was he rolling around here with Serena Eldark?
“…Junior Hyun-jin.”
“Why are you here, Senior…?”
“This right now……”
Her neck twisted at an eerie angle. A voice cold enough to send chills leaked from her small, pretty lips.
“……Is cheating, isn’t it?”