Taming the Troublemaker
"Ah…."
Jin Seong-ah, who had suddenly opened her eyes, lifted her head slightly at the breath brushing her forehead.
……Yoo Sung's face was right above her.
A peacefully sleeping face with eyes closed. The firm arm she felt beneath her head.
"…Thank goodness."
It wasn't a dream. Yoo Sung had offered his arm as a pillow for her, indulging her childish whims like she was a five-year-old.
"I'm sorry…."
The rank difference as hunters was vast, but through today's events, Jin Seong-ah realized something. Rank wasn't everything.
The scavengers who had targeted her hadn't even put up a proper fight against Yoo Sung before collapsing.
But her? She'd just pathetically run away—and even failed at that.
"Senior's body…."
Yoo Sung's body right in front of her was solid. His dress shirt couldn't hide its contours. The top button undone. A glimpse of skin through the gap.
Jin Seong-ah stared there for a moment before lifting her gaze back to his face.
"…Senior?"
She called out very softly, in case he might wake. Yoo Sung didn't stir.
Cautiously, Jin Seong-ah reached out and placed her hand on his chest.
The firmness at her fingertips. Out of curiosity, she pressed down lightly.
"…Ngh."
Yoo Sung, who had been sleeping while holding her, shifted. The hand on the back of her head slid down to her waist. The heavy weight of muscle pressing her side.
Frozen for a while, Jin Seong-ah carefully reached for that arm.
"His hand's firm too…."
Full of scars and calluses. Marks from his life as a hunter, probably.
As she traced them with her fingers, Jin Seong-ah suddenly recalled yesterday morning.
……I got hit by this hand.
She'd teased him on purpose to see Yoo Sung angry. Then he'd snapped and swung—and an indescribable ecstasy had made her body move on its own.
Why had this hand felt so good? Pure violence. Just getting hit, nothing more.
Why on earth….
"……."
After dwelling on yesterday for a while, Jin Seong-ah carefully moved Yoo Sung's hand. Palm facing her stomach. She deliberately pulled up her top, pressing bare skin against it.
"Hng…."
Every time she pressed her stomach against the rough palm, heat from her gut rose along her spine. It felt like loosening knotted muscles, or a gentle massage.
The subtle satisfaction made Jin Seong-ah arch her waist slightly, pressing harder with her belly.
"Hng…!"
A much stronger satisfaction than before. At the unfamiliar sensation, she unwittingly lifted her hips.
As the hand pulled away, the satisfaction slowly faded. The dizzying heat climbing her spine… vanished.
"…Weird."
Yesterday, she'd thought it was just from getting hit… but that didn't make sense.
She hadn't wanted to admit it, so she'd rushed into the gate. If she was truly a pervert who got off on getting hit… she should've felt it fighting monsters too.
But monsters were boring. They couldn't even scratch her mana-enhanced body. Dumb, drooling freaks.
If she really was that kind of pervert…
She should've gotten excited by the scavengers too. But no. The arrows hurt, the explosions burned. When her ankle was bound, she was genuinely, truly terrified.
"Senior…."
……What if. What if senior hadn't saved me then? She'd have killed the first couple who approached cluelessly. Then what? Arrows flying from too far to reach with her fists, until eventually….
"…Thank you."
She didn't even want to imagine what came after. "Thank you" wasn't enough.
Her actions had been that impulsive and stupid.
"I'm sorry…."
Even saying thanks felt apologetic, so she couldn't. She'd rather he'd cursed her out or scolded her—but he hadn't. Just like with the team, silly jokes, even card games, indulging her tantrums.
A spoiled brat who couldn't overcome mere impulses in her head, barging into a gate alone out of annoyance.
And yet here she was, pressing her belly against his palm… craving pleasure.
Pathetic, weak, contemptible.
"Sorry… hng!"
Apologizing nonstop while rubbing her belly, she unwittingly burrowed deeper into his embrace. Burying her face in his chest brought a rush of his scent. Flesh and skin mixed… manly.
"Huu…."
A faint metallic tang of blood. From rushing to save her in one bound.
That sturdy scent, like his body, started intoxicating her bit by bit.
"Hngt…."
Jin Seong-ah felt her mind go white. Hooked by the scent invading through her nose, slamming her brain.
She buried her face deeper, craving it. For a moment she thought she was crazy, but one sniff blew that away—the intense scent hit her brain again.
"…Huuup."
She didn't know why. Jin Seong-ah gave up thinking.
Just flesh and sweat mixed… but that scent was so addictive. She could sniff it all day.
"Haht… hraaaah…!"
Jin Seong-ah held her breath, then inhaled deeply. One breath sent intense pleasure crashing through her body. Even though moving might wake him, her whole body shuddered.
"Haa… haaa…."
The intense scent seeping deep into her lungs. Nose buried in his shirt, she slammed her waist down, rubbing her belly against his palm.
Each rough sensation made her knees buckle. Her unresponsive legs stretched out on their own, toes curling wildly.
"Senior… seniooor…."
She was throwing a tantrum anyway. With that lax thought, Jin Seong-ah buried her face deeper.
But it didn't hit like the first sniff. Holding her breath to the limit and exhaling didn't whiten her mind like before.
"Why… why's it fading…."
Her nose had gotten used to it—that was beyond her reason-lost state.
Squirming in his arms to recapture the scent, she settled for the faint pleasure at full inhale, finally giving up.
"Haa… haaa…."
Just a little more…. Like yesterday, enough to lose her mind… just once.
Like now, where her legs wouldn't obey. Not just legs—her whole body out of control, hard, just once.
With that thought, Jin Seong-ah quietly moved his arm. Lifted her waist, gripped the palm beneath her.
Closed it into a fist, gently twisted his forearm so the protruding bone faced up.
"Hua… huht…."
Cautiously shifted her exposed belly over the fist. Then slammed her waist down, pressing stomach against knuckles.
"Kuhng…!!"
The clenched fist dug into her gut, crushing innards. First a dizzying pain, then brain-melting pleasure hammered her body.
"Kk…."
Screaming would wake him. She hugged a pillow, biting it to muffle.
That was the last her mind allowed.
Snap.
A sound like something in her head breaking, and her vision spun.
Her mouth gaped open, hips bucked wildly, trembling.
"Hu, aa… hu, aaa…."
By the time Jin Seong-ah came to, writhing on the bed, dozens of minutes had passed.
……Her body moving on its own, consciousness snapping in ecstasy.
This isn't…
The doubt in Jin Seong-ah's head turned to certainty.
She wasn't a pervert excited by violence.
Only senior could give her this pleasure….
Gulp.
Seeing his still-sleeping face, a flurry of thoughts hit her.
How can I get senior to… do that again.
Teasing to provoke anger like yesterday… no. After showing this pathetic side, throwing a tantrum post-disaster, she lacked the thick skin to say sorry and provoke.
If senior got mad and decided to abandon her….
Absolutely not.
Anything but that. She'd lick his feet like a dog if needed. Better that than lose him.
Then… be honest….
……Senior was a good guy. Came to save a pathetic mess like her, indulged her whims.
She recalled him apologizing earlier. She didn't want to see guilt while he hit her.
Then how….
That was when.
A staff card beep from the distant door.
Who…?!
Yuseong Guild's 41st floor. Her exclusive residence. Limited access: her care team, assigned guide Yoo Sung, or other S-ranks.
Care team wouldn't come without call after she said she wanted rest. Yoo Sung was here.
Other hunter? Who….
Hunter team leaders were on external missions. Among those left… medical team leader Do Hyun-ah, or one of the guild masters.
"Seong-ah?"
One of them—the latter—spoke.
What do I do? Pretend to sleep…? No, that's weird. Get up.
"Y-yes, G-Guild Master…?"
Jin Seong-ah threw off the blanket, sitting up. Careful not to wake Yoo Sung.
"How's your condition? Feeling okay?"
"A bit… better, I think…."
"Heard you took an arrow to the stomach? How's that? Can I see?"
"O-one sec."
Jin Seong-ah lifted her top with her hand. Felt the guild master's gaze scan her body.
"Looks healed. Good thing. No scars. But what's with the handprints?"
"H-handprints…?"
Only then did Jin Seong-ah look at her stomach. Yoo Sung's handprints perfectly imprinted.
Her actions starkly recorded.
"Ah…! Th-this is, uh, well…. I think senior let me use his hand as a pillow…."
"…Yeah? If that's it, whatever."
Shin Ji-hye nodded nonchalantly.
Jin Seong-ah felt her heart about to leap out.
She knows, she knows….
What if senior gets in trouble? He was just sleeping. I did it.
What if he takes the blame….
"Sent him to care for you, and he crashes out himself."
"Ah…?"
But unlike Jin Seong-ah's fears, Shin Ji-hye passed her and approached Yoo Sung, asleep on the bed.
"Sigh. Some friend."
"……."
Meanwhile, Jin Seong-ah quickly fixed her clothes. Tucked the stiff fabric under her skirt.
Caught already, but she had to hide it.
"He didn't bully you, did he?"
"…No, Guild Master. He, he was good to me."
"Yeah? Then why's he stolen your bed and out cold? Wouldn't wake if carried off."
Shin Ji-hye reached out, stroking Yoo Sung's cheek. Gentler than her words.
"I-I asked him to… Guild Master."
"You did?"
"Yes…."
"Alright then. You ate, right? Not just candy or snacks?"
"I… ate cookies."
"Told you not to live on that. Even hunters need proper nutrition. I'll tell the care team—call for meals when hungry."
"……Yes."
Looking down at nodding Jin Seong-ah, Shin Ji-hye narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder.
Sitting on the bed's edge with a subtle touch, she spoke.
"Seong-ah, wanna talk a bit?"
"……Pardon?"
"Nothing serious. Today's mess is sorted… not blaming or scolding you."
"Ah, s-sorry…."
"I didn't do much. He handled it. Seong-ah. Want Sung-eon by your side?"
Direct question. After brief hesitation, Jin Seong-ah nodded.
"Got it. Makes sense—having a toy to play with helps. Tough handling him alone."
"Handling… him?"
"It's a thing. But Seong-ah, just him being there? Or… want something else?"
!
Caught off-guard by the insight into her desires, Jin Seong-ah flinched.
"You know? He's a good kid. At least to those around him."
"……Yes."
"And mental awaken-er, right? Quick on cues. If you want something… no need to say it."
"……."
"Hint clumsily. Want cookies? Stare at the empty bag—he'll fetch."
"Th-that works… for me?"
"Yeah. Fine. He's your guide for that."
Gulp.
Jin Seong-ah swallowed.
"Anyway, assigned him to you today—use him well. Got it?"
"……Yes."
"Good. See you tomorrow. Rest as needed, or say when ready for training or missions."
"…Yes, Guild Master. Th-thank you."
"No biggie."
Pat pat. Shin Ji-hye patted her shoulder encouragingly and stood.
"I'm the thankful one."
……Why was the guild master thankful?
Even after Shin Ji-hye left, Jin Seong-ah pondered the meaning for a long time but couldn't figure it out.