Chapter 447: No... It’s Something... I Allowed...
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 447: No... It’s Something... I Allowed...
"No... I can't accept it if you put it that way."
Kang Ha-yoon continued, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"............"
Sun-woo stared at her blankly. He simply didn't know how to react to this.
"Now... go on."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke again, lightly tugging at the skin she was pinching.
"........"
She looked so captivating in that moment that Sun-woo was momentarily speechless.
How did things suddenly turn out like this?!
A wave of bewilderment washed over him. He couldn't adjust to the sudden, suggestive shift in the atmosphere.
Sun-woo slowly lowered his gaze. His eyes fell upon the skin she was pinching—it looked incredibly soft at a glance. It felt as though a mere touch would send a sensation of immense tenderness through his fingertips.
Gulp.
Should I just close my eyes and go for it?
Sun-woo reflexively swallowed hard. A creeping desire to touch her was beginning to surface.
"Do... do you really have to go this far?"
"......I am not a liar. I want to prove that."
She spoke in a calm, steady tone.
".........Understood. Then, I shall see for myself."
Sun-woo spoke with a stiff expression. He slowly reached out his hand. Soon, his palm made contact with Kang Ha-yoon’s firm abdomen.
Stroke.
Sun-woo slowly caressed her stomach.
"Hah... ah..."
An ambiguous moan escaped Kang Ha-yoon’s lips.
"Ahem."
Hearing that moan, Sun-woo let out an involuntary cough. He was overcome with embarrassment.
Stroke, stroke.
Despite the awkwardness, he continued to stroke her. He figured it was best to get it over with and pull his hand away as quickly as possible.
The first sensation against her abdomen was softness. The plush, supple texture felt through her clothes filled his palm. Just as she had said, she certainly wasn't just skin and bones.
Then came the firmness. Beneath that softness lay a core so well-trained and solid that it defied comparison. Her abdomen was the very definition of being soft on the outside, firm on the inside.
Stroke, stroke.
He had been caressing her belly several times when she spoke.
"H-how... is it...?"
Kang Ha-yoon asked, her voice trembling and cautious. Her face was deeply flushed, seemingly overwhelmed by a sudden surge of shame.
"It... certainly... isn't just... skin... as you said, Hall Master..."
Sun-woo stammered, his own face turning red. He couldn't maintain his composure.
Kang Ha-yoon was a married woman. A married woman whose husband was very much alive. The thought that he was kneading her abdomen like dough filled him with a strange sense of immorality and shame.
"Do you... believe me now?"
"...Yes. I was mistaken."
Sun-woo reflected on his words. Regardless of the circumstances, he had been proven wrong.
"Th-then... could you... take your hand... off my stomach now?"
Kang Ha-yoon spoke shyly in response to his words.
"Ye—Yes?! I-I'm so sorry!"
Startled, Sun-woo raised his voice and quickly pulled his hand away. He had only just realized he had been incessantly kneading her abdomen.
"No... it's fine... it's something... I allowed."
Kang Ha-yoon continued, her face still blooming with a rosy hue.
"No, still... to have kneaded you so relentlessly..."
"....It's alright... I allowed that as well.... Besides, it proved that what I said was true... I'm satisfied."
"..Is that so?"
"It is."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke in a calm tone once more. Hearing her words, Sun-woo nodded as if accepting the explanation.
".............."
"............."
An awkward silence began to flow between the two. After such an embarrassing display, the conversation naturally died out.
This is so awkward!
Sun-woo screamed internally. After kneading her belly like that, the awkwardness was hitting him like a tidal wave.
Ugh... what on earth did I just do...
Kang Ha-yoon was equally uncomfortable. Recalling how she had asked him to touch her stomach, she felt an immense sense of shame. What could she have been thinking to demand such a scandalous thing?
She was certain she must have momentarily lost her mind.
"..........."
".........."
After they had endured the awkward silence for some time...
"Ah, I just realized we're out of water. I'll go fetch some."
Unable to bear the tension any longer, Sun-woo stood up. He intended to leave the room to clear the air.
"Ah.... Yes. Please be careful."
Kang Ha-yoon replied demurely, looking for all the world like a young bride who had just started a new life.
Whoosh.
Seeing her like that, Sun-woo’s face flushed again. He felt an inexplicable sense of allure and maturity in her modest posture.
"U-understood."
Sun-woo answered hastily and hurried out. He felt like his mind would go haywire if he stayed with her any longer.
Thud.
The door closed, and Sun-woo left the hut. Kang Ha-yoon stared blankly at the spot where he had been.
"Sigh."
She let out a long, heavy breath.
"Why... why am I... acting like this...?"
She hung her head, a sorrowful expression on her face. She couldn't understand why she was suddenly losing control, constantly sending him signals of courtship—and in such a vulgar manner, at that.
Asking him to touch my stomach...
Specifically, asking him to touch her abdomen was a massive breach of propriety. How could a married woman allow a man who wasn't her husband to touch such an intimate area? It was an act so indecent that she would have no defense if anyone ever found out.
What was I hoping for from him?
She wondered. What was it that she truly wanted? Did she really just want her stomach touched? Or was she hoping he would touch more than just her stomach?
She slowly lowered her gaze. She could see the shape of her nipples poking through her clothes. It seemed they had become erect without her even realizing it.
He didn't... notice... did he?
Kang Ha-yoon worried. She was terrified that Sun-woo might have noticed the state she was in.
Slide.
She slowly reached her hand down. She slid it beneath the hem of her skirt.
Damp.
Her fingertips brushed against her underwear, which was soaked through. It seemed she had leaked quite a bit while Sun-woo was touching her stomach.
What in the world...
Feeling that moisture, Kang Ha-yoon’s face turned beet red. A wave of self-loathing crashed over her at the realization that she had become so aroused and produced so much sexual fluid just from having her stomach touched by a boy young enough to be her nephew.
....I really hate myself.
She felt a deep sense of self-contempt.
Slide.
She slowly pulled off her underwear. She couldn't leave them on while they were in such a damp state.
"Ah..."
As she lifted the garment, her expression turned frantic. The state of her underwear was far worse than she had imagined. Soaked to the core, they had long since lost their function.
Sigh... I can't wear these like this.
She slowly stood up. She decided she couldn't put them back on until they were dry.
"Haa..."
With another sigh, Kang Ha-yoon slowly moved across the room.
"Phew."
Sun-woo let out a long sigh. The image of him kneading Kang Ha-yoon’s belly back in the hut wouldn't leave his mind. What had he been thinking, doing such a thing?
"I'm crazy. Just crazy."
Sun-woo blamed his lack of caution and tried his best to forget the scene. Thinking about it only made his embarrassment grow.
However, his efforts weren't as successful as he hoped. It was as if his thoughts had a mind of their own; the more he tried to forget, the more the scene and the sensation returned to him.
The sight of Kang Ha-yoon blushing as she pinched her own skin, the softness he felt when he first touched her, and the hidden firmness beneath... all these memories surfaced relentlessly, driving him mad. They kept putting him in a suggestive mood.
At this rate, I'm going to get a 'signal.'
Sun-woo thought. If he kept this up, he might actually get an erection. Even though he had only touched her stomach, the sense of immorality from touching a married woman was fueling his excitement.
If... I hadn't stopped at her stomach... if I had moved my hand down... and touched her... there...
The excitement born from that sense of immorality caused his delusions to run wild, leading him into lewd fantasies. He began to imagine himself pleasuring Kang Ha-yoon.
"Haa... haa... haa."
Sun-woo felt his breathing grow heavy. His level of arousal had spiked beyond his expectations.
[You're a dog! A dog!]
Flash.
Something flashed through his mind. It was the promise he had made before leaving the Tang Clan.
Slap! Slap! Slap!
Sun-woo raised his hands and slapped his own cheeks repeatedly. He couldn't allow himself to become a "dog."
Just endure for a few more days... once a few days pass... we'll arrive at the Tang Clan...
Sun-woo steadied his heart once more. He couldn't break his promise just because he couldn't control a momentary surge of lust. If he did, how would he be any different from a dog in heat?
And above all, he couldn't ruin Kang Ha-yoon’s character. She was a righteous, chivalrous hero who would neither look at nor do anything that wasn't in accordance with chivalry. How could he force the indecency of an affair upon such a woman? It was unthinkable.
I can't become 'Gae Sun-woo'!
With a firm resolve, Sun-woo began to draw water into the bucket.
Creak.
"I'm back."
Sun-woo spoke as he opened the door.
"Oh, welcome back."
When Sun-woo returned, Kang Ha-yoon greeted him with a bright smile.
"Young Master Jang, do you know what I found?"
"What did you find?"
Sun-woo asked, looking curious.
"Ta-da! It's fruit wine."
She said, holding up a bottle.
"Fruit wine?"
Sun-woo looked puzzled. He had searched the hut before she woke up, looking for anything useful. But since it was an abandoned hut, there had been nothing but a few old utensils. Where on earth had she found fruit wine?
"It was hidden under the floorboards."
"Under the floor?"
"Yes, right here."
Kang Ha-yoon pointed to a corner of the floor.
"I don't see any signs of it being broken..."
Sun-woo tilted his head in curiosity.
"It's a sliding panel. If you pull it slightly to the side, a space opens up."
Kang Ha-yoon explained, mimicking the sliding motion with her hands.
"Ah."
Sun-woo let out an impressed exclamation.
"That's amazing. How did you ever find that?"
"I was... looking around... and..."
Kang Ha-yoon blushed at Sun-woo’s question. She had been wandering around looking for something to wipe the floor where her sexual fluids had spilled when she stumbled upon the spot. Being asked why she was looking made her feel a wave of embarrassment.
"Anyway, this is great. I was starting to feel a bit restless."
Sun-woo said with a slight smile.
"I agree. We can have a drink before we sleep tonight."
Kang Ha-yoon replied with a smile of her own. The atmosphere had been a bit awkward, and she thought some alcohol might help loosen things up.
"Please wait a moment."
Sun-woo stood up abruptly.
Splash.
He began to wash some soup bowls with the water he had brought. Once the bowls were perfectly clean, without a single speck of debris, Sun-woo turned and approached Kang Ha-yoon.
"It wouldn't be right to drink without proper cups."
Sun-woo said, holding out the bowls.
"Oh my, aren't these a bit large for wine cups?"
Kang Ha-yoon said with a soft smile.
"Still, isn't it better than nothing?"
"I suppose you're right."
Kang Ha-yoon reached out and took the bowl Sun-woo offered.
"Here, let me pour for you."
Once she had the bowl, Sun-woo picked up the bottle of fruit wine and began to pour it slowly.
Glug, glug, glug.
The clear sound of the liquid was pleasing to the ear.
"I'll pour for you, Young Master Jang."
Once her bowl was filled, Kang Ha-yoon set it down and took the bottle. She intended to return the favor.
"Ah, yes."
Sun-woo held up his bowl.
Glug, glug, glug.
Kang Ha-yoon poured the wine with a demure grace. Once his bowl was full, she set the bottle down and slowly raised her own.
"Can you handle your liquor?"
Kang Ha-yoon asked with a playful smile.
"I'm not bad at it," Sun-woo replied gallantly.
"Oh? Then at least I won't have to worry about you getting drunk."
"I can handle a bottle easily."
Sun-woo spoke with a confident expression.
"I never said there was only one bottle, though?"
"Pardon?"
"There were several bottles under the floor."
"Hmm.... I didn't expect that..."
Sun-woo looked a bit flustered.
"If it gets too much, you can always use your internal energy to clear the intoxication," Kang Ha-yoon added with a warm smile.
"Clearing the intoxication with energy is against the 'Way of the Drinker'."
Sun-woo shook his head and raised his bowl.
"Hehe... You've certainly learned the proper way to drink, Young Master Jang."
Pleased with his answer, Kang Ha-yoon raised her bowl with a bright smile.
Clink.
Their bowls collided, and a clear, ringing sound echoed through the room.