Chapter 448: Could you... perhaps... keep this a secret?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 448: Could you... perhaps... keep this a secret?
"Hahahaha!"
"Hohohoho!"
Laughter echoed endlessly from the small cabin.
It was a pleasant sound, the kind that made anyone listening naturally imagine a warm, harmonious atmosphere.
"Really? Was there truly a spider that large?"
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with a flushed face, her expression filled with genuine surprise.
"I kid you not. It was at least thirty meters tall!"
Sun-woo spread his arms wide, using exaggerated gestures as he spoke.
"So, what did you do?"
"What else could I do? I ran for my life. Fighting a monster like that would have been a death sentence."
"With your martial prowess, Young Master Jang, surely you could have handled it?"
"I wasn't as strong back then as I am now."
Sun-woo continued the story, weaving in a few creative embellishments to keep it interesting.
"Hahaha, I can't even imagine it. To think there was a time when Young Master Jang was weak..."
Kang Ha-yoon reacted playfully, helping the conversation flow smoothly.
It was a perfect back-and-forth.
The drinking session couldn't help but be enjoyable when they were constantly laughing, whether the stories were mundane or wildly exaggerated.
"I wasn't strong from the beginning... and even now, I feel I am severely lacking."
Sun-woo admitted his inner thoughts, his face reddening slightly.
He was being sincere.
He truly believed he was still insufficient.
Though he had surpassed the Transcendent Realm and reached the Profound Realm, there was still so much he lacked.
He had yet to establish his Sword of the Mind, and there were at least three people out there who were significantly stronger than him.
How could he not call himself lacking?
"Young Master Jang... didn't you just scold me earlier for being deceptive with my words? From where I'm sitting, you're doing the exact same thing. This is pretense... pure pretense."
Kang Ha-yoon pointed a finger at Sun-woo, her face deep crimson as she continued.
"To say the Profound Realm is an 'insufficient' stage... what kind of nonsense is thaaaat? If any other martial artist heard you... they would have thrown stooones at youuu!"
"I truly believe it to be so."
"It's pretense! Pretense!"
Kang Ha-yoon raised her voice.
She was someone who had surpassed the Transcendent Realm but had not yet reached the Profound Realm.
In her eyes, Sun-woo was a deceiver—a man who had already reached the sublime heights of a Half-Immortal yet still humbled himself by claiming to be lacking.
She couldn't help but get worked up.
"My, this is difficult. It's not like I can let you feel it for yourself like the Hall Master did..."
Hearing her words, Sun-woo gave a slight smile and cracked a joke.
He intended to lighten the mood, sensing things were getting a bit too heated.
"Hueeeeeee!!"
At that moment, a sound Sun-woo had never heard before escaped Kang Ha-yoon’s lips.
"Huh!?"
Startled by the sound, Sun-woo looked at her immediately.
He saw her face, now as red as a ripe persimmon.
"About earlier... don't... talk about that... it's embarrassing."
Kang Ha-yoon twisted her body, pleading with him.
She's cute.
Sun-woo found himself dazed by the sight.
He thought she was simply too adorable.
How could a woman be this cute?
Especially when she was usually so dignified and cool.
Kang Ha-yoon was an almost unfairly perfect woman.
Not only was she beautiful, but she also possessed a steadfast character and even a cute side when she was drunk.
"...I'm sorry. I was being too rude."
Sun-woo apologized to her.
"No... it's fine... it's just... the embarrassment... just flared up... that's all."
Kang Ha-yoon shook her head, her face still flushed.
She didn't particularly want to blame Sun-woo.
"Actually... I was quite embarrassed back then too..."
"Uuu... ugh... I still don't know what I was thinking, asking for something like that..."
"Still, it was a good experience."
Sun-woo continued in a mischievous tone.
"Wha-what did you say!?"
"I got the chance to touch the belly of the great Phoenix Unit Leader, after all."
"Uuu... uuuu..."
Kang Ha-yoon's face began to ripen to a point where it looked like it might explode.
She seemed overwhelmed by shame.
"...Stop it..."
She spoke as if begging him.
"Hahahaha... I'm sorry."
Sun-woo burst into laughter.
He couldn't help himself after seeing her adorable reaction.
"Don't... laugh..."
"Hahahaha... sorry... it's just... you're so cute..."
Sun-woo continued to laugh as he spoke.
"Pardon!?"
Hearing Sun-woo's words, Kang Ha-yoon asked back with a bewildered expression.
Where had that suddenly come from?
"Ah."
Sun-woo stopped laughing instantly.
He realized he had crossed a line—and a significant one at that.
The age gap between them was closer to that of an aunt and a nephew.
Furthermore, in terms of official seniority, she was on the same level as his supposed master, the Poison King.
To call such a woman "cute"...
He had definitely overstepped.
It's this damn... alcohol.
Sun-woo thought.
The liquor was the problem.
As the intoxication set in, it seemed the brakes on his tongue had failed.
He was blurting out whatever came to mind.
Sun-woo slowly raised his gaze.
There, he saw Kang Ha-yoon staring at him with eyes that sparkled like obsidian.
"Ah... um... Hall Master... I'm sorry."
Meeting her gaze, Sun-woo bowed his head slightly and apologized.
He judged that, from her perspective, an apology was necessary.
"Why... are you apologizing?"
Kang Ha-yoon finally spoke, her voice slow.
"Huh?"
Sun-woo asked back, confused.
"I asked why you are apologizing."
"Well... I felt... I spoke too carelessly..."
"Was it a lie? That I'm cute?"
"....No."
"Then why apologize?"
She questioned him as if she truly didn't understand.
"Weren't you... offended?"
"Why would I be offended?"
"Even so, I was being quite disrespectful..."
"Young Master Jang... there isn't a woman in the world who hates being complimented... especially being called cute."
Kang Ha-yoon continued, her face reddening slightly.
"I'm the same... there's no way I'd hate hearing that..."
".........."
Sun-woo fell silent.
He had never expected her to react that way.
"I was happy... so happy... because it's the first time... I've ever heard someone call me cute..."
"What? That can't be..."
Sun-woo asked in surprise.
"It's true."
Kang Ha-yoon gave a faint smile.
"But... your husband..."
"He was the same... he was always stingy with compliments."
Kang Ha-yoon's expression turned sorrowful.
She had lived with her husband, Lee Jae-won, for twenty years, yet she had never once heard him call her cute.
Even during their honeymoon, he had only said she was pretty; she had received no other praise.
"Well... I understand... I'm not exactly a woman overflowing with charm."
She spoke with a melancholy expression.
Thinking about Lee Jae-won brought a wave of gloom over her.
"No."
At that moment, Sun-woo's voice rang clearly in her ears.
"I don't think so at all."
"..........."
"You are cute... Hall Master... I mean it sincerely."
Sun-woo spoke while looking her straight in the eye.
"........I appreciate the sentiment, even if it's just words."
Kang Ha-yoon smiled softly with her eyes.
"It's not just words."
Grip.
Sun-woo suddenly grabbed Kang Ha-yoon's wrist.
"Look. It's beating like this, isn't it?"
He slowly brought her hand to his heart and continued.
"My heart is reacting because the Hall Master is so cute."
Sun-woo stared at her with a burning gaze.
"..............."
Meeting his intense eyes, Kang Ha-yoon's vision began to grow hazy and unfocused.
Truly.
He was a man with such passionate eyes.
They were so fervent that just meeting his gaze made her feel as if her entire body might be consumed by flames.
A-ah... no... if this keeps up... I'll fall for him...
She thought.
If she kept meeting his eyes, she might be devoured by those passionate, burning pupils.
She slowly lowered her gaze.
She intended to avoid his eyes.
But then, his deep red lips entered her field of vision.
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump.
In an instant, her heart began to race wildly.
And she found herself craving those wicked lips.
The desire to kiss them and savor them right this moment surged within her.
Gulp.
Kang Ha-yoon swallowed hard.
"Hall Master... is there something on my face?"
Then, his pleasant, melodic voice echoed in her ears.
Aaaaah... I can't take it anymore......
That voice completely shattered Kang Ha-yoon's self-control.
She raised both hands.
She grabbed Sun-woo by both cheeks.
And then—
Chuup.
She kissed him just like that.
Deeply.
Chuuuuup.
The first sensation she felt upon kissing him was sweetness.
It was sweet.
It was so incredibly sweet.
Sweeter than eating the ripest fruit.
Sweeter than the most sugary confections.
Sweeter than inhaling pure sugar.
It was sweet, so sweet.
So much so that she never wanted to pull away.
Chuuup.
And then, a desire rose.
The desire to lick those lips.
Those enticing, sweet lips.
The urge to lick them fiercely.
Lick.
Slurp, slurp, slurp.
Kang Ha-yoon slowly slid her tongue between their lips.
She began to lick his lips intensely.
Sometimes softly, sometimes roughly.
Savoring him while controlling her strength.
Then, something changed.
Sun-woo's tongue pushed out from his mouth and wrapped around hers.
He accepted it...
Feeling the change, Kang Ha-yoon was overcome with emotion.
She felt as though Sun-woo had accepted her advances.
Chururp, chururp.
The two of them began to entwine their tongues incessantly.
Like snakes mating.
Squelch, squelch, squelch.
Before long, the erotic sound of their saliva being exchanged began to echo through the cabin.
For a very long time.
.
.
.
.
How much time had passed?
Chuuup.
Sluuuuurp.
The two of them slowly pulled their lips apart.
A transparent thread of saliva stretched between them.
A viscous trail of fluid, though whose it was, no one could tell.
"Haah... haah... haah..."
"Haah... haah... haah..."
They stared at each other with burning eyes.
Their pupils were filled with a heat that felt like it could ignite just by looking.
"Haah... I'm sorry... Young Master... I... did that on my own..."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke, her face flushing with shame.
"A-ah... no... I didn't exactly..."
Sun-woo spoke flusteredly, his expression panicked.
"...behave well either."
"No... it's not your fault, Young Master... it's all my fault... I don't know what's wrong with me lately......."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke with an expression full of guilt.
"............"
Sun-woo remained silent.
He didn't know what to say to her while she was feeling such guilt.
"............"
An awkward silence began to flow between them.
Because the situation was so embarrassing, neither of them had anything to say.
"......For now... let's stop drinking."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke as she picked up the liquor bottle from the floor.
"Ah... yes... that would be for the best."
Sun-woo nodded in agreement.
He felt that if they got any drunker, there was no telling what might happen.
"A-and... Young Master Jang... this is a shameless request... but could you... perhaps... keep this a secret?"
Kang Ha-yoon barely managed to speak, her face completely red.
"Ah... I will do so..."
"Th-thank you."
Kang Ha-yoon looked at Sun-woo with watery eyes.
He was truly a kind boy.
Even though she had committed such an outrageous act, he readily agreed to turn a blind eye.
"First... I'll clear away the bottles..."
Kang Ha-yoon spoke, lifting the liquor bottles.
"Ah... yes."
Sun-woo nodded.
He felt that if the bottles stayed in front of him, he might lose his self-control and drink more.
Kang Ha-yoon slowly stood up.
She began to stagger toward the corner.
It seemed she intended to put them back where they belonged.
Thud.
Then, an accident happened.
Perhaps because the intoxication had peaked, Kang Ha-yoon tripped and fell.
"Hall Master, are you al—!"
Startled, Sun-woo shouted.
He intended to ask if she was okay.
But he was forced to shut his mouth.
As she fell, the inside of her skirt was laid bare.
Beneath the fabric, he saw a dark forest and a small spring where transparent water flowed.
It was an incredibly erotic, captivating, and lewd sight.
Facing that scene head-on, Sun-woo's eyes began to turn bloodshot.
At the same time, his heart beat with an intensity incomparable to before, and a massive amount of blood began to rush to his lower half.
Throb, throb.
Sun-woo's dick began to surge upward as if it would tear through his pants.