Chapter 534: Don't Make Excuses and Take It Off Already
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 534: Don't Make Excuses and Take It Off Already
Slide.
Lee So-ran finally unfastened her belt.
"There, happy?"
"Hmm... It’s a bit underwhelming."
Sun-woo stroked his chin as he spoke.
"You... you only took off your belt earlier too!"
"Well, you're cute, so I'll let it slide this once."
Sun-woo continued, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
"Grrrgh!"
Lee So-ran began to fume. Hearing her own words thrown back at her made him seem even more obnoxious.
I will strip you bare!
She stared at the bulge of Sun-woo’s underwear and made a silent vow. She would make sure this man ended up stark naked, without a single stitch of clothing on his body.
"Hurry up and roll!" she snapped, her voice rising in irritation.
"Understood."
With a relaxed expression, Sun-woo spoke.
Rattle, rattle.
He cast the dice once more. The pips settled on a five and a six. Aside from Ssangnyuk—double sixes—it was the highest possible total.
"No... how...?"
So-ran’s face paled at the sight of the numbers. The total was far higher than she had anticipated, leaving her flustered.
"Your turn," Sun-woo said, handing her the dice.
"......Fine."
So-ran reluctantly accepted them.
It’s okay... there are still two ways out of this... I just need to roll an eleven to tie, or double sixes to win...
Her eyes sparkled as she tried to calm her racing heart. Though the number he’d set was dauntingly high, it wasn't impossible to beat. At the very least, the possibility of a draw remained.
Jang Sun-woo did it... there’s no reason I can’t!
She immediately threw the dice.
Rattle, rattle, roll.
The dice tumbled across the table, spinning relentlessly. After what felt like an eternity, one die came to a halt, showing a six.
Yes!
She cheered inwardly. Her chances of winning had just skyrocketed.
Please... please... six... six... give me a six!
She prayed with everything she had. She begged the heavens for another six.
Clack.
The second die stopped. It showed a four.
"Ah..."
A groan escaped So-ran’s lips. She had lost by a single point.
"My lady, take it off."
Sun-woo’s leisurely voice rang in her ears once again.
Grit.
So-ran ground her teeth.
Shhh.
She slowly rose from her seat and pushed her skirt down. Her snow-white undergarments were revealed for all to see.
"Uuuuugh..."
Stripped of everything but her underwear, So-ran’s face turned a deep crimson. An overwhelming sense of shame washed over her. When she’d first agreed to the bet, she had been so focused on stripping Sun-woo that she hadn't considered this level of humiliation. Now that she was actually standing there in nothing but her intimates, the embarrassment was nearly unbearable.
...Should I ask to stop?
A moment of weakness flickered in her mind. Maybe she should just end it here.
"Put your clothes back on."
Suddenly, Sun-woo’s voice reached her ears.
"What?"
So-ran blinked, looking at him in confusion.
"I’m giving you a pass. Put your clothes on, and let’s call it a night."
Sun-woo spoke with an air of magnanimity.
"......A pass? What is that supposed to mean?"
Her expression soured, unable to grasp his intent.
"You’re standing there covering your chest and lap out of shame, aren't you? What’s the point of continuing like this? Let’s just end it here."
Sun-woo maintained his relaxed composure.
"............"
So-ran’s face burned even hotter, but this time from a different kind of shame. She felt looked down upon.
"No! I have no intention of stopping!" she shouted, her temper flaring.
"There’s no need to be stubborn. Modesty isn't a sin," Sun-woo said, his tone dripping with understanding.
"That’s not it at all!"
In a fit of pique, she yanked her hands away from her chest and lap. Her pure white undergarments were fully exposed.
"Now! Hurry up and roll the dice!"
She thrust the dice toward him across the table.
"My lady, there’s no need for such bravado. It is far more shameful for a woman to expose her skin than it is for a man, is it not?"
Sun-woo began to reason with her in a soft, gentle voice. He looked the part of a perfectly considerate gentleman.
"Grrrgh!"
But Sun-woo’s "consideration" acted as a poison. So-ran was naturally competitive to a fault. To her, such kindness felt more like an insult. He was essentially saying he would go easy on her because she was a woman. How could she possibly let that slide? It was preposterous.
"I’m not ashamed at all! If I lose a bet, I’m prepared to strip whenever!"
She glared at Sun-woo with fire in her eyes.
"Sigh."
Sun-woo let out a long, heavy sigh, as if realizing that persuading her was a lost cause.
"Fine. If you insist, I won't stop you. However, if you end up completely naked, you must put your clothes back on immediately."
Sun-woo began to set conditions, acting as if he were making a concession. It seemed as though he was trying to provide a minimum safety net for her.
"I don't need it!"
Sensing his pity, So-ran snapped back in rejection.
"If I end up naked, I’ll stay that way while we drink!"
"My lady, that could lead to a very... awkward situation."
"Why? Are you getting cold feet?"
When Sun-woo showed weakness, So-ran mocked him.
"That’s not what I meant! I was only trying to be considerate of you..."
"I don't need that kind of consideration! If you really want to respect me, stop bringing up 'men' and 'women' and treat me as an equal!"
She poured out her heart, her voice full of conviction. She hated Sun-woo’s attitude of trying to coddle her just because she was a woman.
"............"
Sun-woo fell silent, his lips pressed into a thin line. He looked as though he were deep in thought.
"I apologize, Lady Lee."
He eventually spoke, offering a formal apology.
"It seems I was mistaken. You are a person no different from myself... yet I tried to show you a discriminatory form of consideration simply because you are a woman. I am truly sorry."
Sun-woo bowed his head slightly.
"Hmph. As long as you understand."
So-ran replied with a huff, her expression softening slightly.
"Again, my apologies. I shall do as you say. I will not treat you with any bias. If I lose the bet and end up naked, I too shall remain in that state while we drink together."
Sun-woo spoke with absolute gravity.
"Now, roll the dice."
He handed her the dice that lay scattered on the table.
"......Fine."
So-ran nodded and took them.
Flick.
Rattle, rattle.
The dice spun across the table with incredible speed.
"It’s a ten!" she shouted, looking at the pips.
It wasn't the highest possible roll, but it was the third highest. She was in a statistically superior position.
"......This is troublesome."
Sun-woo looked concerned, as if the high number was putting pressure on him. He slowly picked up the dice and cast them.
Rattle, rattle.
The dice tumbled endlessly.
Clack.
One die stopped on a five.
...Please... please... please...
So-ran watched the remaining die, praying fervently in her head. She begged for any number smaller than a five.
Rattle, rattle.
After spinning for what felt like forever...
Clack.
The die came to a complete stop.
"Ah!"
A gasp escaped her. The second die showed a six. She had lost.
She stared blankly at the table. She couldn't believe she had lost by a single point yet again.
"My lady... take it off."
Sun-woo’s voice nudged her once more. So-ran’s face turned pale as the reality set in. She had to remove either her top or bottom underwear.
Grit.
She ground her teeth. Slowly, she reached behind her back and began to undo the knot of her bra.
Slide.
She completely unfastened the knot and tossed the garment aside.
Boing.
Her massive breasts, previously hidden by the cloth, were finally revealed to the world.
Wow.
Sun-woo marveled inwardly at the sight. Despite being in her early twenties, her breasts were of a size that seemed to transcend her age. Furthermore, seeing her nipples recessed and hidden, he felt a sudden, mad urge to become an archaeologist and "excavate" them.
Hold it... stay calm...
Sun-woo barely managed to suppress his desires. She still had her panties on. If he got excited and lunged at her now, he’d just be branded a common lecher. He had to get her completely naked first, then build a suggestive atmosphere to get her aroused as well. It had to be mutual.
Sun-woo’s eyes began to gleam.
"What... are you looking at...?"
Sensing Sun-woo’s intense gaze, So-ran instinctively tried to cover her chest with her arms.
"It’s not like they’ll wear out from looking. Why so sensitive?"
Sun-woo countered with a relaxed expression. He was throwing her own words back at her again.
"......Ugh..."
So-ran’s face flushed. She had no comeback.
"The dice... just roll the dice!"
She handed him the dice with her one free hand.
"Understood."
Sun-woo nodded and took them.
Flick.
Rattle, rattle.
He tossed them onto the table with total indifference. The dice spun and eventually settled on a three—a one and a two.
Grin.
A wide smile spread across So-ran’s lips. A three was the second-lowest possible total, right after a two. As long as she didn't roll double ones, she was guaranteed to win.
"A three, I see..."
Sun-woo looked disappointed as he checked the dice. Seeing this, So-ran laughed brightly and quickly snatched them up. She threw them onto the table without a moment's hesitation. Her movements were bold; she felt as though she had already won.
Rattle, rattle, roll.
The two dice spun wildly. Then, one of them stopped. It showed a one.
Thump.
So-ran’s heart skipped a beat. A sudden anxiety gripped her—what if she rolled double ones?
No! That’s impossible!
She shook her head violently, denying the thought. The odds were only one in six. It was a probability that only happened once every six throws. There was no need to be needlessly anxious.
Rattle, rattle...
The second die began to slow down as it lost momentum. She stared at it with burning intensity as it neared a stop. She prayed for any number other than a one.
The die began to settle on a six.
Yes!
She cheered in her mind. She had won.
Tumble.
But the die seemed to have a tiny bit of lingering force. It gave one final, minuscule rotation.
And then, it settled on a one.
She had rolled double ones.
"How can this be!?"
So-ran was struck with horror. The realization that she had lost hit her like a physical blow.
"No way! This is a scam! It’s rigged!"
So-ran began to scream at the top of her lungs. It had to be a scam. There was no other explanation. How could a die that had stopped on a six flip over to a one? How could he win four times in a row? It was definitely a trick. It had to be.
"My lady... you’re being unsightly."
Sun-woo’s voice, laced with mockery, drifted into her ears.
"If you didn't want to take it off, you should have just said so... why call it a scam?"
"What did you say!?" she snapped.
"Shouldn't a true gambler accept the results with grace?"
Sun-woo continued, a playful smirk on his face.
"..............."
So-ran fell silent, her mouth clamped shut. Every word he said was something she had said to him earlier.
"Don't make excuses and take it off already."
Sun-woo stared at her with a serious gaze.
Upon hearing those words, So-ran’s face turned a ghastly shade of grey. She realized that the only piece of clothing she had left was the one covering her lower half.