Midnight Massages and Family Secrets

Massage (1): Massive boost to the lowest stats. It compensates for one of the most fatal weaknesses for any hunter... no, judging from the previous reward, this "massive boost" might turn a former weakness into a strength.

I had to clear this quest no matter what—not just to avoid the penalty, but to ease my worries, even a little, about my sisters getting hurt or killed.

I turned my gaze back inside the house. Living room. Kitchen. Hallway. It was a structure I knew all too well. We'd lived together for years before I started living alone.

The problem was...

"...it's dirtier than I thought."

Hair and dust were blatantly visible on the living room floor, and dishes were piled up in the sink. With both of them busy as hunters, housework had naturally fallen behind. Well, now I could handle it for them every now and then.

I rolled up my sleeves and got to cleaning.

"...Huh. Not tiring at all."

Thanks to screwing Han Choyeun senseless yesterday and today, my stamina had shot up to B-rank. Even after a full five-hour deep clean, I still had energy to spare. Listening to work songs made the time fly by too.

Once I finished the dishes last, the now-familiar alert chimed.

"...This boost is way too suspicious..."

It'd been less than a week since awakening, and my stamina had jumped from F to A. If the other stats ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠grew at this rate... at least while in Snail Husband mode, I'd be the world's strongest in a month, right?

"But is there no way to maintain this state?"

What good ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠is world-top specs if I can only use them for housework or sex? I desperately hoped a way to freely toggle the status window would appear later as I left the apartment and headed back to my place.

Room ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠306. It was early evening when I got back, and as soon as I opened the door, Han Choyeun, lounging on the living room sofa, shot me a glare. Arms crossed. Her face was blatantly pouty.

...Why?

"Where've you been?"

"Uh, cleaned the house?"

"...House?"

Her eyebrow twitched up slightly.

"What house."

"The family home."

"...Oh."

She seemed at a loss for words for a second, then her expression hardened again.

"No, that's not it."

Thud. She tossed her phone toward me like showing evidence.

"Your calls!"

"...?"

The screen showed a bunch of missed calls.

...13 of them. All from Han Choyeun.

"...Oops."

"Thirteen times."

"..."

"I called thirteen damn times?"

Only then did I notice the tiny icon at the top of the screen. Silent mode. All notifications off, to be exact.

"...I had music on while cleaning."

"...And?"

"Usually the only notifications I get are spam texts, so I keep 'em off... Guess that's why I missed them."

A few seconds of silence passed. Her eyes narrowed.

"...Really?"

"...Yeah."

"Cleaning."

"..."

"For half a damn day?"

"...It was a quest."

"...Oh..."

Han Choyeun was the only one who knew about my unique ability, the quests, and the penalties. That's why she couldn't press further on a quest that took half a day.

"Tch... Can't monopolize you, huh."

"Huh?"

"Hmph. Fine, but I need to know who. Get over here!"

...Ignoring thirteen calls for half a day wasn't intentional, but it was still my bad. I sat on the edge of my bed next to her.

"Besides my sisters, who else lives at the family home?"

"No one?"

"...Huh? W-wait... Then..."

"...It's not like that. It was really just cooking and cleaning quests."

...At least so far. I insisted on my innocence to Han Choyeun, who was jumping to weird conclusions.

"...You don't get any other quests with me either, right?"

"No— ...Yeah, pretty much."

"Th-then it means you're gonna fuck your sisters?!"

"Why does it have to be that?!"

Sex never came up as a quest, you idiot. You jumped me. Sex was more like a hidden achievement reward.

It took some effort to calm her down as she huffed and puffed in excitement.

"So, unless they jump me like you did, no sex quests... It's ridiculous anyway."

"Hiiiing..."

Around that time.

"Ugh... I'm dying, seriously dying."

"...Yeah."

Yoo Serin and Yoo Raen were trudging home exhausted. No driver's license holders or dedicated drivers, so they walked into the apartment complex. Far off, a familiar figure caught their eye.

"Huh? Isn't that Oppa?"

"...?"

Yoo Serin's eyes narrowed. At the apartment entrance. Yoo Gaon was just exiting the complex.

"...It's Oppa, right?"

Yoo Raen squinted to confirm.

"...Yeah."

Yoo Serin replied curtly.

"It's him."

"...What the."

Yoo Raen tilted her head.

"He said he just stopped by to see us this afternoon."

"...Yeah."

They paused to watch his retreating back. Yoo Gaon left without ever noticing them.

Silence fell briefly. Yoo Raen spoke first.

"But."

"Yeah?"

"A few days ago."

Yoo Serin's gaze shifted slightly.

"...Dinner?"

"Yeah."

They both recalled it naturally. The meal Gaon had prepared—like something from a five-star hotel. And the insane buff that came with it.

Yoo Raen murmured softly.

"Feels like he's hiding something again, like back then, right?"

"..."

"Just a hunch."

Yoo Raen shrugged and started walking.

"Well, the state of the house will tell. Wonder what mischief he's pulled this time."

Once home, they couldn't hide their shock.

"...W-what... who cleaned...?"

"...He must've done all the housework right up until he left after we parted."

The floors gleamed spotless, no dust anywhere. Windows, table, shelves—all impeccably tidy.

"His awakening is S-rank maid?!"

"No way."

But it didn't sound entirely like a joke. First the mystery meal, now housework.

"...Should we keep pretending not to notice again?"

"...Yeah. Let's trust him for now."

They were dying to know the truth behind Yoo Gaon's antics. But they trusted him even more, so they decided to quietly observe.

But they overlooked one thing.

Knead-knead-

"Phew... please don't wake up... don't wake up..."

What the hell is this?! How far do I have to pretend not to notice?!

Exhausted from the tough day, Yoo Raen had whipped up a simple dinner with Yoo Serin, hit the bed, and fallen asleep at light speed.

Now she was seriously flustered.

I woke to a noise, squinted to see who it was, and... suddenly Oppa appears, giving me a calf massage?!

Muttering "don't wake up" like he was praying, he looked exactly like a burglar.

...A burglar whose job was calf massages.

...Ugh. But why does it feel so good...?

Another issue: his massage skills were no joke. Especially on her sensitive calves and feet—any slip, and she'd moan.

Knead-

Knead-knead-

Midnight intruder with a pitiful look, massaging away—it was too intriguing to ignore.

Phew, haa... hold it in. Oppa must have his reasons... eep...

Vowing to smack his back next time they met, she endured the massage that lasted over ten minutes.

And the next morning.

"...Huh?"

Yoo Raen blinked blankly at the ceiling upon waking. Her body felt... off. In a good way.

"What."

She slowly sat up. Normally, post-dungeon days left her whole body aching; getting out of bed was torture.

But.

"Feels light...?"

Her calves. The heavy, knotted muscles from yesterday were miraculously loosened.

Yoo Raen stood, rotated her ankles a few times.

Pop.

Pop.

"What."

No issue at all. Better condition than usual, even. Checking her status window, her stats had risen too.

"..."

She thought for a moment, and last night's scene flashed in her mind.

Knead-knead-

Yoo Gaon gripping her calves, massaging diligently.

"...No way."

...Again? Did Oppa buff me somehow?

"..."

For now... observe.

...That night.

Again.

Yoo Raen's door creaked open very carefully.

Creeak-

"...Phew."

The familiar ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠sigh. Yoo Gaon.

...He's back.

This time, she wasn't woken by noise—she was just pretending to sleep. Like yesterday. Playing dumb.

"...Palms this time, huh."

He muttered softly and sat by the bed. Moments later.

Her hand was grasped.

...Huh?

Yoo Raen's heart dropped.

Knead- Palms.

Knead-knead- Between fingers.

Then slowly up the arms.

...What now...

As a frontline dealer, long sword grips in dungeons wrecked her wrists—subtly at first, then badly. And he targeted the exact knotted spots like he knew.

Aaah... so... refreshing...

She bit her lip hard. To stifle a moan.

Hold it... just this once, endure...

Again, the next day.

"......"

Yesterday loosened her lower body for full vitality. Today, her sword grip felt perfect.

Again, that night.

Yoo Raen hit the sack earlier than usual on purpose. Eyes closed, but not fully asleep.

"...Let's see if he comes tonight."

And.

The door opened right on cue.

Creeak-

Creeak-

I closed the door oh-so-carefully. Worried a squeak might wake her, I held the handle all the way and eased it shut.

"...Phew."

Long exhale. Then I looked up.

"...Ha."

A sigh escaped. This is too much, right?

She's family? Everything so far was plausible enough. Calves. Feet. Hands. Arms. Parts you could pass off as family-friendly massage.

But.

...Breasts.

No matter how I spun it, that crossed the line. Couldn't even claim it was "massage" if caught.

I glanced at the bed. Yoo Raen slept peacefully. Back from a dungeon today, out cold.

"..."

I knew I shouldn't. But losing my left brain is worse... fuck.

The status window hovered in view again. Why had I ever praised this unique ability? For turning me into a pervert groping my little sister's chest.

"...Sorry for real."

I can't help it.