Baek Hayeon (1)
“Kyaaah!”
The itchy scream burst out the moment I opened my eyes.
There was no time to feel embarrassed about that girly moan.
I rolled around on the bed from the muscle pain surging through my entire body.
It was the price for swinging that wooden sword in a trance at the training ground yesterday.
If I'd been in my previous life's body, I might've laughed it off with, "Muscles took it well." But this delicate frame didn't allow for such macho sentiments.
Ugh... I seriously feel like I'm dying...
I barely shoved off the blanket and sat up.
Every muscle in my body screamed in protest.
Thankfully, thanks to Mana Sensitivity, my skin absorbed the ambient mana, and my energy slowly returned.
Of course, that didn't mean the pain went away.
In the end, I could only flop back onto the bed and pant.
My mind was a gym rat who'd bench 500 for reps, but trapped in a fragile beauty's body. This disconnect was driving me insane.
No, but muscle soreness means muscle growth, right? This god-given body should level up fast too.
Forcing a positive spin, I checked my updated status window.
“...Just +1 each, huh.”
Strength up 1, Agility up 1.
Not bad numbers, but hardly worth the blood, sweat, and tears.
Considering you get 5 stat points per level up, I had a long way to go.
Can't overdo the training grind either.
Training was most effective at low stats, sure, but it took forever.
Better to mix in level-ups here and there instead of brute-forcing it.
I got up, changed clothes.
But as I went to put on my skirt, a burning pain from my butt made me grimace.
“Ah, that bastard...”
Traces of that muscle-pig teacher, Park Dusik's, hand.
No need to check the mirror—I knew his handprint was stark against my pale skin.
Every movement rubbed the uniform's short skirt lining against my swollen flesh.
...Along with the sting came a strange heat spreading through my body.
Damn it. Did that jerk put some spell on his palm or what?
It felt even more stinging as time passed.
Anyway, with hands trembling from soreness, I grabbed my uniform shirt.
Buttoning up—what should've taken 10 seconds—was a struggle today. My fingertips lacked strength, fumbling repeatedly.
In the end, I skipped the top button.
...Well, better mana flow means faster recovery from soreness. For efficiency's sake.
Definitely not because it felt stuffy. Purely to boost mana absorption for quicker healing.
Repeating that to myself, I headed out with my cleavage slightly exposed.
On the way to school, I wrestled with my smartphone the whole time. My opponent: Baek Hayeon, who'd witnessed my... er, training yesterday.
I fired off the messages in a flurry and let out a deep sigh.
What the hell am I even saying right now...?
Self-loathing hit me late.
What misunderstanding was I even trying to clear up?
In this world, exposure during training was common sense.
But to someone normal like Hayeon, it must've looked like pervert training.
No real misunderstanding—just clashing perspectives.
How am I supposed to deal with a world this rotten...?
Moments later, the "1" next to the messages vanished.
But no reply came.
“Haa... life.”
Just yesterday I'd been thrilled about bonding faster than in the original story. Now it felt like we'd grown further apart.
I arrived at school in low spirits, only to spot a familiar black ponytail in the distance.
It was Hayeon.
Excited, I waved wildly.
“Hayeon! Baek Hayeon!”
She flinched at my voice and froze.
Turning slowly, her face flushed beet red.
She glanced at my cleavage peeking through the shirt gap, then let out a short scream.
“Kyaaak!”
“Wait, I don't know what you're thinking, but hear me out. Yesterday was like...”
“Sorry! I have class!”
Without letting me finish, Hayeon bolted full speed.
I stared blankly at her retreating figure crossing the hall.
“Still 30 minutes left...”
Afternoon class was mana arts practice.
The teacher, standing before the assembled students in the auditorium, adjusted his glasses and spoke solemnly.
“Everyone, mana is desire itself. The more you shed the shell of reason, the purer and stronger your mana becomes.”
This place's curriculum was insane no matter how many times I heard it. Mana proportional to desire?
But after experiencing skin mana absorption firsthand yesterday, I couldn't outright deny it.
Stripping down did boost mana power, after all.
“Today, pair up and resonate with mana crystals. Share emotions with your partner and focus on instinct.”
Share emotions with your partner—inducing the resonance the student council president mentioned.
Yesterday's me would've panicked and been forced into it.
But I'd learned my lesson and planned my escape in advance.
Yesterday's martial arts class was combat majors only, needing space for sparring.
Mana arts was different—just one fist-sized mana crystal per spot.
Thus, it was a general elective for the whole school, regardless of major.
Meaning Hayeon was practicing somewhere here too.
The moment the teacher finished, I moved fast.
Target: Hayeon, naturally.
“Hayeon. Partners?”
“Eek...!”
She grimaced like she'd seen something awful.
Hurt more than expected, but I pressed on stubbornly.
“That grossed out...? F-Fine if you don't wanna...”
...Guess I wasn't that stubborn.
A pathetic whine slipped out unwittingly.
Hayeon fidgeted, flustered.
“N-No! Not grossed out, just... flustered. L-Let's do it! Today's practice!”
Seemed I'd successfully tugged her sympathy.
But she kept distance, wary of contact.
“Don't worry. No funny business...”
“F-Funny business!?”
“Shh. I'll show you yesterday's training results.”
Mentioning it turned her face scarlet again.
Determined to clear the air, I placed my hand on the mana crystal.
“Nothing weird. Just put your hand here.”
“O-Okay...”
Her small, soft hand overlapped my handback.
Oh...
My male soul twitched, but I refocused.
Time for pure mana control.
“Hayeon. I'll push mana in—you just receive.”
“Got it.”
I recalled yesterday's pure mana flow at the training ground.
The raw desire to grow stronger.
Not game clears or ero stuff—just pure pursuit of strength.
I poured that into the crystal.
Whoosh!
Dazzling silver light exploded, threatening to engulf the auditorium.
Other pairs emitted sticky red glows. Ours was blindingly pure.
“Oh my god...!”
Hayeon stared blankly between the crystal and me.
I shifted the mana flow through her palm, wrapping her body gently.
“Feels... warm and clean. Different from others...”
Her eyes wavered.
Flustered by this pure flow, unlike the usual instinctive stickiness.
Feeling validated that yesterday wasn't wasted, I smiled proudly.
“See? I was serious about training, right?”
“Yeah... it was real. Amazing, Eunha.”
Relief—misunderstanding cleared.
The mana teacher approached, heaping praise.
“Impressive, Seo Eunha. So faithful to instinct. Such pure, profound desire.”
Hard to tell if praise or insult.
He eyed my uniform thoughtfully, then added admiringly.
“Both dressed modestly, yet such desire... Can't judge by appearances. Valuable lesson.”
“...Thank you.”
His eyes gleamed like a professor spotting a grad student.
“Any mana arts questions, visit my lab anytime. I'd love a deep talk.”
I nodded with an awkward smile.
No way I'd go.
Unlike martial teacher, mana teacher had decent character—kind and gentle.
But as a young woman, deeply under student council president's hypnosis.
Her "lessons" would devolve into "liberating desire" excuses for wild stuff.
Exposure route, basically.
A growth path, but not tempting when I knew better options.
“Eunha, incredible. I did nothing...”
“Nah. Couldn't have without you.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Whoops—inner thoughts slipped.
Acting strong in front of a pretty girl is guy instinct.
...Couldn't say that, so I pivoted.
“Nothing! Anyway, dinner? My treat!”
“Sure. But can we swing by dorm? Wanna change... a bit.”
We headed to dorm together after school.
“Wait a sec,” Hayeon said, slipping inside.
Changing into casuals? Taking a while.
Musing on high school girl prep time, I waited blankly.
Then Hayeon emerged.
“...?!”
I gaped at her outfit.
Hayeon stood there, primness gone—bold outfit hugging her curves blatantly.
Off-shoulder dress baring shoulders. Skirt hem to hips screaming emphasis.
“...Sh-Shall we go?”
Blushing, she huddled shyly.
That only stirred something deep.
I swallowed hard unwittingly.
“H-Hayeon, isn't that outfit uncomfortable...?”
“You... showed it in practice earlier. And training ground yesterday. So I'm trying too.”
She smiled shyly, linking arms with mine.
The moment her soft breast pressed my arm, I realized.
This feels... off somehow.
Avoiding her eyes, I stared at the ground as we walked.