Baek Hayeon (2)
Baek Hayeon was born and raised in Busan.
She'd lived an utterly ordinary life. But ten years ago, after the student council president took control of the city, her "ordinary common sense" began to chip away bit by bit.
The world had gone mad.
Women draped themselves in scraps of fabric barely a handspan wide, and men leered openly without shame.
Yet no one was charged with crimes, so the crime rate had plummeted.
Hayeon, with her high mana sensitivity, managed to cling to her sanity. But the more she did, the lonelier she felt.
'Everyone's... weird. Or am I the weird one?'
Then Seo Eunha appeared before her.
On the day of the entrance ceremony, they'd bumped into each other in the hallway. Eunha was desperately tugging down her ultra-short academy uniform skirt, her face scrunched in distress.
To Hayeon, that reaction was like rain in a drought—a glimpse of normalcy.
"...You think this is kinda messed up too, right?"
Watching Eunha nod vigorously in agreement, Hayeon felt certain.
Ah, I'm not the only one. I'm not the only one embarrassed by these outfits.
...But that relief shattered after just one day.
Hayeon wanted to get close to Eunha, the one person she could open up to.
But her bold invitation for dinner that evening was sadly declined.
Still, it didn't sour her mood. If anything, it highlighted Eunha's diligence.
'Training on the first day of school? My eyes didn't deceive me!'
While others slacked off yapping about resonance this and that, Eunha was out there sweating it out, getting stronger.
Hayeon wanted to be like her.
After dinner, she headed to the training ground, hoping Eunha might still be there.
But what she witnessed was shocking.
Eunha had tossed off her shirt, swinging her sword in just her bra.
Sweat-slicked skin gleaming, ragged breaths heaving.
And that ecstatic smile, like she was lost in something intoxicating.
...No matter how you sliced it, that didn't look like pure training.
Hayeon was stunned.
Had her comrade-in-arms adapted to this city so quickly?
"Sorry! Keep... training hard!"
Fleeing the training ground, Hayeon tossed and turned all night.
Was Eunha just another ordinary person after all?
Betrayal and confusion tormented her. She'd built her up and been let down on her own whim, but that made it hurt even more.
But the next day, during mana arts practice, everything changed the moment their hands touched.
Bright light bursting from the mana crystal. Pure mana flowing from her into Hayeon.
It was worlds apart from the other students' sticky, repulsive mana.
Crystal-clear, eye-searingly pure, wrapping her body in gentle warmth.
No lechery, no base desires.
Just a pure, transparent longing to reach higher realms, to grow stronger.
...This is the real Eunha.
Hayeon realized she'd misunderstood.
Eunha stripping down wasn't cheap exhibitionism for show.
It was the dedication of a true practitioner, casting aside even shame to maximize mana efficiency—for strength alone.
Rejecting common sense like Hayeon did, yet dead serious about training. It made Hayeon reflect on herself.
"You're amazing, Eunha."
The words slipped out unbidden.
And she resolved herself.
She wanted to be like Eunha. Not just cower in fear of her different thoughts, but boldly bare herself like Eunha, sublimate instinct into mana.
Back in her dorm, Hayeon rummaged through her closet.
She pulled out a dress that blatantly hugged her curves—one she'd never wear normally. The most revealing thing she owned.
'Like Eunha did... for efficiency.'
Reassuring herself, she stood before Eunha.
She hoped Eunha would look at her admiringly, praise her coolness.
But Eunha's reaction was unexpected.
"H-Hayeon? Your outfit... it looks, um, really uncomfortable?"
The confident, relaxed vibe from before was gone.
As Hayeon crossed her arms and stepped closer, Eunha's body visibly stiffened.
'Huh? What's up with Eunha?'
Eunha's face flushed, her eyes darting everywhere, flustered like a shy boy.
So began their puzzling date.
Men on the street ogled Hayeon's exposed shoulders and legs, smacking their lips. Their gazes weren't pleasant, but with Eunha there, she could bear it.
And amid those stares, Eunha's mixed in.
Glancing sideways, ears red to the tips... it was strangely fun to watch.
Eunha, seeming a bit floaty-headed, joined Hayeon at a family restaurant.
Inside, Hayeon's teasing continued.
"Eunha, this pasta's so good. Want a bite?"
She leaned in deliberately, cleavage peeking from her dress. Eunha coughed violently, like she'd choked.
"Kuhak! Uh, y-yeah... it's good. Really good."
Eunha kept her eyes down, poking at her food.
It was oddly cute, and Hayeon found her lips curving up.
Unlike the beastly men of this city, Eunha's gaze held no discomfort.
Just pure, innocent trembling.
'She bares herself without hesitation, but gets like this with me?'
For Eunha, instinct was just a tool to boost mana.
Yet when someone unleashed it right in front of her, she got this shy.
By the time they finished eating and chatted at a café, her aversion to exposure had faded.
Watching Eunha fluster was fun, and the breeze on her bare shoulders felt nice.
The bold short outfit had been a good experience.
"Hayeon, today... was fun. Let's hang out again sometime."
Just before parting, Eunha's shy words made Hayeon beam.
"Yeah, I had fun too. And now I kinda get it—what it means to follow your instincts."
Eunha, oblivious to the implication, just scratched her head with a grin.
Back in her dorm, Hayeon stood before the mirror.
The short outfit that had taken courage at first now felt pretty good.
'Eunha spent the whole dinner staring at my legs, totally out of it.'
A tickle stirred in her chest.
Different from mana brushing her skin—the zing from Eunha's gaze lingered.
Hayeon etched the value of instinct she'd learned from Eunha deep in her heart.
Of course, she hadn't changed fundamentally. She still hated exposure, loathed men's leers even more.
But for mana efficiency... and to tease her friend Eunha, this was no big deal.
Thus, the last bastion of Hayeon's purity cracked.
Her subconscious fought desperately against the hypnosis.
The hypnosis was so potent she couldn't fully overcome it, but she poured everything into protecting her pure nature....
Yet Eunha's every action fanned the flames.
Her thinking shifted toward greater efficiency. It was the right way to grow mana.
That was the nature of this ero-game world.
The more rationally she thought, the deeper she sank into the mire.
The hypnotic force gripping the city infiltrated her soul via the pure admiration she held onto.
A tiny crack formed in Hayeon's heart. The hypnosis would widen it from here on.
Eunha never intended it, but her mere existence became Hayeon's strongest hypnotic suggestion.
Protagonist's actions are acting as a powerful suggestion on 'Baek Hayeon'!
Must resist Hypnosis quickly...
Hypnosis (Hidden): Target is not under hypnosis. No need to resist.
I lay on my bed, staring blankly at my phone.
The three letters [Baek Hayeon] etched in my contacts. Just looking at them brought a goofy grin to my face.
"Heh heh heh."
The date with Hayeon had been a blast.
Ero-game world and all, her outfit was short... but hey, she looked stunning, so my eyes were feasted.
More than that, in this insane world, chatting with someone who thinks normally like me is an indescribable comfort.
I hope it was the same for her, like it was for me.
"...But what did she mean by that last thing?"
Something about now getting what it means to follow your instincts?
I'm the one who gets pissed off every time thanks to those damn instincts.
"Eh, whatever. Misunderstanding cleared up, so all good!"
When Hayeon saw my exposure—no, my training—I thought my life was over.
But sincerity connects. She must've realized I endured the shame purely for training.
"......Huh?"
My eyes flashed like I'd woken mid-sleep, but I brushed it off and pulled up the covers.
With my Insight skill, no way my status window glitches.
As long as I'm protecting Hayeon, she'll never fall to hypnosis.
Drifting off, I dreamed of smashing the student council president's thick skull, a happy smile on my face.
Unaware of Hayeon, at that moment, hemming her uniform shorter in front of her dorm mirror for tomorrow.
Ero Status has been updated!
Yuri Receptivity (NEW!): Mental resistance to intimate contact and emotional exchange between women is relaxed. Accepts a 'friend's' displays of affection more naturally.