Reclaiming Thousand Changes and the Cleavage Catastrophe
The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was reclaim Thousand Changes from Latynia—the one I'd given her as a gift.
From my experience with Ji-ah yesterday, I knew she'd handle preparations on her own without me lifting a finger.
In the end, it felt like I'd needlessly tormented Latynia all day for nothing.
Oh well, chalk it up to a valuable lesson...
I'd need to prepare Thousand Changes in various ways for when Olivia inevitably pounces on me later.
I'd thought Touch of Pleasure was insanely effective since Ji-ah convulsed at the slightest touch, but now I realized she was just especially sensitive.
That much became clear after testing it on Olivia and Latynia.
To keep from being overpowered by Olivia, relying solely on Touch of Pleasure wouldn't cut it.
No, before that, I had to do something about my physical stats being so outmatched.
Yesterday with Ji-ah had made it painfully obvious just how dire my body's condition was.
And here I was, technically an Awakener myself...
"Do-jun? What're you thinking about so intently?"
"Oh... it's just, for some reason, that wall over there looks like it's shimmering with something transparent."
"Eek!"
When I casually pointed at a random wall to change the subject, Ji-ah flinched and huddled up in surprise.
She'd been like this ever since yesterday.
Ji-ah really paid too much attention to other people's gazes.
Or was she just that shy?
"Just kidding. No one's there. It's just us."
"Do-jun, you too..."
As I soothed her, the wall I'd pointed at actually rippled, and something—or someone—started to emerge before vanishing again.
So there was someone hiding.
Uh... yeah...
Best not to mention it.
When I arrived in the parlor, Latynia was whispering with Vivian.
They seemed locked in some heated debate.
Vivian in an intense argument? Was there a more mismatched pairing?
They turned at the sound of me entering.
I caught Vivian as she rushed at me, then addressed Latynia.
"You're down today? I was worried yesterday since you stayed cooped up in your room even past lunchtime."
"Is that something you should be saying? Sigh..."
"So, how used to it are you now?"
"I dunno!"
Latynia whipped her head away.
Guess she'd given up on the ladylike act entirely.
Were we all finally gathered?
Too bad Olivia was still holed up in her room.
"Where's Olivia?"
"Uh... well..."
Latynia answered hesitantly.
Was something wrong with Olivia?
"Instructor Olivia... said she's leaving."
Leaving? Where to? Why?
If she stepped out of the mansion now, she'd get caught immediately.
"Leaving? Where to?"
"How should I know?"
"Where is she now?"
"Hold on. Hmm... she says she's in her room. Why?"
"Nothing."
I pried Vivian off me.
She clung desperately, refusing to let go.
"Vivian. I have somewhere to go. Could you let go for a bit?"
"No."
"Come on. Be a good girl, Vivian?"
I slipped my hands under her armpits and lifted her up.
Vivian reached for me, trying to hug.
I extended my arms fully, holding her at a distance as I approached Ji-ah.
"Ji-ah. Mind holding her for a sec?"
"Pardon?"
I set Vivian on Ji-ah's lap.
Everything about Ji-ah was soft to the touch, so Vivian probably wouldn't hate it.
Vivian's head pressed right into Ji-ah's breasts.
"Ah... ahh..."
Vivian let out an incomprehensible noise and froze like a broken machine.
"I'll be right back, so hold her tight. Got it?"
"Yes."
As Ji-ah pulled Vivian into her embrace, Vivian's head got sucked straight into her cleavage.
Hmm... lucky.
I'll have to try that later.
"Eek!"
"Vivian! Stay still! That tickles!"
Vivian thrashed to escape Ji-ah's arms but soon gave up.
Actually, seeing them like this... it wasn't half bad.
Vivian and Ji-ah... they kinda matched.
"Then be good, Vivian. I'll be back soon."
"Ugh..."
Vivian replied weakly.
I stroked her head reassuringly, then gave Ji-ah's breast a quick knead before pulling my hand away.
It still clung perfectly to my fingers.
"Ahng... Do-jun, honestly..."
"I thought something happened to my breasts since Vivian hated it so much. Good to see they're fine."
"My breasts. They're mine..."
"They're mine, obviously. Anyway, I'm off."
I patted Ji-ah once more and stood.
As I rose, Latynia blatantly shoved her head toward me.
I pushed her head back into place.
"What?"
"Tch..."
"Haha, kidding."
I stroked Latynia's hair too.
Unlike two days ago, there was nothing to catch my fingers on—kinda disappointing.
Couldn't be helped. She was hiding it, after all.
With a hint of regret, I whispered so the others couldn't hear.
"Latynia."
"Yeah?"
"You know that thing you were hiding? Could you at least unhide your ears?"
"Pardon? Why... sorry, I can't."
"Tch... too bad."
If she couldn't, oh well.
That fluffy texture would just have to be for when we were alone.
I knocked on Olivia's door.
"Olivia. You in there?"
"..."
No response.
Latynia had definitely said she was in her room.
I opened the door without waiting.
Olivia was crouched in the corner of the room.
She'd pulled the robe I'd given her low over her face, hiding her expression.
"Olivia? Why are you huddled there like that?"
"..."
I approached the silent Olivia, scanning the room.
The bed looked untouched, as if she hadn't slept.
I tried to pull back her hood.
Olivia gripped it tight, refusing to let go.
"H-ha... stop..."
A cracked, hoarse voice leaked from under the hood.
I overlaid my hand on hers, which clutched the hood.
Her hand was ice-cold.
"You stayed like this all night?"
"..."
I rubbed her cold hand to warm it.
At my touch, the tension drained from her fingers.
I lifted the hood off her head.
She bowed her head, avoiding my eyes.
"Olivia. You're leaving?"
"..."
She nodded faintly.
I couldn't see her face, but her expression was obvious.
"Why?"
"I feel like I've just been a burden. The others are all trying to do things for you, but I haven't..."
"Burden? Helping the others is helping me. And you basically saved Vivian."
"Because of me, you have to go to the Imanitus Continent for no reason..."
"I've been wanting to check it out anyway. I'm really curious about the world beyond the gates."
"I got too heated and jumped in first..."
"It's fine. You did it thinking of me, right?"
"Really... you're okay with it?"
"Yeah. If only we could do something about that personality of yours."
"Eek!"
I pulled Olivia to her feet.
After squatting all day, she wobbled as she stood.
"Come on, let's go. The others are waiting."
I pulled her hood low over her face.
This should hide her identity from anyone peeking through the windows.
Olivia's face was close now.
She'd always worn that confident expression, but not today.
Her eyes drooped sadly, lips cracked and dry.
It hurt to see her like this.
Come to think of it, witches recover as long as they have vital energy.
"Huh? What're you—mmph."
I leaned in quietly and pressed my lips to hers.
Olivia's eyes widened in shock.
Yeah, this expression suits her better.
I kissed her gently—not too intensely—so she could absorb plenty of vital energy, drawing it out long and slow.
Olivia softly closed her eyes.
"Do we have to hold hands?"
"These things always have meaning. Why?"
"No, just..."
Olivia stared piercingly into empty space as she spoke.
No idea what had caught her eye.
I tugged her hand.
"Stop spacing out and hurry up. How old are you again...?"
"Ah!"
"More importantly, hear me out. I've got something worrying me lately."
"What? Spill."
"You know I have all these abilities, right?"
"Yeah."
"Normally, Awakeners have superior physical stats to regular people. So why are mine so pathetically low?"
"Hmm? Hold on, let me see..."
Olivia closed her eyes, focusing.
Something traveled up my hand.
It scanned my body once, then vanished.
Olivia stopped, deep in thought.
"Well?"
"Hmmm... what could this be... nah, probably not."
"What? Don't leave me hanging."
"It's nothing. I'll look into it."
Olivia clamped her mouth shut, refusing to say more.
She didn't utter a word the whole way back to the parlor.
The three were still there, but the air in the room had turned icy.
It hadn't been tense when I left, had it?
Ji-ah and Latynia were glaring at each other like they were in a staring contest.
And Vivian was pale as a ghost, stiff and rigid in Ji-ah's arms.
Vivian's eyes wandered aimlessly until they locked on me entering the room.
"Do-jun!"
She broke free from Ji-ah and charged at me.
Then she hid behind my back, clutching my clothes and trembling violently.
It was like she'd regressed to how she used to be.
I turned and scooped her up.
She burrowed desperately into my chest.
"Vivian. What's wrong?"
"Ugh... ughh..."
She pointed at Ji-ah, tried to say something, then gave up.
Had her speech regressed too?
I sat down holding the speechless Vivian.
"So, Vivian. Did Ji-ah bully you?"
Nod nod.
Vivian nodded vigorously.
Latynia watched in disbelief.
"Ji-ah... how could you bully such a tiny thing? Where would you even bully her? I'm really disappointed."
"Pardon? What do you mean... I didn't do anything!"
At Ji-ah's words, Vivian flinched harder and burrowed deeper into me.
I stroked and soothed her as I said to Ji-ah,
"Then why's Vivian like this?"
"I don't know..."
"Nothing happened while I was gone?"
"No. I just held her like you said... ah!"
Ji-ah gasped as realization hit.
Latynia and Olivia already seemed to have figured it out.
Was I the only one clueless?
"What? Tell me."
"I... I can't say."
"Why?"
"To protect Vivian's honor."
Ji-ah refused to explain why Vivian was acting up.
When I asked Olivia, she started to speak but got stopped by Ji-ah and Latynia.
In the end, no one told me anything.