Chapter 159
With the real thing right beside me... "...Hah, why'd you suddenly ask that?" Yoo Seol-ah shot me a sulky glare, tightening her arms over her chest even more. The more she tried to cover up, the more her flesh pressed against her arms, adding an unintended erotic edge—but I had no idea if she realized that. If she was doing it on purpose, it'd be kinda scary.
But anyway, I was the wronged one here.
"No, I seriously wasn't thinking that at all."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Yeah. Believe me."
It was true, so I said so. When she first mentioned the sensations linking up, I'd only thought about the pain part—not anything like that. And she'd said she'd toned down the sensory linkage a ton anyway.
"Besides, I didn't touch it. It just brushed against me. And you said you linked it weakly."
It made total sense to dial back the sensory stuff since it could get risky, but I never expected this reaction.
"...Am I too sensitive or something?"
"That's not it, but..."
"And I saw you reach out on purpose. If not my chest, what were you trying to touch?"
"Your stomach."
The sensation was totally different from her chest, so I answered confidently, but now she dropped one arm to cover her lower belly too. Her face flushed even redder as she glared at me.
"Th-that's even weirder...!"
...Oh. Thinking about it from her perspective, that wasn't a safe spot either. For Yoo Seol-ah, whose erogenous zones were everywhere, the only safe place to touch was probably her head. Especially since it was a big-headed, tiny-bodied 2-head-proportion SD doll. The proportions were so shrunken that my hand had just veered off a bit.
"...You had the real me right there. How could you even think of touching the doll...?"
"Just curious, that's all. Have I ever touched yours first?"
"......"
My killer line left her speechless for a moment, unable to retort. But it wasn't like my explanation had landed—it was more like she'd gotten sulky about something new. Her lips pursed even more than before as she glared daggers at me.
"...Right? You haven't."
...Wait, had the topic just flipped on me in an instant? Not sure if she was embarrassed or pissed, but her face was red as she muttered.
"...Someone like you, with the real thing right there, goes and touches the doll."
The words were almost the same as before, but the meaning hit totally opposite. Earlier it was just scolding me for messing with the doll—now it sounded like, Touch me instead. Was she seriously jealous of her own doll?
Suddenly, last night's milk ice cream revenge flashed in my mind. I'd gotten her a little worked up on purpose then let it slide, and after today's tennis, escape room, and karaoke fun, I figured she'd forgotten. But this reaction said otherwise.
Seeing that shy, pouty expression, it was clear she was still stewing on it.
"What do you mean by—"
"Nothing! Forget it. I'm going to wash up."
We'd actually had sex last night too—it was after squeezing her dry on the way back to her place that the ice cream thing happened. But despite her words, it didn't feel like "nothing."
She still seemed calm enough, but damn, her libido had no end. She'd already shut down the computer and tidied up, heading out the door like she was really gonna shower. In a tiny voice, she added,
"...This is why assassins... thieves are no good."
"Hey, what'd you say?"
Her voice was soft, but definitely loud enough for me to hear. In recent generations, our assassin guild was just assassins in name only. We'd lived pretty upright lives, sticking to mercenary work. But the magic word that dragged folks like us back to our roots? Thief. Especially since the church we didn't get along with loved calling us that...
Thieves were small-time crooks anyway. No comparison to proper assassins.
But Yoo Seol-ah didn't reply, already vanishing into the bedroom.
"...Hah."
Fine. She started it. Time to show her an assassin's true intent. I tidied up quick and followed her to the bedroom.
Since Lee Seo-yeon owned the place, there was a spacious walk-in closet between the bedroom and bathroom. I slid open the door with its frosted glass, and Yoo Seol-ah looked up at me with trembling eyes, a hint of fluster.
"Wh-what?"
"Let's shower together."
"...Eek...?"
She flinched at my bluntness. Amid the fear in her eyes, there was definitely a flicker of anticipation—not my imagination.
She stopped unbuttoning her jeans, grabbing a robe to throw on first. It'd come off later anyway, so who cared. If anything, her pants and panties peeking out from under the robe as they dropped one by one looked even sexier.
She didn't seem opposed to sharing, so I threw on a robe too and started stripping. Guys undress faster, so I sorted my clothes into the laundry bin and headed into the bathroom first.
Work was done, no rush to shower quick. I started filling the tub and tossed in some pale pink bath salts.
```
"Let's shower together."
Baek Sion barged into the walk-in closet with that heated glare, and I couldn't help but panic. Yeah, I'd poked at his pride on purpose, revenge for last night's vanilla candy incident too. We bicker about assassin-mage stuff all the time, so I knew exactly where to hit.
But I never thought he'd come right in like this. Unlike me, who'd tied her robe tight, he just loosely draped his and stripped it off. His robe parted, revealing toned abs bit by bit, and my eyes drifted there before I caught myself.
I whipped my gaze away, but he didn't care, heading straight into the bathroom.
He's filling the tub first, so I can take my time. My old studio had a nice bathroom, but this honeymoon-pad one was next level. Lee Seo-yeon bought a luxury apartment—and the penthouse at that. The hinoki cypress tub was big enough for two.
I'd wanted to try it last night, and now here we were. Worried what pissed-off Baek Sion might do, but the bath salts and tub's scent calmed me a bit.
Hot water filled up quick. He hung his robe on the rack and slipped in first. I averted my eyes as much as possible, wrapping a big body towel around myself and settling on the opposite side.
"...Haaah..."
Hot water always feels amazing. The sigh slipped out naturally, but Baek Sion stared with that weird look. He even blatantly eyed my towel-covered chest without hiding it.
...Is he seriously gonna pounce? Last night's kiss flashed back, and I instinctively clamped my legs shut.
Reading even that tiny move, he flashed a sly grin. Heat rushed to my face, and I looked away.
As my body heated up more than the steam, he rose slightly from his seat, kneeling and leaning toward me fast.
"...Eep."
Already tense, I squeezed my eyes shut the second I saw his hand reach out.
A moment later, I cracked them open in confusion. His hand had touched me... but just grazed the button by my arm to press it.
Ding!
A cheerful tone rang out, and bubbles started rising from the tub's jets.
"...Fancy tubs are on another level. It's a home spa—massage, bubbles, the works."
Where'd that lecherous look go? Now he looked like an excited kid. When I stayed silent, he gave me a what's wrong with you stare.
"What?"
"......"
Till the bath ended, he didn't pounce or anything. We enjoyed all the new features and finished up fine. Bubbles, temp control—it was unbelievable for a home tub. So why did I feel so unsatisfied?
```
After the bath, we changed into comfy clothes.
"Gonna send Doyun-hyung this sample."
She nodded, trying to play it cool but clearly still fuming. I headed back to the workshop.
Confirming she wasn't following, I pumped my fist. How's that, Yoo Seol-ah? That's an assassin's true intent.
Assassins are relentless. And common knowledge among us: stabbing the same spot twice hurts way more.
Her flustered face when I faked a pounce just to hit the button? Worth framing.