End-of-Term Celebration (5)
After Ellis left, I locked eyes with Sulin noona.
Her brighter golden hair and snow-white skin always made her stand out. The beauty mark under her left eye accentuated the allure of her stunning face. Not to mention her voluptuous figure—and now that she'd taken off her glasses, even the last traces of her model-student vibe were gone.
Anyway, she'd said she had something to tell me, so it had to be pretty important. She’d even been a little rude to Ellis to get me alone. I waited attentively for Moon Sulin’s words, which might hold the key to conquering her.
"Yeah, noona."
Sulin noona, who had been staring at me until Ellis's footsteps faded away, finally spoke.
"Why are you moving?"
"…Moving? It was such an everyday topic that I felt a bit deflated, but yeah, this was it. Prelude before the main point. Small talk to ease the tension. Necessary for smooth conversation."
"Just wanna live in a bigger place. Got a lot I wanna do."
"Ah, I see… Right. Um, have you thought about trying internet streaming? You're handsome, so you'd probably get popular…."
Noona and I kept chatting about this and that. After the moving talk wrapped up, we moved on to our usual spot, a restaurant called Pungmi-dang. Then she brought up preparations for the celebration. Watching her face, I finally got it.
Oh, she didn't really have anything important to say.
With that realization, my tension melted away. If it was just chit-chat, why send Ellis away? …Well, women's hearts are fickle, as they say. Maybe she just missed some one-on-one time. Or perhaps there was some subtle battle of nerves I didn't catch?
"Still, once the celebration's over, the big events are done."
Sulin noona's words cut through my thoughts, slipping into my ears. She smiled brightly, meeting my gaze.
"Lucky. Guess you'll finally get some rest, noona."
She seemed a bit better lately, but before, she'd definitely looked overworked. With the vice president gone right when things were easing up, it must've been even tougher.
"Who knows. Hope so."
From what I'd observed, Sulin noona was genuinely devoted to Victoria Academy. Probably for a bunch of reasons. Her grandfather the chairman, her father who vanished one day. That's why she was handling the academy's management too. What a messed-up family on the surface, but once you're in, there are all sorts of circumstances. Problem was, I couldn't bring it up first. Frustrating as hell. How to steer this?
"By the way, how's the chairman doing?"
No great memories with him, but… he's Sulin noona's grandpa. Can't hate the guy. Someday I'd have to say, [I'll take the granddaughter you raised so carefully!]
"He's fine. Too fine, that's the problem. He hated your guts like he wanted to kill you, but now that you're famous, suddenly you're son-in-law material."
She said she disliked him outwardly, but her tone dripped with affection for the chairman. Still, one weird word jumped out from Moon Sulin's words.
"Son-in-law? The chairman said that about me?"
"Huh? Oh, uh…."
Sulin noona, sitting across from me, started blushing bit by bit. She'd caught her slip-up.
"I-I mean, son-in-law's just his opinion… N-not that I hate you or anything. You know that, right?"
I barely held back a laugh watching her clench and unclench her fists in panic.
"I know, I know. I like you too, noona."
"…Really?"
"Of course. Oh, by the way, any experiential learning trip next week?"
Seeing her expression brighten, I asked about the trip. Needed the exact schedule to plan France better.
"It's on the calendar, but… how'd you know?"
"Heard from Professor Im Sol."
"Ah… Yeah. Probably next week. Anywhere you wanna go?"
"Yeah. Thinking France."
Moon Sulin frowned at my words.
"France… Iris Guild? They reached out, but I figured it was for Ellis. So you're going with her?"
"Uh… probably? Wanna learn about foreign systems and stuff anyway."
"Hmm… Iris Guild."
Did I say the wrong thing? Noona's face soured. Maybe too hasty. France basically meant Iris Guild.
"Ahem, but didn't you have something to tell me?"
No choice but to change the subject. Didn't wanna talk about other girls.
"Don't like casual chit-chat with me?"
Sulin noona pouted her lips. Obvious cute act, but coming from someone adorable, it worked.
"Not that, but… I thought it was something urgent."
Good. Subject change successful.
"Hmm, something to say… Oh yeah, I told you to let me know if things get tough for you, right?"
Yeah, she had. Bait for the stalker incident. …Problem was the perp vanished. Even if not the original intent, if she asked for help, I'd go all out. Sulin noona was important.
"Yeah. Spill it."
"Well, um…."
Trailing off, Sulin noona suddenly averted her eyes. Staring into space, then meeting my gaze, then dropping her head.
"…Noona?"
Her gauging-my-reaction moves piqued my curiosity. Then she glanced at me slyly.
"…Give me a massage too."
"Massage?"
I flinched at the word, but she continued right away.
"Like you did for Ellis. Rub my shoulders… okay?"
Seeing her shyly look away while asking for a shoulder rub made me chuckle involuntarily.
"Heh."
"W-why laugh! I'm stressed lately, just asking if you could…."
"'Cause you're cute. Sure, I can do that, noona."
I stood, moved behind Moon Sulin, and grabbed her shoulders without thinking.
Squeeze—
"Hnnng…."
"Not too hard, right?"
"Yeah… harder's fine. Like… with Ellis…."
"Got it."
Sulin noona hung her head, receiving the massage. Glancing down, her ears were beet red. No wonder she was embarrassed.
We've barely had any skinship, huh.
Made me feel kinda guilty. She'd helped me a ton since I transmigrated… And among the heroines, she was the one I'd progressed slowest with.
"Nng… hng…."
Watching her groan in embarrassment, I kneaded her shoulders gratefully.
*
"Feels good, yeah."
Massaging and messing around with Sulin noona ate up quite some time. Skinship really closed the distance. Maybe too much, 'cause at the end, she barely met my eyes while seeing me off.
"So cute. That side of you too."
Amid pervy twins, crazy succubus, lazy professor, and deviant saintess—etc., etc., she was the only normal one. Gotta take good care of her from now on.
Outside, I looked for Ellis. Sorry for the delay playing with Sulin noona. Checked my smartwatch wondering if she was mad—got a message.
Timestamp: two hours ago.
"…Is she nuts?"
Basically, she dragged me away saying she had something to say, then sent that right off. Fine by me since I could head to the dorm, but what was she thinking? No clue.
I turned toward the dorm, walking the darkening streets while pondering my schedule. Next up: the end-of-term celebration the day after tomorrow. Chance for more talk with Sulin noona. And definitely, definitely—it wouldn't pass quietly.
Following week: Iris Guild in France. Using the experiential learning excuse to meet the centaur. After that, nothing set, but… probably playtime with Lucy and Lumi. Or sync with Baek Ayoung. Ellis could advance more while in France.
Oh yeah, the move too.
Nam Da-eun and Liliana could move in and get more attention. Rebecca similar to Ellis—might be okay just giving her semen.
"Plan's perfect."
Theoretically, heroine conquests progressing steadily. Though things rarely went to plan so far.
Lost in thought, I reached the dorm.
Ding—
Familiar chime as I entered. Living room same as always. Nam Da-eun at the table on her smartwatch, smiling at me. Liliana and Nam Da-hee on the living room bed and floor with the TV on, doing something. Scarlett guarding nearby.
Relaxed by the familiar sight, I shed my outer clothes and stepped in.
"Oppa! You're back?!"
"Ooh! Perfect timing. Come here quick. Got something to try!"
"Hold on, hold on."
Amid Da-hee and Liliana's enthusiastic welcome, I headed to Da-eun first. She'd been watching me since I walked in.
"Late today. What kept you?"
"Student council stuff."
Sitting, she offered her coffee.
"…What's this?"
"Last cup. Wanna share?"
"Nah, you have it."
Her consideration… right? Drinking after her didn't bother me. Might even like it. Just not in the mood for coffee.
"Mmm, tasty. Okay."
Sip— Watching her drink, I headed to the living room.
"Welcome back."
"Yeah. So what's going on?"
Curious since entering. Liliana sat on the bed, seriously shaking something. Looked like a coin on a thin string, hole in the center—not ordinary. Like a hypnotist's prop from TV or movies.
And as if reading my mind, Liliana started swinging it.
"Now, you're getting sleepy…."
"Unnie… I'm not sleepy at all."
"Tsk. Not focusing. Again!"
Da-hee pouted, listening to Liliana. Honestly, no idea what this nonsense was. Just bullying Da-hee?
Asked Scarlett nearby.
"Scarlett. This what it looks like? Hypnosis?"
"Yes. She's wanted to try hypnotizing since earlier. I'm assisting."
Now I saw Scarlett held a red cloth too. Her too, huh. Watched Liliana's weird antics, then stepped up. Da-hee looked too miserable.
"Liliana. Stop messing with Da-hee."
"Oppa… Liliana unnie's bullying me 'cause I ate her snacks."
How much torment? At my words, Da-hee hid behind me with a pitiful face.
"Not bullying! Just testing how good this human-world hypnosis kit is!"
Liliana shook the coin, trembling in indignation.
"…Then try it on me, not Da-hee."
Honestly curious. Does this stuff even work?
"Deal. Watch this coin closely. Focus."
I sat straight on the bed. Liliana ahem-ed dramatically, swinging the coin before me. So serious, I focused hard.
"Now, you're getting sleepy… Eyes slowly closing, body heavy…."
"…."
"Eyelids growing heavy. Now, heavy… so heavy…."
How much time passed? Endured patiently for Liliana's sake, but she kept repeating.
"Eyes heavy again…."
"Hey, hey. Gimme. Hand it over."
Ten minutes in, couldn't take more. Pounced, snatched the coin.
"Nooo! That's expensive!"
Liliana clung trying to grab it back, but ignored—couldn't beat me.
"Why buy crap like this? Scarlett, how much?"
"About 50 dollars."
Even overseas shipping? Hides snacks but splurges on this junk. Liliana lost interest quick, dropped off.
"Tch. Human tech's unreliable after all."
"Unnie, snacks?"
Da-hee approached again now that I took the coin.
"Doesn't make sense…."
Examined the stringed coin. Just a round metal piece. Hypnosis with this?
"…."
Swinging it blankly, something hit me.
Wait a sec.
This might actually be useful.