101. Tasty Taste
Soft, squishy.
“Um… Ryly…”
Manipulating.
“Why are you suddenly doing that?”
Ryly was thoroughly enjoying Sugar's soft, chubby cheeks, which were surprisingly plump for an adult woman. It wasn't playful at all. His expression was incredibly serious, and Sugar's eyebrows, which she usually kept soft, were now sharply angled.
While touching her cheeks, Ryly then scratched her jaw, rubbed her earlobes, and massaged her entire head.
“Hie… feels good…”
Sugar melted. Since it wasn't lewd, she honestly expressed her appreciation. It felt like she'd entered a face massage salon, her body relaxing and becoming limp.
“Ryly… it's nice, but why suddenly? Want me to do it back?”
“Curious about what's in your head.”
“What are you saying…”
Despite her puzzled expression, she quietly enjoyed the touch.
'That's exactly what I wanted, the clingy affection.'
Of course, she didn't dislike anything more than that… but she also didn't particularly like it either…
A few days ago, she had felt a sense of loss when Ryly didn't stimulate her—wait, no, she hadn't felt that! Sugar must have erased that memory.
In the meantime, the mental healing center she'd trusted had closed its doors, leaving her quite disappointed. She had thought she could easily shed her worries through mental fortitude training. When she visited again recently, there was a "no entry" sign.
'Come back! What's going on! Was it all a lie?'
Only a flyer stuck to one wall remained: "-Being alone makes you lonely and weak-"
But in the end, leaving her alone. What a contradiction.
'The realization is… that it's ultimately with oneself…'
While muttering incomprehensible sounds, Ryly quietly took Sugar to the cafe. After eating one parfait, she brightened up immediately.
Anyway, having one of the event locations vanish left Sugar disappointed. Even as she melted under Ryly's touch, she racked her brain.
She decided it's best to become strong honestly. This world is reality. No treasure boxes or anything. Who would hide treasure boxes all over the school and holy sect? Even if there are some, the contents would likely be different from what Sugar knows.
'Reality…'
Sugar grabbed Ryly's hand that was touching her cheek. She put his index finger in her mouth and bit it lightly. It didn't hurt. She kept biting repeatedly.
Ryly's expression started to change.
“Want to try?”
“Not arguing! I just… wanted to check reality.”
“Then it should be the opposite.”
This time, Ryly bit Sugar's finger. Instantly, Sugar flinched.
“Does it hurt?”
When Ryly asked, she blushed and shook her head. It was just a bit startled. The heat in her breath and the biting sensation made her feel shy somewhere.
Soon, Ryly let go of her finger. Sugar brought it to her own mouth and bit the part he had bitten.
“Mmm… the feeling when you do it is different from when I do it…”
“…”
Ryly narrowed his eyes, watching her.
Then, he took a lollipop from his pocket and put it in Sugar's mouth. He was trying to build self-control again. Sigh, mischievous. Eat the candy. That's how he felt.
“More candy? Did Professor Hubert give it to you? You get it often.”
“That guy. He seems to be targeting me.”
“What? Ryly. What do you mean–”
“Assistant. He seems to want to make me his assistant.”
“Ah.”
“He said something about starting a business soon. It's candy that changes flavor. It's still a prototype, and he asked me to taste it.”
“Oh! If that's the case.”
Sugar, full of curiosity, rolled the candy around in her mouth. At first, it seemed strawberry-flavored, but as she rolled it, the flavor definitely changed.
“It feels softer… melon? It tastes like melon.”
“After strawberry, melon…”
Ryly wrote it down in his notebook.
“Mmm… next, lemon? It became tangy. Next… chocolate? The taste is all over the place. Fun. Next… grape. This one is rich and tasty. Next… ah.”
Sugar, letting out a giggle, looked at Ryly.
“Ryly. Ah–”
Sugar took the candy from her mouth and handed it to Ryly.
The surface was wet and glistening. It looked sticky due to the melted sugar.
“Why are you putting something with spit on it?”
“Because you like the taste that came out. Try it.”
Eh? We're at a level where we do this much.
She couldn't figure out what intentions the whispering held. To Ryly, Sugar was always a woman who knew and didn't know. Sometimes she clung, sometimes she blushed and pulled away when touched. Why didn't she feel shy when she did it herself? It was the same as embarrassing in front of others, but always mysterious.
Anyway, it wasn't something to refuse. Ryly happily opened his mouth. Mmm. Orange. He immediately wrote it down.
“Next? What flavor is next?”
“Tasty taste.”
“What is that? I want to taste it too.”
Sugar pointed to her mouth with her finger and opened it slightly.
As if begging to be put in right now.
“… Stick out your tongue.”
Following Ryly's request, Sugar stuck out her bright red tongue. Then Ryly rubbed the warm, slimy surface with the candy. He enjoyed the sight of gently rubbing the lollipop he had been sucking on his tongue against Sugar's tongue.
The red and transparent candy melted into syrup, and the syrup seeped into Sugar's tongue. Sugar licked it as if tasting the mixture of Ryly's bodily fluid and sweet syrup.
“Heh. Heehee.”
“What are you saying.”
Ryly chuckled lightly and slowly rubbed the candy. It was Sugar who moved her tongue. She pressed the tip of her tongue against the candy and moved it side to side. Then up and down in sync with Ryly's movements. Each time, a wet sound was made.
They looked into each other's eyes, exchanged gazes, and leisurely enjoyed dessert time.
“Eh… chu… mmm…”
Soon, Sugar sucked the candy with her lips and put it in her mouth. Those lips were moist and glossy.
“What flavor is it now?”
“Tasty taste.”
Following Ryly's question, she opened her mouth wide as if to show if she knew. The smile on her pink lips, exuding sweetness, was irresistibly cute. To Sugar, it was just sharing candy, so she smiled without embarrassment.
Seeing this, Ryly felt a surge of competitiveness. He pulled out the candy and put it in his own mouth.
But Sugar felt the same. She had been passive lately, but she originally had a personality to win over Ryly.
In the end, the two alternated mixing their saliva until only the stick remained.
***
Lately, when walking in the shopping district, she felt a sense of busyness. She often saw officials or guards from the Floating Island inspecting shops. She wondered if something had happened, but for Sugar, she just hoped it was resolved well.
In reality, it was because of the healing center's case that they were investigating. They were checking each business as if there were heretics disguised like them.
Sugar, unaware of this fact, fiddled with Ryly's hand while heading to Stille. It was the way back after having lunch together.
“How were everyone's test results today?”
“As expected, Lady Ian… now she's talking about not choking on your food when eating.”
“No… why would that be choking?”
In Stille, besides the comprehensive semester-end evaluation at the end of the semester, there were occasional note exams by professors' discretion, and today it was about that latter one.
But suddenly, Sugar, who had been quietly shrinking, started crying. It was the envy of the lower ranks among those in the upper to middle ranks in terms of scores.
“If I wasn't there, you wouldn't be alive either… Please don't say anything bad to me…”
“You're being pathetic! Suddenly so pathetic! I didn't say anything in the first place!”
“Idiot. Study, study.”
Amid the usual lively atmosphere, one person was walking quietly, staring at the ground. Ian leaned over to Leon during their conversation.
“Leon? What's wrong?”
“Ah, no. I need to think for a moment. You all can talk comfortably.”
Leon, who now almost daily accompanies the three of them.
In the beginning of the semester, he had clearly dreamed of a quiet school life. How did it become like this. It's really tiring.
But it's not a bad feeling. It's an unintended meeting, but being noisy makes the worries fly away.
Thinking that, his expression hardened again. The problem was visiting the healing center a few days ago. Since then, whenever he thought about his mother, his chest ached.
It felt like she was saying, "You shouldn't feel happy." Bright school life, daily life with friends. Throw that away. It's a terribly lonely demand, but it also clears the guilt.
“Really? If there's anything uncomfortable, tell me.”
“… Yes. Thank you.”
While feeling grateful for the kind-hearted Tianzi, another layer of guilt piled up.
'…What? Why guilty?'
What was there to feel guilty about?
Lately, Leon had been feeling strange towards Ian. While denying it, he was maintaining his already limited mind. One side thinking about mother, the other about Tianzi, it was troublesome.
Occasionally, he felt like he wanted to escape somewhere far away.
…
“Eh? What's stuck there?”
In front of the main building of Stille. Birds were sitting on the bulletin board. It was a sign that a new official document had arrived.
Sugar, curious, ran over, checked the content, and ran back.
“There's this too…?”
“What? What is it?”
“We're having a physical exam? There's a notice.”
“What. It's possible.”
“The timing is too vague, isn't it?”
Not even in the month of enrollment. It's deep in spring. It's a vague time.
Anyway, it doesn't matter. If they do it, they do it. Or not.
At times like that.
“Physical exam… right?”
““Ah.””
Seeing Ian ask uneasily, Sugar and Ryly exclaimed.
Leon was just bewildered by the three's reactions.