The Hidden Watcher
Shit. Why did I rule out the possibility of Cheon Hayeon? It seems my instincts are clouding my reason, leading to mistakes like this.
"...From where to where?"
Cheon Hayeon's head snapped to the side with a crack. Avoiding my gaze, her eyes darted around nervously as she whispered, her lips barely moving.
"From the beginning. To the end."
Fuck. Of course. No way a martial artist of Cheon Hayeon's level would get dark circles from just a day or two. I'd assumed she'd been watching for at least a few days, but to think it was from the very start... She must not have slept at all for an entire week.
Based on the presences I'd felt, it seemed she'd been circling around me during the day. If she'd been in her normal state, she wouldn't have let me detect her presence in the first place. The fact that she'd been caught like this proved her condition wasn't great right now.
I let out a deep sigh and ran both hands over my forehead. It was already in the past. This accident happened because of my request, so there was no one to blame. Leaning my back against a tree, I plopped down. Cheon Hayeon sat right next to me, pressing close. A slightly cool sensation came from where our skin touched. Even in this muggy weather, her whole body felt fresh and dry. As expected, her level was on another level.
"Want something to eat?"
Feeling awkward, I rummaged through my backpack.
"I am fine."
"Uh, sorry. It's because of my request that you ended up seeing something you shouldn't have."
"No. I should have withdrawn farther away, but I could not. It was not... quite something you should not have seen."
Cheon Hayeon spoke in a subdued voice, her expression gloomy. She was clearly drowning in self-loathing. It was obvious how much of a shock our beast-like sex with Han Yeoreum must have been to a pure virgin like her.
I was about to say, "You should've just greeted us if you followed Yeoreum," but I immediately shut my mouth. I could guess why Cheon Hayeon had hidden herself. She'd probably watched quietly, thinking she was being considerate of us, and then suddenly witnessed the scene. Of course, the shelter I'd made couldn't block the eyes of a martial artist like Cheon Hayeon.
"Let's keep it a secret from Yeoreum."
What's done was done, but no matter how I thought about it, telling Han Yeoreum felt awkward.
"...That would be best."
Cheon Hayeon nodded in agreement.
"What now?"
"What do you mean...?"
"Are you going to keep staying nearby like this?"
"If it bothers you, I shall withdraw to a distance."
"That's not what I meant."
I wasn't sure if it was okay to speak this way to someone far stronger than me and the next Heavenly Demon, but right now Cheon Hayeon looked as pitiful as a woman who'd been dumped. It bothered me for no reason. If I hadn't asked her to look after Han Yeoreum, she would've spent those twenty-one days comfortably. This situation was largely my fault too.
"It is fine. I am merely... a little tired."
"Want to sleep? I'll keep watch."
Cheon Hayeon stared intently at my profile. Even if she could get by with less sleep, a martial artist couldn't go without sleep entirely. There was a limit to replacing it with qi circulation, and it seemed Cheon Hayeon hadn't even been doing proper qi circulation lately.
"I shall trouble you for a moment."
"Sure. You can use my lap."
Thanks to dealing with the Tamatoma so quickly, we still had plenty of time.
"Thank you."
Cheon Hayeon carefully laid her head on my lap. She must have been quite exhausted, because soon I could hear her soft, even breathing on my lap. I gathered her long hair into my arms so it wouldn't get dirty on the ground. Not only her body but even her hair carried a strong peony scent. It might sound perverted to be thinking this while holding someone else's hair, but curiosity came first. It was probably similar to how Professor Cheongha's body gave off a plum blossom scent. Either way, being like this made me feel calm in both mind and body.
The spot Cheon Hayeon had chosen had relatively little moisture, so it was less unpleasant. There were bugs here and there, but not enough to bother me. Leaning against the tree, I leisurely admired Cheon Hayeon's beautiful face as she slept. A beauty was nice to look at, after all.
How much time had passed? Her long eyelashes fluttered, and soon her fine green eyes looked up at me.
"Sleep well?"
"Thanks to you. I am grateful."
Cheon Hayeon slowly sat up. It was only an hour or two of sleep, but unlike before, her face was full of vitality. The dark circles that had been so deep were now faint and hard to see.
"How long exactly have you gone without sleep?"
"I do not know. I have no memory of sleeping. By time, I suppose I have not slept even a minute."
"Just doing qi circulation?"
She nodded. A real monster was a monster. The human limit for sleep was three to four days at the shortest, or up to ten days at most. But Cheon Hayeon hadn't just been "enduring"—she'd been actively moving around, using her internal energy and body. Without proper food or even water. Even the lightness skill she'd used to get away from me earlier had produced a sonic boom-like explosion. Of course, to handle all that with true qi, her internal energy consumption must have been enormous. That's why she'd skipped sleep to do qi circulation instead.
"What now?"
I asked first, looking at Cheon Hayeon sitting in a demure posture.
"If you are uncomfortable, I shall withdraw to a distance where I will not be seen."
"It's not that I'm uncomfortable."
"Or else..."
Cheon Hayeon hesitated, her lips moving as if struggling to speak. The Heavenly Demon's daughter hesitating? That wasn't a sight you saw often.
"Or else what? Why the hesitation?"
"...Do not mind me and... do it."
For a moment, my brain short-circuited. I couldn't process what I'd just heard.
"Ah, no. I would rather you forget it."
Cheon Hayeon mumbled, her head bowed low.
I let out a deep sigh and opened my mouth.
"Why are you so extreme? You don't need to leave, and I have no intention of doing it in front of you either."
"...I see."
"Yeah. From today, let's just stay together. I've expanded the place, so there's plenty of room for one more."
Cheon Hayeon, who had been staring at me intently, shook her head.
"It does not seem right to interfere with your precious time together."
It was a roundabout refusal.
"Why are you being so stubborn? You're friends with Yeoreum too."
"Do friends usually do... that sort of thing? No matter how open the society is."
"No, usually they don't. It's just special with her."
"Special, you say..."
Cheon Hayeon muttered in a small voice.
"It's about time we stopped. Someone else might find out too."
"Indeed, that is true as well."
A faint smile formed on Cheon Hayeon's lips.
"Anyway, from today let's just stay together. I'll make up some excuse for Yeoreum. No arguments."
"...Thank you for your consideration."
Fortunately, she went along with my stubbornness this time. Still, I had to admit she was pretty inflexible about some things. I stood up, brushing off my butt. Cheon Hayeon, now back in her male form, followed behind me.
Today's hunt was over. Twenty Tamatoma cores. That was more than enough for today's quota even after splitting with Han Yeoreum. With just ten, we'd probably rank in the top overall.
***
'Special...'
Cheon Hayeon kept turning Kim Mugong's words over in her mind. Didn't she also have a somewhat "special" relationship with Kim Mugong? How much more special did it have to become before they could do that sort of thing with each other? If it came to that, then she too...?
Cheon Hayeon swallowed the question that lingered in her mouth. For an entire week, while watching the two of them have sex, she'd barely been able to contain her surging curiosity. Thanks to that, even when she had time to sleep, she couldn't properly rest, ending up like this. If she followed Kim Mugong and stayed together, she wouldn't be able to watch their sex anymore.
'How disappointing.'
She was startled by the thought that naturally arose. Disappointed that she couldn't watch them anymore? What an absurd notion. It was a heart demon. A heart demon, indeed. Cheon Hayeon lightly bit her lip. A heavy breath escaped between her tightly pressed lips.
"Your condition still not good?"
Kim Mugong asked, glancing back.
As always, he was a sharp man. Even though she wasn't in perfect shape, the fact that he'd noticed her presence was proof enough.
"Not at my best, but I am fine now."
Cheon Hayeon denied it, shaking her head.
"That's a relief."
"...May I ask one thing?"
Cheon Hayeon asked in a small voice.
"What is it?"
While clearing vines sticking out from the roadside with his machete, Kim Mugong answered.
"That... is the pleasure of clouds and rain really that good?"
At the words Cheon Hayeon finally spat out after hesitating, Kim Mugong's movements stopped instantly. Though she'd phrased it elegantly, what "pleasure of clouds and rain" meant was simple.
"You mean what I think you mean by 'pleasure of clouds and rain'?"
"Should I be more direct?"
"No. I understand perfectly."
What the hell was he supposed to say to this curious virgin's question? In that brief moment, countless words flashed through Kim Mugong's mind.
'I'm going crazy.'
He already knew Cheon Hayeon had strong curiosity in "that area." But even so, he never expected her to ask this directly.
"It is good."
"I see. So that expression was not an act."
Cheon Hayeon nodded with a stiff face.
"...Hey, come on."
"I am sorry. It was an excessive question."
"No. It's fine."
Placing a hand on his throbbing head, Kim Mugong let out a sigh. What the hell had her father, the Heavenly Demon, been doing all this time that her sex education was at a failing level? He felt like going to ask him in person.
'Absolutely not.'
How could he possibly go to the Heavenly Demon and say, "Please give your daughter proper sex education"? The fact that he'd forced her to cross-dress alone showed he was extremely overbearing. If he brought it up, their relationship would be questioned and something bad could happen.
Feeling awkward, the two continued walking in silence. Eventually, they pushed through the damp jungle and reached the area near the house again.
"I'm back."
Kim Mugong waved his arm at Han Yeoreum, who was sitting near the campfire, fanning herself while emitting cold air.
"Oh, you're...?"
Han Yeoreum, who had jumped up, stared with eyes that grew rounder and rounder. Cheon Hayeon was currently in the exact same male disguise she'd worn at the academy.
"...Why?"
After looking back and forth between Kim Mugong and Cheon Hayeon, Han Yeoreum finally gaped in a daze.