Cheon Hayeon (1)
Cheon Hayeon. It was the name of the great martial artist who stood as the Heavenly Demon, leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect, and vied with the Black Dragon Sword Emperor for the title of the strongest under the heavens. Of course, the Black Dragon Sword Emperor only held that spot because the game’s enthusiasts had showered him with bonus points for being an orthodox faction figure. Among players, it was an unspoken rule that Cheon Hayeon was considered the true number one.
That was all in the future, though. None of it mattered right now.
Rooming with her?
When I stared at her in a daze, Cheon Hayeon tilted her head.
I’d slipped up. I quickly pulled myself together and greeted her.
“Kim Mugong.”
Cheon Hayeon took a step closer, narrowing her eyes. If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought some sleazy guy was hitting on her. But knowing she was actually a woman made it strangely difficult to meet her gaze.
“You carry a rather pleasant scent.”
“I don’t smell anything.”
In truth, I felt a faint sense of familiarity too. I couldn’t tell whether the Virgin Goddess Art was reacting because she was a maiden or if something else was at play.
“May I confirm something?”
“Confirm?”
“I wish to know what martial arts you have learned.”
Asking about someone’s inner energy was something warriors had to be cautious about. It seemed that being the revered Young Heavenly Demon had dulled her sense of danger. Obviously, I was going to decline. How the hell was I supposed to explain the Virgin Goddess Art to anyone? Especially to the Young Heavenly Demon, who was a woman? I’d have to be insane to open my mouth.
“...Even if you are the Young Heavenly Demon, isn’t it rude to ask something like that?”
The moment I mentioned her title, Cheon Hayeon bit her lip lightly.
“As expected, the promises of the righteous factions cannot be trusted. My identity as the Young Sect Leader of the Divine Cult was supposed to be an absolute secret. It seems the invincible reputation of the Peerless Heavenly Demon was all an illusion.”
I hadn’t expected even her status as the Young Heavenly Demon to be a secret. Then again, it wasn’t exactly normal for the Young Heavenly Demon of the cult—who were mortal enemies with the righteous factions—to enroll here in the first place. From the subtle anger in her tone, it looked like she was seriously misunderstanding the situation.
“I figured it out through my own information network. It has nothing to do with the academy or the righteous factions.”
“Then that would mean there is a spy within our Divine Cult. This is not something I can simply overlook.”
Why was she so extreme about everything? Yeah, she really was from the Heavenly Demon Sect.
“It’s not the cult either, so please don’t misunderstand.”
“Are you perhaps a successor of an intelligence organization?”
“Not that either. And do you really think I only know that you’re the Young Heavenly Demon? I also know you’re cross-dressing.”
Cheon Hayeon’s eyes widened.
“How could you know that? Only a handful of people in the cult are aware…!”
Her voice rose slightly, revealing her agitation.
“Wouldn’t it be better to drop the cross-dressing and move to the female dormitory now that I know? It’s a bit awkward to keep living together like this.”
“No, that cannot be done.”
Cheon Hayeon shook her head firmly.
“Doesn’t it bother you at all?”
“...Your words are not without reason. It is indeed somewhat uncomfortable.”
“Then…”
I was about to speak naturally when the words died in my throat.
With a series of cracking sounds, Cheon Hayeon’s body began to transform. Starting from her face, her entire skeletal structure changed. Even her short hair grew rapidly until it flowed down past her waist.
What the…
I blinked, unable to believe what I was seeing even though it was happening right in front of me.
Once the transformation was complete, Cheon Hayeon gently ran both hands through her hair. Brilliant golden locks cascaded like waves. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. Facing that faint smile on her red lips, I felt my heart tremble.
She had been beautiful even while cross-dressing, but now she was at the level where one could call her an absolute beauty. On top of that, I had no idea how she had hidden those voluptuous breasts and wide hips.
“What is this…?”
“It is nothing special. It is the Thousand Transformations Art, a type of body-altering technique.”
“...I see.”
Martial arts really were incredible. I had felt it in the Heavenly Demon’s vault as well, but what they called martial arts was practically no different from magic.
“Hmm. My original form is certainly more comfortable. Since you already know I am a woman, I suppose I can live comfortably like this here.”
“If you’ve dropped the cross-dressing, shouldn’t you be heading to the female dormitory instead of staying here?”
Sharing a room with a beauty like this? It wasn’t bad, but it still felt… off. And I was already worried about how Han Yeoreum would react if she found out.
“I have no choice because it is the Cult Leader’s command that I cross-dress. Since you know I am a woman, it does not matter.”
“What if I go around telling people that Cheon Hayeon is the Young Heavenly Demon of the Heavenly Demon Sect and a woman who cross-dresses? What then?”
“Would you do that?”
Cheon Hayeon met my eyes, her lips moving faintly. Looking into those clear green eyes, it was hard to lie.
“I’m just saying. I have no intention of telling anyone, so relax. The only ones who know you’re the Young Heavenly Demon and a woman are me and Han Yeoreum.”
“Han Yeoreum…? That is a woman’s name. Is she your beloved?”
“Beloved my ass. She’s just a bad friend.”
“I see.”
Cheon Hayeon nodded indifferently. Because her expressions rarely changed, it was impossible to tell what she was thinking.
“Doesn’t it bother you? I’m still a man.”
“Why should I concern myself with the fact that you are male?”
Cheon Hayeon asked back in a tone that suggested she genuinely didn’t understand. Was this what people called pure?
“Well… when a young man and woman live together…”
“Live together?”
“Unexpected things might happen.”
“Unexpected things. What do you mean by that? Are you saying you intend to assassinate me?”
This girl… her thought process didn’t seem very healthy. The first thing that came to her mind was assassination.
“Absolutely not. That will never happen.”
Only a madman would mess with the Young Sect Leader of the Heavenly Demon Sect. If I touched even a single hair on her head, the cult’s warriors would swarm like a pack of dogs to tear my bones and flesh apart.
“If not assassination, then kidnapping? Torture? Threats? Do not worry. Whatever it is, you appear slightly lacking in strength to subdue me.”
...Goddamn it.
I didn’t know exactly what kind of group the Heavenly Demon Sect was, but was it really okay for their successor’s education to be this messed up? I was seriously worried about the cult’s future.
“There are many sensitive matters between us, aren’t there? While living together. For example, bathing and such.”
“Does the sight of my naked body trouble you?”
I had no idea why the conversation kept flowing in this direction. Frustrated, I rubbed my face with a dry hand and swept my hair back.
“No. Forget it. I’ll keep the fact that you’re the Young Heavenly Demon and a woman a secret, but I have a condition of my own.”
In the end, I was the one who gave up first.
“A condition?”
“Keep the fact that we’re rooming together a secret from Han Yeoreum.”
“That is not difficult.”
“Good. Let’s get along, then.”
...It would work out somehow.
After finishing my greeting with Cheon Hayeon, I washed first and sat down on the sofa. They called it a double room, but this place was basically a thirty-pyeong apartment with every facility imaginable. With a full kitchen for cooking, it was more than enough space for two people to live comfortably.
I leaned my head back, mouth slightly open, when the bathroom door opened slowly. Through the steam, Cheon Hayeon stepped out naturally with only a long towel wrapped around her. Her smooth legs and the cleavage between her swaying breasts were fully visible outside the towel.
I immediately straightened my posture.
What the hell.
Had she been cross-dressing for so long that she’d lost all sense of being a woman? Or was there a serious problem with the Heavenly Demon Sect’s education? No matter how I looked at it, the Cheon Hayeon I’d just seen wasn’t wearing anything under that towel. This was definitely not an appearance one should show to a man she was meeting for the first time.
Soft footsteps approached. Cheon Hayeon, wearing nothing but the towel, sat down naturally beside me. The scent rising from her damp hair and her sweet body fragrance made my head spin.
“...Hey, shouldn’t you put some clothes on properly?”
“I read in the cult’s ancient texts that conversing in the nude is best for building intimacy between men and women. Complete nakedness would be excessive, but this should be fine, no?”
“Fine according to who?”
“I saw it in the cult’s ancient books.”
“What kind of insane ancient book…”
“Do you usually do this?”
“No. This is the first time I have spoken with a man like you. I have rarely left the cult. If you had not known my true appearance, I would not have revealed it like this. Originally, the fact that I cross-dress was an absolute secret.”
In other words, she had originally planned to hide her body completely to conceal the fact that she was a woman. But because I had realized the truth, she had decided to be completely open about it. That was what she meant.
Being open was one thing, but this girl had no middle ground. Just thinking about living with her from now on gave me a headache.
“Stop trusting ancient books and go put some clothes on. Pajamas are fine.”
“Did you just disregard the cult’s ancient texts?”
For a moment, Cheon Hayeon flared up.
“...No, I’m just saying they’re ancient texts. The era has changed, so shouldn’t the standards change too?”
“Your words are indeed reasonable.”
Cheon Hayeon stood up abruptly and went into the room. About a minute later.
“This is troublesome. None of the sleepwear fits.”
Frowning, Cheon Hayeon approached me. She had prepared everything under the assumption that she would continue cross-dressing. In short, the current Cheon Hayeon had no women’s underwear or pajamas. As a result, the pajamas she was wearing now couldn’t even button properly, leaving half of her pure-white breasts exposed.
“Wouldn’t it be better to just stay in your male form?”
“I dislike that. This form is far more comfortable than using the Thousand Transformations Art. There is no need to do something inefficient.”
I’d felt it since earlier, but she was surprisingly stubborn too.
“Fine. Sleep well. I’m going to bed first.”
I let out a small sigh and stood up. Maybe because I’d been through so much, exhaustion hit me like a wave.
Cheon Hayeon stretched out lengthwise on the sofa I had vacated, resting her chin on her hand as she watched me. I had no idea what was going through her head.
The sound of birds chirping announced the morning. It was a feeling I had already experienced. A warm, marshmallow-like softness. Regular breathing brushed against my cheek. The sweet scent of flesh and the gentle floral fragrance tickling my nose made me unconsciously move my arm slowly.
A silky smooth touch followed my fingertips. The languid satisfaction made me not want to get up, but I forced my heavy eyelids open.
Disheveled golden hair and flawless white skin filled my vision. The sensation in my fingers came from stroking Cheon Hayeon’s spine. The pleasant fluffy feeling from earlier was because my face was buried in Cheon Hayeon’s chest.
The moment I realized the situation, my head cooled instantly.
“....”
I had definitely gone to sleep alone last night. Yet when I woke up, there were two of us. I was still in the exact spot where I had fallen asleep. Putting all the facts together, there was only one answer.
While I was sleeping, she had used some method to hide her presence and invaded my bed.
Why?
My brain froze at the sudden development. When I carefully removed my hand from Cheon Hayeon’s back, her eyelids twitched. Slowly, her eyes began to open.