Kiss of Unwavering Trust
The moment I saw the sentence Park Ha-eun [To apply Mana Amplification, kiss Park Ha-eun.], my mind went completely blank.
Fuck… how the hell am I supposed to kiss her?
Of course, as a real man, I could just pin her down and go for it. But what about my image?
I’m the trash sex offender villain bastard.
I know for a fact that I was falsely accused, so I’m insanely pissed about it, but there’s no denying that’s exactly how the rumors paint me. And I’m supposed to say that to Ha-eun, who definitely knows all of it? Tell her I have to kiss her for Mana Amplification?
What the hell would she think of me then?!
She’s the only person who talks to me, the only one who treats me like a human being. She’s incredibly precious to me. If I end up looking like a sexual harasser to her… I might actually kill myself on the spot.
But I can’t take it back now. Honestly, I’m the one making a huge concession here, so this is fucking unfair! Still, Ha-eun is obviously expecting something huge after I ran my mouth so much earlier. Her anticipation for Mana Amplification is fully charged!
And now I’m supposed to act like it never happened and tell her to just go home?
Ha… fuck…
If I knew this would happen, I never would’ve brought it up in the first place! I should’ve just used it myself without overthinking it!!
Why the hell are you only telling me this now!!!
Gacha Outer God, you son of a bitch! You fucking piece of shit!!
Dropping this kind of shitty trial on me. I will never forgive you.
Ah… what the hell am I supposed to do…
What should I do…?
Last autumn.
Park Ha-eun, who was still a third-year high school student, scored high on the mandatory Mana Sensitivity Test. Once her admission to the Hunter Academy was confirmed, she decided to prepare in advance like the good girl she was.
I have so many shortcomings, so I need to make up for them ahead of time. I’ll meditate every day to increase my mana… and since my stamina is really weak, I should focus on that!
Ha-eun knew her weaknesses all too well. Pathetic stamina and terrible mana reserves.
She meditated using mana breathing techniques whenever she had a spare moment. And because her physical strength and motor skills were so hopeless, she made up her mind to start exercising despite how daunting it felt.
The place she headed to was a gym in her neighborhood.
And that was where Park Ha-eun first met Yoo Ji-min.
That person is really working out hard, huh?
Yoo Ji-min would show up at the gym right after school, still wearing his academy uniform. He trained with insane intensity. In fact, Ha-eun had never seen anyone focus on something so completely in her entire life.
He pushed himself so hard that veins always bulged on his face, and he maintained terrifying concentration the entire time.
Yes. It was as if he was being chased by something, training like his life depended on it.
Are all academy students this diligent? Ugh… I’m starting to lose confidence…
But Ji-min was a little strange. Since Ha-eun knew he was probably her senior, she hovered around him hoping to at least exchange greetings. Her personality was too timid to speak first.
Yet Ji-min never once looked at her. Not even once. During his entire workout, his eyes never strayed anywhere else.
Wow… how can someone concentrate like that?
Ha-eun watched him like that for three whole months. But their eyes never met, not even once.
But working out is too hard. It’s not even fun… I don’t think my stamina is improving much, I can’t talk to the senior… Well, I’ll be enrolling soon anyway. Things will work out then!
She eventually quit the gym.
Still, since they lived in the same neighborhood, she would sometimes see him around.
Wow… what is he doing?
On her way home, she’d see Yoo Ji-min swinging a wooden sword in an empty lot. Even though the weather had gotten cold, he was drenched in sweat, practicing his swordsmanship like a madman.
…What on earth is he eating?
When training was over, he would tear open packs of chicken breast that looked absolutely disgusting and eat them raw without even microwaving them.
Just how desperate was he? Why did he have to go that far?
Ha-eun couldn’t understand it. The Hunter Academy was still just a school, so she couldn’t comprehend why anyone would push themselves that hard. When she searched online, the academy life looked fun and enjoyable, completely different from what she was seeing.
Then time passed, and she finally enrolled at the Hunter Academy. That was where she heard the shocking stories.
“I heard from a senior I got close to. That guy? Apparently he’s a sex offender.” “Yeah! He’s a hidden camera pervert! They say he steals underwear and everything!” “For real? That’s so creepy. Why hasn’t he been expelled?” “Who knows. There are rumors he has some kind of pull!”
Yoo Ji-min was incredibly famous at the academy.
The villain who goes around committing sex crimes. The idiot who couldn’t even awaken his powers properly. The worthless piece of human garbage.
There were all kinds of insults, but to Ha-eun, they only raised questions.
No way… that person…?
No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t make sense. Someone that diligent committing sex crimes at the academy? Logically speaking, did he even have time for that?
Besides, she knew it well. Yoo Ji-min never even glanced at other people.
So she gathered information about the rumors through her friends. Even though the stories were distorted in many ways, she came to one conclusion.
It all sounds like lies…?
Caught filming hidden cameras but quickly hid the footage and got found not guilty. Got released because he had connections somewhere. Stole underwear but there’s no evidence.
No matter how she looked at it, none of the stories added up.
So she made up her mind. She would talk to Yoo Ji-min directly. Of course, her friends desperately tried to stop her.
“Hey! Ha-eun! Are you crazy? You’re going to talk to that senior?” “Yeah! What if he suddenly tries to rape you?!”
Although Park Ha-eun had an extremely timid personality, she was stubborn about the strangest things. And in the end, she was the first one in E-Class to greet him.
“S-s-s-senior… h-hello…” “……Yes.”
Ji-min still wouldn’t even look at her. Feeling awkward, she took out a snack from her pocket and offered it to him.
“U-um… would you like this…?” “I’m fine.” “B-but… please eat it…”
She succeeded in approaching him, but they still couldn’t have a proper conversation. Yet the more he drew a line between them, the more certain she became.
This senior really isn’t the kind of person who would commit those crimes.
After that, she continued talking to him and giving him snacks. Honestly, she felt a bit of pity, and after seeing him eat raw chicken breast, she thought his taste buds must be broken and wanted to give him something delicious.
Time continued to pass like that.
And now, at this very moment.
She heard something shocking from Ji-min.
“Um… Ha-eun… it looks like… I-I might need to k-kiss you…” “Huh…?”
A statement so shocking it made her doubt her own ears.
“So… you know… a kiss…” “……”
Fuck! No matter how I think about it, I sound like a complete psycho. Who the hell would understand this?!
“That’s… no… it’s really not like that…” “Senior…”
Ah. I can hear the massive disappointment in Ha-eun’s voice.
“No! Ha-eun! I don’t have even a speck of desire to kiss you! I don’t feel any romantic feelings toward you at all!”
Then a chill ran down my spine.
“What are you even saying right now?!”
Huh?! That’s not it? She suddenly stopped stuttering? She sounds genuinely pissed…?
“No… that’s not what I meant…”
Ha… fuck…. No matter what I say, it all gets twisted in this hellish cycle. There’s no escaping it.
“Senior… do you have any idea how desperate I was…?” “Yeah… so… I…” “And yet you’re trying to use someone like me… I…” “……”
It’s over. Of course it would turn out like this. Who the hell would believe a guy labeled as a sex offender when he says he needs to kiss her?
I don’t know anymore. Whatever happens, happens.
“I know.” “Huh…?” “I know very well. I know exactly what kind of rumors are going around about me, and how everyone sees me!” “……” “And… I know very well how good you’ve been to me…”
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart started pounding like crazy. Both my hands were shaking uncontrollably.
So I lowered my head even further. I absolutely didn’t want to show her my face right now.
“I’m not an idiot…” “……” “There’s no way… I would betray you… There’s no way I would use you to satisfy some selfish desire… You’re the only one who believed in me…”
Drip. Drip.
Ah… fuck…
Tears started falling. Round wet spots spread across the classroom floor. I must look like a total fucking loser right now, huh?
“If it’s not you, then it has to be me.” “…Huh…?” “If I don’t do this with you, I’ll have no choice but to use it myself. The truth is, I need mana just as desperately. But I hate seeing you struggle even more. Because when I was struggling, you were the only one who reached out to me…” “Senior……” “If I end up using this myself… you’ll immediately notice how much my mana increased… And you might keep regretting this moment for the rest of your life…” “Then… what about you, Senior…?” “I’ll be fine. There will definitely be another chance for me. But not for you. So please believe me. I will never betray you.” “……” “If you still can’t believe me, then there’s nothing I can do. I’m sorry.”
After saying that, I wiped my tears and turned around. I just wanted to get out of there as fast as possible.
I hated myself for crying in front of a girl like this. And I hated this entire situation where I had to say such pathetic things.
“Senior…” “……”
Then a small voice came from behind me.
“…Please…” “…What…?”
Ha-eun took a moment to steady her breathing, then spoke carefully.
“Kiss me… please…”