Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 2
Chapter Title: Hand Massage for My First Love and Crush
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I frantically searched the news to see what the hell was going on, only to be bombarded with utterly ridiculous headlines.
Claims that every single NCdia GPU had a Chinese spy chip embedded in it. Rumors of some fatally damaging personal scandal involving CEO Duzen Wang.
"What the fuck... What the actual fuck is this...? A gay scandal with Duzen Wang...?!!"
Wide awake now, I scrolled through the absurd news in disbelief when a sudden realization hit me.
"Wait... come to think of it..."
The text message.
That prank text that had been messing with my head all day yesterday.
It had to be...
With trembling hands, I pulled up the message I'd received yesterday.
"Time limit... This came in just after 5 p.m. yesterday... And the news started breaking around..."
The text had arrived at 5:12 p.m. yesterday. And the NCdia news began trending around 5:20 a.m. today.
Exactly 12 hours later, NCdia started tanking hard.
The moment that clicked, a chill ran through my entire body.
"No way... No, it can't be. No, no, no... This is insane..."
I was mumbling to myself in a daze when a new message popped up.
[First Step as a Masseur]
📍 Description: Give someone a hand massage and earn some money. (Minimum: 1,000 won)
🎁 Rewards: Massage App unlocked, Official Masseur's Eye acquired, NCdia stock price normalized
⏰ Time Limit: 12 hours
⚠️ Secondary Failure Penalty: Key money evaporates
! ) [Apprentice Masseur's Eye] will be applied to the target during the quest.
"You fucking bastard!!! Don't you dare touch my key money!!"
A new quest had appeared.
With a penalty so massive it made my measly ten million won stock investment look like pocket change.
—Clunk!
I arrived at university and roughly yanked out a chair in the lecture hall before sitting down.
"Huff... huff..."
Ragged breathing, trembling limbs, scorching head.
No different from how I'd left home, I tried to face the surreal shit crashing into my life.
'It has to be a coincidence... No, no way. Things lining up this perfectly can't be coincidence...'
Even denial felt impossible.
After that text predicting NCdia's crash exactly 12 hours ahead, the stock actually imploded. Who the hell does that?
Who sends prank texts with that level of accuracy?!
I didn't dump everything into double inverse for nothing!!
"Fail again and my key money vanishes... Fuck... That bastard's ruthless..."
Dizzy-headed, I double-checked the next penalty.
Key money evaporates.
Just reading it terrified me.
I lived in a 1.5-room officetel not far from campus. Old building but remodeled, good location. Key money around 130 million won.
'130 million isn't some dog's name... No way in hell...!'
Most of it was from my parents, sure, but it included ten million from the 18 million I'd saved in the army.
I'd planned to add it all, but they told me to keep the remaining eight for college expenses.
Didn't spend much beyond clothes and occasional drinks with friends, so I dumped it all into NCdia.
Plus 200k from part-time gigs. Total principal: ten million won.
And...
"Up until yesterday, I was up a grand..."
Now? Down two grand... Fucked.
In this mess, my only option was 'fuck it, let's just try.'
Prank, coincidence, or some supernatural bullshit—who knew? But sitting idle while my stocks burned alive was mentally unsustainable.
So, fine. I'd give it a shot.
"Earn 1,000 won from a massage... At least it's just a grand."
Getting paid for amateur massage work wouldn't be easy, but the minimum was low enough to be grateful for.
That amount wouldn't raise eyebrows even as a joke request.
Of course, asking a dumbass classmate who'd blow his allowance on League skins was out. The only guy I could casually hit up was...
"Hyunwoo? You're early today."
"...Yeah, even I have off days like this. I'm kinda a morning person, y'know."
"Weren't you the guy who wanted to chop his wrists because he could only snag morning classes?"
"Still do."
"Suck it up. Gotta keep those hands intact for the part-time gig. Heard the coworker and boss there are smoking hot."
"True that. Holding out for the job, for real."
This guy was my best shot.
High school buddy, now architecture major classmate. Closest friend I had.
Im Hamin.
Tall, sharp features. Soft voice, laid-back vibe, heart of gold.
Like an idol from a novel.
And despite the looks and personality, a total solo dude—never had a girlfriend.
God knows why.
Said he just wasn't feeling it right now.
Whatever. Guy could pick any girl he wanted, so I let it slide.
Anyway, he'd been famous since high school, and it wasn't just the pretty face.
"Where's Im Haeun? She has this class too, right?"
"Haeun? She's hitting the bathroom. Why, miss her?"
"Hell yeah. You two are always glued together—wondered why she wasn't here yet."
"Got it, got it."
His twin sister, Im Haeun, was a facial prodigy on his level. That amplified it.
Bluntly put, my first crush after growing up. Smitten the moment I saw her in high school.
But like Hamin, she showed zero interest in dating.
Preferred family trips or hanging with her brother. Rare for siblings to be that tight.
I knew my place, same as with Bae Yuri—kept my feelings buried, no confessions.
But pining solo forever... Might never land a girlfriend. Wait, not the point right now.
I turned to Hamin, who'd sat next to me, heart pounding a bit as I called out.
"Hey, Hamin."
"Yeah?"
"You... uh... wanna try a hand massage from me?"
"Massage? Oh, that thing you only do for your grandparents? The kneading? Thought you were good but too lazy for anyone else."
"Dunno if I'm actually good, but... anyway... Ahem, not free... I'll do it for exactly 1,000 won as a tip."
"A grand?"
"Yeah. No more, no less. I'll be your hand massage slave till you're satisfied."
"......"
The second I finished, Hamin looked at me with pity.
Like gazing at some tragic hero, full of sympathy.
"...Hyunwoo."
"What? Why stare like that? I'm just charging a grand for my magic hands..."
"...Hang in there. I'll take the massage. Send you the grand via Kakao... Nah. You're good at this, right? A grand's too cheap—you're ripping yourself off. Lunch is on me today."
"Why the sudden... Oh."
"......"
"You... saw it?"
"...Morning news was all NCdia."
"......"
"......You okay?"
"...Yeah. Probably. Don't worry about it."
Right.
He knew I held NCdia stock, obviously. And on the way here, every news site was flooded with crash articles.
That explained it.
Grateful, though I wondered if pity could score me a meal instead of cash.
Worth a nudge? Might work.
It would.
"Anyway, not doing this 'cause of that. Gimme your hand already."
"Gotcha, gotcha..."
"Quit with the 'gotcha'."
Still wearing that pitying look, Hamin extended his hand.
And there, as yesterday, was that faint blue glow on his palm.
'This hazy blue light... Yeah. Started showing after that text.'
Yesterday, I'd chalked it up to fatigue or eye strain.
But it felt connected now.
Oddly, it appeared mainly where I pressed during my grandparents' massages.
Slight position differences, but roughly the same spots.
"Relax your hand. Starting now."
"Okay. Do your best."
I announced the start and, as if entranced, grabbed his hand with both of mine.
Then began a light hand massage.
Focusing on the glowing blue spots.
—Press.
"Huh...?"
I pressed gently. Hamin let out a surprised noise, but I ignored it, zeroing in on the glow.
As I pressed, the broad blue light pulsed and shrank. Narrowing toward where I pressed.
When it fully contracted, I naturally eased off my thumb from his palm.
The blue light bloomed outward again in a circle.
'Is this...'
No one taught me, but I somehow got the mechanism.
Press again—shrinks. Release—expands.
A few more tries confirmed it.
'Like a rhythm game?'
Harder press: shrinks faster. Lighter: slower. Release: expands.
Pressure and timing for perfect hits?
Massaging a dude's hand felt less lame with game vibes mixed in. Kinda fun.
Lost in it, kneading away...
"What are you two lovebirds up to? Jang Hyunwoo. No girlfriend forever, so you finally set your sights on Hamin?"
"......!"
A clear, melodic voice from the side jolted me. I dropped Hamin's hand in shock.
A familiar face was peering down at us.
"Damn, what? Oh, Im Haeun. Thought some asshole was talking shit."
"Talking shit? To me? Wanna die?"
"Sorry..."
"Haeun, you're here."
"Yeah. Ugh, someone spilled crap on the bathroom floor—nearly slipped."
"You good?"
"Nope. Grabbed the sink, think I tweaked my hand."
"For real? Let me see. Bad?"
Playful banter with me, then the twins' warm exchange.
Watching, my heart hammered.
'Im Haeun is so fucking gorgeous...'
Medium layered cut with side-parted bangs. Slightly sharp eyes from annoyance. Perfect nose. Lips softer than anything. Slender, elegant figure below.
First love. 99% given up, but that 1% unrequited crush lingered.
Thanks to befriending her twin, I could at least chat like this. I savored her beauty briefly.
Then...
Things escalated unexpectedly.
"Not too painful? Might linger till tonight... Oh! Haeun, wanna try Hyunwoo's hand massage?"
"Hand massage? Outta nowhere."
"He just did mine—legit good. Thought he exaggerated about his grandparents begging him, but nope. Felt amazing after just a bit. Super refreshing."
"Hmm, that good? Jang Hyunwoo. Pretty confident, huh?"
"Uh? Yeah... Kinda. Relatives beg so much it's annoying, so I don't do others... except Hamin..."
"Felt bad getting it free, so I offered lunch instead. Hyunwoo, Haeun's cool for service, right?"
"Lunch? If you're buying, sure. Deal?"
"...Deal. Sit in front and gimme your hand. I'll do it."
"Fine. Hey, easy on the base of my thumb—tweaked it just now."
It happened in a flash.
Hamin scooted one seat over. Haeun sat there.
Crossed her legs, slowly extended one hand without looking at me.
"......"
This sudden luck stunned me. Glancing sideways, Hamin smirked faintly.
Knew he'd figured it out... Damn. Thanks, asshole!
"Im Hamin, whatcha doing after this lecture?"
"Lunch with Hyunwoo, study hall, then afternoon class."
"Cool. Then I'll hit up Jimin—"
Hand to me, she turned to chat with Hamin.
A tad disappointing, but eye contact during massage would've tensed me up. Better this way.
I swallowed dryly, eyed her hand.
Small, pale, slender.
The hand of the girl I liked.
'...There it is.'
Same blue glow, pulsing softly.
But not just blue.
'The spot she said hurts is blacked out. Fingertips have blue and red overlapping subtly...'
Black screamed "don't touch." Red felt... touchable, but delicate.
Intuitively.
'With Hamin, I just rhythm-gamed the blue and it worked...'
Was too into the game to call it proper massage, but his face said he liked it.
So, same for Haeun.
"Starting. Say if it hurts."
"Huh? Yeah, go. If it's meh, I'll tell Hamin to just buy me a triangle kimbap. Do good."
"Kimbap's harsh."
Casual words, shaky hands.
Cautiously wrapped her delicate jade hand.
"......!"
Her softness made me flinch.
Haeun's hand was worlds softer than Hamin's, a bit cool, amplifying the feel.
Nearly spaced out, but no way I'd blow this.
'She's chill with me holding her hand... Can't zone out like an idiot.'
Focused, dove in.
Slowly.
'Skip direct black spots, gently work the surrounding blue...'
—Press...
Thumb on blue—her hand twitched slightly, then relaxed.
Massaged blue, inching toward fingers.
Then.
Grazed the red-overlap at her fingertip joint lightly.
"Jimin said she'd drag you if you're free... Nnh...!"
"......!!"
A soft moan escaped Haeun's lips.
Short, lewd sound that flushed my eartips red.