113. My Buff is a Drug
113. My Buff is a Drug
'Who's this?'
Actually, I had a rough idea.
First things first, he's a senior, so let's be polite.
"Yeah. What brings you here?"
"I saw your tournament match video. Pretty impressive."
Yoo Il-seok got straight to the point.
"You're a student at this Facility, so you've gotta know the Yeonseong Group, right?"
Uh...
No, I don't?
"Join the Yeonseong Group. These days, there aren't many students who know how to properly use a shield. Someone like you would get treated pretty well in the group. Inside the Facility, and out in the world."
Somehow, the people who come to recruit always say the exact same shit.
They all start with how it's unthinkable you wouldn't know their group's leader, then launch into the standard spiel about how joining will benefit you both at the Facility and in society.
'Well, sure. That's about the only thing you can pitch to a total stranger.'
Did that mean everyone was already affiliated with groups like this?
I never really got that impression from my party members, or from Lanfang or Kwon Jin-ah.
'Hm. Now that I think about it, that makes sense.'
I had only been mingling with people who fit that profile.
In the grand scheme of the Facility, they were all considered dregs.
Kwon Jin-ah aside, the others probably never got offers like this.
Lanfang had only started getting strong recently too.
'Let's just do what I did with the Eun-ha Group or whatever and brush this off for now.'
Right now, having dinner with Lanfang was a higher priority for Hye-yong.
"Mm... This is a little sudden, so I think I'll need some time to consider. Thanks for the offer, Senior."
"Yeah?"
He'd heard my answer, and I was just about to turn around when—
"Smooth rejection. You got an offer from another group, didn't you?"
There it was.
He already seemed to know, so why bother hiding it?
I figured I'd just hear him out and answered honestly.
"Yes, the... Eun-ha Group."
"The Seong-min Group I'd get, but the Eun-ha Group? Absolutely not. Their leader's just a first-year, bottom-tier even among A-ranks. They basically coast on the Yoon Jun family's backing. All flash, no substance. Compared to Seong-min or Yeonseong, they're practically bottom feeders. Honestly, calling it a three-way power struggle is a joke."
Hmm...
So the school factions were the Seong-min Group, the Yeonseong Group, and the Eun-ha Group—a three-way fight, apparently.
And the Eun-ha Group was the one getting openly disrespected.
Knowledge acquired.
"I won't threaten or coerce you, but think carefully. This could determine not just your school life, but your entire career as an Awakened."
That sounds like a threat to me.
Yeonseong Group, favorability: negative!
"I'll give it serious thought."
With that, Hye-yong said his farewell and walked right past Yoo Il-seok.
'Come to think of it, the leaders I've heard of all have male names.'
They say 80 percent of Awakened are female, so shouldn't all the leaders be women too?
'The world logic doesn't add up here.'
At least the Eun-ha Group's leader was called "Young Lady," so that one was definitely a woman.
'I don't know if I'll end up joining a group, but if I do, it'd probably be Eun-ha, wouldn't it?'
For one simple reason.
The leader's a woman.
Hye-yong had no particular desire to get buddy-buddy with men.
If I absolutely had to, I would, but...
Eighty percent of Awakened are women. Why would I bother?
Living surrounded by good-smelling women is way more enjoyable and rewarding, is what I'm saying.
Who knows, maybe they'd dangle special rewards for earning points and things would take a very pleasant turn.
Plus, if you're going to do it, isn't it more fun to side with the weaker faction and build them up?
'Still, honestly, I don't see myself joining any of them.'
Staying peaceful and avoiding faction infighting seemed like it would help more with dealing with the Virus.
If I just kept refusing and made it clear I had no intention of joining anywhere, they'd eventually stop asking.
'Right now, I should be thinking about my date with Lanfang. Eat dinner, watch a movie...'
Lanfang was always happy with anything as long as it was with Hye-yong.
Always smiling brightly, she said that even if she bent her whole life around him, just being together made her happy.
Because of that, Hye-yong found his time with her enjoyable too.
-
"Lanfang."
"Yes, Master—I mean, Buffer-nim!"
Today's dinner was at a normal, slightly overpriced family restaurant.
The kind of place you drop by occasionally because the pizza and pasta are good.
While waiting for the food, Hye-yong spoke up.
"I've been feeling an ominous energy lately. It might come crashing down before long."
"That... you mean, the thing from before...?"
"Yeah. That thing where the world suddenly went strange."
Lanfang's beaming expression turned slightly serious.
There were a lot of people around.
They might start looking suspicious, so it seemed better to switch to Resonance for the rest of this conversation.
〔 I never explained it to you, did I. 〕
〔 No, Master. 〕
〔 Even though I'm asking now... what exactly was that? 〕
A situation that was blatantly surreal and suspicious to anyone watching.
Lanfang naturally couldn't help being intensely curious.
It was a fair question to ask at least once, but out of pure trust in Hye-yong, she hadn't brought it up.
If her Master didn't choose to tell her first, she didn't need to know.
It was the mindset of a model pet dog.
'Ah, I have to spin this lie for Lanfang too.'
Honestly, I wasn't thrilled about it, but to keep the sandcastle from crumbling, you have to hold back the waves.
Seems like the saying is true: once you start telling a lie, it snowballs out of control.
'Nothing to be done about it...'
If there was any comfort, it was knowing Lanfang would believe whatever nonsense I spouted at first and think about it later.
Hye-yong fed Lanfang a similar backstory, explaining things in a way she could somehow accept.
〔 ...And that's how it is. 〕
Lanfang seemed to ponder for a moment, then slowly nodded twice.
〔 As I thought, Master really is an incredibly special person! 〕
〔 I've always wanted to know more about you, Master. 〕
〔 The exclusive buffs, the buffs that increase my talents, even an item that lets you use blessings anytime. 〕
〔 I was always wondering what kind of person could so readily grant such amazing things. 〕
So Lanfang had been thinking about that too.
Indeed, Hye-yong's abilities could only look extraordinary to the characters of this world.
Exclusive buffs could be written off as some unique trait, but Growth Buffs that outright increase talent and a Holy Relic boasting absurd efficiency were hard to swallow with ordinary sensibilities.
Yet, despite harboring these questions, Lanfang never once asked.
Even when it didn't fully make sense, she simply accepted it, thinking only that her Master was incredible.
Hye-yong was inwardly grateful for that.
〔 Now I understand. 〕
〔 How all those things were possible... 〕
〔 I'm so happy to know more about you, Master. 〕
〔 I've felt this way all along, but now I want to try even harder, more and more, to earn your love, Master. 〕
〔 Whatever danger comes, I'll face it with you. 〕
〔 I love you, Master... 〕
The corners of her lips curled up quietly.
Lanfang's gentle smile seemed to burrow right into his heart.
He could have ended the conversation there, but Hye-yong had something he wanted to ask.
Like a sinner giving confession, he wanted to hear her forgiveness face-to-face for the cruelty he'd imposed, the forced oppression.
〔 Lanfang. 〕
〔 Yes, Master. 〕
〔 You remember when we first met, right? 〕
〔 Yes. I was very scared back then... but now, I like that side of you too, Master. 〕
No matter what he said, no matter what he'd done.
He wanted to believe that Lanfang, at least, would give him limitless affection.
〔 If my forcing myself on you that day had been intentional... could you forgive me? 〕
〔 Intentional...? What do you mean? 〕
〔 I'm asking if you could not hate me, even knowing that I discovered your talent for fighting evil spirits, and that I deliberately treated you cruelly to make you despair over your circumstances and reduce you to a pet, all so you'd fight the evil spirits. 〕
A faintly complicated expression crossed Lanfang's face.
'So it wasn't just to make me his pet... but to make me fight evil spirits...?'
Lanfang had always had a lingering question.
She clearly understood why Hye-yong had disliked her at first.
She had been an absolutely infuriating assignment thief.
But the reason why he suddenly started treating her kindly and decided to make her his pet remained a mystery to the end.
Out of the blue, he'd said he "took a liking" to her.
At that time, Lanfang had been at the peak of self-loathing.
There was no reason to take a liking to a pathetic thief who couldn't do anything right.
But leaning on Hye-yong felt so reassuring and pleasant that she'd buried those questions deep in her heart.
After all, a pet dog wouldn't ask its master, "Why did you like me?"
'So that was it. Now I finally understand...'
Everything Master did had a purpose.
Lanfang was the type of person who could only fully let her guard down if she understood the reason.
If someone suddenly treated her well, she couldn't accept it comfortably without knowing why.
Being that kind of person, Lanfang was now drenched in relief after hearing what Hye-yong had just conveyed.
'Master approached me because I was useful to him.'
'I'm not just a pet he keeps around to dote on.'
'If I'm useful, at least I don't have to worry about being thrown away!'
That fact alone made Lanfang immensely happy.
〔 How could I ever hate you, Master? 〕
〔 I'm happy, instead... knowing that you went that far because you needed me. 〕
〔 Lanfang is spending happier days with you than at any other time in my life, Master... 〕
〔 Even if everything that happened to me... being ostracized, kicked out of my party, forced to steal capsules—even if all of it was something you intended, Master, I could gladly accept it. 〕
〔 Because no matter how cruelly you treated me then, now it only feels like an expression of how much you needed me. 〕
As he listened to Lanfang's transmitted will, Hye-yong felt a strange emotion surging inside.
It was a sense of domination.
I have complete control over this person's heart.
That feeling came with no small measure of pleasure.
Lanfang's Resonance continued.
〔 I'm so much happier now, as your pet dog, than I ever was when you treated me like a person. 〕
〔 Thank you for approaching me. 〕
〔 Thank you for treating me cruelly. 〕
〔 Thank you for needing me. 〕
〔 Thank you for reducing me to something beneath human. 〕
His chest felt ticklish and restless.
He couldn't keep his hands still, tapping the table anxiously.
Hye-yong didn't notice his own leg was trembling slightly.
〔 I love you, Master... 〕
〔 No matter what kind of person you are, Master, I love you. 〕
〔 Whatever orders you give, I will obediently follow. 〕
〔 Whatever path you walk, I will faithfully follow behind. 〕
〔 The Lanfang right here is just one pet dog, who is simply happy whenever she can receive your love. 〕
〔 I have no desire to ever go back to being human. 〕
The look on Lanfang's face said she was satisfied to have finally conveyed her true feelings.
At that moment, Hye-yong felt something boiling up from deep within.
It was a desire to dominate not just her heart, but her body as well.
Dinner was over as far as he was concerned.
Hye-yong stood up, grabbed Lanfang's hand, and pulled her along.
"The check, please."
"S-sir? Your meal hasn't..."
"I said it's fine, just bring the check."
He paid for the uneaten food and practically burst out of the restaurant.
Still gripping Lanfang's hand tightly, he kept leading her onward.
"Master, could it be...?"
He answered her question with action.
He brought her to the unmanned hotel they always used whenever they spent the night together.
He removed Lanfang's shoes and guided her onto the bed, almost as if throwing her down.
Having understood exactly what he meant, Lanfang looked up at him from the bed, her face flushing shyly.
"Master... seeing me made you unable to hold back, didn't it."
"I'm always ready, Master. For you, I... anytime..."
"Come to me, Master. Pour your lust into me."
Without even properly undressing himself, Hye-yong pulled Lanfang into a tight embrace.
He stayed still like that, holding her, feeling her warmth and breath, and only when he felt somewhat calmer did he slowly start to undress her.