Kingmaker (4)
The evening of April 14th.
We returned to the villa.
The moment we got back, I was about to start figuring out how best to soothe Han Sora and hear her side of things when Seo Hyejin caught hold of me.
"Just a moment, Jeong Hoon-ssi."
"Hm?"
The look on Seo Hyejin's face as she stopped me was extremely grave.
"Grandma Yeon Bok-sun just told me. She said some men she'd never seen before were lurking around near the villa, watching the place, then left. They didn't try to interfere with anything, but... I still thought you should know."
"Men she'd never seen before?"
"Yes. It couldn't have been monsters or zombies, so they had to be people, right? And today, Seyeon unnie and you met another group of survivors during the day—men. So maybe..."
She let the sentence trail off, but I could already guess what she was about to say. She wanted to ask whether those bastards we'd run into this afternoon had something to do with it.
Whether they were watching us.
...Alright. So that's how you want to play it? You've already pinned down our location, is that it?
I told her I'd take it under advisement, then parted ways with Seo Hyejin and headed back to my room—Unit 303.
"Sora, could we talk for a moment?"
"...Okay..."
Kim Seyeon, Park Seeun, and I called Han Sora over.
We didn't confront her out in the living room, though. We laid her down on the bed first, and Kim Seyeon and Park Seeun took seats on either side of her, each holding one of her hands and gently stroking them in comfort.
Thanks to that tenderness, Sora's dejected mood seemed to lift just a little.
Since we'd already decided I would be the one to take point today, I cut straight to the heart of it.
"The male survivors we met today brought up two matters. One was that they wanted to join us. And the other... was that the leader of their group asked us to pass along his regards to you. That man's name was Kim Suhyeok."
"Hic—!"
The instant she heard the name, Han Sora reacted exactly as we'd expected.
Her face went deathly pale. Her whole body trembled as if she might faint on the spot.
If Kim Seyeon and Park Seeun hadn't been holding her from either side, she really might have toppled backward onto the mattress and passed out cold.
"So it really was a name that dredges up painful memories. If it's too much, you don't have to say anything. I'd like to hear the circumstances when you feel ready. Because..."
I locked eyes with Han Sora. And I let the sincerity rising from deep in my chest spill out into words.
"You're my precious comrade. I will never stand by and watch a comrade suffer and struggle alone. If you ever need me, I am always ready to run to your side. Remember that, if nothing else."
Something shifted in Han Sora.
Her eyes went wide. A faint flush of color rose in her dazed cheeks.
"...Kim Seyeon-seonsaeng, I'd be grateful if you would continue to comfort Han Sora. Seeun-ah, I'm sorry, but could you stay with Sora again to—"
"...I-I, um, I...!"
When Sora didn't react any further, I was genuinely about to give up on hearing the story today.
But Han Sora opened her mouth and stopped me.
"I-I was originally... a third-year at ◆◆ University. I filed for a leave of absence and didn't go to school for more than half a year. Because... when I took that leave, something bad happened..."
Stumbling over her words, yet sending a clear message with her eyes that she would not stop no matter what, Han Sora laid her past bare before us.
From high school on, her looks had drawn attention that never matched her personality.
And the moment she entered university, that spotlight only intensified.
Even under the weight of it, Han Sora had diligently attended her classes. Just as her introverted nature had begun, little by little, to soften...
That incident happened.
The underwear theft.
The culprit was caught, and Han Sora was left with a wound that became a deep trauma.
"I see. So that's why..."
"N-no... Honestly, that incident made me want to throw up, but... after resting for about a week, I was okay again. But then, but then..."
Kim Suhyeok.
A third-year in the physical education department at ◆◆ University, same year as Han Sora. He was treated as the ace of his department and had plenty of underclassmen who followed him around.
Sora wasn't in PE herself, but the humanities and social sciences building she belonged to sat right next door to the PE building, so there was quite a bit of cross-department contact. And Kim Suhyeok had apparently taken a keen interest in Sora, who usually kept to herself, and made a point of looking after her. According to something he'd once said, seeing a girl with looks like hers walking around alone felt too pitiful—and too much of a waste.
He'd even rolled up his sleeves and helped catch the guy who'd stolen her underwear.
Honestly, since they weren't even in the same department, Sora had found it burdensome at first—thinking, He's being way too obvious—but the way he kept sincerely looking after her afterward had gradually drawn her heart toward him.
Why the past tense? Why "had drawn"?
A week after the incident was resolved, Han Sora paid a visit to the men's dormitory at ◆◆ University.
She was carrying a shopping bag stuffed full of gifts.
It was a decision born of gratitude for everything Kim Suhyeok had done—finding the culprit, looking after her in all sorts of ways—and the sense that she ought to show at least this much sincerity, layered on top of encouragement from acquaintances in her own department.
For someone like Han Sora, it was a remarkably proactive move.
And that rare display of initiative came back to her as a crushing disappointment.
"—,—!"
"Huh? Th-that voice is...?"
She'd just spoken to the security guard at the entrance of the men's dorm, about to have him call Kim Suhyeok up, when a voice drifted down from above.
The dormitory hallway was an open design—voices carried clearly all the way down. And the important part was who those voices belonged to.
One of them was Kim Suhyeok's.
"Yo, but I dunno if Hyeongcheol's gonna be okay. With all that sexual-sensitivity-awareness bullshit, isn't he gonna rot in prison forever?"
"No shit. Who told him to actually go through with it? The dumbass who went off the rails is the real piece of shit!"
Mixing in some pretty vicious swearing, Kim Suhyeok was chatting with someone who seemed to be a friend.
The topic was Hyeongcheol. And that name belonged to... none other than the guy who'd stolen Sora's underwear.
"Yeah, but... you know how that bastard is. Once he gets out of the slammer, isn't he gonna come after us screaming bloody murder? Like show up with a knife or some shit?"
"What, that dumbass Hyeongcheol? Why would he? Did we tell him which room that bitch Sora was holed up in at the women's dorm? Did we give him shit for not even being able to snatch one pair of her panties? What's he gonna do about it? He's the one who took a drunk bet seriously! Show up with a knife? What, so he can go right back to prison? Crazy bastard! Hahahaha!"
...W-wait?
S-Suhyeok-ah... j-just now... that was definitely Suhyeok's voice, right?
I-I remember it. Because he always spoke so confidently and boldly in front of me.
B-but... what did he just...
"That shut-in bitch Han Sora's face and body are seriously... fuck, hot enough that I'd want to shove my dick in her right this second, but... Hyeongcheol's the one who went off half-cocked just 'cause we poked him a little, right? And he's blaming us for that? Fucking lunatic! Well, personally, I'm grateful. Thanks to him, I get to take that virginity our little shut-in Sora was saving—and punch through it with my buddy's thick cock instead."
Filthy, obscene talk drifted down from above—words so vile they were hard to process as reality even as her ears took them in.
"What, you've already gotten that far with her? Sora's got that gloomy-ass face and she's still that easy? Ha, maybe I should've made a move myself."
"Hey, hey, don't even. If you want a turn, wait till after I'm done with her."
"Damn... I should've started working out like you a long time ago."
"Regretting it now won't do shit. Hahaha!"
N-no... no way...
Th-that can't... that can't be...!
Her mind was in chaos, but her body moved on pure instinct.
She flung the shopping bag aside and raced straight back to the women's dorm.
No—the second she got there, she packed her things and left. She threw herself onto the subway and fled all the way to the house where her mother and father lived.
She bawled her eyes out, clung to their pant legs, and begged them over and over to find her a place of her own.
That was the starting point of Han Sora's more-than-half-a-year life as a shut-in.
"Sora unnie..."
"Good heavens, you poor thing..."
Park Seeun's face was past the point of tears and right on the verge of exploding as she wrapped Sora up in her arms. Kim Seyeon, every bit the mature woman, sighed with heartache and stroked Sora's back. They looked like a little sister and a mother.
Anyway, that Kim Suhyeok bastard—or whatever his name is—looked like the kind of guy who'd hit on the protagonist's girlfriend in a movie or manga and throw punches at the hero... but he played it pretty damn smart, didn't he? Pulling that kind of shit. Even if Lawful Good blows its top over this, I wouldn't have a single word of complaint.
"Sora."
No, seriously—it just moved my mouth and body however it wanted.
I met Han Sora's eyes and spoke in a low voice, packing every ounce of sincerity I had into the words.
"Tell me anytime. If you wish it... even if I have to accept a penalty, so long as I can protect you, I will step forward."
Goddammit... Lawful Good, neither you nor I have ever been in a relationship, but... was that really the best line you could come up with?
If you're trying to comfort a hurting woman and win her heart, you need to throw her something a little sweeter! For example... yeah, I've got nothing. Never mind.
"N-no. Just... just... as long as that bastard and the people around him... don't show up in front of me, that's enough."
Han Sora shook her head hard and said it firmly, even through a face streaked with tears. At those words, Park Seeun and Kim Seyeon reacted even more fiercely.
"Unnie...! If it gets hard, you have to tell us too! I power-leveled today and I'm doing it again tomorrow, so... the second those bastards even look like they're about to mess with you... I'll just—!"
"Sora... having a kind heart is a wonderful thing, but... if those people approach you with ulterior motives, I really want you to tell us right away. No—we should make sure they can't approach you at all. When I think about our Sora and everyone else..."
One thing, at least, had become crystal clear. If those bastards came near us tomorrow, I was going to refuse them flat-out.
And if they had the gall to approach the villa on their own, the way Seo Hyejin had described... I'd make damn sure they went through a hell so thorough they'd never want to see our faces again.
Indirect murder might not even trigger a penalty, right?
Say, for example, they just happened to run into a monster and got beaten to death.
April 14th. Night.
I gazed out the window, taking in the quiet cityscape bathed in moonlight.
With a heavy heart, I turned on my phone and checked the time.
11:30. In thirty minutes it would be the 15th, and then this Clean Zone would have only six days left on the clock.
Within that window, there was more than one or two things that needed handling. Leveling up and growing the villa survivors led by Seo Hyejin. Making sure the bastards with a grudge against Han Sora couldn't run wild—and punishing them for it.
If Seo Hyejin can properly awaken her Lord skill...
The Lord class, once a guild was founded and a territory designated, supposedly locked out any player not belonging to that guild from all of the guild's content—in reality, every element of the buildings—leaving them able only to submit a join request. Naturally, they also couldn't remain in territory under that guild's control. In the game, after thirty minutes you'd automatically be teleported outside the zone, or so I'd heard.
There would definitely be players who tried to seize a guild by force or tear it down. It was an RPG, after all. But any bastards that rude would have to face every single guild member buffed by the guild's unique bonuses.
A Lord, while inside guild territory, even had a function that could summon up to five guild members to their side the moment a threat approached. Brave Saga Online didn't have open PK between players enabled, but guild wars were a thing, which was why a feature like that existed.
And the only person who told me any of that was Han Sora.
I was reminded, once again, of how precious she was.
Sure, she was a bit clumsy, her way of speaking was about as bad as mine (fucking hao-che!), and her personality ran pretty gloomy... but the information and knowledge she carried made me feel like I'd stumbled across a survival expert in the middle of a survival situation.
So... whatever her sexual appeal might be, I had to protect her. I had to keep her safe so she wouldn't have to feel afraid.
That was why I was staring out the window like a lookout, watching in case any of that Kim Suhyeok bastard's underlings came back to stake out the villa.
Well, there was another reason, too...
Does Kim Seyeon-seonsaeng really need me to have something like this...?
The thought struck me out of nowhere, and I slipped a hand into my pocket. The moment my fingertips found the object waiting there, a strangely unsettled feeling washed over me.
Something thin and plastic caught between my fingers. I toyed with it. A round something sealed in a square of plastic sat inside my pocket.
"Here."
"...Huh? Wait, why are you giving me—"
"You'll... need this today. Heehee..."
Wearing a bewitching little smile, Kim Seyeon-seonsaeng had pressed this "condom" into my hand and then disappeared into the bedroom with Park Seeun (whose face had gone bright red). Leaving me alone in the living room, of all things.
I'd waited forever, wondering what the hell that was about... and now it was already past 11:30—no, 11:35. "Today" would be over in twenty-five minutes. So why exactly was this supposed to be necessary?
Honestly... a little. Just a tiny bit. I had been hoping for something like that.
I'd imagined Kim Seyeon-seonsaeng tapping me on the back and saying, "I told you you'd need it, didn't I?" before slowly pushing me down onto the sofa, climbing on top, and starting something between a man and a woman—
"U-um..."
"Hm!?"
"Kyaah!"
A completely unexpected voice, and fingers tapping me on the back, made me flinch hard in surprise.
A short, familiar scream rang out behind me.
"Sora? What are you doing up this late...?"
Sora was standing there.
But her outfit...
Sora? Even allowing for the dark... why do I get the feeling you're not wearing a top—just a bra and dolphin shorts? Is that what you sleep in?
The words died on my tongue.
Because Sora's expression and the way she held herself were anything but ordinary.
"J-Jeong Hoon... oppaaa..."
Her tone and voice were laced with moisture—and with anticipation.
Gulp...!
Almost unconsciously, I swallowed.
Moonlight poured in through the window. Sora, who had been hidden in the dark, was almost fully revealed.
A mature bra cupping a pair of full, swelling breasts. A slender waist and a bare navel. Legs lightly twisted together.
More than the pure, gloomy Han Sora, what radiated from her now was Han Sora the woman—her allure rolling off her in waves.
"Oppa... earlier... you said this to me, right?"
One step. Han Sora drew closer.
"Th-that you'd never stand by and watch a comrade suffer and struggle... you said that. Th-that if I ever needed you, you were always ready to run to my side... that's what you said, right?"
"...I did."
"Th-that promise... that vow... it hasn't changed, has it?"
"It has not, Sora."
Sora's face drew a little closer to mine.
Two eyes. I looked straight into Sora's clear eyes—still shadowed with unease. Clearly. Directly.
"Then, theeen... th-thaaat... o-oppa...!"
Han Sora, who had been hesitating, suddenly raised her voice.
"Th-thththaaat... d-d-d... do you know, hic! J-Jeong Hoon... oppa? A w-woman, you see..."
"A m-man is... at h-his most... reliable... and coolest... r-right when..."
"When a w-woman... at n-night... feels lonely and... a-afraid... holds her hand... and a-alsoo..."
"When he f-fills up... the empty parts of a woman... nice and tiiight..."
W-woooow...
Where on earth... did you learn...
to say something that adorable, Sora!?
"S-sooo... I-III..."
"T-today... I... felt... a little... l-lonely and... a-afraid, sooo..."
"C-could Jeong Hoon oppaa... f-fill my emptiness... a little...?"
"...Would you...?"