Chapter 1 — A Fragile Resolve

On the first night, after Owen had returned to his room without much fanfare, Seolbin and I discussed the mission in my room.

I felt frustrated by Owen's guarded, distant attitude, but Seolbin reassured me, saying she had a plan of her own—as if she understood exactly how tense I was.

My expression had probably remained stiff ever since our plan in the Bar Lounge fell through.

"Siwoo, you'll do great tomorrow. Don't be so down..."

"Thanks. But you're the one who suffered today, Seolbin..."

"Hmph—at least you know how hard I worked!"

She pouted, her voice dripping with affectionate, whiny charm.

Her playful complaining wasn't genuine; it was her way of comforting me. She wanted us to forget about the life-or-death mission for a moment and return to our normal selves.

To be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠honest, this dynamic felt incredibly strange.

Ever since I met Seolbin, I had always been her pillar of support, the one leading her. Now, as if returning the favor, she was the one calming me down.

In this situation, the only thing I could do for her...

...was to return to my usual self as well.

To show her that I had regained my composure, easing the anxiety she must be harboring deep down.

That was it.

Forcing myself to brighten up, I replied in a playful tone to match her energy.

"Of course! My Seolbin worked the hardest today. In that case, I think you deserve a reward."

"What kind of reward?"

"This—"

I pulled down my pants, letting my cock spring free. After all, there was no better way to relieve tension than sex.

"W-What is this...?"

"You're just too beautiful, Seolbin!"

"Even in a situation like this, that's the only thing on your mind?"

I gently pushed Seolbin onto the bed as she put up a token, playful resistance. Then, I began to lick my way down, starting from her lips, moving to her breasts, and then down to her waist.

"Ahhh..."

Seolbin let out a soft moan, unable to hold it back under the touch of my tongue. Every time I buried my face in her skin, tasting her, her signature scent washed over me.

A sweet, gentle fragrance of vanilla milk.

It was a scent so intoxicating it made my body melt.

For Seolbin's sake, I could have spent the entire night just pleasuring her, but I couldn't hold back any longer. I gripped my cock, preparing to slide inside her.

But...

My shaft remained completely limp.

Usually, just looking at Seolbin was enough to make me rock-hard, but something was wrong. Unable to get an erection, I went back to foreplay, trying again. Yet, no matter how hard I focused, it refused to rise.

Tens of minutes passed like this...

Seolbin, noticing my struggle, whispered softly to me.

"Siwoo... today was really hard on you, wasn't it?"

"S-Seolbin..."

"Sit up for a second..."

She sat up and helped me sit upright. Then, Seolbin knelt down on the floor beside the bed.

She tucked her long, straight hair behind her ear.

Her pale ears stood out in stark contrast against her dark hair.

While I stared, utterly captivated by her pure, elegant appearance, she looked down at my limp member.

This was...

Yes.

She was going to use her mouth.

Seolbin had never given me a blowjob before. Seeing my inability to get hard, she had made up her mind.

Should I call my erectile dysfunction a stroke of luck? Just the thought of her noble, elegant face wrapping around my cock sent a massive rush of dopamine through my brain. I clenched my teeth at the dizzying fantasy.

Soon, the tip of her tongue brushed against the tip of my glans.

Wet and soft.

An exquisite sensation.

Her blowjob was incredibly clumsy, but it was filled with deep affection and care for me, making it all the more tender.

After swirling her tongue around the tip a few times, she slowly began to take my cock into her mouth.

It felt incredibly warm.

A woman with a face sculpted by the gods themselves was sucking my cock.

It was a treatment so luxurious it felt almost sacrilegious.

But...

Despite all her efforts, my cock remained completely flaccid.

To the very end.

Sodam, who was in charge of preparing meals on the cruise ship, possessed outstanding culinary skills. Even to someone like me, who wasn't picky and would eat just about anything, her cooking had a distinct, delightful character. And it wasn't just the taste that was excellent; the presentation on the plate was also incredibly beautiful. It was undoubtedly a reflection of Sodam's meticulous and delicate personality.

Yet, despite Sodam's flawless cooking, Owen's satisfaction level didn't budge. He had clearly looked highly satisfied while eating breakfast in the restaurant...

So, I formulated a hypothesis.

His satisfaction level is only affected by specific categories.

Food is not one of them.

Seolbin's tone and attitude did have an effect.

Seolbin's attire did have an effect.

The more I analyzed each point, the more anxious I became. Every piece of evidence pointed to a single conclusion...

...that his satisfaction was closely tied to sexual elements.

A throbbing headache began to set in.

If my hypothesis was correct...

...then I couldn't raise Owen's satisfaction myself.

The only way to raise his satisfaction was...

I shared my hypothesis with Seolbin. It was ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a difficult conversation to have, because she might misunderstand my intentions...

Fortunately, Seolbin agreed with my reasoning.

"Siwoo... actually, I was suspecting the same thing..."

"..."

But even if we shared the same deduction, I couldn't bring myself to push Seolbin to appeal to him sexually. Hesitation and reluctance hung in the air. An awkward silence, highly unusual for the two of us, stretched between us.

It was Seolbin who broke the uncomfortable quiet. Her lips parted slightly.

"Siwoo, I think I can figure something out. Don't worry about it..."

The next afternoon.

The sky was completely cloudless.

The sea stretched out to the horizon.

The outdoor pool on the cruise deck looked as if it merged seamlessly with the ocean. It was an endless expanse of pristine, brilliant blue. Just looking at the scenery should have made my chest feel light and refreshed.

Instead, my insides were burning black.

Because my girlfriend and fiancée, Seolbin... was sitting on a sunbed by the outdoor pool, wearing a bikini.

Her massive breasts spilled out of the pure white bikini. Her hips and thighs were fully exposed, clad only in the skimpy bikini bottoms. Even if a bikini was technically swimwear, there was no denying that this outfit was designed to flaunt a woman's body to a man.

Therefore, Seolbin in a bikini should have been a sight reserved solely for my eyes... but the one sharing this view with me right now was Owen.

Seeing Seolbin settle by the outdoor pool, Owen had followed her out under the pretext of going for a swim. He reclined on the opposite sunbed, staring at Seolbin without the slightest attempt to hide it.

As a Hunter who specialized in raw physical strength, his body was imposing and intimidating. Looking strictly at our physical statures, no one would ever guess that I was stronger than Owen. Owen, seemingly proud of his physique, paced around the pool with confident strides, keeping his eyes locked on Seolbin.

Seolbin bore the full weight of his intense gaze. Her face was flushed bright red, and she was trying to cover her chest with both hands. Of course, given their sheer size, her hands did little to conceal them.

A foul, unpleasant emotion began to creep up inside me. But as if to compensate for that feeling, a message soon popped up on the status window.

It was both a relief and a curse. I was relieved to gain even a single point of satisfaction, but it also meant my hypothesis had been proven correct ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠once again. We had managed to get a point this way, but I was at a loss as to how we would fill the remaining two points.

Just then.

Something completely unexpected had happened. Sodam, who usually kept to herself, quietly cooking and cleaning while moving only between the kitchen and her room, had appeared at the outdoor pool. And she was wearing a swimsuit.

Of course, it wasn't a highly revealing swimsuit like her older sister Seolbin's. She wore a one-piece swimsuit that didn't expose her waist. Yet, there was no denying that it clung tightly to her body, highlighting her thighs and the soft curves of her figure.

Owen's behavior, which had previously been limited to casting lustful glances at Seolbin, suddenly shifted. He climbed out of the pool, dripping wet, and began to walk directly toward Sodam.

Seeing that bastard approach the innocent Sodam with such insidious intent, my body moved on reflex. I'll kill him right here.

But then...

...it was Seolbin who stopped my instinctive urge to attack. Spotting Owen heading toward her younger sister, Seolbin stepped in and blocked his path. She forced an awkward smile onto her face.

"G-Guild Leader! The weather is s-so nice today, isn't it? Hehe."

"Oh, Seolbin. Indeed, it is a beautiful day."

"Guild Leader, do you l-like swimming? This is the first time I've ever been to a pool with you."

Seolbin was incredibly flustered, even stuttering over her words. It was a sight so foreign it felt surreal. For her, who was normally so cold, indifferent, and haughty toward others, to be this disorganized... Though she occasionally showed a clumsy side to me, I had never seen her this utterly panicked.

Owen, seemingly amused by her flustered state, responded with a relaxed, easygoing tone.

"I don't think we've ever even shared a proper meal together, Seolbin. It does feel a bit awkward."

"Ah... w-well, back when we were active in the guild..."

"Seolbin. Tell me, does it make you uncomfortable that I was going to speak with Sodam?"

"Ah, t-that is..."

Seolbin was completely cornered. If he pushed her any further, she might truly break...

"Don't worry. I won't do anything to make Sodam uncomfortable by speaking to her unnecessarily."

Fortunately, Owen's attitude shifted abruptly.

"The sun is getting a bit too harsh. I shall head back inside first."

Without giving Seolbin any further opportunity to earn satisfaction points, Owen turned and headed back to his VIP room. The bastard was clearly playing a psychological game with us.

Soon, a new message appeared on the status window.

I activated my upgraded Captain-exclusive skill, Spectate, and peered into Owen's status window. When I did, his preferred facilities were revealed.

His preferred facility was... the Massage Room.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I had exactly the 100 credits required to install the Massage Room. It was the leftover amount from the credits I had received for completing Seolbin's crew recruitment mission.