Chapter 76
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: A Much-Needed Massage
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"Is Ae-bom doing okay?"
While I was quietly doing push-ups in the corner of the one-room apartment, the question a drunk Jeong Hye-jeong had tossed at me suddenly popped into my head. What had I said in response?
"Well, yeah. Of course she's doing fine."
...That was my answer. If someone asked why I'd said that, it'd be obvious. Because I thought she was doing fine.
"Hm."
That had definitely been the case. But somehow... I was starting to think maybe I'd given the wrong answer.
Click, click!
The sound of the left mouse button clicking was surprisingly intense, like she was in the middle of a battle.
If she were gaming, it'd make sense. But Han Ae-bom had turned her monitor at an angle we couldn't easily see, and from a quick glance, it looked like a webpage. The speakers were on normally too, but there was no sound, so she had to be browsing the internet...
"Hoo."
A soft sigh escaped her. And her eyes looked tired? Or maybe her face just seemed worn out?
'What's going on?'
I was curious why she was acting like that. But how many people in the world could just bluntly ask, "Something wrong?" without reading the room? Even Oh Hana wouldn't do that. And since we lived together in this one room, it called for even more caution.
'Hm. Was I exactly like that not long ago?'
Considering that, I felt a pang of guilt toward the people living under the same roof. It must've bothered them a ton. And that probably wore them out too.
'She looks kinda anxious.'
At the same time, she seemed to have lost some confidence. More precisely, like someone who'd hit an invisible wall and given up.
"......"
It was too familiar a look to miss. It resembled my own face back when I lived alone, staring into the bathroom mirror before heading to my convenience store shift.
'Even that expression looks attractive on her. That's true beauty.'
When Jeong Hye-jeong had recently told me I looked handsome, it was probably just the alcohol talking. I'd had times myself where, drunk in the bustling streets, every provocatively dressed woman looked like a celebrity.
Well. These days, even sober, I had three women I considered celebrities living with me in the same room.
Click, clack, click. Tap tap, click.
Her hand moving the mouse, or her fingers tapping the keyboard—they were so pretty. No, more than that. Compared to when she first moved in and ordered a bedding set online, her movements had gotten way more skilled.
Sure, for someone studying computers, she was still a total newbie. But from what I could tell, her mouse or keyboard speed didn't seem to be what's holding her back from what she wanted to achieve.
"Hoo!"
A deep sigh leaked from Han Ae-bom's lips. When people get anxious, they rush. When they rush, they lose composure. Without composure, they can't use their skills properly. And their vision narrows, missing things they'd normally see?
That was exactly me last week.
On the flip side, now that my tangled thoughts had sorted out and I was putting in real effort, my condition felt much better, and everything was going smoothly.
The rich get richer and the poor poorer? Or something like that. Maybe it's "success breeds success," perfect for times like this.
"Tsk. Hoo..."
Han Ae-bom, about to sigh again, flinched and glanced around. Oh Hana was at her part-time job. Yun Su-a was making fruit salad for dinner sides.
I was doing push-ups in nothing but a black t-shirt. Confirming that, Han Ae-bom visibly relaxed and stood up. She seemed aware she was putting on a pathetic show.
She was incredibly self-aware in every way.
"Ae-bom."
I naturally stood up as I called her name.
"Yes."
Seeing her snap back to her usual self in an instant, I inwardly stuck out my tongue. What was with this girl? Her emotional control was downright scary, even if just for a moment.
She tilted her head.
"Something wrong?"
That was my question. Her expression was so calm it made me wonder if everything I'd seen was my imagination, so I tweaked what I'd been about to say.
"Oh. I've been studying massage and acupressure lately."
"Massage and acupressure?"
Han Ae-bom tilted her head again, as if wondering what good that would do.
I chuckled softly.
"Yeah. They say it's useful to know."
To be precise, I hadn't planned on learning this stuff. The quests had handed me the skills.
I was using the Contraception Skill and Low-Level Semen Aphrodisiac Skill since they were pretty handy. But the Massage Skill and Intermediate Skin Massage Skill? I'd shoved them to the back burner, wondering if I even had them. There just hadn't been a real chance to use them.
"Well, sure, it might come in handy someday..."
She looked dubious, then flinched and shook her head. Something bothering her?
"...Yeah. Do what you want. But if it's that, wouldn't asking Su-a unnie be better?"
"I'll ask Su-a later too. But I wanted to ask you first."
She looked exhausted.
"Ah. Okay."
What was that? If I wasn't seeing things, the corner of Han Ae-bom's mouth had twitched just now.
"If it's that, sure. No bragging, but I've gotten massages and such pretty often, so I can compare and give feedback."
That massage... not from her mom, right?
"Hm."
Suddenly, touching her felt intimidating. Would my skills even work properly?
"Pfft, I didn't say it to make you nervous. No one's expecting pro-level paid service from someone just studying it."
"Got it."
I nodded and had her lie face-down on the futon. Slowly extending my hands, I recalled the Massage and Acupressure Skills I'd received.
Suddenly, my hands moved deftly, as if it were second nature.
"Eung!"
Normally, pressing her sensitive spots with my thumbs or hearing her moan would make me flinch.
But right now, I could focus purely on the massage.
"Haaang!"
For nearly 20 minutes, lewd yet pleasurable moans poured from Han Ae-bom's lips—more than I'd expected.
*
Drenched in sweat like she'd showered, Han Ae-bom panted heavily and glared at me.
"Liar..."
"Not lying."
I scratched the back of my head as I spoke, and she shot back harder.
"If not a lie, then what was that? Pro-level skills. Are you saying Hyunwoo-ssi is a massage genius?"
"Could be? You never know when talent awakens."
"That's... true."
Han Ae-bom calmed her excitement surprisingly quickly. She struggled to sit up but collapsed onto me instead.
"Ah."
Good thing I caught her safely.
"Snuh, ha. Snuh, ha."
In the meantime, she was inhaling my scent like she was entranced. Literally inhaling. She must've been really stressed. Still, I believed the massage had improved the expression she'd hidden behind her poker face.
Then, realizing what she'd done, she cautiously pushed me away, her face flushing. Rare sight from Han Ae-bom.
"This is so embarrassing."
"What is?"
"What else? My... fetish."
She knew it.
"I know. Obsessing over smells isn't normal."
"But you like it, right?"
"Yeah. Honestly, I didn't know I had this fetish. If anything, it's kinda like your talent or charm, Hyunwoo-ssi? Something you discover gradually..."
Why drag me into this?
"Not sure if I asked before. Can't remember well."
"What?"
"How exactly is the smell good?"
"Hmm."
She bit her index finger lightly, pondered, then answered carefully.
"Just... good. To explain precisely, it's a scent you can't smell normally, something special. To some, it might be unpleasant body odor, but to me, it's an addictive, fascinating aroma. The more I smell it, the better I feel, and my mind relaxes."
Hearing the details, I was mildly stunned.
I'd seen people rave about "cocaine, cocaine" sometimes. Apparently not entirely wrong.
"Um. So I searched it just in case."
There it was. That damn searching.
"They call it 'cocaine,' a mashup of cock and cocaine. A guy touching his dick is instinct to protect his vitals. And smelling it checks for health."
Being around Han Ae-bom sometimes reminded me of high school biology class.
"What about women? Why do they like that smell?"
Even if a woman touching her pussy and smelling it followed the same logic. How to explain Han Ae-bom liking my dick smell specifically? Or just my scent in general?
"Th-that's."
She stammered, flustered.
"Just, that."
"That?"
"It means I want to protect you that badly!"
"......"
If anyone else said that, I'd laugh it off. But from Han Ae-bom, my lips twitched upward involuntarily.
Worried the silence was awkward.
Crunch!
...A sound cut in between us.
"Eek!"
What was it? Yun Su-a, done with her tempting fruit salad, was munching on a rabbit-shaped apple slice while watching us with worldly fascination.
I knew that look exactly. The gaze of a morning drama viewer.
"Keep going. Don't mind me. Oh, apples are good, so eat up. Fruit's healthy if you eat it steadily."
Who could keep going with her stuffing apple slices in our mouths? Su-a-ssi.
'Turns out she's total fourth-dimensional once you get to know her.'
Ae-bom business done, I reached for another apple to stand, but saw her looking at me hesitantly.
"Um, Hyunwoo-ssi. Wanna go for a walk? No, motel. Wait, no."
Huh?
"Do it with me. Sex. Now."
Plop. The apple I'd picked up dropped back on the plate. My massage must've short-circuited Han Ae-bom a bit. Meanwhile, Yun Su-a clasped her hands prayer-like, eyes sparkling in awe—a little creepy.