Just Softened Her Heart a Bit
'What the hell is this?'
Returning to the room, Yujin found Younghee collapsed on the floor. For some unknown reason, she was sprawled flat out, her clothes slightly disheveled as her body twitched faintly here and there. She was drenched in sweat from head to toe. She'd just taken a bath, but now she'd have to wash up again.
......What the heck really happened?
Lime, sitting beside her, was inexplicably sweating a little too. Yujin muttered with a newly serious expression.
"......Broke the yuri route right here? How many tags are you planning to cram in?"
"All the readers I worked so hard to gather are dropping off with that sound, and I just flop over. For people who work hard and come home tired."
"Work? Not bullying?"
"That might be fun too......but even I wouldn't mess with a kid who's hurting."
You seem to have messed with her plenty already? Yujin cautiously poked Younghee's cheek. No reaction at all. She must be utterly exhausted.
"You really didn't do anything bad, right?"
"Even if the class president doesn't mind, tormenting her is pointless anyway?"
"Wait, why torment the class president then."
"Hmph! I hate her. Acting all high and mighty just 'cause she's a concubine."
Lime grumbled as she rummaged through the fridge. Yujin stopped her as she naturally pulled out a bottle of wine.
"Where do you think you're going? Trying to drink like it's the most obvious thing?"
"Ah, why〜! I worked hard, so this much is fine, right? Can't even give a hardworking person who clocked out a single glass of joy?"
"Anyone'd think you're a 40-year-old office worker. Totally hooked on wine now, huh?"
She must have loved the wine from their last date. She'd started nagging about being bored and sneaking sips whenever she could. Well, with all that money and no one else drinking it, it didn't really matter. Still, there was a time and place.
"With all these kids around, what if you get drunk and slip up?"
"Don't underestimate a slime's alcohol breakdown! Better than your puny ten livers!"
"No means no! Bad for the kids' education!"
Yujin snatched the bottle away by force. Lime puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
"Cheapskate."
In the end, she grabbed an ion drink from the fridge and chugged it. Her throat bobbed with each gulp. Watching her, it seemed she was pretty thirsty after all. Come to think of it, was this the first time he'd seen Lime sweat?
"So? Why's Younghee like that?"
"Messed with her heart a little."
"Like when you stopped her mana rampage before?"
It was Lime who had stopped Younghee's mana rampage. Yujin didn't fully understand the mechanism. Something about filling gaps in her heart. Touching and adjusting someone's mental world was Lime's specialty. Usually, that just brought to mind naughty stuff. But apparently, it could have positive effects depending on the case.
"Her heart was all closed off, so I loosened the walls a bit. That should make her unstable mental state way better."
"Specifically?"
"She used to see people like cockroaches, now it's more like flies?"
"The metaphor's too extreme; I can't tell. Depending on the angle, isn't that worse?"
Either way, it seemed like Lime had treated Younghee's condition in her own way. No one else could do this kind of treatment. No doctor in the world could touch someone's heart directly.
"A true brainwashing slime......"
"Hey? Don't say it like that's my only trick. I'm a super capable slime, y'know? I can pierce right through physically too."
What the hell is she bragging about now? So being called a brainwashing slime was fine then? Slimes' standards for self-evaluation were a mystery.
"So she'll regain her memories soon?"
"Nah, not that."
Lime shrugged.
"All I did was make her heart a little more relaxed. Forced the stiff, hardened state to go all soft and squishy."
Like attaching a scope to a gun, she added. It helped, but it didn't improve the user's shooting skills.
"Regaining memories depends on her own will. More precisely, she needs a trigger?"
"Trigger?"
"To put it simply, some kind of catalyst or shock."
A catalyst, huh. Like seeing a memento from the past? Nah, probably not that easy. Younghee hadn't recognized Cheolsu, her closest friend. It'd take some serious shock.
"Well, forcing memories back too hard could strain her body and miss the point. Better to let her relax easy now, I think."
Yujin nodded slowly. Then, suddenly, a chuckle escaped him.
"What? Why're you laughing?"
"Nah, just......it's surprising to see you looking after someone else."
Lime always said she hated humans. The only one she really talked to was Yujin. For her to step up and care for Younghee like this? Honestly unexpected.
"I didn't exactly look after her. She's just annoying sticking around, that's all."
"Yeah, yeah. Good girl, our Lime."
"Hmph! Think everyone just accepts it if you pat my head?"
"Should I stop then?"
"......Didn't say stop."
Her cheeks puffed slightly as she spoke primly. Adorably. Truth be told, Yujin knew. Lime cared about Younghee only because she was Yujin's friend. And that she grumbled like that to hide it. Knowing that made her all the more lovable.
!. !. .........
"You just wait. Once the kids are gone, I'm gonna punish you proper?"
"Whoa, scary. Guess I gotta stick with the kids."
"......The way you say that is so cheeky. Wanna get schooled right now?"
Their eyes met. The corner of Lime's mouth twitched up just a bit. Her lips looked especially prominent. A strange tension flowed, and as Lime started to lean in first—
"Young Master Yujin, how would you like your meal?"
They both jolted apart in surprise. Yujin tried to hide his fluster.
"Uh, same as usual, in the room. My portion as always, and......"
"Understood."
The staff member replied and left. Lime clicked her tongue lightly.
That was seriously close just now.
Usually, her bold teasing was easy to deflect. But Lime's subtle mood-building was dangerously effective. Nearly caused a huge incident right in front of everyone.
As he thought that, Lime poked Younghee awake.
"Hey, Lee Younghee. Get up. Food's here."
"Mmm......" Still too drained, Younghee showed no sign of stirring. So Lime whispered right by her ear.
"Won't get up? Gonna tickle-torture you again?"
"Eek?! I-I'm up! I'm up now!"
Younghee shot up in panic. How much had she......treated the poor girl? Yujin grew more and more curious about the scene.
"What the hell is Kim Yujin doing!"
One family head slammed the table roughly. The guards around him frowned. A normal person might let it slide. But the one before him now was far from normal.
"No idea what you mean."
Lee Seolhwa. Yujin's mother and the sole ruler of Heukcheon. She took a sip of tea, still displaying her astonishing beauty.
"Yujin's not doing anything?"
"Sure, Young Master Yujin himself isn't doing anything!"
The executive glared, faint fear visible beyond his rage.
"But the assassin he raised keeps targeting Heukcheon's executives!"
"Hmm. Indeed, Heukcheon's executives—specifically the anti-Yujin faction—are steadily dwindling."
Of course, they weren't idiots. They'd investigated: the assassin was raised by Yujin, and Dr. Jekyll had provoked her, igniting her revenge. But even knowing that, the assassin was too strong to handle.
"The damage is already immense! This is clearly an attack on Heukcheon. The organization must discipline this!"
Lee Seolhwa set down her teacup. Her cold gaze fixed on the executive.
"Strange talk."
"Pardon?"
"I told you to handle Yujin's matters yourselves. You did, and now that you're losing, you complain?"
"Th-that's different from......"
"If you're wronged, prove it with strength. That's Heukcheon's way."
Lee Seolhwa cut him off. No value in hearing more. Heukcheon's way: strength is justice. She respected that even over blood ties. No room for other words.
"And shouldn't you be grateful it's Yujin?"
"Pardon?"
"If outsiders bearing Heukcheon's name lost to some punk kid? I'd have cut their throats myself and hung them up."
Her eyes gleamed coldly. The executive swallowed involuntarily. Not just talk. Before Lee Seolhwa, his life was worth less than a fly.
"S-sorry."
In the end, the executive retreated speechless. Won't last long, that one. Lee Seolhwa thought.
Things are getting interesting, though.
Who'd have thought Yujin would corner the executives like this? Sons grow faster than expected, it seemed. The corner of Lee Seolhwa's red lips curved up ever so slightly.