His Name Lingers in Han Mi-na's Mind
Han Mi-na's mind swirled with his name. Forget Han Mi-na? No, that wouldn't do. He couldn't sever ties with her here. But he also couldn't let on that her hypnosis had no effect at all. This was the real turning point—the crux of whether he could recruit her as his student or not.
"N-No... I don't want to..."
"...Pardon?"
"I d-don't want to forget."
"Y-You have to forget. You c-can't remember what I look like now."
Behind her sunglasses, her eyes sparkled on the verge of tears. A rare case of someone resistant to hypnosis had appeared. It must feel strange to her. To Han Mi-na, who had solved everything with hypnosis until now, a man immune to it would seem utterly special. Her face screamed trouble—desperation plain in those teary eyes. If the hypnosis failed here, she'd beg him outright; that was the expression she wore.
"Please..."
He had no intention of pushing further. This was enough. Leave her with a strong memory of her frustration. That would do it. Haste makes waste, as they say. Time to pull back. Make her remember him. Etch himself intensely into her memory. That was the goal.
"I-I used so many points... this isn't supposed to happen... Please, just forget."
As she thrust her phone in front of his face and pleaded desperately, he watched the screen spin wildly.
A powerful mental attack incoming.
Resisted due to the influence of SS-rank Charisma stat.
Contrary to her hopes, he wasn't hypnotized. But...
"...Understood."
He nodded. Han Mi-na's face lit up instantly.
"Y-You really forgot, right?"
He nodded again, robotic-like.
"G-Good. Now, it's like we never met. I'm really sorry. I n-never wanted to use hypnosis like this..."
Sorry, but he had no plans to end it there.
"I'm sorry."
As Han Mi-na bowed and turned to leave...
"By the way, what's your name?"
Name? This was his chance. A chance to lodge it in her memory. Remembering a name was worlds apart from just a face.
"K-Kim Siu..."
Still pretending to be under hypnosis, he answered her. Her face brightened at his words.
"Th-Thank you. Really."
Then she left. Only after her presence fully faded did he...
"Whew."
Shake his head. A superstar with hypnosis powers. Her fame kept nagging at him. And her abilities were too tempting. He needed to tread carefully.
And...
'Nailed it this time.'
Leaving a vivid memory in Han Mi-na. It seemed to have worked perfectly.
"Kim Siu, Kim Siu..."
Back home, Han Mi-na repeated his name over and over.
"It definitely worked..."
He'd shown resistance a few times, but after pouring in points, the hypnosis took hold. A tough one. Who knew someone could resist her hypnosis? To confirm it hadn't worn off early, she'd asked his name at the end—a routine check. With a stranger, if they refused, the hypnosis had broken; if they answered, it was still active.
Kim Siu had given it freely. Proof her hypnosis had landed perfectly. Relief washed over her. She'd erased the memory of the unlucky guy she'd bumped into. A twinge of guilt lingered, but it was fine.
"I just erased the memory..."
That fierce resistance stuck in her mind.
'What a weird guy.'
The one person her flawless hypnosis had faltered against. Her first failure ever—his memory lingered.
"I-I won't see him again anyway."
She comforted herself like that, but even as she drifted to sleep, Kim Siu's name burned clearly in Han Mi-na's mind.
"Hah, hah. How was that?"
Lee Hye-ri panted, asking as she deftly parried and deflected his strikes. She was getting the hang of it now. Mastering the basics in just 2-3 weeks? Geom-seong would've drooled and tried to recruit her on the spot.
"Not bad. But..."
He feinted, targeting her side with an irregular strike.
"Ack!"
She reacted late. Her spear blocked slower than his wooden sword tapped her ribs.
"Don't get cocky just 'cause you nailed the basics."
"Ugh... C-Can't you praise me once in a while?"
"It'd go to your head."
He thwacked her shoulder with the wooden sword.
"Krr!"
"Classes start again the day after tomorrow, and you're still stuck on basics?"
"Ugh..."
Rubbing her shoulder, Lee Hye-ri bit her lip.
"I-I can just practice till graduation! Get it battle-ready by then!"
"Third year means guild internships for real combat sense. You sure?"
"Of course! Who do you think I am? Iron Wall Lee Kang-san's sister..."
"Heard that a million times. Drop it."
"Ugh!"
"Don't forget: two years in our guild after graduation."
"Never. I'll hone my skills there, then head to Saint Guild."
"Talk's cheap."
He raised his sword again. Time to show their cocky miss what real skill looked like.
"Full combat mode this time. Read it well."
"Yes!"
"Fail again, and you know what."
Her face flushed at the promise of punishment.
"Don't talk nonsense!"
She gripped her spear tighter.
"Hah, hah. Why... why can't I see any of it...?"
Sprawled on the floor, Lee Hye-ri gasped. Her chest heaved with each deep breath.
"Different from fighting mad dog Marcson?"
"Hah, hah... Yeah."
She'd blocked a few of his attacks, she said. He looked light, but he was S-rank. Confidence boost for sure—proving her growth, convincing him.
"Wanna know why you can't see?"
"What's the reason?"
"You're fixated on the sword. Watch the eyes in a fight."
"Eyes...?"
"Yeah. Eyes. That'll give you the answer."
"..."
"Training's over for today. Punishment time."
Words were pointless now. Clean end would help her more.
"What'll it be?"
Lip bit, she pointed. Impact training disguised as punishment. Spanking.
"Love getting your ass smacked that much?"
"W-Who said I love it? Just... safest option..."
"C'mere."
He sat on the bed.
"Like last time—over my lap. Clothes off."
"...Got it."
She obeyed readily now. Still cocky, but no defiance meant trust.
Arms bound behind, draped over him. Without his help, she couldn't rise. Realizing utter helplessness—that was the punishment's core.
"Same as before. After each one: 'I'm sorry.' Got it?"
"Y-Yeah, I know."
Straddling his thigh, she looked up.
"G-Go easy, please."
Her eyes pleaded like a kitten's.
"We'll see."
Feeling her soft-yet-firm touch, he raised his hand. Toward her sweat-glistened ass.
Smack!
"Krr! I'm sorry!"
"Sorry for what?"
Smack!
"For not mastering the spear arts!"
Smack!
"For failing to deflect teacher's strikes! I'm sorry!"
Smack!
"I'm sorry! Krr."
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Each strike drew out her mistakes.
Smack!
"S-Sassing my teacher so arrogantly! Sorry!"
Smack!
"For being ashamed of failing! Sorry!"
"Reflected?"
"Yes. I have."
Her ears burned red, refusing to meet his eyes. Her ass matched, flushed crimson.
Smack!
"Hng!"
"Say 'I'm sorry.'"
"S-Sorry..."
"Sorry for what?"
"Th-That..."
"No reflection yet."
Smack!
"Kyaa! N-No! I did! Sorry for thinking teacher's a perv!"
"That too, huh?"
"Ah..."
She blurted it in panic, then clamped shut.
"Perv teacher... Fair. Normal ones don't strip students for spankings."
"..."
"But cocky thoughts need punishment."
Hand up.
CRACK!
"Hnggrrr!!!"
Her waist tensed. Full force, deliberate. Arms bound, no resistance—imprint teacher's authority. Etch helplessness.
"Speak."
"S-Sorry, teacher..."
"Good girl."
Carrot after the stick.
"One more."
"Y-Yes..."
No resistance now. She surrendered to each smack!
Forcing repeated "sorry"s—imprinting dominance. Conscious, bodily realization: he was superior, her master-teacher.
Her ass glowed red; sweat beaded his brow. Controlled strikes took stamina.
"Hah, hah."
Limp over his thigh, she panted. Sweat-matted hair clung messily to her face.
"Sniff."
A sob, swallowing snot. Pain broke her again, tears flowing.
"Hurts?"
"Yes."
"Honest now, huh."
"You hit too hard."
He applied ointment.
"Hrr!"
"This'll help."
"I know... without you saying."
"Worked well last time, I see."
She nodded, no words.
"Turn your head."
"N-No."
"Hate showing tears?"
"...N-Not that."
"Then?"
"If I look at you now... I'll really cry."
"Why? Holding up fine through the hits."
"...Sorry."
"For what?"
"Th-That... I haven't mastered your spear arts yet."
"Bruised ego?"
"Not exactly..."
"Then?"
Silence. She delayed till ointment finished, swallowing moans from the tingling relief.
"Mm..."
He finished, untied her arms.
"Get up. Look at me."
She rose silently, back turned.
"Think you let down my faith?"
"Y-Yeah..."
Too harsh? Voice lacked confidence. Maybe premature for her.
Marcson went easy—academy kid, friend's sister. Real fights? Tricks, honed speed, power. Tough for a first-year.
But cheap praise would backfire. Not like Yoo Ara. For this Hye-ri, comfort was poison.
"Big letdown."
"Huh?"
"The Hye-ri I expected wouldn't crumble here. Proud, driven—you'd shatter perceptions. Not the weak one hiding her true self."
He stood behind her, eyeing the mirror ahead. Mirror-Hye-ri stared at mirror-him, tear-streaked.
Eyes met; she bit her lip.
"Y-You knew?"
"You peeking at my face in the mirror?"
"..."
"Caught it during punishment. Weird spot for one."
"Ah..."
Why she picked spanking—gauge his sincerity via mirror.
Mirror-her averted eyes, guilty.
He draped a blanket over her, eyeing mirror-her.
"Don't overthink. Deeper thoughts, more worries. Focus only on mastering Cheonryu Spear Arts. Nothing else."
"..."
"Fears of stalling? No talent for tanking? Pain from scoldings? Toss 'em. Leave those thoughts to your teacher."
"To you...?"
"Yeah."
Sorry for betraying his faith. Her saying that meant heavy reliance now. Time to lay groundwork—shift dependence from Lee Kang-san to him.
"I'm your teacher. All your worries, I'll counsel."
"You?"
"Yeah. That's what teachers are for."
"..."
"Be honest with me. Show weakness sometimes. No one's strong always. I'm your teacher."
He stroked her hair, continuing.
"I believe in you. Not 'cause you're strong, or Kang-san's sister."
"Then...?"
"Your confident vibe. Unshakable faith in your goals. That's why. So don't quit. Not till I do."
"I-I won't quit. Not moping over tanking."
She turned, facing real him—not mirror.
"Good."
He smiled faintly.
"Remember what I said last time?"
"...Tomorrow, you'll succeed?"
"Yeah. Tomorrow, you will."
Eyes locked, she bowed her head again.
"I'll succeed for sure. Beat you."
"Wasn't that eye-contact resolve moment? Determined student, proud teacher vibe."
"...This feels right."
"Not crying again? Don't get sappy on me."
"N-Not that!"
Her yell eased his worry. Mood lifted. Good.
"Got it. Class over. Rest with academy curriculum next semester."
"Yes."
"I'm off. Ointment's there—apply well."
"B-Bye."
Deep bow, door slam.
"Was I too harsh?"
Thump-thump-thump-thump.
'W-What do I do?'
Lee Hye-ri clutched her pounding heart. No calming it.
'C-Can't look at teacher straight.'
Kim Siu-teacher. His face stuck in her mind.
She gripped the blanket tight over her body.