A "Wholesome" Date with Calathea
"Manager♪ Hey, look. I prepared a date concept just for today, you know?"
The first stop on this light date meant to soothe the Prisoner Corps' discontent was none other than Calathea.
"...You never bothered with any preparation when heading to training, but you'll do anything for your own entertainment."
"Isn't that obvious? It's not just me—humans are all like that."
The moment the two of us stepped out the front door of the lodging together, Calathea immediately latched onto my forearm, chattering away in excitement.
"Anyway, listen up. A plain old date would be boring, right? So I thought really hard about a fun concept."
"And what conclusion did you reach?"
"Take a guess, Manager♡"
She stood in front of me and spread both arms wide, as if telling me to figure it out from her clothes.
…What kind of quiz show is this first thing in the morning.
Today's Calathea wore a cropped denim jacket, a white bralette, and her usual ultra-mini denim hot pants. The cropped jacket that stopped just above her waist left the bralette underneath to securely cradle her large breasts, yet no mere fabric could hide the elastic volume that swelled taut and full above it. Every time she smiled at me and gave a little hop, the upper curves of her breasts bounced rhythmically above the bralette's edge. Below that, her elegantly curved waist emphasized the smooth skin of her abdomen and the neatly split lines of her abs… and further down, the ultra-mini hot pants boldly exposed her wide hips while tracing the clear line down her thighs. Thanks to that, her already perfect proportions made her legs look even longer, and the dangerously low waistband of the shorts highlighted every subtle movement of her tightly cinched waist.
It was fashion that made excellent use of her strengths, but… it was still far too stimulating in every possible way.
"So, what do you think the answer is?"
"I don't know. It doesn't look all that different from how you usually dress."
For a split second, Calathea's eyes sharpened fiercely.
"…Manager. I'll give you one more chance to answer."
"Ah, no, I really don't—"
Other than the fact that her usual crop top had been swapped for a bralette and denim jacket combo, nothing seemed particularly different. If anything, she looked like she'd put in a bit more effort to dress up.
"Sigh, maybe I expected too much from you, Manager. Today's date concept is lovers."
"…Lovers?"
"That's right! Not just any lovers, but the kind who can't live without each other♡ Doesn't that sound fun?"
Looking up at me with sparkling eyes, Calathea pressed herself tightly against my arm once more.
Fun? From the very beginning, I had the strong feeling I'd already stepped into a trap.
"Answer me, Manager."
"…Y-yeah, it sounds fun."
"Good. Then let's get going since we're all prepared!"
"Wait, just a second."
I went back inside the house and returned, handing Calathea a baseball cap and a mask. I put on a mask myself. Her volunteer service video had circulated quite a bit online, and our faces had been exposed together during that recent interview. We weren't idols who needed to hide a romantic relationship, but any strange misunderstandings about a prisoner and her manager would only lead to unnecessary headaches.
"Hmm… Manager, you're bolder than I thought?"
"What do you mean, bolder?"
"Covering our faces like this so we can enjoy ourselves without worrying about people's stares. I know exactly what you're thinking♪"
Calathea grabbed my hand without permission and guided it around her waist. When I unconsciously tightened my grip, her slender waist—barely a handful—settled easily into my palm. It felt so delicate that it might break if squeezed too hard, yet the firm muscles beneath her skin gently pushed back against my fingers. The grip itself felt incredibly satisfying. Despite how narrow her waist was, the generous curve of her hips below provided stable support from underneath.
It was literally…
"Like a handle, right?"
"…I wasn't thinking that at all."
"You definitely thought about how good it would feel to grab onto here while having sex with me♡"
Avoiding Calathea's gleaming, intrigued gaze, I fluttered my eyelids and looked away.
"It's fine, Manager! Today's concept is that we're lovers. That's actually the recommended mindset. Mhm♪"
"…So, where are we going now?"
"Let's head toward Hongdae first? We can walk around, do some shopping, and eat delicious food!"
Street shopping. It was the date course that seemed least fitting for Calathea, yet she was already smiling as if she'd planned everything herself and was thoroughly enjoying the idea.
We drove over and the moment we arrived at the street already bustling with people—
"Hey, look over there."
The eyes of passing pedestrians began sliding toward Calathea one by one.
"Whoa, fuck… That body's insane, for real."
"Dude, even if it is, how can you stare so openly?"
"Man, she's wearing that for people to look! Staring is basically showing proper appreciation."
"Sigh, you pervert."
Some men stared blatantly while walking past slowly. Others glanced over while whispering among themselves.
"Isn't she basically just wearing panties and a bra? She's gotta be crazy…"
"She's got the body for it, so she's probably asking to be looked at."
"That boyfriend's pretty bold too. Parading her around like that."
No matter how much the mask hid my face, being subjected to this much attention made me instinctively embarrassed. But.
"Manager, put your hand on my waist already."
Calathea didn't seem bothered at all.
"…You're really okay with this?"
"Okay with what— Ah, those people? Ahaha, that's not important right now, Manager."
She forcibly grabbed my hand and planted it firmly on her waist again. Her eyes, overflowing with delight, turned toward me.
"My only source of fun is you, Manager."
"Sure it is."
If someone overheard, they'd think she'd just confessed her love. I let out a silent sigh and pulled my mask up higher, desperately hoping it would hide my burning face.
"Hehe, hehehe…♪"
Unlike the usual outings I took with Audrey, being alone with just the two of us seemed to put Calathea in an exceptionally good mood. Whether I held her waist or not, she genuinely didn't seem to care in the slightest. Of course, this observation only arose because I myself couldn't stop being conscious of it.
The sensual curve that flared from her narrow waist to her wide hips. The delicate movement of muscle and the soft, warm skin felt against my palm. I knew it was nothing more than simple skinship. I knew it was far milder than the kisses we usually shared or the breast touching from last time, yet…
"Manager, is it uncomfortable?"
"Ah, no, it's fine."
"That's a relief♡"
I was becoming conscious of Calathea as a woman. She placed her hand over mine where it rested on her waist and smiled, drawing my attention so completely that the stares of the surrounding crowd felt utterly insignificant.
How long had we been walking like that?
"Manager♪ Shall we move on to the next stage now?"
"What are you suddenly trying to make me do?"
She seemed to have a destination in mind. As I followed her confident lead, casually taking in the street, Calathea suddenly looked up at me with her beautifully curved eyes.
"Didn't we say we're not just any lovers, but the kind who can't live without each other?"
"We… did say that."
"Then how can it make sense for a boyfriend to do nothing when his girlfriend is receiving such blatant stares?"
Calathea looked up at me as if genuinely baffled. …Indeed, the current Calathea was like a black hole for attention. Though her face was hidden by the mask and cap, her chest, abdomen, waist, hips, backside, and legs—from her neck down to her toes—formed a body line impossible to look away from. Men and even women alike kept stealing glances as they passed, yet only she maintained her usual nonchalant attitude.
"Then what am I supposed to do? Glare at everyone and tell them not to look at you?"
"No, that's not it! You need to mark your territory and show them this female is your female, right?"
"…Mark my territory?"
A sense of unease crept over me even as I hoped I was wrong. And unfortunately, my bad premonitions were never wrong.
"Here we go♡"
Calathea suddenly stopped walking and grabbed the hand resting on her waist. Then, with a sly smile, she began guiding my hand behind her.
Even if I wanted to refuse, her S-class strength left no room for resistance.
"Hey, wait, hold on. What are you—"
"Manager, you already know what this is. It's only natural to touch my ass."
She looked up at me with a mischievous grin.
"Grab my bouncy ass right in front of everyone and proudly show them that I'm your female! It's basic territory marking for lovers♡"
That's only basic in that head of yours.
"Come on, we've established that, so hurry, hurry♪"
"What do you mean 'we've established that'? No matter how much this is a lovers-concept date, that kind of touching is off-limits."
"I see… Then I guess there's no choice."
I thought she was accepting it unusually quickly, but then her eyes turned ice-cold as they fixed on me.
"I'll just have to declare a strike against this wicked manager who only sees us as tools."
"……..."
This was the same tactic I'd once used on the Association President. And just like him back then, I felt cold sweat trickling down my back.
"Stop acting like a pathetic loser and grab it already. You brought me out on this date to appease me in the first place, didn't you? Are you really going to be this stingy?"
"……..."
"Besides, we're both wearing masks anyway, so this much is fine. Right?"
As if it were no big deal, Calathea whispered in a provocative voice and gave her hips a slight wiggle. Beneath my palm, I could feel her hips and ass moving softly.
"Ha, this is driving me crazy…"
Before my sigh could even finish, she had already placed my hand squarely on her backside. When I stopped at simply resting it there—
"Manager, you have to knead it more lewdly! Don't you remember? We're supposed to be lovers who can't live without each other!"
"……Damn it."
At her urging, I squeezed my eyes shut and fully gripped her ass. The elastic sensation of her backside, slightly compressed by the tight denim hot pants, filled my palm completely. The firm curves wrapped tightly in rough fabric, and below them, the soft undercurve of her ass that peeked out so seductively. It was a completely different texture from when I'd touched her breasts before—a sensation so intense it momentarily blanked my mind white.
"Hehe, Manager's hands… they're so big and warm♡"
"…Do I have to keep holding it like this?"
Instead of answering, Calathea simply looked up at me with a silent, wicked smile. Even above the mask, her eyes shone with immense enjoyment.
In the end, we began making our way through the streets of Hongdae like a public nuisance couple, receiving dirty looks the entire time.
"Manager, how is it? Isn't it fun?"
"…I'm not in any state to feel something like that right now."
"Ahaha♡ I'm having so much fun. In places where this many people gather… invisible chaos is slowly creeping in♪"
Calathea turned her delighted gaze toward the crowd.
"Over there a couple is fighting, in that corner someone's secretly stealing a wallet. In the alley, two men are checking their surroundings before holding hands and walking off… These small, trivial instances of chaos pile up and pile up, becoming the foundation for much greater chaos."
"Calathea…?"
"Manager, this place is basically a powder keg right now. With just one tiny fuse… I could turn this entire area into the ultimate crystallization of delightful chaos and madness! Want me to show you?"
Calathea turned her eyes—now colored with a dangerous light—toward me.
…There wasn't much information available about her before she met me. Only that she seemed to have drifted into Korea as an illegal mercenary. That she'd been caught after trying to open a Gate in the middle of the city just because it seemed fun. If, just hypothetically…
The reason she'd attempted that absurd act of opening a Gate for fun was because she'd already succeeded at similar "attempts" before? That she'd grown bored of those and even tried opening a Gate artificially—
I inwardly believed that no matter how crazy Calathea was, she wasn't that kind of person. But while her eyes looked different when she gazed at me, the way she looked at other objects and people right now was…
"What do you think, Manager? Hmm?"
"…No. Not interested at all."
Not even in the slightest. At that, the madness that had been glittering in Calathea's eyes slowly receded, returning to the version of her I knew.
"Well, I figured you'd say that. After all, you're much more fun than something like that anyway♪"
"……..."
"Alright, we're here."
"Huh? Where exactly…"
The place where Calathea had abruptly stopped and brought me was none other than—
—the front of an adult shop with [SEX TOY] written boldly on the door.