Disinfection, and the Cohabitant's Composure
Haesung Group's limousine pulls up in front of Siu's studio apartment—no, Valhalla Branch 2. As soon as the car door opens, the cool night air cools his flushed cheeks. But his back remains slick with cold sweat.
Baek Seol, sitting beside him, hasn't said a word the entire ride. A curse or an ice spear might have been easier to take. Instead, she stares out the window with cold, sunken eyes. That silence feels like a death sentence to Siu, like a prisoner awaiting judgment.
Is she angry? Of course she is.
She caught him rolling around with another woman—her rival, Hong Yeonhwa, no less. Even if it was unavoidable, Baek Seol's personality won't let it slide.
"Get out."
A curt command. Siu bows his head like a criminal and steps out of the car.
The place is packed with cutting-edge gear from Shin Seoyun, but right now, even those gleaming machines don't register.
Click.
As the front door shuts, Baek Seol snaps her fingers.
Crack!
Ice seals the door cracks and windows in an instant, perfectly airtight. No escape. Total lockdown.
"Uh, Baek Seol? Can we talk? Let me explain..."
"Strip."
"Pardon?"
"Into the bathroom. Water's running."
Without waiting for a reply, Baek Seol opens the bathroom door. Steam fills the cramped space. Somehow, she's already filled the tub with steaming hot water.
"I can wash myself, though..."
"No backtalk. I need to scrub you down myself to feel better."
Her eyes brook no argument. Refuse, and it'll be an ice bath instead. Siu reluctantly peels off his clothes and slips into the tub, shrinking down.
Splash.
Warm water rises to his neck. Tension eases a bit—until footsteps approach from behind. His body stiffens again.
Baek Seol rolls up her sleeves, lathers a towel with soap, and perches on the tub's edge behind him.
"Hold still."
The rough towel scrubs his back. He braces for pain, expecting her to flay him alive. But...
"......"
It's surprisingly gentle. Meticulous, almost obsessive. She cleans every inch, lingering on his nape, chest, and waist—places Hong Yeonhwa touched—scrubbing repeatedly like purging filth.
"That vixen... all technique, no care."
Baek Seol mutters low. "Your skin's all chafed. How rough was she?"
Her fingers trace the red marks on his nape. That's when Siu realizes: her silence wasn't rage. It was heartache over her possession being damaged—and a heavy vow never to lose it again.
"Sorry..."
"Nothing for you to apologize for. That enchantress is the problem."
She rinses the foam with warm water. Refreshing. The sticky sweat and pheromones from Yeonhwa wash away.
Siu starts to rise, thinking it's over—
Splash.
Baek Seol's pale hand plunges into the water, gripping his most intimate spot without hesitation.
"Hng?!"
Siu jolts, gulping air. As if anticipating, her other hand pins his shoulder down.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"B-Baek Seol?! This, uh...!"
"Stay put. Still got venom left."
Her lips brush his ear, cool breath tickling unlike the hot water. "I'll squeeze out every last drop."
Her hand moves. Not frantic like Hong Yeonhwa's—slow, heavy, with inescapable pressure.
"Nngh...!"
Siu grips the tub edge. The contrast of her cold palm and hot water sparks bizarre pleasure. Each brush of her fingers sends electric shivers up his spine.
"Felt good when Hong Yeonhwa did it? Like this?"
"No, that was... ngh!"
"No need to answer. Your body's honest."
Baek Seol smirks, picking up speed. She's toying with him, an S-rank hunter savoring an F-rank's every twitch.
Her slender fingers trail up his firm chest like a cat, pausing at the sensitive peaks. She pinches and rolls them playfully, relentlessly.
"Oh? Already this worked up here?"
Unexpected stimulation raises goosebumps down his back.
"Hah... ah... Baek Seol, I'm gonna...!"
"Don't hold back. Spill it all in my hand."
She squeezes hard, thumb teasing the tip. Playful, but inescapable.
"Nngh!"
Siu's hips buck underwater. He releases into her palm, white trails blooming in the heat.
"Hah... hah..."
Exhausted, he slumps. Baek Seol doesn't rinse her hand. Instead, she lifts it, licking a trace off her fingertip demonstratively.
"......!!"
Siu's eyes widen. Utterly lascivious, chillingly seductive.
She wipes her lips, brushes back his wet hair, and meets his gaze with unprecedented seriousness.
"Don't get the wrong idea, Siu."
Her voice carries not an S-rank's intimidation, but a woman's deep sincerity.
"Hong Yeonhwa might've had your body... but the place you return to rest is here."
She places her hand on his chest, over his heart.
"I don't want your shell. I want your heart. So don't even think of running."
"......"
Siu's speechless. He'd thought it mere obsession, possessiveness. But this was a profound acceptance of him entirely. Overwhelmed by her mature composure, he yields.
After the bath, freshly dried Siu lies in bed. Baek Seol cradles his head in her arm, patting him to sleep like a child before drifting off herself. Dungeon raids and guarding him must've worn her out.
Listening to her soft breaths, Siu stares at the ceiling. Body weary, mind wide awake.
Can't sleep.
He carefully slips from her arm, tiptoes to the desk, dims the lamp, and opens his notebook.
The nerd's instinct. Dungeon phenomena—especially mana reflux and bio-bombs—swirl in his head, demanding analysis.
"Phew... just jot it down and crash."
He grabs a pen.
Scratch, scratch.
In the quiet room, only the nib on paper sounds.
Research Topic: Reverse Mana Circuits
◇ Hypothesis: By reversing Rafflesia's absorption pattern, can we create a booster that doesn't consume mana but emits it for acceleration?
◇ Required Materials: High-conductivity medium + high-density mana stone powder.
Siu's eyes sparkle. Success here could let mana-less folks like him amplify and fire S-rank spells temporarily.
This is what I love most.
Skinship with S-rank beauties is great, but deriving formulas with his own hands—this intellectual thrill is his true peace.
Then—
His smartphone buzzes on the desk. Bzzt-.
Who at this hour? Siu checks the screen. Seeing the sender chills his spine.
Siu swallows hard. Block her? Nah, she might show up at the door.
Another buzz.
Thinking of coming to check. Lock the doors tight.
"......"
Cold sweat drips as he quietly closes the phone. He glances back. Baek Seol sleeps obliviously.
If she saw this? The building wouldn't need remodeling—it'd need rebuilding.
Save me...
Siu grabs the pen again. Finish the research fast. To survive these women, F-rank won't cut it. He must grow strong. Fast.
Rain still falls outside. The storm passed, but the typhoon hitting Siu's life is just gaining force.