Chapter 18
I'll be your wall from now on. If we lose even once more, Team B is done for. We'd already lost four out of nine rounds. We had to win all five remaining ones. Not a single defeat allowed.
No one said a word. The weight of those four straight losses crushed the entire Team B. Any fighting spirit had long vanished from their eyes, replaced by a desperate prayer: Please don't call my name.
In that dire moment, the host reached into the box for the fifth draw. Two slips of paper were unfolded.
"Team A, Lee Dong-hoon. Team B, Park Ha-young."
My heart stopped. Ha-young. Ha-young swallowed hard and glanced around. Everyone on Team B was staring at her. And shamelessly, with hopeful eyes, they spoke up.
"Win this one for us, at least once."
"You can start winning from now on."
They didn't hesitate to pile on the pressure. But if they got picked, wouldn't they just freeze and give up like always? They'd already decided we were beaten. As long as it wasn't them, right? Revulsion surged at that selfish attitude.
What had these people done when Lee Soo-bin was made to dance in her underwear in round three, or when Jang Yu-ra self-destructed in round four? Sigh, blame, that was it. They couldn't step up themselves, but expected others to win for them.
Then Ha-young stood from her seat, brushing past me. As she did, a tiny whisper reached my ear.
"Come up front in a bit..."
A whisper just for me. What? Why? Before I could ask, she strode forward, back straight and head high. Team A's Lee Dong-hoon was already at the podium, radiating confidence. A smug leisure, like he could handle any command from a girl.
And why not? So far, Team B girls' commands had been tame. Dancing in underwear? Easy for a Team A guy.
"Park Ha-young, please give your command."
Ha-young opened her mouth without a hint of hesitation, as if she'd planned it from the start.
"Get fully naked, then stand there with your hands behind your back for one minute."
Sudden silence blanketed the room. Then sighs leaked from Team B.
"She's forfeiting again, isn't she..."
"She's giving an impossible command she can't even follow herself."
They thought Ha-young was throwing it. Not unreasonable—none of the girls here had stood naked in front of guys for a full minute.
——Actually, some had. Three of them, in fact.
Lee Dong-hoon from Team A seemed to think the same. He smirked.
"I forfeit. Looking forward to it..."
Casual forfeit. If she did it, great show; if not, he wins. No loss either way—his face said it all.
That instant, Ha-young turned and looked at me. Our eyes met. This is it. This was why she'd called me. I stood and walked forward. Everyone stared in confusion—no one had called me.
"Who's that guy?"
"What the hell is he doing?"
Murmurs rose behind me, but I ignored them. I knew why Ha-young had summoned me. We'd done this before.
After yesterday's exam, when I'd walked out naked, exposed to 32 clothed participants. I'd dressed first and shielded Ha-young with my body, giving her cover to change. Become her wall.
Same thing now. Be her wall again.
I reached Ha-young. Our eyes met; she nodded silently. She moved toward the wall. I followed. Turned my back, took off my top, and held it wide open at waist height like a curtain. Pressed my body as close as possible to hers. Her wall.
Just like after the exam. I'd shielded her that way too. Doing it again.
Finally, understanding dawned.
"He's... blocking her so she can strip?"
"No way, is she really gonna do it?"
Whispers spread, but I tuned them out. Behind me, Ha-young started undressing. Fabric rustling. Top coming off, hanger-like crinkles. Pants tie loosening, cloth sliding down smoothly. Each sound etched into my ears, crystal clear. Sight blocked, my hearing sharpened razor-edge.
I stared straight ahead. Forty pairs of eyes on us, but Ha-young was hidden. Between me and the wall—her narrow space. And then—her hand touched my back as she shed her underwear. Trembling. Subtly, but definitely. Bra unhooked, panties dropping. Sounds alone told me she was fully naked. Then she stood behind me, hands clasped behind her back.
"St-start... the one minute timer, please."
Her voice stuttered, shaking. But she didn't run.
Then Lee Dong-hoon complained.
"How do we know her hands are really behind her back? Prove it."
The host nodded. "Yes, Park Ha-young. We can't confirm if your hands are behind your back."
Problem. She was completely shielded between my back and the wall. To prove hands behind back—she'd have to show her body.
Side turn: hands visible, but breasts exposed frontally. Step forward: back view clear, but ass and below to the 40 behind us.
What now? A gulp from behind. Ha-young realized it too. Brief silence. Then.
"Just endure one minute..."
With that soft whisper, she pressed her full body against my back. Something soft squished against me. A warmth and elasticity beyond anything I'd ever felt. And at its tip, something hard poking in.
Ha-young had pressed her breasts to my back.
Blood rushed reverse through my veins. No time wasted understanding. To show hands behind back, side turn needed. But that exposes breasts. So she stuck them to me—side turn keeps them hidden. Logical. Perfect call.
But the sensation defied reason. Soft. Warm. Heart pounding to burst. Yesterday at the exam hall, I'd seen her pink nipples. Eyes only. Now, skin on skin. Worlds apart.
I snapped to. Delay, and her plan crumbles. I swung the held top to cover her lower body on the turn. Slowly rotated sideways. She matched me. Breasts slid across my back, goosebumps trailing. Sideways now, she declared.
"Time the minute now!"
Voice trembling but firm. No rebuttals. She showed her side profile naked, hands behind back. Breast curves peeked unavoidably, but lower body curtained by my top.
"Timing one minute now."
The host's words started it. Hall hushed. I felt her heartbeat through my back. Thump-thump-thump. Racing. Unceasing tremors. Pressing bare breasts to her guy friend. Skin to skin, no bra.
And me—feeling my female friend's breasts on my back, lost in ecstasy I'd never know again.
Then. Trouble. Shielding tension gripped every nerve before. No room for else. But sideways now, just wait one minute—tension eased. And sensations flooded: soft warm breasts, stiff nipples, pounding heart.
My dick stirred. No. Not now. But once noticed, unstoppable. Worse—arms extended back. One hand held top over her bottom; other braced wall for balance. No hand to cover crotch.
Tent pitching over pants, exposed to all. Done. Well, not her challenge. But my pride? Shredded. Everyone knows I got hard from her breasts.
"What the—?!"
"Eek~ He's hard!"
"He's totally feeling it."
"Lucky bastard..."
Outbursts everywhere. Face burned. But Ha-young must be worse—40 people know her tits made me hard. Her heartbeat raced faster against me. Tremors intensified.
Sorry, Ha-young. Apology in my head, but all I could do was hold the wall till end.
10 seconds. Whispers on the tent wouldn't die. Laughter, shock, envy. But I focused on her heart behind more.
20 seconds. Her breath warmed my nape. Breast pressure unrelenting, quivering sharper with her shakes.
30 seconds. Halfway. 30 left. Never knew 30 seconds dragged so.
40. 50. Please hurry. Eternal minute. And—
"One minute up. Team B wins."
Host's voice echoed. Victory. First ever against ironclad Team A. Relief sigh from behind. Team B erupted. First win after four losses.
Glanced at Team A. Lee Dong-hoon frozen, mouth agape. No trace of his smirking "looking forward to it."
Sweet. But not over. Ha-young needs to dress. I turned slowly sideways again. She matched. Front-facing now, her breasts peeled off. Warmth gone. Relief, yes—and massive regret. Would I ever feel this again? I'd pay to redo, forget the 5 million won.
Behind, hasty dressing sounds. Soon.
"Done, Si-woo."
Glanced back. Her face beet-red, ears crimson, eyes floorward, lips bitten. Natural—naked to male friend, pressed tits, he got hard, 40 saw. Normal friends might avoid eye contact for weeks.
Pitying her, I redressed quickly and walked back to Team B sloooow. Giving her time to cool her blush.
Team B folks avoided our eyes. The same who'd pressured "win for us," pushed others forward hopefully. Now heads down. Guilty. They'd nagged; they'd never do it. But Ha-young did.
Gratitude swelled again. First to strip in program one, walled for me, now endured naked minute for first win. Best, strongest female friend ever.
No time to bask. Host announced right away.
"Next draw."
Two slips out.
"Team A, Na Ye-jin. Team B, Han Si-woo. Come forward."
Heart stopped. Na Ye-jin. A matchup with Na Ye-jin. Ha-young gulped beside me.
"Si-woo..."
Worry thick in her voice. She'd just barely won stepping up; now me.
I rose slowly. Legs shook. Na Ye-jin. Team A's boldest, most fearless girl. Victory smile after program one. Throughout program two, eyeing me like Still don't get it?
Girl-boy match, so she commands. What hell awaits? No confidence I'd win.