The Logic of Relationships

Approaching to create various opportunities, using those opportunities to increase meetings, gathering trivial information one by one, solidifying the relationship step by step through various methods, and then, after a series of events, gently devouring them... Tap. Tap. I pressed the buttons on the vending machine, tilting my head slightly as I retraced my thoughts. Come to think of it, I wonder if I even managed to keep a couple ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of those promises.

...Well, whatever. The results were good in the end. And not just good—they were arguably the best out of everything that has happened so far. Back when I first discovered Lee Jiyoon lying on the infirmary bed, I thought I’d be lucky if I could just maintain the level of "decently close friends." I can't help but grin, recalling things that happened over a month ago.

The way Lee Jiyoon was wary of me the moment she saw me, only to become embarrassed and allow my advances after receiving treatment. The way she threw me a look of inexplicable suspicion when she saw me getting close to her sister. The way her eyes began to sparkle the moment I cast my line, pretending to be interested in games using information I’d pried out of Lee Hayoon. The way she accepted my ridiculous excuse to help her practice instead of her sister. And, of course, the hidden side of Lee Jiyoon I hadn't even imagined at first.

Perhaps I could call it divine luck. No, that’s not right. It’s not just "perhaps"—it really was divine luck. My original plan was just to play the games she liked and get close to her slowly and leisurely. I’m not a mind reader; how was I supposed to know she had a fetish for getting turned on while being ravished by her sister's boyfriend?

She didn't even show up on camera much, so all I knew was that she had a prickly personality, pale skin, even whiter hair, and looked so incredibly hot that the sense of conquest would be insane if I actually managed to take her. Well, whatever. Thinking about it now, the lack of information was actually a good thing. Due to the nature of being a hero, their faces and residential areas are somewhat public, so obsessive otaku stalkers cling to them relentlessly. But Lee Jiyoon had absolutely no private life involving men. Plus, she’s relatively young, talkative, and smiles often, so I could tame her step by step exactly as I pleased... Mmm. This is even better. I’m curious to see how far she’ll fall by the time she makes a name for herself as a hero.

"...Ah. Come to think of it, speaking of boyfriends..."

That story reminds me of something. When it was revealed that a hero with a Numbering rank had a childhood friend she’d been dating since she was young, the "unicorns" were coughing up blood and jumping ship.

"..."

...Who was that again? I remember trivial details like her boyfriend being a C-rank or D-rank hero... Hmm... The name... Anyway, I definitely remember the unicorns' assessment that she looked like a total slut, but for some reason, I can't recall her face or name. I suppose I must have put her on the back burner once I heard she had a boyfriend. Damn, I usually remember these things instantly after seeing them once. It’s frustrating that it just popped into my head.

"Ugh... Ah, my throat hurts..."

I leaned against the wall next to the vending machine, lost in thought for a moment. Still groggy from a lack of sleep, I grabbed my coffee and started walking slowly down the hallway. My destination was Class 1-A. That's where Lee Jiyoon is.

"Oh, hello..."

"Why is the infirmary teacher here at this hour?"

"I don't know. Why are you asking me?"

"Good morning!"

Perhaps it’s because I’m wearing a white coat. As I wander through the hallways during the morning rush, I receive decent greetings from nameless students. The reason I describe them as "decent" is that the students treat me with an ambiguous attitude, somewhere between polite and cocky. It’s like they have no intention of bowing at the waist, just a slight nod of the head. Of course, I understand. I don't mean to complain about it. After all, there’s no one in this academy with a position as ambiguous as mine, is there? Even I would have felt complicated if my teacher had been the same age as me back in high school...

"Teacher! Teacher! Did you not sleep well yesterday? You have dark circles!"

"...Ah, really? My eyes do feel a bit dry today, for sure."

"You're a healing-type transcendental, can't you treat that?"

"As if. If that were possible, I wouldn't be here; I'd be next to some famous entrepreneur, helping them stay awake for 24 hours."

"Hmm~ Ah, then why couldn't you sleep? Don't tell me..."

"I stayed up a bit late playing games."

"Oh, you like games too, Teacher? What kind of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠games do you play?"

"Yeah... well... this and that?"

I don't recognize this kid, but she's being annoying. I gave vague answers to her prattling questions and scanned the students heading to class. I was looking for someone under 170cm tall with snow-white short hair. But there wasn't a single person who fit the criteria. All I saw were students passing by with lukewarm greetings, and a student running in the other direction, muttering "Cafe mocha, cafe mocha" in a cute voice.

...What a shame. I came here wondering how Lee Jiyoon would react if she happened to see my face. But if I stormed into her classroom, it would draw too much attention to me... It’s a bust. A total bust. I scratched my cheek, dismissed the students, and walked out of the crowd with a yawn. The place I arrived at was the rooftop. The reason was simple: I was sleepy, so I wanted to drink my coffee while catching some breeze. That was the extent of it—nothing more, nothing less.

"...Ah."

If I had known that a spy with blue hair was already on the rooftop, sighing heavily, I would have just quietly found a skybridge or something.

"..."

Is she hiding here to contact the Most Wanted side? Isn't the rooftop, a place open to everyone, a bit defenseless for that? As I pondered various thoughts, I glanced down at the phone spinning in Baek Seoyeon's hand. Not wanting to get involved with that woman and cause trouble, I gave a light nod, closed the rooftop door, and turned my back. That was the end of it. I didn't hear a single footstep following me.

But that’s just a side dish. A side dish. Watching them fight over whether it’s fake or real would be fun, but it’s not something I want to eat often. Anyway, this is my bucket list for now. It’s not just vague; it’s a bucket list that feels achievable if I just have the time. Hmm, I finished typing and stared at the laptop monitor, chin in hand. First, number one. Taming Lee Jiyoon and Lee Hayoon to my liking. I stroked my short nails, pondering how to handle them from here on out.

At first, I thought Lee Jiyoon would be the hardest to target, but hadn't the target changed before I knew it? Lee Jiyoon whispers that she's hotter than her sister and wants me to ravish her. And Lee Hayoon... ...Yeah. She shows a reaction that is extremely typical of a civilian. If she had shown how much she cherished her younger sister, I would have found a way through that... but since they are such an ordinary pair of sisters who bicker, no good ideas came to mind. If they were the type who couldn't live without each other, wouldn't it have been much easier to cross a line off the bucket list with threats? The more I think about it, the more slightly disappointing it is.

"...Well, Lee Jiyoon will do something anyway."

That’s it. That’s enough. It’s not like a good idea would come from my own head anyway. Lee Jiyoon is just as interested in 3P as I am right now, so she’ll try something little by little whenever she’s home with her sister. I stared blankly at the notepad on the monitor and slowly lowered my gaze to number two.

"..."

Han Su-a. It was fine that I established a relationship as sex partners with her and even did it in the infirmary, but... maybe it’s because she’s embarrassed? Han Su-a hasn't even contacted me, let alone visited the infirmary, for nearly a week now. While Yozora, who reeks of "I'm in heat," and Baek Seoyeon, who subtly shows she's wary of me, still visit the infirmary occasionally, only Han Su-a is particularly absent.

"...What do I do about her?"

A sudden headache hit me, so I creaked my chair back and stretched. No matter how I try to think positively, it’s safe to assume she’s avoiding me. They say no news is good news, but isn't this a bit much? To put it extremely, if she died and the contact was cut off, that wouldn't be good news either.

"I thought it would be easy thanks to Yozora..."

It’s understandable that the process before having sex is difficult, but does it make sense that it’s even harder after we've already shared our bodies? If anything, since we've already done it, shouldn't we be increasing the frequency from now on...?

I let out a sigh filled with frustration, then picked up my phone from the clutter on the desk and moved my fingers. Of course, I wouldn't go for a direct breakthrough with Han Su-a, who is busy avoiding me... instead...

- Hey.

- Yozora.

To Yozora, who must be frustrated on the sidelines for not receiving a proper reward. In these situations, it’s more effective to use a subordinate to pressure the target rather than doing it yourself.

"..."

But a minute passed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠easily after I sent the KakaoTalk message. The "1" next to the message I sent hadn't even disappeared—it was a perfect "read-unread." It’s not like Yozora would have turned off my notifications. And it’s not like she’s ignoring me on purpose to piss me off; the expression I saw when she came to the infirmary last time... she looked a bit urgent...

"Is she in class?"

Come to think of it, the time I sent it was awkward. It wasn't on the hour, but at the half-hour mark. I don't know how the academy's curriculum works, but wasn't there a break every hour back in high school? ...Or not? Well, she'll contact me when she sees it later.

Just as I tossed my phone aside and was pouring caffeine into my stomach, a guest arrived at the infirmary.

"Is anyone here? Ah. You are."

"...If you're curious about that, wouldn't it be better to knock before coming in?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that, I just assumed you'd be inside."

"..."

I meant that knocking is basic etiquette wherever you go. I guess I was too indirect. I stared at the other person with a stiff, expressionless face for a moment. I closed the notepad and spun my chair, sticking my hands into my white coat pockets for no reason.

"I sprained my wrist while helping with sparring. Ugh. Maybe it's because I haven't been hurt in a while, but it really hurts..."

"It’s better not to get used to the pain. First, would you like to sit here?"

"Yep, yep."

He’s a frivolous person. And he’s a bit short. I don't mean he looks like a dwarf from a fairy tale; I just mean he’s a bit small. Lee Hayoon is on the petite side, but if she wore heels, I think her eye level would be higher than his.

"..."

"..."

Perhaps it was because I stared at him for so long. The man’s gaze, which had been smiling, turned directly toward me. His mouth is smiling. His eyes are smiling too. Objectively speaking, he’s a person who belongs in the "handsome" category. And I have seen this person before.

"...Hey, what about the treatment?"

"...Ah, right."

Baek Seoyeon. He’s the man who was behind that woman.