Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Waiting
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"Th-then, first I'll take a look at your body, so stay still."
"My body..?"
"To check your bone structure, see if there's any issues anywhere. You have to know this stuff before properly starting training."
"Ah. Yes!"
I'd gotten the chance to legally(?) touch his body to my heart's content.
I'd come up with some excuse, but I never imagined it'd work this easily.
If I let my guard down, blood might start pouring from my nose.
I hadn't even reached out to Yuseong yet, but my hands were already twitching on their own.
Good thing I'd hurriedly clasped them behind my back. If he'd seen that, even an innocent kid like him would've realized something was off and bolted right away.
Of course, even then, I wouldn't have let him escape so easily.
"...Ugh."
"Wh-what's wrong?!"
"No.. I just suddenly felt a chill..."
"Must be the weather. Come closer. I'll check you quick."
Even feeling the chill, he commendably didn't run and entrusted his body to me. I pulled him into a hug from behind.
'This much contact shouldn't be dangerous...'
Just five years... endure for five years.
By then, even if people pointed fingers, it'd be legally fine.
"Haa... haa..."
"...Why are you breathing so hard?"
"Oh, no... it's... uh... a breathing technique."
"Ah..."
He bought that too.
Anyway, if I dragged this out any longer, I'd run out of excuses, so I started moving my hands.
-Rustle
"Ah.."
"Stay still.."
I focused all my senses on him while spreading out my qi sense to check if anyone else was around.
If there was, I'd really just check him purely and be done...
'No one's here.'
Otherwise...
-Sliide
I could indulge in a bit of 'play'.
"Eek.."
My hand slipped inside his clothes, brushing over his stomach.
I couldn't see it directly, but the texture at my fingertips painted a vivid picture of its shape.
As expected, it was soft and pale.
When I poked his belly button, he flinched cutely in surprise.
"What's wrong? Was my hand cold?"
"N-no..."
Did he really not know? Or was he pretending?
If he showed even a hint of catching on, I could stop at a reasonable point. But with reactions like that, it was hard to gauge how far he'd let me go.
'What am I even thinking right now.'
I'm just helping a fellow Mount Hua disciple by checking his aptitude.
Any incidental bodily contact is unavoidable, and I had no impure intentions whatsoever.
Even after thinking it through, I wondered if this was really my personality...
'Because I love him.'
Love is noble and beautiful by nature.
Under the name of love, any sin is forgiven.
And I hadn't committed any sins yet anyway.
Just a little teasing.
"Um... is it almost done..?"
"I have to go over your whole body once..."
"It, it kinda tickles."
One hand was on his thigh, the other over his heart area.
If the genders were reversed, it'd be disastrous, but they weren't.
To anyone watching, it was just a senior checking a junior's aptitude, right?
"Hngh.."
As he let out little moans from the tickling, his neck flushed red. I suddenly wanted to lick it.
His equally red earlobe looked suckable too, and I wanted to slide my hand even deeper...
'...Calm down.'
This was still within excusable bounds. What I just thought crossed the line.
No matter how unresisting he was right now, going that far would definitely make him notice something weird.
We'd only met yesterday.
If I got closer bit by bit, eventually molding him into a body that couldn't live without me, I could claim him all for myself...
"Haa... haa..."
He turned his head to look at me.
Breathing raggedly, face flushed, with a bit of tears at the corners of his eyes... it was truly...
'...'
The most beautiful expression I'd ever seen on anyone in my life.
"Is it... almost done..?"
"Uh, yeah?"
"I feel weird... if it's not done, can I rest a bit.."
"Ah, no! It's done! You're fine!"
I hurriedly pulled my hands away and stepped back.
Once off his body, I pinched my nose shut.
As if mocking my earlier vow to make him unable to live without me,
I'd nearly become the one unable to live without him.
'Whew... calm down, Han Soyeon...'
Touching more would be a crime.
-Tap tap
As I barely calmed my heart and turned, I saw Yuseong on the ground, propped up on his elbows, panting heavily.
"Ah... sorry. I've always had poor stamina... my body won't listen after just that..."
"No... it's fine."
"So... did you get the results?"
I could sense anticipation mixed into his flushed expression.
I knew what that look meant.
The hope that maybe he had something special.
But...
"...Sorry."
"...Ah."
I couldn't lie.
"Honestly... your body isn't suited for learning martial arts. Your natural bone structure is too weak. It'll take several times the effort of others just to build any muscle."
It was weak. Too weak.
Sure, he was young and underdeveloped, but this was beyond that. Even for arts emphasizing softness, you can't block a rock with a feather.
You need at least minimal strength to do anything.
I was genuinely curious how he'd passed the entry exam with a body like this.
Maybe his intellect was exceptional?
But watching him use martial arts didn't give that impression, which made it even more puzzling.
"...I'll learn it anyway."
Then his resolute voice rang out.
"No matter how long it takes... I want to learn Mount Hua's martial arts."
Firm determination unlike his delicate appearance.
Seeing him like this, he actually seemed reliable.
"Won't it be tough?"
"...Tough is okay. I came in prepared."
"Hmm..."
I'd thought he was just a frail kid, but he had his own convictions more than I'd expected.
"Alright. I'll help you."
"...Really?"
"I said I'd help earlier."
This was my chance.
Helping him would gain his favor, and in the process, allow legal(?) physical contact.
No matter how young, he's still a boy.
If I kept imprinting on his body from now on, eventually...
'Hehe...'
Harboring grand(?) plans, I taught him some suitable training methods that day and parted ways.
That night, I bragged to Master at length about having my first real talk with him.
A perfect wrap-up, full of anticipation for tomorrow.
"By the way, Yuseong. Why do you want to learn Mount Hua's martial arts?"
-Whoosh
I lightly dodged his punch and asked.
-Whoosh
This was our little wager now.
If his Plum Blossom Fist so much as grazed my collar, I'd grant his request.
If I won, he'd lose freedom of movement for half a shichen.
For the record, he still seemed oblivious to my dark desires toward him.
He thought my free handling of his body was just playful antics from an older sister figure. It was so cute.
'Just 4 years and 350 days more...'
Come to think of it, I hadn't asked his birthday.
Shaving off about 100 days would leave no regrets.
-Whoosh
"The reason you want to learn Mount Hua's arts?"
"Yeah. Being a Daoist has all sorts of restrictions, and if your goal is just learning martial arts, you don't need to come all the way to Mount Hua."
Simply put, if martial arts were the only goal, even the basic Three Disasters Mind Method available on any street would suffice—martial arts were martial arts.
If you wanted something a step higher, joining a sect made sense, but the greater the name, the higher the walls.
The entry exam surely wasn't easy, so I was curious why he was so fixated on Mount Hua's arts.
"I want to make the plum blossoms bloom."
-Whoosh
"Plum blossoms?"
For that reason, coming to Mount Hua was definitely the right call.
"Why plum blossoms?"
"It was Grandpa's dying wish. He said he wanted to smell Mount Hua's plum fragrance."
"...Ah."
Suddenly, the air grew solemn.
I had no idea...
"...Sorry."
"No. It's fine. He's in a better place now."
-Whoosh
The mood turned awkward fast.
'I shouldn't have asked something weird...!'
I had to ask eventually, but not in this situation.
'How do I fix this atmosphere!'
I kept throwing punches, but they lacked power.
"Y-Yuseong...? Let's call it for today..."
The moment I opened my mouth to end the awkwardness,
-Trip
"?!"
I saw him stumbling over his own foot.
He'd obviously crash into the ground.
-Thud
"A-are you okay?!"
I hurriedly grabbed his arm and yanked.
And in that instant,
-Squeeze
"Got you."
Yuseong's arm wrapped around my waist.
"This counts as my win, right?"
"Th-this is cheating."
"Come on. Daoists can't lie."
"...Haa."
I'd been had.
Who knew he had such a sly side.
"Fine. What do you want?"
"You mean I can really say?"
"Anything reasonable I can do, but nothing too hard. Maybe procure some decent herbs?"
"Then... let me call you sis."
"...Huh?"
My brain froze for a second.
What did I just hear?
"Yuseong. What did you just say.."
"Let me call you sis."
"..."
I hadn't misheard.
-Thump thump
"S-sis?"
"Yes. I grew up an orphan, so Grandpa was my only family... So asking to be family is too much, but just let me call you sis."
"..."
Family?
"Uh..."
My mouth wouldn't open easily.
My brain refused to process whether what I was hearing was real or not.
"Too presumptuous, right? A lay disciple suggesting such a bold title..."
"N-no! It's fine! Call me sis! I mean, call me sis!"
I wanted to hear it again.
That word from his mouth.
"R-really okay?"
"Yes. It's fine, so hurry."
He beamed and opened his mouth.
"Take care of me from now on, sis."
-Tremble tremble
I barely clung to the fraying thread of my reason and thought.
Could I really endure five years?