Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Michelle and Her Friends (1): The Cat and the Career Woman
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"Calling me 'Ms. Rone' is too stiff. Call me 'sis'."
With that, she grabbed my hand.
Not content with that, she even started stroking it with a lecherous vibe.
"Whoa, your hand's so rough and hard. Feels great."
Her brazen behavior caught me off guard, so I glanced at Michelle.
I figured she might not like it, but Michelle's reaction was the complete opposite.
"Right? Makes you wanna keep touching it, doesn't it?"
Guess since they're friends, she's not the jealous type.
"It's been ages since I held a guy's hand, so it feels even better. Maybe 'cause you're a young guy?"
At that moment, another friend pulled Rone over and sat her down.
"Don't start acting up the second we meet. Just sit still for a bit. And it's not even been that long since your breakup."
This one seemed relatively normal.
Once all four of us were seated, I finally learned her name.
"I'm Sara. I've been friends with Rone and Michelle since middle school. I've heard so much about you—nice to finally meet in person. You're Ian, right?"
"Yes, that's me. Nice to meet you too."
She had a more sensible vibe compared to Rone.
She must've heard my name from Michelle.
She gave off that cool, professional career woman vibe at work, but here at drinks, she was all friendly warmth.
Pretty face, bob haircut that suited her perfectly—she probably turned heads at the office.
If Sara came across as polite and straightforward, Rone was the total opposite.
With her cat-like smiling face, petite build, and cuteness, she was exactly the type guys went for.
But behind that ever-grinning expression, I sensed something shady, like she was scheming.
Of course, that might just be because Michelle had warned me about her first.
Rone asked,
"So, your boyfriend's name is Ian, right?"
Whether it was her blinking upward gaze or her coquettish nasal tone, everything screamed "flirting with a guy."
Wasn't this her friend's boyfriend she was meeting? Shouldn't she tone it down?
I snuck another glance at Michelle, but she was just beaming away.
She had no clue.
"Yes."
"I see! Bet you hear you're hot all the time, huh?"
"Eh, not really sure."
The moment I answered with an innocent smile, the next question flew at me.
"Heard you're ripped down there too. Michelle must love it."
She even told them that?
Michelle must've bragged about me more than I thought.
"You're twenty, right? With all the young, pretty girls your age, why pick Michelle? Aren't we a bit old for you?"
She flashed her signature cat-like grin.
Got it. This is her vibe.
This woman's the type who stabs you with a smile.
Her words must've hit a nerve, because even Michelle was giving an awkward smile.
"Never seen a girl prettier than Michelle among my peers. And even though she's older, the cute, childish stuff she does sometimes is adorable."
"You call her Michelle, huh."
I heard Sara's impressed murmur.
Michelle was wriggling happily, her grin so wide she couldn't hide it.
"I seeee."
Rone replied, keeping her smiling mask firmly in place.
It was like she was wearing a literal face.
"But you're full of surprises. I figured you'd ask Ian right away if he could hook you up with a hot guy friend."
Rone shook her head at Sara's comment.
"Huh? Nooo? I actually like our boyfriend here."
Michelle, hearing that, giggled innocently beside her.
That wasn't just a casual compliment...
The food we ordered arrived, and we kept up light chat over the meal.
Rone's flirting didn't let up throughout.
She'd nudge my foot under the table, or wink slyly whenever our eyes met.
Michelle, of course, noticed nothing.
"I'm so full now, can't finish this. Boyfriend, be my knight and save me?"
Rone shoved a forkful of steak my way without waiting for my answer.
"Thank you. Put it on my plate."
"Aww, why? Ah, fine. Sis'll feed you."
I said it as politely as possible.
"I'll eat mine first."
"I seeee. Okay, sis won't force you."
Flirting with your friend's innocent boyfriend? How shameless.
I planned to keep my iron walls up from here on out.
Not that I was consciously building defenses.
The women around me were just so exceptional that my standards had skyrocketed.
Rone and Sara were attractive enough, sure, but they didn't quite measure up to Michelle, Anna, or Dania.
The second Rone plopped her steak on my plate, Michelle piped up.
"I'm full too... Ian, can you eat more?"
"Yeah, hand it over. I'll take it."
"Thanks!"
Michelle speared her steak and held it out.
I chomped it down without hesitation.
Rone watched us with her crescent-moon eye smile.
Beside her, Sara stifled giggles.
Michelle seemed genuinely full, but the timing made her look like she was one-upping her friend.
Even after the meal, Rone's barrage of questions continued.
"How's boyfriend in bed? With that toned body, bet you're a beast."
"Not sure, really."
"Oh, come on. Michelle spilled everything. Said you're a monster."
Michelle had bragged even more than I'd imagined.
"Still, don't get too rough just 'cause you're young. Gotta know when to go hard and when to ease up with a girl."
"Enough chit-chat. Let's head out."
I silently thanked Sara for cutting her off.
"Feels like a waste to end it here. Wanna hit somewhere else? Ian, you got time?"
Before I could respond, Rone jumped in.
"Let's go! Get a room and drink."
"Sounds good. What do you think, Ian? Michelle?"
Michelle and I nodded, and we left the restaurant.
While the Ian couple and their friends were on the move, Dania sat at her desk in her room.
"..."
She sat ramrod straight, motionless for a good while.
It looked like some kind of meditation, but really, she was just resting.
Selena's headache had eased, but she still wasn't back to full strength, so she was recuperating in her room. All the housework was done with the other servants.
No calls meant this was her personal time.
But Dania didn't welcome it much.
Whenever she was still, her body relaxed, and thoughts of Ian inevitably flooded her mind.
"Haa..."
She let out a sigh without realizing.
Her heart felt that heavy right now.
She could feel her body gradually accepting Ian.
Her mind firmly rejected him, but her body wouldn't listen—it kept reacting to him.
It made her increasingly anxious.
Could she really withstand his clutches? A vague fear crept in.
...I have to win this.
Even knowing that, her old confidence wouldn't return.
She started blaming herself—had her iron will, honed over years, been this frail all along?
If this keeps up, I might lose everything...
Right as she thought she needed some way out, her eyes fell on the phone on her desk.
Dania swallowed dryly and picked it up.
Rone and Sara led the way to a "good spot," with me and Michelle following.
We walked without suspicion until we stopped at a high-end motel.
...This is what she meant by "room"?
I'd assumed some bar.
"We're going in here?"
Sara answered my question.
"Yeah. Better to relax and chat just us girls, right?"
"Totally."
Rone nodded.
Michelle seemed fine going along with her friends.
Hard to bow out solo in this situation.
I'd partied in group rooms with friends before entering the game, so I shrugged it off and went in with them.
We got a four-person room—spacious, clean, solid spot.
Two big beds, PC, TV, all the amenities. Perfect for chilling or hanging out.
And the basket by the bedside table was stuffed with condoms.
...Motels are for that, after all.
I couldn't forget the female staffer's look when we checked in.
What kind of stud brings girls like these to a motel?
To avoid awkwardness, I pretended not to notice the condoms.
The drinking vibe was decent.
Rone's constant flirting grated, but both she and Sara were fun at heart, so convo flowed easy.
Plus, I'd never drunk with Michelle before, so seeing her cute drunk side was a treat.
Sara, who'd been leading the drinks from start to finish, asked Michelle,
"Michelle, you drunk?"
"Nahhh. Can drink more!"
"Knew it. Here, another."
"Mmm."
"Hold up, Sara! Michelle's glass isn't empty yet."
"Oh yeah? Down it in one go then!"
Flushed-faced Michelle slammed it back.
Her glass filled right up again.
Watching that, I got a weird feeling.
"Sooo full."
"Hey, booze has its own stomach, y'know?"
Now I was sure.
Those two were clearly funneling drinks to Michelle.
"Michelle, you're wasted. Lemme drink that."
"Mmm. Thanks, Ian. But 'm fine!"
Before I could snag her glass, she drained it clean.
Totally hammered.
Sara and Rone kept pushing drinks on her after that.
I tried shielding her best I could, but drunk Michelle ignored me and chugged away.
"Boyfriend's got a strong tolerance, huh? You've downed a lot."
Like Rone said, I handled company dinners' cleanups—no slouch with booze.
Still, pounding this much in short time had me buzzing.
"You two seem stronger than me."
"We are, yeah? Michelle always suffers keeping up."
"Iaaan."
The second Sara finished, Michelle threw herself at me.
Buzzed myself, her boozy smell wasn't too bad.
"Right, boyfriend. That story true?"
I turned to Rone, who'd spoken up.
"Huh? What story?"
"That you're huge down there. Michelle said it's way over 20cm."
"Dunno. Never measured."
Rone's eyes turned sly.
"Not denying it, huh? Still can't believe it. A young, hot guy like you packing that? No way."
"Nooo, Ian's is reeeally big!"
"How d'we know Michelle's not exaggerating to brag?"
Provoked, Michelle clung to me.
"Iaaan, right? I never lieee?"
"Hmm, gotta see it myself to believe."
"It is reaal..."
Michelle pouted again.
Why was this Rone so hellbent on tormenting Michelle?
As I tried to rein Rone in, Sara beckoned me.
"Ian, sorry, but grab some water from the fridge? Think Michelle needs it."
"Sure."
Water might sober her up a bit.
I stood to head to the fridge.
Then, out of nowhere—
"Can't believe it? Gotta see for myself!"
Rone lunged, yanked my pants down—underwear and all.
It happened so fast I couldn't react, and suddenly, I was exposing myself to the women before me.
"Whoaaa..."
In the now-silent room, only Rone's short gasp echoed.