Leisure Time (14)
"...Im Chan-woo is the Root's King?"
"It's not that he is, exactly. More like... maybe he could be? It's just speculation, so don't take it too seriously."
She must have realized how ridiculous her own words sounded, because she let out a laugh, waved her hands dismissively, and took a sip of the coffee she'd left on the table.
"...What's the Root's King?"
Na-bi, who had been quietly listening to us while eating her cake, suddenly asked.
"What? You're the same species and you don't even know that?"
"I couldn't understand a single thing about Root's Memory or whatever it was. What do you want me to do about it?"
"Seo-hee, calm down. Your name was Na-bi, right? You really don't know anything?"
Chae-yun leaned in close to Na-bi, her voice carrying that signature calm tone. Na-bi simply nodded quietly.
"This kid has vague memories left from when she was human up until now. The only things she remembers are a dark room and the voice of a human called 'Daddy' who told her to capture Im Chan-woo. Even so, I didn't think she wouldn't even be able to see Root's Memory..."
"Then what do you feel when you look at Chan-woo oppa, Na-bi? Does your body get hot or anything...?"
"No. I just think he's a strong, scary person..."
Na-bi shrank back, seemingly overwhelmed by Chae-yun's calm demeanor. So she felt nothing when she looked at Chan-woo? My eyes met Chae-yun's.
After we obtained human bodies, we are instinctively drawn to superior genes suitable for reproduction. The way to recognize such a superior male is to kiss and taste their saliva, or consume any of their bodily fluids. In Im Chan-woo's case, simply looking at him made our entire bodies burn with heat.
Lee Chae-yun must have experienced the same thing I did. But Na-bi didn't even recognize Chan-woo as a potential mating partner. What was going on here?
"...Anyway, don't worry too much about that. I'll make sure Seo-hee unnie protects Na-bi properly."
"Thank you...!! You're so kind, unlike some people..."
Na-bi took Chae-yun's hand with a bright smile. It sounded like she'd said something slightly irritating, but I'd deal with that later by hitting her. Even though Na-bi was the same species as us, she felt somehow... different. There was an undeniable sense of unease, but there was nothing we could figure out right now. Chae-yun seemed to sense it too, because she smoothly changed the subject.
"Shall we get back to what we were talking about earlier? The story of the Root's King."
Chae-yun set down her coffee cup and continued.
"Do you know how we were born?"
"Well, we fall from flowers and parasitize human bodies..."
"No, not that. How were our ancestors born?"
The myths that humans commonly speak of—Greek mythology, Norse mythology, or the legends spread across Korea, Japan, and China. There is one legend that has been passed down to us as well. And that is the tale of the Root's King.
Na-bi had already set down the cake plate she'd been holding and was focusing intently on Chae-yun's story.
"In our history, there have been other members of our kind who entered male bodies, but the Root's King is a special case. He is the father who gave birth to us. The first man who planted a flower and made it bloom."
"...What? There was someone like that?"
"A very long time ago. Around the time when humans had just discovered fire, a man wearing silk clothes instead of leather garments, without a speck of dust on him, arrived at a sunlit patch of earth. He planted a single seed there, stood guard over it for a full week, and made one flower bloom."
"And that was..."
"Yes. Our distant ancestor. The flower grew and scattered its oversized petals to the wind. Those petals were eaten by beasts, burned, and washed away by water. But by some stroke of luck, one petal successfully parasitized a human woman's body. The moment it seized control of the body and gained intelligence, it began walking back in the direction it had come from."
"Why?"
At some point Na-bi had become completely absorbed, like a child listening to a fairy tale.
"I don't know that part. It simply followed its instincts and walked endlessly. It easily repelled the beasts that attacked it, taught its knowledge and language to a few humans, and finally arrived back at the spot where the flower had bloomed."
Her tone really has become like a mother reading a book to a child.
"The man was standing in the place where the flower had been. And our first ancestor fell in love with him at first sight."
"And then what happened?"
"What happened? They fucked, obviously."
"...."
"Wow, unnie, that really kills the mood."
Fuck. This is my fault again, isn't it.
"No, they just lived happily ever after together. Why are you dragging out such a simple story with all this long-winded nonsense?!"
"...Anyway, the man and woman shared their love and produced a seed. That seed spread and multiplied, and that's how we came to be."
Chae-yun lightly ignored my protest and finished the story. Na-bi clapped her hands in wonder.
"...Your name is Chae-yun, right unnie?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Can't you just become my big sister?"
"You. Come with me. When you're done getting ready at home, contact me."
I grabbed Na-bi by the back of her neck as she continued staring at Chae-yun and dragged her out of the cafe. From behind us, Chae-yun's voice grew more distant.
"You're not going to pay for the coffee?"
"...Nngh♡ Hic...?♡"
What...? My chest was tingling strangely, and it felt... good.
'Then starting today...'
"Kyaa?!"
An unknown, unpleasant voice echoed from inside my head, spreading through my ears. The disgusting sensation startled me so much that I sat up from where I'd been lying down.
"...This is my room? When did I get here..."
I definitely remembered going out for exercise, but my memories after that were hazy. When exactly had I come home? And why did my whole body smell pleasantly of body wash? Had I washed up and gone to sleep? The fact that I couldn't remember any of it felt strange, so I struggled to recall something—anything.
I pressed a hand to my head and tried to concentrate. I even tapped my temples with my palm.
"...."
It was no use. I couldn't remember anything. If there was one thing I did remember, it was the pleasure I'd felt right before waking up. It had definitely come from my chest...
I lifted the blanket to check my breasts. In that instant—
"Ungkhh?!♡"
An electrifying pleasure shot up from my nipples, piercing straight through my brain. Just from that, I came lightly.
What? What was that? Why...?
All I'd done was lift the blanket. My nipples had barely brushed against the fabric. That was all it took to make me come?
"K-khh..."
My body wouldn't move properly after the orgasm. Forcing it to obey, I carefully checked my chest again.
"...Huh? What is this?"
My breasts had grown. It was only a little, but the change was obvious enough.
"...I'm twenty-four years old..."
I was already well past the age when they should be growing. I'd heard that shape could change slightly, but never that they could grow this much in a single day. Confusion flooded my mind.
"Damn it, first I need a mirror..."
I stood up to turn on the light so I could examine myself more closely in the mirror. Once again, my nipples brushed against the blanket.
"...?!!♡♡"
I somehow managed to hold back the moan threatening to escape...♡ My body trembled, my legs lost all strength, and I fell off the bed onto the floor, drowning in the aftershocks of climax.
What had happened to my body...? If it had become like this, I should at least remember something, but there was nothing. I barely managed to get up again and reached for the light when I heard movement from the living room.
"...Noona, are you awake?"
"...!!"
"I heard a loud noise. What happened? Keep it down, it's the middle of the night."
"...G-get... out...♡"
"...Your voice sounds weird. Were you crying?"
"I'm not, so just get out...♡"
Hwang Su-ho mistook my voice—still thick with lingering pleasure and moisture—for something else.
"...I'm sorry for speaking so rudely earlier, Noona. I know you cared about Chae-yun too, so I understand why you're angry. But now there's nothing between me and Im Chan-woo, so please stop. It's painful for Dad and me, but it's painful for you too."
"...Kh...!!♡"
I couldn't hear anything. Every time my hypersensitive nipples touched my own skin, sharp pleasure flooded my brain and drowned out all sound. The most I could manage was barely covering my mouth as I stood there. That was my limit.
"...I'll go back to sleep. You should sleep soon too, Noona."
As the sound of footsteps faded, I let out a sigh of relief. I couldn't stay here... If I did, Dad or Su-ho would definitely catch me. I carefully put on clothes while minding my chest, left my room, passed through the entrance, and stepped outside.
The darkened sky and cold night air enveloped my entire body. I'd come out, but where should I go...?
"Teacher, what are you doing here?"
An unpleasant voice came from behind me. Wait, this felt like something that had happened before...
Startled by the strangely familiar yet unfamiliar voice, I turned around to see Im Chan-woo standing there.
"...You, what...♡"
"I don't sleep much at night."
"Teacher... what are you saying..."
"Hm? You told me to call you that, didn't you? During today's outdoor exercise."
I had? I'd exercised with a guy like this? That kind of thing... I hated it. My head was growing fuzzy again... My consciousness...
"R-right. But what makes you think you can just talk to me like this? It's only because of what Dad said. I don't want to get close to you."
Huh? Was that really me speaking? ...What was I thinking? I was the one saying it.
"I'm sorry. I just saw you while I was passing by. By the way, Teacher, why are you hunching over like that?"
Im Chan-woo casually pointed out my posture. I hadn't been able to wear a bra because even the slightest touch against my chest made me climax. I'd thrown on an oversized tracksuit, but if I relaxed my posture even a little, the fabric would brush my nipples...
"M-mind your own business and get lost..."
"Aww, don't be like that. How can someone who exercises have such bad posture? Here, 'straighten your back.'"
"...Hwaet?"
Of course I had no intention of listening to him. But for some reason, the moment I heard that voice, my body moved on its own, straightening up perfectly. And because of that, the fabric pressed against my chest...
"Nngyaaah?!♡♡"
It felt so good♡ No, don't look. Not in front of you, of all people...!!
Another wave of pleasure buckled my knees. I covered my face in utter humiliation at having climaxed in front of the man I hated most in the world.
"...Well, it's a good thing no one's around at this hour. So you're the kind of pervert who cums just from her nipples brushing against her clothes on the street?"
"...What the hell...?♡"
This bastard... what was he saying...?
"The chest seems fine for now. Shall we work on that mouth next?"
"You right now.... what are you...♡"
I had to resist. But strength wouldn't come. The man's arm seized my own—the arm I'd trained my entire life. No. No. Please, someone save me...