The Green Light's Vessel
"...So, you're Song I-ran?"
"...Yeah."
Song I-ran sat there, face flushed red as she fidgeted in her seat. Seo-hee sat across from her with arms crossed. We'd gathered everyone who could still move to introduce I-ran to the group, but the only ones who could walk around properly were Seo-hee and Na-bi. Su-a was too injured and had fallen asleep while Na-bi tended to her. Chae-yun was feeling better than before but still complained of nausea and stayed lying down in her room.
"..."
"But why is your face so red...?"
"Huh?! Ah, this is... well..."
I-ran stammered and waved her hands in embarrassment at Na-bi's question. Seo-hee simply glanced back and forth between me and I-ran, looking completely uninterested. From the way she stared at me without saying a word, it was obvious she already knew exactly what had happened.
Quick-witted as ever, Seo-hee leaned back against the sofa and pulled Na-bi away by the hand as the girl tried to approach I-ran out of curiosity.
"That's enough. You're making our guest uncomfortable."
"...Those words coming from your mouth?"
"...Shut up and sit still."
"Yes."
"Then stay seated. I'll go get you something to drink."
Seo-hee dragged Na-bi off the sofa and headed to the kitchen. Left in the living room were me, Na-bi, and I-ran, the three of us wrapped in awkward silence.
"Uht...♡"
I-ran kept crossing and uncrossing her legs, her expression still hazy and unfocused. The effects of the aphrodisiac must still be lingering. Even now, faint heat rose from her womb, thoroughly soaked in the drug while she was under hypnosis, making her twitch involuntarily.
"...You okay?"
"Ah, huh? I'm fine, really... Don't worry about it..."
When I placed a hand on her shoulder to tease her a little, I-ran flinched hard and shrugged her shoulders before forcing a casual smile at me. But her trembling lips and the hot sighs she kept letting out completely betrayed her words. Did she not even realize her own body was shaking?
Just then, Seo-hee returned to the sofa carrying a small mug. Steam rose from the white liquid inside, and she handed it to I-ran.
"...You don't look well, so I brought something warm on purpose."
"Th-thanks..."
"This doesn't seem like the right time to talk. Drink that and get some proper rest. We can finish the conversation after you wake up."
"..."
I-ran stared blankly into the hot liquid in the mug. Then, without warning, she held it out to Seo-hee.
"...You drink it first."
"...Why?"
"Do you think I'm that stupid? I know exactly what kind of people you are. Flowers that steal human bodies? How am I supposed to trust something given by people like that? Don't take it personally. Surviving is instinct for you, after all. It's the same for humans."
"...Fair enough."
Seo-hee took the mug from I-ran's hands. I had been certain she'd slipped something in, but I-ran—who I'd thought was simple-minded—now glared at Seo-hee with sharp eyes, completely different from how she'd acted until now. Her judgment should have been clouded by the aphrodisiac, yet she was still impressive. Now the question was what Seo-hee planned to do. Knowing her personality, there was a 100—no, 120 percent chance she'd done something to it. Still, if it was Seo-hee, who possessed antibodies to almost every poison...
"..."
Even though I told myself it would be fine, the strange tension in the air made me swallow once and watch with anticipation for how things would unfold. What was Seo-hee going to do?
"..."
Seo-hee blew on the tea to cool it, then brought the cup to her lips. The moment the liquid touched her mouth—
"Kyaaak?! Wh-what is this?!"
I-ran's body, bound by something invisible, floated unnaturally into the air. Behind her, Na-bi stood up with both arms outstretched and approached.
"...I grabbed you gently, so it doesn't hurt, right? You should've just drunk it and avoided this."
"What the hell is this?! This...!!"
I-ran thrashed in panic, experiencing Na-bi's hair for the first time. She pulled an electric shocker from her pocket, turned it on, and swung it wildly, but—
"Kyaaaak?!"
"If you swing that around, you'll only hurt yourself more."
The hair wrapped around her arm twisted it, and I-ran let out a sharp scream as the shocker slipped from her fingers.
"Seo-hee, you can do it now."
"..."
Seo-hee nodded, still holding the tea in her mouth without swallowing. Just what had she put in there that she wouldn't even swallow it herself?
"...You guys, don't tell me..."
"Yes. It's the 'petal tea' Seo-hee made to increase our numbers. Normally we'd just float the petals in, but since this human knows about the petals, I ground them up... She's pretty sharp."
Na-bi answered in Seo-hee's place while the latter kept the tea in her mouth.
"Wait, you're allowed to grind them up?"
"Yeah... guh-eung-eung..."
"We'll explain that later."
Seo-hee, still holding the tea in her mouth, raised a finger to cut me off, then slowly approached the bound I-ran. She grabbed I-ran's chin, which was twisted in pain from her arm being bent.
"...Kugh...! Let go..."
"..."
Seeing I-ran clamp her mouth shut, Seo-hee signaled Na-bi. Na-bi nodded.
"Ugh?! Kyaaak?!! Mmph...!!"
Something invisible grabbed one of I-ran's fingers and twisted it hard. The scream that burst out forced her mouth open, and Seo-hee seized the moment to press her lips against I-ran's.
"...Mmph?!! Mmph!!"
"..."
Without a word, Seo-hee transferred the tea she'd been holding in her mouth. The liquid spilled between their lips through the slight gap, dripping onto the floor. The quiet living room filled with the wet sounds of the transfer. Once she'd emptied every drop into I-ran, Seo-hee pulled away and wiped her lips.
The moment their lips parted, I-ran gagged violently, trying to vomit up the tea she'd been forced to drink.
"Uwek!! No, no...!! Uweeek!!"
"You seem to know exactly what's inside you now."
While I-ran continued dry-heaving, her face drained of color, Seo-hee looked at me and continued the explanation she'd been unable to give earlier.
"No matter what happens to the petals, they can still take over a human body. As long as they get inside, that's all that matters."
"No, no...! I, I...!! ...I'm Song I-ran... right...?"
"What the—how did this happen? ...Ugh?!"
Normally there should have been a reaction, but when the seemingly unaffected I-ran made me step toward her in surprise, a sudden dizziness washed over me. It was similar to the connection I'd felt when parasitizing Su-a with the blue petal, yet somehow different. I dropped to one knee and pressed a hand to my head as a presence echoed inside my skull, bringing on a headache. What was this voice? Was it that man? No. It was a woman's voice...
When I barely managed to lift my head, I saw the silhouette of a woman I'd never seen before, surrounded by green light.
"...You are..."
'...What? It's not that guy.'
After studying me for a moment, the woman turned away. Wait, don't tell me you're also...
I tried to stand and grab her, but my body wouldn't obey. The darkness cleared from my vision, and in the place where the woman had been stood I-ran, staring at me strangely. The green light disappeared into her. The blue light was being pushed back by that green glow.
"..."
"Hey, are you okay?"
"...There's someone inside her."
"Huh?"
"One of the people who created you. The same kind as the man I met before."
Seo-hee whipped around to stare at I-ran in shock. I-ran met her gaze, looking just as flustered.
"...So what?! More importantly... I'm completely fine, though..."
"Unni, does this mean it failed?"
"...Hmph. Keep holding her. I'll try again..."
Seo-hee started toward the kitchen, apparently to fetch more petals, and told Na-bi to keep restraining I-ran.
"No, don't bother bringing them. It'll be the same no matter how many times you try."
"What? Why?"
"Something inside her is blocking the petals. In simple terms, she's immune to them."
I could feel it clearly. Seo-hee had probably used a blue petal. That petal's presence had simply vanished inside I-ran's body, erased by something. No matter how many times we repeated this, the result would be the same.
"What do we do then?"
"Kuhehehe... Puhahaha!! Looks like things aren't going your way, huh?"
The moment Na-bi showed her panic, I-ran realized our plan had gone awry and sneered at us mockingly. Na-bi looked visibly annoyed at the continued laughter, but Seo-hee, strangely calm, seemed to think for a moment before turning to me.
"...Is there a way?"
"...Yeah. Leave this one to me."
"Heung, I don't know what you're thinking, but it's not going to work. If we just stall for time, my coworkers will notice—wait, what are you doing?"
I approached I-ran, who was still sneering and mixing laughter into her words. Then I covered her eyes with my palm...
"Ah..."
I emitted blue light. It seemed this still worked on her. Good.
"What? What did you do?"
"...You wouldn't mind if she stayed at your place for a while, right?"
"Huh? I guess not, but..."
"Then I'll be in your debt for a bit."
When I removed my hand from I-ran's now-quiet eyes, she wore a dazed expression. It looked like the only option was to remove that green light after all. But if it was that, I was the most confident. I ran my hand over her stomach, and even in her hypnotized state, I-ran flinched and flushed. I would absorb every last bit of the light emanating from her body. Right now, that was what I needed to focus on. Both for my own personal pleasure, and to meet the woman of the green light.