Body-Self Synchronization Potion
I made a selfish choice. I abandoned Mina and chose death for myself. So, I figured if I ever saw her again, she'd chew me out. Not hatred, exactly, but she'd be seriously pissed.
But I never saw this coming.
"Hngh... O-oppa's gotten sooo cute~ He's just too adorable~"
"Guhhh... Mina... this is uncomfortable..."
"Hehehe... Cheeks are all squishy, and he smells so nice. Like a baby scent? Totally fresh and innocent."
"I messed up... so can't you cut me some slack just this once...?"
"Heehee. Still got a bit of oppa's old vibe left. Wonder if our daughter would look like this?"
"..."
No matter what I said, Mina ignored me. She completely tuned me out. She just kept hugging me tight and rubbing her face against mine.
Better than crying and wailing, I guess... but that only lasted a moment.
After hours in the same spot, glued to her, it was pure torture.
Agh... Been needing the bathroom for a while... can't hold it anymore...
I'd been putting up with it out of guilt toward Mina, but no more. I had to escape for the toilet at least.
"Gruuuh... Mina... I gotta pee... let me go to the bathroom?"
"Hmm... bathroom?"
Finally, she reacted when I mentioned it. Guess she didn't want to see me piss on the floor either.
Phew. Lucky.
So, bathroom break, then keep some distance. No more endless hugging—we needed a proper talk.
...Or so I thought. My expectations shattered completely.
Mina scooped me up and carried me straight to the bathroom.
Click. She locked the door behind us, grinning like it was the funniest thing ever.
Oh no... no way...
This can't be what I'm thinking, right? Mina, you weren't this mischievous before!
"Gruuuh... Mina... I gotta pee... could you wait outside? It's weird with you watching..."
"..."
"...Mina?"
"...Oppa. You have no idea, but I was really mad. I didn't blow up 'cause you're cute, but I'm still sulking."
"Ah... haha... right..."
"So... I wanna see oppa properly embarrassed."
Oh... please no. Don't do this. Mina, I hate stuff like this.
"So, oppa... time for a real scolding today."
I resisted, but it was pointless. I had no right to argue with her anyway.
In the end, I suffered the ultimate humiliation in front of Mina.
"Sniff... sniff..."
After the embarrassment, I curled up in the corner of the room, whimpering.
Ughhh... We've known each other for almost ten years, and now I'm acting all cutesy for her... so humiliating... My tough guy pride is crumbling.
'If I don't do cute stuff right, she'll block me from peeing...' This isn't the sweet Mina I know.
She's seriously pissed, so she's tormenting me like this. And at some point, she dropped the formal speech too.
Regular aegyo didn't work. Calling her "unnie" or heart hands? Ignored.
When I couldn't hold it anymore... I ended up clinging to her, meowing like a cat.
Meowing and hanging off Mina... ah... mortifying.
Roll roll. As I cried in the corner, the crystal orb rolled over. It smacked me lightly with squid tentacles and spoke.
"You fool! What a pathetic sight! Are you truly the one who slew this body in one blow?!"
Harsh words, but it was her way of comforting me. The crystal orb pitied my crying.
"Still... no choice... I did her wrong big time... And I promised if there's a next life, I'd give it to her... got nothing to say..."
"? What do you mean 'next life'? Fool, what have you done?!"
As I started to answer the crystal orb, the door opened. Mina walked in and headed my way. She snatched the orb, whose squid tentacles were waving.
"? What's this?"
"Insolent wretch! Unhand me without permission!"
"Hmm... Minwoo oppa, some pet you picked up?"
"Wretch!!! Do not treat me as a pet!!"
"Ah. Shut up."
Mina tossed the orb to the floor like it was nothing. It curled its tentacles around itself in pain.
"Gaaahk!! Handle this body with care!! If this crystal shatters, I truly die!!"
Roll roll. Judging Mina dangerous, the orb fled outside. Mina ignored it and came to me. She lifted my huddled form and hugged me tight.
"Aah... seriously so lovable. Like having a daughter? Wanna hold her all day. Especially these cheeks—total delicacy."
Squish squish. My soft cheeks stretched out, then bounced back plumply. It hurt from how hard she pulled.
I rubbed the sore spot.
"Ughhh... Mina... I'm not a doll. Don't just grab me like that."
"Ha. Oppa. Forgot? You promised if there's a next life, you'd give it to me. So you're mine now. I touch what I want. No veto for you."
"Yeah, but... treat me like a person at least... this is straight-up doll handling..."
"Hmph. Who told you to abandon me? Ugh... gets me mad all over again. Know how I felt after you left?"
"Uwuh... don't pull my cheeks..."
After kneading them to her heart's content, she finally set me down. Then she opened her inventory and pulled something out. I was genuinely shocked.
Mina... you serious?
◈ Consuming this potion transforms the self to match the body.
The potion Mina pulled out forced synchronization between body and self. Usually for transformation classes boosting stats.
I'm in a child's body now. If I drink it... my self would warp to match—a child's mindset.
Self is the sum of thoughts. Meaning, my thinking would regress to kid level.
Mina's smart. No way she didn't know what this meant for me.
So why pull it out?
"Oppa. You look shocked. Wondering why I brought this?"
"...Yeah. Why show it off? If I drink it... my self becomes a kid's."
Mina fell silent at my question. Just stared quietly.
Then she spoke her mind.
"Oppa. I respect you. Whatever you did, I trusted and followed. But not anymore. The day you died... I realized I was wrong."
She leaned forward, kneeling on one knee to meet my eyes. Our gazes locked at the same level. My reflection in her clear glass-like eyes was broken.
"Oppa. You love fighting. Life-or-death battles thrill you. But that's wrong. Not just a quirk. Your innate nature... it's a sickness that must be cured."
"..."
"Uncured, you'll fight to die again. Same result. I won't allow it."
"...Mina. I..."
"I know. That love made you strong. Korea's safe thanks to you. But you don't need that strength now?"
She said, 'Now I can protect you.' She'd clearly thought this through beforehand.
"I want your second life full of happiness. No worries... just purely enjoying it."
Mina offered the potion. But didn't force it. At the last moment, she gave me the choice.
"Not forcing you. Hate it? Don't drink. But know this: my suggestion is purely for you. My sincere wish for your happiness."
"..."
I made a selfish choice. Abandoned Mina for my death. No regrets. I'd choose the same again.
I'm that kind of bastard.
But not this time. I promised her. If another life, I'd give it to her.
This precious second chance. Last time selfish death for me... this time, life for Mina.
She's precious to me, like I'm to her.
Decision made, no hesitation. I chugged the potion she offered.
The instant it hit, I knew. Brain-melting unease. My self warping to a child's.
Change I could resist. But I didn't. I accepted it fully.
"...Yeah. Thank you so much. Oppa. I'll work hard for you too."