Chapter 11. A Day in July (Part 3)
Whoosh! With a laugh, Hye-mi twirled like a windmill, dashing across the beach. She plunged her feet into the waves as they rolled in and out, then turned and waved her arms frantically toward her sister and brothers.
Oh-ger-nam and the troll girl had no idea where the horizon ended or how long the beach stretched. It was on a completely different scale from what they had imagined. The sea was not a large pond—it was a true ocean.
The scorching sun poured down onto the clear, sapphire sky above this beautiful beach, a breathtaking landscape that would stay etched in their memories forever. Nature’s perfect artwork, untouched by human hands.
Hye-mi, Oh-ger-nam, and the troll girl were already running wildly across the water like excited children, creating a complete ruckus. Kang-jun and Tsu-shi watched from a short distance away, smiling at their joy.
“Why aren’t you joining in?”
“I- I’m fine. I’ll just watch…”
Kang-jun glanced at Tsu-shi’s side profile, her hair whipping in the salty breeze, and a mischievous glint appeared in his eyes. Without warning, he pulled her into a tight hug. “Eh? Eh? Team Leader, wait a second!”
He dashed toward his team and threw Tsu-shi straight into the sea. Splash! In an instant, she was soaked. She opened her mouth wide, gasped for air, and scrubbed her wet face with both hands.
“Take this!”
Hye-mi splashed water at her. “Ugh… Hye-mi, you b*stard.” The sister had ambushed her brother. At first Tsu-shi took the hits helplessly, but she quickly retaliated. Then Oh-ger-nam and the troll girl jumped in to join the fray. With two massive bodies spraying water everywhere, fierce waves churned up. Argh! Argh! In the end, the two women gulped down a full bucket of seawater.
“Hey!”
The three factions took a silent break to catch their breath. Suddenly Hye-mi turned and sprayed water at Kang-jun, who had been watching from the side. …This guy? Kang-jun’s smile vanished. Huh. Hye-mi sensed she had crossed a line.
Kang-jun instantly converted his mana into maximum power and speed. He launched attacks on all three at once. “Ouch! We’re all on the same team!” The four who had been clashing fiercely moments ago suddenly became allies and counterattacked. But even alone, Kang-jun dominated the rest. They struggled weakly before finally surrendering.
The team finished their wild water fight and climbed back onto the beach. Under the parasol, they lounged lazily, staring at the impossibly blue sea and sky until their eyes hurt. Hye-mi slipped out of her clothes to reveal a bikini that barely covered her chest and groin. She slid closer to Kang-jun, lying down beside him.
“I’ll call you Senior from now on…”
“Then I’ll have to interrogate you later.”
“It won’t be easy.”
“Then until it is.”
Hye-mi bit her lower lip, smiling. Then she pulled out an oil bottle. Her intent was obvious.
“Will you rub it on me?”
Of course. Kang-jun accepted the bottle. She lay face-down on the sand and pressed close. He poured oil into his hands and massaged it over her skin. Then he placed his palm flat on her wing bones, feeling the rhythm of her breathing.
His skilled hands roamed freely over every inch of her body. Tsu-shi lay quietly nearby with a towel over her face, while Oh-ger-nam and the troll girl dug in the sand beneath them. No one else was around, so no one would see their intimate touch.
He started at her wrists, gliding upward, then around her armpits. His palm slipped between her shoulder blades and breasts. He felt the firm peaks through his hand and massaged them slowly, kneading.
Her breathing grew a little rougher. After the breast massage, his hands moved down her back and waist, then slipped into the curve of her hips. His fingers traced lower, rubbing the tight entrance. She felt his strength tighten. Yet Kang-jun did not go further. It was not the time for biting, pounding, or anything else.
He carefully coated her front and back with oil, then draped a towel over her face. After brushing the sand from her hips, he stood up.
Just to stretch his legs, he strolled slowly along the beach. Couples, families, friends… Hundreds of people were enjoying the water together in peaceful bliss. It was so calm that the dungeon life had faded from his mind for a moment.
The warm, grainy sand felt heavenly under his feet. …This kind of peace probably wouldn’t last past next year. After the great disaster, there would be no time for lazy vacations.
Kang-jun sat on the sand for a while, gazing toward the distant horizon. Beautiful women’s eyes kept flicking toward him.
“I found them…!”
Ever since yesterday, when she had set up in a hotel room overlooking the beach and scanned everyone with binoculars, Belita had finally spotted the Kang-jun team. The moment she saw Kang-jun start walking alone, she rushed out of her room. She glanced at her reflection in the full-length mirror at the hotel entrance, then approached him with a casual, swaying step, cocktail glass in hand, ready for the occasional sip.
In sunglasses and bright red lipstick, her bikini top on display, she looked like the perfect beach beauty. Men kept trying to pick her up.
“Yes, that’s me!”
Her pride, which had been crushed by constant failures lately, rose again. Still, no other man caught her eye.
“It’s just coincidence. I’ll treat it as coincidence.”
Belita got as close as she dared, but the confidence from earlier had vanished. Her legs trembled. She hid behind a corner and took several deep breaths. Relax, relax. She tried mental control, but it wasn’t enough.
For ten long minutes she hesitated, buying time. The cocktail she had been sipping anxiously was already empty. Thirsty, her mouth went dry in an instant.
She decided to stop pretending. The alcohol had at least loosened her up a little.
Looking at him sitting on the sand, staring at the distant blue sea, she realized she was watching a magazine spread. …He really is handsome. That was why Belita was so obsessed with him—the deadly good looks, the terrifying abilities, the incredible night activities. She cut off that thought and shook her head.
“No, no. I’m not ugly. If I try hard enough…”
She encouraged herself and bit her teeth together. The lewd gazes aimed at her fueled her courage.
While she was approaching, three women had already tried to flirt with Kang-jun and failed. Every time Belita felt a wave of satisfaction.
Huff… Huff. Before speaking, she took one last deep breath, then changed her expression and stepped close.
“Oh, who do we have here?”
Kang-jun turned his head lazily. He should have pretended to be surprised, but he just looked at her like a passing stray.
“Ah, uh… Long time no see.”
“Oh my god, what a coincidence! How did we meet here? Hehe.”
Belita’s heart pounded so hard she barely held it together. Her legs were shaking; she sat down beside him for a moment.
“Really a coincidence, right?”
She smiled crookedly and said it, but her voice trembled, as if he could see right through her. “It’s definitely a coincidence! I came here for vacation too. …This is such a famous summer resort! I got here yesterday!”
“I see.”
“Don’t doubt it! If I was following you, I would have come today or tomorrow. Since I came yesterday, that’s impossible. Right? On the contrary, maybe you were following me!”
“Okay. Really a coincidence. Got it?”
Belita sensed something strange in his tone and instantly regretted asking that last line. But it was too late. Having made up her mind to play the fool, she doubled down. She was good at pretending to be shameless, wasn’t she?
“I’m shameless, after all!”
The tone felt off, but shamelessness was what mattered right now.
After the conversation died, Belita realized she hadn’t prepared any topic. Idiot! If he lost interest and left, everything would be for nothing.
“The sea is really beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
She tried to think of something, then remembered the embarrassing incident from before. Her face flushed with shame. What if he still thought that weird rumor? She could never endure wondering what he really thought of her. She began to make excuses.
“The message I sent before… Well, I was drunk. I don’t remember anything. But my friends who were drinking kept saying weird things. That’s why I sent it.”
“Ah, that? It doesn’t matter.”
“Really? Good. It doesn’t matter.”
Relieved, her mood suddenly darkened. “Doesn’t matter”? She had sent it with real feeling, yet he dismissed it so coldly.
“That… wasn’t entirely a lie.”
“I see.”
“I did mean it a little.”
“Mhm.”
“Maybe even more.”
“Mhm.”
“Under the influence of alcohol, it might have come out fully.”
“Mhm.”
This damn woman! Belita momentarily forgot that he was a jerk. No way, even with the hints she gave, this is how he responded?!
“Then… have fun, Belita.”
Kang-jun stood up. Belita’s heart dropped. Jerk or not, she was about to lose her mind. She stood up too, trying to keep up.
“It’s really a coincidence!”
“Yeah. Which way are you going?”
“Me? …You?”
“You first.”
“No, you first.”
Belita pushed her luck. Kang-jun smirked and pointed in a direction with his finger. She covered her mouth and smiled, eyes curving. “Coincidence. I was going that way too.”
…She’s really determined. Kang-jun glanced her up and down, then turned. Belita quickly followed beside him.
“Since we’re going the same way, let’s walk together.”
“Suit yourself.”
She felt happy. Walking beside him made her look like a couple. Everyone stared enviously. She puffed out her chest. Then she pressed closer, but he kept his distance. Belita thought it was her imagination and tried again. And again he pulled away. Only then did she realize it wasn’t coincidence.
“This cold b*stard!”
Her mood sank again. If she just got a little closer… She had poured out so much effort, yet he drew a thick line. How could her heart not ache?
Yet strangely, relief came over her. Seeing him that firm, she realized he wasn’t the kind of womanizer who hits on everyone. …Right after they met, the guy who asked if she wanted to have sex with him had gotten a pretty high evaluation. He must have a very firm stance.
They walked side by side along the beach. In the distance, the parasol of the Kang-jun team came into view. She grew anxious at once. If they separated here, she might never see him again. She couldn’t keep yelling “coincidence.”
Then an idea struck her brain like lightning. I’m a genius! Belita smiled cheerfully.
“Hey, junior?”
“Junior?!” Kang-jun was stunned. Suddenly he felt he was being treated as senior because of the urgency.
“The personnel being dispatched to the dungeon from the 45th branch—you know they’re recruiting now?”
“I did?”
“Especially for D-rank, one of the two teams is mandatory. It’s like experience.”
Thinking about it, it did ring a bell. Her memory was so long that the details had holes.
“I can tell you a lot. I’m senior.”
“I know the dungeon better.”
“No, not that! …General hero stuff. You’re a newbie. I’m experienced. I can explain in detail… No, you really need to know this!”
Belita stressed that she had to listen to the senior hero’s advice. Kang-jun stared at her face for a moment, considering.
“If you want, I can tell you something special. …Do you have time this evening?”
“Time?” He wasn’t the one supposed to ask that. Kang-jun’s suspicion made him want to laugh. This girl still hadn’t learned. In some ways she looked impressive.
“Time? Maybe.”
“It doesn’t have to be today… Tomorrow? Or the day after?”
“I’ll check my schedule and send it. Okay?”
“For real? …As soon as possible. I’m busy too.”
The last arrogant touch made her look perfect. Belita smiled inwardly.
She returned to the hotel room, buzzing with excitement after receiving Kang-jun’s repeated promises.