Older Sister (3)
After their morning mental cultivation, the two spent the afternoon in a sweat-drenching sparring session. Kang-jun was growing increasingly familiar with Jang Hwa-young's swordsmanship. Naturally, his blade was becoming more and more threatening in her hands.
Agility has increased by 1.
He'd been swinging his blade so recklessly that he'd actually managed to raise a stat that hadn't budged before. Honestly, that alone was more than enough reward for a weekend spent training.
When the two grew tired from fighting, they'd chug a cup of water, rest for a moment, then resume. They were genuinely enjoying the swordplay. Her skill was exceptionally high, so he had to stay fully focused. With real blades, a careless mistake could be dangerous.
But that danger sharpened them both. They swung their swords as if they were truly fighting to the death.
This is fun. Really fun…!
Jang Hwa-young could feel in real time that Kang-jun was gradually catching up to her. So she'd convert some of her mana into agility or strength, widening the gap back to its original proportions. But even that was approaching its limits.
Come on, damn it!
It was fun, but being pushed back constantly was starting to get under Kang-jun's skin. He wanted to seize the upper hand at least once, but the stat gap was too wide.
Still, his opponent was over level 300. There was only so much he could make up through swordsmanship alone. If only his level were around 250, he could have fought her on equal footing.
Jang Hwa-young enjoyed watching Kang-jun grow, but she had no intention of being caught easily. The Jang family bloodline burned with an unquenchable competitive spirit. In fact, it was no exaggeration to say that spirit was what had brought her this far.
Still, you've been swinging a sword longer than you've been alive, boy!
Jang Hwa-young's swordsmanship had real depth. While everyone else obsessed over magic and superpowers, she had walked the single path of the blade. How many years of contemplation and anguish had she endured to prove the greatness of the sword!
No matter how much of a genius Kang-jun was, he couldn't overcome the weight of time—
…that's what she thought, until she was genuinely startled by a blade coming in with terrifying precision, and she blocked it with all her might.
Kang-jun was sent flying by the explosive impact, crashing into a wooden pillar with a thud. Damn it! She's trying to kill me!
"K-Kang-jun!"
Jang Hwa-young ran toward him in alarm. Kang-jun lay face-down like a dog, shaking his head a few times. If he'd hit the pillar even a little harder, it might have snapped.
"Are you okay? I'm really sorry. I was startled… I'm so sorry. It was a mistake. Are you alright?"
"Ah, yes. …I'm not dead yet."
Damn it. I'm supposed to be smiling even in this situation because I'm about to fuck her.
But Kang-jun knew how important that one fuck was. This wasn't just any woman—this was Jang Hwa-young. She was worth it. Especially the coupons… Damn it, I've become a total simp.
"I'm sorry. …Shall we take a break?"
"Yes."
Kang-jun stripped off his sweat-soaked clothes and tossed them aside. Jang Hwa-young looked at his back. The spot where he'd hit the pillar was red and bruised.
"Don't worry. It'll heal quickly."
His high constitution stat meant his natural recovery was fast. Jang Hwa-young knew that well enough. Unless his internal organs had ruptured, there was no real cause for concern.
Kang-jun looked up at the sky. The sun had already begun to dip behind the mountain ridge.
"Would you like to go to the stream?"
"…The stream?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"To soak in it. Cool off. We've both sweated a lot."
"…Alright."
They made their way to a nearby stream. There was a pool where the water had gathered. Kang-jun dove off a rock and slid into the water with a splash. Pffft. Then he waved his hand, beckoning her to join him.
She hesitated slightly at first. She'd never jumped into a stream like this before. The most she'd ever done was visit a swimming pool once.
"But I can't swim."
"It's fine. Trust me and come in. Come on, it's okay. …Senior!"
Of course she wouldn't drown on her own, but the murky, dark-green water that hid the bottom was a little frightening.
"Hurry up!"
Forget it. Jang Hwa-young jumped into the water in a strange pose. Suddenly the whole world went muffled. Kang-jun swam over to her and scooped up the flailing woman in his arms.
"Pffft."
Their bodies pressed tightly together. She was suddenly very close to his wet face. It struck her anew, all of a sudden… He's really, really handsome. Embarrassingly so.
Looking at it this way, the gods are truly careless. Giving everything to one person.
"Want to learn to swim?"
"…You'll teach me?"
Kang-jun smiled and brushed her wet hair behind her ear. Jang Hwa-young smiled faintly. Oh god, what a ridiculous situation. Feeling butterflies for a boy so much younger than me feels somehow like a sin. And he's the man who's going to marry my niece, isn't he? My cultivation is still not enough.
They waded to where their feet could touch the bottom. Kang-jun's shoulders were just above the surface, while Jang Hwa-young could barely keep her head above water. He took her hand and told her to slowly kick her legs. Swish, swish. But true to her genius with the sword, she figured out how to paddle after just a few tries. Ah, so that's how you do it.
Kang-jun's hope for a strange romance with a woman who couldn't swim evaporated into nothing. …Too much talent is a problem, isn't it. Damn it.
This is fun! So fun!
Jang Hwa-young was already splashing around the pool at her own pace. Not wanting to be outdone, Kang-jun swam after her and grabbed her ankle, yanking her underwater.
"Ah!"
She'd swallowed a mouthful of water from the sudden drop, and she popped up above the surface, wiping her face with her hands. Cough. She coughed up water.
"…Hey!"
Kang-jun laughed and swam away. Jang Hwa-young chased after him with a playful grin. What… the hell, why is he so fast! Kang-jun glanced back and thought a seal was swimming toward him, and he panicked. For a moment, they became cop and thief.
Jang Hwa-young cleverly cornered him. He pretended to flee, then turned and grabbed her, diving deep underwater. Jang Hwa-young poked his back with her fists. Of course, if she'd hit properly, his ribs would have been gone already—she was just playfully tapping.
Pffft. They surfaced again, laughed at each other, and climbed out of the water. Their wet clothes hung limp, dripping.
Jang Hwa-young sat on the bank, panting. It had been so much fun. The two of them looked at each other and laughed without a care in the world. A beautiful sunset painted the sky. …Jang Hwa-young had never known that everything could look this beautiful.
"Senior, we should head back. The sun's setting."
"Yeah. Let's go."
They walked side by side, each holding their wet shoes in one hand, barefoot on the mountain path. Step, step, step. Jang Hwa-young vaguely felt what happiness was like here. …And she wished, just for a moment, that time would stop right now.
Kang-jun changed his clothes and prepared dinner. Jang Hwa-young had also changed into loose clothing. But since she wasn't wearing a bra, her nipples showed slightly through the fabric. …Of course, Kang-jun only glanced and pretended not to notice.
"Senior, please eat."
It was a meager meal—just two instant rice packs and a few instant side dishes. But the two of them finished a bowl each in an instant, gazing at the stars in the evening sky. They'd gotten hungry from training and playing.
After dinner, the final routine was meditation. They sat on their futons and quietly entered meditation.
After a meditation session that was neither long nor short, they spent time asking and answering questions. Once that was done, it was truly time to sleep.
"I'll turn off the light."
"Okay."
Kang-jun flipped the light switch and lay down in the futon right next to Jang Hwa-young. The blanket smelled of the countryside.
As sudden silence fell, some nameless insect began chirping.
Kang-jun had no intention of rushing things from day one. After all, he had five days to slowly get used to her.
…Of course, if he just left her alone, it would take a while before she was ready.
"Senior. Are you sleeping?"
"…No. Why?"
"No, I mean… could I… hold your hand… while we sleep?"
There was a brief silence. Rustle. Something moved under the thin blanket, and a small hand peeked out. Kang-jun took the protruding hand. It had calluses in places, but it was still a woman's hand. Unlike a man's, it was quite soft.
"Good night."
"Yeah. …You too."
· · ·
The second day dawned. They woke early and began their routine. Meditation, a brief sparring session, breakfast, and a clean wash.
After that, they repeated the same things as the first day. The only difference was that they went into the stream a little earlier than yesterday. They splashed around and played just as happily. …Like lovers.
They spent the evening the same way. They slept the same way. And just like yesterday, they held hands. …But this time, Kang-jun hadn't said anything—Jang Hwa-young had reached out first. He certainly wouldn't refuse that.
That night passed without incident, and the third day began.
Just like the first and second days, the routine continued the same. But today, Jang Hwa-young refused to go swimming.
Whenever she looked at Kang-jun, her heart pounded strangely. It felt good, but also painful. …Because she knew her feelings were wrong.
Kang-jun was her niece's man. If she harbored these feelings, she'd ruin everything. Before more problems arose, she needed to steel her heart herself.
"Senior?"
"Yeah. What?"
"The stream water was nice and cool. Are you really not going?"
"Yeah, it's fine."
So her answer was a bit cold. That was her clumsy way of expressing herself.
Work and life must be kept separate. If I waver, I won't accomplish anything important.
She wrapped it all up as being for his sake. It was painful, but she managed her emotions through meditation.
Kang-jun, who had noticed her attitude growing colder compared to yesterday, naturally picked up on the psychological shift. After all the women he'd been through, he wasn't going to miss that.
She's wavering.
This was exactly the moment Kang-jun had been waiting for. The perfect timing. If he moved any faster, her rationality would still be too strong and he'd fail. If he waited any longer, she'd have already composed herself and he'd fail.
Right now, when emotion and reason are in conflict and she's wavering—this is the best moment. He was certain of it.
They finished a simple dinner and entered meditation. Kang-jun ran through countless scenarios in his head for how to seduce her.
'Maybe a direct approach would be better.'
She was so ignorant about biological men that a straightforward frontal assault might actually be effective. Just like it had been back then.
"Shall we turn off the light?"
"Shall we?"
"Let's."
There was no Q&A session after meditation today. That meant her mind was complicated.
Kang-jun turned off the light and lay down. She didn't reach out her hand tonight.
He didn't start working right away. He waited a little. …In this soft silence, until her heart loosened up a bit.
Kang-jun kept tossing and turning. Jang Hwa-young wondered why he was moving around so much tonight. It was far more than usual.
"Senior."
"Yeah. …Is something uncomfortable?"
His tone was clearly concerned. Good. The start isn't bad.
"I… can I be honest?"
"Of course. …I'm always on your side. You can say anything."
His voice softened at the words "always on your side." Almost as if he were soothing her.
"Senior."
"Yeah."
"I… I can't hold it in anymore."
"…What?"
Kang-jun panted a little. Of course it was an act.
"My body is so hot. …I've been holding it in since yesterday. Ugh."
Oh my…! Jang Hwa-young was genuinely flustered.
Even if she was ignorant about sex, she couldn't possibly miss the metaphorical expression of a "hot body." Jang Hwa-young was suddenly terrified, not knowing what to do. It was so unexpected.
"W-W-what…?"
"I've been holding it in, but I don't think I can anymore. …What should I do?"
"W-Well, I…"
Jang Hwa-young didn't know what to do.
Then suddenly, she remembered something he'd told her before. That Kang-jun had an unusually strong sex drive compared to his peers. That he couldn't last a single day without a woman. …Only now did Jang Hwa-young realize she'd been too excited on the first day to even think of that. If I'd known this would happen, I should have brought Hye-yeon…!
"W-What should I do then?"
Jang Hwa-young asked, sitting up slightly. Kang-jun didn't answer—he just groaned in agony.
She swallowed hard, unable to sit still. Kang-jun tossed and turned again, speaking in distress.
"Senior. Ugh. I'm really at my limit now. Ah."
"No, Kang-jun. I, I, what should I do… I…"
Kang-jun twisted his body as if in pain. Completely ignorant of a man's inner workings, she mistakenly believed he was truly suffering.
"Kang-jun! W-What should I do…"
"Senior, senior!"
"Kang-jun, yes, I'm here. …Can you hold on a little longer? I'll call Hye-yeon right away. Tell her to hurry."
"No. I can't hold it that long. Senior. I'm so… so uncomfortable right now…!"
Thinking about it, the distance from the mansion to here was quite far. It would take at least three or four hours. If he was suffering this much, he probably couldn't hold on until then.
"Kang-jun. Are you okay? …What should I do? I, uh, Kang-jun. Ah…"
"Senior. …Ugh, senior!"
This bitch isn't going to give in at all?
"Seeeenior."
Kang-jun panted a bit more heavily. Hearing that sound, Jang Hwa-young's breath grew short. Her hands trembled. A thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
…No! That's an immoral act. Kang-jun is the man who's going to marry Hye-yeon.
But he kept suffering. He said he couldn't hold on. That he was at his limit. He kept panting. …And that sight worried her while simultaneously arousing her.
She did know that men had strong sex drives. But she was learning for the first time that if it was really bad, they could suffer like Kang-jun. That's why he'd risked embarrassment and said those things. Now it all made sense.
"Seeeenior. I, I'm suffering. I, I'm going to die…"
…There was no choice. There was no other way. No matter how hard she thought, no proper solution came to mind.
"K-Kang-jun."
"Senior… I, I, now… Ugh."
Jang Hwa-young was truly embarrassed. She'd never been this ashamed in her entire life. …She gripped the blanket tightly with her hands and barely managed to part her lips.
"Then… would it be okay if… I… did it?"