Built Different

The first sensation of the foot bath wasn't so bad.

When my toes first touched the water, I thought it might be a bit too hot, but...

Once I slipped my feet all the way in, the pleasant warmth melted my tension away.

As my body grew heavy and relaxed, a gentle aroma began to drift up.

What had initially felt like just a "nice scent" gradually began to take shape.

The scent of hinoki cypress wafted from the rounded wooden tub, while the warm water released hints of herbal notes and a tangy citrus aroma.

It felt as though both my body and mind were dissolving in the cozy warmth.

With soft music playing in the background, I quickly grew drowsy.

Beside me, Na Jia whispered softly.

"You can sleep if you get sleepy while getting it done."

"Okay..."

The moment my voice trailed off, slumber claimed me.

Reality drifted further and further away.

The sound of footsteps from outside woke me from my sweet nap.

It seemed the preparations for the massage had finished while I was asleep.

What should I do? Should I say hello?

As our eyes met, the masseuse bowed politely.

I awkwardly bowed my head in return.

Fortunately, there was no need for small talk.

A quick glance to the side showed Na Jia had her eyes completely closed, and the masseuse didn't try to strike up a conversation either.

Reading the room, I closed my eyes as well, pretending to be asleep.

A gentle pair of hands took hold of my ankle.

My leg was lifted slightly and placed onto a plush support.

Next came the towel. The fluffy, soft fabric brushed up my calf, sending a strange, pleasant sensation through me.

Once the moisture was completely wiped away,

the massage began in earnest, accompanied by a kind voice.

"Please let me know if it hurts."

"Y-yes."

"I'll start by helping you relax."

She said she would help me relax,

but my body tensed up far more than before.

Well... I couldn't help it.

The mere thought of another person touching my body put me on high alert.

Besides, not even my parents had ever touched my toes.

Which meant the sensation of someone pressing the flesh of my toes was entirely foreign.

Wouldn't it be stranger if I were used to it?

For a brief moment, I thought I saw the masseuse smile faintly.

It's surprisingly not ticklish.

I had been a bit nervous about having the soles of my feet touched.

Just as I began to let my guard down, my waist twitched.

Press. Squeeze. Presssss.

I could feel the movement of her fingers.

Unbelievably clearly.

It felt as if the muscles between my toes were being targeted one by one under the pressure.

My soft flesh yielded beneath her fingers.

She massaged my pinky toe thoroughly, rubbing the surrounding area.

As just the right amount of pressure squeezed between my toes, a subtle pleasure welled up.

This feels... weird.

I wanted to wiggle my toes.

I was barely holding it in, but the masseuse must have noticed me twitching.

Her continuous movements paused for a moment.

"Does it hurt?"

"No. I'm f-fine. Please... keep going."

Had I become addicted in this short span of time?

Even a brief pause left me feeling anxious for more.

If just my toes felt this good,

wouldn't my brain completely melt if she massaged the soles of my feet?

A sudden, irrational fear washed over me, but anticipation far outweighed it.

The hands pressing my feet moved again.

First in the center. Then gradually outward. Then back inward.

Just when it felt like a deep press, she would knead in circular motions, loosening my muscles before I knew it.

"You're very tense here. Do you work out a lot?"

"Yes... I started, um, not too long ago."

"Drop by whenever you think of it. Getting a massage is really effective when you have muscle soreness."

"I see..."

My mind grew hazy, making me feel like I was floating in the clouds.

Rather than talking to a stranger, it felt as if her voice was being beamed directly into my brain.

I swallowed hard to stop a drop of drool from escaping the corner of my mouth.

It hurt a bit when the center of my sole was pressed.

If I had to categorize the sensation, it was closer to pain.

Yet, even that pain felt strangely good.

It sounds a bit weird when put like that.

Can pain actually feel good?

It felt contradictory, but to me, it was definitely pleasure.

The massage that started at my soles eventually moved up to my calves.

The masseuse's thumbs squeezed my Achilles tendon before sliding all the way up to just below my knees.

Along with the sensation of blood rushing upward, a tingling electric current seemed to surge through me.

I felt more intoxicated than if I had been drinking.

I drifted in and out of a daze, and by the time I snapped out of it, a significant amount of time had passed.

I must have succumbed to the drowsiness and fallen asleep.

As I blinked my eyes open, Na Jia was giggling.

"Looks like you loved it. Was it good?"

"...Yes."

"Want to come back together next time? We can do a full-body massage then."

I nodded, utterly spellbound.

Just as rivers flow from the mountains to the sea, time inevitably marches on.

And so, the day of Yu Nabi's first personal stream arrived without fail.

Though Yu Nabi herself remained unaware, her stream carried immense anticipation.

To the fans of SnowWitch, Yu Nabi was already "the prospect pushed by the team."

Although the documentary crew had tried to remain as neutral as possible, her growth rate and performance were simply too extraordinary.

She would have stood out like a needle in a pouch anyway, but now the spotlight was directly on her.

Not to mention her striking appearance, which drew eyes even when she did absolutely nothing.

A face that had captivated the public with a single interview was not easily forgotten.

Regardless of her status as a pro gamer trainee, many claimed to be her fans solely based on her looks.

However, fame does not always bring positive attention.

Where there is light, there is shadow.

Where there are good people, there are bound to be bad ones.

In this world, there are always those who will manufacture reasons to harbor malice.

For such people, today was the perfect opportunity.

Yu Nabi's social anxiety was nothing but a glaring weakness ripe for exploitation.

Finally, the stream went live, and the screen showed Yu Nabi's point of view.

Adorning the main screen was the interface for queuing up for solo rank.

Behind it sat a barren, undecorated personal lobby acting as the background.

But it wasn't the lobby or the interface that caught people's attention.

For a split second.

As her gaze casually drifted downward, a pair of round mounds came into view.

Her chest, asserting its presence even from her own first-person perspective, instantly set the chat ablaze.

Naturally, some crude remarks popped up.

The staff at SnowWitch weren't fools; they immediately began censoring the chat at high speed.

But soon, there was no longer any need.

"Uh... Um. H-hell... Hello... H-he... hello."

A stream termination with no discernible motive.

While everyone was left utterly baffled, only one person—

Na Jia—clutched her head.

Oh no.

I taught her something weird, and now she's messing up.