A New World
Although I had studied a great deal about my new body and this strange society, there was still far more I had yet to grasp.
Take, for instance, the way men were treated—lavished with an extraordinary level of deference and care that felt wildly disproportionate to their mere statistical rarity. Of course, that was a subjective impression, colored in no small part by the memories of my previous life.
And perhaps... in this world, I might not have to suppress one of my persistent impulses after all. That was assuming everything Leehyun had told me was true, and the women here truly were so easily swayed by carnal desire. If I could satisfy my urges without causing harm to anyone, I was more than willing to indulge. It would make living with my compulsive neuroses infinitely more manageable.
In the end, I'll just have to experience more of it firsthand.
I didn't think Leehyun had lied to me, but caution remained essential. Back in my past life, there was a well-worn adage: Real life is the ultimate crucible. Rather than leaping to hasty conclusions, I resolved to verify things one deliberate step at a time.
"Noona."
By the time I finished organizing my thoughts, I had arrived at the waiting room where she was waiting for me. I called out to her as she sat on the bench, but received no answer.
"Noona, what are you doing?"
Yeo-eun Noona remained glued to her smartphone, completely oblivious even as I stepped right behind her. Wireless earbuds were wedged firmly into both ears, her attention locked onto the screen with ferocious intensity.
Anime?
Peering over her shoulder, I looked down at the display. Sure enough, an animated series was playing.
Tap, tap.
"Huh? Eeeeek!"
After waiting a beat, I tapped her lightly on the shoulder. She spun around with a shriek so violent she nearly launched her phone across the room.
"What're you watching? Is it good?"
"Wh—when did you even get here?!"
"Just now."
"Then why didn't you say something?!"
"I called your name several times."
Fortunately, her phone survived the near-catastrophe. Leaving the outpatient wing behind, we made our way toward the subway station.
"Did the tests go well?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Nothing... weird happened, right?"
"Weird? Like what?"
"You know... like a nurse or doctor touching you anywhere unnecessary."
She kept her eyes fixed straight ahead, keeping her tone carefully casual. From here on, I intended to use her as my test subject. To draw out a reaction, I deliberately dragged out my answer.
"Hmm... well, let's see."
"What? Hey, did something happen?!"
"By the way, Noona, what was that show you were watching earlier?"
Yeo-eun whipped her head around to glare at me. Was she fretting out of her sense of duty as my guardian? Well, an unpleasant incident had occurred the last time we visited a hospital, so her vigilance wasn't entirely uncalled for.
"Hey, that's not what's important right now!"
"But I'm curious. You were watching it so intently. Should I check it out too?"
"Huh? Really? Actually, the theatrical movie just came out and—hey! Don't you try to change the subject!"
She seemed momentarily swayed by my bait before catching herself, her expression hardening into a stern scowl.
"Nothing happened," I assured her.
"Really?"
"Really. I just cooperated with the examination diligently."
Giving her an easy smile, I took her hand. I wasn't lying. No one had touched my body unnecessarily. Every single touch had been entirely necessary for the purpose at hand.
"Let's hurry up. I'm hungry."
"Right... what should we grab on the way home? You want tteokbokki?"
"I get to pick?"
"Actually, never mind. You need to eat porridge."
"Then why did you even ask?"
Even though we were walking down a relatively quiet street, she made no move to pull her hand away. Instead, she adjusted her long strides to match my shorter pace. The corners of her lips seemed to twitch with a faint, suppressed tremor.
"Wait... did you spray something on yourself? Why do you smell so good?"
"A good smell?"
"Yeah. It's kind of... *sniff, sniff*. Doesn't seem like cologne, though."
Leaning down slightly to bring herself closer, she tilted her head with a puzzled squint. I hadn't applied any fragrance. As for what kind of scent it could be...
Ah, right.
Come to think of it, the tissue stained with semen was still tucked inside my pocket. I had kept it with me so I could dispose of it properly in a restroom trash bin. Still, there was no reason semen ought to smell pleasant.
"So, are you really not going to tell me what anime that was?"
"Ah... well, that. It's not like I was watching it just because it's super amazing or anything..."
She launched into an explanation, her face practically glowing with uncontainable excitement. Showing genuine interest in what the other person loved was the most reliable way to cultivate goodwill—a universal truth that held just as firm in this world as it had in my previous life.
"It sounds really famous."
"Totally! That's why it got a theatrical film. It's playing in theaters right now, though I haven't gotten around to seeing this latest movie yet."
I would probably have to look up the anime she liked. I also needed to browse that community portal I had discovered yesterday to study the kind of behavior and speech women found charming in men. It was a site hosting countless forums and galleries where women seemed to unleash their pent-up desires without restraint.
"Sounds like fun."
"Right? You want to watch it too? I can lend you my streaming account."
"Yeah. Thanks, Noona."
It would be even better if I could probe her personal tastes directly, but a natural opportunity for that would present itself in due time.
"It's pretty crowded today, even at this hour."
"This is normal. Last time was just unusually empty."
We arrived at the subway station. Before long, the train pulled in, and there wasn't an empty seat in sight. We were fortunate just to have enough elbow room to stand comfortably.
"Let's just sit down in that corner over there."
"On the floor?"
"Yeah. Pull out your phone. I'll install the app and log in for you."
She pointed toward the partitioned wall beside the train operator's cabin door. Then, without a second thought, she strolled over, leaned against the wall, and plopped right down onto the floor.
As a backlash to living an entire past life suppressing my base desires, I suffered from lingering obsessive-compulsive traits. Objects had to sit in their designated places; crooked lines grated on my nerves. While it wasn't severe enough to impede ordinary life, I had endured mild germaphobia and OCD for a very long time. Sitting directly on the bare floor of a public transit system traversed by tens of thousands of strangers was completely out of the question.
"Noona... wait a second."
"Huh? What is it?"
"Do we really have to sit?"
"It's quite a ways to go. Just sit down."
"Then... can I sit here?"
I reached out and pointed directly at her lap. She looked up at me, her eyes widening in utter fluster.
"Th—that's..."
"Is it not allowed?"
"I mean, it's not that it's not allowed, but..."
"Okay. Thanks."
Without giving her time to reconsider, I settled right down across her cross-legged lap. It was surprisingly comfortable, and the soft cushioning against my back felt remarkably pleasant.
Gulp.
I felt her entire frame stiffen with tension. As she straightened her slouched posture, the plush warmth behind me shifted upward, pressing firmly against my shoulders and the nape of my neck. Delighted by the yielding softness, I nestled backward, rolling my head lazily against her until I was thoroughly buried in her chest.
Everyone is staring.
The gazes of the seated passengers immediately converged on us. Whenever my eyes met theirs, their cheeks flushed crimson and they hastily averted their glance. Every single one of them was female, dressed in a variety of styles. The singular trait they all shared was that every last one wore makeup. Even those dressed in casual loungewear had applied cosmetics to some degree; none were bare-faced.
Yeo-eun Noona... definitely isn't the norm.
In contrast, she went outside completely bare-faced, wearing nothing more than a hasty layer of sunscreen. Women in this world exerted immense effort to groom themselves, fiercely competing for the attention of scarce males—much like wild animals displaying vibrant plumage or decorating nests during mating season. Yet Yeo-eun Noona engaged in none of that. It wasn't born of supreme confidence in her natural looks, but rather the air of someone who harbored zero expectations toward men altogether.
"Noona? Weren't you going to install the app for me?"
"Huh? Ah... r-right. Yeah."
She moved like a broken machine. Her fingers trembled faintly, her demeanor that of someone whose mind was drifting miles away. All the while, she kept drawing in deep, measured breaths—exactly like someone savoring the aroma of a mouthwatering feast.
Noh Yeo-eun felt as though her heart was pounding loud enough to shatter her ribs. She was terrified that Jeongseo might feel the violent thumping against his back at any moment and find it bizarre. Even so, she couldn't tear her eyes away from the small, delicate creature cradled securely in her lap.
Her gaze wandered over his glossy hair and the fair nape of his neck, dusted with fine, downy peach fuzz. When his loose shirt collar parted slightly to reveal his slender, fragile collarbones, a wave of scalding heat rushed straight to her face.
Seriously... why is this kid so careless?
Living under the same roof with Jeongseo had made one truth abundantly clear: her younger foster brother possessed not a single shred of fear toward women. From the moment they first met, he had smiled at her completely defenseless. That harmless, gentle smile had slipped past every one of her emotional barricades without meeting the slightest resistance, overwhelming her to an agonizing degree.
"Noona? So what happens next? You said the younger sister turned into a demon."
"You have to watch that part yourself. Telling you would be a spoiler."
Yeo-eun had never dreamed she could be so thoroughly unhinged by a man's face. Ever since learning that men shrank away from her large, muscular frame, she had maintained a detached, dry attitude toward the opposite sex. No, toward people in general. Yet in front of Jeongseo, she was rendered entirely defenseless. Her internal defense mechanisms threw up their hands in unconditional surrender, opening the gates wide.
Over the past few days, she had tried her hardest to maintain a proper sibling dynamic, but it was utterly useless. Even when she tried to act grumpy or sharp-tongued, the moment she laid eyes on his face, she couldn't stop her cheekbones from lifting into a doting grin. And the real problem didn't stop there.
"Ah, this is so comfy. Am I heavy?"
"N-no... not at all."
"Tell me if it's too much. I'll stand up."
"As if this could tire me out! Noona was an elite Special Warrior when I served in the military, you know."
Jeongseo rubbed the back of his head against her chest, a languid, content look washing over his features like a cat that had found its favorite sunbeam. As he shifted to settle deeper, his bottom pressed against her lower abdomen.
Every subtle squirm was pure torment. Yeo-eun felt her nipples harden firmly beneath her clothes. Flustered, she had blurted out that childish boast without thinking. It might backfire, but she desperately wanted to look like an impressive, superior woman in her little brother's eyes.
"Oh? Really?"
"Yeah. Do you even know what a Special Warrior is?"
"Well, of course I... wait. A Special Warrior?"