The Master's Teachings
...It'll be fine, right?
Watching Yeon trail after her with that reluctant air, Bella kept her expression carefully neutral, even as a swirl of complicated feelings churned inside her.
The words Let's go wash up together.
Even Bella herself was baffled by how naturally those words had slipped out—and by how Yeon's flustered reaction had left her feeling awkward in turn.
On the battlefield, it had been commonplace. In the thick of urgent situations, the distinction between men and women often ceased to matter. After days and nights of continuous fighting, in the brief rest periods they were granted, there had been times when they washed together inside makeshift tents, mixed without regard for gender.
Of course, they observed a bare minimum of propriety. A hastily strung-up screen, or simply rinsing the dirt from arms, legs, and faces while still fully clothed—that was about the extent of it. Back then, it truly hadn't bothered her at all. Whether a fellow knight scrubbed their bare back right beside her or not, Bella paid it no mind whatsoever. They were comrades who had crossed the line between life and death together; there was no room left to see each other as members of the opposite sex. In that extreme environment, the concept of gender had grown faint, leaving only camaraderie and the instinct to survive.
Yeon Bennet.
She was a woman just like herself—and more than that, a junior, a student Bella was meant to protect. So the suggestion to wash together should have come, as it had on the battlefield, from a pure intention to simply rinse away the sweat—without any ulterior motive.
But...
Bella could not lie to herself. In the proposal she had just made, a distinctly different kind of desire had clearly been mixed in. A simple, primal curiosity to see her bare body. Or a desire to know her a little better. Perhaps even a twisted urge to possess her. She couldn't say precisely which it was. But of one thing she was certain: that invitation had not been pure.
Was that why? The mere thought of bathing with Yeon—another woman—sent a sudden heat flooding through her body, followed by a rush of shame. She had pretended composure in the face of Yeon's reaction, but the truth was Bella herself was flustered. The sight of Yeon damp with sweat, the slender lines of her body glimpsed during their sparring, and above all, the subtle feelings that had only grown more intense after learning her secret—all of it tangled together, shaking Bella's heart.
Get a grip, Bella Staren.
Bella scolded herself inwardly. They were both adults, yes—but she was a professor, and Yeon was a student. She must not harbor feelings this impure. But once stirred, the turbulence of emotion would not settle so easily. Just imagining stepping into the bath with Yeon set her heart racing of its own accord.
Maintaining a carefully blank expression, Bella hid the chaos within and followed Yeon toward the baths. How to handle this awkward, dangerous feeling—she still had no idea.
The shower room attached to the private training hall was larger and cleaner than she had expected. In the space where warm steam rose faintly, only the sound of two people breathing and the soft rustle of fabric quietly filled the air.
As if by unspoken agreement, Bella and Yeon turned their backs to each other and began undressing in silence. Bella tried hard not to be conscious of Yeon's side, but her ears remained keenly open.
Soft sliding sounds—fabric against fabric. The gentle friction of cloth seemed unnaturally loud. Was that the sound of blouse buttons coming undone next? Or a skirt zipper being lowered? The mere imagination left Bella's throat feeling parched.
A glance—
Just for a second.
In the end she couldn't hold back. Through the reflection in the mirror—or by turning her head just slightly—Bella stole a furtive look at Yeon.
The first things to catch her eye were the white line of a shoulder and a slender back. Skin faintly damp with sweat, gleaming smooth as porcelain. Soft, delicate lines—so different from Bella's own body, tempered on the battlefield. Bella swallowed dryly without realizing it.
Her gaze drifted a little lower. She wasn't fully undressed yet, but the contour of her chest visible over her undergarments was exactly as Bella had expected. Not large, by any means—but not small either. A modest, pretty swell, nicely shaped. Nowhere on her body was there a scrap of excess flesh.
Just as Bella's gaze was unconsciously drifting further down—she nearly locked eyes with Yeon in the mirror.
Startled, Bella whipped her head back around to face forward. Her heart hammered wildly.
She didn't catch me, did she?
Get a hold of yourself!
Scolding herself, she finished stripping off the rest of her clothes. Feigning nonchalance as best she could, she walked calmly toward the shower.
"...This is a little embarrassing."
Yeon's small voice came from behind her. Even without looking, Bella could tell her face had gone faintly pink. Imagining that sight, Bella felt her heart flutter again. So different from the thorny mask she usually had no choice but to wear—that honest, shy expression looked strangely... cute. Beautiful, even.
Bella carefully steadied her voice and answered as if nothing were amiss.
"What's there to be embarrassed about? We're both women, after all."
She deliberately made it sound brusque, but she could feel her own voice trembling slightly.
The two of them began rinsing off simply under the showerheads. They tried hard not to look at each other's bodies, but the furtive glances were inevitable.
Once they had finished rinsing, they stepped side by side into the bath filled with warm water next to them.
Splash—
As the warm water enveloped their bodies, some of the tension seemed to ease. At the same time, the fact that they were alone together in this narrow space—and the faint sensation of each other's bare bodies underwater—kept a strange tension lingering in the air. Bella stared determinedly ahead, trying to master the awkwardness and the unnameable feelings welling up inside her.
"...Thanks for today's training, Senior."
It was Yeon who broke the silence first. Her voice, softened by the water, sounded gentler than usual.
Bella opened her eyes and looked at Yeon.
"Don't mention it. If anything, I learned more than you did."
Bella answered honestly.
"And about that eye of yours. If you need training to adapt to the changed field of vision, I'll help you anytime."
"...Thank you."
Yeon answered quietly and dropped her gaze back to the water.
After that, the two of them spent time in silence once more. But even in the quiet, a peculiar current continued to flow between them. Glancing, glancing—stealing looks at each other's shoulders, arms, the silhouettes of legs submerged in water—then startling and looking away the moment their eyes happened to meet. Over and over. An awkward tension, and yet somehow not an unpleasant one.
How much time had passed?
Deciding her body had loosened up enough, Bella rose from her seat.
"That should be enough to work out the fatigue. Let's finish up and head out."
"Yeah, okay."
Yeon nodded and stood as well. Watching water droplets trail down Yeon's white skin, Bella hesitated for a moment, unsure where to put her eyes.
Just as she was about to step out of the bath first and dry off—Yeon suddenly approached her, a shower towel loaded with soap suds in hand.
...Huh?
Bella looked at Yeon with a puzzled expression.
Soft scrubbing sounds—
Before Bella could even grasp what was happening, Yeon's small, soft hands touched her back. With a generous lather of foam, careful yet practiced, Yeon began washing Bella's back.
"...!!"
Bella froze in shock. The soft touch against her back, the warm suds, and Yeon's faint breath—at the unexpected contact, every nerve in her body seemed to stand on end.
At Bella's reaction, Yeon also seemed flustered and stopped her hands. Unsure what to do, she watched Bella carefully for a cue.
"Um... I learned this from Master. She said that among close people, when you bathe, washing each other's upper bodies with soap is... a matter of etiquette..."
Yeon trailed off, tilting her head.
There's no way such a ridiculous etiquette exists!
Bella was inwardly appalled. Dorothy Lightsheld. A great Transcendent, and the headmistress of the Academy. Just what had she been teaching her disciple?! For a moment, her respect for Dorothy dipped—just a little.
She should tell her no, that no such etiquette existed. But... feeling that soft touch on her back, and thinking of Yeon's flustered, helpless face, she couldn't bring herself to speak the truth.
And honestly speaking... it didn't feel bad. No—if anything...
Bella swallowed dryly and answered, trying to sound unaffected. Her mouth moved differently from what her better judgment wanted. Or perhaps it had simply read her true feelings.
"You're right."
"Huh?"
Yeon's eyes went round.
"You're right, but..."
Bella cleared her throat and added,
"It was just so sudden. I was only startled for a moment."
She maintained a carefully composed expression, but she couldn't stop the heat rising to her ears.
"Ah... sorry."
Looking relieved, Yeon carefully resumed washing her back. Bella closed her eyes and surrendered herself to those hands. The sensation of soft caresses across her entire back was pleasant—and dizzying.
A short while later, Yeon's hands stopped.
"Um... Senior. I'm done with the back..."
Yeon's voice seemed to tremble slightly. Bella waited without a word.
"...Now it's... the front's turn."
Yeon said hesitantly. Bella swallowed.
Stop this right now. Reason warned her. This isn't right. But the desire and curiosity already blooming had slipped beyond Bella's control. Imagining Yeon's hands touching the front of her body, heat flooded through her once more.
In the end, Bella could not overcome her desire. She slowly turned around.
A soft splash of water—
Bella's full chest came so close it nearly brushed Yeon's face. Feeling Yeon's gaze land on her body, Bella felt her face burn.
Yeon hesitated for a moment, then once more, with soft and gentle hands, carefully applied soap suds to Bella's shoulders, collarbones, and the upper part of her chest. Unlike when she had washed her back, her touch was somehow clumsy and trembling—and that only made it a more intense stimulus for Bella.
Bella found herself face-to-face with Yeon looking up at her from right in front of her. Dark lashes beaded with water, slightly parted red lips, and clear eyes that seemed to hold a mix of bewilderment and curiosity. Facing that face, she felt an unbearable shyness—and at the same time, something hot surged up from deep in her lower belly.
No... I have to hold back!
Bella desperately suppressed the desire boiling up inside her. She clenched her teeth and balled her fists tight. But every time Yeon's hands brushed near her navel, she couldn't stop every nerve in her body from standing on end.
"I... I'm done, Senior."
At last Yeon's hands stopped. Head bowed deeply, she mumbled with an expression of extreme embarrassment. Her face was flushed red as a ripe apple.
"Now... it's your turn, Senior..."
With those words, Yeon squeezed her eyes shut, her face tight with tension. Like a sinner awaiting punishment.
That defenseless, innocent appearance was more than enough to snap the last thread of reason Bella had been clinging to.
In that instant, the look in Bella's eyes changed. The desire she had been suppressing broke free like a horse that had slipped its reins.
"This is your fault, Yeon."
Bella's voice was low and rough, husky with something dark.
"Huh...?"