"What's the penalty?"
An awkward tension filled the room.
Seyeong, with a shocked face, asked if what she had heard was true.
"I die."
Upon hearing my definite answer, Lee Seyeong's face hardened momentarily. Then, her eyes narrowed as if she was about to vomit.
"…So it's not a lie?"
Seyeong rested her cardigan on her chest and touched the center of her index finger to her philtrum. This was her habit when she was deep in thought.
"That's the reason you assaulted me? Because if you didn't, you'd die?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Really?"
There was a bitter note in her voice.
"Kid, you must've been really torn. To die if you don't commit sexual assault."
But I think it wasn't really like that. The truth was, in my heated state, I half-enjoyed the situation back then. Regardless, I was indeed a societal evil at that time.
"To be honest, I wasn't really torn. I was half-welcoming the order to assault someone."
"Come on, be honest. What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't really thinking back then. I hadn't yet adjusted to being considered as a husband candidate."
I still think about it sometimes. Why I did what I did back then. Whenever I revisited the past, it always seemed to boil down to a single conclusion: perhaps it was a culmination of my pent-up resentment towards Lee Seyeong and an anger management disorder.
That was why, with my increased mental strength now, I refrained from acting rashly. Except, of course, with Baekdo.
"Is that so?"
After hearing my words, Seyeong pondered for a moment and then glanced into my mask.
"What about that scam back then?"
"Well, that has a deeper story."
I sat down properly and began to share the story with her.
It began with a quest where I had to make three friends. Realizing that failing meant death, I desperately tried to woo Jin Dallae but was rejected. Then, I met Lee Seonghan by chance, saw right through Jin Dallae's feelings, and decided the only way to win her over was to dive in. I told Seyeong everything.
"Pffft. What the hell?"
Seyeong laughed heartily after hearing my story, and then she hugged me.
"Couldn't you just have made other friends?"
"Well, Jin Dallae had the highest affinity with me. Even though she detested me."
"Detested? Maybe you just didn't know many people."
Wait.
"Could that be it?"
"Kekeke, idiot."
Realizing the roundabout way I'd taken, I felt embarrassed. Seyeong looked at my reddening chin as if it were cute, took off my mask, and pinched my cheek.
"But still, you've been through a lot."
"Baby? Are you crazy?"
"How old am I?"
"…Just this once."
Seyeong, with a playful smile, kept pinching my cheek. Then, seemingly struck by a thought, she asked me:
"By the way, what's my affinity score?"
"Let me check."
I immediately opened the World Tree auction and checked Lee Seyeong's affinity score.
▶Lee Seyeong: ♥♥♥♥♡ (93/100)
It has increased since last time. Feeling mischievous, I decided to tease her a bit.
"How much do you think it is?"
"What? What's the maximum?"
"A hundred is the max."
"Hmm, is it?"
Seyeong brushed aside her cardigan and got closer, our faces inching towards each other.
-Smack.
The lingering warmth on my right cheek.
"Even if you won't tell me the exact number… I'm sure I'm number one."
My confidence surged, reminiscent of a standing top that wouldn't fall.
That was an experience.
"Ninety-three."
"Ah, so it's not full yet? If you fill up my womb with yours, will it reach 100?"
"You really have a crude way of putting things."
"What… you don't like it?"
Seyeong, sounding slightly regretful, licked her lips. Just as the mood was heating up again, she pulled back, fanning herself, and changed the topic.
"Anyway… So that was it. When you suddenly said you were going to have a life-or-death battle with Lee Seonghan, I thought you'd gone mad."
"If it was a fight from the start, why were you so concerned?"
"Wanna know? If so, you're not going home tonight."
"… I'd prefer to graduate in one piece."
"Hehe. Such a cute bird."
Chuckle. She started to play with my cheeks again.
"But-"
Suddenly, Seyeong's face hardened. When I glanced at her, she was clearly furious.
"-Those World Tree bastards, they've crossed the line, haven't they?"
Her icy remark caught me off guard. The World Tree constituted everything in this world and was akin to a deity. Showing such animosity was unprecedented, aside from the insane cults.
"Now they're exploiting this 'husband candidate' system?"
"Yes, they are."
"This is quite problematic."
She mumbled, and then, having thought multiple steps ahead, she patted my shoulder.
"Shiheon."
Her voice remained cold.
"Yes?"
"If things continue this way, what do you think will happen?"
"I don't know."
"In a world where the World Tree, which is practically a religion, harbors animosity against you, what kind of storm do you think it'll stir up?"
The World Tree was almost a religion. It had billions of devout followers. Even if the World Tree committed morally wrong actions, they'd find a reason to justify them. This world was a place where the World Tree's wish became the absolute morality.
If it became known that a certain World Tree bore a grudge against me and manipulated quest information?
"Most likely…"
I muttered bitterly.
"I'd be dead."
Having marked me as its enemy, the World Tree would brand me a heretic and eventually have me executed. Even if the circumstances seemed absurd, they would turn a blind eye.
"They are the truth and the deity in this world. The World Tree's will is an absolute morality that can't be contradicted."
"Got it now?"
"…Yes."
The World Tree of Purity… No, I didn't want to think about it now.
"Relax your face."
Seyeong gently reached out and pulled me into a hug. The warmth of her embrace, without the mask, was intensely comforting.
"Were you always like this, so easily downtrodden?"
"What are you talking about?"
"It's okay, dummy. Huh? Still not smiling? Want me to throw you in the Han River?"
"Pffft."
"That's right, kid. At your age, laughter is what remains."
Silence. Her hands reached my face.
-Pop.
This time, her cheek touched my forehead. When I slightly lifted my head, Seyeong gently stroked my cheek and hair with her eyes closed.
"Well, if something happens to you, I'll take you in and raise you."
"Thanks, even if it's just words."
"Yeah. Oh, right. You mentioned a quest. What is this quest?"
Ah. It might be difficult to say now.
Judging from Seyeong's expression, I couldn't withhold the information. Swallowing hard, I closed my eyes tightly.
"Having sex with three Tree People."
The hand that was caressing my head froze.
"…"
I felt like her icy stare was drilling a hole into my brain.
'…I know. This was something only the worst kinds of people would say. But it's you who asked, right?'
After a prolonged silence, she sighed and spoke.
"Ugh. Hey."
"…Yes?"
"Damn it, give me back my emotions."
I couldn't say a word.
"So, am I the first one?"
Why was she asking that?
"Ugh, I can't believe I'm dealing with someone like this. I even dressed up in my expensive lingerie for him. He must've lost some affection points for that."
"It actually increased by one."
"Shut up!"
Seyeong, putting on her cardigan, began talking to a flower that was bending its head.
"Hey! Aren't you going to pop out?"
"Yes."
Shiheon, giving a cute answer, got up. He looked so much like a wet puppy that Seyeong almost grinned.
"You know what you did wrong."
-Nod.
"Why did you do that?"
"But you're the one who told me to tell you."
"You're talking back to me?"
"…Yes."
Hehe. It felt like she had gotten a good slave.
Seyeong, putting her arm around Shiheon's shoulder, strolled down the dimly lit dawn road.
"You think you can complete that quest and ask for my help? Are you out of your mind?"
"It's not-"
"What, do you want me to find someone for a one-night stand for you?"
Shiheon, putting his mask back on, hesitated for a moment and then said in a tone filled with injustice,
"That wasn't the point. I just wanted to ask for a single time."
"Oh."
She misunderstood. Seyeong awkwardly scratched her cheek, then playfully slapped Shiheon on the back.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me?"
"Because."
Regardless of the circumstances, the reality Shiheon faced was shocking for Seyeong.
When she first heard about it, she wanted to hug him out of pity. She did hug him, but it was out of sheer sympathy.
"Three people."
While holding onto Shiheon tightly, she relished the feeling of his essence still inside her.
"Just two more to go."
Although it was a weird situation, she occasionally thought it was worth the ordeal. They weren't getting married, so there was no need to be tied down. She considered herself a broad-minded woman.
Most importantly, failure meant death. And there was a 30-day limit.
"It's best to get it done as quickly as possible."
The more time that passed, the more anxious Shiheon would become.
-Squeeze.
She pressed his arm tightly against her chest.
"Why are you being so clingy today?"
"If you don't like it, just push me away."
Chuckle. As Shiheon laughed, she, too, joined in.
In the midst of summer, the sweet time that felt like licking a soft ice cream melted away, just like a shaved ice dessert. Before she knew it, the path leading Shiheon to his dormitory ended right at the main entrance.
"Go inside and rest well."
"What about you, teacher?"
"My schedule's all messed up now. I need some rest, too. I'm human, after all."
"Alright? Rest well."
"Sure."
Shiheon waved and headed into the dormitory. Watching his retreating back, Seyeong smirked, then took out her phone and scrolled through her contacts.
'I have to save my own life.'
Even though her personal feelings played a significant role, Seyeong believed it was unavoidable for anyone in her shoes.
She flipped through her contacts, pondering.
'Someone appropriate… our levels don't match. Someone too high-class would be problematic if things go wrong. And the less attractive ones… he has such high standards, they'd never do.'
She needed a smart, savvy girl who could also ensure complete discretion. That way, even during intimacy, no secrets would leak.
The more she considered her options, the more a wave of guilt washed over Seyeong.
"Damn it."
She genuinely cursed. The idea of handing over the man she liked to another woman, no matter how open-minded she was, wasn't entirely pleasant. But she believed she'd recover soon because, after all, she was no more normal than Shiheon.
-Click.
Her finger paused on one name.
-Ring.
As she pressed the call button, a ringtone echoed, and soon, a playful voice answered.
[Seyeong~ What's up at this ungodly hour?]
-Pew Pew.
Intense gunshots resounded from the smartphone.
[Hey, hey, block site A! Block it! Okay, what do you want? Hey, Ayeon!]
"Crazy girl."
[Hey, why the sudden call and immediate insult?]
Byeol. Call Sign: Star Fruits.
She had a decent reputation and was a bit crazy, but she was exceptionally good at looking out for herself. Most importantly, she was pretty. Ideally, she should be a virgin, but Seyeong finally managed to say after a significant pause,
"Hey."
[What?]
"Want to sleep with a guy?"
[…Seyeong, I think I like where this is going. Okay, I'll wrap up this game. What? I shouldn't be messing around?]
Chattering voices could be heard from the phone.
[Hahaha, I decline. Now, I'll go find a boyfriend.]
Finishing all her in-game activities, Byeol spoke solemnly.
[So.]
"Yes?"
[Is he handsome?]
Seyeong recalled Shiheon's face.
"Absolutely."
Probably the most handsome in the world. At least in Seyeong's eyes.
'And for you, he's just a one-night stand.'
Seyeong's eyes sparkled with mischief.