What is this? Why does it feel so soft?
Too cozy. Too warm. Just like when mom used to stroke my head as a child.
Just as he was about to close his eyes again in the indescribable coziness—
"Aren't you going to get up now? It's already almost lunchtime."
"...Eh?"
What reached his ears wasn't his mother's voice, but someone else's voice.
It's definitely not a stranger's. Right, it can't be.
This voice is the one he heard so mixed and harmonized with just yesterday.
Only then did Irina, who opened her eyes, see Baek Seojin gently stroking her head.
Her naked body exposed without a thread of clothing, even without a blanket, was a bonus.
Irina, who was blankly examining her body, slowly turns her gaze to Baek Seojin.
"...How much did you see?"
"Suddenly what?"
"My body."
"What are you saying suddenly? I saw it to my heart's content yesterday, you know? I'm not particularly trying to see it now."
"Then why did you spread it out like this!"
Saying that, Irina hurriedly pulls the blanket over herself with a "whoosh!"
Then Baek Seojin makes an expression like he can't believe it and says.
"Hey. Don't you know I tried everything to cover you with a blanket since yesterday? What's wrong with your sleeping habits? Even when I try to cover you with a blanket, you kick it all off with your feet in less than 5 minutes."
"That's..."
"Not only that? How much you clung to me. I even wondered if you were awake, playing around, so I spoke sternly telling you to moderate it. But what do you know. You slept just fine. Thanks to that, I couldn't sleep a wink."
There was no playfulness in Baek Seojin's face. Meaning everything he's saying is true.
Thanks to that, it didn't take long for Irina's face to turn bright red.
"S-sorry. I didn't tell you about my sleeping habits."
"It's fine knowing now."
"Did I not, like, hit or shout?"
"Why. Do you do that too?"
"No... Mom said that. That I should sleep in separate rooms even after marriage. That no matter what man it is, if he sleeps with me once, he'll lose affection and absolutely can't share the same room."
At those words, Baek Seojin burst out laughing "Puhaha!"
Like when they met before, these parents judge their child too accurately.
Some thoughtless parents hide their children's problems or conversely act proudly,
But Irina's parents were very careful lest their daughter cause trouble anywhere.
The problem is that since the child is Irina, it doesn't have much effect.
"Don't just laugh! Did I really do that?!"
"I don't know about hitting, but you did talk in your sleep a bit."
"What did I say?! Don't tell me I cursed..."
"No? You cried 'Aang! Ang! Oppa, good! There!'"
"..."
Once again Irina's face turns red. Like it might really burst.
"...Did I really do that? You're joking, right? Ah, please. Tell me it was a joke."
She'd never begged so sincerely. Please let this be Baek Seojin's joke.
But truth is always cold and sharp.
"Really. I told you. I thought you weren't sleeping so I got angry with a straight face."
"...Haa... Damn..."
Irina pulls the blanket over her head.
Embarrassed. So embarrassed she thinks she'll die. She did that even while sleeping?
Instead of sleeping quietly and prettily, she threw tantrums, bothered him, and even talked in her sleep?
"But you were pretty."
Flinch—
For a moment wondering if she heard wrong, Irina slyly lowers the blanket.
Baek Seojin grabs that blanket and removes it all.
Then looking straight at Irina's face, he continued.
"Your sleeping habits were a bit wild, but you were still pretty."
Hearing up to there, Irina's reason snaps with a "snap."
"...Oppa."
"Yeah."
"Kiss me."
"Really? But what should I do? The wish ticket ended yesterday."
At Baek Seojin's answer, Irina narrows her eyes.
She seems to have roughly figured out what this man wants.
Her pride is hurt just a tiny bit, but she can't help it.
The thirsty person digs the well, the desperate one bows.
Irina, who carefully came out of the blanket, brought her lips close to his ear.
"Please."
"One more."
"...Meow."
Like a cat that comes asking to be petted and rubs its body,
Looking at Irina who came into his arms asking him to hurry up—
"You're not just going to kiss, are you?"
"Hehe. You caught me."
The fire between the man and woman that seemed to end at dawn began to blaze again.
*
"Mm."
In the end, he couldn't hold back and did it again. Self-loathing passes by momentarily.
Was I such a guy crazy for women? Could I be sexually frustrated without knowing it?
But recently he'd been working so hard there was no time to think of women.
'It might be because Irina is that pretty.'
Sorry to say to Suhyeon, but this makes me feel like a complete bastard,
Irina had her own charm to the fullest. He was swept away by it.
A woman who always showed only strong, tremendous, and aggressive aspects.
What she showed just yesterday was the appearance of a girl who didn't know what to do, flustered.
When she cried cutely "ang ang" in his arms, he really thought he'd go crazy.
He could finally understand why men go crazy over 'gaps.'
Once he saw such a cute appearance, he wanted to see it again so he tormented her more.
Each time, Irina's reactions got more intense, which excited him too.
If Suhyeon was a woman quiet during the day but transformed at night to climb on top,
Irina was the opposite - confident usually but completely tangled when it's important.
If he had to compare, Suhyeon would be day-quiet-night-active, Irina would be day-active-night-quiet?
"What are you thinking about so much?"
Irina, who was walking beside him, pokes her head over.
The embarrassed appearance from earlier has now completely disappeared.
She's returned to her usual Irina, maintaining high tension.
"You act well. We have to appear as if we returned home today."
"Don't worry. I act well when necessary."
"Hehe. You get caught every time in front of me."
"Now you're the same."
When he pokes back, look at that face turning red again.
That's why I keep wanting to tease you. Cats are indeed bewitching.
"Seojin oppa."
"Yeah."
"I'm really oppa's woman now, right?"
"...Right?"
"Good. Then I can stick to you more openly and actively now!"
Though they'd left the portal, not all people's gazes had disappeared.
Even so, as if she won't hide anymore, Irina comes to his side and links arms.
Looking at her briefly, he decided to address one worrying point.
"Stop clashing with Suhyeon."
"What are you saying? Anyone listening would think I bully that woman. In reality, it's not me but that woman who picks fights and grumbles first! I'm wronged!"
"I know. Of course I know. What I mean is, um, so please yield a little. You know Suhyeon is still a bit... um, timid, right?"
At my words, Irina snorts "Ha!"
"Timid? Oppa. No matter how much you like her, speak properly. It's not timid but strange. I'm me, but she's also crazy in some aspects, you know? She's a witch, a witch."
He couldn't refute the word witch.
Actually, Suhyeon herself is the 'Crimson Witch,' so how can he say no?
"And why should only I always yield? I also officially did that... that, that thing! That thing with oppa, right? I can also officially claim rights!"
"What I mean is that you, as a senior ability user, should be generous to your junior. Huh? Look. You're stronger, you're more senior, and also..."
"My chest is bigger, skin is whiter, and I'm prettier. Right?"
Seeing her say such things so casually is really strange.
Last night she was so embarrassed she even stammered.
"Right. Let's say so."
"What do you mean 'let's say so'! You should say 'That's right!'"
"Same thing."
"It's different! Try saying it. Irina, you're completely right! Hurry!"
"Might be all right."
"Geez! Really!"
---
Upon returning, the thing to do is naturally a post-mission report.
The personnel there would have already reported, but it's necessary for the parties involved to do so directly.
So meeting the Association President to explain what happened in Russia—
"Examiner Baek Seojin. I heard the Elder was caught two days ago."
"Ah."
"And I see there were two men and women who used the portal."
Irina? Irina? Irina?
You trust me alone? You trust me? You said only you would know.
The Association President knows exactly, doesn't he? Huh?
I slyly glare at Irina, and she has an extremely calm expression.
That look seems exactly like 'Manage your expression well. Expression management!'
So to the Association President's words, I just go 'Is that so?' and blink my eyes.
Fortunately, the Association President didn't argue further about that part.
He just said this with subtle eyes:
"Please continue to take care of things in the future, Examiner Baek Seojin."
I'll keep quiet about such minor details and pretend not to know.
So please continue to do well in your role as Irina's restraint.
The Association President's "please take care of things" probably contained that meaning.
Naturally, Irina and I said we understood and left the association.
"You said we wouldn't get caught."
"Didn't it result in nothing happening?"
"We call that getting caught, not not getting caught."
How can I trust and live with this woman?
I'm starting to understand why Irina's parents were so worried about their daughter.
Why they told me it was a shame, to run away quickly.
Wooong—
"It's mine."
Irina shakes her phone while checking the screen.
But suddenly she goes "Gasp!" and urgently holds her breath.
"What. What is it now?"
"...Ah, it's because of oppa."
"So what is it?"
"I forgot because of oppa. Ahhhhh!"
I was wondering what nonsense this woman was spouting again.
So I snatched the phone and looked at the screen—
- World's Strongest Birthday -
...What's this?
"Actually, today is Mom's birthday."
Ah. Ahhh.