LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 12.2
Still, I couldn’t help but feel a small swell of pride. It was the first time anyone had called me handsome. I wasn’t anything special—just an ordinary, nerdy guy—but here she was, telling me otherwise. Her taste was… unique, to say the least.
Eum-ah studied my face, waiting for my response.
Grinning, I replied, “This isn’t my first time.”
Bam!
Eum-ah’s expression crumpled as tears welled up in her eyes. “That’s so unfair! Why am I the only one who had to give up my first time?!” she cried out, looking genuinely upset.
Her crescent-shaped tail twitched behind her every time she pouted, catching my attention.
“If you touch a rabbit’s tail, poop comes out. Is that true for you?” I teased.
“N-no! That’s not true at all!” she squeaked, flustered and defensive.
“Hm.”
I reached out and gently grabbed her tail. The moment I gave it a slight tug, Eum-ah curled her hands and feet instinctively, squirming under my touch.
The sensation was soft—not unpleasant, but not extraordinary either. Honestly, the neighbor’s dog, Poppy, had a fluffier tail.
Still, there was something strangely intriguing about her tail. It smelled faintly of strawberries.
“Sniff, sniff,” I teased, leaning closer.
“Hey! Why are you smelling me?! Ah… stop that!” she yelped, her voice cracking in embarrassment.
“It smells unbelievable. Ugh… ugh… ugh.”
“Hey, don’t do anything weird! Phew!”
It wasn’t even a shower ball, yet every time I grabbed and opened her tail, it released that strawberry scent again. How could a tail like this even exist in the world?
Wait, what’s going on with her? I barely touched her tail, and now she’s trembling all over by herself.
Wait… was I touching the tail itself, or something else entirely?
“Huh… hoeh… hoeh…”
Her reaction was so unusual that I couldn’t resist testing it again. I held the tail and opened it slightly.
“Hogok…!”
…Okay, that’s enough of that.
As I scrolled through KakaoTalk, Eum-ah clung to me, her hands sticky and warm against my side.
“Stop sticking to me with your bare hands,” I said, trying to pry her off.
“W-who sent you a KakaoTalk message…?” she stammered, clearly fishing for information.
“It’s just a group chat,” I replied casually. “About the MT.”
“MTI?”
The notification from our senior, Baek Sang-ah, read:
[Baek Sang-ah: Each department and division must notify the professors of the schedule so that classmates don’t suffer any attendance penalties! Also, we’ll meet at school next Sunday to shop at the mart, so clear your schedule!]
I turned to Eum-ah. “They’re saying we’ll meet on Sunday to prepare. Do you know where we’re going for the MT?”
“It’s Dotori Village,” I replied.
“Oh… I went there when I was little. It was… fun, yeah…”
“The words and your expression don’t match,” I pointed out.
Judging by Eum-ah’s lukewarm reaction, it seemed like Dotori Village wasn’t so much fun as it was boring. I mentally lowered my expectations.
While still on KakaoTalk, I posted a notice in the Class of 23’s group chat about the retreat. The message explained that we were heading to Dotori Village next Thursday or Friday.
[Choi Eum-ah: I checked!]
Next to me, Eum-ah was the first to send a confirmation text, letting out a small “hoeeet” sound as she did. After her, the others began sending their confirmations one by one.
Watching the flood of replies to such a trivial KakaoTalk message, I couldn’t help but wonder if this was what power felt like.
I can control the actions of my peers. Therefore, I am God.
Oh, right.
“Hey, hey. Hmm, hey.”
“Uh, yeah? What is it?”
“You can’t go around telling anyone you slept with me. Do you know why?”
“Oh, of course not…! Absolutely not! I—I know why…!”
Even though Eum-ah sometimes acts like a fool, she isn’t stupid. She knows that if she says anything, rumors will spread like wildfire.
Eum-ah nodded vigorously in agreement but then glanced at me with her lips pursed.
“What? Do you have something to say?”
“That. That. That, that, that, Ji-hyuk.”
“What is it?”
“Uh… uh… do you want to do it one more time?”
Her pink, albino eyes sparkled mischievously, shining like those of a succubus. She gazed at me pleadingly, her intentions clear.
Do you think I’ll give in just because of those eyes?
Standed.
Even if I’m physically capable, I can’t. It’s too much. It’s not just that it feels good—it’s utterly exhausting. You succubus bunny!
“I feel so drained when I’m with you. Go get some rest.”
“Eeeeek…! Leaving a woman—a woman you’ve just spent her first night with—alone? That’s too much!”
“It’s no use pretending to be cute.”
“Hey, that was cute just now, wasn’t it?!”
“Oh, really.”
After pouting and protesting for a while, Eum-ah finally got dressed and stepped out onto the veranda. But she kept glancing back at me as if she couldn’t let go of something.
“What on earth are you trying to say?” I asked as she hesitated with her mouth open.
“Uh… uh… but Ji-hyuk, what’s our relationship?”
…I don’t know either.
For days, suspicion gnawed at Momyami’s mind.
Is that what you do when you’re dating someone?
It didn’t add up. Sure, some people pursue casual relationships, but would someone as cute as Choi Eum-ah do that?
More importantly, would Rabbit Suin, known for her wariness around men, trust one so easily?
It’s obvious she’s being blackmailed. She’s a herbivore.
Thump. Thump. Ju Ji-hyuk’s death sentence echoed in her head.
Not that it mattered to Momyami whether Ju Ji-hyuk’s words were true. His crime of dragging Eum-ah into trouble without so much as an apology was unforgivable.
Her resolve firm, Momyami stepped into the classroom. As always, the cat known for her precision entered right on schedule.
However.
…What’s that smell?
A new scent lingered in the classroom, something that hadn’t been there before.
Her sharp, blue eyes scanned the room, following the trail of the unfamiliar scent. At the end of it were Ju Ji-hyuk and Choi Eum-ah.
The two of them smelled the same.
No way… those two…
…Did they do it?