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Morae, whose eyes had been shining at the thought of running an experiment, flinched.
She could feel the heat radiating from Pado’s body through her skin. The sharpness in his voice made her chest ache.
She couldn’t tell whether she felt wronged enough to lash out or simply hurt.
“Why are you angry?”
“What am I, a lab rat? You don’t even like sleeping with me, but because there’s something to gain, you want me to quietly spread my legs and let you test me?”
“It’s not like you’d lose anything.”
“You’ve got some nerve saying that after treating me like shit. You sure are proud of yourself. Why wouldn’t I lose anything? Every second I spend with a woman who doesn’t want me is a loss. Waste of time, waste of stamina, waste of my chastity.”
Morae clenched and unclenched her fists.
It irritated her to no end that Pado thought sleeping with her was a waste.
He’d confidently claimed he wouldn’t react, only to climax five times, yet now he wouldn’t willingly come back for a second chance. She hated that.
Still, she didn’t explode in anger.
First, she knew she’d been the one who’d insulted his abilities.
Second, she could understand why he wanted to protect his pride.
And third…
Her reason was much simpler.
She genuinely wanted to find out just how much sex could improve his abilities.
If it turned out to be true…
Just imagining that hopeful future dulled her emotions.
“I never said I didn’t want to.”
Morae slowly crawled toward the edge of the bed and looked up at him.
Pado answered coldly.
“When did I say I couldn’t?”
“It just means you weren’t good enough to make me beg for another round.”
Morae took a step back and offered a compromise.
She thought it was enough to let both of them keep their pride.
“Then go find another guy.”
Pado shot her compromise down immediately.
Morae, who had been half lying across the bed, sprang to her feet.
“I’m saying you’d be the one getting stronger, not me! Testing it with someone else wouldn’t mean anything! Look, the data here—”
Thinking about it, she could understand why he’d be suspicious.
He was the one becoming stronger, yet she was the one insisting they do it.
Morae brought up the report showing the changes in his physical abilities on her tablet.
She had been excited to explain everything, but Pado only gave the screen a bored glance.
“I’m not interested.”
“You’re right on the verge of becoming an S-rank Hunter.”
“I’m not so pathetic that I’d sleep with just any woman because I want to get stronger.”
“I’m just any woman?”
Morae flared up and grabbed him by the collar.
Pado casually caught her wrist and pulled her closer.
Dragged right up to his face, Morae instinctively glanced downward.
His lower body looked normal now.
Apparently, it had finally settled down beneath his clothes.
“So what are you? My girlfriend? My sex partner?”
“Well…”
“At best, you’re a one-night stand. That’s what ‘just any woman’ means.”
It was the perfect rebuttal.
From the perspective of a romantic relationship, Morae was neither his girlfriend nor his sex partner.
She really was “just some woman.”
Letting go of her wrist, Pado poked her in the middle of the chest with a finger.
The light jab made her stagger.
He’d barely touched her, yet it threw off her balance.
“There are plenty of women who like me. Why would I sleep with one who isn’t satisfied with my skills?”
Ding♪
Right then, Pado’s phone chimed with a text message.
He pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen.
Morae caught a glimpse of the sender’s profile picture from a distance.
It was a face she’d never seen before.
Morae knew everyone in the West Sea Legion who was close to Pado.
If she didn’t recognize the person…
It meant they were an outsider.
Someone from the Downtown Workshop, perhaps.
Rumors had already spread that Pado had carried Morae on his back.
Even so, the Downtown Workshop still hadn’t stopped trying to recruit him.
Now they were even texting him.
Just thinking about how many people might have gotten his number soured her mood.
Her voice sharpened.
“How pathetic. The second I don’t acknowledge you, you run away. That’s just embarrassing.”
Ding♪
“Eun Morae. You probably don’t know because you’ve only ever been surrounded by uncles and aunties who spoil you, but the women men want to sleep with again are the ones who have good sensitivity and reactions. What, am I supposed to sleep with someone who’s disappointing?”
The implication was obvious.
He was saying she was the disappointing one.
Considering that they’d slept together five times before, and that he’d initially been perfectly willing to do it again today, he was obviously saying it out of spite.
It was probably the same psychology as hers—just as she stubbornly refused to acknowledge his skill even after crying her eyes out.
Her reason told her that.
Her emotions, however, were as fragile as thin ice.
Already upset, Morae dug her nails into her palm.
“So you’d rather have a woman who pretends she’s enjoying herself, even if she isn’t satisfied with you or your technique?”
“Yeah. She’s kind.”
Ding♪
Ding♪
“Seriously pathetic.”
“So I guess you’d prefer a man who honestly tells you your grip isn’t very good and you don’t know how to squeeze properly? You’ve got some unusual tastes.”
Ding♪
The unexpected words stole Morae’s breath.
The more she thought about them, the colder each one felt.
Her eyes began to tremble.
The last time had been her first.
She’d never once taken pride in being good at sex.
She’d never wanted to become some irresistible temptress that everyone admired.
And yet…
It felt as if someone had reached into her chest and squeezed her heart.
Moisture welled in her eyes.
“…It… was so full…”
She hadn’t meant to say it.
The words slipped out anyway.
Once they started, she couldn’t stop.
Trembling, Morae forced out the rest.
“It was so full… it hurt…”
She still remembered it vividly.
Pado’s large penis had filled her completely.
Trying to fit something that big and hard inside her body had been far more difficult than she’d expected.
She hadn’t complained because she thought crying over the pain would be pathetic.
She hadn’t wanted to show weakness, so she’d simply endured it.
The pressure filling her completely had hurt.
And now he was telling her she hadn’t been able to tighten properly.
Hearing that made the hurt swell inside her.
Little by little, Morae realized what she was truly feeling.
It wasn’t anger.
It was sadness.
As tears gradually filled her eyes, Pado’s expression darkened.
He looked just as shaken as he had when he’d felt humiliated himself.
His voice rose.
“It was just an example!”
“Things like that… always have a little truth mixed into them.”
“Of course it’s a common example! It’s not like I’ve slept with anyone else to compare who was tighter or looser. You’re the only one I know…”
Pado even trailed off as he defended himself.
His expression was desperate, and what he said made sense.
Little by little, the hurt in Morae’s chest began to fade.
When she thought about it, it really had just been a cliché insult.
She had no experience with anyone besides Pado either, so she had no way of knowing whether she was good at sex or hopelessly inexperienced.
As her reason returned, she felt embarrassed that she’d let him see her vulnerable side, even for a moment.
Even if he’d meant what he said, why had she been so upset over his opinion?
It almost felt as though she’d hung on every single word he said.
Twisting a strand of her hair around her finger for no reason, Morae kept glancing at Pado before quickly looking away.
Each time she did, a familiar notification sounded.
Ding♪
Ding♪
Ding♪
Ding♪
“…”
“…”
The occasional notification that had been chiming earlier had become impossible to ignore.
The awkward atmosphere they’d barely managed to recover, along with their irritation, was swept away by the constant ringing.
Just as another notification was about to sound, Pado powered off his phone.
Ignoring it any longer would’ve been rude.
Sniffling quietly, Morae pointed at the phone.
“Who is it?”
“People… from the Downtown Workshop.”
“People?”
“People.”
So it wasn’t just one person.
Considering the recruitment offer from the Downtown Workshop, it wasn’t that surprising.
Still, she hadn’t expected so many of them to have Pado’s phone number.
“You said you weren’t leaving until you paid off your debt.”
“I barely reply. They’re the ones who keep contacting me. It’s gotten even worse since yesterday.”
Nearly expressionless, the light gone from her eyes, Morae stared at Pado’s phone.
Yu Pado was popular.
Capable Hunters were admired everywhere while also becoming targets of jealousy.
Underground Hunters valued strength even more than most.
Among the women interested in him, there were surely plenty who, while perhaps not as remarkable as Morae, were still attractive and accomplished.
‘The women men want to sleep with again are the ones with good sensitivity and reactions.’
Pado’s words echoed in her ears.
The curiosity and excitement she’d felt over possibly making him stronger shrank beneath a growing sense of rivalry.
“There are plenty of women who like me.”
Yu Pado had far too much pride.
That was why he kept digging in his heels whenever he found himself in the position of asking something from someone who was interested in him.
Even though once he got a taste, he couldn’t stop.
Even though whenever she practically spoon-fed him, he enjoyed it more than anyone.
Even though he would throw himself into danger without hesitation whenever she was in trouble.
Even though he’d panic whenever she looked like she was about to cry.
Even though he was still hard despite wearing such an irritated expression…
The nerve of him.
A subordinate that insolent deserved to be punished.
On impulse, Morae spoke.
“Really? Then take it off.”
“What? You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Take it off. I’m running the experiment.”
Maybe because she’d already cried once and gotten over it, the little things no longer bothered her.
Morae gave the order calmly.
“I already told you no. I’m not some dildo that strips when you tell me to and fucks when you order it.”
Pado resisted again.
Morae lowered her gaze and looked at the obvious bulge beneath his clothes once more.
Without asking, she grabbed his waistband and undid the buckle.
This time…
She had the magic words.
“That’s an order.”
Pado’s face twisted into a deep frown.
Leaning back against a pillow propped against the headboard, Pado lowered both his pants and underwear to his thighs.
The front of his dark gray boxer briefs was damp with pre-ejaculate.
Morae let out a quiet snort and touched the wet fabric.
It felt slick beneath her fingers, just like when she’d touched the inside of her own thighs.
“You’re saying you won’t do it even though you’re leaking this much while we’re arguing? That’s pretty funny.”
Pado turned his head away without answering.
Being forced to have sex under an order clearly didn’t sit well with him.
Whenever things turned out like this, Pado became incredibly stubborn.
But if stubbornness was the issue…
Morae refused to lose.
Pado had only lowered his pants instead of taking everything off, so Morae slipped off only her panties as well.
She had deliberately worn a matching set of pretty, high-quality underwear today…
It didn’t look like he’d ever get to see it.
Unlike Pado, Morae’s skirt still covered her between the legs.
Remaining neatly dressed, she climbed onto his lap and slowly spread her legs above his waist.
She’d never imagined she’d end up trying this position, but if Pado wasn’t going to move at all, she had no other choice.
“You’re really not going to move?”
“It’s your experiment, so you figure it out. Since I’m apparently so bad at it, you’d probably be better off using me like a dildo than letting me do the thrusting.”
She asked one last time.
But Pado, still holding onto his resentment, answered in the same blunt tone.
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