Chapter 227: Kang Ha-ni's Terrifying Scheme
What is this all about?
Let me think back for a moment.
The academy's water pipes broke down due to aging, and the academy quickly closed the dormitories saying they would rush repairs.
And while most students were taking a break, various incidents happened, and finally they said they fixed the water pipes, so we returned today?
But why has the building completely transformed into something else?
Our Reilan Academy dormitory, which certainly had decent facilities but was an ordinary dormitory, had inexplicably changed into something resembling a luxury apartment complex.
Dealing with the half-insane Lilac was already enough of a headache, but what new incident could have happened now?
Originally they were just supposed to fix the water pipes and that's it, right?
"...There's a separate convenience store, swimming pool, golf course, a training VR room with the latest technology, and even a separate gym? Oh, hey, there's even a spa and movie theater."
"Wait, aren't all those facilities except the spa and movie theater already available inside the academy? Why build them again?"
Kang Ha-ni, who had said she was going somewhere for a while, returned with a somewhat relieved expression and was looking through a guide booklet that made no sense even after seeing it.
"Who knows? It's nice, but it's definitely a bit funny. Why build student dormitories like luxury apartments?"
"The timeline doesn't make sense in the first place. How long were we even gone?"
"Well, I guess they must have recruited people with construction-related talents?"
Ah, when you put it that way, I guess I have nothing to say.
Come to think of it, I felt something similar when the Twelve Zodiacs guys were in the resort business before my regression.
"Still, recruiting people with such talents must be incredibly expensive. Unless some unnecessarily rich person invested, where would the Chairman get the money...?"
The moment I saw the text written at the end of the guide booklet, I understood.
The construction company was Yuseong Construction, and the donor who wished to remain anonymous was a Mr. Cheon.
And according to an interview conducted while requesting anonymity, it stated: "I cannot tolerate the academy students, who are our future, staying in facilities with aging water pipes. I donated in hopes they could stay in a better environment."
Wow, since it's anonymous, I really have no idea who it could be?
So you're trying to boost Yuseong and Cheonhwa Group stock prices, is that it?
...The unnecessarily rich duo in this world turns out to be my father and my friend's father?
Oh, and AG Group was also among the donors who didn't request anonymity, but there must have been a difference in the amount because their name was just listed without any special mention.
This is giving me a headache.
I mean, I could think of it as "good is good," but my head feels complicated because things that weren't in the plan keep happening.
"...Ah."
I know there's no end to these thoughts once I start, but what if there's some kind of conspiracy hidden here too, like bombs hidden in the new dormitory?
Maybe I should pick a day and investigate the building?
For the women's dormitory, if I ask the girls, somehow...
"So-hyun, what are you thinking about so deeply? I've been calling you but you didn't hear."
"Huh? Oh, sorry. What is it?"
I must have been lost in thought. I didn't even hear Ha-ni calling me.
"You were worrying about something by yourself again, weren't you?"
Fortunately, she doesn't seem angry, but her slightly pouty face looked cute.
...No, I shouldn't find it cute, I should be sorry, right?
I thought she would return to normal after a while, but since yesterday, whenever I look at Ha-ni and the professor, I keep thinking they're cute at the most random times, which is a big problem.
"What's wrong? Tell your hyung."
"...Hyung?"
"Ah, um. Honestly, it's still a bit awkward. Anyway, whatever it is, thinking about it together is better than alone~ Just tell me."
"Hyung?"
"Are you really hung up on that? So-hyun, you shouldn't be like this."
"Hyung?"
"...No. Well, what do you want me to do? Do you want to hear me say tell your noona instead?"
"Well, noona, actually it's nothing serious."
"...So-hyun, are you crazy?"
I didn't originally plan to do this, but as I went along, she was so cute I couldn't help myself.
This honestly isn't my fault. How can I resist calling her "hyung" when someone who's been crossdressing finally revealed their gender?
"No, really, it's nothing much. It's just that since the building was completely rebuilt, I'm a bit scared. What if terrorists were hiding among the workers and planted bombs somewhere~ You know, that kind of thing."
I had no intention of teasing her further, and I didn't want to hide anything from Ha-ni, so I spilled it out frankly.
Honestly, I thought she would laugh it off as childish paranoia.
"Ah..."
But Ha-ni, why is your expression suddenly becoming so serious...?
"It's okay, So-hyun. This is the academy. Sure, there was an incident during our entrance ceremony, but until this year, they had a 100% terrorism prevention rate. Surely they would have prepared for something like that?"
How should I put this? She has this expression like she's looking at someone pitiful, but what is she thinking right now?
No, Ha-ni.
I just meant I was anxious about incidents happening that I don't know about.
I'm not having some childhood trauma flashback, really!
"So-hyun. That child is coming today, right?"
"Huh? Yes?"
Right now, the Divine Spirit is being protected by the Doctor under the pretext of examinations.
She said she would help falsify the test results so the association couldn't take her away.
She's supposed to return after finishing her examination today, but why?
"Then we should wash up before she arrives?"
...Well, the Divine Spirit isn't an ordinary child, but maintaining cleanliness before meeting a young child is probably good.
But why is she building up to something with this kind of talk?
Actually, I think I know.
Ha-ni has always had a tendency to try to do something for me when I seem depressed.
That has gradually developed to the point of physical skinship now.
"...Should I wash you?"
Wait, but now the skinship is a bit more intense than I expected?
...I mean, I like it, but can you handle it?
When I gave Ha-ni a silent look of pressure, she seemed to understand my meaning perfectly and started waving her hands.
"No! I just meant washing normally! Not anything inappropriate like last time!"
I don't know, Ha-ni. It might not be by your standards, but by mine, a young man and woman entering a bathroom together is already quite inappropriate behavior?
And even if there was no such intention at first, we might get caught up in the mood and do something.
Actually, to be honest, I think I might be the one who can't hold back.
Of course, our dormitory has good soundproofing, but there's always that small chance, right?
We should maintain certain boundaries. Of course.
"It's not like I'm being forceful like last time? You can wear this and go in."
Ha-ni said that while pulling out her swimsuit that didn't get much use at the beach.
...Ah, um. About that.
Ha-ni. Just because we increase the area of skin covered doesn't mean everything becomes wholesome, you know?
Do you really think that swimsuit will be enough of a shield to protect you...?
If so, I'd like to personally prove otherwise.
As reason was getting one-sidedly beaten by instinct in my head, and I was starting to have bad thoughts about just going in without saying anything and doing it.
Then Ha-ni's expression caught my eye.
In front of those eyes that genuinely just wanted to comfort me, my nearly collapsed reason miraculously revived.
"I'm really fine. I just had a weird thought for a moment. It's not like I'm remembering something from the past or anything."
"...Really? You're not lying?"
"Yeah, really."
Right, I controlled myself well.
This is the right thing to do. Come to think of it, we'll be living together in the dormitory from now on, so if we do something here, it'll be awkward for a while.
Of course, washing together once won't necessarily lead to an accident, but if we keep doing it, we might let our guard down, you know?
"Then shall we wash together?"
But why is our crossdresser suddenly acting like this again?
"...I told you I'm fine?"
"Hmm? Yeah, I know you're fine now. I'm not saying I'll wash you, I'm saying let's just wash together."
"...What nonsense is that?"
"Why not? We've seen everything already. Honestly, it's a bit scary, but I can't be scared forever, so I should get used to it when I have time. It saves water too, right?"
Right, even Baek Seol would facepalm at how rational this is—washing together saves time, saves water, and as a bonus, she gets more comfortable around men.
"...I don't even know anymore."
If she says it's good, what can I do?
*
In truth, Kang Ha-ni wasn't acting impulsively.
Although the suggestion to enter the bathroom together was somewhat spontaneous, washing together daily was actually on her wishlist for the long term.
Well, it makes sense.
This is practically living together, right?
One might say what's different from before, but previously they maintained a formal distance as two men, but now he knows she's a woman.
Moreover, they've clearly confirmed their mutual attraction.
Doesn't this mean they no longer need to live like before!?
She feels a bit sorry for Professor Cathy, but they never agreed not to get ahead of each other.
She wasn't foolish enough to miss a chance to become closer when she had one.
Even her conversation with Ga-eul, which had been her only concern, had gone well.
There was nothing holding her back anymore.
"Should I wash your hair?"
Now all that remained was to become his first!
The faint scent of him in the confined space of the bathroom made her feel at ease.
The fact that he didn't resist when she applied shampoo to his wet hair made her feel good, as if he was accepting her.
"Hmm hmm, customer, is there anywhere that itches~?"
Ah, this reminds me of when I cut his hair before. We joked around similarly then.
When she rinsed off the bubbles with warm water, he smiled brightly.
She mindlessly smiled back.
"Now it's my turn, right?"
"...Huh?"
That is, until he said that.
*
This won't do. Ha-ni. You need to be punished a bit.
I tried to hold back.
Even when you suddenly insisted on entering the bathroom together.
Even when you buried your face in my chest to smell my scent while washing.
Even when you adjusted your swimsuit, making a loud thud echo through the bathroom.
And even when you playfully asked if I had any itchy spots while smiling innocently, I tried to hold back.
But while rinsing the shampoo, the weapon behind your swimsuit that you pressed against me was powerful enough to once again bring my reason to a near-death state.
Of course, it didn't quite burst yet.
But if you keep doing this, it seems like it will.
So before that happens.
Punishment time.
"Customer, is there anywhere that itches~?"
"Huh, no, ah...! Hyah...!"
From what I've observed, all the skinship that Seo-ha told others never to do but only to do to her—they all turned out well when I tried them?
So I was curious about the things Seo-ha begged not to do even to herself.
After washing her hair thoroughly with shampoo, I gradually applied pressure with my fingers.
At first, Ha-ni was confused but thought it was a joke and accepted it, with the following result:
"What is thiiiiis...!"
When I gave her a scalp massage, Seo-ha, who never reacted even to metal showers, was extremely surprised and told me not to do it.
"Customer, this is just an ordinary scalp massage. Please don't make strange noises~"
"Don't lie to meeeee!!!!"
...It's true though? When giving a massage, you can just feel which spots they like to be touched.
"Wait! Just a moment! Really...!!!!"
"Nope, I won't stop. Reflect on your actions, you. Feels good, doesn't it? Feels good?"
"Uwaaaaaaah...!!!!"
If you've learned your lesson from this, don't threaten people with your soft weapons so carelessly in the future.
Got it?
"Save me...!!!!!"
"Come on, everyone else will hear you if you're so loud. You need to be quiet, okay?"
Hmm, after finishing the scalp massage, should I try an oil massage too? I think she'd like it.