[99% sure, that person is a Flower.]
The intelligence of the Vice President of the Hunter Association is beyond imagination. Hearing Byeol’s trustworthy voice, I secretly smiled.
“Are you sure?”
[It’s certain she’s a bad guy. There’s a slim chance she’s not, but... it’s similar to your situation, Lee Shiheon.]
“My situation?”
[Your identity was suddenly created, its origin is unclear, and there’s no associated organization.]
My identity was created over a decade ago, violating the laws of Dowon. Guseul’s identity seems to be in a similar situation. However, that alone didn’t explain everything. There were countless cases of identities suddenly appearing out of nowhere. According to Byeol’s logic, I could also be considered a Flower.
When I pointed that out, Byeol continued speaking with a firm voice. Her voice during work was entirely different from her usual tone.
[When a Flower sets up informants in the military, civil sectors, or government, there’s a general route they follow for creating identities. It’s hard to compare each case individually, but with enough manpower, nothing’s impossible. I can’t explain all the complexities, but the woman you mentioned is particularly difficult to trace.]
“Can I assume they deliberately made her untraceable?”
[Yeah. It’s not normal. Normally, there wouldn’t be any need for that.]
Even though there wasn’t solid proof that Guseul was a Flower, I could be sure of it. Byeol’s reasoning was as followed:
The institutions or companies that helped create her identity are suspected to have close ties to the Flowers. Her identity also coincides with the period when many Flowers were being established. Lastly, despite her unclear abilities, she had consistently eliminated many participants in the Forester Selection Competition, which seemed unreasonable. Based on all of this, it was not strange to assume she was a Flower.
Ideally, I should investigate further and act only after being certain. But considering the setting was the Forester Selection Competition, it’s better to mark her as a suspect and act quickly to prevent any potential threats.
[The Hunter Association has already been informed. If she acts suspiciously or does something questionable, she’s to be immediately arrested. We can’t touch the National Tree yet, though.]
“That’s good enough.”
I already knew Guseul was part of the Flower, or at least a group close to it. There were too many suspicious things about her, and she wasn’t exactly trying to hide it.
Since meeting her right after entering El Academy, the fact that her affinity didn’t show up on my status window meant she didn’t think much of me at all.
[Shiheon.]
When I stayed silent for a moment, Byeol asked.
“Yes?”
[So, what are you going to do now?]
“What do you think?”
There was a Flower right in front of me. I couldn’t just let it slide. I needed to keep a close eye on her, starting immediately.
I had already thought of a plan. On the surface, Guseul and I were supposed to be close friends, and I intended to use that to my advantage.
“I’ll stick to her like glue.”
From the start, she acted like we were best friends, waving enthusiastically whenever we passed each other in the hallway. If she wanted to play the friendship game, I’d play along.
[...I’m a little worried.]
“It’ll be fine.”
After all, this was something I had to do.
Ignoring Byeol’s cautionary words, I said my final goodbye and ended the call.
The second trial was over. The hotel interior was rather quiet.
There were only a few cadets packing up and leaving, waiting for the third trial to begin. The hallways, once bustling, were now sparsely populated, leaving enough space to use any facility without issue.
“Ugh.”
I sat up in bed, rubbing my face with both hands.
My head was pounding.
It was a symptom I had been experiencing every morning lately. I didn’t understand why my stomach always felt full after spending the night in Sansuyu’s room. Maybe I had been overdoing the Sansuyu therapy. Even the usual phenomenon of morning erections happened without fail.
To top it off, my dreams had been weirdly restless. I had lost count of how many times I’ve dreamed about drinking milk. My stomach felt so bloated that I couldn’t move even if I shifted just 5 cm to the side.
“I can’t eat breakfast today.”
I’d rest a little longer. Anyway, Guseul didn’t seem to eat breakfast either. Now that I had escaped Merri’s clinginess, this was my chance to relax.
Next to me in bed, Sansuyu was still lying down. She clutched the blanket tightly with both hands, her wide eyes peeking out as she stared at me.
“Suyu.”
It was the same thought I had every time I saw her.
“You didn’t do anything weird to me, did you?”
The scent of milk filled my mouth. The strange liquid sloshing inside my stomach made me suspicious. I could think of a few possibilities, but I didn’t want to believe that the girl I knew would do something like that. Sansuyu was the epitome of innocence. Even if she was aroused, all she knew was hugging. She was the type of girl I had to cherish.
Nod, nod.
There was no way Sansuyu would lie.
“...I see. Well, I think I’ll stay in bed a little longer today.”
I snuggled under the blanket and closed my eyes. The faint scent of flowers and the image of a woman flickered in my mind, easing my body.
As I shifted in bed, my fingers brushed against something. It felt soft, yet slightly firm.
‘What is this?’
It wasn’t Sansuyu therapy; it was Sansuyu succubus. As I scolded her, she lowered her head in shame.
As she rubbed her thighs a little more,
“...I can’t use it by myself.”
Once again, she spoke in a weak voice.
“You can’t use it?”
“Yeah.”
Even though I explained it last time, she still couldn’t use it. I was about to respond when I saw Sansuyu’s expression and closed my mouth.
Her eyebrows tilted in concern, and her restless eyes kept shifting around. Seeing her like that made my heart soften for no reason.
‘It’s not like she wants to be in pain. Was I too harsh?’
They said good looks could get away with anything, and maybe it was true. If someone’s got a big chest and was pretty, they could be forgiven for almost anything. Looking at her face, I couldn’t help but feel like I was the one in the wrong.
“You really can’t use it?”
“Yeah.”
“I showed you last time, didn’t I?”
My voice softened as I spoke. I wasn’t scolding anymore; I was coaxing her.
Noticing my change in tone, Sansuyu glanced up at me, cautiously meeting my eyes. Perhaps she thought there was a sliver of hope.
“Shiheon, you’ve always done it for me.”
“So?”
“...I was hoping you could do it again.”
Me? For your chest?
“Hey, that’s usually—”
I couldn’t even finish my sentence. I was so flustered that I covered my face with both hands.
“No, sigh...”
As my gaze followed her movement, I saw her chest bouncing lightly. She grabbed her shirt, hesitating whether to lift it or not, looking at me for approval. Despair washed over me as I watched.
It was my fault.
Sansuyu did nothing wrong.
“I’m sorry.”
I didn’t raise my friend right.
The morning commotion ended with the decision that I wouldn’t be staying with Sansuyu anymore. I didn’t mention it to Taeyang or Aori. They’d only yell about me neglecting the Tree Spirit King’s duty.
It’was just inappropriate for two grown people to share a room. I thought it wouldn’t be an issue since Sansuyu didn’t seem to have romantic feelings for me.
...Whine.
When I said we’d be sleeping separately, she immediately wilted.
She may not have romantic feelings, but her sexual desire was evident. Recovering both her health and her libido at the same time was a good thing... I guess.
“Ugh...”
I sighed as I forced down my lunch.
“Looks like something bad happened this morning?”
“Don’t even get me started.”
Sansuyu’s behavior couldn’t be helped. I had to do what needed to be done. I chewed my food diligently, glancing at the woman in front of me.
“So, what’s the occasion? It’s rare for you to ask me to lunch.”
It was Guseul.
The girl with short black hair and a cute smile. And the one who was revealed to be a Flower yesterday. She was sitting right in front of me.
“It’s nothing special. We’ve known each other for a while, but I feel like we’ve been a bit distant.”
“Pffft! What’s that supposed to mean? Are you trying to hit on me?”
She responded with her usual playful smile. Guseul was well-known for her wide social circle, being familiar with almost everyone among the Korean cadets at El Academy.
Until now, I had been the one keeping my distance, feeling uneasy. But things are different now.
“Yeah.”
Guseul’s eyes widened.
Time to work my charm. Or more accurately, she was going to become my emotional dump and counselor.
Smiling, I raised the ticket. Today’s arranged meeting, courtesy of the selection committee. Sometimes, the universe grants your wishes if you ask nicely.
[Guseul]
“Looks like we’re paired up for today’s meeting.”