Chapter 30 - Four-Way Confrontation
[ A Four-Way Face-to-Face ]
=== A Four-Way Face-to-Face ===
Even after listening to the explanation Ra-eun and I took turns giving her earlier today, Seorin barely reacted.
Having quickly reclaimed her dignity as the head of the household, she merely nodded quietly, occasionally offering a brief, "...Yeah."
She did seem to glitch for a second when she heard her ability had jumped to S-class, but that was about it.
Despite putting her usual stoic front back up, she didn't let go of my arm.
It was as if she couldn't bear to part with me.
Ra-eun looked at her older sister and teased her playfully.
"Booo... Look at you, Sis. You're no fun when you're acting all serious."
"...Shut up."
Her voice was low and calm, but the tips of her ears flushed a faint red.
It wasn't until late afternoon that we finally left the house.
After filling our stomachs with my Special Meal skill, we headed straight to our usual training ground.
We usually booked a private room when it was crowded, but today the public training ground was practically empty, so we used that instead.
Ra-eun handed me a light training sword and smiled.
"Alright, let's start with the horizontal slash we practiced last time. Keep your waist steady, and lower your center of gravity. Yes, just like that."
She pressed her body flush against my back to correct my posture. Feeling the soft press of her chest against my spine, my concentration immediately wavered.
"Ra-eun, you don't need to stand this close—"
"Quiet! Focus, or I'll have to punish you!"
She grabbed my arm, guiding the trajectory of my swing.
A short distance away, Seorin watched us while testing her newly upgraded S-class abilities.
Her face remained characteristically blank, but her eyes were intensely focused.
After a grueling session of basic swordsmanship with Ra-eun, we finally took a break.
I wiped the sweat from my brow and took a long sip of water.
Ra-eun sat down beside me, catching her breath.
"You're a total monster, Ga-on. A genius..."
"...Thanks. I had a good teacher."
Ra-eun giggled and playfully nudged my shoulder.
Just then, Seorin slowly walked over.
She stood in front of me and spoke in her usual quiet voice.
"...My turn to teach you."
Ra-eun's eyes widened.
"You, Sis? Magic training?"
Seorin nodded.
"Yes. I have a grasp on my new limits now. Ga-on already learned Basic Aura Manipulation from Han Choyeon, so his foundation is solid. But he still lacks practical experience. It's best if he learns from me as well."
She naturally slipped her arm through mine. She looked as calm as ever, but she pulled me in just a little tighter than usual.
"...Give me your hand."
She took my hand and rested it on her palm.
"Mana isn't about raw force; it's about flow. Don't force it. Let it circulate slowly, like water running down a stream."
Her voice was low and soothing. She wrapped her fingers around the back of my hand, slowly channeling her own mana into me.
A sensation both warm and refreshingly cool surged up my arm.
Following her guidance, I slowly circulated my mana.
A faint, shimmering light gathered at my fingertips.
Seorin nodded in approval.
"...Good job."
For the next few hours, the sisters took turns training me before we finally headed back home.
After a hot shower, I collapsed onto the sofa. As I relaxed, Han Choyeon suddenly crossed my mind.
Choyeon.
The girl next door, and the subject of my very first Snail Bridegroom quest.
Our relationship had long since evolved past being mere neighbors.
A connection born from a quest had led to our first night together, which quickly turned into many more.
She loved me, and I loved her.
But now, there was Ra-eun and Seorin, too.
I leaned my head back against the sofa, staring at the ceiling with a sigh.
There's really no reason for me to live alone anymore...
Moving back into the family home with the sisters wasn't a bad idea.
But I couldn't just abandon Choyeon.
She was already mine.
Ra-eun slid onto the sofa next to me and hugged my arm.
"Ga-on, why the serious face?"
"...I was thinking about Choyeon."
Ra-eun's eyes widened slightly.
"Ah, her."
Seorin walked into the living room and quietly observed us.
Without saying a word, she sat on my other side and gently took hold of my free arm.
I looked between the two sisters, choosing my words carefully.
"Choyeon is incredibly important to me. Even though I don't need to live in that studio apartment anymore... I don't want to just leave her behind."
Ra-eun nodded understandingly.
"Of course. She's someone you care about. Honestly, we've been wanting to meet her too."
Seorin remained quiet for a moment before offering a suggestion.
"...Should we invite her over?"
I looked up, surprised.
"Here?"
"Yes. Tonight."
Seorin's gaze was calm, but I could detect a subtle mix of tension and curiosity in her eyes.
Ra-eun beamed and chimed in.
"Yes! I've been dying to know who managed to snatch you up first anyway. This is perfect!"
Just like that, the decision was made far more easily than I had anticipated.
I immediately messaged Choyeon, and to my relief, she readily agreed.
7:00 PM.
When the front door opened, Choyeon stepped inside, her green hair swaying gently.
"...Hello?"
She greeted us with her usual soft voice, but she seemed visibly tense when she saw Seorin and Ra-eun.
Ra-eun was the first to bounce over with a bright smile.
"Wow... you're so pretty! You're Choyeon, right? I'm Ra-eun!"
Choyeon offered a slightly surprised but warm smile.
"...Hello, Ra-eun."
Seorin quietly stepped forward and gave a polite nod.
"...I'm Seorin."
Choyeon returned the gesture.
"I'm Han Choyeon. It's a pleasure to meet you."
An awkward silence settled over the four of us as we sat around the dining table.
I had already prepared a feast using my Special Meal skill, so the food was ready, but no one reached for their utensils.
Fortunately, Ra-eun soon broke the ice with her usual bubbly energy.
"Choyeon, Ga-on told us about how he cleaned your apartment. You actually thought he was a burglar at first, right?"
Choyeon let out an embarrassed laugh.
"...Yes. I was terrified at first. But when I finally caught him and we spoke, a strange sense of peace washed over me."
Seorin spoke up quietly.
"Did Ga-on... treat you well?"
Choyeon nodded.
"Yes, incredibly well. Every time I came home, my apartment was spotless, my plants were thriving... and he always left behind food with buffs so powerful I could barely believe they were real."
A soft blush crept onto her cheeks as she finished.
Ra-eun giggled.
"I know, right? He snuck into my room once to give me a massage... I swear my heart nearly stopped."
Seorin listened quietly before chiming in.
"...Me too."
Choyeon and Ra-eun both turned to look at her.
Seorin continued, her voice soft.
"Ga-on came to my room at night... and... stroked my hair."
She tried to maintain her usual composure, but her voice cracked slightly at the end.
The dining room went dead silent.
Choyeon stared at Seorin, her eyes wide with surprise.
Ra-eun looked back and forth between her sister and Choyeon, her mouth hanging open, before she finally burst out laughing.
"Pahaha! Sis, you are so cute when you're being honest."
Seorin averted her eyes, muttering in a tiny voice.
"...He also... hugged me..."
Choyeon smiled warmly and decided to share her own story.
"...I was shocked at first, too. He cleaned my room, tended to my plants, and did the dishes every single day... but he kept pretending he had nothing to do with it. I thought it was so cheeky of him that... well, I ended up pouncing on him first."
Choyeon's face flushed a deeper red.
"That day, I hugged him first, kissed him... cough*."
Realizing how explicit she was being, she trailed off, quickly checking their reactions.
But Ra-eun's eyes only sparkled with excitement, and she immediately raised the stakes.
"Wait, you too?! Me too!"
"What?"
"One night, Ga-on snuck into my room while I was pretending to sleep... and out of nowhere, he started eating me out! At first, I didn't know what was happening... but it felt so good I couldn't resist. I just grabbed his head and pulled him down on top of me."
Ra-eun laughed mischievously, slapping her thigh.
"From then on, we did it secretly in my room behind Sis's back—"
At Ra-eun's incredibly graphic story, Seorin hung her head, her ears burning bright red.
Once Ra-eun finished her tale, both she and Choyeon turned their attention to Seorin.
Seorin hesitated for a long moment before whispering in a barely audible voice.
"...Me too..."
The table fell dead silent once more.
Seorin fidgeted with her fingers, burying her face even lower.
"Even you, Sis...?"
"...Since Ga-on came by every day... I stripped completely naked beforehand and pretended to be asleep."
Her voice grew softer and softer.
"...And when he stripped down, climbed into bed, and held me... I just kissed him right then and there."
Ra-eun clapped her hands in sheer admiration.
"Wow... I had no idea you were so bold, Sis. Wait, so all three of us... pounced on him first?"
Choyeon nodded with an embarrassed smile.
"...Yes. He was just so good to me, I couldn't help myself."
Seorin, her face still burning, muttered softly.
"...Same here."
A brief, slightly awkward but warm silence settled over the table.
Ra-eun broke the silence with a bright smile.
"Then... why don't the four of us just live together?"
"...Huh?"
It was a proposal I had only dreamed of but never dared to voice.
While all three women were precious to me, to Ra-eun and Seorin, it meant inviting a relative stranger to move into their home.
Ra-eun clasped her hands together and tapped the table excitedly.
"Your studio apartment is basically useless now, and Choyeon is someone you love, so we can't just leave her behind. This house is huge, and the rooms are massive... there's more than enough space for the four of us to live together."
Ra-eun's eyes sparkled as she looked at Choyeon.
"Choyeon, what do you think? Let's do it! Ga-on, you'd love that, wouldn't you?"
Choyeon looked at me, completely flustered.
As I sat there dumbfounded, Seorin remained quiet for a moment before speaking up in her low, calm voice.
"...I agree."
With that single word, the atmosphere in the room instantly brightened.
Ra-eun cheered and grabbed Choyeon's hands.
"Yay! Sis is on board! Choyeon, you have to live with us!"
Choyeon still looked overwhelmed, but a gentle smile spread across her face.
"...Is it really okay? For me to just move in like this..."
Seorin shook her head slightly and said softly,
"...Ga-on loves you. That's more than enough reason for us."
Tears welled in Choyeon's eyes at her words.
Looking at the three of them, a profound warmth swelled in my chest.
Ra-eun and Seorin's willingness to accept Choyeon, and Choyeon's resolve not to let me go.
I smiled softly and said,
"Thank you."
Suddenly, Ra-eun's eyes flashed with mischief as she leaned across the table.
"So... wouldn't some skin-to-skin contact be the absolute fastest way for us to bond?"
With a bright, playful smile, she casually dropped a total bombshell.
"Should the four of us... have a foursome right now?♡"
The dining table went dead silent in an instant.
Choyeon's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she stared at Ra-eun.
"...What?!"
Seorin's face flushed crimson all the way to her ears, and she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth.
"...Ra-eun?!"
I was completely speechless, staring blankly at her.
Instead of backing down, Ra-eun beamed even brighter and tugged on my arm.
"Why not? We all love Ga-on. I love him, Sis loves him, and Choyeon loves him. What better way to bond than by talking while rubbing our bodies together? Besides, I know Ga-on has been dying to hold all three of us at once."
She gave me a playful wink and added,
"And it's our first official day living together as a family of four. To celebrate... I think we should all pounce on him together."
Choyeon waved her hands frantically in embarrassment.
"W-Wait... Ra-eun... that's a bit much..."
Seorin, her face completely red, kept her eyes glued to the floor.
Yet, she still hadn't let go of my arm.
Ra-eun didn't mind the hesitation at all, her excitement only growing.
"Oh, come on! Everyone here has already jumped him at least once, so what's the big deal? Let's make tonight... the night we all share a taste of him together♡"
She pressed her lips right against my ear and whispered,
"Ga-on... do you really want to say no?"
With the intense, expectant gazes of all three women locked onto me, my heart hammered wildly against my ribs.