He could feel Bom breathing near his collarbone.
They couldn’t get any closer than this – he had to draw the line and keep to it.
He knew how the child wanted to monopolise him. If he were a possession, he would be willing to let the child possess him as much as she wanted to.
But it had to end there. Any emotion above that had to be avoided. The Regressor decided to draw a clear line once again.
Therefore, he didn’t hug her back even though the witch gently returned a hug to Clone 2. He stopped after merely imitating the witch’s movement.
Soon, the witch gently pushed Clone 2 away from her body and Bom also distanced herself simultaneously.
Whenever it was like this, Bom would giggle and excitedly try to tease him. However, she was currently wearing a serious look on her face and her gaze was that of a person warmly consoling another person.
Thus, the atmosphere quickly returned to normal once there was a distance between the two of them. It meant that she was also treating this situation in a very businesslike manner.
“Boy. You are making some eccentric remarks.”
“Ah…”
“Do not dare try to embrace me again. Since I did not allow it, that was a fairly impudent action. Do you understand?”
There was no longer a smile on the lips of the witch.
But weren’t you trying to approach yourself? The witch’s attitude was difficult to grasp and Clone 2 thought the sudden contact initiated by Bom might have been a mistake.
However, Bom nonchalantly nodded before lowering her head so Clone 2 copied her.
“Sorry.”
“Alright. Good boy.”
Wearing a smile, the witch lifted Clone 2’s head by the chin with her finger.
“Now, it is your turn. Request.”
“My request is to raise your residence by 40 floors.”
“40 floors?”
It was twice more than the previous request for 20 floors. Consequently, the witch was able to give a request that was twice that of the previous request.
“Stay with me where my hands can reach for the next month.”
“I cannot do that.”
“What?”
“40 floors can only equal 2 weeks. And I can’t stay here for more than 2 weeks.”
The witch scoffed in response.
“Again, it doesn’t add up. I am allowing 40 floors and yet you mean I can only get 2 weeks of your time?”
She sounded displeased.
Clone 2 was once again nervous and felt stifled. This large woman showing her temper gave off a pressure that was difficult to put into words.
“Valentine. There is something you must know.”
“Speak.”
“The ‘anytime and anywhere’ that I mentioned… how long do you think that would last?”
After understanding the meaning behind Clone 2’s words, the witch could not help but laugh. The expression on her face changed to one which suggested that she found his audacity cute.
It meant that she could caress his head to her heart’s content over the next 2 weeks. At the same time, it meant that whatever she requested henceforth would last throughout the 2-week period.
“Valentine. A week of you exerting your power is more than enough. After that, you can return here to rest.”
“How skillful… Have you negotiated with yourself on the line often?”
Clone 2 embarrassedly shook his head in response.
“Good. With 40 floors, I will have you for 2 weeks.”
“Thank you. You can start this time, Valentine.”
“Let me embrace you.”
“Uhh, what do you mean, by embrace?”
Clone 2 asked back with a slightly flustered look on his face. Kyahahaha— The witch laughed heartily with her mouth wide open.
“What is wrong. Are you concerned that I might devour you?”
“Isn’t that what you wanted?”
“How many floors should I give you then?”
“No. That request is no good…” said Clone 2 while crossing his two arms in front of his body to cover his chest.
In the eyes of the witch, his gesture appeared so adorable that it could drive her crazy.
“You truly are playing me like a fool… Never mind. Just a normal hug.”
“If you give me 40 floors, that would be enough.”
“How expensive. That too will be anytime and anywhere, I suppose?”
“Yes.”
“Alright. Come here.”
The witch threw her arms wide open and Bom tactfully pushed her body forward.
“Good,” said the witch.
The Regressor realised that this was a crisis of its own. He was trying his hardest to draw a line but the witch was starting to be a lot more aggressive than he expected.
Now, he had to hug Bom.
While the witch was hugging Clone 2, he remained still. That was when Bom’s left eye crumpled into a frown, seemingly trying to ask what he was doing.
Since she was acting in a businesslike manner, it in fact allowed him to also move. Carefully reaching forth, he hugged her. Bom was still silent with an indifferent gaze and didn’t react in any way even after he slowly wrapped his arms around her.
The witch asked. How come you are staying still.
“20 floors… is that okay?”
Heaving a light sigh, the witch soon replied. Do as you wish.
Only after that did Bom carefully reach her arms forward and return a hug to Yu Jitae. Her movements were also quite rigid. It could be that she was acting that way because Clone 2 wasn’t used to such actions.
Although it was their first time hugging each other, there wasn’t any strange atmosphere surrounding the two of them. Yu Jitae thought that was extremely fortunate. If Bom had decided even slightly to make him perplexed, he felt that the line he was trying to draw might have been shaken.
However, Bom was treating this like business and thanks to that, he was able to keep the boundaries straight.
…At least that was what he had been thinking.
‘I want to kiss you on your forehead.’
Hearing the following words of the witch, Yu Jitae frowned. How shameless can that old lady be?
Bom replied with a cold voice.
“Valentine. Sorry, but it is my turn to request. Please follow the rules.”
I will go up 40 floors.
“No. Wasn’t this something you and I promised on?”
50 floors.
“I am disappointed. Promises aren’t meant to be broken casually.”
60 floors. No more than that.
“…But, they shouldn’t be too inflexible either…”
When Bom’s lips faintly curved, the witch simultaneously smiled as if she found it cute. Then, she brought her lips over to the forehead of Clone 2 whom she was tightly hugging. Carefully, as if she was kissing a kitten.
Chu– the witch kissed on the forehead of the clone.
In real time, he could sense the warm and soft texture of the witch’s lips.
There’s no need to copy this, is there? Thinking that, he remained still with his arms still wrapped around Bom. However, Clone 2 suddenly began panicking after losing his guide.
– Uhhh! My lord! What should I do?! W, what do I do now…!?
What. You can’t do it by yourself?
– Uh, uhh… I feel like fainting right now sir!
The Regressor heaved a sigh.
In his eyes, it seemed that the witch’s objective was to seduce Clone 2. A kitten was boldly snarling at her, so she was giving it snacks until it opened up to her.
Since the clone had been controlling his emotions by syncing with Bom, he was completely exposed to the stimulus when he was forced out from syncing.
Therefore, Yu Jitae had no choice but to bring his face towards Bom’s forehead. Bom appeared nonchalant regardless, and seeing her calm expression and gesture allowed Clone 2 to also calm himself down.
However, he didn’t kiss Bom on her forehead.
The Regressor did not cross the line.
But it was then. The witch gave a knowing smirk.
“Boy.”
“Yes?”
She suddenly grabbed Clone 2 by the neck. The immense force created by her large hand caused the clone’s body to be pushed back while her sharp nails dug slightly into his skin and made him bleed.
“Ukk, kuk…!”
The smile disappeared from the witch’s lips.
“You, what are you?”
Clone 2 was flustered and both Yu Jitae and Bom were also surprised so they were slow to react.
‘What should we do,’ Yu Jitae asked with his eyes.
‘What are you doing. Hurry up and hold my neck. Hurry.’ Bom threw her gaze downward. Thus, Yu Jitae reached his hand out and carefully grabbed Bom by the neck while she was still sitting on his lap.
But in order to imitate Clone 2, Bom pushed his fingers in and made him grip even harder.
“W, why are you doing this…!”
“I’ve been thinking something was off from a while ago. But after kissing you on your forehead, it feels all the more strange.”
“What do you mean…!?”
“You. Who are you?”
In that instant, Clone 2 felt goosebumps travelling down his spine. However, Bom calmly composed her reply so Clone 2 quickly regained his senses and copied her.
“What, do you mean by that?”
“It doesn’t feel like you are the only one inside you. Am I feeling the wrong thing right now?”
“My neck hurts. Please let me go.”
“Tell me the truth. Before I rip that cute face of yours.”
While saying that, her right hand approached his face like a weapon. Her sharpened long and red nails arrived right in front of Clone 2’s face.
Bom didn’t say anything.
So Clone 2 didn’t say anything either.
The witch directly gazed into the eyes of the silent Clone 2. Suddenly, Clone 2 stuck his tongue out and slowly licked the witch’s nail and her fingers.
With a relaxed gaze. And a teasing expression.
Before long, a smile reappeared and replaced the serious expression of the witch.
“Indeed, how is that important. Whoever you are, and whatever it is that is inside you. When you are this cute…”
Her hand holding the clone’s neck loosened.
“How troubling. I was going to drive you crazy but…”
The witch raised her knees. Sucked by her gravity, Clone 2 was soon embraced by her once again.
Hugging Clone 2, the witch whispered into his ears.
“…You are driving me crazy.”
The witch said. I will give the second request. Spend the night with me.
This was naturally in consideration of the upcoming 2 weeks. In response, Bom requested her to go up by 80 floors, which was all the floors that remained for the witch.
Being completely defeated by Clone 2, the witch nodded and told him to do whatever he wished. She seemed to have given up.
An insanely attractive and cute kitten that is hard to get. That seemed to be the witch’s impression of Clone 2.
This should mark the end of things.
However, the witch was embracing Clone 2 for a very long time so Yu Jitae also had to stay still with his arms wrapped around Bom.
Kung, kung… he could hear the beating sound of her heart.
He could see the delicate closed eyes of the child.
“Bom. Let’s sto…”
“Shh. Not yet.”
Bom whispered before looking up at him and warning him.
“…”
Thus, the two of them couldn’t separate for a long time.
After around 30 minutes, Clone 2 was finally separated from the witch. Only then did Bom gaze up at him and heave a sigh, before giving a smile.
“Wahh. We are finally done.”
He couldn’t say anything in response.
Staring at Bom, Yu Jitae felt something strange.
Her hands fanning her heated face,
Her awkward smile,
Her fingers wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead,
Her lips closing after a sigh,
Those things remained longer in his eyes.
“…”
The Regressor was doubtful.
Since when was it, that he began feeling like this?
Was it when Bom licked his fingers?
Or was it just then when her heart pulsing right next to his body had been giving off a beating sound for over 30 minutes?
Or even after that when the young green dragon buried her head into his chest and wriggled it?
No matter how much he tried to, he couldn’t discern the start.
*
Of all the iterations that he had encountered her, the Regressor felt a strange feeling budding for the very first time.
Living through a very long time, he had already lost all interest in women. His heart had never moved from anything beautiful.
That was the case, so when was it?
The times he spent using the excuse that he was feeling perplexed – from the countless times spent at a distance of touching breaths,
Slowly,
Ever so slowly,
He did not realise that something was ever so slowly pervading in.
Thus, in regards to the emotions he felt today, he decided to call it as such:
For some reason, Bom was prettier today.