Outcast Nerd: NTR Player

[Chapter 77] I just made her heart all squishy, that’s all.

“What is this?”

Yu-jin, back in the room, found Young-hee collapsed on the floor.

For some reason, she was flat on her stomach.

In that position, her clothes were slightly disheveled as her body twitched.

And there was sweat EVERYWHERE.

After all that effort cleaning up, she’d have to do it again.

“…What really happened here?”

Sitting next to her, Rime was also inexplicably sweating a little.

Yu-jin frowned seriously and muttered:

“Wait…is this supposed to be some百合 drift? How many tags are you planning to cram into this scene?”

“This is what happens when hard-earned readers go away because of annoying sounds. Working hard and getting exhausted like this.”

“Work? Wasn’t this more like tormenting her?”

“That might be fun too…but even I have limits. I wouldn’t mess with someone who’s already hurt.”

Didn’t seem like they had much left to mess with anyway…

Yu-jin carefully poked Young-hee’s cheek.

No reaction at all.

She must be utterly exhausted.

“Are you sure you didn’t do something bad?”

“The class president might not know, but messing with her would be pointless.”

“Huh? Why’s the class president tormenting people then?”

“Tch! I hate her. She’s nothing but an upstart concubine trying to rise above her station!”

Rime grumbled while rummaging through the fridge.

She naturally reached for the wine – until stopped.

“Where do you think you’re going? Acting like drinking’s perfectly normal?”

“Aww, come on! After all this hard work, one drink won’t hurt! Don’t deny a hardworking person their small joy!”

“If anyone saw you, they’d think you’re some 40-year-old salaryman. You’ve really taken a liking to that wine, haven’t you?”

Apparently the wine from their last date made quite an impression.

Now she kept sneaking drinks whenever she got bored.

Well, we do have money, and nobody else drinks anyway, so it’s not a big deal…

Still, time and place matter.

“What if you get drunk and make a mistake with the kids around?”

“Don’t underestimate a slime’s alcohol breakdown ability! It’s way better than your measly ten livers combined!”

“Still no! It’s not good for the kids’ education!”

Yu-jin forcibly took the bottle away.

Rime pouted indignantly.

“Such a cheapskate.”

Eventually, she settled for an ion drink from the fridge instead.

Gulping it down loudly.

Looks like she was pretty thirsty.

Thinking about it, this might be the first time seeing Rime sweat.

“So? What happened to Young-hee?”

“I just massaged her ‘heart’ a bit.”

“Like last time when you stopped her magic power burst?”

It was Rime who stopped Young-hee’s magic power burst last time.

Yu-jin didn’t fully understand the mechanics.

Something about filling in cracks in her spirit?

Manipulating and controlling someone’s mental world was Rime’s specialty.

Though usually it brings up thoughts of naughty things…

Depending on the situation, it seems positive effects can occur too.

“I loosened up the walls around her closed-off heart. This should improve her anxious mental state considerably.”

“Specifically?”

“She used to see people as cockroaches, now they’re more like flies?”

“The metaphor’s too extreme to really understand…and isn’t this technically a worsening of her condition?”

Still, seems like she treated Young-hee’s illness in her own way.

This was treatment only Rime could provide.

No doctor in the world could directly massage someone’s heart like this.

“Still…the brainwashing slime…”

“Aaah? Don’t talk like that’s my only trick! I’m a highly capable slime, you know? I can physically pierce through things too!”

What exactly is she bragging about now?

So being called “brainwashing slime” is fine then?

Not quite sure about slime self-evaluation standards…

“Will Young-hee regain her memories soon?”

“Not really.”

Rime shrugged.

“All I did was relax her heart a bit. Like taking a stiff object and forcefully making it soft.”

Similar to putting a scope on a gun.

That’s what Rime added.

While it might help, it won’t improve the user’s shooting skills.

“Regaining memories depends on her willpower. More accurately, a trigger is needed.”

“Trigger?”

“If I must explain simply – some kind of opportunity or shock.”

An opportunity.

Maybe seeing a nostalgic item or something like that?

No, it probably won’t be that simple.

Even Chul-soo, who was closest to her, wasn’t recognized by Young-hee.

Seems like it’ll take quite the shock to work.

“Anyway, forcing memory recovery too much might backfire and harm her body. Right now, I think relaxing is better.”

Yu-jin nodded slowly.

Then he suddenly chuckled.

“What? Why are you laughing?”

“It’s just…it’s surprising to see you caring for others.”

Rime always claimed she hated humans.

Yu-jin was her only conversation partner.

Yet here she was taking care of Young-hee on her own initiative.

Honestly, this was unexpected.

“Not really. Just that having her stuck around would be annoying.”

“Yeah, sure. You’re such a kind-hearted person, Rime.”

“Tch! Do you think I’d just accept a pat on the head?”

“Then shall we stop?”

“…I didn’t say to stop.”

Puffing out her cheeks cutely while acting aloof.

Honestly speaking, Yu-jin knew.

Rime was only concerned about Young-hee because she was Yu-jin’s friend.

He knew she was pretending to complain to hide that fact.

Knowing this made her seem all the more lovable.

!

!

……

“You, watch out. Once the kids leave, I’ll scold you right away?”

“Whoa, scary. Guess I’ll stay with the kids then.”

“…Why are you talking so arrogantly? Should I just give you a lecture right now?”

Their eyes met.

Rime’s lips curved ever so slightly upward.

Her mouth stood out particularly.

A strange atmosphere flowed as Rime started to move her head…

“Master Yu-jin, how would you like your meal?”

Startled, they quickly put distance between each other.

Yu-jin tried to hide his flustered state as he spoke.

“Hmm, I’ll just eat in my room as usual. Prepare my meal in the regular portion.”

“Understood.”

The staff answered and left.

Rime clicked her tongue lightly.

“Phew, that was dangerously close.”

Normally, her overt provocations were fine since they created distance.

But her subtle mood-setting was genuinely powerful.

We almost had a major accident right in front of everyone.

While thinking about that, Rime nudged Young-hee awake.

“Hey, Young-hee! Get up already! Time for dinner!”

“Mmph…”

Still too tired to move, it seemed.

Then Rime whispered softly into her ear.

“If you don’t get up, I’ll tickle you again!”

“Eep?! I’m up! I’m up already!”

Young-hee jumped up startled.

Just what exactly did she…treat her to elicit that kind of reaction?

Yu-jin became increasingly curious watching this.

****

“What in the world is Kim Yu-jin doing?!”

One of the family heads slammed the table roughly.

The bodyguards nearby frowned.

Ordinarily, one might let it slide.

But the person in front of them was far from ordinary.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Seol-hwa Lee.

Yu-jin’s mother and sole ruler of Hwagcheon.

She maintained her stunning beauty as she sipped her tea calmly.

“Isn’t Yu-jin-sama doing absolutely nothing?”

“Absolutely nothing, indeed!”

The executive glared fiercely.

Behind that anger, a faint fear could be seen.

“But the assassin raised by him keeps targeting Hwagcheon executives!”

“Hmm…”

Indeed, the executives of Hwagcheon,

More specifically, the anti-Yu-jin faction executives, were steadily decreasing in number.

Of course, they weren’t fools.

They had already completed their investigations.

That the assassin was raised by Yu-jin,

That Jeong-il angered the assassin causing revenge – all these facts were known.

Simply put, the assassin was just too strong for them to handle despite knowing all this.

“The damage has already been immense! This is clearly an attack against Hwagcheon! This is a disciplinary matter at the organizational level!”

Seol-hwa placed down her teacup.

Her cold gaze turned toward the executive.

“You’re saying strange things.”

“What?”

“I told you to handle Yu-jin’s matters yourselves. So you did. Now that you’re losing, you’re complaining?”

“T，That’s different…”

“If you feel wronged, prove it with strength. That’s Hwagcheon’s way.”

Seol-hwa cut off the executive’s words.

There was no longer any value in listening to him.

Hwagcheon’s way.

Strength is justice.

Seol-hwa respected even blood ties if they followed this principle.

There was nothing else to say.

“And besides, you should be grateful it’s Yu-jin.”

“What?”

“If someone bearing Hwagcheon’s name fell to an external enemy, especially such a young one, I’d have their head hung up by my hand.”

Seol-hwa’s eyes gleamed icily.

This wasn’t idle talk.

In front of Seol-hwa, one’s life wasn’t worth even a fly’s.

“Forgive me…”

In the end, the executive had no choice but to retreat without another word.

Judging by his appearance, he wouldn’t last much longer.

“Well, this is getting interesting.”

Seol-hwa thought to herself.

Never expected Yu-jin to push the executives this hard.

Seems like children grow up faster than imagined.

The corners of Seol-hwa’s red lips rose ever so slightly.

---