Si-hyun had a reason for being so attentive to me.

  When I came out of the bathroom and rested on the bed, we did it again.

  Yes, again.

  Having tasted sweetness, Si-hyun asked for more from me.

  He had that intention from the start, which was why he paid such close attention to my physical condition.

  Though Si-hyun felt sorry, as his lover I thought I should satisfy him, so I forced myself to comply.

  His movements were gentler than yesterday, and the number of times was fewer-

  But even so, we still did it four times. Just thinking about it made my legs weak.

  There was still some time before checkout, but I really couldn’t get out of bed.

  "Ugh."

  "Sorry, are you tired?"

  "It's fine."

  I was indeed a bit worn out.

  Not only did Si-hyun do it many times, each session lasted long too. The whole process took forever.

  It left me somewhat sleep-deprived.

  "Really can’t do it today."

  If I went along with him again tonight, I probably wouldn’t hold up.

  "Wasn’t planning to."

  As checkout time approached, I forced myself to get up and wash.

  The sensation of Si-hyun’s cum seemed to linger in my vagina and womb.

  This sticky feeling wasn’t pleasant. To prevent leaks from soiling my clothes, I carefully cleaned the outside.

  Cleanup afterward was more troublesome than I expected.

  After washing, I slumped down exhausted.

  Maybe out of guilt, Si-hyun carried me on his back during checkout.

  I felt a little ashamed under others’ strange stares, but I was too tired and let him carry me.

  On the ride home, I felt inexplicably down.

  This intimacy only made me crave more time with Si-hyun.

  "Any plans for tomorrow?"

  "Hmm… Should go on an Expedition, right?"

  We need to earn money to support the family.

  "Okay, got it."

  "Pick somewhere close."

  "Sure."

  The short distance home made my gloom feel heavier.

  Dragging my feet after getting out of the car, Si-hyun came over and kissed me.

  "Go home and rest well."

  That kiss dispelled my melancholy and warmed my heart.

  "You too."

  I waved lightly, watching him leave before heading inside.

  As soon as I got home, Mom came up to me with a worried look.

  She immediately guessed what I’d been through, easy to deduce from my unusual walk and our known relationship.

  I hadn’t expected Mom to figure it out.

  As an adult, she wouldn’t interfere, but she reminded me to be careful about contraception and gave me a small pill case.

  It was ovulation-regulating birth control pills.

  Embarrassing, but necessary to be cautious.

  Not sure how strong Si-hyun’s lust is, but if it happens often, I should take precautions, right?

  If needed, I’ll explain in advance and take the pills.

  Ugh… Counting the days, my fertile period is in three days?

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Can’t do it during my period, so the safe days are really few.

  Lost in these thoughts, I went to my room, so tired I just changed clothes and passed out.

  -

  Woke up from my nap around noon.

  I stretched my sore body.

  "Oww-"

  Really grateful for the Artifact’s healing Ability.

  Without it, I’d feel much worse now.

  Need to fully relax and recover for tomorrow’s Expedition.

  While stretching, I checked my phone and saw Si-hyun had sent many encrypted messages.

  =Sorry, was sleeping earlier

  -You must be tired

  =Fine now

  -Want to go somewhere farther for the Expedition tomorrow

  =No problem

  -Okay

  Hearing we’re going far, I should pack.

  Need to bring more clothes and underwear.

  Maybe now’s a good time to bring up things that are hard to say in person?

  =Um

  -What’s up

  =About contraception

  Si-hyun didn’t reply right away.

  =My fertile period is in a few days, so we need to be careful

  = How about starting birth control pills next month?

  = The ovulation-regulating kind.

  Still no response.

  Guess I should handle this myself?

  -

  Not sure what to say

  -

  I panicked a bit and didn't reply

  = It's fine, I understand

  = I brought it up too suddenly

  -

  No, I'm glad you considered it

  Actually I researched a lot about contraception to prepare.

  -

  Won't that affect your health?

  = It's fine

  Then I explained the medication's mechanism in detail.

  = It simply suppresses ovulation

  -

  Then please do

  Hehe, starting next month every day will be safe?

  -

  By evening my body had mostly recovered with no discomfort.

  Good food and proper sleep really are the best recovery methods.

  When Oppa returned late at night, he couldn't hide his happiness.

  "Why so late?"

  "Hard to explain."

  "Hmm~ Did you get a girlfriend?"

  Oppa remained composed:

  "What if I did?"

  "Mi-ro is quite pretty."

  That broke his composure.

  My turn to counter.

  "Ah, six years younger feels good?"

  "How do you..."

  "Of course I know, she's my best friend."

  Watching his expression twist was satisfying.

  I put on my most content smile and continued provoking him.

  "Dating your sister's classmate feels nice, right?"

  "Yeah, it's nice. So what?"

  "If you're nicer to me, I might share some childhood stories about you."

  Stone-faced Oppa suddenly leaned close.

  "if you talk..."

  "So you better treat me well."

  Oppa sighed and went to his room.

  That's more like him. His recent girlfriend-induced happiness was annoying, but now I feel better.

  I texted Yoo Mi-ro several secrets about Oppa.

  Like how he's actually a pig who eats over three bowls per meal, never exercises at home and just games, and always throws his socks inside-out into the laundry basket.

  Hehehe, now Mi-ro should see Oppa's true colors.

  Unexpectedly, Mi-ro replied quite friendly.

  She even thanked me for telling her?

  What's going on?

  Ah, does she think I don't know she's dating Oppa?

  I'll have to tease Mi-ro too someday.

  -

  Early morning preparations for the mission with Si-hyun.

  I packed clothes and underwear in advance, finishing quickly.

  With the Additional Ability, I no longer need makeup, cutting preparation time significantly.

  My skin looked incredibly good when I woke up.

  This Additional Ability is definitely every girl's dream.

  When ready, I saw Si-hyun waiting downstairs as usual.

  Why wait outside in this cold instead of the car?

  "Morning Si-hyun."

  "Get in. Are you feeling okay?"

  "Yeah, resting yesterday helped. It's cold, let's get in."

  The car was warm with the heater on.

  "Why not wait in the car?"

  "Just for a moment."

  "Where are we going today?"

  "A friend from my hometown asked for help."

  "What?"

  "my civil servant friend asked if we could handle some Monsters."

  "Why us! It's not an official request."

  Si-hyun deflated while driving.

  "Same difference. Consider it helping a friend."

  He's too kind.

  But that's part of Si-hyun's charm, right?

  "Fine. How long?"

  "Four hours?"

  "Wow, that's far."

  "You can sleep a bit longer."

  "Not tired right now, I'll rest later. Tell me about the Gate situation."

  "The main Crustacean monsters appearing are lobsters, crabs, and shrimp."

  "Levels?"

  "C-Class, but with conditions to upgrade to B-Class."

  "Conditions?"

  "They say among the monster leaders appears one B-Class. Eliminating it guarantees two months of peace."

  "B-Class? Wouldn't that be dangerous if we encounter it?"

  "If it's dangerous, we can just retreat."

  A fighting spirit gleamed in Si-hyun's eyes.

  "Looking for a fight, are you?"

  Since teaming up with me, Si-hyun not only postponed his rank evaluation but also kept suppressing his strength.

  Seemed he'd built up quite some pent-up frustration in this area.

  A B-Class monster appearing? Definitely Si-hyun's deliberate choice to pick a fight.

  It would be great if we happen to encounter one.

  "Honestly, I do want a real fight."

  "Then you handle it yourself. I'll stay well hidden."

  "Thanks. Any other intel?"

  "Most common are C-Class crabs. Strong pincers, harder shells than expected, about human-sized. Next are D-Class shrimp. Special Weapon on forelimbs that shoots water jets, weak power, sized like small dogs."

  "So the B-Class is lobster?"

  "Right. Much larger than humans, extremely powerful claws. Also, Artifacts might drop."

  What? Artifacts?!

  Then this isn't just helping a friend anymore.

  If we get lucky with an Artifact, wouldn't that make us rich?

  "They say those claws can also be used to craft Hunter equipment."

  "Even Artifact byproducts are available?! Why isn't this place more famous?"

  "First, the Otherworld environment resembles an ocean."

  "Need to dive?"

  "Maximum depth one meter. But movement in water will definitely be restricted."

  Sounds quite limiting for combat.

  No wonder it's unpopular and considered difficult.

  "Ugh, sounds tough."

  "Right? Especially the small shrimp hiding underwater - nearly impossible to spot."

  "Plus need to watch for ambushes. Average depth?"

  "About 50 centimeters?"

  50 cm would reach around the knees?

  With shrimp the size of small dogs, this becomes pure aquatic combat.

  "Ugh, this will be exhausting. What exactly is the Artifact?"

  "A bracelet. Ability details unknown."

  "Valuable?"

  "Well... since the Ability is unknown, there are Hunters who regularly hunt the leader."

  Regular leader hunts mean they're after the Artifact or byproducts, right?

  Even with unknown details, if people specifically farm it, it must be worthwhile?

  "Seems like good loot?"

  "I don't know specifics either. My friend's intel was limited. The regular Hunters haven't shown up recently, so they contacted me."

  But if it's an Artifact, it must be valuable. Even without knowing the exact use, it'll definitely have purpose.

  Speaking of which, Si-hyun's connections are quite extensive.

  They specifically gave this information to Si-hyun, not anyone else.

  While talking with Si-hyun, quite some time had passed.

  I made myself fall asleep beforehand, then closed my eyes.