[Huff…! Souta…! Over…!]
The deep darkness of the early morning had descended. Arna was sitting on her bed, enjoying a shojo manga.
This was the newly released title of the month, and it was just getting to the good part.
[No, no touching the chest…!]
With its elegant artwork, distinctive characters, and high level of intimacy, it was undoubtedly a flawless masterpiece.
But Arna couldn’t focus on the manga no matter what. She used to get so excited at the highlight scenes that she would puff out her nose, but today, she just wasn’t in the mood.
“Hmm…”
Thud–
In the end, Arna ended up closing the book. She pushed the manga aside and lay down on her bed.
“Today… I didn’t say a single word…”
The reason she couldn’t focus on the manga was entirely Shin Yoon-seong’s fault. Shin Yoon-seong was all she could think about right now.
Today, she had planned to thank Shin Yoon-seong. After all, he had helped her during the midterm exams.
But that plan went awry. Just as she was about to say something, Shin Yoon-seong turned away, saying there was no need for thanks.
“Ugh…”
Because of that, Arna had been feeling uneasy all day. It felt like she’d incurred an unnecessary debt.
What’s worse, it was Shin Yoon-seong— that despicable villain. She had incurred a debt to him, and she needed to settle it quickly.
“Yes, I can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
Arna sat up suddenly. If she couldn’t give him a verbal thank you, she could always give him a present instead. No matter what, Shin Yoon-seong wouldn’t be able to refuse a present.
This was entirely different from just saying thanks.
“But…”
She might as well give him a proper present if she was going to do it.
What kind of present should she give him anyway? It was already a challenge to begin with. She’d never given a present to a guy before, and she didn’t even know what Shin Yoon-seong liked.
“Should I just give him a jersey…?”
She remembered the jersey she’d gotten from the last photo shoot. She had the perfect size for a guy.
The price was reasonable, and it could be used in daily life. Wasn’t this a decent present?
“Ah, no! This would be no different from just clearing out my inventory!”
Alright, so sports jerseys were out. It looked too lazy. Let’s move on.
“Ugh…”
No matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t think of a suitable present. None of the ideas felt satisfying.
She was out of her league here.
“This is the time to…”
It was time to seek the power of the collective mind. Arna picked up her smartphone and accessed the school community forum.
She decided to post a thread.
─── EveryHunter Han-yul Military Academy ───
Worry Board > Write Post
[Title]
[Urgent!] Recommend gifts for a guy in his early 20s!
[Content]
It’s not a birthday gift but just a thank-you present.
For reference, it’s not a romantic relationship, not even a close platonic friendship; we just know each other’s faces.
What would be the best present for this kind of situation? What would you want most? Budget is no object.
Please recommend something! 8ㅅ8
────────────────
Ding–
As soon as she posted, replies began flooding in immediately.
Arna hit refresh right away.
└Anonymous 4912 : Electric shaver, go for it.
└Anonymous 2176 : If budget is no object, I’d ask for a Dyson vacuum cleaner.
└Anonymous 1008 : Wallet!
└Anonymous 4741 : A nice belt would be perfect!
└Anonymous 7590 : Wallet and belt? Please. These are completely useless.
└Anonymous 3314 : If budget is unlimited, it should be a phone.
There were various replies, some overlapping with what Arna had been thinking about.
Like the wallet or belt…
Ding–
“Huh…?”
At that moment, one reply caught Arna’s eye…
└Anonymous 9080: Hahaha these people don’t know anything.
└Anonymous 9080 : Just letting him feel your chest once is the best gift, hahaha!
└Anonymous 5472: Agreed.
└Anonymous 8531 : Or just let him touch your tits.
└Anonymous 2964 : Seriously, no better gift than that.
└Anonymous 7125 : But what if the OP has AAA cups?
└Anonymous 9080: Gum tits? Then just give them money…
“I’m not gum tits, you know…!”
Arna shouted into the screen of her smartphone. Then, still furious, she got up from her bed and stood in front of the full-length mirror.
“…”
Looking into the mirror, Arna’s figure was revealed.
Even though she was wearing loose clothing, her chest was clearly visible and voluminous.
This was something she could be proud of. It was something that caused envy, not ridicule.
Arna decided to cup her chest with her palms.
“Really…this is the best gift, you say?”
Is this really what men prefer? Just a lump of flesh?
Arna tried to imagine. What if Shin Yoon-seong was cupping her chest just like in the mirror.
And then, she moved her fingers…
“Ahk…!”
Arna’s shoulders shook suddenly.
What on earth was she imagining? Was she really thinking about offering her chest as a present to Shin Yoon-seong? To someone who wasn’t even her boyfriend?
“Yikes, there’s no way that’s acceptable!”
Arna ended up tearing at her hair, overcome by self-loathing.
“What? A present for a guy?”
Before class started, Arna caught Baek Joo-hee and confided in her about her dilemma from yesterday. She still hadn’t figured out what to give.
“Why are you asking me?”
On the other hand, Baek Joo-hee was bewildered. Of all people, it was Arna who was speaking to her, despite what happened during the midterm exams. Under normal circumstances, this could’ve created bad blood.
But Arna seemed to have completely forgotten that incident.
Indeed, she had a very forgiving heart.
“Because I thought you know the most about men…”
“That’s not entirely wrong.”
Baek Joo-hee nonchalantly flicked her hair over her shoulder. Good call coming to her.
“So, who is this present for?”
“Huh, well…it’s…”
Arna hesitated to speak. She seemed reluctant to reveal who it was for.
“Meh, it’s fine. You don’t need to say.”
“Thank you…”
“But I do need to know one thing—how well do you know this person? Are you flirting or just acquaintances?”
The relationship was key. Depending on the relationship, you could decide on the specific present.
Arna’s answer was…
“Just…someone I know…”
“Huh? Just someone?”
“Yes. Just faces.”
Oh, great. The hardest kind of relationship to deal with. “Just knowing” someone means you don’t even know what they like.
A sigh escaped.
“Huff…”
“Sorry, was my request too hard?”
But Baek Joo-hee wasn’t the type to give up here. She had an unparalleled confidence when it came to things related to men. It wasn’t in her nature to back down.
“I’ll handle everything, don’t worry.”
“Yes, yes…”
“Alright, then…”
The easiest way would be to ask the recipient directly what they want…but Arna’s very presence here implies that isn’t possible. Now, they’d just have to brainstorm together.
“Just someone you know, huh?”
“Yesss…”
“First, is the recipient around our age?”
“…”
Arna nodded slightly without saying a word.
“In that case…”
It might be helpful to consider what the recipient likes, but under the circumstances, it might be better to shift perspectives.
Instead of focusing on the recipient’s preferences, focus on the giver.
Determine first what you can actually offer.
“Hmm, let’s see…”
Baek Joo-hee took a good look at Arna. The world-renowned hero looked every bit as remarkable in appearance as her skills suggested.
That dazzling golden hair, and those beautiful eyes that shone like sapphires—it was almost like looking at a porcelain doll. It was strange not to feel a twinge of envy as another woman.
But her beauty wasn’t just in her face—it was in her figure that Baek Joo-hee particularly admired. That elegant silhouette accentuated an impressive bust.
There wasn’t a single time when that bust didn’t make her gasp in admiration.
“Hmm, maybe we don’t even need to overthink this.”
“Huh?”
“Isn’t it obvious? The perfect present is right here.”
Baek Joo-hee pointed at Arna’s chest with her chin.
Arna gasped, hurriedly covering her chest with her arms.
“What, wha, wha…! What are you saying?! This is no time for jokes!”
“Hehe. Just a little envy talking.”
In reality, the gap between Baek Joo-hee and Arna was enormous. You could easily tell.
Baek Joo-hee imagined it. If only she had been born with that kind of chest, what would life have been like?
She could have gotten any man she wanted, perhaps.
“But it’s not a completely wrong statement, so you might as well consider it.”
“Not completely wrong..?”
“See, there’s this saying. A woman’s chest is unbeatable to a man.”
“Ugh…”
Why was the forum, and now Baek Joo-hee, only talking about her chest? Couldn’t someone recommend something normal?
Arna frowned as she glared at Baek Joo-hee.
“Hey! Did that spoon come today? You’re not going to tell me it didn’t show up again, are you?”
At that moment, a male student burst into the classroom. It was none other than Kang Tae-hoon, who had recently been showing up more often in the 2nd year classroom.
“What? Not again? Does that guy even attend classes? That guy’s a complete punk.”
Previously, he only had eyes for Arna, but recently his focus had shifted to Shin Yoon-seong.
Kang Tae-hoon’s absence was a blessing for Arna, but there was an unease nagging at the back of her mind.
It had something to do with Shin Yoon-seong.
“Phew, here he goes again.”
Baek Joo-hee sighed deeply as she watched Kang Tae-hoon’s antics. Then, she went towards him.
“Fine, I get it. Let’s talk outside, okay? It’s obviously not in here.”
Thankfully, Baek Joo-hee smoothly led him out. There was no further commotion.
“…”
Why was Kang Tae-hoon looking for Shin Yoon-seong? Did he have some business with him? Kang Tae-hoon never paid any attention to weaker opponents.
Arna couldn’t understand.
“Huff, is he gone finally?”
At that moment, Shin Yoon-seong’s voice rang out from behind her. Arna turned around reflexively, startled.
“Huh?”
However, she couldn’t see Shin Yoon-seong anywhere. All she could see was a curtain covering the window.
This was strange. She had clearly heard Shin Yoon-seong’s voice behind her…
“Could it be…”
Arna pulled the curtain open with a flicker of curiosity.
“Kyaaaah! What on earth are you doing there! That’s dangerous!”
She could clearly spot Shin Yoon-seong on the other side of the curtain. He was dangling on the railings outside the window, drenched in sweat. It looked highly precarious—he could fall any time.
“Do you think I’d be here without reason? I’ve been dodging Kang Tae-hoon.”
“Even if he’s not a wanted criminal, dodging around like this is no good! And it’s dangerous! Hurry up and get back inside!”
Arna reached out her hand over the window.
But just then…
“Huh?”
Shin Yoon-seong slipped and lost his footing on the window frame.
And with that, he plummeted off.
Keep in mind, it was the second floor.
