This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 437

Is it because the place is what it is?

It definitely felt like there was a lot missing.

There were no scented candles to help relax the body and mind, nor any massage oils to efficiently relieve muscle fatigue.

What’s there to say?

What I was preparing was none other than a massage.

“Why a massage out of the blue?” you ask?

Well, it’s not that random.

I’ve always thought I should give one at least once.

‘Although various events kept pushing it back…’

That’s to say, I’d been thinking about it all along.

Even amidst the chaos of preparing to become a manager and getting other certifications, I also took time to attend a massage academy to get certified in that area.

You might wonder what the connection is between being a hero’s manager and massage therapy?

On the surface, they might seem completely unrelated.

But dive a little deeper, and you’ll find that’s not exactly true.

The profession of a hero?

It fundamentally involves using the ‘body.’

Of course, the specifics can change depending on the hero’s talents, but ultimately, that’s the case.

Whether they use their body directly in battle or not, just moving from location to location leads to a natural accumulation of fatigue.

And when they arrive at a site and head into action, the physical tension starts to creep in.

Is that all?

It’s just that Yoonseo particularly hates exercising, while seeing Chae-rim and the Senior working out shows how crucial self-training is in this industry.

Thinking back, it’s quite obvious—who would want to use a hero that’s losing basic stamina, which could be seen as fundamental competency?

Because of that, many heroes, not just Chae-rim or the Senior, invest several hours daily honing their bodies—

‘The problem is, exercising also builds up fatigue…’

For this reason, having a massage-related certification has long been almost essential for managers handling heroes.

It’s possible to obtain the manager qualification without it, but saying you lack a massage certification will definitely get you the response, “What have you been doing until now?”

So what if you don’t have one?

At the very least, knowing a good massage parlor becomes… common sense in this industry.

Because of that, I also did some research at first.

Watching Chae-rim and the Senior increase their workout volume daily, I felt relying on external help would just get me digging the root of a massage shop.

So I changed course and pursued the certification myself.

‘Anyway…’

Even so, I felt a bit reluctant to be the one offering massages, so I was just waiting for the right opportunity…

Who would have guessed I’d be showing my skills in a place like this?

Maybe it’s because of the hospital’s nature, which seems both fitting and unfitting for a massage.

Honestly speaking, it felt almost like stepping into some planned adult film scene.

Not that I intended it that way, but I couldn’t shake off that feeling about this situation.

It’s hard to pinpoint it exactly, but I guess that’s how it felt.

‘Huh…’

What on earth was I thinking when I made that proposal to Chae-rim?

But now that I’m the one who suggested it, I can’t just back down…

While muttering these thoughts internally, I was trying to suppress the tension that was crawling up my body, against my will.

The sound of water that had been continuously flowing suddenly stopped, and the door to the bathroom creaked open.

I thought everyone would take at least 30 minutes for a shower, so I wondered why today they seemed so quick.

My heart started pounding, reacting to the sound, as I fixed my gaze on the door, which was slowly opening.

Before long, Chae-rim appeared—

“I-I made sure Dogun took a shower like you asked…”

Chae-rim, wrapped in a towel that had been left in the bathroom, stood before me.

Was it the warm shower that made her face, and overall body, a lovely shade of pink?

The towel, not too big nor too small, hugged her curves in a way that would leave any man breathless.

Her normally wild red hair, soft from being wet, clung to her cheeks and body, enhancing the effect.

It was as if her allure had multiplied several times over.

Caught off guard, I realized my mind was struggling to regain focus…

Looking at her, Chae-rim’s expression softened as if she was watching my reaction closely.

“So… what should we do now?”

The tremble in her voice from earlier had settled, it seemed.

Of course, that was her situation, while mine was somewhat different.

I mean, my heart had been pounding like it was malfunctioning since a while back.

No matter how hard I tried to calm down, it kept thumping as if my body had turned into a drum.

It felt like someone was relentlessly banging on this drum of mine.

So, I couldn’t gather my thoughts.

“Uh, um… f-first, lie down here…”

Despite everything, I was determined to go through with it, guiding Chae-rim to lie down on the bed turned massage table as she had just come from the shower.

“What?! This is pretty serious!”

As she lay back according to my guidance—

‘Huh…’

I couldn’t help but gasp at the sight that invaded my view.

As soon as she lay down, Chae-rim tightened the grip on the towel that was barely holding up, letting it slip just slightly…

And there it was, the view inside was fully revealed.

At that moment, I learned how enticing the body of a woman warmed by a hot shower could be.

It felt like gazing upon a perfectly ripe peach.

Everything was so white with a hint of pink.

I gulped involuntarily, and honestly, it was inevitable.

In my perspective, it was just that alluring…

Even in her lying down position, her shape didn’t lose form, standing out noticeably.

And every time Chae-rim took a tiny breath, it swayed gently, like a giant jelly itself.

I couldn’t help but think how enticing it would be to just lean in and taste it.

“Like this? Is this how I should lie down?”

What drove me crazier was Chae-rim’s attitude.

I genuinely offered to give her a massage to relieve her stress, but I don’t know how my suggestion distorted in her mind…

From earlier, she had been giving me provocative glances non-stop.

Not just with her eyes, but her posture as well.

I mean, who starts a massage face-up?

Well, maybe there are places like that out there…

But traditionally…?

The rule is to start from the back.

Yet here she was, lying down provocatively…

“Dogun?”

With an innocent expression as if asking if there was something wrong, she urged me on.

Her expression was exquisite, elevated to such a level that I could only succumb.

Slowly approaching Chae-rim, who lay there enticingly without any cover on the bed…