Chapter 8: A Secret Kiss, It Should Be Okay?

Sui was about to thank Erina when he realized she had vanished. He couldn't help but feel a little speechless—his earlier behavior had clearly left a lasting impression on her.

Shaking his head, he headed to the food storage area.

Erina's food warehouse was just as extravagant as everything else in her dorm. It contained all kinds of ingredients, including premium items like lobster and tuna. Even more astonishing was the fact that the seafood, including lobster, salmon, and grouper, was still alive—proof that the food was replenished daily.

Maintaining such a lavish supply must cost more than Sui's yearly food budget, and this was just her private stock.

"What a wasteful girl!" Sui muttered indignantly. "With this much food, can she even use it all?"

Despite the impressive selection, Sui only gathered the basic ingredients needed for Sinangag fried rice: rice, corn, pork, garlic, and a few other simple items. Although he didn't have access to the kind of high-quality ingredients necessary to make a perfect Sinangag fried rice, he still wanted to practice.

Skillfully, he diced the pork, heating up the frying pan before tossing in the ingredients, followed by the leftover rice. Stirring and frying, he worked with focused precision.

Time ticked by.

Three hours later, the system spoke up:

"Sinangag fried rice is 61% complete—acceptable."

This was Sui's fourth attempt at the dish. From the initial 9% completion rate to the current 61%, his progress was impressive.

"The rice still has too much moisture, and it needs to be fried a little longer," Sui muttered to himself as he sampled his creation.

With the help of his "God Tongue," he could quickly identify the areas where he needed to improve, planning his next attempt.

Looking at the time, it was already past 1 a.m. With classes scheduled for the next day, he decided it was time to rest.

As he stepped out of the kitchen, Sui was surprised to find Erina curled up on the living room sofa, looking as small and vulnerable as a kitten.

She was still dressed in her yellow nightgown, which had slipped slightly, revealing her snow-white shoulders. Her lips were slightly parted, and her long eyelashes fluttered faintly as she slept. Gone was her usual arrogant demeanor, replaced by an innocent and pure look that made her seem unexpectedly cute.

She lay in a fetal position, her tiny fists resting against her chest, while her two bare legs and delicate feet peeked out from under her gown.

For reasons Sui couldn't quite explain, he found himself captivated by the sight. Perhaps she was too afraid to sleep in her own room, fearing he might do something inappropriate. This thought made Sui feel a little exasperated—did he really seem that untrustworthy?

Then, a mischievous idea popped into his head.

He crouched down and gently tickled the bottom of Erina's soft, white feet. Her body twitched, and her little nose scrunched up.

Finding her reaction amusing, Sui couldn't resist doing it again.

This time, her toes curled up reflexively, making her look even more adorable.

"You're going to catch a cold if you sleep here," Sui murmured with a small smile.

After teasing her for a bit, he gently picked her up, intending to carry her back to her bedroom.

However, just as he lifted her, a shiny kitchen knife slid out from under her gown and clattered to the floor.

Sui stood frozen, speechless.

'Did she really have this knife with her for self-defense?'

He shook his head, feeling a little defeated. 'Do I really seem like such a bad guy?'

Muttering to himself, Sui glanced at Erina's peacefully sleeping face, her features soft and innocent in slumber. A strange thought crossed his mind.

Just a little kiss—it should be okay, right?

With that thought, Sui gazed at her angelic face, but found himself unable to tarnish her innocence. Before he knew it, he had been staring at her for several minutes in trance.

She will be mine. No need to rush.

Shaking his head, he gently covered her with a blanket, then quietly closed the bathroom door behind him.

——

The Next Morning

Erina stretched her arms, rubbed her eyes, and sat up in bed. Feeling the soft mattress beneath her, she blinked in confusion.

"Why am I here? Did something… happen?"

A horrible thought crossed her mind—what if *he* had done something to her while she was asleep?

Panicked, she quickly checked her body. Thankfully, all her clothes were still intact.

Letting out a breath of relief, Erina softened slightly as she hugged the quilt. "I guess he's not so bad after all…"

She climbed out of bed, stretched again, and headed for the bathroom. As she opened the door, she saw Sui standing at the sink, brushing his teeth. He greeted her with a cheerful, innocent smile.

However, Erina's mood darkened immediately when she noticed something horrifying: Sui was using 'her' toothbrush!

"Sorry, I had to borrow some stuff. I'll replace everything later," Sui said casually as he wiped his face with her towel.

"No need. You can just keep the towel—and the toothbrush!" Erina growled through gritted teeth.

"That's great, thanks~" Sui responded cheerfully, completely unfazed, and continued using the towel with her familiar body scent lingering on it.

Erina could only stand there in disbelief. She suddenly regretted not throwing that towel away sooner—she'd been using it to wash her body, and now Sui was using it to wipe his face…

She squeezed toothpaste onto her toothbrush angrily, imagining the toothbrush as Sui's face as she brushes her teeth.

"Oh, by the way," Sui said casually as he headed for the door. "I didn't have my toothbrush, so I borrowed yours. I'll buy a new one later tonight."

Erina froze mid-brush, her expression turning to stone.

"You mean… you just used 'my' toothbrush?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"No, no. Yours is red. Mine's yellow. Just be careful not to mix them up," Sui explained.

Relieved, Erina glanced at the toothbrush in her hand—only to see that it was yellow.

A sense of dread washed over her. She felt like the ground had opened up beneath her, and she'd fallen into the depths of hell.

'I just used the toothbrush he brushed his teeth with…'

Nausea overwhelmed her, and she could only groan internally as she realized the awful truth.

She threw the toothbrush in her hand straight into the trash, then began rinsing her mouth frantically.

"That was my toothbrush!" Sui exclaimed in distress. "Didn't you just use it?"

"It's an indirect kiss! An indirect kiss!" Erina shouted hysterically.

"But we've already kissed before... doesn't that count as more than just an indirect kiss?" Sui muttered under his breath.

"Get out!" Erina roared.