113 – Even Comedic Residents Face Trials.
Although it had been mentioned in passing in the past, Noah’s heart had grown to such a size that it was questionable how he had managed to hide it until now.
Even the bandages couldn’t fully contain it, so it was clear that there was no other choice.
The seal on his heart, which had remained untouched even by the bandages, had suddenly been released. What would happen to the tightly bound and now freed heart?
“Ugh… I can’t breathe…”
The heart burst out from within the tightly wrapped bandages. It looked as though a dam had collapsed. The shirt, sensing its impending demise, started to tear and stretch.
The buttons, despite putting their lives on the line to fulfill their purpose, were powerless in the face of a natural disaster and could only be undone helplessly, like a human.
“It’s uncomfortable…”
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Noah furrowed his brow and wriggled his body, causing his shirt to loosen and fall off his shoulders. Then, he grabbed the bandages wrapped around his chest and pulled them off recklessly.
“Noah, Noah! Are you okay…?”
A loud voice suddenly burst out, but he swallowed it with a gasp.
‘Calling out loudly to summon someone? No, that won’t do! There must be a reason why Noah has been cross-dressing all this time, and it shouldn’t be revealed like this!’
That was the voice of reason.
“Hoo, haa! I feel better!”
“…!”
Noah, with a white face, threw the bundle of bandages from inside his shirt onto the floor. His whole body stiffened, and he only managed to exhale a thin breath before inhaling deeply.
Swoosh, Noah stretched out his completely liberated body on top of mine and smiled faintly.
“Are you really cute?”
A bomb exploded in my mind in real time. The miniature Lians started fighting like crazy. The remaining traces of reason were fading away as instinct took over. The remaining traces of reason shouted.
There are other people in the dormitory! Snap out of it!
Noah is intoxicated! He’s not in his right mind!
Is that what it means to be controlled by instinct?!
Noah, snap out of it, you’re friends!
As the Minilians approached Noah, he tilted his head to the side and, in an instant, they were slaughtered, their breath mixing in the air.
As Noah’s breath drew closer, the Minilian members of the “Rational Faction” were cornered. The Minilians shouted in a loud voice.
What can you do if you lose your rationality?
You’ve never even held a woman’s hand!
The attack, more painful than any fact, heated up the corners of their eyes. Their words were true. In a situation where they were frozen like rocks and unable to move a finger, what good would losing their rationality do other than make them faint?
Such thoughts were shattered by a fierce physiological response, independent of their will. A new confusion arose in their minds.
“What, what is this? Why is it like this?”
Not reacting to this situation was no longer an option, but reacting was even more strange to me. I’m not a pervert.
“This can’t be happening? What is this? Why?”
In the world of comedy, this physiological response was only allowed when one became an adult and shared love with a partner or had time alone. In other situations, only nosebleeds would occur, and no further reaction would take place.
Noah and I were not in a romantic relationship, nor were we in a situation where we could have time alone. It was a situation where no reaction should occur!
In such a situation, a physiological response was happening… It felt like I had unknowingly taken some strange drug and become an excited heroine.
Yes, my mind was now chaos and confusion itself. I couldn’t even grasp the situation, let alone understand it.
“Huh? L-Lian… Why aren’t you – you stopping it?”
“Oops…”
Noah slightly furrowed his brow and jerked his body like a child throwing a tantrum.
“Uh, uh, uh… Wait, No-Noah…”
It jiggled softly and felt warm on my chest. Normally, even if it was a situation where my nose would run, my face would only turn red and no further reaction would come out. On top of that, there was no interference whatsoever!
‘What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?’
An impossible thing had happened, and it felt like my brain had stopped along with Noah’s magic tool. Just when I thought my eyes were spinning round and round, Noah crawled up on top of me and brought his face close to mine.
“Ah.”
A beautiful emerald color filled my field of vision. Because he hadn’t given me an answer, my eyes were filled with pain.
“Rian…”
His slightly muffled voice and Noah’s breath dispersed over my lips.
“Why…”
Like a scene from a movie, Noah’s enchanting lips slowly parted and his voice sounded like a silk thread. I felt like every element that made up my body was freezing in real-time.
“Answer…”
As his voice gradually lost strength, Noah’s emerald eyes were partially obscured by his eyelids.
Snap.
The breath that was mingling in the air scattered, and the distance between the two of us became zero. I couldn’t move a muscle like a beast caught in an ecstatic trap. Noah’s soft brown hair, which fluttered over my shoulder, tickled my cheek.
It felt like Noah’s scent was spreading all over my body.
***
The moment their lips touched, Noah fell into a dreamland. As a result, their lips remained intertwined for about a second before they fell apart with a clear sound.
Noah’s exhausted face sagged over Rian’s shoulder. By now, Rian’s pupils were halfway unfocused.
The reason their lips overlapped and Rian’s consciousness completely logged out was because of Noah. Right now, the only thing occupying his body was instinct.
Rian’s hand, which had been still, twitched slightly and then began to move. As his much larger hand moved to embrace her body compared to Noah’s.
“Ah… I’m sleepy…”
“…!”
Ribon’s voice could be heard from outside the door!
In that moment, time for Lian began to feel like a year for every second. The desire that had dominated Lian’s mind was now replaced by the thought, ‘I can’t let this situation be exposed!’
Was it instinct taking over his body? Lian swiftly grabbed Noah and headed towards the entrance.
Thud!
Lian forcefully pushed his body against the slowly opening door. Since it opened inwards, even without a lock, the door couldn’t be opened if he blocked it with his body.
“Huh? What’s going on?”
Ribon’s voice could be heard, sounding confused as she turned the doorknob. As Ribon’s voice came closer, Lian gradually regained his senses.
“Um, Ribon, I’m still inside.”
“Huh? Oh, Oppa? I’m sleepy…”
“Hey! I’ll be out in a moment!”
Lian anxiously looked at Noah, who was held tightly in his arms. He had looked at him to wake him up as quickly as possible, but his gaze unintentionally shifted towards his lips. Heat rushed to his face and his body stiffened.
“Oppa, hurry up…”
“Hey!”
Ribon’s urging helped him regain his composure. After going through such a tremendous ordeal, he didn’t have the courage to speak properly to Noah, but now was not the time for such trivial worries.
Lian gently shook Noah while speaking to Ribon in a voice that wouldn’t reach her.
“Noah, Noah… Wake up, Noah…”
“…”
Noah just swayed as he was shaken, as if deeply asleep, without opening his eyes.
Thump!
“Oppa-!”
Lian felt like crying.
***
Noah was having a pleasant dream.
In the dream, Noah was a soft and warm giant brown rabbit. Beneath me was Lian lying down, and I said, “I’m sorry, I’ll be honest from now on… And Noah, you’re such a cute rabbit.”
As with most dreams, I realized it was just a dream as soon as I woke up.
“Noah… Noah…”
“Hmm?”
Noah felt a mixture of agony and happiness as the blurry face of Lian in the dream faded and his mind started to clear. Someone was gently shaking her.
“Noah, if you’re awake, hurry and wrap the bandage.”
“….!”
At the mention of the word “bandage,” Noah’s eyes shot open. The space in front of her was covered in brown cloth. It looked like she was completely wrapped in a blanket, even covering her head. She tried to sit up immediately, but a firm hand pressed her down.
“Check your clothes and then get up.”
“Lian…?”
Noah narrowed her eyes as she heard Lian’s whisper from behind the cloth and looked down at her body.
“…!!”
Although her chest felt quite weak, as if the magic power had been drained, there was no bandage wrapped around it at all. Noah instinctively covered her chest with both arms. Her pupils were trembling.
“Since everyone else has gone downstairs to eat, take your time to get ready and come down. Oh, the bandage should be next to you.”
After quickly pouring out her words, Lian let go of Noah’s hand. Soon, the sound of the door to the room closing could be heard. Lian had left the room.
Noah hastily got up, wrapped the bandage around her chest, and buttoned her shirt with a flushed face.
For several years, the actions I had been doing became my usual self in an instant. However, my face still looked good.
“Why am I sleeping with the bandages off? How does Lian know about it?”
Noah grabbed his messy hair and began to search his memories.
“Last night… I clearly went down to the lobby…”
She started to slowly recall her memories.
“I helped the bartender who almost fell… and in return, I drank strong liquor, thinking it was water… and then I came back to the lodging…”
Noah felt a rising heat from her neck to her ears.
After diligently searching her memories, she finally recalled yesterday’s events.
“Uh, what…?”
She completely broke down.