“You’re so mean.”

She muttered, her lips twitching as Ethan’s lips pressed insistently against hers.

Ethan caught the muffled words and let out a dry laugh.

First If had called him bad-tempered and now mean? What had he even done?

If shot a sideways glance at Ethan, who was still smiling. Frankly, if anyone deserved those words, it was Ethan himself.

With a sulky look, If closed her mouth tightly. Her lips, pressed tightly together, formed faint lines.

Ethan stifled a laugh at the sight.

But when If kept her mouth stubbornly closed, showing no sign of relenting, Ethan finally pulled his lips away.

Still reluctant to part, he gently sucked on If’s lower lip before letting go – easily, but lingeringly.

“I’ve taught you so much and you’ve already forgotten.”

But even at the mischievous remark, If remained stubbornly silent.

“…….”

If’s lips tightened even more than before, pursing tightly and lifting slightly. Seeing that, the corners of Ethan’s mouth twitched upward.

What was that supposed to mean – that she wanted to do it or that she didn’t?

From the look on If’s face, it was clearly a no, but her actions didn’t match at all.

If Ethan were to judge based on those actions alone, things would definitely get messier.

Not that they hadn’t gotten messy before – but judging by If’s behavior so far, it was obvious that she was going to sulk for quite a while.

Watching If’s face grow grimmer by the second, Ethan finally let out a smile.

Still, as if to calm her down, Ethan hunched his shoulders and leaned closer.

“I’m not mean.”

Of course, that was just talk.

What else could you call it if not mean?

Even at such an obviously empty remark, If looked at Ethan as if she really wondered if he meant it. She still hadn’t learned to read between the lines.

“Yeah. Mean? Not at all. You’re sweet to a fault.”

Stubborn as a mule, brimming with curiosity, reckless without an ounce of self-control or patience.

And that’s not all. She’s sharp, but still falls for things like an easy mark.

Look at her now – a half-hearted compliment and her lips relax.

Ethan lowered his head to those now softened lips.

Just as he’d taught her, she parted her lips gently, accepting him without resistance – a stark contrast to her earlier stubbornness.

What on earth was he supposed to do with a woman who fell so easily for sweet words?

Ethan laughed softly and tilted his head.

He slipped his tongue between her lips.

At first, If flinched in surprise, but now she wrapped her arms around his neck as if it were second nature.

Like learning how to use a new electronic device, she followed the steps carefully, one by one.

First, wrap her arms around him.

Second, close her eyes.

Each subsequent movement was slow and deliberate.

As she lowered her eyelids, mirroring Ethan, the sensation of their tongues intertwining became even sharper.

She embraced the heat that filled his arms.

Seeing nothing, hearing nothing – a moment when all their senses were focused on one person.

That was how If defined this moment of kissing.

She had never shared such warmth with anyone.

She had never lain beside anyone, nor had she ever had a long conversation with anyone.

‘It’s the first time I’ve ever laughed or talked this much.’
Otherwise, it was rare for her to complain about anything, or to care enough to be curious.

When she was younger, she had reacted for a variety of reasons –

The world was fascinating,

Because she wasn’t used to working with machines,

Because she felt uncomfortable giving orders to androids.

There had been many reasons, but as she grew older, those moments faded, and naturally, her expression stiffened.

With nothing to talk about, she became slow to speak as well.

“Haah, why can’t you concentrate?”

When her lips parted, a warm breath escaped.

If blinked at Ethan’s voice.

His eyes, usually an ordinary shade of grass, now seemed to burn with heat, filling her vision with a vivid green.

She had copied them, so the color should be exactly the same.

But while Ethan’s eyes were green, they also reminded her of the campfire flickering nearby.

She had once wondered if her own eyes looked like that – even checking her reflection in a puddle.

But all she had seen were the same ordinary, grass-colored eyes that were everywhere, and she had felt disappointed.

If blinked slowly.

“Because it’s strange.”

“What’s strange?”

“This moment.”

Ethan frowned, unable to understand.

If he asked more, she’d probably start another long explanation.

Swallowing his curiosity, Ethan lowered his lips again.

He buried them against her pale neck, stroking her skin lazily.

Without even looking, his hands moved naturally to undo the straps of If’s clothing.

His fingers slipped easily into the gaps as if it were second nature.

Smooth skin yielded softly to his touch, changing shape with each press of his hand.

Her br*asts, fitting perfectly in the palm of his hand, felt tender and soft.

The sensation, so delicate that it felt as if they might burst if he applied any more pressure, made the veins on the back of his hand stand up.

“Mm…”

If squirmed, twisting her waist in response.

The lingering heat pressed into her skin, perfectly conforming to the shape of his palm.

Each path his hand traced left a vivid sensation, sharp enough to feel clearly.

“Ah…”

A soft moan escaped her lips as his strong arms wrapped around her waist.

She let out a heated breath and tensed her body.

It was the first time anyone had ever touched her like this, which made everything feel both ticklish and uncomfortable.

But that didn’t mean she didn’t like it.

If she had to describe it, it was more like… unfamiliarity.

Maybe I’ll get used to it if this keeps happening.

With that thought, If pulled Ethan’s neck closer and pressed her body tightly against his.

Her pale br*ast flattened against the hard breastplate that covered his torso, the contrast between them stark.

She was amazed at how loudly her heart was beating – she had never felt it beat so fast before.

Whenever she was this close to Ethan, her body seemed to change in strange ways.

The broad back that rose and fell under her palms radiated heat.

Every time their bodies touched, that warmth coursed through her.

And yet, all they did was kiss – nothing so exhausting.

Still, his shoulders moved restlessly, as if he had just finished an intense workout, pulling toward her as if he were being drawn irresistibly close.

No matter how she calculated it, there was no way that large body could fit against her small frame – yet there he was.

Every move he made raised more questions.

She could ask now, but instead she quietly closed her eyes again.

Even though they weren’t kissing anymore, Ethan had closed his eyes as well.

When she closed her eyes, every sensation became sharper.

The thick arms wrapped tightly around her waist.

The damp sensation of saliva wetting her skin.

The sound of his ragged breathing.

Her senses of touch and hearing swirled in a dizzying mix.

Alone with someone she cared for.

What would it feel like if it was someone she didn’t like?

What if it was with several people?

Images of people she’d once known flickered through If’s mind.

Even though they no longer existed, she was sure –

It wouldn’t feel like this.

They wouldn’t be as warm as Ethan.

They wouldn’t hold her as tightly.

“…Haah…”

Breathing heavily, Ethan pulled his lips away.

Soft green eyes slowly turned toward him.

As he cupped her flushed cheeks, he could feel the heat radiating from them.

Seeing that, Ethan’s eyes curved into a smile.

A body that had always felt lukewarm at best – sometimes even cold – now burned with his touch.

A sharp thrill of triumph ran through him at the sight.

Ethan lowered his lips again and planted a soft kiss on her jawline.

A faint red mark blossomed on the smooth, flawless skin, untouched by any fat.

The only mark on her pale body.

Ethan laughed softly, pleased.

“What did you do?”

It wasn’t quite like being bitten – no teeth had touched her – but it wasn’t like nothing had happened either, because there was a slight, lingering pain.

Ethan gave a vague answer to If’s question.

“Just because.”

‘I left a mark.’

If he said that outright, she would surely start questioning him endlessly, so Ethan lowered his head again.

“Mm…”

‘What kind of answer is ‘just because’?’

If was about to press him further, but turned her neck away with a shudder as a ticklish sensation spread.

Her pulse pounded in sync with her breathing, and a reddish bruise had formed on it.

The hand that had been wrapped around her waist slipped under her clothes and gripped her hip.

Her soft skin was addictive – enough to make him never want to let go.

Smooch.

Ethan lowered himself and pressed his lips to her thin stomach.

Her slender waist was so small that, with a bit of exaggeration, he felt he could wrap both hands around it.

It was hard to believe that all the same organs he had were somehow contained within that delicate frame.

It was beyond comprehension – it was almost fascinating.

Ethan traced the hollow of her abdomen.

As his thumb brushed over her skin, If let out a soft laugh.

“That tickles.”

Even as she rolled over the fur with flushed cheeks, Ethan continued to caress her narrow waist and concave belly.

Normally he would have laughed with her – but this time Ethan’s expression remained serious.

‘Will it even fit…?’

He had thought it was small, but now that he was actually touching it, it was bigger than he had expected.

‘This is about how big it gets when I’m fully hard.’

Ethan pressed a spot just above her navel, measuring the size with his eyes.

‘This could be a problem.’

For once, a rare pang of conscience hit him.

But Ethan pushed down the squirming guilt and lowered his gaze.

Just below her navel… Maybe that would be enough.

Having finally compromised with himself to go only halfway, Ethan managed to settle his internal struggle.

As he worked through this private negotiation, If’s eyes were quietly focused on one spot.

When Ethan noticed those wide, innocent eyes staring back at him, he let out a dry laugh.

Here he was, agonising over every detail, and yet she looked completely carefree.

“What are you staring at?”

“That.”

The arms that had been wrapped around Ethan’s neck slowly slid down and pointed at something.

Ethan’s brow furrowed, annoyed at the loss of her embrace.

‘Why does it bother me so much, over something so small?’

The irritation, petty and unwarranted, welled up inside him.

“What are you… talking about…?”

Ethan’s expression hardened at her blank stare.

‘So she hadn’t forgotten after all.’

Kneeling with her legs bent beneath him, the bulge between his thighs was all the more obvious – stark and impossible to ignore.

Ethan silently felt a moment of pity for his future self, who would no doubt have to explain this situation.