Chapter 313 - 313. The Party That Became a Star, and Avea, and (Part 1) (Avea☆)
Avea led us into the building of the Mateo Trading Company. The construction was relatively new, and a strong scent like gathered wood shavings tickled my nostrils. The interior was bright, with ample natural light thoughtfully calculated, and completely free of the cold chill outside, giving off a warm, inviting feeling. She guided us to a small, modest room on the second floor. Inside stood only a bed, a single-person desk, and a chair—the room was so cramped that these few items filled the entire space. Yet, perhaps because morning sunlight poured through the window, bathing the interior in a soft white glow, there was no sense of claustrophobia. It was tight for two people, but somehow the atmosphere felt oddly comfortable.
Without hesitation, Avea walked straight to the bed and plopped down with a thud. With a creaking sound, her body sank into the mattress. I stood over her, rubbing my aching head.
"The deal was different. I was supposed to get to hold you if I won, right? And you admitted defeat. So why did you have to punch me just for taking off your bikini?"
"There's no way I could do something like that in front of people!"
Avea shot back, her cheeks flushed. She must have been incredibly embarrassed. Swelling had formed on the tips of my fingers; touching them sent sharp jolts of pain. This was hardly how a winner should be treated.
"I thought you wanted me to humiliate you, saying 'Ugh, kill me' or something like that."
"I don't have that kind of interest! You're supposed to be a lady's man, aren't you?"
She sighed, exasperated.
"Didn't you, of all people, come at me with that kind of condition in the first place?"
"Tch..."
Whether she had nothing left to say or simply lost patience, she averted her gaze and looked out the window. I followed her eyes and glanced outside. From this second-floor room, we could see the loading yard we had just left. The laborers were still bustling about, but it didn't seem like they were making much progress clearing the massive pile of cargo. Avea and they were supposed to set sail westward tomorrow—just thinking about it made me worry whether they'd make it in time, even though it wasn't my problem.
After a brief silence, Avea spoke without turning from the window.
"Mash. Do you really want to hold me?"
Her tone was different now—lower, softer.
"Hm? Of course I do."
I answered immediately. Avea froze, her mouth falling slightly open, her eyes widening in surprise. Then she turned to look at me, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.
"Then it's fine with me. But there's one condition."
"As long as it's not 'no penetration,' I'll listen."
"Idiot! Stop derailing the conversation with nonsense like that!"
She glared at me, her brows sharply arched. If I kept pushing, she might actually throw another punch, so I raised both hands in front of my chest in surrender.
Avea cleared her throat once and steadied her breath.
"I don't intend to become your 'woman.' But if you desire me, I'll respond. And maybe... I might even come to you first."
"Wait. I thought you meant this would be a one-time thing?"
The moment I said it, Avea's eyes narrowed sharply, piercing me like a predator locking onto prey.
"Is that what you thought?"
"Yeah. But of course, I never intended to stop at just once. I planned to make you thoroughly mine this time."
When I voiced my honest desire, Avea burst out laughing. The tension in her shoulders visibly melted away. That was when I realized she had actually been nervous. I'd assumed she was used to this sort of thing given her usual rough demeanor, but maybe she was more innocent than I thought.
"Then it's settled. No objections, right?"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait! I've got plenty of objections!"
I quickly cut her off, alarmed at how the conversation was veering into strange territory.
"What's wrong with it? If you're going to sleep with me, why won't you be my woman?"
"Exactly what I said."
She declared it plainly, without a hint of shame.
"Don't screw with me. Do you already have another man?"
"There's no one like that. I'm not interested in anyone. I just want to stay free. Besides... I actually prefer women."
"Ugh... Now I don't even know what to react to first..."
I couldn't tell if my headache was from the punch or from her words. I wasn't one to talk, but her moral compass—or rather, her view on love—seemed to be marching down a path entirely of her own.
"It's fine, isn't it? Like I said, I don't plan to take up with other men, nor will I touch any of your women. To add to that, even if I someday fall for someone else, I won't end things with you. And someday, I'll probably bear your child. I haven't fully judged you yet, but your bloodline as an otherworld hero is genuine."
"..."
"And you don't even need to acknowledge that."
She added when I stayed silent.
"We haven't even done anything yet, so why are we talking like this? Am I turning into some kind of monster?"
I buried my face in my hands.
"I already said it—you're a lady's man. I'm just an employee of the trading company. I have to be careful. And besides, you already have plenty of women, don't you? You've got no right to complain about my way of doing things!"
She puffed out her chest defiantly, and I found myself without a retort. She was right—my own situation was complicated. Maybe this was her way of balancing consideration for me with preserving her own freedom.
I let out a deep breath and decided to change the subject.
"There's something I want from you too. If you accept that, I'll agree to your condition."
She hesitated, touching a finger to her chin, then gave a small nod.
"Go on."
"I want you to keep being Fam and Mizuki's teacher. And when you're training me, go easier on me. I don't have the stamina or potential to move like they do."
"Hey, don't suddenly get serious like that! Now I feel like everything I've done up till now was stupid!"
Avea grimaced. But I wasn't backing down.
"Well, it kind of was. But this is something I absolutely need you to agree to."
Meeting my serious gaze, Avea briefly lowered her eyes. Her long lashes cast delicate shadows.
"That... I can't do."
Her refusal was quiet, yet firm.
"Why not?"
"Because that's your role."
Avea lifted her face and stared straight into my eyes.
"Are you misjudging my strength? My win today was just luck. I know better than anyone that I can't even reach your level. Right now, I'm not even confident I could beat Fam or Mizuki. If they got hurt in battle... that'd be a problem."
Avea offered a faint smile.
"Listen. Today's victory wasn't luck."
She cut through my self-doubt with a firm tone.
"Before the match, you checked your footing. You learned to react to my movements. It's unbelievable, but in a short time, you've grown at an incredible pace."
"But..."
As I tried to protest, her palm gently pressed against my lips, silencing me.
"That's enough. You need to teach others. And to do that, you need to focus on your own growth. Both are things you'll need from now on."
Her words were strict, yet they carried warmth. She wanted my growth more than anyone.
"Avea..."
I couldn't find the words to reply. A warmth welled up deep in my chest. For a moment, her face overlapped with Aidan's. I knew I was lacking. But I didn't know what to do to fill that gap.
"Don't worry. I'll listen when you're in trouble."
Avea smiled softly, as if wrapping up my unease. It wasn't her usual fierce, predatory grin, but a gentle, feminine expression. Instinctively, I reached out and pulled her into an embrace. Her well-trained body was firm, yet warm. The scent of sweat and sunlight filled my nose. Hesitantly, her arms slowly wrapped around my back. In that moment, my anxiety began to fade.
As I leaned in to kiss her, she quickly closed her eyes in surprise. She was a head taller, so I had to tilt my head up. I stretched my neck and pressed my lips to hers. The sensation was less softness and more resilient elasticity—was she training her lips too? A faint vibration ran through them.
"Are you nervous?"
"I'm not used to this sort of thing like you are, Mash."
She started to wipe her mouth, then hastily stopped herself, closing her eyes again as if waiting for me. I kissed her once more, then gently pushed her onto the bed, my hands moving to peel off her bikini top. My hand was stopped.
"Wait. Isn't this room too bright?"
"Now you say that? You're the one who brought me here."
Besides, she was practically naked all the time anyway. I couldn't believe she was feeling shy now. I pressed harder, and she seemed to give up, her arms relaxing. Her pale breasts were exposed. The contrast with her sun-kissed skin was striking, almost blinding. Though her body was lean and thoroughly trained, with almost no fat, this area felt like a sacred domain preserving a woman's softness. I cupped and kneaded them, feeling their firm resilience. After thoroughly enjoying their soft yet substantial give, I traced her areolas with my fingertips, gently circling the center. In response, her nipples gradually hardened.
"Is something wrong?"
"What about? The color or shape?"
Avea stared at me, then gave a small nod.
"Isn't it... normal?"
Her nipples were slightly darker in hue, but she was older than Maira. Maybe that was all there was to it, though I wasn't sure.
"Don't compare me to anyone!"
She raised her brows sharply.
"That's unreasonable. If you ask me that, I have to imagine something!"
"I just wanted you to say it's nice!"
Before she finished speaking, I pinched her nipple.
"Kyaa!"
She made an unexpectedly cute sound. Surprised, I looked at her, only to be met with a furious glare, her face bright red.
"This room is definitely too bright. And it's embarrassing for me to be the only one naked."
She gripped the hem of my shirt tightly. One by one, Avea's tomboyish edges were disappearing. The deepness of her facial features was likely due to sun exposure. Tracing her cheek, I saw a clean, feminine contour, and she was transforming into a mature, alluring beauty.
"S-say something..."
Avea whispered, her eyes glistening.
"Just thinking you have a beautiful face."
"Shut up!"
Her usual self was still there. That reaction made me smile involuntarily. I pulled away and started undressing, but a pillow flew at me, making me stagger.
"What the hell are you doing!"
"Don't make that gross face! Just act normal and serious!"
"Who the hell makes love with a serious face? And this is my natural expression! You're about to be taken by a man with this face!"
When I shot back, she fell silent.
"Sorry. I shouldn't have said that about your face. I can't exactly talk, so please forgive me."
She was acting unusually shy. Her feminine and masculine sides kept shifting. Part of me wanted her to argue more, but this was probably another hidden side of her.
"No, Avea. You're different from me. You're definitely in the beautiful category."
"... Even if it's flattery, it's nice to hear from a man about to take me. But I've never been seen as a woman."
She gave a faint smile, then lowered her head. Seeing that, I wondered—had she wanted to be cherished as a woman? The thought flickered through my mind. Her body, trained to its peak, with six perfectly defined abs—even I, a man, found it breathtaking. I touched it; it was covered with a thin layer of fat, but beneath was hardness that could probably deflect a blade. I'd thought she only cared about that kind of beauty.
I lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes—clear, deep, like red gemstones without a trace of cloudiness. Avea had this kind of beauty too.
"It's not your face. It's definitely your personality's fault."
"That's not supportive at all!"
Avea swatted my hand away.