30 - Chapter 28: Specter of the Past
After filling my stomach with porridge, I got ready for school. As I stood by the front door slipping on my shoes, the female orc followed me out.
She gave me a kiss, as if wishing me a good day. It wasn't a light peck on the cheek, either. It was a deep, passionate kiss; she cupped my face firmly in both hands as our mouths locked and our tongues intertwined.
I had to stand on my tiptoes just to return the kiss. It was so intense and overwhelming that I could barely breathe.
"Phew...! Haaah...!"
Still, maybe because she knew I had to leave, she didn't drag it out. Even so, my head spun for a moment, leaving me as dazed as if I'd just gotten a handjob.
I wiped my mouth and set off for school, the female orc giving me a gentle pat on the shoulder as she sent me on my way.
"Hi. You're Su-in's little brother, right?"
I hadn't been walking long when someone called out to me.
Fuck, it's not like my commute is some pickup joint. Why do I keep running into so many people?
With that thought, I turned toward the voice.
Standing there was a woman I'd never seen before. Unsurprising, since I didn't recognize her voice either.
"Do you know my sister?"
"Ah, I knew it! I only saw you when you were really little, so I wasn't sure. I'm an old friend of Su-in's."
My sister had friends other than me and Seo-yun?
While I stood there in surprise, the woman strode over to me with a warm, friendly smile.
"Su-in cut off contact a while back, so I haven't been able to see her at all."
"Ah, I see."
"Did something happen?"
"Yeah."
When I readily admitted it, she gave an understanding nod.
"Really? Is she still refusing to go to school, like back in middle school?"
"You seem to know a lot about it."
"Ah, then dropping by to see her out of the blue might not be a good idea right now."
I gave her a noncommittal nod and glanced at the time. If I didn't wrap this up now, I was going to be late.
"Well, since we ran into each other, do you mind if I get your number? Oh, but first, what's your name?"
Fortunately, she didn't seem to have any intention of keeping me long either.
"Sure, why not."
I readily agreed. I was curious about what kind of person this friend of my sister's was—someone neither I nor Seo-yun knew anything about.
As we exchanged names and numbers, I learned her name was Jeong Yu-mi.
After a quick exchange, I headed back toward school and went to my classes.
Once my morning classes were over, I was having lunch with Seo-yun in the cafeteria when my phone buzzed with a text.
[It's around lunchtime, right? When do your classes end today?]
Glancing at the text, I casually asked Seo-yun, who was eating udon next to me.
"Hey, Seo-yun. Do you happen to remember someone named Jeong Yu-mi?"
"Jeong Yu-mi? No, why?"
Seo-yun shook her head.
"Why the sudden question?"
"She said she was my sister's friend, so I was wondering if you knew her."
"Well, I moved away back in elementary school. Maybe she's a friend from middle school?"
"Probably. She seemed to know about my sister's situation back then."
I didn't know much about my sister's middle school life either.
I'd never met any of her friends who could tell me what happened.
The school had swept the bullying under the rug, not wanting to make a scene.
And since I was only in elementary school at the time, we didn't even go to the same school.
All I knew was that she had locked herself in her room, suffering from extreme social anxiety and panic disorder brought on by severe bullying.
With our parents already gone, there was nothing an elementary schooler with a measly D-rank mana could do but watch helplessly and give up.
But now, I realized I might finally hear the full story of what happened to my sister in middle school—and who had bullied her.
So, I texted her back with the time I'd be leaving.
The read receipt next to the message disappeared, but no reply came.
After finishing my lunch, I headed off to my afternoon classes.
When classes finally ended, I walked out of the school gates to head home. To my surprise, Jeong Yu-mi was standing there, leaning casually against a motorcycle.
"Ah, there you are. Want a ride?"
Instead of blindly hopping on, I kept my distance and asked a question.
"Were you really friends with my sister in middle school?"
"Yeah."
"Then you know what happened to her back then?"
"Of course I do."
"Can you tell me?"
Jeong Yu-mi fell silent for a moment. After a brief pause, she nodded.
"...It's a long story. Let's go somewhere else first."
"Okay."
Only then did I climb onto the back of her motorcycle.
If this were my past life, I would never have gotten on one of these.
In my previous life, riding a motorcycle was pure insanity.
Cars have four wheels, making them much more stable, and they surround you in a cage of metal. Even with safety features like seatbelts and airbags, people still die in accidents.
Compared to that, a motorcycle—with only two wheels, no seatbelts, no airbags, where your body takes the full force of any impact—was practically a fast-moving coffin.
Well, in this world, people's bodies are reinforced with mana. The chances of getting seriously hurt in a traffic accident are much lower, so there's less to worry about.
As the engine roared to life and we took off, I wrapped my arms around Jeong Yu-mi's waist to keep from falling, resting the side of my face against her back.
Jeong Yu-mi drove us to a quiet area and pulled up in front of an unmanned convenience store. She hopped off, went inside, and returned with two cans of coffee.
"Let's walk while we drink."
We walked in silence until she finished her coffee. She tossed the empty can aside and finally spoke.
"So, you want to know what happened to your sister in middle school?"
"I have a rough idea, but..."
I couldn't finish my sentence and stopped right there.
A sudden, heavy blow slammed into my ribs, sending me rolling across the ground.
Gasping for air, I struggled to steady my breathing and looked up. Jeong Yu-mi was staring down at me with a sneer.
"She went through things like this."
With that, she kicked me square in the face.
"And things like this, too."
I had no choice but to curl into a ball and endure a merciless beating.
"I wonder if she went through this, too?"
After beating me half to death, she finally stopped, giggling as she looked down at the bloody, bruised mess I'd become.
"I know exactly what your sister went through. Because I was the one who did it to her."
"Ugh... ah... fuck..."
As I spat out blood and curses, Jeong Yu-mi grabbed me by the hair and forced a drug down my throat.
It didn't take long to realize what she'd given me. My skin flushed hot, my heart hammered against my ribs, my head spun, and worst of all, my cock hardened completely on its own.
Is this... some kind of human aphrodisiac...?
Jeong Yu-mi grabbed my pants and underwear, yanking them down in one motion. My forcefully erect, twitching cock was exposed to the open air.
Looking at it, Jeong Yu-mi snapped photo after photo.
"I took a fucking ton of naked photos of that bitch, too, but I can't remember where the hell I put them."
Muttering that, she stripped off her own pants and underwear. She pinned me to the ground, grabbing both of my wrists as she straddled me and forced my cock inside her.
"Phew... you motherfucker... you've got a big dick for your size... haah... well, that loser bitch did have a huge pair of tits, after all...!"
Even while raping me, she kept taking pictures. She deliberately beat and choked me, capturing every agonizing moment on camera.
"Ugh... ah... huff..."
After taking a mountain of photos, Jeong Yu-mi snatched my phone and looked up my sister's number.
It was a number we'd kept active just in case, even though she never used it.
Once she had the number, Jeong Yu-mi picked out a few of the photos and sent them over with a mocking text.
After sending the texts, she looked down at me.
"By the way, why was that loser bitch wandering around the neighborhood a few days ago with her hat pulled low like some lost stray dog? I thought she had severe social anxiety and panic attacks?"
"Ugh..."
She smirked, grinding the toe of her shoe hard against my cock as it slowly went soft.
"If I hadn't run into her then, I probably would've just forgotten all about her and moved on with my life."
Instead of answering, I choked out a question of my own.
"Why... why the hell are you doing this...?"
Ignoring my deflection, Jeong Yu-mi popped a cigarette into her mouth.
"Well... you know how kids torture bugs or frogs just for fun? No real reason. You guys are exactly like that to me."
"So... your mental age is still that of a fucking brat...?"
Jeong Yu-mi let out a cold smirk at my sarcasm.
"Look at you, still running your mouth."
With that, she stubbed the lit cigarette out directly onto my nipple.
"Aaargh...! Aaaaarghhhhh...!"
The area was already incredibly sensitive, and the searing heat of the burn made me scream in pure agony.
"Fuck, look at your face. That is fucking hilarious."
Giggling, Jeong Yu-mi snapped more photos and sent them straight to my sister.