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Episode 82: Hypnotist, Han Mina (14)

Dingdong! Dingdong!

‘Who is it?’
At this late hour.
There weren’t many people who would come to see Kim Si-woo at this hour. To begin with, he had a narrow human network.

Even the people Kim Si-woo was close with stopped meeting after he quit being a hunter.
And even fewer people knew that the Shadow Mask was Kim Si-woo. The only recent connections he had were with several private tutors.

‘Could this be Lee Kang-san?’ Kim Si-woo thought.

He heard the news that he came to Korea. He also saw Marcus next to him. Marcus said that Lee Kang-san thinks of terribly of Lee Hye-ri’s dream as tank.

‘No matter what, it seemed like there was still further negotiation with Daesung left.’

‘Is he in such a hurry to leave everything behind and come to me?’
‘No, he wouldn’t. If he had to go somewhere, he’ll probably go to Lee Hye-ri first, not me.’

“Who is it?” asked Kim Si-woo, while looked at the doorbell monitor.

“Han Mina?”

She rang the doorbell and looked around anxiously, stamping her feet.

Today was definitely a break.
Kim Si-woo thought he didn’t have any classes scheduled.

‘Could it be that she couldn’t stand it and wanted to take an extra class?’

“What’s going on?”
-Oh, teacher!

When Kim Si-woo answered the doorbell, Han Mina’s face lit up.

-I, I, I have something to discuss.
She looked increasingly embarrassed.

‘Did she not use hypnosis?’

Kim Si-woo saw timid Han Mina, through the monitor.

“I need a consultation, so just give me a moment.”

‘What’s going on?’
Kim Si-woo thought long and hard about why she would come. It wasn’t because she wasn’t satisfied with the class.
If he had to be specific, Kim Si-woo thought it was because she was so satisfied that she came again.

Kim Si-woo opened the door after changing his clothes and briefly cleaning up the messy living room.

“Counseling? Why all of a sudden……?”

Kim Si-woo opened the door and faced Han Mina, who was shivering. It was by no means an easy matter.

“What’s going on? Why is your body shaking so much?”
“That, that’s it. Right now…….”

Her voice trembled.

“Take a deep breath and calm down.”
“Wheeze, haa, whheeze, haa.”

Judging from the fact that she was listening obediently and following what he said, it didn’t seem like she had worn off the hypnosis.
But it didn’t seem like she was properly under it either.

‘Celebrity Han Mina has always had a confident appearance.’

He’d never been scared like this before.

“So, what brings you here in such a hurry?”
“That, it….”

A calmer Han Mina opened her mouth.
“My skills aren’t working properly. I need your help.”

“Your skills aren’t working properly?”
“Yes.”

Kim Si-woo looked at her carefully.

No.
She was properly hypnotized now.
Her eyes were bright and clear, though she had a fearful look in them. She didn’t look away from Kim Si-woo even when she was looking at him.

She had a mask covering her face, but he could tell that she was wearing it because she was afraid of being recognized as a star, and she didn’t cover it up because she was embarrassed.

Even though she was properly hypnotized, she thought she wasn’t. It’s not that her skills aren’t working.
It’s that Han Mina doesn’t feel the utility of her skills.

Suddenly, Kim Si-woo remembered the first time he met her.

Bracelet.
A time when bracelets made from Pluto’s jewels were treasured.

No way?
You’re not using this bracelet as a symbol, are you?

Hunters who use psychic magic would often create a kind of symbol, a symbol stone, to check their mental state.
Like the endless spinning tops that appear in famous Hollywood movies that utilize dreams, dice that always show the same numbers, coins without backs.
For Han Mina, that symbol stone would have been that bracelet.

Even now, when she glances at the bracelet, she can be sure of it.

Pluto’s Gem was a beautiful ore that changed color depending on the emotional state of the person wearing it.
It was a magical item that could read emotions and was worth hundreds of thousands of won, but other than its ability to read emotional states, it was nothing special.

Whenever it’s owner was happy, it turns yellow or pink, if angry, it was orange, if in love, it was red, when anxious, it was purple, and when depressed, it was blue or black.
It was a mineral that shone in various colors.
Since Han Mina became a celebrity, she must have always had only good things happen, so she must have only seen pink or yellow.
And since Han Mina was usually gloomy, she must have only seen purple or blue.

And now. Purple.

That’s why.
Kim Si-woo can see now that she’s crying because hypnosis didn’t work on her.

‘If we consider its color, it can be said that she’s so depressed that even if she hypnotize herself, it stays purple.’

Does that mean the situation is that serious?
No, maybe now is the chance.

If only Kim Si-woo could resolve this now, even though hypnosis, Han Mina’s mood wouldn’t improve.

‘Maybe, I would able to achieve my original goal of providing a greater stimulus than hypnosis.
In addition, making her realize that hypnosis is not a panacea.’

‘First of all, I needed to calm my anxious mind.’

“What kind of skill is it? Have you discussed it with the Academy professor?”
“Oh, that, that.”
“You didn’t?”
“Yes.”

Han Mina nodded and looked at Si-woo with a gloomy face.

“Come inside first. People will be listening.”
“Okay.”

Han Mina followed Kim Si-woo into the room.

“You’re not going to tell me what the skill is, are you?”
“Yes. I’m sorry.”
“No. It’s an unwritten rule among hunters to hide their skills.”
“Thank you.”

Kim Si-woo made some tea to calm her mind.
While the tea was brewing, he listened to Han Mina’s story to help her calm down.

Now she is suffering from psychological anxiety that the hypnosis did not work properly. If she can calm down even a little, the problem will be easier to solve than you think.

“Drink first.”
“Go, thank you.”
“There are two cases where skills don’t work.”
“Which one?”
“Usually, the skill won’t be cast because there’s not enough mana.”
“But I didn’t clear a dungeon, so there’s no way I’d be lacking mana……”
“Right. In that case, the second possibility is more likely. It’s a rare phenomenon for hunters who use buffs and mental magic, and it’s usually caused by psychological anxiety that prevents them from understanding their own condition.”
“Psychological anxiety……”
“Did anything happened after class yesterday?”
“No.”
“Then what about during class?”
“T-that wasn’t it……”

Han Mina opened her mouth as if she knew nothing.

“So what happened during class yesterday?”

Shudder.

“Yes, yes?”
“Didn’t something happen during the extra class yesterday?”
“W-what happened?”
“Yeah. I remember having class yesterday, but I don’t remember what class it was.”
“I, I, I, I’m not sure?”

Han Mina avoided Si-woo’s gaze, shut her mouth tightly, and then closed her eyes tightly.

“T, Teacher!”
“Huh?”
“Actually. I don’t want to ask for advice, but I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Please?”
“Please… give me an extra lesson.”
“What?”
“I, I don’t think I can stand it anymore.”

Han Mina grabbed Kim Si-woo’s hand with both of hers.

“Oh, I was in a good mood during the extra class.”

Thanks to that one word spoken in a pleading tone, Si-woo realized why Han Mina said hypnosis didn’t work.

‘I already gave it to you.’

‘A greater stimulus than hypnosis.’

Kim Si-woo tried to give extra lessons slowly, but only once a week.

‘If she’s already used to this taste, it’s a little different.’

It felt like Heartful Cheering were about to burst forth.

“Well, I know you said once a week would be better, but I’d like to ask you to do it just once today. Then I think I can hold out until next week.”

Han Mina, holding Si-woo’s hand and shedding tears.
She probably came to him not to get counseling, but to get a massage under the guise of an extra class.

“Oh, come on. Please. Extra class…….”

After hearing Han Mina’s earnest words, Kim Si-woo had no choice but to act under hypnosis once again.

“Chu. Ga. Su. Up……. Okay.”
“Oh, it worked.”
“I’ll get ready in a moment, so go into that room.”
“If it’s that room.”
“It’s my bedroom. There’s a bed there, so it’ll be comfortable to receive a massage.”
“Oh, yes.”

Han Mina, who took the towel from him, hurried into the room.

“Oh, can I just take my clothes off and wait?”

He heard her voice as she entered the room.

“Okay.”
“I understand.”

‘Is it because the aversion has decreased? Or is it because I am the ‘celebrity Han Mina’ who has been hypnotized?’

She was a little more daring than before, beyond the door.
While Han Mina was waiting while taking off her clothes, Kim Si-woo prepared the aroma oil as before.
Oil with the essence of Magnolia japonica, which increases sensitivity to mana. From now on, this oil will make Han Mina’s body a little more sensitive.

“Are you ready?”

Kim Si-woo asked Han Mina, who was preparing in his bedroom after closing the door. There was a brief silence.
“…… Yes, I’m ready.”
“Okay. I’m coming.”
“Okay.”

When Kim Si-woo opened the door and went in, Han Mina was standing there with all her clothes off and covering her chest with the towel he gave her.

“Uh, can I lie down?”
“Okay. Lie down.”
“Okay.”

Han Mina lay face down on the bed as before. The only difference was that this was my home.

“Then let’s begin.”

Kim Si-woo spread oil on Han Mina’s clean, white back.

“Ugh!”

He could hear Han Mina’s sweet moans.

***

“Haa, haa.”

‘It really came. It really came.’

The moment she felt that she was not under hypnosis, the first thing that came to Han Mina’s mind was Kim Si-woo.
She believed that even if she didn’t know about others, he could solve it. Because he was truly capable.

So, as soon as class ended, she went to Kim Si-woo’s house.
At first, all Han Mina wanted to get help. But, as she got closer to his house, she became more and more greedy.
Han Mina felt that the massage she received from him felt good, and the improvement in her abilities after receiving the massage felt good.

Despite being clearly warned, not to take extra classes, she became greedy.

‘Wouldn’t it be okay to do it once?’
‘I wouldn’t even get it for a whole week, if I just get it today…’
‘Then it might get better.’
Han Mina thought maybe the ability was so enhanced that she couldn’t feel it.

Han Mina, who was thinking about the massage, looked at the bracelet.

For a moment, as she recalled the massage she had received from Kim Si-woo, she saw that the bracelet had become closer to pink.

“Huh?”

There Han Mina decided. She would take the additional lessons she had received from Kim Si-woo yesterday.

So she asked Kim Si-woo again, and he, who still had no memories of the hypnosis, said yes and handed her a towel. And now.

Now that she had gotten used to taking off her clothes, she lay down on Kim Si-woo’s bed and received his massage.
Unlike yesterday, the bed was filled with the scent of a man.

“Ugh! Ugh…….”

The smell, combined with the sensation she felt on her back, gave her a strange feeling.

Han Mina felt like her body was floating. It felt good.

Sleep came.
Her eyes closed.
More than the embarrassment of taking off her clothes, more than the repulsion of a man touching her body, the comfort she felt while receiving the massage was overwhelmingly greater.

‘I’m sleepy.’

Han Mina closed her eyes while lying face down.
She slept with the feel of his body on her back and the faint scent of him tickling her nose.

It’s comfortable. That’s what Han Mina felt while getting a massage.

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