Anything But Study - Chapter 18

Melia wasn’t ignorant of what that growing bulk was.

No matter how inexperienced she was, she naturally knew basic common sense.

“H-Hailon….”

Melia thought it was right to pretend she didn’t know and move away for now.

It just felt like he’d be embarrassed for no reason.

Besides, what if someone came in and saw the two of them hugging?

If strange rumors spread about her for no reason, he’d be put in a difficult position.

She tried to slip out of his arms right away and check his condition.

“A-are you okay?”

“How about you?”

Only then did the strength in Hailon’s arms around Melia slowly loosen.

Somehow, he seemed to regret this moment, but flustered Melia didn’t notice that sign.

He also slowly straightened his body and stood up.

Fortunately, Hailon didn’t seem to be hurt anywhere.

But there was a problem.

“…Melia, in your hand.”

“H-huh…?”

Melia’s head lowered toward her palm.

When she fell, without realizing it, she flailed and grabbed onto anything.

Of all things….

The relic with the red light.

Why is this in her hand!

She must be crazy.

Melia jolted in shock and quickly put it back in its place.

What if something happened?

She looked at it with worried eyes, but the relic was the same as before.

It seemed that earlier, when it felt like it was shining especially more, had just been her imagination.

“What do we do?”

Even so, she was worried.

The professor had told them not to touch it.

What if they got caught for no reason?

“How’s your body? There’s no change, right?”

Meanwhile, as if he wasn’t worried about the professor at all, Hailon only checked Melia’s condition.

Melia scanned her own body. Luckily, it didn’t seem like there was anything unusual. Just like usual, the same as always.

“Yeah, I’m okay.”

“…Really?”

But Hailon looked suspicious about something. Like that couldn’t be.

Still, to him as well, Melia didn’t seem to have any particular problem.

And his own body hadn’t changed either.

When he hugged Melia, blood had briefly rushed downward without him realizing it, but that was just a natural phenomenon.

It absolutely wasn’t the relic’s effect.

For a moment, in Hailon’s head, the conversation of those guys spewing filthy talk in the corridor flashed past.

“Anyway, I heard among the ancient relics brought out at the camp, there’s one that makes your body heat up.”

What, was everything those bastards said a lie?

No, but the professor also said something similar about this relic’s effect.

Still, fortunately, it seemed it hadn’t activated. Even the professor didn’t know the activation conditions, so it probably wouldn’t show its effect easily.

But you never know. He didn’t intend for it to happen like this, but if things turned out this way….

Hailon remained silent for a few seconds, then opened his lips.

“Melia, let’s keep what just happened a secret for now.”

“I guess that’s best, right?”

Melia agreed with Hailon’s words.

Because the professor had boasted that if they touched it by mistake and a problem occurred, he wouldn’t even bother dealing with it and would immediately give them the lowest score.

Melia aside, Hailon was getting tutored by Melia to raise his grades, so he couldn’t get caught with something that would deduct points.

Melia resolved to definitely keep it a secret, for the sake of Hailon’s grades.

***

‘I can’t sleep.’

Fortunately, she returned to her tent without getting caught by anyone.

Then she tried to sleep for a long time.

Even though several hours had already passed, Melia was tossing and turning and couldn’t fall asleep.

She glanced to the side, and Rosha had already been traveling in dreamland for quite a while.

‘It’s strange. Why….’

It wasn’t because the sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable, like the other students who couldn’t fall asleep at camp.

‘My body’s so… hot.’

It was a chilly autumn right now.

There was no way it should be this hot, but since earlier, her body temperature had been rising abnormally.

It burned up far hotter than her usual body temperature, and even the breaths she let out carried heat.

Melia had no choice but to sit up in bed.

She considered waking Rosha and telling her how she was, but she was sleeping so deeply it looked like she wouldn’t notice even if someone carried her away.

Unless she was sick, there was no way she could wake Rosha just because she felt hot.

Besides, since earlier….

‘I’m thirsty.’

Her throat was excessively dry.

Melia searched for water and quenched her thirst.

Gulp, gulp.

Cool water kept flowing down her throat, but strangely, the thirst didn’t stop.

‘What’s wrong with me? I should get some air.’

She felt like if she caught the cool night breeze, she’d feel a little better.

Without even putting on an outer layer, Melia slowly walked out of the tent.

Outside was quiet all around. Maybe everyone had fallen asleep, because in the still space, nothing could be heard except the rustling of leaves.

“Haah.”

A deep breath spilled into the air.

When the cool wind blew in, she felt a little better, but even that was only temporary.

It was really strange. She wasn’t sick.

There was no food she’d eaten that was bad.

If she had to pick one thing from today that bothered her, there was only one.

‘Could it be because of that relic?’

That was the only thing she could guess.

They’d said it was known to have an aphrodisiac effect, but it was a relic whose activation conditions still hadn’t been discovered.

Could it be that she’d met those conditions?

What, exactly?

All she’d done was touch it.

If the activation condition was that simple, there was no way it wouldn’t have been discovered until now.

But if it really had activated? What should she do? Fear gripped her.

Her body kept getting hotter.

Her vision was getting dizzy, too.

And what bothered her even more than this heat was the dampness between her legs that was gradually soaking in.

It was a very unfamiliar sensation, but Melia didn’t know what kind of reaction this was.

‘This is bad.’

A tingling sensation began to flow through her body.

Hot breaths kept spilling out. As time passed, a strange impulse began to take over her body.

‘First, somewhere with no one around.’

Around the barracks was dangerous. If someone caught her like this, it would definitely become a problem.

Melia forced her fists tight, trying to scatter the sensation, and headed for a secluded spot.

A place where no one would likely come.

Even if she was alone there, she had to do something to deal with this.

She’d never even masturbated before.

She didn’t know specifically what she was supposed to do, but….

If she couldn’t calm this heat down, she was scared that not only would she be unable to sleep, but she’d stay like this even at tomorrow’s camp.

She had to do something and solve it.

Step, step.

Tap- tap-

Tatatak-

With her growing urgency, Melia’s footsteps sped up.

“Ha, hnng. Hup.”

Ragged breaths spilled out on their own. It felt like her brain was melting.

It was when Melia had gotten far from the barracks and arrived at a secluded spot.

‘Who…?’

In her vision, blurred by heat, she saw the silhouette of someone.

This was bad. There was a person here, too.

She couldn’t endure it any longer.

Then where was she supposed to go?

‘First, hurry and somewhere else….’

Just as Melia was barely trying to move her body, she realized that person was a familiar man.

That was….

“…Hailon?”

It was such a small voice it could be swallowed by the wind, but he turned his head toward Melia.

Their eyes met. That gaze that always left Melia dazed.

Why is Hailon here?

‘No way.’

Could it be that Hailon’s body was strange too, like hers? They’d touched the relic together, so maybe he’d come out for the same reason.

He was slowly walking toward Melia.

He didn’t say anything, but it was as if his gaze was telling her to stay right there, and Melia couldn’t move her feet.

Thump, thump.

The closer Hailon got to her, the louder Melia’s heart pounded.

It was strange. She’d often had her heart race when she was with him, but it wasn’t like this.

And with him right in front of her now, her throat felt more parched than ever.

Why?

Why did she feel certain that the man in front of her was the one who could quench this thirst?

For what reason?

Even though she didn’t even know the method, Melia was swept up by the impulse to touch him.

“Melia.”

At the sound of Hailon’s voice calling her, she flinched.

Because his voice was somehow different from how he normally called her.

It was heavy and sticky. As if thick desire was packed into it and dripping down.

But strangely, her feet moved without resistance, as if she had to go to him.

As if drawn by a magnet, it felt like her body was moving on its own toward Hailon.

And when she took a few steps and arrived in front of him.

Whoosh-

Melia’s body was pulled into his arms without warning.