Chapter 42 Likes (4) - Martial Arts Masochist

"Don't like it?" My hand, holding the switch, trembles. I strike. I struck Tang Soran, even if lightly. It’s somewhat less burdening than dealing with Cheong Wol. It's easier to strike the helpful protagonist's ally than a murderer, after all. Somehow... it makes you think you could be forgiven. Even so, I wasn't entirely at ease. Especially when considering the Poison King standing behind this lady. I looked at Tang Soran's face, twisted in shock. A strange satisfaction swirled within me. Her response was pure and vivid, like the urge to playfully nibble on a cute puppy. It makes one feel like teasing a bit. Of course, that doesn't mean I genuinely want to torment her. It's just the impulse. I really don't want to do this. If Cheong Wol wasn't watching, I would've chosen a different approach. However, the situation compelled me, and having struck Tang Soran, it would’ve been hard to deny that I felt something from it. Tang Soran responded to my question. "Why do I deserve to be hit... what reason is there for this?" "Why wouldn’t there be?" I asked. "Beg your pardon?" "Isn't the Tang Soran who threatened me just a while ago the same one standing before me now?" "Surely, you're not saying this is about revenge." "Revenge, you say?" I raised the switch again. "This is disciplining." -Smack. "Ah!" Tang Soran moaned in pain again. I hit lightly, not to cause displeasure. Yet, the soles of her feet were so sensitive that even a slight smack elicited a response. It makes me think she’s being overly dramatic. I did adjust the strength. Besides, if it's too painful, won't she instinctively harden the spot? Honestly, I'm more concerned about the humiliation of sniffing the shoe earlier than about pain. Pain... Any martial artist should be accustomed to it, and even children endure getting smacked on their soles. -Smash! "Ah!" I clenched my lips momentarily. Sometimes, it's hard to distinguish between a moan of pain and a moan of pleasure. Of course, if you burn someone with a hot poker until they go mad with pain, they'll only scream, making it easy to tell. …But the moans drawn out with a switch can sometimes turn into seductive sounds. That's how Tang Soran was reacting. She seemed as if she couldn't believe the sounds coming from her mouth, her cheeks flushed. She must have found it suggestive herself. -Smash! I swung the switch stronger this time. To offer a bit more stimulation. "Ah!!" Another helpless moan escaped. Three red lines appeared on Tang Soran’s once-pale soles. Her skin seemed exceptionally thin. Should I hit even lighter? ...No, she’s a martial artist; she can handle this. However, probably due to the strike itself, Tang Soran was trembling in shame, her face filled with clearly burning anger. Instinctively, I sensed that from this point, raising a hand against her without explanation would be unwise. It seemed like she was contemplating tearing me apart. "Do you feel wronged?" Tang Soran's eyes sharpened as they fixed on me. I couldn't help but shiver. ...Of course, she feels wronged. Yet, to survive, I had to wrap my actions and justify them mystically. I had to proceed more brazenly and confidently. Tang Soran, full of rage, questioned. "Do you think this won't be unjust-" "-It's about disciplining your vile nature." -Freeze. Tang Soran’s body froze momentarily. Even the movement of her eyes stilled. "...Still feel wronged?" This is a gamble. And as a safety net for this gamble, I borrowed the manner of speech from fortune tellers. That typical question of "Life’s been hard lately, right?" Who hasn't felt that strain? "You're a responsible person, aren't you?" An assumption most people like to associate with themselves. "It seems there's someone unwell in your family, right?" Tough not to find someone like that. That’s the context here—questioning whether her nature isn't vile. It was something initially self-admitted, anyway. A strategy devised after two days of contemplation. It might crumble easily. I don’t know. But I made a choice. Tang Soran is currently grappling with inner demons but later overcomes them and allies with the protagonist. Even without me, she conquers it. So what I can do is... open a path for her to find it a bit easier. Anyone who has ever committed a grave wrong knows the feeling of restlessly wanting to confess before being caught. To quickly bear the punishment and lighten one’s heart. The fear of being caught outweighs the act of confessing. Could Tang Soran be in that situation? Then, I’ll volunteer for this role. Humans are such that they don't usually want to bear the burden of their guilt. They seek ways to unload such burdens. Therefore, I will scold her to allow her to unburden herself. If she’s tormented just to hide her vile self, maybe getting hit will offer peace of mind. Let's figure this out with some role-play, alright? I’ll hit lightly, so just shed the guilt! And if it gets too painful, secretly harden the spot. I wouldn’t know anyway. **** Punishing my vileness? Tang Soran’s thoughts came to a halt at that single remark. Like the tip of a knife, his words sunk deep inside her. Her lips trembled, and it took a moment for her to speak. “…What do you know, what comprehension do you have to say such things to me—” "-I spotted Cheong Wol’s inner demon sooner than anyone else." Tang Soran looked to Cheong Wol as if seeking confirmation. Cheong Wol offered no rebuttal, indicating the truth of his claim. Tang Soran turned back to Han Seo Jin. ...Could he really see inner demons so clearly? “Your inner demon and… I’m aware.” That vile nature is as clear as day to me. Deny it all you want, but... -Smack! “Ugh!” A moan escaped, and with the sound from her own mouth causing her immense shame, she curled up her body. Han Seo Jin, Cheong Wol, and most of all, herself—listening to these embarrassing sounds. Yet Han Seo Jin didn’t stop. “What’s wrong with punishing a bad child? Look, even Wolyi received her punishment...” "You know." -Smack!! "Ah!!" Tang Soran wiggled her toes, but she couldn’t escape the situation. She couldn’t quite understand why she was in this position herself. However, once she heard the words claiming her punishment was due to her vile nature, escaping became incredibly challenging. "Raised delicately, weren’t you? So you look down, underestimate others, and are full of greed..." "When did I ever...!" -Smack!! "Ah!!" "Don't deny it. That’s why your vile nature drew an inner demon." -Smack!! "Ah!!" "Despite knowing Cheong Wol's martial prowess, you challenged her to a duel." Cheong Wol's body flinched. -Smack!! "Ah!!" "And you mocked Wolyi during her punishment just now." -Smack!! "Ah!" With each fall of the switch, the atmosphere gradually shifted. It was beyond mere pain—it felt as if her raw self was being exposed. How much further would this delve into her? Secrets she had tightly concealed were being laid bare. "...Like your feet, your vile nature reeks." "No... That's not true...!" The pain struck her. Was it her feet aching for the first time, or was it her heart? It was an unbearable, helpless feeling. Han Seo Jin's words forced her to face her own inner self. A nature that craved what others held dear. A disposition that underestimated the weak. Her certainty that even if she committed grave wrongs, her family would shield her. -Smack!! "Ah!! No, stop it!!" -Smack!! "Ah!!" If there had been trouble from taking others’ things, or reprimand for looking down on others, it might not have been this difficult. But as the Tang family’s eldest daughter, all those pleasures and temptations were allowed to her. The difficulty lay in fighting the urge to do what she could but shouldn't. Armed with a feeble conscience, she had to battle the arrogant and greedy monster within. That struggle was exhaustingly difficult. Yet Han Seo Jin, almost like punishing that inner monster, raised the switch again. Tang Soran defensively shouted, "No one!!" Han Seo Jin’s hand, which had risen high, paused. "Not even my father nor the elders... punish me like this. Who are you to try and lecture me? I asked for help with my inner demon, not to be struck...!" Her tone had grown rough. Long gone was the chill of having taken Han Seo Jin from Cheong Wol. Her truthful feelings emerged amidst the unjust pain burning on the soles of her feet. "If my father were to hear about this, do you think he would stand by idly? A man like you...!" Oddly, she still didn’t harden her stance despite her anger. She hadn’t activated her energy core; she didn’t know why. Despite disliking and being infuriated, she just kept taking it. "That's why you're the way you are." -Smack!! Han Seo Jin didn’t stop despite her threats. "Because you weren't scolded when you should have been... the monster grew inside you." -Smack!!! Even after mentioning her father, Han Seo Jin's certainty didn't waver—a fact unparalleled by anyone Tang Soran knew. "Ugh!! Ugh!!" ...And it somehow comforted her. There was trust in his unwavering standard. Appearing before Tang Soran, who wasn’t sure what was right or wrong... someone who knew precisely what was right and wrong. She was someone who needed to be scolded. It took me a long time. For someone to tell me this way. -Smack!! "You're very bad. You need more punishment." And with each strike of the switch upon her soles. "Ah!!" Every time her lewd moans filled the room. -Smack!! "Ah!!" With each pain experienced... the emotional guilt she carried lightened. Could just facing the consequences of one's wrongs ease the heart this much? The pain felt like an emotional outlet. -Smack!! “Ha...! Ugh!!” Was this it? Had she desired this punishment while isolating herself, tormenting within her room? Sleepless nights drowned in tears. The endless anguish over her inner demon. Though never having self-punished before, she realized that blaming herself brought a measure of peace. It felt like Han Seo Jin was taking on that role on her behalf. "Did you enjoy the pretense of being good? Was it fun deceiving others?" -Smack!! Smack!! Smack!! "Ugh...!" It hurt. But... Why couldn’t she resist any longer? She didn't know. She hadn’t awakened her energy core to block the pain, nor did she make a fuss. Was it because, deep down, she recognized he was right? Moreover... "...Ugh!" With every moan she let out, Cheong Wol's gaze bore down on her. The chilling sensation mingled with the pain revived, reminiscent of both pleasant and unpleasant sensations from toxic herbs. In this absurd situation, laughter nearly bubbled up unwillingly. -Smack!! "Ah...!!" Han Seo Jin continued. "Not answering, huh?" -Smack! The anger from the pain, and the ensuing sense of atonement, freedom... ...and a faint pleasure. Physically it grew harder with each strike, but psychologically, she found comfort. "Want to keep getting hit? I showed you how to answer, didn’t I?" -Smack! Tang Soran had stopped saying “stop.” She endured the violence directed at her. Something neither her father nor the elders ever did. Tang Soran sensed the balanced punishment from Han Seo Jin. "Sealing your lips, are you?" "...Ugh!" He seemed to be correcting her. ...More. Tang Soran, almost subconsciously, thought. More. Experiencing just a little more could bring some revelation— "...Ha." And then, Cheong Wol’s sneering laughter interrupted. "...!" Sanity momentarily lost now returned. Cheong Wol, having slightly turned her head, was glaring at Tang Soran. As if Cheong Wol had realized the dark emotions Tang Soran had felt moments ago. She felt as if her innermost feelings were exposed to Cheong Wol, raw and unguarded. '...Because we’re from the same stock.' The words Tang Soran once threw at Cheong Wol came back to her. Instead of the twisted pleasure previously felt in taking something from Cheong Wol, she experienced an overwhelming sense of shame. The eldest daughter of the Tang family, Tang Soran wanting more discipline from this humbling man. What on earth had she been doing? Han Seo Jin’s switch raised once again. Tang Soran shouted. "Leave...!" Han Seo Jin's movement halted. "...I’m going to... leave." Her stinging soles. She declared an end to this. A long silence stretched between them. None of the three could speak. Han Seo Jin had once said to express when you like something, and to speak honestly when you don't. Yet, silence lengthened. "...Untie me... I'm leaving." Han Seo Jin, who had been standing frozen, quietly lowered the switch and for a moment simply observed Tang Soran. Bizarrely, Tang Soran couldn’t meet the gaze of this otherwise unremarkable master of the leather room at that moment—she awkwardly felt conscious of it. Her mind was a whirl of mixed emotions. She stopped out of shame, but had Cheong Wol not been present, what choice would she have made...? -...Swish. At her request, Han Seo Jin silently began untying her ropes. "...Ah." A strange moan escaped Tang Soran. She was aware that they've agreed to this, yet there was an undeniable strangeness when the once forceful Han Seo Jin was now gently freeing her. "..." Tang Soran’s eyelids fluttered with a faint trace of regret. No way. There’s no regret. But with each rope loosened from her arms, she couldn’t entirely believe this situation had genuinely ended. How long had it been since she felt this kind of stimulation? With eyes tightly shut, she felt as though she was relinquishing something. Suppressing her peculiar sense of self-reproach, she waited for Han Seo Jin to untie the ropes around her legs. -Swish. "...Ugh!" At that moment, instead of the switch, Han Seo Jin's hand gently caressed her sore soles. His cool skin touched the stinging area, and oddly, it felt good. An unintended sigh slipped from her lips. "...Ah...ugh..." With a soft breath, Han Seo Jin blew air onto her feet. Her soles tingled. Shocked, Tang Soran looked at Han Seo Jin. Striking and then soothing—it was impossible to comprehend this act of giving the disease, then the remedy. "You've decided to quit...," whispered Han Seo Jin, peering into her inner struggles with a note of disappointment. "...Can't be helped. You’ve endured well so far." Not criticism, but comfort returned to her. -Thud. …This unexpected praise from her punisher shook Tang Soran’s heart. The unknown kindness seeped into the empty crevices of her spirit. Her toes began to wiggle on their own accord. -Huuu... Han Seo Jin continued to breathe gently onto her feet. …Even in treatment, sometimes you need bitter medicine. Just as a physician might offer a bitter cure but still care for the patient. Until just a moment ago she hadn’t realized, but now, Han Seo Jin seemed to show concern, expressing regret over being unable to better help with her inner demon. -Swish...Swish... As he soothed her feet and the heat from them cooled, Han Seo Jin finally loosened the ropes around her legs too. "...That’s enough for this experience. You’ve done well. Let’s return." Even his polite tone had returned. Tang Soran couldn’t say anything. A deeper sense of self-reproach visited her than when her soles stung. She remained seated for a while as if rooted to the chair. Eventually, Han Seo Jin kindly assisted her in standing up. With his help, Tang Soran began to make her way out of the basement, albeit awkwardly. At the top of the stairs, Han Seo Jin’s guidance stopped. "...I’m going to see Wolyi-" "-I'm coming too." As they reached the basement exit, Cheong Wol rose from her spot as well. Han Seo Jin, who paused momentarily, nodded calmly. “…Alright." Cheong Wol walked over to stand before Han Seo Jin, appearing as if there was something she wanted to say. Their eyes met. "..." "..." Even as a mere observer beside them, Tang Soran found herself breathless due to the strange atmosphere. Yet Cheong Wol resolutely bit her lip and turned her sharp words toward Tang Soran. "...Are you planning to just stand there?" "...Ah." Tang Soran began ascending the stairs. Cheong Wol followed closely behind. For some reason, she couldn’t shake the feeling that Cheong Wol was pushing her out of the basement. -Thunk! As soon as Cheong Wol surfaced, she shut the basement door. Despite Han Seo Jin still being below them. "..." Cheong Wol glanced at the basement door as if frustrated before shaking her head. She then led Tang Soran out of the leather room. "It was an experience." The declaration came as soon as they stepped outside. "...What?" "An experience worth once." It sounded like a declaration that there won’t be a second time. "That method was completely unsuitable for Senior Tang. We opposed it knowing this would happen." ...We? When had Cheong Wol begun using words of affiliation like that? Even so, Cheong Wol continued, though visibly bewildered. "From now on, never come this way again. You’ll only face unpleasant experiences." With that final note, Cheong Wol began to walk away. Tang Soran watched Cheong Wol's retreating silhouette for a long time. And when Cheong Wol was finally out of sight, Tang Soran briefly glanced back at the leather room… then slowly made her way to the Tang family quarters. But even then, she couldn’t help but keep glancing back at the ever-receding leather room. **** Alone in the dark basement, a single thought crossed my mind: I’m screwed.