The Heavenly Demon Will Give You a Massage – Chapter 201

Chapter 201

“…Ta-da! Haha. Long time no see, Miss Gain.”

The two stood silently, gazing at each other for a while.

Then, Choi Seonghyeon, as if trying to change the atmosphere, greeted her with an exaggerated gesture.

“Huh? Why are you here, Mr. Seonghyeon?”

“Well, you see. I’m in charge of your massage today, Miss Gain.”

Jeong Gain, caught off guard by the unexpected situation, asked cautiously, and Choi Seonghyeon approached, scratching his right cheek. He then sat down on a chair near the bed and said,

“Do you, by any chance, not like that I came instead?”

“No, it’s not that… Hehehe.”

Although she spoke jokingly, there was a hint of anxiety mixed in deep inside. Perhaps it was because her appearance felt cute for some reason, Jeong Gain couldn’t help but laugh, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

“It seems like that, though?”

“No, it’s not. How could this be a look of dislike?”

Jeong Gain pointed to her face as she spoke.

Her eyes were smiling brightly, noticeable even to herself.

She had been momentarily surprised when Choi Seonghyeon first entered, but since then, her smile hadn’t faded.

Perhaps it was because of the sincerity contained in that smile.

Choi Seonghyeon, who was about to say something more, ended the conversation with a smile instead.

“Well then… shall we get started? You came here for a massage, after all.”

“Ah, yes. Of course.”

As Choi Seonghyeon spoke with an awkward voice, Jeong Gain lay face down on the bed, burying her face in the donut-shaped pillow.

‘Why am I suddenly nervous…….’

This was her third visit here.

It goes without saying that this was also her third time receiving a massage. But on the previous occasions, although she had been worried about whether it would hurt, she had never been nervous. Now, for some reason, her heart was pounding.

“Hmm…….”

Unaware of Jeong Gain’s thoughts, Choi Seonghyeon was moving his hands around as if checking her pulse.

Just a moment ago, he had a playful air about him, but now, as if a switch had been flipped, he was focused and cautious.

Sensing the change in atmosphere, Jeong Gain couldn’t help but glance back at him, looking at his face.

Earlier, it seemed like Choi Seonghyeon was the more nervous one, but now that the massage had begun, it felt like the opposite was true.

‘So this is how he is when he’s working…….’

This was the first time Jeong Gain had received a massage from Choi Seonghyeon, and therefore, it was also her first time seeing him at work.

Perhaps that was why.

His appearance, quite different from his usual demeanor, bothered Jeong Gain in many ways. To put it more directly, she wanted to see more of it.

“It’s not good to keep turning your head like that.”

“Ah, right.”

Just then, Choi Seonghyeon spoke, looking at Jeong Gain with a gentle smile.

Jeong Gain was startled. She quickly buried her face in the pillow. This was partly to cooperate with the massage, but also to hide her cheeks, which she could feel were clearly flushed.

“Um… but, why was I suddenly switched to Mr. Seonghyeon?”

“Ah. I made a special request.”

As the internal assessment ended and the massage began, starting from the shoulders, Jeong Gain asked cautiously, and Choi Seonghyeon answered in a calm voice.

“A request?”

“Yes. How should I put it, I just… thought it would be nice if I could help you directly, Miss Gain. To be more honest, I wanted to be in charge of at least one person I like.”

Choi Seonghyeon continued to move his hands as he spoke.

Releasing the tension in her shoulders, stimulating each acupoint to promote blood circulation…….

As Kang Taehan had given him permission, Choi Seonghyeon’s level and skills were sufficient to handle the situation, but he was still not quite used to it, so he continued to focus on the task at hand.

So much so that he didn’t even notice that he had openly called her ‘someone he likes.’

“…I see.”

Therefore, it was Jeong Gain who was embarrassed by his words. She buried her face deeper into the pillow. She then forced a cough and spoke in a deliberately curt voice.

“But why didn’t you read my KakaoTalk message?”

“KakaoTalk……? I’m sorry. Today was a bit special, so I was too nervous to check it properly. I’ve been going off to practice whenever I had free time.”

“Special day?”

“Because you were coming, Miss Gain.”

Ughhh.

At the sudden, bold remark, Jeong Gain desperately suppressed the cry that was about to escape her lips. She thought it was fortunate that she was currently burying her face in the pillow.

‘I almost wouldn’t believe this was the same person……?’

The original Choi Seonghyeon.

He was a person with a contradictory charm, appearing lighthearted on the surface, but possessing a deep inner mind and sincerity.

Perhaps that was why he was more shy than expected, and the bigger his feelings, the more he stumbled over his words and expressed them indirectly.

Now, it was different.

Although he was still a bit shy, he spoke his mind in a calm tone. Words he wouldn’t have been able to utter even after much hesitation before.

‘Of course, I already knew what he was going to say…….’

Choi Seonghyeon had feelings for her, and she had feelings for him. Not as friends, but as a man and a woman.

Even she, with no prior dating experience, could easily guess that much. However… saying and hearing it directly was a different matter altogether.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore you.”

“…It’s okay. I was just saying.”

Whether he had read her KakaoTalk message or not, whether he replied or not, was no longer important. Jeong Gain, overwhelmed by the intense emotions she was experiencing for the first time in her life, simply buried her face and whispered.

⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢⟢

“Oh~ Our CEO Choi!”

The next day, early morning.

Someone approached Choi Seonghyeon, who had arrived earlier than usual and was sitting on the sofa, greeting him with an exaggerated gesture. It was none other than Manager Hwang.

“What’s with the sudden ‘CEO’?”

“You’re running a business, so you’re a proper CEO, aren’t you?”

“You’re not wrong.”

When Manager Hwang asked for agreement, Kang Taehan, who was sitting opposite them, nodded and said. Only Choi Seonghyeon didn’t understand.

“What? What business?”

“The love business, the love business.”

“Ah…….”

Only then did Choi Seonghyeon seem to understand, letting out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

“Here we go again.”

“When else are we supposed to make a fuss if not now? So, how did it go yesterday? Was all that practice worth it?”

Manager Hwang nudged Choi Seonghyeon’s shoulder with his elbow as he asked. Choi Seonghyeon then stroked his chin for a moment and answered in a low voice.

“…Yes.”

“Kyaa! I guess it went well!”

“It feels like our relationship has definitely progressed compared to before… but I don’t know, I’m not sure why it went so well.”

He was happy too. Choi Seonghyeon couldn’t hide his smile and kept laughing.

However, there was still something puzzling about it. At Choi Seonghyeon’s reaction, Manager Hwang asked again.

“Why? Did something happen?”

“Actually, I think I talked to Miss Gain while giving her a massage… but I was so focused that I can’t remember it well.”

“…You can’t remember even though you didn’t drink or anything? Is that possible?”

Manager Hwang tilted his head and glanced at Kang Taehan. Kang Taehan should know the answer to this.

“Well, it’s quite possible.”

Kang Taehan then spoke with a gentle smile. Although Choi Seonghyeon himself was unsure of his memories, Kang Taehan seemed to have a grasp of what had transpired.

“Really?”

“Seonghyeon has just entered the stage, so… until he gets used to controlling it, he can’t help but focus while giving a massage.”

Sensing Qi is a talent that is usually closed off, unless one is truly gifted. Even in Murim, it was a sense that ordinary people couldn’t perceive, let alone in this world.

In other words, it was an unfamiliar sense in many ways.

Therefore, examining and giving a massage based on that sense required more concentration than usual.

Of course, Choi Seonghyeon had attained enlightenment and learned how to control Qi… but he was still at a rudimentary level, so it was natural.

‘And in that state, he naturally enters an unconscious state.’

In other words, the boundaries of his thoughts become blurred and loose.

It could be described as a slightly hazy state, or a state closer to instinct. As if he were only capable of reflex actions.

If the person he was with was someone he needed to be wary of, he would react more coldly and distantly than usual. But if it were the opposite… he would be warmer than usual, and if he had hidden feelings, he would express them more actively.

In Choi Seonghyeon’s case yesterday… it was definitely the latter.

He might appear to be someone who enjoys having fun and gets along well with strangers, but he was actually a guy who harbored many inner worries and was poor at expressing himself.

In such a situation, being alone with Miss Gain… well, wouldn’t his true feelings have spilled out during the massage?

“So, what happened with Miss Gain?”

“Well… after the massage, we naturally ended up making plans for dinner. We had some drinks since it was late… and then Miss Gain suddenly asked.”

“Asked what?”

“…She asked if we were officially dating now.”

“Ugh.”

Manager Hwang, who was listening from the side, turned his head. He was frowning, but his expression was strange, as if he had a mouthful of sugar.

“I’m not sure, but she said I confessed earlier… so I just said ‘yes’.”

“I see.”

On the other hand, Kang Taehan simply nodded as if he had expected it. The situation was as he had guessed. He leaned back in his chair and smiled.

“That’s great. Congratulations, buddy.”

“…Hehehe, thanks!”

Kang Taehan clapped his hands in congratulations. At this, Choi Seonghyeon, who had been trying to control his expression, finally burst out laughing. It was a laugh that literally seemed to overflow with joy.

“Look at this guy, he’s ecstatic.”

“Why! Can’t I even laugh because I’m happy?”

“It’s good to see, buddy~”

Manager Hwang, pretending to be annoyed, teased Choi Seonghyeon, who was laughing. Kang Taehan chuckled at the sight of the two and got up from his seat.

Just then.

“Um, Mr. Taehan. I have something to ask.”

Someone spoke in a small voice from beside him.

Kang Taehan turned his head to see Kim Seonghun and Hwang Taejin, the other two massage therapists in charge of the Master Course, standing there looking slightly awkward.

“Yes. What is it?”

“Well… it would be better if we could talk among ourselves.”

“Hmm.”

They weren’t just awkward, but also seemed anxious. Kang Taehan let out a low hum, then pointed towards the office.

“I was just heading to the office, would it be alright if we talked there?”

“We’d appreciate that.”

The two immediately nodded.

While walking, Kang Taehan pondered. What could have caused these two to react this way…….

‘…Ah.’

Suddenly, a possibility came to mind.

More precisely, he recalled the similar reaction of someone relatively recently. It was none other than Choi Seonghyeon when he had just awakened to Qi.

As expected.

“Well, actually. It’s a bit of a strange story to tell anyone… but we’ve been feeling something weird lately.”

“It’s like we can feel something flowing inside people’s bodies? We were thinking of going to a psychiatrist, but we thought you might know the answer, Mr. Taehan…….”

At their words, Kang Taehan slowly nodded.

It was time for other massage therapists, not just Choi Seonghyeon, to start awakening to Qi.