But strangely, it wasn't bad. Just... different.
When he pushed open the door to the examination room, Ha-rin was already waiting for him, his back turned, adjusting the cables of the dimensional monitor. The white coat moved around his body like an extension of his skin, and for a moment, Seth thought about saying something stupid.
But he didn't.
Because there was something in her silence that wasn't just desire disguised as sarcasm. It was concentration. Care. And maybe... worry.
She turned when she noticed him and handed him a small metal cylinder.
"Hold it steady. It will measure your residual magical response."
He did as he was told. A blue light flashed for a few seconds until it disappeared. Ha-rin wrote down the data without saying anything.
"So, what does the verdict say?" he asked with a slight smile.
She looked at the display and made a sound with her mouth. "Moderate instability. The frequency of your magic core is... out of alignment, but not collapsing. Nothing that a few days of rest - real rest, without push-ups and running - won't fix."
Seth smiled. "You mean I can leave?"
"It means you need to come back in 48 hours for another check-up." She turned around, this time facing him more firmly. "You've changed. Not just physically, Seth. Your energy... is denser. Wilder. If you keep pushing, you could break something that won't come back."
For a moment, silence fell between them. A different kind of silence. Dense, but intimate.
"Do you really care about me, doctor?"
"It's my job," she answered too quickly. Then she lowered her eyes, her tone softening. "...And maybe because you're the only patient I know capable of coming out of a coma, doing a hundred sit-ups and still flirting with me with a sweaty smile on your face."
"What an honor." He took a step closer. "And if I promise not to die in the next few days... would you have coffee with me?"
She arched an eyebrow. "Do you want to go on a date while you still have electrodes in your body?"
"I've fought rank-A bosses. If I survived that, I think I can handle you."
She laughed, shaking her head. "Arrogant..."
"Charming," he corrected.
"Idiot," she muttered, but the smile on her lips already said something else. She typed something into the screen and walked over to him with a printed sheet.
"Discharge granted. Go home. Rest. E..." - she handed over the paper, but didn't let go of his hand immediately - "If you try to evade the return exam, I'll hunt you down wherever you are."
Seth leaned in slightly, until their faces were almost touching.
"I'd love to see that."
She took a step back, clearing her throat. "You have twenty minutes to get out of the building before I change my mind."
Seth was already turning around, waving his hand as if nothing else mattered... until he stopped at the door.
"Ha-rin." She looked up, the name said in that low voice sending shivers down her spine. "You'd look amazing in black lingerie."
The comment struck like a thunderbolt - unexpected, direct, provocative. On reflex, Ha-rin reached for one of the jars on the table to throw it at him. "You-!"
But before she could finish, Seth disappeared - and, in the next instant, materialized right in front of her.
She didn't even have time to react.
With one agile movement, he pressed her gently against the wall, his arms resting on either side of her head, his strong body just centimeters from hers. The closeness was suffocating - in the best sense.
Ha-rin felt the heat rise violently to her ears, her heart pounding in her chest. Her gaze went up, meeting his golden eyes - intense, provocative, wild in a way she didn't want to admit out loud.
Seth smiled, slow, dangerous.
"Doctor," he murmured, his voice low as a mischievous promise. "Did you know that your heart races whenever I get close?"
She swallowed, her face flushing. "It's called a defense instinct, you idiot."
"Funny..." he brought their faces closer, until their noses were almost touching. "It's much more like desire."
She should have pushed him.
She should have said something professional.
She should have pretended that she wasn't completely overwhelmed at that moment.
But all she could do... was look at him and not deny it.
Seth stared at her for another second, as if recording every detail of her face, before walking away as calmly as he had arrived.
"See you at the return exam, doctor."
And out the door he went - for real this time.
Leaving Ha-rin leaning against the wall, her legs a little wobbly, she ran her hand up her skirt and touched the inside of her panties... 'Holy shit... I'm all wet...'
Ha-rin was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she tried to control herself. The sensation between her legs was almost unbearable, a wave of heat pulsing through her core. She could feel the dampness in her panties, the tangible proof of her undeniable desire.
With trembling fingers, Ha-rin gently caressed the damp fabric, biting her lower lip to stifle a moan. Excitement coursed through her veins, leaving her dizzy and hungry for more of his teasing touch.
Seth's voice echoed in her mind, each word filled with seductive intent. She was confused. But what frightened her was the intensity of her own desire, the way he was triggering feelings she didn't even know she had.
Ha-rin slowly opened her eyes, finding her reflection in the mirror opposite. Her skin was flushed, her lips parted and her eyes shining with a mixture of uncertainty and lust. She felt vulnerable, exposed, but at the same time wanting more.
Because, as much as it hurt to admit it, she had definitely been seduced...
'What do I do now... he has those two bastards...' She thought, standing up as she was composing herself.
Ha-rin gave a small smile to the side...
…
"…" Seth stared at the holographic screen in front of him. The words were few, but they carried a silent weight.
[You have acquired the skill: "Charm"]
[You have seduced an S-Rank Hunter]
[You have seduced "Seo Ha-rin" — your future actions may start a relationship…]
He arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Well… it's not every day that the System praises me."
It was then that Bastet appeared, sitting on the back of the couch like a bored—or slightly irritated—feline sphinx.
"Congratulations." She murmured, with a small smile that didn't quite touch her eyes. "Looks like you really made her… wet herself."
Seth looked away with a guiltless smile. "I was just…"
"Oh, right," Bastet clucked her tongue. "You just pressed her against the wall while playing with her feelings, right after you showed up shirtless and sweaty with that perfect body in front of her."
"Are you jealous?" he teased, tilting his head. "If you had a human body I would do to you what I did to her."
Bastet rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide the slight blush that crept up her "face".
"Okay, okay, you conceited brat. Just don't think that this gives you carte blanche to go around doing mischief, okay? There's still a lot of game ahead."
Seth smirked, crossing his arms. "Oh, yeah? Then I better get ready."
She snorted, but her voice had an amused tone. "Just be careful not to trip over your own ego before you get there."
He chuckled and turned to the screen, which was now glowing with new notifications—new challenges, new rewards, and, of course, the game that was far from over.
Meanwhile, in the background, Bastet muttered, "This guy is going to drive me crazy before it's all over..."