Please Give Me A Kiss, Healer! Chapter 6

The man wasn’t just blindingly handsome—he was also the one who had completely changed Jiwoo’s life in an instant.

And the system window floating before her added certainty.

System

Active Effect: Affection with all monsters +110 (additional skill +10%)

‘Is it really because he’s a monster that the affection bonus applies? Otherwise there’s no way he’d be acting this sweet to me.’

Jiwoo skimmed the system window hovering in the air.

Then she looked again at the man standing in front of her.

Their eyes met, and he lowered his gaze languidly, tightening the arm wrapped around her waist.

The way he rubbed his cheek against her felt just like a big affectionate puppy.

Jiwoo gave him an awkward smile.

‘The physical affection is a bit much… but still, he’s being friendly.’

If she could coax this man a little, maybe the rest of her locked skills would unlock too?

The thought didn’t take long.

Jiwoo put on the kind, gentle smile of a preschool sunshine-class teacher.

“Flower-boy—no, um… what should I call you?”

“…….”

His red, slightly wet lips parted a little, but he said nothing.

He simply stared at Jiwoo with honey-filled eyes.

“Um, do you not have a name? Like… something people around you call you?”

At her question, the man furrowed his perfectly shaped brows—as if he couldn’t understand why she was even asking.

‘How can someone look this handsome even while frowning?’

While Jiwoo was marveling silently, the man finally moved his stiff lips.

“…Kangwoo.”

“Huh?”

“You called me Kangwoo.”

“Kangwoo?”

It was unmistakably a Korean-style name.

‘Can a monster even have a name like that? Is he really a monster?’

As Jiwoo made a confused face, Kangwoo grabbed her hand.

“Why do you keep pretending you don’t know me?”

His lips tightened into a cold line.

The face that always smiled warmly whenever he looked at her turned savage in an instant.

The air around them grew icy, dust scattering upward.

Strong wind blasted outward, sending massive rocks around them floating like they weighed nothing.

‘Eek—why is he acting like this?! I really don’t know you!’

Jiwoo tried her best to stay calm, but she couldn’t stop her body from trembling.

Then—

Seeing her fear, Kangwoo lowered his head with a thud.

The violent energy raging around them faded immediately.

“Did I… do something wrong? Is that why you’re pretending you don’t know me?”

Kangwoo rubbed his cheek against Jiwoo’s palm, nuzzling softly.

“Sorry. It’s all my fault. So please don’t hate me.”

Jiwoo stared blankly at the man in front of her.

Drip.

Tears spilled from his sun-colored eyes. Clear jewels slid down along his deep, gentle eye line.

“Ah…”

The man who had said his name was “Kangwoo” was crying.

Asking why she didn’t remember him, begging her to call his name.

Begging her like that.

“To come to you, I had to go through so much…”

He couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence and squeezed his eyes shut.

As his palm became damp with tears, Jiwoo hesitated, then patted his shoulder lightly.

She felt sorry for him—this man who wanted her so desperately—but that was all the comfort she could give.

“U-um… are you okay?”

He clearly had mistaken her for someone else.

‘Whoever it was, that person must’ve been precious to him.’

Precious enough for his sharp, fierce face to crumble like this, crying and begging.

“Um, Kangwoo. I think you’re mistaking me for—”

“Jiu, I don’t make mistakes when it comes to you.”

With his voice turning rough, the surroundings shook violently.

A small rocky hill far away split clean in half.

Hiiik!

Startled like a frightened rabbit, Jiwoo instinctively grabbed Kangwoo’s arms with both hands.

“Kangwoo!”

“……?”

Oh—she didn’t actually expect him to stop.

It seemed this man listened to her better than she thought.

Like a loyal, enormous dog.

‘Still, there’s no telling when he’ll go berserk again… I’ll just say something and bluff it out.’

Jiwoo cautiously opened her mouth.

“S-so, well… I had an accident recently and hit my head. So I have amnesia…”

Of course, it was a lie.

The only “accident” she’d suffered recently was falling off a cliff.

‘Out of all excuses, why am I going with amnesia?’

Who would believe something straight out of a morning soap opera?

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

…He believe it?

Jiwoo hurriedly added,

“N-no, I’m fine. I just… lost my past memories…”

Immediately, Kangwoo’s eyes drooped and he pulled Jiwoo tightly into his arms.

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have pushed you.”

“Oh, it’s okay…”

“I was upset that you didn’t remember me. Forgive me, Jiu.”

Seeing Kangwoo apologize so sincerely made Jiwoo’s conscience sting.

She quickly changed the subject.

“Um… please call me Jiwoo.”

“But, Jiu…”

Every time he said “Jiu,” his red lips rounded adorably.

It was quite a dazzling sight, but Jiwoo shook her head firmly.

Her conscience hurt too much to let him keep calling her that.

“I’m used to my real name. Call me Do Jiwoo.”

“…If that’s what you want.”

He didn’t look pleased, but Kangwoo nodded.

Then, once again, he wrapped his sturdy arms around Jiwoo’s waist.

A warm, heavy scent enveloped her, and his soft ash-gray hair brushed under her chin.

It felt like hugging a huge husky, but Jiwoo gently pushed him away.

‘If he keeps this up, my heart really won’t survive!’

The only physical contact she’d ever had with a man was the occasional touch from the delivery guy handing her a package.

For someone with almost zero immunity, this skin-ship with a stunningly handsome Kangwoo was far too stimulating.

After hesitating, Jiwoo placed her hands on his broad shoulders.

Even then, Kangwoo showered her with sweet affection without holding back.

“Um, Kangwoo.”

“Call me Kangwoo-ya. You always did.”

…But that’s casual speech.

Jiwoo, who had never even spoken casually to a monster she just met, had no such courage.

But faced with that beautiful, earnest expression, she compromised with herself halfway.

“K-Kangwoo-ya, if you keep hugging me like this, it’s a bit… difficult for me.”

Kangwoo, who had buried his nose in her scent, lifted his head at once.

“Why?”

…Well, fair. A monster might not know.

Maybe this kind of skinship was normal affection in his world.

Jiwoo slipped back into her “kind preschool teacher” persona.

“So… um, Kangwoo. I mean—Kangwoo-ya.”

“Mm.”

“In human society, hugging like this… kissing… and, uh, licking sensitive places like the nape—those are things only very close people do together.”

Kangwoo stared blankly at her.

As if to say, And what’s wrong with that?

“If that’s the rule, it doesn’t matter. We were very close.”

…Who is this “Jiu” version of me?!

What kind of person gets close with a monster like that?!

Flustered, Jiwoo squeezed her eyes shut.

“So, that kind of close relationship usually refers to people who are married.”

“Then let’s get married.”

“…Pardon?”

“We already have our newlywed home.”

Answering calmly, Kangwoo planted kiss after kiss on Jiwoo’s small palm—smack, smack, smack.

Jiwoo froze, her mouth hanging open.

Do Jiwoo, age twenty-four.

Has just been proposed to by a drop-dead gorgeous monster(?).

Initially frozen by the sudden proposal, she soon snapped back to her senses.

“No! We can’t!”

“Why?”

“B-because…”

Marriage out of nowhere?!

She needed an excuse—a perfect one—that this clingy flower-boy wouldn’t be able to argue with.

‘Right. I’ll say I already have a boyfriend!’