After tanning her front for thirty minutes and flipping onto her stomach, Korrina once again asked Jason to apply oil to her body, her arms crossed under her chin, and her breasts nestled in a pocket under her towel as she asked, "What do you want to do after this?"
"I was considering going through Ellaine's book collection, helping out with her garden, or watching TV as she suggested earlier..." answered Jason, doing his best to remain calm as he used his right hand to apply tanning oil to Korrina's soft, smooth, and warm body. This included her bubble butt and toned thighs, causing her to laugh and remark, "You're hand is ticklish~" in a sing-song tone.
[Your Bond with [Korrina Masters] has increased by 7.]
Though he couldn't help but notice that his Bond with Korrina increased faster if he touched her in what people from his own world would regard as erogenous zones, Jason didn't get carried away and only allowed his hand to linger for as long as it took to apply the tanning oil evenly. At the same time, he distracted himself by asking, "What about you? If you have any recommendations, I'll follow them..."
[Your Bond with [Korrina Masters] has increased by 11.]
"I was actually thinking about your Quests," revealed Korrina, closing her eyes and enjoying Jason's careful and deliberate caress as she asserted, "Fifty years is plenty of time to grow stronger, but the sooner you can gain strength, the better. The problem is that we're not supposed to leave the beach while you're under quarantine..."
"The League is going out of its way to accommodate me...we shouldn't do anything that causes trouble for them..." stated Jason, getting the distinct impression that Korrina was contemplating having them sneak away from the beach.
"Mmn...alright, then..." accepted Korrina, turning her head to meet Jason's gaze as she asked, "But as we're on the subject, how do you acquire new Quests? You mentioned that one was triggered when that Pinsir attacked you, but most of those you currently have available don't involve your life being in immediate danger. If we could find a reliable way to trigger them, we could—"
[You have fulfilled the requirements for the F-Rank Quest [Curiosity Killed the Cat, but Satisfaction Brought it Back]]
With the notification and Quest description appearing in front of both of them, Korrina's words trailed off, her blue eyes scanning the window with curiosity. Meanwhile, Jason's eyes were nearly as wide as they could get, as the satisfaction mentioned in the Quest name was of the intimate and very physical variety. The primary Objective was relatively tame, involving cuddling for a set period, but the Optional Objectives were markedly more involved...
Reaching the Optional Objectives, Korrina's cheeks flushed slightly at the mention of kissing. She didn't understand what most of the rest referred to, but based on the context and what she had learned about intimacy in Jason's world, she imagined they were lewd acts.
Getting ahead of the situation, Jason shook his head and stated, "The things it's asking us to should only be done between couples who love each other—and by that, I mean couples from my world..."
Meeting Korrina's gaze, Jason's expression turned serious as he asserted, "Your world is a lot purer and kinder than mine, Korrina. And our differing methods of reproduction are one of the many factors accounting for the differences in our realities. I do want to be closer to you, but I don't want to see your world corrupted by the hedonism, greed, and callousness that despoiled mine..."
Seeing how serious Jason was, Korrina held his gaze silently for several seconds before exhaling from her nose, smiling faintly, and stating, "I've thought this since our first meeting, but you're a serious and kind person, Jason. You might think otherwise, and I'm sure you have your reasons for it, but you don't need to worry so much. We might be the same age, but in case you've forgotten, I'm much older than you. And like I told Professor Burnet not even an hour ago, I generally know when to press forward and when to take a step back."
Shaking his head, Jason met Korrina's gaze and clarified, "It's not you I'm doubting, Korrina. It's me. I'm toeing a dangerous line, and the moment I cross it, I'm not confident I'll be able to hold myself back. And as curious and considerate as you and Ellaine are...I'm afraid you'll walk right off the deep end with me..."
"I see..." muttered Korrina, rising to a seated position and positioning her legs in a flexible wariza pose, her expression serious as she argued, "But I think you're underestimating me, Professor Burnet, and yourself. It's true that we're curious about you, but that doesn't mean we would allow you to do as you pleased. If we thought you were crossing a line or behaving selfishly, we would tell and try to correct you. But I honestly don't believe it would come to that. Why, you ask? Because you're worried that it might. Someone who lacks restraint doesn't worry about that kind of thing—they do as they please and don't consider the consequences."
"..."
Not expecting such a sharp and assertive riposte, Jason found himself at a loss for words, his gaze locked with Korrina's and his expression one of utter befuddlement. He couldn't understand how someone he had barely met a week prior could speak so decisively about his character, but as he found himself getting absorbed in Korrina's blue eyes, he couldn't discern so much as a hint of doubt in their increasingly captivating depths.
Regaining a broad, friendly smile, Korrina freed Jason from the trance he had fallen into by conceding, "But you have made one thing clear—we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, so it would be strange if we performed lewd acts together. My heart practically burst out of my chest when I read that it wanted us to kiss—so I can only imagine how flustered you felt reading what else it wanted us to do."
"Yeah..." responded Jason, averting his eyes and feeling a mix of shame and loss. It was probably for the best, but now that Korrina appeared to have a better understanding of how he viewed things, incidents like what had transpired in the bath were significantly less likely to occur. At least, that's what he assumed...
"Should we try dating...?" asked Korrina, her words reaching Jason's ears, but his brain failing to process them as she crossed her arms, leaned her head back thoughtfully, and added, "Though it might be better for you to date Professor Burnet. She's a lot more mature, and if she got pregnant, it wouldn't be as big a deal. After all, I still have my duties as a Gym Leader and the WCS to prepare for..."
Seeing Korrina seriously contemplating dating him or setting him up with Ellaine, Jason couldn't help asking, "Do the people of your world not treat dating as a big deal?"
"A big deal? What do you mean...?" asked Korrina, lowering her gaze to meet Jason's with a confused expression.
Not sure how to respond, Jason took a moment to search his thoughts and formulate his argument before explaining, "Back in my world, people were very...possessive of their partners. Two people becoming a couple was considered a significant thing from the perspective of their family and friends. And if a guy caught his girlfriend casually conversing with another man or vice-versa, it would generally lead to a dispute and accusations of unfaithfulness being hurled about..."
"I've heard of instances of two or more girls fighting over the same man or multiple men fighting over the same woman, but it's pretty uncommon unless there's money, property, or Pokémon involved..." affirmed Korrina, once again raising her gaze thoughtfullyl as she revealed, "But it's not all that uncommon for popular and successful Trainers to have multiple boy or girlfriends. It's rarer for more than two people to be married, but I can think of at least a few people who fit that description..."
Believing she understood what Jason was getting at, Korrina adopted a broad smile, met his gaze, and asked, "Do you want to try dating me and Professor Burnet at the same time? I guess that would be the fairest way for the two of us to compete. If I only won out against her because I was your girlfriend and she wasn't, I wouldn't be satisfied."
"..."
Feeling more than a little overwhelmed, his thoughts racing a thousand kilometers a minute, Jason deflectively remarked, "I need to lie down for a bit..." before setting his egg in its container and lying down with his eyes closed.
'Did I get it wrong...?' Korrina asked herself, tilting her head and staring at Jason with confusion. She knew he liked both her and Professor Burnet—he had said as much—but when she mentioned him dating both of them, his eyes had unfocused like his brain had shorted.
'Oh, right...he did mention that people in his world were very possessive of their boyfriends and girlfriends...' recalled Korrina, her gaze shifting to the slight tent Jason was pitching. She imagined there was an underlying reason for couples in his world being possessive of one another, but since she had done very little dating in her own, she couldn't begin to grasp the complexities of another world's dating scene.
"Do you want me to help you with this...?" asked Korrina, hoping to ease Jason's doubts and apparent frustration by casually placing her left hand on his swelling bulge. It grew bigger at her touch, but since Jason didn't refuse her or ask her to stop, she continued with increasing determination and diligence.
Opening his eyes midway through Korrina's attempts to calm him, Jason deliberated for several seconds before asking, "Do you want to try sitting on it...?"
Blinking in surprise, Korrina met Jason's gaze and questioned, "Like, with my butt...?"
"Either or..." responded Jason, causing Korrina to consider what he meant before she smiled knowingly and stood up. He hadn't intended for her to do so, but she didn't hesitate to remove her bottoms, making it clear she was more than prepared to be his girlfriend as she perched atop him and held his gaze with a broad, excited smile...
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kacha
Returning from the city after several hours, Ellaine, carrying a large paper bag filled with groceries, called out, "Oi! If the two of you are here, come outside and help me carry in—oh?"
Spotting Jason and Korrina seated on her sofa with Audino observing them and knitting calmly off to the side, Ellaine's brows shot up to their limits. She had fully expected them to experiment while she was gone, but walking in to find them kissing, with Korrina seated atop Jason's lap and the latter's hands cupping her bottom, was quite the surprise.
Reacting to Ellaine's arrival and words, Korrina, her face lightly flushed and body covered in sweat, asked, "You need help carrying in groceries? I'll be right there."
"Oh, no, take your time~" hummed Ellaine, winking playfully before she carried the bag she was holding toward the kitchen, followed closely by her Munchlax. Instead of accepting her offer, Korrina met Jason's gaze and gave him a final, lingering kiss before dismounting and leaving him alone on the sofa.
Following Korrina's departure with her head and eyes, Ellaine waited for her to step outside before glancing in Jason's direction and asking, "How is my position looking? I don't mind relinquishing my top spot, but if you're doing some kind of exposure training, I could come over and lend you my body in Korrina's stead."
"If you're okay with becoming my girlfriend, go right ahead..." responded Jason, his voice barely audible to himself due to how powerfully his heart was beating. Contrastingly, Ellaine heard him just fine, her brows rising slightly as she placed away the bottle of Smoliv Oil she was holding, left the kitchen, and promptly made her way over to him to ask, "So, you and Korrina are dating?" while sitting immediately to his right and slipping her left hand into his shorts.
"We are..." affirmed Jason, nodding slowly and meeting Ellaine's gaze with a heated, unblinking stare. It had been hours since he and Korrina left the beach, and in the intervening hours, they had discussed many things. The conclusion of one of these discussions had him agreeing to accept Ellaine into their relationship—presuming she was willing. And based on how she held his gaze while putting her hand to work, she certainly didn't seem to mind the possibility...
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