Chapter 11: The Ecchi Moment & Comedy of Errors

Buoyed by the revelation of the [Kiss] skill, and armed with Alice's playfully perverted encouragement, Kray turned his attention to the last remaining LP skill on his list: [Ecchi moments : 1-2 Love points]. The name alone sent a shiver of… well, ecchi excitement down his spine. But what exactly was an "ecchi moment" in a healing context?

He reread the skill description, hoping for clarity. But unlike [Kiss] and [Pleasure], [Ecchi moments] had no detailed description, just the name and the LP reward. This ambiguity fueled Kray's imagination, which, naturally, veered straight into the perverted.

"Ecchi… moments…" he muttered to himself, pacing in the barn again, Henrietta clucking placidly from her now-healed coop. "Suggestive… playful… maybe a little… racy?" His mind conjured images of playful banter, accidental touches, maybe even… suggestive jokes during massage sessions. The possibilities, in his burgeoning perverted mind, seemed endless.

And utterly misinterpreted.

His first target for "Ecchi moment" experimentation was Bertha, the blacksmith's wife, a woman known for her gruff exterior and surprisingly tender knots of shoulder tension. He reasoned that her stoic nature would provide a good baseline for gauging the skill's effectiveness – or lack thereof.

When Bertha arrived for her massage, Kray decided to be… proactive. He cleared his throat, trying to adopt a casual, suggestive tone that felt incredibly forced and unnatural to his own ears. "So, Bertha," he began, a little too loudly, "that shoulder of yours… looks like it's been working hard. Maybe… too hard?" He punctuated the last two words with a wink that he hoped was suggestive, but probably just looked like a nervous twitch.

Bertha blinked at him, her usual stern expression shifting into one of mild confusion. "Aye, lad," she grunted, settling onto the stool. "Blacksmithing ain't exactly knitting needles. Shoulder's stiff as iron." She completely missed the suggestive undertones, or perhaps deliberately ignored them.

Kray pressed on, undeterred. As he began the massage, he attempted to inject some "ecchi" banter into the session. "You know, Bertha," he said, trying for a playful chuckle, "those muscles… they're quite… impressive. Strong women are… very impressive, you know?" He winced internally at his own awkwardness.

Bertha grunted again, this time a sound of slight discomfort. "Just get on with the massage, Dray. Less chatter, more kneading." She shifted uncomfortably on the stool, her expression hardening. The suggestive banter was clearly not landing well.

Kray, undeterred but now slightly sweating, tried a different approach. He attempted a "playful" accidental touch, "brushing" his hand "inadvertently" against her arm as he moved to adjust the linen cloth. It was clumsy, obvious, and about as suggestive as a blacksmith's hammer.

Bertha's reaction was immediate and decidedly un-ecchi. She glared at him, her voice sharp. "Watch your hands, lad! Just massage my shoulder, not my… everywhere else!" She folded her arms tightly, her suspicion palpable.

The massage session continued in strained silence, punctuated only by Bertha's grunts of relief and Kray's increasingly desperate internal monologue. No Love Points. No system notifications. Just awkwardness, confusion, and the distinct feeling of abject failure.

His next attempt was with Widow Willow, a gentler, more reserved client. Kray, thinking subtlety might be key to "ecchi moments," tried a different tactic. He attempted to create a "suggestive scenario," lowering the lights in the kitchen, lighting a few candles to create a "romantic ambiance," and even putting on some soft, lute music he'd vaguely remembered hearing at the town tavern.

Widow Willow arrived, her usual quiet demeanor replaced by a bewildered frown as she took in the dimly lit kitchen, the flickering candlelight, and the faint lute music. "Dray?" she asked hesitantly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is… is everything alright?"

Kray, feeling increasingly ridiculous, tried to play it cool. "Just… creating a more… relaxing atmosphere, Widow Willow," he stammered, gesturing vaguely at the candles. "For… enhanced healing, you know." He hoped he sounded convincing, but he felt like a charlatan in a bad traveling show.

As he began the massage, he attempted to inject some "suggestive" conversation, leaning closer to Widow Willow, his voice dropping to a confidential whisper. "You know, Widow Willow," he murmured, "relaxation is all about… letting go of inhibitions. Embracing your… inner desires." He cringed inwardly at his own cheesy pick-up lines, feeling like a complete fool.

Widow Willow blinked at him, her eyes widening in alarm. "My… inner desires?" she whispered back, her voice trembling slightly. "Young Dray, are you… are you suggesting something… unseemly?" Her face flushed a delicate pink, but it was definitely the blush of embarrassment, not pleasure.

The massage session dissolved into an even more awkward, uncomfortable silence than the one with Bertha. Widow Willow remained tense, her body rigid, her sighs of relief forced and infrequent. Kray, defeated and increasingly mortified, finished the massage quickly, eager to escape the self-inflicted torture. Again, no Love Points. Just a bewildered, slightly offended client and a crushing sense of comedic failure.

Dejected and thoroughly confused, Kray slumped onto the stool after Widow Willow left, rubbing his temples again. Ecchi moments. He just wasn't getting it. He checked the skill description again, desperately searching for any clue, any hint he might have missed. But the description remained frustratingly vague.

Then, he noticed something subtly different. The system message, the skill description for [Ecchi moments], seemed… slightly reworded. He blinked, wondering if he was imagining things. But no, the wording was definitely different, subtly but significantly.

Naturally occurring. Arise spontaneously. Passive. It wasn't an active skill at all! It wasn't about creating suggestive scenarios. It was about recognizing and capturing those moments when they happened naturally, organically, within the context of a healing session. He had completely misinterpreted it, focusing on forced suggestiveness instead of natural, lighthearted interaction.

He groaned, burying his face in his hands. Of course! It was always about naturalness with these pleasure-based skills. Forcing it was counterproductive, even… cringe-inducing, as his recent disastrous attempts had clearly demonstrated.

Just then, Elara returned to the farmhouse, a bright smile on her face, carrying a basket overflowing with freshly baked bread rolls. "Dray, thank you again for yesterday!" she chirped, handing him the basket. "The cough is completely gone! These are for you, as a thank you. And…" she paused, her smile becoming a touch mischievous, "and maybe… for another 'pleasure massage' sometime soon?" She winked playfully, her eyes sparkling.

Kray, still reeling from his "ecchi moment" failures, managed a weak smile. "Thanks, Elara. These smell amazing." He reached for a roll, their fingers brushing briefly as he took the basket.

And then, it happened. As their fingers touched, a subtle, almost imperceptible spark seemed to pass between them. A brief moment of eye contact, a fleeting smile, a hint of playful flirtation in Elara's wink, a touch of flustered warmth in Kray's cheeks. It was fleeting, lighthearted, undeniably… slightly suggestive, in an innocent, almost childlike way.

And then, the familiar chime resonated in his mind.

[+1 Love Point (LP) gained! (Ecchi moment)]

Kray froze, his eyes widening in astonishment. He checked his status, confirming the LP gain and the "Ecchi moment" notification. It had actually worked. And it had happened… naturally. Unintentionally. During a simple, lighthearted exchange with Elara.

He looked at Elara, who was still beaming at him, oblivious to the internal epiphany he was experiencing. He finally understood. Ecchi moments weren't about forced suggestiveness or deliberate flirtation. They were about capturing those fleeting, naturally occurring moments of lighthearted interaction, those sparks of innocent playfulness, those subtle hints of… something more, that could arise organically within the context of human connection, even within the context of a healing session.

He had been so focused on the "pervert" aspect, on the ecchi label, that he had completely missed the "moment" part. It wasn't about being perverted; it was about recognizing and appreciating those subtle, fleeting sparks of human connection that were, in their own innocent way, undeniably… pleasurable.

A slow smile spread across Kray's face, this time a genuine, relieved, and slightly amused smile. He finally understood the "Ecchi moments" skill. And perhaps, more importantly, he was starting to understand the true nature of his Pervert Healer path. It wasn't about being overtly lewd or deliberately suggestive. It was about harnessing the power of natural human connection, in all its messy, awkward, and sometimes perverted glory, and using it for healing. And that, he realized, was a journey far more complex, far more challenging, and far more… genuinely interesting than he could have ever imagined. And maybe, just maybe, a little bit of accidental flirting with Elara, and a basket of fresh bread rolls, was a perfectly acceptable first step on that decidedly unconventional path.

----

Name : Kray(18)

Class : Healer

Level : 2 (0/20)

LP (Love Points) : 12+4

---

Skills : [Pleasure : Lvl 2], [Kiss : Lvl 1], [Ecchi moments : Lvl 1]