Hypnosis: I Pretended To Be Hypnotized By My Childhood Friend

Liam let the warmth of the water from the shower wash over him, allowing it to flow across his entire body. It felt almost similar to Miria’s mother’s hug earlier, which had given him a little sense of calm and lightened the burden in his mind.

He lowered his head and repeatedly let out heavy sighs.

Everything Miria’s mother said had truly awakened him a little. Yes, how could he have been consumed by his own insecurity? He barely had any self-dignity.

He knew how great Miria’s love for him was, and he thought he was unworthy of it because of what...? Because Liam was a man who did not deserve Miria?

That was just a bullshit excuse.

Liam himself had nurtured such great love in Miria’s heart. It was only natural that he should take responsibility for the feelings he had caused.

After caring for and looking after Miria since they were little, did he expect Miria not to like him? That was impossible. It was only natural that Miria became obsessed with Liam, because he had always been by her side when she felt lonely.

So why, Liam? Why did he not want to embrace the heavyness of Miria’s love? He would not need to think about anything anymore.

A memory that he had buried deep inside and wanted to forget began to resurface.

"A man like you does not deserve to receive love..." that whisper still echoed in his head.

The words from his ex-girlfriend back in middle school, which even Miria did not know about, began to haunt him again.

A relationship that had left Liam suffocated. He had felt that everything that girl said at the time was true. What she said made sense, but he also realized that it was her way of keeping him in her grasp.

He realized that he had been gaslit into a relationship with that girl back in middle school, but he also realized that what she said at the time had some truth to it.

Liam did not want to be in a relationship like that again. Therefore, before he could accept Miria’s feelings, he had to solve all his own problems first. All the problems inside himself. Only after that could he start a relationship with someone again.

Maybe he would open his heart when he graduated. Maybe he would confess his love to Miria after graduating from school.

***

Meanwhile, outside the bathroom, Miria was watching her mother who was happily watching a television show. It was a tonight show featuring a celebrity playing games with the host.

"Oh~" Miria’s mother noticed Miria’s presence. She shifted her sitting position to the side and patted the spot next to her, inviting Miria to sit on the soft wool sofa.

"Sit here, my sweet girl." Miria’s mother showed a warm smile.

Miria paused for a moment, then finally sat down beside her mother.

The two of them watched the tonight show in silence while eating bite-sized cut fruits in front of them.

Miria decided to take a slice of apple and eat it. The sweetness slightly calmed her heart.

"Do you still like Liam?" Her mother suddenly broke the silence with that bomb of a question.

Miria was slightly stunned, but after a few moments she finally answered with a flat face.

"Yes, Mom. Very much so."

Her mother’s eyes glanced toward her. She then continued.

"You haven’t crossed any lines with Liam, right?"

Miria’s body stiffened. Her usually straight shoulders trembled slightly.

She swallowed her saliva. She could not tell her mother that she had used hypnosis on Liam, made him do whatever she wanted, and done anything she desired to him arbitrarily.

Did her mother know what she had done with Liam? Although her mother looked like an easy-going and warm parent, she was actually very smart. After all, her mother had single-handedly run her father’s company until it grew rapidly.

"What are you talking about, Mom? We are still high school students. Besides, I already told you that I am very busy with my student council work."

"My sweet baby girl, you are already good at lying..." Her mother’s voice sounded slightly disappointed.

Miria immediately froze. Had she been found out?

"Your shoulders tremble when you lie. It’s very obvious. Also, you told Sheryl to monitor a girl named Silvia." Her mother said while chewing an apple.

Fortunately, her mother did not know about the hypnosis.

"Mom knows you feel anxious when other girls get close to Liam. But can you just trust Liam? He definitely knows how to set boundaries and how to control himself."

Hearing that, Miria gripped her Labubu-patterned pajamas a little tighter.

What boundaries? That man, Liam, did not have any boundaries at all. He let that bitch Silvia enter his zone, let that girl give him things, and let that girl get close to him.

Of course Miria could not trust Liam. It was only natural, right? A man like Liam needed to be watched at all times. If not, he would definitely look at other girls and end up cheating.

Only Miria could control Liam. Only she could have Liam. Only she could give Liam everything he wanted. If only Liam would surrender himself to her, she would not have to do all this.

"You know your face looks scary right now, baby?"

Miria immediately came back to her senses. She looked at her mother who was showing a worried face.

"I am not monitoring Silvia because she is close to Liam, Mom. I am monitoring her because I want to learn from her and study how she carries herself at school. You know that Silvia is the number one student in school, right?"

Her mother smiled bitterly. "That is a rather unconvincing reason, dear."

"Fine if Mom doesn’t believe it. I will go put Liam’s used clothes in the washing machine." Miria stood up and headed toward the bathroom where Liam was showering.

"Wait a moment, Miria." Her mother called once more, and she automatically turned around. "Please trust Liam, Miria."

Her mother spoke with a serious face but her voice was full of gentleness and sincerity. Miria’s heart was slightly moved, and in the end she could only nod.

Miria finally went to the bathroom, leaving her mother alone in the living room watching the tonight show on television.

The host’s voice could be faintly heard announcing a commercial break, and Miria’s mother, seeing that, rested her head on her palm.

"Why is kid’s love story so complicated these days..." she muttered into the empty air.