Chapter 1

My boyfriend is an octopus.

A blue-ringed octopus.

After taking human form, he was poisonous from head to toe. For some reason, I was the only person immune.

Ever since, he'd set his sights on me. He wanted to cling to me constantly, forever reaching for me with those sucker-covered arms...

My boyfriend is a blue-ringed octopus.

Two years ago, I found him at death's door and brought him home, where I carefully nursed him back to health.

I hadn't expected him to turn into a man.

Or to take an interest in me.

His body carried a deadly toxin. An ordinary person could be poisoned just by touching him. In severe cases, they could die.

He had eight arms, their upper surfaces patterned with brilliant blue rings.

Whenever they appeared, they would curl along my limbs and climb over me.

I couldn't get away.

“Darling, will you accept me?”

His low, husky voice was a beguiling whisper, coaxing me toward a bottomless abyss.

I pressed my lips together, eyes a little red, torn over what to say.

“Then... could you stop touching me with your tentacles?”

Something dark and eerie flickered in his eyes.

He quickly hid it.

His lips curved into a tender smile.

“All right. From now on, whatever you say, sweetheart.”

That night, I slept soundly with my back to him.

Two soft, smooth tentacles reached out from behind and stroked my cheek, then my collarbone.

I swatted them away, rolled over, and sleepily opened my eyes.

His strange, fathomless black eyes met mine. Blue rings shimmered in their depths, just like the markings on a blue-ringed octopus.

I gritted my teeth.

“Didn't you promise not to touch me with those?”

I'd always avoided anything slimy or scaly.

Rescuing him had been different.

That day, he'd lain motionless in the road, limp arms occasionally twitching.

I couldn't bear to leave him, but I was genuinely frightened and didn't dare approach.

Just as I steeled myself to walk away, he seemed to look at me.

One arm stirred, then fell slack again.

I wavered.

Then I saw a car approaching.

Finally, I ran over, stuffed the octopus into my handbag, and took him home to live in a bucket of water.

One day, he suddenly became human.

He told me I was the first person ever to touch him without dying of poisoning.

I had to admit one thing.

He was gorgeous.

Handsome, captivating, happy to do all the housework, and incredibly good to me.

Apart from the tentacles.

He lowered his eyes, looking rather innocent.

“But the others want to touch you, too.”

Several soft tips tentatively nudged my fingers, trying to win me over.

Like pets asking to be stroked.

I rubbed each one in turn.

They obediently nuzzled my fingertips.

My aversion faded considerably.

Only once he saw I was less uncomfortable did Cố Châu tighten his arms around my waist.

The next morning, I nearly missed my eight o'clock class.

I'd barely made it into the room and sneaked a look at my phone when a commotion broke out around me.

I was looking at Cố Châu's latest message.

【Sweetheart, shall we go home together today?】

We'd never made our relationship public.

I didn't intend to tell my roommates or classmates I had a boyfriend. He wasn't human, after all. The fewer people who knew, the better.

Before I could reply, my former roommate Lý Cầm poked my arm.

“Oh my God, he's gorgeous! If he'd taught this class last semester, I wouldn't have failed!”

“Chiêu Chiêu, look! Gold-rimmed glasses, too. Isn't that exactly your type?”

At the same time, a familiar voice came from the front.

“Hello, everyone. I'm Cố Châu. Mr. Trần is unavailable, so I'll be covering his classes for a while. Please bear with me if my teaching falls short.”

Wait.

That voice...

I immediately looked up.

There was that familiar face.

Holy shit!

Cố Châu?

What was he doing here?!

I caught his gaze as it swept toward me and shivered.

Quickly, I lowered my head, afraid someone would notice.

Lý Cầm poked me again.

“Chiêu Chiêu, he's the whole package! Tall, handsome, and that voice could get someone pregnant through their ears. What do you think?”

I answered nervously.

“He's all right... Not that handsome. He's only... a meter ninety. His qualifications are only... a doctorate. And he's only worth... a few million...”

I faltered.

Actually, he really was the whole package.

Lý Cầm suddenly sat bolt upright, frantically jabbing me under the desk.

A familiar male voice sounded behind me.

“Is that so? Thank you for the generous praise, Ms. Hạ.”

I stiffened.

From the corner of my eye, I saw him standing at my desk.

His voice was gentle, warm, and amused.

“So, Ms. Hạ, can we go home together today?”

???

“You didn't answer my message. I wanted to hear your reply in person.”

Aaaaaah!

Inside, I was:

[Screaming. Twisting. Crawling through the darkness. Still crawling. Wriggling. Convulsing in the shadows. Rolling around. Crawling frantically. Twisting. Twitching. Howling.]

Outside, I wore an awkward smile.

“Sorry, sir. I have no idea what you're talking about.”

Damn it.

Lý Cầm and the entire class stared at me in horror.

In that instant, I'd mentally drafted my withdrawal application.

Then the man chuckled.

“All right. That brings us to today's topic: how to turn down an approach from the opposite sex.”

The class burst into laughter.

Everyone understood. Mr. Cố had staged that little exchange to introduce his lesson.

Lý Cầm poked me.

“He's brilliant. Everyone's paying attention now.”

Brilliant.

He'd brilliantly scared half the life out of me.

I exhaled.

Then I looked up and met Cố Châu's deep, smiling eyes at the front of the room.

My whole body went rigid again.

【Come to my office after class.】

The fright had left me so dazed that I'd forgotten to reply.

As soon as class ended, I saw Cố Châu take out his phone and type something.

Mine buzzed immediately.

I stared at the screen, unsure where to hide the thing.

He didn't even glance at me. He simply turned and left.

Lý Cầm asked, “What's with you? All secretive. Changed careers? Fortune-teller now?”

I laughed.

Then I remembered what awaited me, and misery washed over me.

I made an excuse, parted from Lý Cầm, and went to the office he'd specified.

I stood outside for ages, biting my lower lip.

I didn't dare knock.

I had a feeling...

Cố Châu was angry.

Angry because I refused to acknowledge our relationship.

Whenever we ran into my friends on a date, I immediately pretended not to know him.

Outside the door, I quietly rehearsed.

“Cố Châu, I was wrong. You're the one I love most. Forgive me?”

I gave myself goosebumps.

So cheesy.

The office door opened.

His tall, slender figure towered over me.

Before I could greet him, a cool, pale hand pulled me inside.

The door shut.

I was pressed against it.

Every sound disappeared.

His kiss descended like a storm, as though he meant to swallow me whole and steal every breath.

The air-conditioning was on.

I felt unbearably hot.

Much later, his breathing deepened.

His voice was husky and compelling.

“Do you really love me most?”

My mind was blank.

I could only nod.

“Prove it.”

“H-how?”

Eight tentacles suddenly appeared behind him.

Then he buried his face against my neck.

“Sweetheart, they wanted to touch you all through class. I could barely hold them back. Pet them...”

The sight should have been unnerving.

That wheedling tone somehow made it adorable.

I smiled and, as usual, stroked each arm in turn.

Yes.

I'd even numbered them.

One through eight.

Next time, I'd start with two and finish with one.

Because he'd once complained it wasn't fair.

Every arm wanted to be petted first.

And I always started with Number One.

So I'd changed the system.

Every arm deserved a turn.

Only once Cố Châu was satisfied did I quietly ask, “Not angry anymore?”

“How could I be angry with you, sweetheart? I only want to be close.”

...

Since he'd started covering the class, he seemed to enjoy teasing me even more.

For example, he'd suddenly call my name.

Then ask Lý Cầm, sitting beside me, to answer the question.

She might have been the only innocent casualty of our relationship.

To this day, she couldn't understand why she was called on in almost every lesson.

She thought he'd caught her secretly kissing a fictional character in class and decided she was embarrassing gamers everywhere.

To make it up to her, I bought her plenty of milk tea.

Once, while we were shopping for souvenirs, I spotted an octopus keychain.

Its surface gleamed.

Eight arms.

Tiny suckers underneath.

Just like Cố Châu.

I stared.

Lý Cầm nudged me.

“Chiêu Chiêu, why are you grinning at an octopus? You look lovesick.”

I paused and touched my smiling face.

I hadn't even noticed.

Somewhere along the way...