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In Lee Doo-hee's eyes, the panorama of Neo Seoul in Academy City was visible.The dazzling lights that illuminated the night.
Yet, it was blurry.
Her eyes, now clouded and aged, were afflicted with cataracts.
Her daily routine involved being connected to an IV drip and moving around in a wheelchair. She had no intention of using healing magic to treat her body. She simply accepted her ailments and lived on.
Bzzz.
Her old phone vibrated in her lap. Seeing the caller ID, Doo-hee drew a sharp breath.
Caller ID: '1215'.
Doo-hee answered immediately.
"It's been a while since you called…. I thought we wouldn't need to talk anymore. What's the matter?"
A deep smile spread across her wrinkled face. Her voice softened and became gentle.
It didn't last long.
After listening to the other person for a while, Doo-hee's expression turned grim.
She closed her eyes and let out a silent sigh.
"I see…. So, I shouldn't mess with Ahsung High's Disciplinary Committee Leader, is that it? I never thought I'd hear you say that."
Doo-hee leaned back in her wheelchair, staring at the blurry ceiling.
She had intended to use a convenient villain like Lee Ha-min, the bomber, to deal with Woo-jin.
The reasons were clear:
Woo-jin had thoroughly crushed Anomia, an organisation she had secretly invested in.
Woo-jin knew too much about Anomia.
Anomia had its uses, but it was disbanded before it could be fully utilized, which disappointed Doo-hee.
However, it wasn't primarily about revenge.
It was more like being angry that someone broke a pot she had been carefully tending to. Strictly speaking, you can always replace a pot after calming down.
Thus, she used only a minor villain like Lee Ha-min.
But things went awry.
The unexpected intervention of Kim Dalbi and woo-jin's remarkable insight in capturing the bomber were unforeseen.
Now that the attempt to deal with Woo-jin had failed, she saw no need to push further. But it was too late.
The cost of targeting Ahn Woo-jin had resulted in an unexpected backlash, scratching at Doo-hee's heart.
After a long blink, she spoke, trying to calm her emotions.
"…Very well. If it was bothersome, I apologize."
The call ended.
She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her forehead, letting out a deep sigh.
"What's so special about him…."
The caller, 1215, had warned her not to touch woo-jin.
This reaction was something Doo-hee hadn't anticipated.
She was puzzled by how 1215 had known about her targeting woo-jin in the first place.
Doo-hee had no intention of antagonizing 1215 over something like this. She tried to quell her rising emotions.
Then, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her.
A girl in a nun's habit and a pink-haired girl, Dalbi, entered the room.
"…You're here?"
She struggled to maintain her composure, speaking in a voice that sharply cut through the air.
Dalbi greeted with a bright smile, saying, "Hello?"
"You really interfered well."
"I told you long ago not to mess with Woo-jin."
"That was a condition for you two to separate. It's unrelated to this matter."
"Wow… Playing with words. You're really senile now. Don't you think you're being a bit unreasonable?"
Dalbi hoped to annoy her even a little, speaking slyly.
Her voice trembled slightly from anger.
"Child, let me say it again."
Only looking at the cityscape, Doo-hee spoke.
"Behave like a dog if you're a dog."
"A dog will bite even its owner if it feels threatened. Did you forget that because of your dementia?"
Dalbi retorted immediately.
"If it feels its precious thing is about to be taken away?"
Dalbi wrapped her aggression in a playful tone.
"You never back down, do you? You insolent girl."
"So? What did you bring me here for? To punish me again?"
"…Go back."
"?"
Dalbi's expression showed her surprise at the unexpected answer.
"There's no point in punishing you anymore."
"..."
Dalbi, who had been smiling brightly, narrowed her eyes.
She realized something must have happened on her way here.
"Ye-seo, send her back."
"Yes, let's go, Dalbi."
The nun-girl, Son Ye-seo, escorted Dalbi out the door.
Even as she was leaving, Dalbi stared intently at Doo-hee's back. Her white hair, turtle neck, and hunched back were the same as ever.
The door closed, and Doo-hee sighed quietly in the silence.
***
"It's humble, but come in."
"Excuse me."
Baek-seo removed her shoes at the entrance.
As befitting a vice leader, even such a simple act exuded elegance.
'It feels a bit strange to have her here….'
It suddenly hit me.
I had brought a girl home in the middle of the night.
She must trust me a lot to come to my place at this hour. She must also be worried about me.
But, I'm still a guy….
Wasn't she trusting me too much?
'Enough. This isn't the time to be thinking about that.'
I didn't want to dwell on the issue of being a man and a woman right now.
Baek-seo's occasional hand tremors since the battle.
It was likely a symptom associated with the use of her unique abilities.
Whether she burned her hands or hit her head on a door, she never showed any pain.
Even she, who had never shown any signs of suffering, was now struggling to hide her trembling hands. I was certain I was right.
'I don't know the conditions or penalties for using her abilities.'
Baek-seo didn't want to tell me, and it wasn't mentioned in the game either.
In the game, more than half the time, the conditions or penalties for using unique abilities weren't specified. Baek-seo, who had a minor role, was one of them.
So if she was enduring severe penalties without showing it
'I need to take care of her.'
I just wanted to look out for Baek-seo.
"Can I use the shower first?"
"Oh, sure."
Our uniforms were soaked and dried due to her abilities. They still felt sticky, and I wanted to shower too.
It seemed she really wanted to wash up since she wanted to shower right after arriving.
"I need some clothes…."
"Take whatever you want. Something comfortable."
She smiled.
"Thank you. This will do."
"Huh?"
She grabbed one of my white dress shirts. It was quite large for her frame.
"Why that…?"
"It looks comfortable. Is that a problem?"
"No… It's not a problem, just asking."
Men often fantasize about their crushes wearing their dress shirts.
Of course, I was no different.
'Is this a coincidence?'
Probably.
I shouldn't overthink it.
Baek-seo entered the shower.
Soon, the sound of water began to flow.
'Should I eat ramen first and then shower?'
It would be nice to serve ramen when Baek-seo finished showering.
When she asked me to make ramen earlier, it reminded me of the phrase "Do you want to come over for ramen?" which was popular in my past life in Korea. It was a euphemism for inviting someone over for sex.
Strictly speaking, Baek-seo had straightforwardly declared that she wanted to eat ramen, but still.
'…Let's not think weird thoughts.'
Baek-seo must be tired too.
Today, it would be best to just cook ramen, create a comfortable atmosphere, and let Baek-seo relax.
'Let's boil the water first.'
I filled a pot with water and set it on the burner.
As I watched the slowly boiling water, bubbles starting to form, my earlier worries filled my mind again.
'The Head Principal….'
Head Principal Lee Doo-hee.
Her face, the elderly woman at the top of the power structure in Academy City, came to mind.
'I didn't expect someone destined to commit suicide this year to become a problem. Is she behind Dalbi right now? Like a mastermind?'
If the Head Principal's ears were spread throughout Academy City, talking about her as a mastermind wasn't safe.
This place couldn't be considered a safe zone either.
'So I just need to avoid mentioning secrets.'
I recalled how Dalbi hinted at having a secret but never directly mentioned it.
As long as no crucial information was exchanged, the Head Principal seemed to avoid acting overly sensitive. Even her listening devices must have limits.
'It must be tough to cover the whole Academy City, and if she makes noticeable moves, she risks backlash.'
Moreover.
'I see why Dalbi didn't write her secret in the letter.'
Dalbi could have secretly conveyed her secret through the letter without speaking.
But she didn't.
'She must have deemed it too dangerous.'
No matter how cautious, there was a chance I could unconsciously mention something related to the Head Principal.
Thus, Dalbi probably decided it was better for me not to know the secret at all to avoid burdening me with risk.
'Anyway, it's best to stay cautious until everything becomes clear. The Head Principal might attack again, so I need to be prepared. However….'
Considering she sent Lee Ha-min instead of a Spartoi agent, it seemed the Head Principal wasn't desperate to get rid of me.
Moreover, she couldn't completely control Kim Dalbi.
She wouldn't want to risk exposing herself as the mastermind manipulating the six sinners. Taking on such a risk to target me seemed unlikely.
'Is Dalbi… okay?'
Despite Dalbi being an enemy, I couldn't help but worry about her.
Still, the hobgoblin mentioned Dalbi had a plan. I could only hope things went well for her and that she didn't suffer under the Head Principal.
I could find out her story later.
'Ugh, my head hurts….'
Thinking about all this made me tired.
I suddenly felt the weight of the day.
'There's been too much today.'
It was exhausting, really.
I needed to stop thinking and rest for a while.
As the water boiled vigorously, I turned off the burner and headed towards the shower to ask when she would be finished.
The sound of water grew louder.
"Leader?"
Before I could speak, I heard her voice. It echoed in the shower.
"Are you here to peek?"
"What?"
What nonsense.
"Hm, I could pretend I didn't see anything."
Her gentle yet playful voice made me feel as if my fatigue was slightly melting away. It was as if her voice had a healing effect.
Maybe I was releasing dopamine.
KkIt wasn't strange.
Hearing Baek-seo's voice usually made me feel good.
A smile formed on my lips.
"As if I came here to do that."
"Gasp."
An unnatural exclamation.
"What?"
"Then, should we… shower together?"
An unsteady voice, naturally laced with mischief.
"Huh."
A small exclamation escaped me, caught off guard by the absurdity of it all.
The temptation to close my eyes and go along with the joke was strong, but I held back.
We weren't dating or even sure of each other's feelings, so seriously considering it could ruin our relationship. I had to respect the trust she had in me.
Besides, Baek-seo had gone through a lot today and looked exhausted. She was likely trying to lighten the mood. I had to reciprocate her effort.
"…Why aren't you answering?"
"?"
Ah.
I was lost in thought for a moment, creating a delay.
She might have found it suspicious.
"No, I was just thinking…."
"Were you seriously considering it? You pervert, our leader."
"Pervert…!"
Even jokingly being called a pervert was unacceptable.
I was the Disciplinary Committee Leader. I had to protect my image rigidly.
"Don't push me into something strange…."
From inside the shower, I heard Baek-seo's soft laugh, "Huhu."
"I'm planning to make ramen for when you're done. How much longer do you need?"
"About ten more minutes."
"Got it. Towels are on the shelf, so make sure you grab one."
"Thanks."
I returned to the kitchen.
***
The shower was filled with a dense mist.
Naked, Baek-seo stood under the stream of water, running her fingers through her hair. She had just finished her playful conversation with Woo-jin.
She wiped the steam from the mirror with her hand, revealing her face. Her expression was… not great.
"..."
Kim Dalbi.
There was something she needed to discuss with her.
They finally met today but couldn't talk.
Given the circumstances, it was understandable.
Once Dalbi had targeted Woo-jin, Baek-seo could only think of brandishing her knife. Talking could come after finding and crushing Dalbi.
The problem lay elsewhere.
Baek-seo suspected the Head Principal was involved in targeting Woo-jin.
A villain had aimed for Woo-jin in the Federal Council's territory, and Dalbi had also intervened. To Baek-seo, it was a natural conclusion.
Why would the Head Principal target Woo-jin?
The exact reason was unclear.
One thing was certain: Woo-jin could be in danger again.
There was no guarantee that today's ambush wouldn't be repeated.
If possible, she considered staying with Woo-jin until the Head Principal issue was resolved.
"…It's okay."
Thinking of Dalbi and the Head Principal, Baek-seo whispered to herself.
"I'll protect him."
She had already discarded her life once.
There was nothing better than risking her life to protect someone she cared about.
"I'll protect him…."
Baek-seo looked down at her hands.
Under the bright shower light, her calloused, pale hands were visible.
Whenever she looked at them, her vision would shift to a dark, asphalt road at midnight, and her hands would appear covered in blood.
Then in a secluded alley.
Then in a sealed basement.
Then on a rainy rooftop.
Her hands were always soaked in blood in front of corpses.
The bright red blood in her memory had faded over time, turning gray.
Baek-seo hated that sight.
It felt like her humanity was fading away.
The price of using her unique ability, Wun-sa.
It intensely revived her trauma.
This was bearable.
The only thing that intensified was the persistent sense of dread, which she could endure.
Severe use of her unique ability would drag out the trauma and erode her mind. She wasn't confident she could withstand that.
But it was okay.
She only needed to protect Woo-jin.
That thought alone sustained her.
As her hands trembled uncontrollably, she clenched her fists tightly, suppressing the memories that floated to the surface.
"Haa."
She took a deep breath, struggling to calm her emotions.
Finally, she finished her shower and changed into her clothes.
His white dress shirt.
His underwear.
The shirt's length covered her groin area, exposing her pale legs. It gave the impression that she wasn't wearing anything below.
"Somehow, this feels embarrassing…."
There was a reason she chose the white dress shirt.
A man's dream.
A girl he likes wearing his dress shirt.
She had learned this from the internet beforehand.
So, she chose the white dress shirt to look nice for Woo-jin.
But now, seeing herself in the mirror made her blush.
"...?"
The fragrant smell caught her attention.
The familiar scent of fabric softener.
It hit her that all the clothes she was wearing belonged to Woo-jin.
"…Sss."
She brought the sleeve to her nose and closed her eyes, savoring the scent.
The smell she always associated with Woo-jin filled her senses, replacing the bloody memories with a cozy feeling.
Just then, the sound of boiling ramen filled the air. Baek-seo finished her light makeup and headed to the kitchen.
Woo-jin was lost in thought the moment he saw her.
To read until the final chapter. p atreon.com/casca02