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Bubble, bubble.'This looks great.'
The ramen was cooked to perfection, mouth-watering from every angle.I set out some properly fermented kimchi and meat side dishes, placing a trivet in the center of the table.
The ramen pot went on the trivet. The perfectly cooked egg and chewy noodles looked incredibly appetizing. I must have been really hungry.
"Baek-seo, it's ready. After seventeen years of eating ramen, this is my masterpiece."
"Wow… It looks delicious,"
Baek-seo murmured in admiration as she made her way to the table. Her gentle voice made even her exclamations sound serene.
The familiar scent of shampoo and body lotion reached me.
I turned my head to look."Come on, eat…." My words cut off abruptly.
'Ugh…!'
Unbelievable.
Even though I had anticipated and prepared myself for this, the sight before me was more overwhelming than I had imagined.
Her hair was still wet from the shower, and she wore only my white dress shirt. Below the shirt's hem, her pale, shapely legs were exposed. It was an undeniably alluring sight.
'My heart…!'
A sudden shock hit my heart.
I bit my tongue to control my expression, but the intermittent trembling of my body was hard to hide.
"Can you give me an apron? I don't want to splash anything on this."
"Here you go."
"…Why are you handing it to me so cautiously?"
Avoiding eye contact and extending my arm to give her the apron must have looked strange.
Baek-seo tilted her head and silently laughed. It seemed like a knowing smile.
We sat across from each other at the table and served ourselves ramen.
After all the exhausting events and head-splitting worries, I had forgotten how hungry I was. This ramen tasted almost as good as the ramen I ate during night marches in my previous life as a soldier.
I stole a glance at Baek-seo. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and used her chopsticks to pick up some kimchi and noodles together. She looked adorable.
'If I get married, will I see this every day?'
A moment ago, I was consumed with grim thoughts, but now, a wave of happiness washed over me.
When I'm struggling, I look at Oh Baek-seo.
Just seeing her is healing.
But I couldn't just indulge in her beauty without a care.
I continued eating ramen and thinking.
'…She doesn't know about the relationship between the Head Principal and Dalbi.'
Without my game knowledge, various clues, and the hobgoblin's message, I wouldn't have been certain that the Head Principal should be considered a target.
'For now, it's better if I'm the only one who knows. It's hard to explain, and it would just burden her. I'd prefer if she could rest peacefully for now.'
I glanced at Baek-seo's hands. Though her trembling had subsided, I couldn't help but worry about her.
"Leader, you cook ramen well,"
Baek-seo suddenly spoke.
"I've eaten it often enough. This is basic."
"You could be called a ramen master."
"What's with the way you talk? Anyway, if you want more, just let me know anytime."
"You're a perceptive little rookie, aren't you?"
Baek-seo joked, smiling gently. Then, while eating ramen, she asked an unexpected question.
"By the way, has anyone else visited your house besides me?"
"?"
What kind of question was that?
Of course, there had been.
'Other than Dalbi visiting frequently when we were kids, no one.'
I hadn't invited anyone else over.
"Not since a friend came over in the past. Why?"
"…It's nothing. Just curious."
Baek-seo shook her head.
Was she worried someone might drop by in the middle of the night?
'That's understandable.'
If a friend suddenly showed up and saw Baek-seo and me together, how would they react?
Well, there was nothing to worry about.
"I see."
We dropped the subject and continued eating ramen.
Every time Baek-seo entered my sight, I couldn't help but focus on her outfit.
'She looks beautiful….'
It was impressive.
The mind is heavily influenced by the body. Given my youthful vigor, it was hard not to be stimulated by the sight of a beautiful woman wearing only my dress shirt.
Especially when the person in question was someone I liked.
The stimulation was so intense that I couldn't stand up from the chair. I had to silently recite the national anthem to calm myself down.
After we finished eating the ramen, Baek-seo stood up.
"Thank you for the meal. I'll do the dishes."
"No, guests should rest. I'll take care of it."
"Really…? But why aren't you getting up?"
"I just remembered something to think about. Go ahead and rest."
Despite reciting the national anthem four times, it hadn't had much effect. I must have lacked patriotic fervor in my past life.
Baek-seo watched me for a moment before giving a slightly awkward smile.
"Okay…. Next time, I'll do it."
Fortunately, she left the room.
'That was close….'
In the end, I had to recite the Lord's Prayer and the Heart Sutra to get through the crisis. Truly, the power of faith was great.
After finishing the dishes, I returned to find Baek-seo sitting on the sofa, scrolling through her smartphone.
I wanted to just pick her up and…!
"I'm going to shower."
…With that impulsive thought, I quickly headed to the shower.
***
While Ahn Woo-jin was showering, Oh Baek-seo looked around his home. She found his middle school graduation album.
She carefully touched the picture of Woo-jin with short hair. It was a side of him she didn't know.
"..."
Tonight, she planned to pretend to sleep until Woo-jin fell asleep, then stay awake and keep watch with White Wheel Sword by her side. She couldn't be sure when a threat might come.
So, she kept White Wheel Sword close to her. Outwardly calm, she remained vigilant internally.
She remembered something Woo-jin had said.
─ 'Other than a friend coming over in the past, no one.'
No one had visited recently.
At least, it seemed to be a fact for Woo-jin.
Baek-seo recalled the white porridge from the day Woo-jin had the flu, not knowing who made it. Who could have prepared that and left it behind?
Especially in a residential area with many security robots, without Woo-jin noticing…?
Baek-seo operated her smartphone, deploying personal security drones she had prepared nearby to Woo-jin's address. It was possible because she had obtained approval from the local security team.
"For now, I guess I'll stay with Woo-jin…."
She murmured to herself.
It seemed best to stay by his side until she was sure of his safety.
Living with Woo-jin would be ideal, but that was obviously not feasible.
Aside from seeking his permission, she didn't want to intrude on his privacy.
"So then…."
She might need to dip into her savings soon.
Eventually, Woo-jin came out of the shower, changed, and entered the living room.
"Baek-seo."
Then.
"Want to watch a movie?"
"?"
An unexpected suggestion came from Woo-jin.
A short while later, with all the lights turned off, the two sat side by side on the sofa, covered with a blanket. Woo-jin started the movie.
"What movie is it?"
"A superhero movie. Have you seen it?"
"I haven't seen this one. Let's watch it."
Though it was a sudden situation, Baek-seo realized that Woo-jin was trying to be considerate and remained quietly appreciative.
The TV started playing a superhero movie, a relic of the old human culture.
A genius inventor in an iron suit flying through the sky, a man in tights with spider-like abilities, a blue-suited man with a shield—various heroes fighting evil villains with their skills.
Although it was an old movie made before the mystical power of 'magic' appeared in the world, the city in the movie was not much different from present-day Neo Seoul.
According to history, humanity's culture and technology regressed while billions perished. Thus, it made sense that the environment now was similar to the past.
Woo-jin was engrossed in the movie. Oddly, his eyes reflected a sense of nostalgia. Baek-seo preferred watching Woo-jin's expressions over the movie itself.
"Ah."
Woo-jin suddenly gasped.
"What is it?"
"I forgot something important."
Woo-jin brought over a large container of snacks and drinks, and they began sharing them.
"..."
Snuggled under a warm blanket, watching the movie together, Baek-seo felt a deep sense of contentment despite maintaining a state of vigilance.
Baek-seo subtly rubbed her forehead.
Her hand tremors had subsided, and the unwanted thoughts had faded. This improvement was likely due to the penalty of her unique ability, Wun-sa, easing over time, but the recovery speed was surprisingly quick.
As the movie approached its climax, Woo-jin's eyes started drooping, his head nodding. He hadn't fully recovered from his fatigue and was struggling to stay awake.
Baek-seo pretended not to notice and kept watching the movie silently.
"Baek-seo."
"Yeah?"
Sensing he was about to fall asleep, Woo-jin spoke in a subdued voice.
"Recently, I set up new security drones. If anyone intrudes, an alarm will go off. So… I can escape if things get bad. Don't worry too much."
He was trying to reassure Baek-seo.
"Okay, I'll keep that in mind."
Baek-seo responded with a gentle smile.
When the movie ended and the credits started rolling, Baek-seo turned her head. Woo-jin was fast asleep, his head resting against the sofa.
"…Careless, Leader. What if someone attacks you?"
Baek-seo whispered playfully in a very soft voice.
She stood up, contemplating whether to lay him down, then carefully placed his head on her shoulder.
Ignoring her racing heart, she leaned her head against his.
Baek-seo closed her eyes slowly.
"You know everything…."
She said softly.
"Pretending not to know."
They had already sensed each other's feelings.
Considering everything they had shown each other, it wasn't hard to guess.
However, Baek-seo was perceptive.
She had long realized Woo-jin was carrying significant burdens as the Disciplinary Committee Leader.
She didn't know exactly what those burdens were, but she knew Woo-jin had no time to be distracted. She respected his dedication to his role.
Thus, Baek-seo had already resolved herself.
She would silently follow Woo-jin's path.
Gradually integrating herself into his life until the day he could finally set down his burden as the leader, she would naturally reveal her feelings.
"…Good night."
Baek-seo whispered, gently placing her hand over Woo-jin's.
***
"Oh Baek-seo here. I've just moved in next door."
"...?"
"Would you like some rice cakes for the housewarming?"
A new neighbor had suddenly appeared.
To read until the final chapter. p atreon.com/casca02