"Mother," Joon-ho began, his voice betraying his nervousness with a slight tremor. "We… we would like to know… what exactly you found in our rooms?" He inwardly cringed at the sheer lack of eloquence. He was supposed to be a future CEO, not a stammering teenager.
Kang Min-seo looked up from her work, her gaze sweeping across their faces, sharp and discerning. It felt as though she was weighing them, judging them, finding them wanting.
"Indeed," Kang Dae-hyun interjected, his voice smooth and warm, a stark contrast to his wife's icy demeanor. "I am also curious. Your mother presented a rather… unusual collection of items this morning. I must admit, I'm intrigued."
Min-seo sighed, a sound of patient exasperation that sent another wave of panic through the siblings. "Very well," she said, her voice crisp and precise, each syllable carefully enunciated. "Let's address this matter directly. Kang Joon-ho, I found… women's underwear. Silk, lace, and a rather alarming amount of padding. Explain."
Joon-ho's face flushed crimson, his ears burning with embarrassment. He felt as if he were standing naked before a firing squad. He stammered, "Mother, it's—it's not what you think! I can explain!"
"Explain," Min-seo said, her voice flat, leaving no room for argument. The word hung in the air like a sentence.
Joon-ho desperately tried to formulate a coherent explanation, his mind racing. "They are for… research!" he blurted out, the words tumbling out in a rush. "I'm studying the… the properties of different fabrics, for… combat applications!"
Kang Dae-hyun raised an eyebrow, his amusement deepening. "Research?" he repeated, his tone laced with skeptical inquiry. "I wasn't aware that lingerie was a key component of modern warfare."
"Yes! Research!" Joon-ho insisted, his voice rising in pitch, bordering on hysterical. "Different materials react differently to mana, and I need to understand their… tensile strength, their elasticity… their… breathability under duress!" He was digging himself deeper and deeper, but he couldn't seem to stop.
Min-seo remained impassive, her gaze unwavering. "And what exactly does silk lace tell you about mana conductivity, Joon-ho? Are you planning to weave enchanted thongs?"
The mental image nearly caused Joon-ho to faint. He swallowed hard. "It's about… stress distribution! I need to understand how these materials stretch and deform under pressure! It's… crucial for designing advanced combat suits!" He knew he sounded ridiculous, but he was desperate.
Min-seo turned her attention to So-hee and Soo-jin, the twins. "And you two," she said, her voice sharp, like a honed blade. "Bras. Multiple bras. In various sizes. Some of which appear to be… significantly larger than your own."
So-hee and Soo-jin exchanged nervous glances, their synchronized movements betraying their twin bond. "We were… testing their structural integrity," So-hee said, her voice barely a whisper.
"For combat purposes," Soo-jin added, her voice equally faint, echoing her sister's words. They had practiced this excuse, but it sounded even more ludicrous in the face of their mother's scrutiny.
"Combat purposes?" Kang Dae-hyun asked, his voice laced with amusement, a genuine smile spreading across his face. "Are you planning to use them as… projectiles? Perhaps some sort of… enhanced slingshot?"
"No! Well, not exactly," So-hee said, her face flushing slightly. "We were studying their… support systems. For potential applications in armor design."
"Specifically," Soo-jin elaborated, jumping into the fray, "the distribution of weight and pressure. We believe that the design principles behind a well-engineered bra could be adapted to create more comfortable and effective protective gear. Imagine, mother, armor that feels like a supportive hug!"
Min-seo raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "So, you're saying you're reinventing the breastplate?"
"In a way, yes!" So-hee exclaimed, seizing upon the opening. "But with a more… ergonomic and mana-conductive design!"
Min-seo then turned to Tae-min, her expression shifting from exasperation to something akin to disgust. "And you," she said, her voice dripping with disapproval. "An unclean pile of clothes. In the middle of your room. Reeking of… something I don't even want to identify."
Tae-min shrugged, his nonchalance infuriatingly unwavering. "I was going to clean it," he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. "Later."
"Later?" Min-seo repeated, her voice incredulous. "You have been saying 'later' for weeks, Tae-min. That pile of laundry is practically sentient at this point."
"I was… observing it," Tae-min offered weakly. "For… sociological insights."
Kang Dae-hyun burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the cabin. "Sociological insights? From a pile of dirty laundry? What profound observations have you gleaned, Tae-min? The inherent laziness of youth? The cyclical nature of dirt accumulation?"
Tae-min glared at his father, but said nothing.
Finally, Min-seo turned to Ji-hoon, the last of the accused. Her voice softened slightly, but her disappointment was palpable. "And you," she said, her voice weary. "Your room. A disaster. A biohazard. I'm surprised the cleaning staff hasn't filed a formal complaint with the Adventurer's Guild."
Ji-hoon winced, his shoulders slumping. "I was… experimenting," he said, his voice pleading, like a cornered animal. "With… with monster byproducts. For… alchemical purposes."
"Alchemical purposes that involve leaving rotting monster parts under your bed?" Min-seo asked, her voice laced with sarcasm that could melt steel. "I distinctly remember finding a half-digested goblin foot… in a Tupperware container."
"They were… fermenting!" Ji-hoon protested, his voice rising in desperation. "It's a crucial part of the process! You can't just skip the fermentation stage! It unlocks the… the hidden alchemical properties!"
"Hidden alchemical properties that smell like a sewer exploded?" Min-seo countered, her lips pursed in a thin line.
Kang Dae-hyun chuckled again, a low rumble in his chest. "It seems we have a family of… dedicated researchers," he said, his voice laced with amusement and a hint of pride. "Each pursuing their own unique and… unconventional field of study."
Min-seo sighed, running a hand through her perfectly coiffed hair. "Indeed," she said, her voice laced with exasperation. "And I expect detailed reports on all of these… experiments. With charts, graphs, and a comprehensive bibliography. By the time we land."
A collective groan rippled through the siblings. Reports? Charts? Bibliographies? It was worse than they could have imagined.
"And," Min-seo added, her voice hardening, "I expect all of these… research materials to be disposed of properly. No more lingerie in Joon-ho's closet. No more bra-based armor prototypes cluttering the twins' workspace. And absolutely no more rotting goblin feet fermenting under Ji-hoon's bed. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Mother," they replied in unison, their voices subdued.