Chapter 47 ….
What the.
The moment I opened the door and saw Jin Yeon-hee, my brain short-circuited for a second.
Why is she here? Is this a dream? That could be it. Maybe even Ye Ji-ram being in my room was a dream.
Yeah, it didn’t make sense from the start.
Nodding to myself, I quietly tried to close the door—
Thud.
“……”
“……”
Jin Yeon-hee grabbed the closing door and stopped it.
“Why are you closing it?”
“I just… did it without thinking?”
“……”
“……”
What is this, seriously? I can’t make sense of it. Just as my brain was refusing to work—
“Huh? Who is it? Oh my?”
Ye Ji-ram’s eyes widened when she saw Jin Yeon-hee.
“Well, if it isn’t our Miss Brain Spirit. What brings you here?”
At Ye Ji-ram’s teasing tone—chewing on a chicken wing—Jin Yeon-hee’s nose wrinkled.
“…I have business here.”
“With who? Me?”
“No.”
“Figured. After all, this is our baby’s house.”
“…Our baby?”
Jin Yeon-hee looked back at me.
Her expression clearly asked: What is that weird nickname?
“…It’s a nickname I don’t know either.”
It’s not like I wanted to hear it. Even so, I didn’t really have anything to say.
“Um… anyway. You said you have business with me?”
“……”
Jin Yeon-hee nodded.
“…Then, uh—do you want to come in first?”
“Okay.”
At my words, Jin Yeon-hee entered without hesitation.
And just like that, a completely random gathering began.
* * *
Three people filled the table.
There was one chicken, and thankfully there were more cans of beer.
As the awkward silence dragged on, Ye Ji-ram fortunately spoke first.
“I didn’t expect to see Miss Brain Spirit like this. Long time no see?”
“Yes. It has been a while.”
Jin Yeon-hee nodded at the greeting. It seemed the two had met before.
“This is the first time we’ve properly met since that commercial shoot, right? Has it been about six months?”
“…That’s right.”
A commercial.
‘Ah, I know what she means.’
Something clicked in my head. I remembered seeing Ye Ji-ram and Jin Yeon-hee in a cosmetics commercial on TV.
“By the way, what brings you here? Showing up at a man’s house this late at night.”
“……”
At that, Jin Yeon-hee shot Ye Ji-ram a strange look—basically saying you’re one to talk.
“Well, me? That kind of image doesn’t hurt me.”
“……”
Her self-awareness was frighteningly perfect. She clearly knew exactly what kind of wild image she had.
Then, pointing a chicken bone at Jin Yeon-hee, she added—
“But you’re not like that. Aren’t you pushing a mysterious and pure image? Is this really okay?”
Mysterious and pure?
That was… unexpected wording.
At Ye Ji-ram’s jab, Jin Yeon-hee’s eyes flickered.
“…I just came because I had business.”
“So that business is urgent enough to come at this hour?”
“…I had my reasons. More importantly, what brings you here at this hour, Ms. Ji-ram?”
“I’m different.”
Ye Ji-ram smirked.
“We’re overflowing with both internal and external closeness.”
“What does that even mean?”
This time I cut in. Since when were we like that?
At my words, Ye Ji-ram made a strangely hurt face.
“What’s with that look? Baby, we’re close.”
“…We are?”
“We crossed the line of death together. Of course we’re close. No?”
Did going to the dungeon together once make us that close?
I was thoroughly bewildered.
“Putting internal closeness aside—what’s external closeness?”
“Well, come on. We rubbed bodies in the gate, ate chicken together, drank beer together—that’s what it is.”
“That’s so Ji-ram of you.”
“What was that, punk?”
“Ah—came out without thinking…”
I quickly shut my mouth. Seeing that, Ye Ji-ram turned to Jin Yeon-hee.
“See? I told you we’re close.”
“……”
“So if you don’t have anything important to say, Miss Yeon-hee, maybe come back later?”
“I told you, I do have business here.”
“Really? Then say it.”
When Ye Ji-ram leaned in like she was ready to listen, Jin Yeon-hee bit her lip and answered:
“…I can’t say it if you’re here.”
“Oh my. Really?”
Ye Ji-ram beamed.
“Then you’ll have to say it later. I already had plans tonight. Head out and come back tomorrow. He’s mine today.”
She pointed at me.
I immediately made a disgusted face.
“According to who? I belong to myself.”
“Ah, can’t you play along a little? You’ve got no flexibility. No wonder you’re unpopular.”
“……”
Why stab me right where it hurts?
“Oh, sorry. You really aren’t popular?”
“Please leave.”
“Hey, hey. I should at least finish eating before I go.”
She burst out laughing.
“Ah, this is fun. So, are you two close?”
“Us?”
“You came because you’re close, right?”
Close with Jin Yeon-hee…
Well.
‘Doesn’t feel like it.’
Maybe with Kyung-beom, but it had been years since I’d had a real conversation with Jin Yeon-hee.
Back then maybe—but now we were just acquaintances.
Which made it even stranger that she came looking for me.
“Not close? Why? Aren’t you and Yeon-hee close with Yujin?”
Jin Yeon-hee flinched when Yujin’s name came up.
“…Why is that person being mentioned here?”
There was clear irritation in her voice.
“You three seemed to know each other. No? Baby, you know Yujin, right?”
“…It’s not like I don’t. But Ms. Ji-ram, you know Yujin too?”
“We’re… not exactly strangers.”
Her tone sounded suspiciously like a lie, but there was no real reason for the Black Night Witch and Yujin to be close.
“Hm. From the vibe, is Yujin getting bullied or something?”
“Bullied…?”
“Be careful. If you bully a monster like that, you might all get sliced up later.”
“As if anyone would be that crazy.”
Who would ostracize an SS-rank? Yujin was undeniably Korea’s strongest.
“Well, if not, then whatever. Not important.”
Gulp.
After finishing the remaining beer in one shot, Ye Ji-ram stood up.
“I’ve had my fun, so I’ll get going. Stay any longer and I might turn into fried chicken.”
“You’re leaving? Didn’t you say you had something to say?”
“I do, but… not today, I think. Why? Want me to stay?”
“Please go safely.”
“You really aren’t cute at all…?”
Clicking her tongue, Ye Ji-ram moved.
“Alright then. Have a good time~”
She left through the door.
And just like that, Ye Ji-ram—who only came to eat chicken and drink beer—disappeared.
“……”
“……”
An incredibly awkward silence filled the room.
* * *
Bang.
After the door closed, Ye Ji-ram grinned at it.
‘How amusing.’
It was the thought she had when she saw Jin Yeon-hee.
‘That famous Brain Spirit, of all people.’
To think she’d show emotions that obviously. When they first met, Ye Ji-ram thought she was made of ice.
‘Do those two have something going on?’
It almost looked like kids having their youth drama—but not quite.
One look at Lee Jin-woo’s face told her enough.
That interesting kid was pretty easy to read.
‘Maybe I should’ve asked before leaving.’
She had come for her own reason… but then Jin Yeon-hee showed up.
‘And this thing keeps poking me from outside—I can’t do anything.’
The sensation constantly scratching at her neck made it impossible to stay.
“Ugh.”
Ye Ji-ram hopped onto the railing and leapt.
Fwoosh.
Her cloak suddenly spread behind her as she glided, quickly landing in a nearby park not far from the officetel.
Crackle, crackle.
The streetlights flickered. The area was deserted, the air cold.
Standing there, Ye Ji-ram scanned her surroundings and said:
“Things were just getting fun—why call me out?”
Someone responded.
“What are you doing?”
The chilly voice came from the trees to her left.
Turning her gaze, she saw someone leaning against one.
“Doing what? I was making friends.”
“Friends?”
From the shadows, a young man slowly stepped out.
It was Yujin.
Korea’s only SS-rank superhuman.
Unlike his widely known gentle and warm personality, his eyes were cold—and there was a cigarette in his mouth.
Completely different from the rumors.
But to Ye Ji-ram, this was the version she knew best.
“You’re not the type to be making friends with those kids.”
“Why not? I could. You always tease me for being old—”
Sss—
Something brushed her neck.
Ye Ji-ram raised a hand slightly.
“You really have a short temper. Keep that up and it’ll bite you later, you know?”
“Cut the nonsense and answer properly.”
With a chilling gaze, Yujin asked:
“Jin Yeon-hee went into that place, right?”
“Ah.”
Only then did Ye Ji-ram realize why this was happening.
“So that’s what our dear Yujin is unhappy about.”
She barely held back her smile. If she let it slip, there was no telling how that scary guy would react.
“But why ask me? You already saw, didn’t you?”
If he wanted, he could sense everything in this area.
So why ask—
“Ah, right.”
He couldn’t.
‘Because Irene is there.’
A monster above even Yujin.
With her inside, Yujin couldn’t interfere.
“So that’s why you called me?”
“Why did Jin Yeon-hee go there?”
Ignoring her words, Yujin pressed again.
It annoyed her, but Ye Ji-ram had no choice.
That damned curse was always troublesome.
“How would I know? She just said she had something to say.”
“Something to say? What?”
“Didn’t you hear me? I said I don’t know.”
“……”
“If you’re that curious, go ask yourself. You’re friends with those kids too, right? …Or maybe not?”
Black-polished fingertips brushed Ye Ji-ram’s cheek.
“You two might be—but not you, maybe?”
Splatter—!
Blood suddenly sprayed across her cheek.
“Seriously.”
Wiping the blood, Ye Ji-ram narrowed her eyes.
“Such a filthy temper. I was just teasing.”
After lightly cleaning the wound, she continued:
“If you’re curious, go find out yourself. Standing here won’t get anything out of me.”
Yujin looked thoughtful for a moment.
“…Useless.”
He muttered irritably and turned, disappearing.
The strange pressure in the air vanished.
[■ The Seed of the Curse calms down.]
A system window appeared before Ye Ji-ram.
Only then did she release the breath she’d been holding.
“Whew.”
What a mess she was in.
Getting tangled up with that brat—what a nuisance.
“And because of that…”
She should have gotten the contribution reward after coaxing out the informant.
“…Martial God, that bastard.”
That unknown Martial God ruined everything.
She bit her lip in resentment.
‘Just let me see you.’
If she could, she would definitely make him suffer—
no matter what it took.
* * *
“Achoo!”
My nose tickled and I sneezed.
Why all of a sudden?
‘Is someone talking behind my back?’
I wiped my nose with a tissue, cleared my throat, and focused back on the person in front of me.
“So…”
Jin Yeon-hee stood there.
I looked at her and asked again—
because I honestly couldn’t believe what I’d just heard.
“…You’re telling me—”
I stared at her.
“—you want me to go to Gwangju with you?”
“Yeah.”
Jin Yeon-hee nodded.
…Gwangju?
What is this supposed to mean all of a sudden?
