Chapter 96

〈Chapter 96〉 Part 1, Chapter 6 (2)

<June 1st, 1 PM, Busan Seomyeon>

I had arrived at the meeting spot. Following the client’s request, I was casually disguised, sitting on a park swing and rocking back and forth.

“Hmph!”

The client revealed themselves. Their appearance in a barathea coat, black sunglasses, and white mask was laughably over-the-top. I stopped swinging and gave the strangely dressed woman, Seok Harang, a sharp look.

“What are you doing? Are you some kind of pervert?”

“Wha- This is a disguise! What about you?! Aren’t you supposed to be…”

I stood up from the swing, subtly smoothing out my skirt that had been pressed by the saddle.

“Don’t you know? It’s obvious – it’s a school uniform.”

“Are you into uniforms or something?”

“Which do you think would attract less suspicion – a creepy guy in a barathea coat entering a cafe, or a lovely 17-year-old high school girl?”

“…Sorry.”

Harang took off the barathea coat. Beneath it, she was wearing gray hoodie and sweatpants as if she’d just popped out for a casual stroll around the neighborhood.

And to top it all off, she was wearing cheap flip-flops.

“Are you serious? You’re going to scout out a cafe looking like THAT?”

“…What’s wrong with this? If I dress up nicely later for a date, isn’t that fine?”

“Where do you plan to seduce Mr. Yu Yuhwa looking like THAT?”

I lunged at Seok Harang and wrapped my arms around her. My hands gripped her back as I spread my magic power throughout my body.

“…”

Seok Harang silently waited for my magical perception to finish. Thankfully, she’s developed a bit of resistance to physical contact with me now.

“So what’s this about?”

“Three sizes check. Hmm, not bad compared to Miss Rusalka…”

“WHAT THE HELL?!”

Seok Harang shoved me off in shock, snorting like an angry wild boar.

“Are you bragging about your size?! I’m bigger than average in Korea too!”

“Ah, can I control this?”

As I adjusted my magic power, my chest deflated noticeably. Seok Harang was struck speechless. I sighed and restored my chest to its original size.

“…Look, this is human form. It’s actually an illusion created by magic power. The true form of a spirit is…”

“Can I grow mine too?! No, wait, can I change my body like that?!”

“Is that your real intention?”

“Whatever!”

There was a determined look in Seok Harang’s eyes. I felt sympathy for her.

“You can’t do that as a human. Only spirits can. You’re half-human, half-spirit, born between humans and spirits. Unless you shed the shackles of your human body… Actually, there is one method…”

Seok Harang perked up her ears, focusing intently. She looked so cute that I couldn’t help but ruffle her hair. Though being shorter, I hovered slightly using my wings.

“If you get pregnant, your chest will grow…”

“DIE!”

Ice spears erupted from below. I stepped back to avoid the surprise attack as Seok Harang, her face bright red, waved her finger angrily.

“You pervert! Is there nowhere you won’t talk about with a virgin?!”

“Oh wow, subtly hinting at your virginity there. Impressive.”

“M-Maybe! Not like I’ve done anything at this age!”

She crossed her arms and turned away proudly. But I already knew all the truths, so I didn’t bother pursuing it further.

Seok Harang is currently a virgin. Born in 2000, specifically until age 26. That’s something I can confidently state under oath of the Phoenix.

“I saw it. Confirmed it myself.”

“W-Wait, why are you staring like that? Heh heh, inexperienced, aren’t you? Just as I thought. Haha.”

But poor Seok Harang continues to act as if she has much experience. Very annoying.

“Miss Yu Yuhwa pretends to be cool but secretly cares about others’ chastity.”

“…”

Seok Harang froze completely.

This must have been the decisive blow. I tried hard not to laugh as I patted Seok Harang’s shoulder.

“I figured out you’re a virgin through magical perception, so stop messing around. Making such jokes could make people angry.”

“….Sexual harassment? Shouldn’t I be the one getting mad here? Really?”

“What? Do you know what we call what you’re wearing? A contraceptive look. Defense rate 99%. At least try dressing up a little, instead of looking like dried fish from childhood.”

Though Seok Harang likes her hanger-like style which doesn’t show much, she still needs clothes matching that style. I placed my hand on Seok Harang’s stomach.

“So let’s change your clothes.”

Her hoodie began trembling with magic power.

* * *

<Seomyeon Cafe, Padre Juan>

“Um, do you have any blankets? This is a bit…”

Seok Harang nervously rubbed her legs while glancing around. There wasn’t a single customer in the cafe, but the owner calmly selected coffee beans.

“It’s early summer. Get used to it. Stop wandering around in hoodies and sweatpants.”

A plain white shirt with black hot pants. Over it, an oversized mint cardigan that showed through thinly. Black sunglasses were placed on her nose to hide her identity, and sneakers combining white and jade colors completed the youthful look.

Among spirits, Seok Harang especially had many skins due to being human. There was even a university freshman concept skin, which I retrieved from memory to transform Seok Harang.

Seok Harang awkwardly fiddled with the outfit, clearly uncomfortable.

“Aren’t the hoodie and sweatpants more convenient…?”

“Considering you’re a public figure, shouldn’t you at least follow basic TPO?”

“The association provides everything anyway. Why should I spend money on expensive clothes?”

My head hurt. Indeed, even in the original Seok Harang route, she was the dried fish type who would stick to the couch with Dongtae, watching movies or dramas at home.

“If Miss Yu Yuhwa sees your wardrobe, she’ll probably flip it over immediately.”

“Well, um…”

“With all the money you’ve saved, hire a personal stylist. Don’t think about corporate sponsorships.”

“…Maybe I should get styling sponsored by Unniya instead of a company? Mr. Yu Sung also does fashion business. It would benefit both me and Unniya.”

Tens of thousands of goosebumps rose across my body, causing a sudden chill.

“Miss Yu Yuhwa would probably like that. Alright, let’s move on to a quiz.”

Ding ding.

The bell rang. Designed in an antique style, the cafe lacked a vibrating bell. I immediately headed to the counter to grab a tray, greeted by the owner Huan’s smile.

“Thank you.”

“Que te vaya bien.”

“We’re in Korea, you know?”

“……Have a good time.”

The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes trembled. I placed the tray directly in front of Harang. With a reddened face, Harang glanced over the beverages.

“I seriously don’t understand. How do people eat this bitter stuff?”

“Don’t you know? For the sake of someone you love, you should adjust to things you dislike too.”

Americano, espresso, cafe latte, cappuccino. Every coffee menu item the cafe offered was neatly arranged on the tray.

I placed the affogato in front of myself.

“Alright, guess which one Miss Yu Yuhwa would like most.”

“Grrr…”

Seok Harang crossed her arms and fell into deep thought. I leisurely scooped ice cream with a teaspoon and popped it into my mouth. Seok Harang lifted the steaming Americano.

“This one?”

“Safe choice, but incorrect. Punishment: drink it all.”

Seok Harang sighed deeply, holding the Americano cup with both hands.

Sizzle, sizzle. Frost formed on the outside of the glass, and the steam disappeared instantly. Seok Harang turned the hot Americano into an iced Americano without ice in a flash.

“But wasting magic power like that… That’s not why we awakened you as a spirit.”

“What? You use it to burn trash too, right?”

“…Point taken.”

Seok Harang drank the Americano in one go like beer, making a face like she’d bitten into a bug.

“Anyway, listen up. Before Seongju arrives, we need to collect as many cubes as possible and awaken all officers as spirits.”

Seok Harang picked up the cappuccino. I shook my head no. Again, the cappuccino froze.

“As soon as Seoul stabilizes and South Korea settles down, I plan to travel overseas immediately. The cubes aren’t only in Korea, after all.”

“What about the spirits?”

Seok Harang gulped down the entire cappuccino. Foam clung to her lips.

I extended my index finger and wiped Seok Harang’s lips. Like a goldfish, Seok Harang blinked before puckering her lips and licking the foam.

Clack. I inserted my finger into her mouth and licked the foam stuck to it. Seok Harang’s face turned red,

Tap!

The mini phoenix on her hairpin pecked Seok Harang’s forehead. Having fulfilled its duty, the mini phoenix trotted back to its perch on Seok Harang’s hairpin.

Regaining consciousness from the pain, Seok Harang revived.

“Did you do that on purpose?! Trying to make me fail the test?!”

“It’s the fault of the person who let their guard down. Anyway, while searching for cubes, we’ll also look for officers.”

I swirled the affogato with a spoon.

“There are two officers whose locations we know. They’ve set up camps where they first awakened.”

“Who are they?”

Seok Harang picked up the cafe latte. It would be easier to drink than the cappuccino.

“Penril of Gale and Chaos Dragon.”

“…I really wonder about this. Who came up with those nicknames? Aren’t they embarrassed? Don’t their limbs feel weird?”

“Yeah, Mom Seoyea’s Rusalka.”

“Hey!!”

Seok Harang screamed. I put down the spoon and loosened my tie. It was getting a bit suffocating.

“To be precise, these are names officially given by the Hero Association to villain organization officers. Or rather, names they ‘will’ give.”

For officers coming from another world, earthly mythical creatures or legendary monsters’ names are attached for similar reasons.

“They weren’t originally walking around in human form like me. All of them once ran amok in monster form. So the esteemed elders of the association named them with reverence for the beasts.”

“The association elders’ tastes are disgustingly old-fashioned. Burning Phoenix… Ah!”

Seok Harang clapped her hands and grinned.

“Hahaha! Isn’t that your golden goose? The phoenix monster that got hit by missiles and sunk in the West Sea!”

“Huh? Wasn’t it a nuclear missile? I don’t remember clearly… Did something like that happen?”

“Hahaha! Look at you pretending not to know! China erased all the data, but I felt you guys fighting in Busan. The battle between Yunwan and you in the West Sea, how could you forget? I was suspicious then…”

“Shut up.”

Bringing up someone else’s dark history. I crushed the ice cream with the spoon to calm my anger.

“Anyway, it’s the association elders’ taste. I have nothing to do with it.”

“Mm, let’s leave it at that. Even though I have a princess title at this age, it’s embarrassing either way.”

“Rather, the nickname Snow Princess feels stranger to me.”

Seok Harang froze mid-lift of the last espresso.

“Has everyone gone crazy… No, this is getting worse. What did those old men do to turn you into Snow Princess?”

“The association elders gather in a back room every day to decide heroes’ and villains’ names.”

Every time an S-rank hero awakens, a hundred-minute discussion starts immediately. I swallowed the remaining affogato and emptied the bowl.

“At least the heroes under the governor are better off. They can receive relatively normal nicknames like Hwakwon or Light Blade.”

“Even the governor has quite the sensitivity. Cutting everything into two characters.”

I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Although Seong Song will join this group and greatly change the future, in the original story, he was one of the elders tormenting the protagonist and heroine.

“When a hero’s rank increases, their nickname gets updated, right? But yours started with Snow Princess, so the association must be quite disappointed.”

“If they keep giving strange nicknames, I’ll overturn the whole association.”

Seok Harang drank the remaining espresso in one gulp. Her face crumpled like a Vajra Yaksha.

“Wh-What is THIS?! Is this something humans drink?!”

“Listen, Miss Snow Moon Flower.”

Seok Harang froze.

“This is Miss Yu Yuhwa’s pleasure in life. And you’re like blueberries.”

“…..Hiiiiing.”

Seok Harang slammed her head onto the table. Hearing her future nickname made her feel even more defeated than when she heard mine.

I signaled to the cafe owner, Huan. Following my instructions, he prepared the affogato in advance, placed it on the table, and left gracefully.

“Do you know what affogato is? It’s ice cream drowned in espresso.”

“…..So what?”

Seok Harang slowly raised her head. There was no heroine who didn’t like sweets. Except for one.

I sucked on the smoothie I had ordered in advance through a straw.

“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. When you love someone, you gradually adjust your preferences too, right?”

“…..Grrr.”

Seok Harang picked up the spoon and stabbed the affogato. She tried to scrape off the espresso clinging to the vanilla ice cream with the spoon, resembling a picky eater.

‘Can I really handle this kid?’

To subdue the officers smoothly, several people would need to gang up on them. Looking at what Seok Harang is doing now, I have little confidence.

Cheon Gaeul, Yuinah, and Seok Harang.

It’s quite pitiful that only the main heroines can reach the minimum threshold to deal damage to interdimensional gods with 100% affinity.

“I miss Yuinah.”

“…..Who’s that again?”

We need a healer.

* * *

<New Seoul, Yu-Sung's Mansion>

“Alright. Got it. Secure the highest quality supplies.”

[Understood, Miss. Rest well.]

Yu Yuhwa lowered the screen and lay down on the sofa. Heo Yoon-hwan held a bottle of tequila, taking a sip before picking up the list on the table.

“Is this the relief goods requested by Seoul?”

“Yes, Father. Some are for the residents of Seoul, and some need to be sent to the Blue Wind Sect immediately.”

Most of the list consisted of food supplies and daily necessities, but furniture items were gradually increasing. The easy-to-assemble furniture wasn’t of great quality, but it indicated that the quality of life for Seoul residents had improved enough to start thinking about housing.

Heo Yoon-hwan scanned through the risks until he noticed a part marked with a large asterisk.

“Phantom request? What’s this? Isn’t Phantom that actress lady? And why only strawberries in the requirements?”

“Because she’s Tentacle Girl.”

Yu Yuhwa pointed out matter-of-factly. Heo Yoon-hwan looked at Yu Yuhwa seriously as if scolding her.

“That’s not because she wants that strawberry, is it? It’s all that garbage’s fault.”

“…Still, seems like Customer Harang cares about her somehow?”

“What?”

Heo Yoon-hwan’s expression disappeared. Yu Yuhwa chuckled and mimicked a phone gesture with her hand.

“Would Harang find a cafe herself? The customer who knows her preferences pretty well must have encouraged her. Hmph, it’s quite novel seeing Harang visiting cafes. Always drinking together with Eun Jae-min otherwise.”

“Is that your preference?”

Heo Yoon-hwan pointed at the cup in Yu Yuhwa’s hand.

“Ah, this? Nope.”

Yu Yuhwa shrugged and looked lovingly at the cup.

“…This is the new menu we’re developing this time.”

In the milk inside the cup Yu Yuhwa was holding, mashed strawberry chunks floated gently.