Chapter 138

〈 Episode 138 〉 Side Story 3: Hot Spring Trip (6)

When I’m alone, Chang-yeom keeps crying annoyingly next to me.

If I go into the women’s bath, Hikari will definitely bombard me with all sorts of questions.

And if I enter the men’s bath? Hayate would surely report me to the police right away.

In the end, I had no choice but to follow the hot spring owner’s guidance and enter a private bath located in a secluded spot. Thankfully, there was no one else there. I decided it would be better to take out this noisy presence inside me and place it beside me instead.

Plop! A blue bird appeared on the surface of the outdoor hot spring, floating leisurely. Chang-yeom flipped onto her back, surrendering herself to the water flow. Yet, her gaze remained fixed on me.

“Strawberry buffet… strawberry buffet… strawberry buffet…”

“…Fine, I’ll ask Yun Yuhwa to consider it as a business project. Now stop it.”

♪♬♪

Finally satisfied, Chang-yeom submerged herself underwater. With only her neck poking out like a phoenix, I felt the warmth of the hot spring enveloping me.

“Hmph. It’s nice being alone like this.”

“Why don’t you wag your tail at that girl Hikari?”

“…Are you suggesting I go into the women’s bath now?”

Chang-yeom giggled as she came closer to my chest wrapped in a long towel. The towel concealed my body but did nothing to adjust the size of my bust. She squeezed her head between my chest and the towel, poking it out.

“Guess what? My body is truly magnificent.”

“So that’s why people don’t want to touch it. …This feeling is quite strange.”

Even though I’ve been living in Phoenix’s body for a while, I’m still not used to this female form. Despite having let go of many things, having someone flapping around in the valley between my breasts feels incredibly awkward, especially when it’s the original owner of this body.

“I’m going to try ‘that’. So get out of here.”

I grabbed Chang-yeom by the neck and tossed her out from between my breasts. As she tumbled toward the water, she immediately spread her wings and hovered above the water surface, looking rather displeased with her more prominent beak.

“I said I wanted to rest my head on my own chest, so why are you stopping me?”

“…Shut up. Let me concentrate.”

I closed my eyes and focused mana throughout my entire body. Just like how I can freely adjust the size of my bust in human form, this body is essentially a physical manifestation of the mana flowing from the core.

Then, wouldn’t it be possible to transform into a “male form” instead of the default female one? This idea came to me after seeing Rusalka transform into Anastasha.

Gurgle, gurgle.

My bones twisted, muscles expanded. In the warm waters akin to a cradle, I could feel my body gradually stretching and growing larger. Thankfully, Chang-yeom merely watched silently without interfering.

After a short while, I cautiously opened my eyes. My field of vision was much higher than before, and the arm I lifted out of the water was significantly thicker compared to the female form. Gripping my hand and flipping it over, a sense of déjà vu washed over me.

“This feels like transforming monster-type flames into a physical body… Why does my voice sound like this?”

“That’s your current voice.”

I awkwardly touched my throat. Though Chang-yeom claimed it was my voice, it felt strange. After some contemplation, I realized where I’d heard this voice before.

“This is the protagonist’s default voice, isn’t it?”

“Tch. You’re not buying it.”

“Do you remember my voice? Explain immediately.”

Chang-yeom flapped her wings left and right. It reminded me of someone shaking their head, which slightly irritated me.

“One spirit per entity. Don’t you remember?”

“…Just wait a moment.”

I immediately stood up and searched for a mirror. The water surface was too foamy to reflect my face, but fortunately, there was a mirror near the entrance of the outdoor bath. I rushed over to check my appearance.

In the mirror was a handsome young man with blue hair and blue eyes. Pinching my nose, I grimaced.

“Ah, damn it.”

Of course, it was the face of the original protagonist. Chang-yeom had already perched atop my head, sitting cross-legged on my crown.

“Your face, your voice, everything else… To get them back, you need to awaken the spirit.”

“…So until then, I have to live with this face, this body, and this voice? No, that’s not it.”

I grabbed Chang-yeom with both hands and made eye contact. She willingly submitted to my grip.

“In other words, you’re the only one who knows everything about me. My voice, my face, my body… even my name.”

“…W-W-What? That’s how it is! And even if you keep staring like that, I won’t return them!”

“Alright. Living like this isn’t bad either.”

Unless the protagonist’s customized body shape is completely ruined, personally, I think it’s not bad. Honestly, I recall the protagonist’s customizations being far better-looking than mine. It must be true.

I gently released Chang-yeom and adjusted the towel, soaking once again in the private bath.

“With this body, I should be able to pass through the Chinese immigration office. I’ll have to ask Yun Yuhwa to make me a new ID.”

“…And then, will you go around flirting with other women?”

“Your wording is a bit off. Let’s just say it’s for fostering camaraderie among the heroines. Besides, once the protagonist appears, they’ll all fall for him anyway.”

“Fufu… After building rapport for five years, you’re going to get NTR’d by a blonde Western guy, aren’t you?”

I pushed Chang-yeom’s head underwater. She flapped her wings underwater before barely managing to escape.

“What are you doing?!”

“Consider yourself lucky you’re non-corporeal. If I had a Cube, I would’ve turned you corporeal and drowned you instantly. Anyway, you keep wavering. If you’re going to do something, commit fully or differentiate clearly like me.”

“…Tch. Fine. Ah, this is surprisingly difficult.”

Ultimately, Chang-yeom abandoned that peculiar tone of speech. While she maintains that concept with people like Deokbae and Ji Hwa, we’ve agreed to talk casually in our conversations. Chang-yeom soaked her body in the water beside me, only leaving her head above the surface.

“Let’s go dragon hunting on June 13th, and who are you thinking about next?”

“Hmm. When we haven’t even caught the dragon yet, why would I think about that?”

Plans tend to go awry anyway. But Chang-yeom pecked my arm with her beak, urging me to answer. I blocked her beak with my finger.

“Considering attributes, I should go for Penril, and Seok Harang should aim for Hydra first.”

“Hydra? Ah, you mean chaos?”

“Earth Wheel’s Hydra, not that. You shouldn’t call it that.”

“Didn’t someone say the conquest was utterly frustrating?”

I couldn’t respond and tightly shut my eyes. Could she really have read my memories up to that point? It seems Chang-yeom has remembered everything about my playthrough…

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

“No, it’s just…awkward to ask.”

“Ask away. You’ve piqued my curiosity and left it hanging. You can ask anything. So hurry up and speak.”

Having received her approval, I carefully asked Chang-yeom.

“Um… Did you see everything I did with the others?”

“Do what, exactly?”

“Se-”

Poke! Chang-yeom jabbed my forehead with her beak. Feeling my skull pierced, I sensed her turning into flames and re-entering my body.

Hiss. As Chang-yeom settled back into my body, it reverted to the female Phoenix form. Still clutching my throbbing forehead, I submerged myself in the water.

Since coming to this world, it was the most painful attack I’ve ever experienced.

* * *

Lee Tak-hwan, the driver for Hwangshindang, wondered if he’d set the air conditioning incorrectly as he checked the dashboard again. He had clearly turned on the heater, so why did he feel such a cold chill down his spine? Shivering, Tak-hwan glanced around.

The rhythmic tapping of virtual keyboards filled the car. Two women, Cheon Gaeul and Yun Yuhwa, were engaged in an intense online battle despite being seated far apart in the twelve-passenger van. Their sharp exchanges echoed through the vehicle.

[Why are you following us to the inn? Isn’t Yu Sung busy? Is it okay for the group president to play around like this?]

[Hmph. Who do you think booked this inn?]

[Even if you hadn’t, we would’ve found accommodations ourselves. Stop acting like you paid for it out of your pocket. It’s Phoenix’s money anyway.]

[Who was the one shopping like crazy at the department store with that money?]

Between the two women exchanging barbs via network, the others remained silent, hoping to reach their destination quickly. Only Ha-rang sat awkwardly next to Shin, bowing her head in greeting.

“Uh… Hello? Are you also going to the hot springs?”

“Yes.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Though unsure if she knew him, Ha-rang subtly revealed her face. However, Shin didn’t even glance at her, instead turning his gaze toward the window. Unaware of Ha-rang’s nervousness about being discovered, Shin inadvertently responded curtly.

“Uh… Are you here with someone?”

“Yes.”

“…Ah, yes.”

Embarrassed, Ha-rang scratched her head. Trying to identify the person beside her wearing sunglasses, she asked,

“Are these two lovers?”

“No, ….”

“…Wow.”

Ha-rang clapped her hands together and grinned mischievously. Realizing his mistake, Shin squeezed his eyes shut in regret.

“Have a good time. Hehe.”

“…Thank you.”

Smiling happily, Ha-rang shifted her attention away from Shin. Having resolved her curiosity about the fellow travelers staying at the same inn, Ha-rang’s mind drifted to thoughts of Phoenix, whose figure she had never seen but could gauge through frequent skin contact. Her face flushed red.

“Men’s bath? Women’s bath? No, maybe my sister was mistaken. There’s always a minimum standard of decency, after all.”

Removing her hairpins and placing them on her palm, Ha-rang continued sending messages without pause. However, perhaps having dropped her badge somewhere, Phoenix didn’t respond at all. According to Yoo-ha, this meant she was likely in the bath or had at least taken off her shirt.

Snap! Slapping her cheeks to clear her inappropriate thoughts, Ha-rang refocused. Meanwhile, the keyboard battles between Cheon Gaeul and Yun Yuhwa persisted uninterrupted.

[How dare you mess with someone else’s kid. Calling you reckless was spot on, wasn’t it?]

[What did I do? Fufu…]

“You…?”

Caught off guard by her own slip, everyone except Yun Yuhwa in the passenger seat turned to look at Gaeul. Tak-hwan, who was driving, briefly glanced at her through the rearview mirror. Clearing her throat, Gaeul covered her screen.

“There’s a troublemaker on the community forums. I’m giving them some education, so please bear with it.”

[What did you do?]

[Nothing. Fufu…]

Gaeul furrowed her brow. She was definitely up to something. Lowering her keyboard, she leaned toward Ha-rang, who was pulling her hair in frustration in the front seat.

“Hello, are you <Snow Princess>?”

“…Huh? Oh, yes. It’s nice to meet you.”

While bowing politely, Ha-rang gave Gaeul a puzzled look. She seemed familiar from somewhere. Quickly reading Ha-rang’s expression, Gaeul pointed to Yoo-ha in the passenger seat.

“What’s your relationship with Miss Yun Yuhwa? You two seem to travel together often. Are you perhaps her future sister-in-law… or something?”

Ha-rang waved her hands in denial while laughing. Although Yoo-ha didn’t turn her head, she was desperately trying to send telepathic messages to Ha-rang through the rearview mirror.

“Oh, ahaha. No, nothing like that. We’re just close sisters. She came down to Busan this time, so we’re going to the hot springs together.”

“Ah, really? Then you’ll be sharing a room?”

“No, we decided to have separate rooms. Sister, what were our room numbers again?”

“…202 and 204.”

Upon hearing Yoo-ha’s response, Gaeul’s face went pale. Forcing an awkward smile, she tried to calm the hidden tentacles flaring up inside her. Startled, Ha-rang looked around.

“Huh? Where’s that strange energy coming from?”

“……It’s probably a mistake.”

Ji Hwa, who had remained silent, dismissed it and gave Gaeul a meaningful look. Clenching her fists, Gaeul struggled to maintain her smile.

“Aha, whatever it is, I’m glad to be traveling with an SS-rank individual.”

“Hehe, no, I’m the one who’s happy to be traveling with such a beautiful lady…”

As Ha-rang scanned Gaeul from top to bottom, her breath caught in her throat. Leaning forward from the backseat, Gaeul’s imposing presence became evident. Defeated, Ha-rang subtly averted her gaze.

“…I’m extremely glad to be traveling with you. Haha… ha…”

At her mechanical laughter, Gaeul tilted her head in confusion. Furious about her ally being defeated in one blow, Yoo-ha gritted her teeth and delivered a devastating counterattack.

[Customer, aren’t you staying in room 203? (Laugh)]

A chilling frost swept through the car. Silence reigned once more. Trembling, Tak-hwan pressed harder on the accelerator.

* * *

“Looks like you arrived earlier than expected. What a coincidence that we’re all here together.”

Phoenix greeted them at the entrance, her hair already dried.

Gaeul rejoiced internally, Yoo-ha tried to hide her disappointment, and Ha-rang sighed in relief. Shin cleared his throat discreetly, glancing around before asking,

“Hem, Miss Cheongnyeon, did you enter the hot springs alone?”

“What does that matter?”

“…Never mind, it’s nothing.”

“It wasn’t just me. Since we’re all gathered here, let’s introduce ourselves.”

With quick steps, Phoenix disappeared inside. Ji Hwa hastily grabbed his luggage and bolted to his room before any atomic explosion occurred.

“Hey! Who did you go in with?!”

“I specifically told you to stop me! Owner, this is a breach of contract!”

“Sir, I didn’t go into the men’s bath! Please believe me!”

Shin stroked his chin and shook his head disapprovingly.

Eventually, Phoenix explained that she had entered the hot springs with Mini Phoenix, and thanks to Ha Sun-tae’s testimony, managed to survive the ordeal.

“Damn mouthy brat.”

Phoenix was extremely aggrieved.