Chapter 553

〈 Episode 553 〉 [Lesbian Side Story] Chang-yeom and Phoenix 007

To my astonishment, I had never once been interrogated by the police.

I’d helped or cooperated with police investigations before, but I’d never actually been grilled. In my past life, I was merely a virtuous civilian A, and even in this reincarnation, I was just an ordinary Hunter P.

“Just tell me. What’s your purpose in Korea?”

So it felt strange when some detective slammed his hand on the desk and shouted at me.

If I weren’t Phoenix, if I weren’t a Hunter, I might have been grabbed by the hair and slammed forehead-first onto the desk. The investigator glared at me with an overwhelmingly authoritative attitude.

“I don’t want to talk to you; call someone higher up.”

I confidently demanded my rights. Though I wasn’t technically a Hero, the International Hunter Organization still existed, so surely Hunters had rights too?

You could accidentally land in another country during a raid, or get stranded after fighting a Dark Legion officer and drift ashore via ocean currents. It wasn’t like I willingly swam across the sea! Most of the time, if you’re crushed into the sea near Siberia, you end up landing on the East Coast. History has already proven this—didn’t a Rusalka once wash up in Sokcho?

“Shut up! You’re clearly one of those red bastards! Tell me, which unit are you from?!”

“I’m from a South Korean Special Forces unit.”

“What?! Are you mocking me?! Recite your military creed!”

“Eeeerrr aaaahh uuuu eeeeaaa…”

“…Is that really right?”

The detectives’ expressions grew increasingly awkward. They still thought I was a spy from the North, but all I wanted was for word of “the blue-haired female Special Ability user” to reach someone higher up who could understand me.

“This is ridiculous treatment.”

Even as an American Hunter ranked S+, a beauty renowned worldwide, how could they not recognize me? If you type “Pi” into the Hero Wiki, I’m the first result that pops up.

“Hey, do you know Phoenix?”

“That seems to confirm she’s genuinely Korean.”

“Pull yourself together. She could’ve learned Korean.”

Currently, I was proving my loyalty to this country by turning off my Magical Gear auto-translate function and speaking directly.

I wanted to show I harbored no ill feelings toward Korea, but it only seemed to backfire.

“A highly trained cyber warrior…!”

“No, just search me!”

“Your hair must be dyed! And your face—probably surgically altered by plastic surgeons abducted from Gangnam! Ugh, these filthy North Koreans. Now they’ve even become Monsters pretending to be humans…!”

“Do you usually believe in conspiracy theories? Like the idea of tunnels running throughout South Korea?”

At my words, the detective flicked his finger and nodded.

“Yes! Tunnels! Those northern Monsters are always lurking, waiting for their chance to invade the south!”

“You’re overreacting.”

How did he figure that out?

“Surely, using some special method beyond human knowledge, they’ve deceived the radar! You’re a spy sent here to uncover it! Right?!”

“Well, your delusions are top-notch, but unfortunately, your time is up.”

Clap.

As soon as I clapped my hands, black-suited agents appeared and seized the detective.

“What?! Let go of me! I—”

“It’s BH’s orders.”

When the agents showed something to the detective, he left in shock. I waved at the agents entering the room.

“We can finally have a proper conversation now.”

“…Miss Phoenix.”

The two ‘female’ agents sitting in front of me bowed seriously.

“Please forgive the rudeness of the detective. If you wish, we can dismiss him.”

“Dismissal? I’m not that stingy person over such trivial matters.”

It’s just that I detest being alone in a confined space with a man. His cigarette smoke and instant coffee breath were unpleasant.

‘Finally, I can breathe.’

The man interrogating me left, replaced by women.

This meant that ‘me’ as an entity was finally recognized from above. It took about three hours from the initial discovery, but this was relatively good timing.

“Who would’ve imagined a Hunter boarding a flight to Japan would drift ashore in Sokcho?”

“What…is the background of your drifting here?”

“Magic Power depletion.”

During my drift to Sokcho, I farmed by hunting Monsters deep in the sea.

“Unconsciousness due to excessive Magic Power usage…indeed. Understood. We’ll inform America accordingly.”

“But…perhaps…”

Another Hero asked me cautiously, almost timidly, like approaching a Hollywood star.

“Are you going to Tokyo?”

“Huh? Why?”

“That flight to Japan…”

“Oh, that…”

For this moment, I prepared my ultimate move. With a reassuring smile, I calmed the worried looks of the two women.

“I was planning to transit. Turns out I ended up in Korea, so all right?”

“…”

“My city didn’t have direct flights to Gimhae, so I planned to go through Japan. Here’s my ticket.”

I pulled out a hastily prepared business-class ticket. As expected, it was registered under the name Phoenix, destined for Japan, with another route mapped afterward.

From Japan to Korea.

“You weren’t originally planning to go to Japan, were you?”

“Huh? Why would I?”

“Then…why are you here in Korea?”

“Ah…”

I revealed the single phrase I’d prepared in my heart.

“There are so many Monsters up north, so I thought I’d come earn some Cores.”

What’s the problem with a Hunter coming to make money?

* * *

Phoenix Drifts to Korea!

News spread worldwide that Phoenix, attacked by the Dark Legion, had drifted all the way to the East Sea.

Suddenly thrust into protecting Phoenix, the Korean Hero Association found itself in a very awkward situation.

“What do we do?”

“I don’t know! Isn’t the Foreign Minister supposed to deal with situations like this?”

“She’s busy handling calls from the US Foreign Ministry!”

“What about the Deputy Minister?!”

“She just booked tickets to Seoul!”

“Damn…”

A senior officer of the Hero Association was on the verge of tears.

“Is it true? Was Phoenix originally planning to come to Korea?”

“Yes. Everyone missed it because the flight reservations and timelines didn’t match. She probably intended to stay in Japan for two days before heading straight to Korea.”

“This is insane…”

K-K scratched his head while reading the report on Phoenix—pulled from the Hero Wiki.

“Is she really a lesbian?”

“I don’t know. At least there’s no sexual scandal, but it’s true she prefers women over men. Didn’t you see how she disliked dealing with men until the women arrived?”

“That guy deserved it. Damn, this is maddening. Is there any woman in our country Phoenix might like? Should we invite an idol?”

“Are you crazy? That’ll just lead to rumors of sexual exploitation and ruin the association’s reputation.”

“So what do we do? There’s no one appealing enough to invite!”

In a country steeped in Confucian values and conservative sexual norms, Korea was practically the weakest player in the Great Phoenix Recruitment War.

-She says she’s not a lesbian, so why keep sending her women? Just leave her alone.

-But…don’t you want to see Phoenix kiss another female Hero?

-Let’s stop at the kissing part and leave her alone after that!

Even in the sexually open US, there were people uncomfortable with trying to pair Phoenix with other women, so how much worse would it be in the so-called Eastern Land of Courtesy?

“Damn it. Find something quickly. There must be some positive factor that made Phoenix learn Korean and come here, right?”

“There’s nothing. No matter how hard we dig, all we find is her liking women and strawberries!”

“Damn it! Wasn’t there some Korean restaurant she visited in America?!”

“If there was, the media would’ve already hyped it up: ‘The Bibimbap Phoenix Loves!’ Or was it ‘Bobbimbap?’”

“Shut up with your disgusting nonsense and bring me something decent!”

Ping!

K-K received a call on his Magical Gear from the two women assigned to accompany Phoenix.

“What is it?!”

[Uh, um, Chief, you said she’s from Gangneung, right? Do you know any good Sundae Soup places in Gangneung?]

“Hey! You went on a mission, not to eat Sundae Soup!!”

[…Phoenix-sama wants to eat Sundae Soup…]

“…She looks like she’s built for pasta salads and steak slices.”

K-K scratched his cheek and spoke.

“As long as it’s not Yu-sung Sundae Soup, anywhere will do.”

Later.

The world captured photos of the beautiful blue-haired woman mixing kkochugi broth into her rice soup.