Chapter 601

〈 Chapter 601: Part 2, Chapter 1, Section 31 〉

“Ahhh…”

Nuri woke up. As always, the ceiling of her room greeted her upon waking, but today it had a strangely unique pattern, as if water had splashed against it…

Snore, snore.

“Geez…”

Next to Nuri lay her identical twin sister, Kim Gaon, sleeping like a baby. And not only that—she was completely naked, embracing Nuri in her sleep without a single thread covering her.

“……”

Nuri checked her own state. Like at birth, she too was in her primal form. As her hazy consciousness began to clear, Nuri covered her face with her hands and muttered under her breath.

“Sex…”

It wasn’t exactly the kind of word you’d expect from a soon-to-be-graduating high school girl, but last night’s wild escapade involving both sisters and one lucky guy definitely fit the description.

“Wow, did it really go THAT far? Insane.”

Nuri remembered how one of them had arched their back during his touch, unleashing a fountain-like spray that left its mark on the ceiling…

“It wasn’t me—it was Kim Gaon.”

Nuri gently lifted Gaon’s arm and got out of bed. The clothes they expected to find scattered across the floor were nowhere to be seen.

“Huh…”

Had someone cleaned up? Did their parents come home because of last night’s ruckus? Nuri felt her heart sink.

‘If Mom finds out about this…’

With their parents away working hard for money, leaving behind an empty house, the two sisters losing their virginity together to some blonde foreigner would surely break their hearts.

“Damn, what do I do? Where are my clothes…?”

Nuri reached into the closet and pulled out some cheap underwear her parents had bought. But this time, she decided to take a risk and picked out a set of lingerie she thought looked cute.

‘And on top, just a T-shirt.’

Unfortunately, Nuri didn’t need a bra—her figure made it unnecessary. She ended up wearing only panties and a white T-shirt as casual indoor attire. There was no need for a shower either.

Puff, puff.

“Ooooh!”

Nuri manipulated the mana flowing through her body like blood, releasing it all over herself. The mysterious energy wiped away any traces of last night’s activities, leaving her feeling refreshed. Opening the window, she aired out the room, dispersing the lingering scent.

“Phew…”

The crisp morning air invigorated her entire body. With renewed determination, Nuri slapped her cheeks lightly and turned around.

“Let’s go!”

Even if her parents were in the living room or waiting to punish her, the person who had given her new life couldn’t be ignored after such a passionate night.

“…I’m twenty now; I can have sex too, right?”

With self-justification ringing in her ears, Nuri opened the door. A warm aroma of soup greeted her nostrils. The rich smell of cream cheese reminded her faintly of something they’d eaten last night—but different, unmistakably food.

“Eh…?”

“You’re awake?”

In the kitchen stood *him*, dressed casually in a shirt and jeans, wearing an apron while cooking. Despite the abundance of instant meals and convenience store ingredients, he managed to create something surprisingly delicious-looking.

“Could you wake up Gaon? We’ll miss breakfast otherwise. Just come straight here when you’re ready.”

“Yes… uh, about last night…”

“Let’s talk after eating. Aren’t you hungry? After all that effort last night…”

“Didn’t you do most of the work, though…?”

He chuckled softly, removing his apron. The dishes laid out on the table weren’t exactly a feast, but paired with a few side dishes from Nuri’s home, it created a heartwarming Western-style breakfast.

“Our parents?”

“They aren’t coming back. If they did, I’d have already run away. Hehe…”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Wait… is it already 7 AM?”

“Winter mornings start late. When spring comes, the sun will rise earlier gradually.”

Sipping his drink, he grinned playfully. Last night’s savage lover now acted like a gentleman in the kitchen.

“……”

If only every day could be like this. Waking up not alone, preparing meals together instead of eating cold leftovers by herself…

Having him beside her would make everything better. Nuri felt her chest tighten as unfamiliar emotions bubbled up inside her.

“Is it arrhythmia?”

“It might just be a temporary effect of your mana awakening. It’ll pass eventually.”

Though he said it casually, those words carried immense meaning for Nuri.

Mana Awakening.

Kim Nuri had awakened her mana. She had become a superhuman. All thanks to *that man*. Thanks to the Commander’s blessing.

“……Not really.”

“What?”

“There is… something.”

Nuri plopped onto the couch.

Their meeting happened because he was the Commander, yet that very fact frustrated her deeply. Someone meant for everyone, impossible to monopolize…

A special existence she wanted but paradoxically couldn’t possess.

‘I want to be special too.’

Smirking lazily as she watched him prepare breakfast, Nuri wondered if there was another way—if she couldn’t have him, perhaps making him hers would suffice.

‘Am I a genius or what?’

Clearing her throat to grab his attention, Nuri blurted out,

“Hey, do you have a girlfriend?”

“Nope, don’t have one.”

“Well then, marry me.”

“Straight to the point without any buildup, huh?”

“Ah! Ahhh…”

Realizing what she’d just said, Nuri quickly covered her face with her hands. She wanted to rush to the bathroom, lock the door, and splash cold water on her burning cheeks.

“It’s just a joke… don’t take it seriously…”

“Marriage… sorry, but that won’t happen. My heart already belongs to someone else.”

“R-right? That’s just a joke. Really, don’t mind it… huff…”

“Wait here a sec? I’ll go wake up Gaon.”

Kim Nuri, age 20.

Her first accidental confession disappeared along with the warm soup and bread into her stomach.

* * *

<Later, at the Office>

“We did it.”

“It’s obvious they did. Both of them.”

As soon as I entered the office, I received glares from both Yuna and Raon. The Gaon-Nuri twins sat guiltily on the sofa despite doing nothing wrong.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Yuna, currently planning to drop out of Hero Academy.”

“Next to be corrupted, Park Raon. Formerly known as Unsah.”

“I am Kim Gaon, previously active as Undine in Rasputin’s Esquire Guild, Matryoshka.”

“And little sister Kim Nuri, turning 20 next week after graduating high school.”

Tsk. I waved off the stares from Yuna and Raon.

“It’s fine since she’s legal, right?”

“We should still consider appearances, don’t you think?”

“Don’t worry. I’m not a criminal. I know my limits. Hmm, let me introduce myself properly.”

Facing my four teammates seated left and right, I gave them my introduction once again.

“The talent of a Commander. The last hope of humanity sent to save this corrupt world. Your guiding light, Xian.w.Hibiscus. Or simply Bai Cheonghua in Korea.”

“Bai Cheonghua?”

“What’s the connection between your original name and this one?”

“White, blue, flower. Just random characters pieced together from my English name. No deep meaning.”

Though technically, it held great significance to me personally. To me, “Cheonghua” was familiar and comforting.

“My reason for coming to Korea is simple. There was Oracle’s final prophecy. And everything I’m about to say is classified information. Can you keep secrets?”

Nods all around.

“…Not everything can be revealed immediately. Once your combat skills reach true S-Rank, we’ll discuss further. Until then, follow me.”

“How dangerous is this mission?”

“Isn’t solving this country’s problems enough?”

“If it were merely about fixing Korea, America could intervene directly. Sorry, but rules are rules. This is my line.”

To uncover the hidden dangers lurking beneath the surface of the world, you must first achieve S-Rank. That’s my condition.

“Follow me until you reach S-Rank. Of course, returning to normal life is also an option. Just promise to keep my secret.”

“If we return to normal life but spread rumors about you being the Commander…”

“Then I misjudged you. But I believe my instincts are correct.”

“I only give myself to trustworthy people.”

“Cough, cough.”

“Shouldn’t men say that line?”

“Trustworthy person…”

“He scores higher in trustworthiness than you.”

Each reacted differently, nodding hesitantly. Thankfully, no one walked out immediately. They shouldn’t have.

‘Of course not. I worked so hard for them.’

Could they truly go back to everyday life without me, their Commander? Even if their powers grew stronger, they’d long for the nights spent together in bed.

“Starting today, we begin our real activities. Now that we have four members, it’s perfect timing.”

“What kind of activity?”

“Idol group.”

“Huh?”

“This is a studio, after all. What better cover allows us to move freely without drawing suspicion from other guilds or the government?”

Snap. I pulled out my plan from Magical Gear. A floating calendar displayed schedules filled with names: Yuna, Raon, Nuri, and Gaon.

“Battle suits are for realistic movie shoots later. Real combat experience helps method acting. Don’t worry about funds—I’ll handle the money.”

No one will suspect anything. If they do, I’ll smooth things over with excuses.

“I’ll manage everything else. But I need one decision from you guys.”

For the first time, I asked for their opinions. Normally, three starting members would suffice, but Gaon added an extra complication.

“Sunday is reserved for Fengyuhuan crafting. That leaves only one spot per weekday…”

“……!!”

They instantly understood what I meant. Sparks flew in their eyes as realization dawned.

“Monday and Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are fixed. So we need to decide who takes Wednesday and Saturday…”

War broke loose.

* * *

“Do you hear me?”

“Speak up, kitty.”

“We’ve located the target. New Seoul, South Korea.”

“Got it, kitty. Deadline?”

“Uh… March 1st, 2025, 2 PM Korean Standard Time?”

“……You’re pushing me too hard, kitty. …Fine, fine. Since it’s Korea, we’ll stick to local time.”

“If you abbreviate dates, I’ll rip off your head. AD 2025. Anno Domini. Got it?”

“Tch.”