240 – Nymphs and Chuseok #6
“So, tell us your true purpose for coming here. Just coming to say hello to Korea isn’t a good reason for us either. There must be another important reason.”
Seo Ye-rim said after she gathered the S-Rankers in the apple orchard after the harvest.
Seo Ye-rim thought there had to be a reason why the S-Rankers unexpectedly came to Haildo’s house during Chuseok.
It made sense for several reasons.
Casey spoke up first.
“Of course…! There’s a very important reason…! This year, Korea’s autumn and winter are under a special warning due to unprecedented abnormal temperatures…!”
Casey relayed the information he received from the American Awakened, “Precision Machine – Raul,” to the S-Ranker Seo Ye-rim in Korea.
“Raul is the world’s top mathematician…! His combat ability is low, but his calculations can predict the future accurately! He predicts that Korea will suffer the most significant damage this winter!”
Korea was an ally of the United States.
The United States had a duty to inform Korea of the threat concluded and predicted by the S-Ranker mathematician.
However, Seo Ye-rim couldn’t understand.
“Then you could have just told me or Cha Yura. Why come all the way to talk to Haildo?”
“The reason is… Raul mentioned that Squirrel Beasts and Honey Ants can effectively combat abnormal temperatures…! I don’t know why…! Raul is so crazy…!”
Casey had come to notify of the threat.
Of course, that wasn’t the only reason for visiting Haildo.
He also came because he wanted to see Haildo’s growth.
Swoosh-.
Tsukki stepped forward.
“I came to warn you that I might face a more direct threat. You must know about the villain group called ‘Psycho Shockers’ in Japan. They are targeting Haildo.”
The “Psycho Shockers” were a group made up of Awakened and ordinary people who did not adhere to the Japanese government or the Kanto Alliance.
They were also the main source of various issues within Japan.
A villain group created based on the villains of a certain special effects series.
While some initially mocked their activities, over time, they firmly established themselves as one of the many threats in Japan.
Seo Ye-rim was well aware of this fact and could not understand it at all.
“Why are the Japanese villains targeting Haildo? What does it have to do with them?”
“The A-Rank survival event became quite a topic here in Japan. The scene Haildo showed at the end likely caught the attention of the leaders of Psycho Shockers.”
Swoosh-.
Tsukki’s phone screen displayed Haildo transformed into “Golden Honey Ant Man.” Seeing that, Casey also reacted.
“It was such a powerful sight! I saw it beyond the screen, and it was immensely mystical power! It was amazing Haildo-man!”
“Perhaps they are after this power and its secrets. The Psycho Shockers are a group that seeks to break the boundaries between Awakened and non-Awakened.”
Saying this, Tsukki then looked at Tang So-hae.
Now it was Tang So-hae’s turn to explain the reason for coming to Korea.
Bwooong-.
Tang So-hae held a soft, warm pumpkin honeybee in her arms, which smelled like flowers.
The pumpkin honeybee was as docile as a doll.
“I came to bring Tairrenol to Korea because of ‘Nymph Day,’ as I mentioned earlier. Along the way, I also did some sightseeing and came to see Haildo.”
It was the simplest reason.
Tang So-hae frowned as she retorted.
“What, is that not allowed? If you don’t like it, bring it on! I’ll take you all on! And Seo Ye-rim, why were you at Haildo’s house? Chuseok in Korea is a holiday for family gatherings, right?”
“Me? I…”
All eyes turned to Seo Ye-rim.
They clearly thought she had a significant reason for contacting Haildo.
But Seo Ye-rim came to visit Haildo just to bring him some beef.
While she stuttered “I…” Tsukki cut in.
“It seems like you have an important reason you can’t tell us.”
“Well, something like that.”
Seo Ye-rim nodded appropriately.
There was a moment of silence after that.
An awkward atmosphere in many ways.
The first to speak up was Casey, who rested his hand on the revolver at his waist.
“Since we’re meeting like this, how about we challenge each other for ranks…? Who wants to challenge me, Casey? America is always the title defender! I won’t avoid any challengers!”
Spinning around-.
Casey skillfully twirled the revolver he had pulled out with both hands.
Tsukki shook her head at Casey.
“Stop it. It’s not the time for us to fight amongst ourselves.”
The title match between the S-Rankers.
Unlike the buzz among the public, there was hardly any change in the ranks of the S-Rankers.
The S-Rankers hadn’t fought each other.
Tsukki said.
“According to our intelligence, there is someone among the S-Rankers known as ‘The Witch,’ in cahoots with some humans. As everyone knows, ‘The Witch’ has caused various cracks in the world and influenced the birth of the villain group ‘Psycho Shockers.'”
The S-Rankers were veterans who could call themselves at the peak.
They chose not to act hastily, feeling something amiss with the abruptly progressed struggle for S-Rank.
Seo Ye-rim let out a snort.
“Why are you talking about something so obvious? Everyone and their mother knows that.”
“Y-Yeah. Who doesn’t know that?”
Bzzz-.
Tang So-hae’s honeybees flew about to the left and right.
Tang So-hae had just become an S-Ranker and didn’t know much, but she didn’t want to show that she was clueless.
However, she had something to say about “The Witch.”
After all, she was the one who attempted to summon the poison dragon – Hydra at the Four Heaven’s gateway.
“So you’re saying there’s a villain among the S-Rankers who is in league with the Witch?”
Clap-.
Casey, having tucked the revolver into his holster, clapped his hands.
“That’s right! This S-Rank battle is merely a means to legally weed out the informants! Without this pretext, we wouldn’t even be allowed to fight easily-.”
“Wait, does that mean… there could also be the Witch’s informant among us?”
Tang So-hae looked at Tsukki, Casey, and Seo Ye-rim.
Swoosh-.
She loaded a poison needle into her hand.
It was a potent toxin that could completely paralyze an elephant in 0.5 seconds.
At that moment, Tsukki spread her palms towards Tang So-hae.
“No. Don’t worry. For now, it seems like that’s not something we need to worry about. We have a connection with Haildo. Given this situation, we need to form an alliance.”
What does that mean?
Seo Ye-rim soon explained.
“Haildo is friends with the Nymphs and commands Squirrel Beasts and Honey Ants. I know well from spending time with Illinois, but the Nymphs are good at distinguishing between villains and heroes.”
In other words—
Just having a connection with Haildo, who is close to the Nymphs, meant they could be exonerated from being suspected as informants.
It might sound absurd, but Tang So-hae understood when she thought of the Nymph Tairrenol.
# # #
“Mr. Haildo! Come visit America soon! My brother Bron is very eager to see you!”
Casey said goodbye around lunchtime.
He had to leave immediately as he was busy.
“And Illinois the Nymph…! The White House has invited you!”
They even invited Illinois to the White House.
“Viva Capitalism…! Does my Illinois White House membership get renewed…? Hehe, I will soon step on American soil once again…!”
Illinois was truly a miracle Nymph who could meet the President of the United States.
Illinois’s full name wasn’t Illinois Illi Illinois, but Illinois the Nymph.
“I came as Tairrenol’s protector, so I plan to stay a little longer in Korea. However, I also need to meet Cha Yura, so I’m busy.”
Tang So-hae, being a rookie S-Ranker, would have to leave as well.
Inoi told Tang So-hae.
“Make sure to tell Yura that once you meet her, we must start Nymph Day…! Yura is an honorary Nymph…! She has the right and obligation to participate in Nymph Day…!”
Will Cha Yura also participate in Nymph Day?
It was on a larger scale than expected.
“I plan to stay and participate in the Chuseok holiday. Haildo, you said you were going to do Seongmyo soon, right? I’m also interested in how Koreans honor their ancestors.”
Tsukki said she wanted to spend the holiday with us.
One person like Tsukki…
Anyway.
The day, which had been somewhat chaotic, was somewhat sorted out.
Was it really sorted out?
My mom kept asking me whenever we were alone.
“No, why didn’t you say that such a beautiful girl confessed? I’m talking about Tsukki. I don’t mind if she’s a foreigner…! Other ladies are busy bragging about their grandchildren, and I’m—”
I see.
My mom, who was similar in disposition to me, liked to brag and show off various things. Recently, her friends were all too busy bragging about their grandchildren.
Suddenly being a bad son, I had no choice but to make excuses to my mom.
“No, that Tsukki… her family is tremendous, you see. If I were to accept her confession and date or marry her, I would have to join the family. I would have to live in Japan.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Tsukki’s family is one of the biggest Yakuza families in Japan….”
“Yakuza, like the gangsters…!? Oh my god…!”
My mom, who had lived without much hardship, seemed shocked.
The Yakuza, similar to gangsters.
Was she tense about marrying into such a family in many ways?
“Still, Tsukki seems very polite and nice… Yakuza….”
She seemed troubled.
The confession had been declined long ago.
If asking whether Tsukki still had goodwill towards me, the chances were high that she didn’t.
Swoosh-.
At that moment, Tsukki approached me in the kitchen.
“How does Haildo look? I tried on a Hanbok. I’ve always wanted to try wearing a Hanbok. Do I look good…?”
Tsukki, who had been wearing a male yukata, was now dressed in a flowing female Hanbok.
In a deep red Hanbok mixed with gold, she looked just like a queen from a historical drama, perhaps due to her tall model-like height.
Her face was slightly flushed.
Even though it’s a neighboring country, it seemed she felt a bit embarrassed wearing a foreign traditional outfit.
I told her honestly.
“You look good.”
“Really? And let’s speak informally. You’re older than me, right?”
“Yeah.”
The atmosphere was awkward in many ways.
My mom had quickly left, making it even more so.
I began to wonder if Tsukki still liked me—a feeling reminiscent of when girls used to be nice to me during my adolescence, making me think, “Does she like me?”
“Senior! You’re going to Seongmyo, right? You need to get out quickly! To the yard!”
At that moment, Ari called out to me loudly.
I was startled and ran out to the yard, only to be met with a surprising sight.
Softly, softly—.
Something white and cold began to fall from the sky.
It was snow.
Snow falls during Chuseok…?
“Yikes…! This Inoi was born in summer…! I should have been hibernating before the snow fell…! It’s already snowing, how grotesque this Inoi feels…!”
