270 – Seo Ye-rim Experiences Common Life # 1
Having transitioned from being in a position to pay rent to living in my own home was significant.
The familiar scenery looked unusually fresh.
The creaky sound of the old gate was somehow endearing.
“This Inoi has purchased land in the name of the Nymph sisters…! Clearly, no nymph has ever owned land…!”
Inoi stood in the yard, raising both arms high up.
Could having land in one’s own name make someone this joyful?
“This Inoi might be able to build a structure on this land and evolve into a building nymph…! A building nymph would definitely be a very powerful nymph…!”
“Then it’s time for the nymph dance…!”
Dum-chit dum-chit.
The nymphs began to dance.
Even Kalilnoi, who usually refrained from nymph dances, came down from the rooftop to join the nymphs in their dum-chit dum-chit dance.
“Phew, phew…!”
“Mmm, this muddy water nymph Morales is a nymph with combined earth and water attributes…! She has the ability to enhance soil quality…! The nymph sisters’ community is no joke, but they do like the land…!”
Pat-!
Before I knew it, Morales had entered the yard.
Morales was digging up the soil with her hands.
“Nymph digging, go wild!”
Pah-suk, pah-suk-!
She was literally digging into the ground.
It was said that this would improve soil quality, which was indeed impressive.
“Senior, I heard you bought a house? Congratulations. Am I the first guest for your housewarming party?”
Ari appeared behind Morales.
Word about my house purchase had already spread.
“If Seo Ye-rim had properly taken care of her business, you wouldn’t have needed to go through such trouble. Truly, there’s no bigger fool than one who can’t even fulfill her role.”
Suru-ru.
Yu Ara looked at Seo Ye-rim with narrow eyes.
Seo Ye-rim, who was standing in the yard with crossed arms, flared up.
“What’s that? Who are you calling a fool?”
“I’m talking about you. You became an S-ranker but are too careless to take care of your own body and caused trouble for so many people by getting ambushed? You almost left your senior homeless!”
Zzit, zzit-.
The gazes of Yu Ara and Seo Ye-rim met in the air, sparking a collision.
These two were still not getting along.
“You decided to stay at your senior’s house, right? How about coming to our house instead? We have a spare room too. Wouldn’t it be better for girls to live together?”
Yu Ara had bought a house in Primal Village.
It was a renovated and repaired abandoned house.
She had done an excellent job hammering, wallpapering, and plastering all by herself.
I had heard there were spare rooms, so it seemed she was trying to invite Seo Ye-rim there.
“What are you talking about? I already got permission from Haildo to stay over. Haildo’s house has a lot of Squirrel Beasts and Honey Ants, so it’s practically a safe house.”
That’s true.
Our house is safe.
However, living with Yu Ara, who is an S-ranker, also seems pretty safe.
Of course, it seemed Seo Ye-rim didn’t know about Ara being an S-ranker…
“More importantly, Ara, it’s good you came. Can you check on Seo Ye-rim’s condition? She lost her shadow. There’s no shadow beneath her feet right now. Is there any problem with her health?”
Seo Ye-rim didn’t have a shadow beneath her feet right now.
Gumihee had stolen Seo Ye-rim’s shadow.
I wondered if that was even physically possible, but it seemed to have actually happened.
“Since this is your request, I’ll have a look. Hey. Give me your wrist.”
Yu Ara placed her fingers on Seo Ye-rim’s wrist.
Ara, being the owner of “Super Sensation,” could derive various physical information just by placing a finger on someone’s wrist.
For example, what they ate for breakfast or when they last went to the bathroom, etc.
“Your condition is good.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I don’t think you need to worry too much, senior. I’m not just saying this casually; your condition has improved significantly compared to before. Although, the amount of mana has decreased.”
Can someone’s condition improve after losing their abilities and shadow?
Except for a little decrease in mana, Seo Ye-rim’s condition seemed to still be at a level they could call an S-ranker.
There was just a lack of an ‘attack method.’
At that moment, Illinois nodded.
“I had a vague thought, but it seems to be true…! This Illinois is a very good nymph who made all kinds of potions for Core’s physical improvement…! But no matter how much I think about it, Core Ye-rim’s constitution seemed a bit unique…!”
Illinois had said he made all kinds of potions and cosmetics for Core Ye-rim to become Core Prime.
However, strangely, it hadn’t worked well on Seo Ye-rim.
“I was thinking maybe Core Ye-rim doesn’t have fire attributes… now looking at the situation, that might be true…!”
So, Seo Ye-rim’s primary mana attribute is not fire?
Is that possible?
Seo Ye-rim is the fire witch.
Then, Inoi added a comment.
“This Inoi also thought it was strange that Core Ye-rim could open and close the mysterious void pouch…! The void pouch is a high-level magical technique that can only be handled by outstanding witches…! Perhaps Core Ye-rim is not a fire witch but just a witch…!”
So, Seo Ye-rim is not a fire witch but just a witch?
Even after spending a long time with the nymphs, there were still parts of their discussions that I found difficult to understand.
However, Seo Ye-rim seemed to have grasped something as she looked intently at her tightly clenched fist.
“So what you’re saying is that my power isn’t limited to flames? Now that I think about it, Gumihee did mention something that caught my attention. I thought it was a bluff to shake my spirit.”
# # #
“What? Lunch is ramen again?”
Seo Ye-rim frowned.
For the past few days of living together, my meals had always been ramen.
“I can’t help it. I spent all the money I saved to buy this house. For the time being, I have to live as frugally as possible.”
Though I said that, today’s ramen was somewhat luxurious.
I had thrown in green onions and enoki mushrooms!
Thanks to the vegetables that the village elders had brought over.
Just this would change the flavor of the broth, you know?
“So delicious…! Ramen with lots of mushrooms and green onions…! Truly the taste of nature itself…!”
Nymphs loved their vegetables and greens.
Could it be because they were nature fairies?
I guess there’s a bit of an image that fairies only eat vegetables and grass, right?
“But why is there no meat? There are animals playing in nature and the fields, aren’t there? It’s been days since I’ve only eaten grass…!”
Of course, the nymphs liked meat too.
Now that I think about it, they just seemed to like tasty food.
With a sigh, Seo Ye-rim said.
“I can’t take this anymore. I’ll make dinner today. I’m sick of ramen. Eating it every day seems like it will create a nutritional imbalance.”
No, it probably wouldn’t create a nutritional imbalance.
Since I was boiling it with green onions, mushrooms, and other things.
Time passed like that, and in the evening, I quickly took care of an A-rank rift with Kkungkkungi and returned home to a delicious smell.
Bubble, bubble-.
It was something aromatic.
“Is it gamjatang?”
I caught sight of Seo Ye-rim in the kitchen, wearing an apron and boiling gamjatang in a large pot.
The gamjatang was warm and tasted absolutely wonderful.
The meat was cooked perfectly.
“This Inoi can’t eat anymore because my belly is so full…! I didn’t know Core Ye-rim could cook this well…!”
“Of course…! This Illinois also honestly thought that Core Ye-rim was a pampered princess who would give up after just one day of common life and whine like a baby…!”
I was quite surprised as well.
It had already been four days.
Seo Ye-rim had perfectly adapted to common life.
In my mind, Seo Ye-rim was wondering, “Commoners don’t eat beef for dinner every day? How is that possible?”
“What’s that supposed to mean? One can live just fine without depending on anything.”
Is that so?
Now that I think about it, Seo Ye-rim liked to eat gukbap at the training center.
It brings back memories.
“I sense an unpleasant smell of grotesque past reminiscing…!”
“This Inoi sensed it too…!”
The nymphs were very perceptive.
I, trying to shake off the past memories and ease the awkward feelings, told the nymphs.
“Since I subdued the rift today, I’ll get some money tomorrow. Let’s order sweet and sour pork for dinner.”
“This Inoi prefers crispy sweet and sour pork…!”
“Also order fried dumplings…!”
The nymphs were very pleased.
Could they really be that happy over just one delivery of sweet and sour pork?
After living in poverty for a few days, it seems the nymphs’ hearts became simpler.
However, Seo Ye-rim frowned.
“Why are you trying to order? Give me the money. I’ll make it for you. Cooking it is much cheaper, right? To save money, we should reduce takeout.”
“Seo Ye-rim, you know how to make sweet and sour pork too?”
“No. But it’s all over MTube videos, right? It’s impressive. MTube has all sorts of things. The world has certainly become convenient.”
The next evening.
I found beautifully prepared sweet and sour pork on the table.
Crispy, warm, and deliciously savory with a tangy sauce; it was absolutely delightful.
Kkungkkungi…!
After tasting a piece of sweet and sour pork, Kkungkkungi seemed excited, jumping all around as if in a great mood. It was quite a spectacle.
Feeling that way, after finishing dinner, Seo Ye-rim even washed the dishes.
Zzzi…!
Ahn Ahn mentioned that lately, Seo Ye-rim had been doing the laundry and cleaning on her own, leaving Ahn Ahn with little to do.
Had she started to think that as someone who rents, she should at least do something?
I hadn’t told her to do anything or demanded rent since I was also someone living off of her place.
Swooosh-.
Seo Ye-rim, wiping her hands on her apron, said,
“You guys, if you’ve eaten, you need to brush your teeth.”
Seo Ye-rim made Illinois and Inoi brush their teeth.
“Today was very enjoyable…! I hope Core Ye-rim makes me food every day…! I wish we could live together every day…!”
“I completely agree…! Living together is very joyful…! Then let’s promise to meet again tomorrow, and good night…!”
The nymphs, having eaten delicious food today, seemed to be in high spirits, dozing off the moment it hit 10 PM.
At 11 PM.
It was the time when only the horned owls hooted.
When the house became a bit quiet, Seo Ye-rim took out two very cold cans of beer from the fridge, handed one to me, and opened one for herself.
Gulp, gulp.
Having chugged the cold beer, Seo Ye-rim grimaced and spat out the chilled foam.
I felt like I was witnessing a well-shot beer commercial.
“Good, good. I’m saying this myself, but I’m so perfect as a housewife that it gives me chills. Don’t you think I could be the number one bride? Right?”
That’s true, but hearing her boast like that myself felt somewhat annoying.
Soon, Seo Ye-rim sat on the sofa, stroking Kkungkkungi, who had fallen asleep on her lap.
“I’ve been thinking lately, but living like this isn’t bad at all. I think I’ve lived too fiercely until now. Maybe this suits my aptitude better.”
“A housewife?”
Seo Ye-rim was prickly and meticulous, but she also had a surprisingly homely and simple side, making it likely that she could become a good mom or a good wife.
“Now that it’s like this, should I just get married? Haildo, what do you think? I feel like I could choose any man and get married at this point.”
“Well, um…”
The thought of Seo Ye-rim becoming someone’s wife or mother seemed strange.
If she had married some mundane third-generation chaebol as per Seo Sang-yong’s desire, would she still have lived happily and normally?
“Well…”
Thinking about it now, I realized that I didn’t find the image of Seo Ye-rim leading an ordinary housewife’s life to be very appealing.
Simply imagining it made me feel an unpleasant twinge in my heart like a stain had been left there.
I felt a bit of an ache in my chest.
Since this was my first experience of such feelings, I wondered why I felt this way. In the end, I reached a conclusion.
Wasn’t it that I didn’t want to see Seo Ye-rim living an ordinary life?
After all, Seo Ye-rim was my goal and endpoint as an S-ranker. Since my aspiration felt stagnant, I felt as if I was halted as well. Surely, that must be it.
“Seo Ye-rim, I think you looked the coolest when you were a career woman rather than a housewife.”
“…Ah, really?”
Seo Ye-rim seemed like she wanted to say something more, but she downed her beer, brushed her teeth, and then headed to her room.
