078 – Even Straw Sandals Have Their Matches…! # 3
“So, I’m curious if today’s date was fun…!”
It was about time to go to bed.
Inoi was brushing their teeth while asking me various questions.
“Our Nymph sisters love to gossip about other people’s love stories just as much as they love candy made from honey!”
It seemed that Nymphs really enjoyed talking about romance.
Well, it is entertaining to hear about other people’s love lives.
Suddenly, I became curious.
“You said Seo Ye-rim is not a top candidate for a bride. Is there some kind of scoring criteria?”
“Muhuhuh-. Our Nymph sisters have very strict criteria to score candidates for brides…! Core Ye-rim is such an amazing woman that she is not a good match for the owner of the house!”
Not a good match because she is too amazing?
What does that even mean?
I couldn’t understand it at all.
Soon, Inoi added with a grin.
“Even straw sandals have their matches…! But if you were to bring a beautiful glass slipper as a match for a straw sandal, it simply wouldn’t fit!”
“Aha.”
I was quick to understand.
So, my plainness compared to Seo Ye-rim makes it so we wouldn’t be a good match? Therefore, because we’re not compatible, Seo Ye-rim cannot be ranked as a top candidate for a bride in my criteria?
“Indeed, that’s correct…!”
I got it.
Seo Ye-rim was indeed an angel or something like a fairy living in the celestial realm.
And I would probably be akin to a woodcutter.
The chances of us being together were basically zero.
Even if we did end up together, it surely would not last long.
Just like the woodcutter and the celestial maiden, who ultimately couldn’t bear a shabby earthly life and fled.
“A mismatched environment breeds discord and disaster…! My mentor Inoi once told the tale of a shabby shepherd who died trying to court the most beautiful woman!”
Inoi warned.
If people who were mismatched in status were to marry or become partners, they could end up dead.
For a warning from Nymphs, that was rather serious.
“I see. I’ll keep that in mind.”
It was then that I heard.
—Kkungkkung…!
—Kkungkkung…!
The Squirrel Beasts started barking.
In the dark night, I saw a car gliding into the neighborhood from afar.
It was an incredibly quiet car.
“Ahh-! A quiet and environmentally friendly electric car can only be Core Ye-rim’s for sure…!”
As Inoi said, it was Seo Ye-rim’s car.
Hadn’t she gone home?
Why had she come back?
Tap-.
Illinois and Seo Ye-rim got out of the car.
“When that Illinois woke up, the situation was already at its end game…! That Illinois couldn’t even take a look at the suspect’s montage…!”
Illinois was chattering away.
They seemed very excited and a bit out of sorts.
I could tell that something major had transpired.
“So that woman who drew a dagger cut your hair off?”
I looked at Seo Ye-rim.
Seo Ye-rim, who used to have long, beautiful black hair, had once starred in a shampoo or conditioner advertisement, showcasing her luxurious locks.
But now, that hair was all haphazardly cut.
It felt like someone had ruthlessly chopped it off.
“Oh my. I’ve never seen hair theft before.”
Should I be glad she wasn’t injured?
I couldn’t quite believe this situation.
The S Rank Awakened Seo Ye-rim being unilaterally ambushed and having her hair robbed?
Is that even possible?
“That Illinois. We had promised to eat delicious mango bingsu before sleeping today…! Hurry and call a lawyer…!”
Illinois seemed very upset about tonight’s sudden change of plans.
Watching Illinois, Inoi said.
“Tonight, let’s sleep together with Inoi…! I’ll show you the glow-in-the-dark dinosaur I bought with sponsorship money…!”
“Is it a glowing dinosaur…? How interesting!”
Swoosh-.
The Nymphs entered the room and covered themselves with blankets together.
Seo Ye-rim frowned at that scene.
“They suddenly jumped on me! I was going to retaliate, but the magical control was not smooth. I felt like an ordinary person. I couldn’t control my magic.”
Seo Ye-rim mentioned she couldn’t fight back.
So, it seemed that was why a tuft of her hair was chopped off.
Seo Ye-rim trembled.
Soon, she raised her finger.
Flick-.
“It’s still hard to control the flames now.”
“Really? Is it because your hair was cut?”
Manipulation-type ability users tended to be very meticulous.
If there was anything they didn’t like or if they sensed an unpleasant ‘change,’ it would affect their ability’s usage.
It seemed that Seo Ye-rim had experienced slight changes in her ability control after her long hair had been cut.
If it resulted in an uncontrolled fire, that would be a huge problem.
“How long do you think it will take to get your senses back?”
“I need to get it back as soon as possible! It’s annoying that T-rank rifts keep opening! What a complete run of bad luck!”
Seo Ye-rim truly appeared angry.
Should I be relieved that she did not seem intimidated or scared?
She soon sighed deeply.
“Such perverts, right? What could they possibly want with my hair? It’s really disgusting!”
It was only natural to feel upset if someone took your hair. Seo Ye-rim was especially a popular celebrity with many obsessive fans.
But—
I felt a strange familiarity in the act of someone taking her hair.
I had once suffered to obtain a strand of Seo Ye-rim’s hair, hadn’t I?
That was shortly after I had met Inoi.
It might be related.
My instincts were telling me so.
It felt like two ants crawling on my back.
—Squee…!
—Orolong…!
“What’s this? Now that I look, it’s Ahn Ahn and Elizabeth.”
I caught the creatures crawling on my back and placed one into my palm.
The honey ants were quite docile, sitting still on my palm.
Watching this scene, Seo Ye-rim frowned.
“You really live like family with those honey ants and Squirrel Beasts.”
“Of course. They will protect us today.”
“Protect us?”
“Yeah. Seo Ye-rim. You’re going to sleep here tonight. Although this house may seem shabby, it’s actually quite secure. There’s Kkungkkungi, and Ahn Ahn and the honey ant army too.”
Once someone had been attacked, they could be attacked again.
Thus, it was quite a good decision for Seo Ye-rim to take refuge at our house.
Truly, how seasoned an S Rank she was.
# # #
“This Inoi feels good being around so many people…!”
Dressed in pajamas, Inoi was lifting a pillow high in the air.
It seemed that Seo Ye-rim and Illinois decided to spend the night at my house made Inoi happy.
I asked Inoi in a gentle voice.
“So, is there a possibility that the person who cut Seo Ye-rim’s hair is the same witch who cursed me?”
“That’s something this Inoi doesn’t know…! However, Core Ye-rim’s hair is exceedingly valuable as a material for spells…!”
Inoi nodded.
A terrifying witch.
Thinking about how such a being might use Seo Ye-rim’s hair to cast curses on people made me feel a bit concerned.
“Kkungkkungi. Keep a lookout for any suspicious persons approaching.”
—Kkungkkung…!
“And you, Bang Bang.”
—Hioong…!
I assigned patrol areas to the animals living in my house.
Once I confirmed that the CCTV was functioning well, I felt a bit at ease.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt so powerless.”
Swoosh-.
Seo Ye-rim clenched her fist while looking at the CCTV monitor.
Was it a fresh feeling to be ambushed while being treated like a weapon after succeeding as an Awakened?
I said to her.
“Then just sleep for now. I’ll keep watch for the day.”
Tonight, I would be pulling an all-nighter.
Since my stamina was good, staying up for one night wouldn’t be difficult.
I’d easily lose track of time while looking at my phone.
I needed to catch up on all the delayed variety shows.
While I was thinking that, Seo Ye-rim spoke.
“You like me.”
“What?”
I was genuinely taken aback.
I hadn’t heard such a question since childhood.
What kind of nonsensical question was that?
Soon, Seo Ye-rim added.
“No, you’re too nice. You even gifted me milk tea today. I have good instincts, you know? You’re being kind to me because you like me, right?”
Slowly-.
Seo Ye-rim opened her slender eyes.
“I’ve felt it for a long time. You’ve been unusually kind to me. Now that it’s come to this, be honest. You like me, don’t you? Since when? Since a long time ago? Tell me, since we first met?”
Seo Ye-rim’s personality resembled Cash in some ways.
If Cash spoke with a pure sense of expressing what she felt, Seo Ye-rim had an arrogant quality of voicing whatever she wanted.
“It’s all exposed. Trying to hide is pointless. I was going to ignore it, but come on—.”
Swish, swish, swish, swish-.
Seo Ye-rim was vigorously fanning her face with her palm.
I recalled a memory from long ago.
When I was in elementary school, my classmate once said, “Hey! Haildo! You like me! That’s why you keep coming over my desk and stepping on my slippers!”
I had been so flustered and nervous that I blurted out, “No!” and the girl frowned and burst into tears, and all the other girls got angry at me.
—Hey! Why did you make Arum cry! Apologize! If you don’t apologize, I’ll hit you!
—you like Arum, don’t you! Just confess!
This time, I almost responded with an automatic “No!” again.
But I sensed that I couldn’t let that happen, and somehow managed to swallow my words.
I felt like if I said “No!” here, Seo Ye-rim would frown and burn down my house.
Just as I was thinking that, Seo Ye-rim spoke.
“I like you.”
“……!”
I was utterly shocked.
It felt like my heart was about to drop.
Slowly, Seo Ye-rim walked toward me.
She spoke.
“I’ve liked you for a long time. You like me, Seo Ye-rim. And I like you. Isn’t that enough?”
Gulp-.
My heart felt like it was about to explode.
Seo Ye-rim had liked me for a long time?
“Seo Ye-rim, you liked me? Since when?”
“What’s so embarrassing about asking that? Obviously since we first met.”
“When did we first meet? At the fast-food place?”
“Yeah. That was it.”
Swish-.
Seo Ye-rim was coming closer, taking off her socks.
I had no choice but to feel nervous.
And slowly reached for the dagger that was placed on the table.
Swoosh-!
I grabbed the utility dagger and asked.
“Who are you?”
“What kind of question is that? I’m Seo Ye-rim.”
“No. You’re not Seo Ye-rim. You said she’s too busy to think about romance. And saying you like me? That’s something she wouldn’t say either. Besides, where we first met wasn’t at a fast-food place, but at a gukbap restaurant.”
I was convinced that the woman before me was not Seo Ye-rim.
Soon, the girl who wasn’t Seo Ye-rim frowned and smiled slyly.
“Fast on the uptake, huh? Even the animals were deceived.”
Crash-!
The woman with the same face as Seo Ye-rim shattered the window and fled.
I felt a chilling shiver and instinctively shouted.
“Kkungkkungi! After her!”
