I took a taxi in front of the café, and it seems I traveled for about 20 minutes.
What surprised me as I got off near my house wasn’t that significant.
It was just that the place where Dayoung lives isn’t too far from the neighborhood I lived in before being summoned to this world.
Ah, I used to have so much fun hanging out with friends, going to PC rooms, and playing basketball on these streets…
What kind of emotions should one normally feel upon encountering familiar neighborhood streets?
Nostalgia? Longing? Happiness?
I don’t know.
It’s hard to define these feelings clearly, and I wonder how I can organize this emotional turmoil to calm myself down.
As I walked down the street following Dayoung, I spotted a convenience store ahead.
The time displayed on my smartphone screen was nearing 10 PM.
I thought it would be good to reset things after stirring them up a bit.
For example… with some alcohol.
But, will that be okay?
In my own house, I may have free thoughts endlessly, but once I’m in someone else’s home, I start creaking like an ungreased machine.
If I say something like this here, will Dayoung accept it?
I hadn’t worried about such things since returning to my hometown after fulfilling my duties as a hero.
“I can’t help it.”
My attitude, which used to be laid-back, turns into a pretentious act of calmness in front of the new hero, Dayoung.
Does our shared experience of saving this world make our relationship feel more horizontal?
Without the superiority that comes with being a hero, I would naturally end up being mindful of how others perceive me.
Ah, I really am a coward.
After pondering for a moment, I shook my head and dismissed my thoughts.
I don’t know. Let’s just go for it.
“Let’s buy some alcohol and snacks and head in.”
I realized for the first time that Dayoung’s eyes, which I usually thought were adorably big, could get even bigger.
So cute.
*
*
*
While logical consistency pursues reasonable processes and outcomes, everything can crumble and be re-established by emotions that capture the heart.
For instance, if someone incredibly good-looking were to ask something, how many people would refuse?
A mere characteristic like looks can take the story in bizarre directions with surprising ease.
First as viewers, then as arrangers, third as saviors, and fourth, for reality gatherings and housewarmings…
The circumstances leading to my entanglement with Sehee weren’t particularly unique…
“The developments are way too fast.”
I felt a sense of impending doom that my insides would be fully gutted.
I hadn’t thought I was so gullible to the point of being a fool, but today has made me realize it.
A logical consistency… exists!
And one more thing….
“Let’s buy some alcohol and snacks and head in.”
Sehee’s unexpected intrusion always packs a punch.
“Are you really planning to drink at our place?”
Dayoung’s eyes widened in shock.
Eventually, she nodded, but it somehow felt like she had regressed into a child following her mother, making her face flush with embarrassment.
Typically, you’d want to steer clear of such behaviors, even with acquaintances, yet here I was, aligning myself with Sehee’s actions that seemed to hint at a party.
Since we’ve interacted so naturally so far while being sober, Dayoung’s face didn’t seem thick-skinned…
If not for the sequence of events in virtual reality and the keyword “hero,” this meeting would never have continued.
“Well, maybe… this is better?”
I thought that human relationships were only truly completed when various elements paint a white canvas; they don’t necessarily establish themselves solely through time.
Even a brief moment, items like alcohol can provide an opportunity to open up to others, just like mixing different colors of paint to create a new shade.
So, I’ll go along with Sehee’s rhythm.
There’s something unusual about the rhythm that leads us naturally toward the convenience store.
At this level of being my own person, I guess I might as well be called a master.
“Shall we go with beer? For snacks, jerky and nuts would be good. How’s that?”
“Ah, yeah…”
“What about this beer? How much can you drink?”
“Beer is fine for me. I can drink as much as I want…”
With a sparkle in her eyes like a kid discovering something new.
It seems that Sehee enjoys even awkward communications with strangers…
“Pee!”
Dayoung, feeling like her emotions were being shortchanged, threw a small tantrum.
Seeing Dayoung act that way, Sehee just smiled sweetly and moved on, making me feel like the bad guy wanting to look away.
Feeling like I was shadowboxing alone, a strange sense of self-loathing seeped in.
So, having bought 8 cans of beer and a variety of snacks from the convenience store, the time was already nearing 10 PM.
“Dayoung, you said your house is around here, right?”
As we walked along the alley, Sehee stopped as if recalling something and asked, to which Dayoung nodded.
“That’s right. If we walk a bit more for about 5 minutes, we’ll be there. Why?”
“Well, since it’s that close, this seems appropriate.”
The expanded row of houses leads to organized alleys, but it was eerily deserted now.
After surveying the surroundings and deciding there was no issue, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.
“Huh?”
Dayoung tilted her head in confusion…
As she did, a glimmering aura of nature quietly flowed from her body.
It wasn’t intense, but an irresistible principle crept in silently.
The aura that grew from her hand quietly spread into this world, constructing a new order.
Dayoung, in shock, tried to say something, but BeBe, who came in like a flash, was quicker.
“Sanctuary transformation, huh?”
At BeBe’s clicking sounds from the bag, Dayoung only nodded silently.
It was hard to agree with such vulgar terms.
Yet, it made me realize that Sehee’s displayed ability was beyond the realm of common sense for Dayoung.
Is that possible on Earth? Wait a moment…
“Thinking about it, that happened in the park as well, right?”
Leaving behind the frozen Dayoung and BeBe, Sehee glanced around with a satisfied expression and spoke.
“Hmm, it’s been a while since I used this, but it’s working fine. Now, let’s hurry.”
“Wait, what did you just do? Why suddenly….”
At Dayoung’s horrified question, Sehee gently smiled.
“Well, I was trying to catch the source of the curse. If it were simple magic, it’d be one thing, but what if there’s an entity implementing that magic? We need to encircle them beforehand to avoid hassle.”
“You don’t mean….”
“Of course not! Do you think I’d thoughtlessly visit Dayoung’s house?”
Internally, Dayoung felt a jolt. Wasn’t I suggesting we just go with no ulterior motive? Really…
“You’re coming to break the curse?”
“Exactly. Like an exorcism as a hero? Well, something like that. To put it simply…”
As she brings her slender fingers to her lips in a shushing gesture, her voice tantalizingly tickles Dayoung’s ears.
“It’s a magic show.”
A magic show, huh…
Considering she’s using that kind of power on Earth, well…
“That’s not wrong.”
Her playful smile and winking expression looked incredibly alluring.
*
*
*
If I were to describe my impression of Dayoung’s home, it was just an ordinary villa house.
Maybe because it resembled the environment I lived in before being summoned to another world, an odd sense of familiarity welcomed me.
Upon entering the house, I immediately felt something in that corner.
“Over there, is that Dayoung’s room?”
“Ah, yes. You found it right away?”
“Well, that’s…”
Seeing Dayoung in such a dazed state, I understand why she wouldn’t notice something like that.
Upon entering the room guided by Dayoung, there was a strong vibe that this place was exclusively for streamers.
The computer setup and the virtual reality device placed on the side rack.
Unlike mine, it seemed too small to be a headgear type, almost insignificant in presence.
The thought of whether such a thing could run virtual reality games made me realize how well-off I was.
Hmm, indeed, money is the best.
I looked around for a moment, then grabbed the back of the chair and pulled hard.
– Creak!
Like the sound made when pulling off the body of an insect, a black object was torn from the space and came along with my hand.
“Uh-oh?”
Is this how “eye twitching” is used?
Dayoung seemed pretty surprised as well. If something like this was in her room, anyone would be shocked…
“What is this…?”
Ah, is it familiar? It seemed Dayoung had an idea about what I was holding.
This isn’t simple magic; naturally, she would understand.
But the next word that came out of her mouth was shocking enough to surprise even me, who was holding the thing.
“Demon King?”
“Eh?”
Why does that name come up here?
And in this situation, the one who was more flustered than either me or Dayoung wasn’t either of us.
“Ugh, what a pain! I’m going to die from frustration!”
Bursting out of my bag with mighty force came a winged frog.
I saw it briefly in the park, but since I hurriedly hid it in my bag due to being outside, this was the first chance to examine it properly.
Noticing my gaze, the frog doll looked at me with keen eyes and waved its hand.
Yeah, I can’t tell if those eyes are shifty or foreboding, but either way, they give off that kind of vibe.
Not quite fitting to be by a hero’s side, it has that kind of impression.
“Nice to meet you, Hero! I’m BeBe.”
Indeed, it spoke as boldly as its eyes suggested.
“You’re a compatriot!”
The frog, introducing itself as BeBe, looked at the object I was holding and clicked its tongue, lamenting.
“Oh my, look at this! Dumb Dayoung here should have taken better care of this mess!”
“Hey, isn’t that clean enough?”
“Clean this? The Demon King got dragged to this world like a mouse; how is that clean?”
Ah, seems like BeBe knows a thing or two.
It appears the hero Dayoung wasn’t very tidy in dealing with the Demon King during the battle.
“See, I suggested to properly hunt the Demon King step by step, but look what happened, you silly!”
“No way, if I did it the conventional way, I’d have to spend at least 5 years there, and I’d probably die for real!”
“Oh, come on, you avoided the core of it in just 2 years?”
“Ugh…!”
– Bang!
Dayoung’s forehead was struck, and BeBe, the frog, thudded to the floor.
Is it dead?
“I’m sorry; he usually isn’t like this, but one thing led to another…”
“It’s fine. He seems to be adapting well to this world.”
“……”
Did Dayoung think I was mocking her?
Nonetheless, seeing her cheeks puffed up like a squirrel storing acorns, there’s something adorably delightful about it.
