Just Look at the Breasts, Problem Solved
"Just look at the breasts first, and it'll be solved." "The last third person is none other than Yoon Si-hyun—you."
Victoria pointed at Si-hyun while immediately scrutinizing his reaction.
Yoon Si-hyun, I'm curious what kind of reaction you'll show.
Humans aren't machines. No matter how hard you try to hide it, certain tells always slip out. From big things like gestures or posture to small ones like eye twitches or breathing. An ordinary person can never perfectly conceal their physical reactions.
You'll be the same. There has to be some change. Show it to me.
Victoria was a woman with genius-level insight. Hiding anything from her eyes was impossible.
But.
Si-hyun showed no noticeable change even after hearing he was the last suspect. Utterly natural.
His eyes haven't shifted, and there's no unnatural behavior anywhere. But I can't rule out a connection yet. That swordsmanship he showed back then was too similar to Phantom's... no, it was Phantom itself.
That breathtaking downward slash Si-hyun had demonstrated in the training hall.
Honestly, it was identical to Phantom's. They overlapped perfectly.
Victoria had heard from Master Do-jin that Si-hyun possessed a genius-level instinct for the sword. But in her eyes, that technique was a bit too much to brush off simply as "genius."
"The reasons I suspect you of being connected to Phantom are mainly two. One is the Phantom-like swordsmanship you showed me. And there's another. You said you talked with Elissa about Phantom, right?"
Si-hyun suddenly recalled a few days before the Eclipse incident, when he'd casually chatted with Elissa over coffee.
"I think it was that day when Elissa suggested we grab a light lunch and talk. But why bring that up?"
At Si-hyun's question, Elissa straightened her posture while holding Victoria and replied.
"Si-hyun, you told me back then that I have a special ability, right? I can sensitively read emotional fluctuations or changes, and even discern what emotions someone is feeling in real-time."
"So that's why you said it was surprising that my emotions barely fluctuated?"
"Yes. Of course, this is just one part of my ghost story ability. It's secondary, but pretty useful, huh? Hehe."
Elissa covered her mouth lightly with a smile before continuing.
"Right after I arrived on dispatch, I chatted with various guild members about Phantom and read their emotions. They were all pretty similar. Negative feelings like fear, anxiety, wariness. Or the complete opposite—reverence or faith."
Phantom was a ghost story that saved people in extreme situations. Since an overwhelmingly powerful ghost story had rescued them, people's emotions toward Phantom tended to polarize to extremes.
"But there was only one person. A regular guy, no less, whose reaction was unique. No fear, no reverence—just total non-reaction. Your emotions were like a still lake, completely unchanged. Honestly, I thought I misread at first... but even after checking multiple times, it was the same."
"So that's why we put you on the list as the last person potentially linked to Phantom. Someone with zero interest in Phantom, yet mimics his swordsmanship after seeing it once? It stands out."
Si-hyun listened quietly to the two women, maintaining his calm demeanor.
Victoria found his attitude intriguing.
Amazing. Even after being named a suspect, he's this serene? I figured he'd react somehow since there's no real connection, but this level of calm? Is it because he's good with a sword?
The foundation of the sword is a peaceful mind. One who can't control their own heart has no right to wield one. Victoria was impressed by how well Si-hyun managed his emotions, befitting his sword skill.
"And for those we judge highly suspicious, beyond MDM detection, there'll be one-on-one interviews with Elissa."
Elissa excelled at reading others' emotions. Acting in a way that didn't match one's emotions in front of her was proof of hiding something.
Victoria wondered what Si-hyun's emotions were like, given he showed no outward change.
"So, Elissa—mind explaining Si-hyun's emotional shifts so far, right here?"
Elissa had been reading the emotions emanating from Si-hyun.
"Si-hyun is... truly remarkable. From start to finish, his emotions haven't changed at all. Like a serene lake, or an enlightened monk—perfectly tranquil."
"I had a hunch, but yeah, this guy's not connected to Phantom either... One last question. What emotion is Si-hyun feeling right now?"
Elissa met Si-hyun's eyes briefly before slowly opening her mouth.
"Serenity... mixed with happiness. It's been a while since I've felt emotions this uplifting from someone... Si-hyun has an incredibly pure heart."
At that moment, the owner of that incredibly pure heart, Si-hyun, had his mind filled with one thought.
Elissa's boobs are seriously huge. Hehe.
What are breasts?
Is it what emerges when you rip open that white blouse? Some fool might say breasts are just lumps of fat with no meaning.
Snap out of it!!
Si-hyun could never agree with that. To him, breasts were truth itself. He believed a woman's breasts contained everything—from worldly affairs to the entire universe.
It's not for nothing they say staring at big boobs extends your lifespan.
"Bigger is better" doesn't just apply to monitors.
You might wonder why the sudden breast talk out of nowhere, but this was all part of Si-hyun's meticulous plan.
From the moment Elissa mentioned her ability, Si-hyun had fixed his gaze on her chest.
From this instant, I'm a boob man—seeing only boobs, thinking only boobs.
Humans can't think two things at once. If he lied or reacted oddly when Victoria named him as Phantom-related, it'd be obvious to Elissa, the walking lie detector.
So what if I empty my mind from the start and think nothing at all?
To clear his head, Si-hyun decided to openly stare at Elissa's tantalizing breasts, which were stealing his attention anyway.
A man with breasts in front of him turns idiot, no matter how smart.
Clear mind + eye candy? Double win! Let's go!
And the plan worked brilliantly.
Victoria dropped all suspicion the moment Elissa confirmed no emotional change.
"Elissa, one final check. Si-hyun's emotions are the same as at the start?"
"Yes. He's maintaining a very serene, tranquil state. No special reaction to the word 'Phantom', either. Like last time, Si-hyun is just... so upright and fun. Hehe."
"Hmm~ What's this from you? Actually praising someone. You always say men make you uncomfortable. Si-hyun's okay, huh?"
"With Si-hyun... I always sense that calm ripple, so yeah, he's easy to be around."
Ever since gaining her emotion-reading ability, Elissa found dealing with men uncomfortable. Their conversations always leaked lecherous, desire-filled emotions.
But Si-hyun... his emotions are always like gentle waves. It fascinated me, so I ended up talking to him more without realizing.
Of course, Si-hyun had desires too—maybe more than average guys. But they didn't show because he's a total virgin loner. As the saying goes, "The one who's eaten the meat knows best." He bottled up his urges deep inside without knowing how to express them, so Elissa couldn't detect any from him.
Oblivious to that fact, Elissa smiled lightly and looked at Victoria in her arms.
"Sis, has your view of Si-hyun changed a bit?"
"He was basically a forced addition since almost no one links to Phantom. No circumstantial evidence, let alone hard proof."
"Congrats, Si-hyun. Looks like my sister has mostly cleared you."
Hearing that, Si-hyun inwardly sighed in relief.
Then why'd she point at me all detective-like at first? I was scared shitless!
When Victoria first named him, his heart nearly dropped. He thought he'd been caught for real.
My shamelessness shines again! Do I have a talent for this?
Si-hyun smirked smugly and crossed his arms.
"So, can I head out for dinner then? Feels like I don't need to stay here 24/7."
"Sadly, no. Master Do-jin said the lockdown gates won't open for 24 hours. We're all stuck here for the day."
"Sigh... Why'd that uncle make it so unnecessarily hardcore?"
Listening quietly, Elissa grew curious why Si-hyun was so desperate to get home.
"Si-hyun, is it because of your little sister home alone?"
"Yeah. She's still young... and I promised I'd be back early today. If I break it, the world won't end, but she'll be really sad."
Actually, mere sadness would be preferable.
If it ended with tears, I'd grovel and beg to make up... but it never stops there.
Luna instinctively hated being apart from him even when she had no emotions. Now that she's learning them bit by bit, if he vanished for a whole day without a word...?
Chilling.
This could trigger a bad ending—right in front of my eyes!
Si-hyun wasn't in a position to nitpick now.
I gotta try everything possible right now!
In the master room at the top floor of the guild.
Han Do-jin, who ran Dawn's Light, was utterly baffled by Si-hyun's sudden intrusion and words.
Do-jin pinched his brow with two fingers and stared at Si-hyun.
"Maybe I'm so tired from this morning that I'm hearing nonsense. Explain from the start, slowly."
"Sigh, I'm dying here from urgency, but fine—one more time, so focus, uncle!"
Si-hyun straightened his disheveled clothes from rushing up and began explaining.
"Uncle, civilians can't enter the guild, right? And guilds can't just keep civilians around."
"Obviously. Non-staff civilians aren't allowed here—shouldn't be."
At Do-jin's words, Si-hyun pulled a paper from his pocket and placed it on the desk.
"What's this?"
"My resignation. From this moment, I'm a civilian non-staff, so kick me out quick!"
Si-hyun had decided to quit the guild to get back to Luna today.