More Women Aren't Always a Good Thing!
"Little missy, you're here again today?"
"You're little too... but you always call me little."
"I'm little, but you're a tiny missy. There's a clear difference! And I'll grow up fast after sleeping just ten more nights?!"
"I'll grow up fast too after sleeping ten nights!"
"Sure, sure~ When that happens, I won't call you little anymore."
"Yeah... Call me by my name."
"Haha, got it. Then you gotta call me oppa too?"
"Hehe... Okay. Shin oppa..."
"Calling me that again? My name's Si-hyun."
I rustled awake. "Ah... it was a dream..."
A girl buried under her blankets barely managed to sit up.
She was Emilia, the young genius working as the chief researcher at the American guild, Eternal Guardians.
Rubbing her eyes with small hands, she stared blankly toward the sunlight streaming in. The morning rays illuminated her bright, beautiful light green hair, announcing the arrival of day.
"Shin oppa dream... It's been a while."
Faint dark circles lingered around her coral eyes from fatigue, but they didn't detract from the beautiful girl's looks. If anything, they added a decadent allure.
"Gotta get up..."
As the girl rose from bed, her thin nightgown—barely draped over her—slid down along the curve of her ample chest. It seemed ready to slip off at the slightest touch, threatening to reveal the girl's secret allure that would shake any man's heart.
"Oppa seems to like big chests..."
On the shuttle bus, every time her arm brushed her chest, oppas lips twitched. She felt a bit embarrassed, but since he seemed to like it, the girl thought it was a relief.
"People were right... Guys like that stuff..."
Recently, Emilia had posted on a popular community site to learn dramatic reunion methods or how to seduce a guy she was reuniting with after ages—ever since learning Si-hyun worked at Dawn's Light.
A genius beyond compare in research, but utterly clueless about romance with no one to ask, she had no choice but to turn to the internet.
At first, not knowing what 'subtle chest rub' meant, Emilia even searched it up to study. And when she finally reunited with Si-hyun, she used the community's techniques, and the results were satisfying enough.
Tap tap.
"Now that I've met oppa and chatted a bit, I should ask what to do next..."
Emilia logged back into the gallery to ask about the next steps.
Emilia planned her approach to Si-hyun using the community's advice again. But there was one problem.
"I... can't smile. What do I do...?"
Flopped on the bed, she practiced a slight smile in the mirror, but her reflection only showed an awkward expression—her lips wouldn't even budge.
"Why won't it work...?"
The girl used to express emotions well, even more richly than most. A normal girl who cried, laughed, and got angry like anyone else. But after the Day of Beginnings when ghost stories became real, her expressions strangely stopped, reaching the point where she couldn't anymore.
She felt emotions but couldn't show them—a bizarre state. Desperate to know why, she even joined a renowned guild as a researcher, but the cause remained unknown.
"Still, I'll practice... If oppa sees my smile, he might remember our childhood..."
And if he remembers, he'll surely hold my hand and stroke my hair like back then. He'll remember the promise we made as kids.
"Shin oppa cherished me so much... He'll do it. Today when we meet... I'll suggest going out together."
Emilia nodded slightly, muttering to herself.
She styled her hair in her usual way, threw on a white coat that fully enveloped her small frame, and hurried to get ready for work.
"Fighting today too..."
She tossed a word of encouragement to her mirror self and headed out.
On the way to work, hoping to bump into him, she walked to guild HQ with her usual blank face. Her steps were steady as always, but her heart began to thump quietly. Because she'd soon see her longed-for oppa.
"No, they told me to go on an errand so I rushed out... why am I the one holding a welcome picket at the airport?"
I let out a small sigh at the absurd situation and looked around.
Fans waiting for 'someone's' return crowded beside me, and a few media outlets stood by with cameras.
"She was famous even before the long dispatch... but her overseas exploits made her a full celeb now."
The one me and this crowd awaited was Han Ga-eun, the sole daughter of Dawn's Light's master. Today was her return from a long dispatch, so someone had to greet her.
"If you pick up Ga-eun today, you can leave early from the airport. Me and the wife are swamped."
The uncle tempted me with early dismissal, so I couldn't refuse.
"A working man's dream is early quit, early quit."
Muttering to myself while holding the picket—
Click! Click!
"She's here! Han Ga-eun!"
"Kyaaah! Unnie take me!"
"Han Ga-eun! Heard your ghost story clears overseas were top-notch—does that mean your awakener rank rises now? A word please!"
Flashes popped everywhere, shutters clicking rapidly. The crowd swarmed one girl, busy with photos and interviews.
"Ga-eun really is famous. Makes sense—she's a hero who saved tons from ghost stories."
Pale pink hair and glowing sunset eyes under camera lights. Tall, slender build with assertive chest and hips. She was one of the next-gen heroes, perfect in skill and looks.
"Ah, her personality's a bit prickly thou—grk!"
She tackled me!
"Oppa~ You came to pick me up? So touched! Hehe."
"Yeah, long time no see... but surrounded by people, how'd you get here so fast?"
"Hehe, flew straight when I saw you."
Ga-eun rubbed her face on my chest nonstop, grinning—clearly thrilled to see me after so long.
The girls around me are all cat-like one way or another.
"Oppa, let's go somewhere else first. Too many people, annoying."
"You must be tired. How's it feel being so popular?"
"Not fun! Guys keep hitting on me when I don't care..."
"Get a boyfriend and problem solved. Why not?"
"Dunno... dummy!!"
"Anyway, pickup done so I'm off. Got stuff to do."
I figured she'd get mad if I left right away, but instead Ga-eun grinned playfully and hugged tighter.
"Oppa know what? Dad promising you early off was so you'd hang with me all day. Hehe."
"What."
"Fr. Bet there's a message."
I hurriedly checked my smartphone messages.
This muscle pig uncle... dared trick me?
"No wonder he avoided my eyes when dangling early quit. Hitting me from behind like this?"
Just you wait. Next time I'll tattle to his wife about how he keeps bullying me!
"So! Oppa you're my day servant today!"
"Sigh, so what do you wanna do?"
If you can't avoid it, enjoy it. I decided to satisfy Ga-eun quick and head home.
"Hehe, oppa! Wanna go amusement park. To Everland!"
"Amusement park?"
"Yeah! We went as kids but never as adults~ Let's go~!"
Ga-eun grabbed my hand and bolted to the parking lot.
But amusement park? I thought just food and shopping, not this.
Problem was, today for mengmang-grade ghost story guardian observation, a little researcher girl was stuck to me.
"Ga-eun, going's fine but actually there's one more in my car—"
Beep!
Ignoring me, Ga-eun opened the door, and
"Shin oppa... you're here?"
Emilia, primly in the passenger seat fiddling with a Rubik's cube, stared alternately at Ga-eun and me.
"O-O-Oppa... who's this girl...? Why's she in your car, passenger seat?!"
Explaining Emilia meant starting from Leah's story. Too long?
As I hesitated on where to begin, Emilia hopped out lightly and trotted to me.
"Emilia?"
"Shin oppa, you're with me all day today... who's this flowerhead chick...?"
Flowerhead? Emilia, you got a sharp tongue huh?
"What? Flowerheaaaad?! This brat talking smack to me?!"
"Not brat. Emilia."
"Oppa! Explain now. Who is she?! D-Did you bring another girl home while I was gone?!!"
Ga-eun demanding explanations with a man-eating glare, Emilia casually gripping my hand with her blank face.
Sandwiched between the two girls, I felt like I was getting punished for sure. Married to Luna yet cheek-kissed Leah yesterday!
"Shin oppa... you're with me today... right...?"
"Oppa... first day back and you start like this...???"
Please, girls, I'm seriously gonna hurl!