Chapter 2: Blind Ju Cheong-ah
A chilling energy crept up Ian's spine from somewhere unseen. Normally, he'd have cursed under his breath about the damn drafty old inn seeping through the cracks again, but this felt different somehow. A primal fear gripped him—that if he didn't open his eyes right now, he might be murdered. Some gut instinct, whether he had it or not, forced his eyelids apart.
"Gasp…."
His entire body was soaked in cold sweat for some reason. His head throbbed, memories fuzzy. And then there was the unfamiliar ceiling overhead. The inn he lived in—no, he didn't have a proper home, but it was in the back alleys for those who weren't total vagrants, just scraping by close to poverty, folks trying to make it to tomorrow… Ah, damn, that sounded too polished. Truth was, it was a dump for broke losers without a roof, just a spot to dodge the rain.
But the ceiling above him now was solid, clean-cut timber, not a single knot or crack—nothing like the rickety wooden planks in his place that could give way any second. How the hell did I end up here? Even blackout drunk, his empty pockets wouldn't let him afford something this pricey. It wasn't some fancy high-end joint, but it sure wasn't shabby either. Just… average, comfortably so.
"Finally awake, are we?"
A familiar woman's voice from the side. Ian turned his head to see a stunning black-haired beauty staring at him with a frosty expression. She wore simple white mourning clothes, kneeling on the floor. The odd part? One eye closed, the other wide open…. But she was so gorgeous it almost looked like a playful wink, stirring a flutter in his chest.
As expected, it was Ju Cheong-ah. What the hell was she doing here? No clue, but he nodded anyway. That icy gaze held a glint of something unmistakable—thick, murderous intent. One wrong move, and he might end up dead. His mind screamed to answer quick.
"Y-yeah. G-good morning, Miss Cheong-ah. Sleep well?"
"No, not really. My lower belly and back are killing me."
"Your… lower belly?"
Why would her lower belly hurt? Bad food? Or maybe… No, he shoved the rude thought aside when she mentioned her back too. No way he'd touch that. Scot-free, my ass.
"From that look, you haven't got a clue, have you?"
"Huh? Uh, well…."
Did something happen? Did she come to wake him and get punched in the gut? Nah, he didn't thrash in his sleep.
"Hey, Miss Cheong-ah. What happened?"
"What happened? You… right now…."
Her tone was worlds away from the friendly name-calling last night. She sighed deeply at his clueless face.
"Hah… fine. It wasn't all your fault anyway. Mine too. But forgetting completely? That's a bit much, don't you think?"
Her eyes welled up. He panicked.
"I-I…."
"Last night, you and I slept together in this room."
"What?"
Ian's face went blank. Slept together? And then—memories flooded back, one by one.
Right after felling the ogre. Covered in blood, Ju Cheong-ah had asked if he was okay. He'd nodded awkwardly.
"I'm fine. You, Miss Cheong-ah? That ogre clipped you…."
"I'm good too. Used to pain. Plus, you took half of it, right?"
"Me?"
She tilted her head at his shock.
"Yeah. This." She pointed to her eye—a glossy black pearl, shining as she thrust it toward him. "You made it so I could see through your eyes, didn't you?"
"Uh…."
Me? Then it hit him: the system windows that had popped up before the ogre smashed him. And half her pain he'd supposedly absorbed—his mind had gone fuzzy, but yeah. After three years of nothing, his ability had activated…!