How to Steal the Hero's Woman - 306: Yggdrasil (3-15)
"Who's... in the table?"
Han Bom must have let her guard down after hearing Min Hayeon leave, then accidentally shifted under the table and got spotted.
And Gekkosu, reveling in the chaos.
"…."
I didn't panic at Min Hayeon's words and just kept babbling.
"Table? Inside? Who?"
But that wasn't going to fix the fucked situation.
No, my yapping mouth might make it even worse.
Still, I didn't stop.
"What are you talking about all of a sudden…."
"Su-ho."
"Yeah?"
"Shut up."
"…Okay."
Her overwhelming presence crushed me, and I immediately bowed my head.
If Min Hayeon and I fought, simulations said I'd win every time thanks to the skill gap.
But in reality? Instant loss.
My instincts were screaming it.
Min Hayeon slowly approached the table, head still lowered, and let out a low, menacing growl toward it.
"I know you're in there. Come out."
"…."
Screeech... screeech....
As she spoke, faint scraping sounds of wood on the floor leaked from inside the table.
Seemed like they were trying to come out, but the trembling was giving them away more than anything.
The person inside still wouldn't emerge.
'CEO! Major incident! Resolve it ASAP!'
[Nothing I can do right now.]
'Arghhh!'
Why does she always say there's nothing she can do when I ask!
If it was something Armonia could handle, it'd already be fixed.
I grumbled to myself like that, carefully stepping back to avoid getting sliced by Min Hayeon's razor-sharp aura.
"You should come out now."
"…."
Finally, movement stirred inside at her ice-cold, sharpened voice.
From the opposite side of the tablecloth, someone pulled it over their head and slowly emerged.
Min Hayeon ignored the emerging woman and started glaring at me instead.
The moment our eyes met, I launched into excuses.
"Hayeon, it's a misunderstanding. Just hear me out…."
"Misunderstanding? Fine, I'll listen—as much as you want. But first, let's see this woman. How amazing must she be to hide... under... the... table?"
Only then did Min Hayeon whip her long hair around and turn to look at the woman standing across the narrow table.
A bit shorter than her, ponytail, slim build accentuating her figure in a t-shirt and hot pants.
I could tell who it was just from her fingertips—someone I'd seen for ages.
"Bo... Bom?"
"Unni…."
…
…
I rubbed my eyes to clear my blurry vision.
'Hoo... so damn sleepy.'
[At least the worst didn't happen. Lucky us.]
'...What's your idea of the worst?'
[An arrow to the head.]
'….'
Yeah... really lucky.
But with this headache, maybe an arrow to the head would've been less painful.
Once Min Hayeon learned the woman under the table was Han Bom, she stammered and fled to her room.
Ignoring my and Han Bom's attempts to explain, she just bolted.
The mood tanked completely, and Han Bom eventually headed back to her room too.
I'd expected Min Hayeon to flip out and trash the place, but she went quietly.
That silence felt like a ticking time bomb, though….
I rushed to her room to meet her ASAP and knocked.
Knock, knock, knock.
"…."
Just silence.
Maybe sleeping. Or not even there.
Or listening but ignoring me.
I gripped the knob, hesitating, but couldn't turn the cold metal and turned back.
She'd opened my door freely yesterday, so I thought I could too.
But I chickened out.
Scared it might be locked.
'Haa... let's eat first.'
After a few knock attempts, I headed downstairs to find today's dungeon explorers.
And spotted Han Bom right away.
"Mister, sorry…."
"Nothing to be sorry for."
Truth was, I'd invited her to my room with certain expectations.
Min Hayeon's visit and spotting Han Bom were just bad luck.
"Talk to Hayeon yet?"
"No... She's in her room, but no response…."
If she wouldn't even open for Han Bom, that meant she was really hurt.
And that led to my biggest worry.
"But... not sure if she can join exploration today."
"…If not, I'll talk to her again."
Hayeon going was worrying; not going was too.
In this unstable state, even a normal hunting ground could spell disaster.
On the flip side, better to rip the band-aid off early….
As Han Bom and I fretted over Min Hayeon, a commotion stirred outside the inn.
(You rapist bastard!)
(Who're you calling rapist!)
"What the?"
"Dunno?"
We stepped out to check, since we were dungeon vets anyway.
And there….
"You raped her!"
"Hngg…."
"Don't bullshit me! That bitch came onto you!"
"Then what's that on your head?!"
"Fuck! Hey! Speak straight! Tell the truth!"
"Hwaaang…."
A crying woman surrounded by consoling women, facing off against Han Yeoreum.
And on Han Yeoreum's head….
"Uh... Han Bom. That thing spinning over Han Yeoreum's head—isn't just me seeing it, right?"
"Haa... yeah... I see it too."
An orange gem whirling above Han Yeoreum's head.
…
…
With everyone but Min Hayeon gathered for dungeon exploration, we started the meeting.
Topic: simple.
Should we take Han Yeoreum, who'd planned to join us?
But opposition hit over half right away.
"I'm against."
"Me too. Even if she's been a teammate, I don't wanna dungeon with her."
"M-me too... and we're not that close…."
"Mm…."
Even Yang Ji-hyeon looked reluctant—not just the trio.
No matter that she led Red Summoners, no one wanted a total stranger orange summoner—especially one labeled a rapist.
Yang Ji-hyeon frowned and shook her head.
"Even so, taking a summoner warned for rape is…."
Han Yeoreum shrieked at "rape."
"Fuck! That bitch played me!"
"Shut it!"
Even Han Bom's shout didn't stop her vomiting excuses.
"Think about it! Why would I rape a bitch like that?!"
"Haa... then what's that on your head? IQ booster?"
"Th-that's…."
Han Yeoreum just denied blindly—no real explanation.
"J-just no!"
"Call the fairy and ask?"
At "fairy," eyes locked on me, then nods.
"Yeah, might be a misunderstanding."
"Good idea."
Han Yeoreum panicked as others agreed.
"Wh-why call those shits!?"
"Then stay a rapist."
"Fuck! No! Call 'em!"
Easy agreement. I summoned the fairy.
She popped from thin air, bitching immediately.
"What now, morning call? During breakfast!"
"Uh, question."
I asked curtly; got a clear answer.
"Sadly, summoner warnings are never wrong."
Sadly, summoner warnings are never wrong.
"B-bullshit! I never raped!"
"Done it or not, how should I know? That's Yggdrasil's almighty will above your head. No room for doubt!"
She explained confidently, then tilted her head thoughtfully.
"But rape's a straight Red Summoner crime—orange warning suggests otherwise. Maybe too small to count as rape…."
"You fucking bitch!"
"Huh? Why curse! I'm just explaining. Precedent: guy with 4cm got pity-fucked instead, light warning. If you're that size…."
"I'll kill you!"
"Stop!"
Han Bom restrained Han Yeoreum lunging at the fairy, then asked again.
"When does it go away?"
"Can't tell!"
Red Summoner meant out beyond warning.
Orange was still warning-only, same as normals.
Keep minor crimes during warning? Turn Red eventually.
But warning level and duration? Unknown.
"Can't reveal warning stack or clear time."
"B-bullshit! Clear it now!"
"Wanna clear? Behave. I'm back to breakfast—no more calls!"
She vanished; Han Yeoreum fumed, muttering curses.
"Fuck! Fuck! Why me?!"
"Haa... exhausting."
Han Bom couldn't even shush her anymore, glancing at teammates.
One thing clear: Han Yeoreum's orange likely a misunderstanding.
'They sense she's no rapist but won't say it.'
Real crime? She'd be Red, per fairy.
Orange meant it started fine, went south.
Maybe real gold-digger.
'That woman backed off easy when Han Bom persuaded—some consent there.'
Everyone's catching on, but reluctant to accept the truth.
As Armonia said, they knew but struggled to believe.
'People ignore facts they hate.'
No avoiding that whirling orange gem forcing itself into their eyes.
Han Bom, knowing their thoughts, pleaded earnestly.
"Please... I have to bring Oppa."
"H-ha, but…."
"I'm begging."
"Mm…."
Han Bom bowed deeply for her sister.
Han Yeoreum cringed, face twitching, head down in shame.
'Heh... old her would've suicided to reset. Now she's enduring to dig my info.'
Some growth.
'Her growth gives us fun shows.'
As I smirked inwardly at Han Yeoreum, awkward silence fell.
Then someone broke it.
"What's going on?"
"Hayeon!"
"Unni!"
Han Bom and I ditched Han Yeoreum, rushing to Min Hayeon. I checked on her first.
"You okay?"
"Unni, I need to—"
"Not in the mood."
"Uh…."
"…."
Min Hayeon iced us with frosty eyes, silencing us both.
She passed us, then asked the others.
"What happened?"
"Well…."
Yang Ji-hyeon summarized: Han Yeoreum's rape claim, orange summoner, fairy explanation, Han Bom wanting her along, women's reluctance, meeting.
"…Quite the mess?"
"N-no! Min Hayeon! You trust me, right? Why would I touch trash like her?!"
"Quiet."
"Y-you, listen to—"
Han Yeoreum, hoping for an ally in Min Hayeon, deflated at her coldness, emoting sadly.
Min Hayeon coldly eyed Han Yeoreum, Han Bom beside me, then pierced me with unseen iciness.
Then softened, addressing the women.
"I get the unease, but can we let it slide? He's an idiot, but you've seen him these days."
"Idiot?!"
"You, quiet."
"Urk…."
Even Han Yeoreum got Min Hayeon's intent.
She was advocating for her.
"If trouble, I'll take responsibility."
"Still…."
Responsibility after doesn't erase incidents.
Unless regression.
Min Hayeon spoke decisively.
"How about this?"
"What…?"
She explained her safe plan.
They nodded, eyeing Han Yeoreum.
Under all those gazes, she screamed.
"Bullshit! I ain't going like that!"
Min Hayeon stood casually.
"Sorry I'm late. Prep to go?"
"Yeah, I'll shop supplies with the ladies."
"Ji-hyeon, supplies. We'll…."
"I ain't going like that!"
Min Hayeon sighed at fuming Han Yeoreum.
"I'll grab restraints for her."