Awkward Bulgogi Dinner with Dragons

"Like it?"

An awkward atmosphere hung in the house ─ and then the bulgogi feast was served.

"Tastes good."

"Glad it suits your taste."

"This is delicious..."

Tae-hoon, who had been happily devouring the bulgogi following the flow, suddenly set down his utensils and asked,

"That black dragon... Mir-El, right? She's the one that hatched from the egg?"

"Yeah."

I figured asking how he'd managed to bring another person(?) into the house while raiding a gate would lead to a long story.

"Okay, Mir-El aside, who's this one?"

"This lady is Arka. And who might you be?"

"I'm Kim Tae-hoon...?"

An awkward silence fell, one-sided as it was.

Arka didn't seem to mind my acquaintance showing up; she contentedly ate the bulgogi she'd made herself.

Under Tae-hoon's gaze demanding an explanation, I gave a brief rundown.

He already knew about my abilities, so there was no hesitation in explaining.

"What the fuck...!"

"Hey, no swearing in front of a kid."

"...Hah, you've gone full mom now, huh? Why not just go door-to-door yelling, 'I gave birth to a dragon!'?"

"Should I? A cute, strong, genius kid like our Mir-El deserves to be known to the world. Isn't this a loss for humanity? All rise for the recognition committee."

"Rise my ass. Drop it. Sigh."

As Tae-hoon sighed, Arka handed him some water.

"If you're the lady's friend, you're my friend too. Feel free to call me Arka."

"...Arka. Then let me ask: you came here to... haa, impregnate her or something?"

"Exactly."

Arka nodded without a hint of hesitation.

Why am I the one getting embarrassed?

"So, you're not going to rampage like Raguna or become some evil dragon that harms people?"

"Hmm, there's a slight inaccuracy there."

"Inaccuracy?"

Arka finished chewing the last of her rice and corrected Tae-hoon.

"Raguna didn't 'become' rampaging or an evil dragon. That's just what you call her."

"What does that mean?"

"Do you humans get called villains for stepping on invisible bugs or vermin?"

"...What?"

"Oops, that might cause misunderstanding. Let me rephrase. Hold on."

Arka rolled her eyes as if organizing her thoughts.

"Simply put, our standards differ. Raguna—my sister—had her reasons for trampling you humans. Reasons you mortals couldn't comprehend."

"..."

"Raguna merely chose to trample humans over her circumstances."

"Even if that earned her condemnation from you mortals, it doesn't make her an evil dragon by our standards."

"How dare mere mortals apply your yardstick to the great progeny of gods?"

Her words were utterly arrogant, but since she was a dragon, no one could argue back.

Humans slaughter and eat relatively weaker livestock out of necessity, after all. From a dragon's perspective, it was much the same—killing for need.

"Anyway, that's what I meant. To answer your first question: yes."

"Yes meaning─"

"I have no intention of killing humans or anything. You're the lady's friend, after all."

Arka stated calmly.

"I simply wish to impregnate the lady─"

"Stop saying it!! How many times are you gonna repeat that?!"

Arka's words were cut off by my hand.

"Hmm, the lady is still so shy. Why? Mating for the prosperity of the species isn't shameful."

"...Just drop it. Anyway, this is the dragon. Got it?"

"...No, not really?"

"Then think of her as a dinner guest."

At Yoon's words—no, my words—Tae-hoon reluctantly nodded and finished his meal.

"Anyway, Arka... I don't know much about her, but I'll whip up some decent ID for her."

"Oh? You're more capable than you look."

"...Thanks for the praise."

The first human praised by a dragon... or something like that? If so, wouldn't I have gotten it first?

"And about that training: I'm all for getting it from Han Chae-rin. She's definitely the best in the country at fighting with summons."

"But why do you keep calling the Phoenix Guild Master 'that woman'?"

"...Haa, there's some deep history there."

"What? What?!"

A secret about Tae-hoon I didn't know? I couldn't let that slide! My eyes sparkled ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠as I pressed him, but Tae-hoon clamped his mouth shut.

"What's it to you? Anyway, do the training with Phoenix's guild master, and whenever you go into a gate on your own, tell me first."

"Why should I?"

"I gave you 20 million won. And you spent it all on magic stones? Are you insane?"

"No, you owe me 280 million won. Do the math."

"What bullshit. I gave you 20 million and─"

Seol Yun's words suddenly jogged my memory of that recent incident.

"Settlement: 100 million."

"..."

"200 million?"

"Ah, I'm outta here."

"Yeah, prep 300 million~ Or I'll sue. This is real. Kyaa~ Pervert~~!"

"Fuck! I'm going!"

And with that, the steamy memory sharpened: the pure white naked body in the steam.

Throb─ (Calling me?)

'Fuck' CRASH─!!!

"Hey, you slightly unhinged mentally ill friend!! Why smash your head into a perfectly fine table?!"

"...I don't know. And long excuses don't make it better..."

"Lady, this guy just thought of your─"

"Arka, can ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you read other people's minds?!"

"..."

Tae-hoon desperately clamped Arka's mouth shut, and she rolled her eyes before nodding.

"Fuck..."

"I said no swearing? Mir-El's listening?!"

"Pii?"

"More importantly, what about me?"

"...Just don't ask. Take 300 million or 3 billion, whatever..."

In the chaotic mess, Tae-hoon gave up sorting it out.

"Anyway, starting tomorrow, I'm heading to Phoenix Guild. I mentioned it on the drive over earlier, and it's fine."

"Do whatever..."

Tae-hoon slumped completely, head buried.

Seol Yun watched him intently and poked his head with her finger.

"Why?"

"Hey, lift your head."

"What the hell─"

"Like it?"

"You fucking─"

"Puhahaha! What, turned on?"

Having already caught on from Arka's chatter, I slyly undid a shirt button to flash some cleavage, and Tae-hoon reacted explosively.

Was this guy always so weak to women? Racking my brain, maybe he was...?

"Hey, hey, you serious?"

"Mm, but you're still a no-go."

"What? What's wrong with me!"

"Then you like it?"

"Haa... drop it."

No way I'd fall for a guy I'd grown up with for nearly 10 years. I even knew he had a mole in a private spot—saw it by accident at the sauna.

"Anyway, I'll keep you in the loop so no more worrying like this."

"Do what you want..."

"Why so sulky? Man up."

"You were a man too."

As we bickered, the meal ended.

I saw Tae-hoon off as he left, tapping the driver's window after he got in.

Vrrr─

"What?"

"Hey, you were kinda cool today."

"Huh?"

"Covered in dirt, rushing straight from the gate to check on me. If I were a real girl, I'd be swooning."

"...Shut up. I'm going."

"Yeah, take care."

With Tae-hoon gone and his huge frame vanished, the house felt even bigger.

"Eutcha... Time for a gallery dive after ages~"