Ulleungdo, the Island of Miracles and Patriotism (3)
The sudden phone call left me honestly flustered. Why was this woman calling me at this hour? Wasn't it almost 10 p.m.? We were supposed to be in a meeting about the devil doppelganger and Dokkaebi that showed up today—why call me?
[Where are you right now?]
"Pardon?"
[Can we meet up now?]
Her voice was husky. I immediately got what a woman calling this late at night to meet up meant, but unfortunately, physics weren't on my side—I couldn't get anywhere near her.
"Well... this might sound a bit off, but I'm not on Sejong Island right now."
[Pardon?]
"I'm on Ulleungdo."
[.......]
Baek Seolhui fell silent. Even though I hadn't done anything wrong, I felt like I had. Honestly, I had messed up. When a woman calls late at night with a depressed tone, telling her you're in a spot she can't reach in under an hour is a guy's failure. Especially since she wasn't married, didn't have a boyfriend, and was a single live-alone type (or so I assumed).
I didn't know exactly why she'd called me, but judging from what Yoon Isun had said, I seemed to be playing the counselor role effectively for the heroes. She must've called for a chat, then suggested meeting up.
"Uh, did the meeting go to shit again or something?"
[Pfft...!]
I took a shot in the dark, and nailed it. Most heroes' gripes stemmed from civilian casualties caused by armchair theorizing and botched policies, and S-grade heroes like her bore the brunt of it.
"Did some balding, potbellied old uncle grill you again about why you couldn't catch Dokkaebi, why you let him slip away without attacking right there?"
[No bald head. You got a spy on me or something? Or can you hear intel through the phone?]
"I can tell just from your voice. You wanna vent about those 'higher-ups' right now."
It came from experience as a reader of the original novel, but her tone, the situation, and this world's backdrop made it obvious.
"I'm all ears if it's over the phone. I'm at a pension on Ulleungdo right now."
[...A pension?]
"Yeah."
[......With who?]
What the hell. I was soaking in the hot spring, but suddenly a chill ran down my spine. Ice cold. It felt like mana stabbed into my heart like a dagger. Was this what it meant to tense up from just a voice?
"Came alone."
[Liar. Pensions on Ulleungdo are crazy expensive— who'd go solo? Especially to Ulleungdo of all places?]
She even put emphasis on "Ulleungdo," probing me. Fair point—given Ulleungdo's social reputation, going alone only pointed to two scenarios. Sneaking in with someone for some "patriotic activity" and lying about it, or hooking up with a local girl for the same and lying. It was as scandalous as saying you were clubbing in Gangnam.
"Wanna video call?"
[Huh?]
"I'm in the hot spring, so forgive the upper body only, but we can do video on the Taeguk Watch right now."
[R-right now? ...Yeah. Do it. Now.]
I pulled my hand from the water, aimed the Taeguk Watch at myself, and soon her face appeared on its small screen.
[Ah.]
Baek Seolhui, in a white shirt, flushed red the moment she saw me. No intentions of a Dokkaebi titty party here—I'd submerged down to my collarbone before answering—but she still blushed and panicked.
"Believe me now?"
[No one else... you really went to a pension alone? It looks really nice.]
"Hot spring attached."
[......Warm water?]
"Yep. Stays over 40 degrees. Ulleungdo's a volcanic island, you know. Geothermal hot spring water."
[Must be nice....]
She sounded genuinely envious. Pushing the convo here or reeling her in? Introducing this place would be ideal. But actually talking about it felt awkward.
This is a mana booster spot, though?
The world's most efficient mana recovery and max mana growth site. It'd refill my depleted mana overnight, plus let me watch my mana stat rise in real time. 0.1 per hour might sound tiny, but compared to others grinding in the decimal places for +1, it was insane efficiency. Couldn't do it daily—some natural cooldown. Like nature saying don't camp here forever, or setting up for some perfectly light-novel-y fanservice in the springs.
But if sharing this could recruit Baek Seolhui? Worth ditching it if it made her an ally.
Definitely Baek Seolhui over some dawn bird. Strategic, rational choice.
Today's Baek Seolhui is shaken. Prime sales window.
After getting reamed by the higher-ups over Dokkaebi today, she had nowhere to vent. Listen to her woes, pitch joining Imae Mangnyang? Perfect.
"Uh, Seolhui."
[Can I come?]
"Pardon?"
[Can I really come there? Ulleungdo's not that far.]
"...At this hour?"
[Ah.]
Baek Seolhui smiled brightly at my question.
[Asking about the time means it's okay if the timing works?]
"Well, yeah, but... wouldn't that be risky? A guy and girl alone on Ulleungdo in this mess—if it leaks, you'd be in deep shit."
[Don't worry about that. I can get to Ulleungdo in 10 minutes.]
What S-grade bullshit.
"Ten minutes?"
[Yeah. Underwater travel, no getting wet.]
"Using your superpower?"
[Obviously. How else in 10 minutes?]
True. With mana and the Dokkaebi Bat's imagination, I could one-way Sejong Island to Ulleungdo in 20 minutes tops.
[Send the address. And... give me 15 minutes max. Open a window.]
"Wait, no, hold on. Scandal..."
Click. She hung up.
Unilaterally cutting off—silent pressure to send the address. Don't send it? Relationship over. Like yelling "bye forever" myself.
"...Tch. Damn. Message to Baek Seolhui: Ulleung Special Self-Governing Province..."
I texted the address via Taeguk Watch. Her reply: a curt [Okay.]
"...Holy shit."
Her sudden urge to meet felt suspicious now. Open-air bath, so no window needed—she could land spotting me—but still, major fluster.
"Ah. Text. Leave the Taeguk Watch behind."
Just in case, I sent another. S-grades got real-time location-tracked by the Hero Association net. Wearing it here?
[Shock] Hero S spends night at Ulleungdo pension with man.
[Breaking] Snow White's prince appears?
Dwarves in tears [Exclusive] The librarian swordsman—who is he?
Obvious headlines.
"Ugh, gonna lose my mind..."
Checked messages on the Taeguk Watch—'Okay' reply, but the '1' on my latest text lingered unread. Call her?
"...Nah."
No reason to panic. Hell, it was what I wanted. Scandal with her? Massive gossip fuel, opens doors to her circle—specifically, the protagonist.
Baek Seolhui was an original heroine, the 'teacher position' type. Student Yoon Isun. Teacher Baek Seolhui. Top duo in heroine popularity—protagonist would link up with her for sure. Meet him through her then. Use her, or with her, to...
"Tch. Total scumbag."
Exploiting a woman's heart for goals. Worse, corrupting a hero's weak moment for Imae Mangnyang gain.
"...But targeting mental fragility to turn heroes villain is textbook evil org exec brainwashing."
Like Dokkaebi's repeated failed 'Dokkaebi Charm' ops in the novel.
But can things go this smoothly?
Worried. She'd had scandals with male heroes, celebs, chaebol heirs before—all tabloid trash from their side; she shut it down cold. But if...
If it wasn't for Baek Seolhui, this'd be greenlight 100%!
What if she was actually interested in me?
Damn. Losing it.
Hero mental checkup via counselor? Or late-night visit to a guy she's into? Power-wise, former. But modern 20-something rom-com logic? Greenlight city. My guy instincts, my guy hopes screamed it. Mess up and...
"Whoa."
Far off, over the sea—a black silhouette flickered. Mana-sensitive me saw it clear; sentry soldiers would just think moonlight on waves.
Bwoom!
Intense air burst, waves splashed. And there she was, before me in the hot spring.
"...A bit early."
"......You actually came?"
"I did."
Baek Seolhui appeared bundled head to toe in a black long puffer.
"Wh-why'd you come?"
Screw prepared lines— blurted it out.
"Needed counseling."
She met my eyes calmly.
"Felt like you'd hear me out on anything."
"On what?"
"...Bashing the minister?"
"...First things first."
One unbearable issue first.
"Even open-air bath, shoes off please."
"Ah."
"Take 'em off, leave at the entrance."
Even S-grade heroes had no-gos on this soil.