Chapter 234: Jealousy (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 234: Jealousy (6)
Let’s pause for a moment. About half of what Aisha was saying was sincere, while the other half was just to hide her embarrassment.
While she wanted to win Kang So-hyun’s favor, she also wanted to get on Kim Ga-eul’s good side. This was because she felt a certain inner sense of kinship with Ga-eul.
Their first meeting hadn’t been great, and honestly, she didn’t have many memories of showing her best side since then. However, they had grown quite close while playing at the beach. Moreover, she had been deeply intrigued by Ga-eul’s story about how she, too, hadn’t been on good terms with him at first.
Aisha thought that if they became friends, she might learn the secret to getting closer to him—but she also simply wanted to be friends out of a pure sense of solidarity.
Usually, those influenced by the demonic energy scattered by the demons of jealousy would blame themselves for being shallow for having such thoughts. Aisha, however, was different.
‘Well, isn’t it a win-win for everyone?! Killing two birds with one stone! Catching a crawfish while clearing the ditch! A perfect plan! O-ho-ho-ho!’
As expected of someone with skin so thick it had even shocked the regression-era Kang So-hyun—who had lost almost all his emotions—she simply brushed it off as no big deal.
‘And I can feel demonic energy from these people, even if it’s faint…’
The nature of it seemed a bit different from her own, but the important thing was that it was demonic energy.
She couldn’t let things get messy if some bastards associated with her family ended up hurting Ga-eul.
Clad in her mana armor, Aisha scanned those who hadn’t fled.
‘There are no high-rankers, but some of them have quite troublesome talents. Did she take down over ten of these people by herself?’
Fortunately, it seemed Ga-eul had already handled all the ones with bad type-matchups against Aisha. Only a few physical-type fighters remained.
‘Hmm, she’s actually better than I thought. I don’t know why everyone feels the need to protect her so much.’
Clang.
Startled by a sudden sound nearby, she turned her head and locked eyes with a hulking man who had just struck her.
“Huh? Oh, did you just hit me? Sorry. I didn’t feel a thing.”
It seemed she’d been hit while she was distracted, but a physical dealer of that level couldn’t even leave a scratch on her reinforced armor.
“Anyway, you’re the one who struck first. No regrets, okay?”
‘With this, I’ll win Ga-eul’s favor! And So-hyun will see me in a new light! This is the best…!’
“…Wow, she’s really strong.”
However, Aisha, intoxicated by her own power as she unleashed one-sided violence, failed to notice something important.
“She’s different from me.”
She missed the faint trace of demonic energy swirling around the muttering Kim Ga-eul.
* * *
It’s quite sudden, but I’m currently at a cafe.
It’s abrupt, but what can I do? The person I was supposed to meet called for a sudden rendezvous.
She’s a precious person I don’t know when I’ll be able to see again, so I should at least make some time, right?
I ordered gelato in advance for my guest, who said she’d arrive soon, and waited while watching the cafe door.
Perhaps because my expectations were high, I didn’t feel bored at all.
How much time had passed? Right as the gelato was served, the cafe door opened, and a girl with a familiar face appeared.
She looked around for a moment, and upon spotting me, her expression crumpled as she approached.
The way she scowled as if she didn’t want to meet me—despite being the one who called—and the way she awkwardly averted her gaze as if she were pouting, were all very familiar sights.
“…Why are you out here already?”
“Well, someone called me, so I had to be here. I already ordered the gelato.”
“…Seriously, you’ve always been way too quick on the uptake.”
“Ah, so you’re not going to eat it?”
“Don’t act all slick. It’s annoying. It’s not like I came out here for a friendly chat.”
Right, right. I get it.
She glanced at me before sitting down, then pointedly moved one seat over to sit diagonally from me.
“I only called because there’s something I need to check. Where’s that kid?”
“Luna? I didn’t bring her.”
“What?! I told you to make sure you brought her!”
“Hey, honestly, how do I know what kind of influence you’ll have on Luna? You didn’t just want to see her for fun, did you?”
“…Ha, o-of course not. I just wanted to see what the kid who was supposed to be the world’s worst calamity looks like now.”
Is that so? Your acting is really good, you know? You even stuttered. It was so perfect I almost fell for it.
She took a spoonful of the yogurt-flavored gelato with an annoyed look, but her expression softened as if it tasted delicious.
“Ah, dammit.”
And then she immediately got angry again.
It was such a masterful performance that I could have been fooled.
“…Then my business here is done. I’m leaving.”
“Already? I feel like we still have a lot to talk about.”
“Ha, why are you being so pathetic, Kang So-hyun? You’ve already gone all the way with other women; people will get the wrong idea if you act like this with me.”
“Hey, don’t be like that. Come on. We’ve barely said a few words. Don’t you have anything you’re curious about?”
“…Hmph, what’s the point now? What is there left for us to say?”
“Really? I don’t think so. At the very least, there’s something I absolutely have to ask you.”
“Is that so? I don’t know if I’ll answer, but go ahead and try. Kang So-hyun.”
“Ah, really? Thanks. I’ve been wanting to ask this since a while ago, but I’ve been holding it in.”
Yes, there was one question I’d wanted to ask from the moment she stepped into the shop.
I had suppressed it, pushing down the urge that felt like it was about to explode, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“Ha, what could possibly be so—”
“Who are you?”
A brief silence fell before the thing imitating Seo-ha opened its mouth.
“…What? Are you crazy? O-or are you saying you’re going to cut ties with me just because you have other women now…”
“Don’t change the subject. Don’t look away. And don’t try to slip away.”
“…So-hyun, no. Ha-neul? What’s wrong? Did you do something wrong—”
“And drop that pathetic acting you’ve been doing. Just answer my question.”
“What are you talking about? You have the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils. Who do I look like to you?”
“That’s right. My eyes currently recognize you as Seo-ha. They say there’s no possibility of you being a fake.”
“Then what—”
“Ah, yeah. Hey. This is my final warning. This happens to be my reverse scale, so I can’t stay patient for long. Whether you hijacked her body, or you’re a clone, or you’re some being I can’t even imagine that managed to deceive the Fiery Eyes and Golden Pupils—I don’t give a damn about any of that.”
That’s right. None of that mattered to me in the slightest.
What mattered was that I was furious, and I was right on the verge of snapping.
“If you spout any more bullshit, I don’t know what I’ll do to myself, so answer me properly. Who are you?”
If that pathetic, theatrical tone came out of that mouth one more time, I might truly lose my mind.
“…Hmm? I’m asking because I’m curious, but how did you know? We share the same body, soul, and memories.”
“You tried to act in front of me with just that? How pathetic. I should have known the moment you said you’d show up before me first.”
“Hey, don’t be like that, tell me. I’m hurt. I even made up an excuse just to see you.”
“Your stride was different.”
“Pardon?”
“When you opened the cafe door and walked in, your stride was different from Seo-ha’s. And Seo-ha has a jinx—she always steps over a cafe threshold with her right foot first. You came in with your left.”
“Aha, but to think you’d notice from just that…”
Just that? Oh, I suppose it could be seen that way.
To me, who knows Seo-ha so well, it was incredibly obvious, but other people probably wouldn’t understand.
“Don’t make me laugh. I really want to kill you right now. Because you’re halfway similar, the differences stand out even more.”
And there were plenty more differences to come.
“Seo-ha and I always sit in the same spots in this cafe. Unless it’s full, she never looks around.”
Each one might be small and trivial.
“When Seo-ha eats gelato, she always eats the green tea first, then the yogurt. That’s her order.”
“Your voice is a bit lower than Seo-ha’s usual tone.”
“Ah, well, that’s…”
“The way you shift your gaze is different. Your breathing rhythm is different. Even the gesture you use to brush back your hair is different. But even if I let all that slide, there’s one more thing that’s decisively different.”
“…I’d like to know for future reference. What is it?”
“The look in your eyes when you watch me is different. No matter how hard you act, your eyes are full of curiosity and interest when you look at me. Unlike Seo-ha. Do you want me to keep going?”
“Wow, this goes beyond true love and into the realm of being a bit scary. If you two like each other that much, why did things end up like this? Ah, wait, don’t try to attack me. I’ll tell you who I am. This body belongs to the Seo-ha you love so much, after all.”
“Speak.”
“Wow, I’ve never seen that look before. It’s my type. Ah, can’t I even make a joke? Hmm, fine. For now, shall we say I’m a god in a cooperative relationship with Seo-ha?”
“…Is that so?”
“I didn’t take over this body by force, either. It’s more like the price for granting a wish. Ah, well, she perceives most of what I do as things she ‘did herself.’”
“And?”
“I came to see you at great risk because I wanted to meet you. And Seo-ha will be happy because she’ll think she finally mustered the courage to come see you.”
The god, smiling with her face, reached out a hand toward me.
“So, if possible, could you smile a bit? This is our first meeting; I’ll be sad if you keep scowling.”
Smile? Ha, right. Smiling is my specialty, after all.
“Wow, you look much better when you smile.”
“You’re getting awfully casual with your speech.”
“Is that not allowed?”
“It’s not that it’s not allowed. But, well, I have something to think about for a moment, so feel free to keep babbling in the meantime.”
“Hmm? What are you thinking about?”
“A way to drag you out and kill you without causing any harm to Seo-ha.”
“Oh my, how savage. But being savage is charming in its own way. No wonder Seo-ha is so head over heels.”
How the hell am I supposed to kill that thing?
“But I’ll be returning her soon, so don’t worry too much. It’s not all mine yet. I really just came to say hello and give you a warning today.”
How do I kill it so that Seo-ha stays safe?
“I’m jealous, being treated so preciously. Why don’t you just pull her into your arms when she snaps out of it and shout at her not to leave? If you just boldly tell her she’s yours, she’ll go weak at the knees instantly.”
“Ah, I thought of one more thing to ask before I kill you. Will you answer?”
“Of course. You seem to dislike me, but I love you just as much as Seo-ha does.”
“There are a few things Seo-ha has done that I thought were a bit strange. Were those your doing?”
“I wonder. What do you think?”
“Don’t play word games with me.”
“I’m serious. Maybe some were my doing, and maybe some were things Seo-ha did in the heat of the moment. But that doesn’t matter anymore.”
“…What?”
“Because Seo-ha believes she did all those things herself. When there’s a culprit who confesses, there’s no need for an investigation, is there?”
“You.”
“I am one who grants wishes in a twisted way. But I am also one who cannot grant a wish that isn’t desired. Everything I do is something Seo-ha wished for.”
The thing in Seo-ha’s form reached out.
“Therefore, all my actions are her intent, her will, and her desire. Do not dare to doubt me. For I am likely the only being in this world who understands this girl even better than you do.”
“…For someone who claims that, your acting was damn terrible.”
“Just because you understand someone, does that mean you can copy them perfectly?”
“Why, do you think I can’t?”
“…No, let’s stop. I’m scared because I feel like you actually could copy someone perfectly.”
Letting out a light laugh, the thing smiled with its eyes.
“Anyway, it was nice meeting you. If I stay any longer, I feel like I’ll only make you angry instead of winning your favor, so I’ll be going now.”
“Where are you going? We’re not done talk—!”
“Let’s meet again next time, after I’ve gotten a bit closer to this girl.”
“You…!”
I reached out, but the presence I felt immediately afterward was completely different.
“Wh-what? Why all of a sudden…?”
It was Seo-ha. Her breathing, her gaze, and the surprised expression on her face—they weren’t just halfway similar; they were truly hers.
“…Do you remember how far we got in our conversation?”
“What…? Ah, I told you to make sure you brought that kid…!”
Aha, so that’s how it is? Wow. Ah. I. Seriously.
Seriously.
This feels like shit.
[-The one who grants wishes in a twisted way warns you.]
“…Ah?”
[-You would do well to pay more attention to your surroundings. Jealousy is an emotion that eats away at a person more easily than you might think.]
…What the hell is that supposed to mean?
“…You don’t have to get that angry. I was just curious what she calls you. Dammit. I just wanted to meet her.”
I couldn’t control my expression.
So that’s how it was.
That’s why she did that.
The scenes that I couldn’t make sense of were now clearly understood.
Let’s calm down for now. There’s no point in showing it. I wanted to speak right away, but as I opened my mouth, I felt a familiar sensation.
This would undoubtedly be filtered out and wouldn’t reach Seo-ha.
I tried my best to feign normalcy.
“If you want to see the kid, you come find me.”
“Saying it like that makes us sound like a divorced couple!”
“I said it on purpose.”
Normally, Seo-ha would have gotten angry and told me not to be slick, but for some reason, she tilted her head slightly and studied my face.
“…Is something wrong?”
…Ah, right.
Just as I know you, you probably know me just as well.
“Yeah, there is.”
But, I can’t tell you.
After studying my expression for a moment, Seo-ha stood up with a look that suggested she was in a bad mood.
“…I’m leaving.”
“…Yeah.”
“You’re not stopping me today?”
“If I stop you, will you let yourself be caught?”
“…What are you talking about? Of course not.”
“Hey, Seo-ha.”
“What.”
“Do you want to be mine?”
“…Huh? Uh? Uh…!? What! You must be crazy!!!!”
Seo-ha bolted from her seat, her face turning bright red as she ran away.
What, that god was nothing special. I did exactly what it said, and she didn’t let herself be caught.
Seriously, the list of things I have to do just never shrinks.
I feel like my head is going to explode.