Can I Call You Oppa?
Oppa.
Under normal circumstances, I might have teased her lightly one more time or tossed out a mischievous joke to smooth things over. But the words that left my mouth were different this time.
“Are you doing this to me on purpose?”
Kim Soyeon’s shoulders twitched visibly. I asked in a tone laced with playfulness, though I made sure to slip in a spoonful of genuine feeling.
Are you acting defenseless in front of me on purpose? Are you deliberately doing things that could be so easily misunderstood?
A South Korea’s youngest S-class hunter—one famous for her wariness—kept treating a man she’d only recently met like he was family. She had fallen asleep unguarded on his bed, not even the sofa. And she had done it twice.
To anyone watching, her behavior was clearly intentional and left plenty of room for interpretation. That was why I asked.
But Kim Soyeon stayed silent, her face still flushed crimson. She simply hung her head, lips trembling as if she might burst into emotion at any second. It looked like she was steeling herself for something monumental. Her eyes darted back and forth.
…Well, I wasn’t exactly expecting an immediate answer.
I had no intention of pressuring her. I just wanted to point out this vague, circling tension between us once and clear the air. Feeling a little awkward, I scratched the back of my head and changed the subject.
“It’s not like I’m demanding you answer—”
“When I’m here…”
Her voice was tiny, but crystal clear. Kim Soyeon gripped her mug tightly and lifted her head to look at me. Those large eyes of hers were shimmering as much as her reddened cheeks.
“When I’m here… it’s comfortable. And I like it.”
“……”
Comfortable. I like it. That was the last answer I had expected.
“Everyone… gets awkward around me. They treat me like South Korea’s youngest S-class hunter, or some kind of monster, or… they try to get something out of me.”
Ah. I think I get it now.
Listening to her felt like untangling a knot that had been stuck in my head. South Korea’s youngest S-class hunter. Everywhere she went, eyes followed her. People expected things from her. Some relied on her strength, others envied or resented her. She had always walked a dazzling path.
But even she had burdens she couldn’t share with anyone. Because people reacted to her every action. Because they reacted to her every word. She must have felt like she had to perform perfection at all times.
But.
“But here… you don’t do that. From the first time we met, you were just annoyed with me. Like you’d seen something you shouldn’t have.”
“Are you calling that a compliment?”
“It’s just… I feel like I don’t have to be strong in front of you.”
“……”
“You treat me like a normal person, not S-class hunter Kim Soyeon.”
“Well, that’s because…”
Even when we first met, I had seen her as a nuisance. Even after learning who she was, I had tried to avoid her. The only things I had said to her were…
‘Why are you speaking informally, you crazy bitch?’ ‘Do you know me? Why are you speaking informally?’ ‘You wanna die?’
“……”
I really was a crazy bastard. Even thinking back on it, I was impressed by my own audacity.
Even when she rolled around on the floor with Neukgu in our house, even when she hit me and ran away, she had kept that shamelessly casual attitude. Paradoxically, that attitude seemed to have given her comfort.
“And… there’s N-Neukgu, too…!”
She hurriedly added the puppy as an excuse. Maybe she was trying to hide her embarrassment. The way she rushed the name out was incredibly cute.
“So… it’s comfortable. That’s why I keep coming.”
“Mmm…”
Kim Soyeon hung her head again. I set my coffee cup down without a word.
Maybe because she had been so honest, the tips of her ears were burning red as she kept stealing glances at me. She looked terrified that I might reject this relationship. Terrified that this pleasant connection between us might shatter. The sight of her like that was so pitiful it made my chest ache.
I reached out and placed my hand on her head.
“E-eh…?”
Her shoulders flinched the moment my hand touched her. I ruffled her hair wildly, messing it up completely.
“Soyeon.”
“…?”
“Then keep doing that from now on.”
“…Huh?”
She stared at me, eyes wide with disbelief.
“If you’re tired, come over and sleep. If you want to heal, come see Neukgu anytime. Come drink coffee with me like this.”
I patted her head lightly, a faint smile on my lips, and spoke softly.
“Whenever you feel comfortable, you can come. Anytime.”
In that moment, everything in the room seemed to shimmer strangely. Sunlight slipping through the window frame turned her hair a brilliant gold. Our eyes met for a brief second, and it felt like I could hear the faint sound of the ambiguous line we had drawn between us crumbling away.
Kim Soyeon didn’t try to hide her flushed face. She simply placed her hand over mine where it rested on her head and nodded.
“Yeah…”
There was a slight moisture at the corners of her eyes. But on her lips bloomed the brightest, most comfortable smile I had ever seen from her. It was so beautiful that for a second I had the ridiculous thought that I wished this moment could last forever.
Because it was so adorable, I slid my hand down and gently pinched her cheek.
“And.”
“…Uweh?”
“What do you mean ‘you’? It’s ‘oppa.’”
“Mweeeh.”
Watching her make that incomprehensible noise, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing. I slowly withdrew my hand from her cheek. Only then did she rub the spot with her own hand, glancing at me shyly. She seemed to be choosing her words carefully before she finally spoke, very cautiously.
“Um…”
“What?”
“Then… can I call you Oppa…?”
The surprise attack nearly made me spit out my coffee. I cleared my throat and looked at her. Kim Soyeon was fidgeting with both hands, watching my reaction.
In all my life, this is the first time someone’s asked if they can call me Oppa.
“If… if it bothers you, I won’t.”
Just how careful was she being about that word? I let out a soft chuckle, my face showing pure disbelief.
“Why would it bother me? Call me whatever you want.”
“W-whatever I want…!”
“Though calling me husband or something is still too early, so that’s off limits?”
“H-husband…!”
Oh right, they did say she has delusional disorder.
“……”
“…Thank you.”
“Mm.”
“O-Oppa.”
The title she spoke for the first time, wrapped in shyness. The way it awkwardly rolled off her tongue was strangely tickling to hear. It wasn’t even the first time a woman had called me Oppa, yet it felt completely different.
Bzzzz— Bzzzz—
Of course, the world always had to ruin the moment.
As if to prove it, my smartphone on the table began vibrating. The dry, mood-killing buzz filled the room.
Bzz— Bzz— Bzzzz—
I frowned and glanced down at the screen.
"Baek Woobin Hunter, I apologize for the sudden contact, but there is an urgent matter."
I ignored it and turned my gaze back to Kim Soyeon. But the moment the vibration stopped, a second call immediately started ringing.
“…Aren’t you going to answer?”
Kim Soyeon asked, carefully reading my expression. She looked just as disappointed as I felt.
“…Sigh. Just a moment.”
I eventually let out a long breath and picked up the phone a bit irritably. The moment I pressed the call button, my tone came out sharper than I intended.
“Yes, this is Baek Woobin.”
“Baek Woobin Hunter, I apologize for the sudden contact, but there is an urgent matter.”
Lee Chaeyeon’s voice on the other end carried a faint tension that was unusual for her.
“What is it?”
“The Magic Tower has sent a cooperation request to the Association. The next Tower Master, Ri-en, has expressed a desire for information regarding White, and she is willing to meet any conditions.”
As expected. Ri-en was the successor to the Magic Tower. If someone like her was requesting information about me, it must have been a massive headache for the Association.
“So? Are you telling me to meet her?”
“No. It didn’t seem like you would want to meet, so…”
“Then you can just block her, can’t you?”
“Yes, so we have already expressed our refusal with an appropriate justification. The Association has replied that we cannot cooperate at this time because we are currently focused on clearing the rift on Ganghwado.”
…Ganghwado rift cleanup?
“What does that mean?”
When I sounded confused, Lee Chaeyeon gave a small cough and continued.
“Ah, it was an improvised excuse. In truth, high-grade monsters have been appearing from the Ganghwado rift recently, unlike normal, and the cleanup on site has been difficult.”
“……”
“We have requested emergency support from S-class hunter Kim Soyeon, so it should be resolved soon. I contacted you to ask how you would like us to handle our relationship with the Magic Tower going forward.”
In short, Ri-en had stubbornly demanded information about White from the Association, but the Association had refused. They had used the unusual appearance of high-grade monsters at the Ganghwado rift as an excuse.
But what mattered to me right now wasn’t Ri-en or the Association’s intentions.
“Do not provide the Magic Tower with any information. I would prefer the Association not get involved in this matter. I’ll handle it myself.”
“Understood. If your will is that firm, the Association will not involve itself at all.”
“Yes. Good work.”
I ended the call without hesitation.
“Is something wrong?”
Soyeon asked, concern in her voice. I set the phone down on the table with a little more force than necessary and looked at her. Then I asked in a low voice.
“Soyeon.”
“Yeah?”
“Are you being dispatched to Ganghwado tomorrow?”
Her eyes widened slightly at my question.
“Huh? Yeah, I’m scheduled to go tomorrow. How did you know?”
“Lee Chaeyeon told me. High-grade monsters are coming out of the Ganghwado rift, so you’re being sent.”
“Yeah. The Association requested support, so I agreed to go.”
…This was exactly what was bothering me.
I frowned, unable to understand. Kim Soyeon was an S-class hunter and a member of Aegis. The top priority of Aegis was clearing the Tower. They were a special organization that even held veto power during national disasters like the Great Rift.
So why was an Aegis member like her being dispatched to clean up a rift just because high-grade monsters were appearing? Why?
Was there a reason she had to be the one to go?
I was about to ask when I stopped myself.
…No. I should just ask the Heroine Gallery instead.
I decided not to ask her directly. I didn’t want it to seem like I was meddling in her affairs.
“Okay. Be careful.”
“Yeah! Thank you.”
Kim Soyeon nodded with a bright smile. The smile was so radiant I had to look away, clearing my throat awkwardly.
After some time passed and Kim Soyeon had left, I sat on the living room sofa, scratching Neukgu’s belly. The puppy wagged his tail nonstop, clearly enjoying the attention.
While petting him, I summoned the Heroine Gallery into the air. I wanted to ask about the questions that had come up during my conversation with Soyeon—specifically about the Ganghwado rift.
…She couldn’t refuse?
Just as I thought. Because Kim Soyeon was foolishly kind, she was being exploited. She really was too nice for her own good.
The moment I read the comment saying Kim Soyeon could be in danger at Ganghwado, it felt like my heart dropped to the floor.
“What…?”