Chapter 90
"Soon we'll be family, right? So, who exactly is the number one person Yoo Seol-ah loves the most?"
"...Hey."
Yoo Seol-ah shot a pouty glare at Lee Seo-yeon, who was grinning mischievously. Honestly, this was the much more familiar dynamic. The timid Lee Seo-yeon from earlier was the real rare sight.
Yoo Seol-ah, who had been sticking out her lips a bit, suddenly seemed to think of something and declared confidently.
"They're my family? The people I love the most."
"...Seol-ah, you've gotten really good at dodging lately?"
"Dodging what? That's what I said from the start."
Maybe it was natural to build up a thicker skin after taking so many hits, but Yoo Seol-ah's demeanor these days was definitely different from before. Not just since returning to Earth, but even compared to shortly after forming our party in Astasia, it was astonishing. Back then, she really felt like someone who'd staked everything on battle.
'Sharl has such varied expressions in everyday life. It's cute, different from when you're fighting.'
'...I'll work on it. Emotional fluctuations are poison for a mage, so I have to be careful. Thanks for pointing it out.'
'...No, that's not what I...'
I still remembered that short exchange between Sharl and Alice—Yoo Seol-ah and Lee Seo-yeon—somewhere in my memories. It was before we'd fully warmed up to each other, and even I, listening in, felt a bit suffocated. Lee Seo-yeon had looked pretty deflated back then, too.
Yoo Seol-ah's voice was already on the low, cool side normally, and at that time, she had this seriously dark aura, enough to intimidate even Lee Seo-yeon. But as time passed and she opened up, she turned into a total punching bag, and now she felt all soft and squishy. To the point where we could toss jokes at her super casually.
"...So where's Baek Sion? Hurry up and get sad, Baek Sion."
"Sad."
Yoo Seol-ah immediately let out a disbelieving scoff.
...I only did it because Lee Seo-yeon told me to. Don't look at me like that.
"You two get along so well?"
"Even with you getting jealous right away like that, Baek Sion's not number one?"
"It's not jealousy!... What would I even be jealous of..."
Sure enough, I thought Lee Seo-yeon was the best at getting under Yoo Seol-ah's skin. Her voice shot up instantly. Clearing her throat awkwardly, Yoo Seol-ah lowered her tone a bit, hesitated, then mumbled in a tiny voice.
"...And Baek Sion's gonna be family soon too..."
I knew it was just her shy personality turning it into a joke, so I didn't feel hurt or anything. But ending with that one line for me every time? That had to be one of Yoo Seol-ah's biggest charms.
Lee Seo-yeon burst into a warm smile.
"...That means Baek Sion is..."
"Oh, look, the food's coming...!"
Right on cue, as Yoo Seol-ah tried to change the subject, the dishes started arriving one by one, halting any further teasing. Our table filled up with colorful dishes, starting with salads.
"We'll have the steak ready for you shortly—enjoy these in the meantime!"
"Thanks."
...I'd never thought I was bad at cooking, but proper restaurant food just hits different even on sight. The aroma and presentation alone were tough to replicate. Yoo Seol-ah glanced at the passing server, her eyes sparkling.
"I've got a question—do people here recognize you?"
"Hmm... Probably not me specifically, but maybe."
"Maybe?"
"My parents aren't the type to be on the news much, so service staff probably wouldn't know."
"Oh, true."
If a company CEO's face is super well-known, it's often tied to some scandal. Ieum Group had a great image, but not everyone knew the CEO's face—that was proof they were running things smoothly.
"But the chefs here probably do know me. Ieum doesn't do franchises; it's mostly one-on-one contracts, so Mom and Dad meet all the chefs personally."
"Did you go with them?"
"Yeah. Before openings, for soft launches and stuff, they'd drag me along all the time."
...Stories from another world always felt so fresh. Yoo Seol-ah twirled some oil pasta and popped it in her mouth, then her eyes went wide.
"Taste good?"
She nodded vigorously, shaking her head up and down hard.
How good could it be? Curious, I scooped some onto my plate and dug in quick.
"...Mm."
No wonder this seafood-less oil pasta cost so much. Lee Seo-yeon must eat like this all the time. Her complimenting my cooking before felt like genuine kindness.
"Guess I need to practice cooking more."
"Hey, among all the normal people I've seen, you're already the best cook. And you wanna get even better?"
"Why not? The better I get, the more delicious stuff I can make for Yoo Seol-ah."
"...Seol-ah's one lucky girl."
Thankfully, Lee Seo-yeon seemed sincerely impressed by my skills. Though the conversation was between her and me, we were both gazing at Yoo Seol-ah. Now she was eyeing the cream pasta.
Sensing our stares, Yoo Seol-ah blinked, then let out an admiring gasp.
"...This one's crazy good too. What were you guys talking about?"
"...Nothing. Just eat up, Seol-ah."
"Yeah, eat a ton. Finish it all."
She was so focused on the food she probably wasn't even hearing us properly—felt bad for bugging her.
"...What's with you two suddenly."
If she were really curious, she'd pry more, but she just said that and reached for the lobster next. Lobsters that meaty weren't easy to come by, so I had to try some too.
"Whoa..."
It was great on its own, but watching Yoo Seol-ah's reactions made it taste even better. As we focused on eating, the server brought out the steaks—whole cuts sizzling on hot stones.
Not a huge difference in flavor, but the visual satisfaction was off the charts.
"Enjoy~"
Lee Seo-yeon grabbed a knife with practiced ease and sliced a steak into perfect bites.
"Herb salt's good, but this sauce here is even better. Let me know if you prefer something else."
She was usually pretty playful, but when it came to food, her eyes turned dead serious.
"...That was kinda hot just now. Maybe cook something special for Doyun oppa sometime?"
"Cook?"
"Yeah. They say people look cool when they're focused on their specialty."
"Really? Am I cool?"
"Yeah. Not right now—earlier, when you were all intense."
"...Skip the 'not right now' part."
Lee Seo-yeon pouted, but she took the advice seriously enough. After the steak, Yoo Seol-ah let out a sigh loaded with meaning.
"...No wonder the set costs 250,000 won."
"Call me if you wanna eat here again. I'll treat you."
"Unniii..."
"Would you treat me too if I wanted?"
"You two are always together anyway."
"...Fair point."
We wrapped up chatting and eating, and Yoo Seol-ah patted her flat stomach like it was full.
"I'll go pay. Wait here."
As Lee Seo-yeon headed to the distant counter, Yoo Seol-ah took a sip of water and said,
"Baek Sion."
"Yeah?"
"You don't need to practice cooking."
"......"
"...Your food's the best anyway."
...She had this sly, foxy side sometimes. Totally enchanting.
"Were you listening the whole time?"
"Who knows? Didn't catch it."
She wiped her mouth with a napkin like nothing happened. Seeing her so alluring made her impossible to get tired of.
Lee Seo-yeon returned soon after and asked, looking at us.
"Wanna check out the place? It's not far from here."
"Yeah, I'd love to."
We were way past feeling burdened by her pure kindness. Just infinite gratitude for thinking of us.
A short drive later, we pulled into the apartment complex. Top floor, 27th—only one door in sight.
"This is it. It's mostly empty inside. I crash here super rarely."
"...Is this the only unit on the floor?"
"Two units, but separate elevators."
"......"
Probably to avoid neighbors—luxury meant prioritizing privacy. The complex itself was impeccably designed.
Opening the front door, the first thing that hit was the high ceiling.
"Not exactly a full loft, more like an attic space up top."
Not as massive as Lee Seo-yeon's current place, but the view alone put it leagues above anything we'd seen.
Yoo Seol-ah scampered over and hugged Lee Seo-yeon from behind.
"...You sure there's nothing you want from me?"
"Hmm... Not really... Just live happily together. That's enough."
"Unni... No, my lord... I'll serve you forever..."
Her honorifics were getting weird. Worth over 1 billion won, right? ...Astasia treated us real good.
"Money's no issue at all—you could move in today. I'll handle the contract later."
"Really nothing you want? Anything goes."
"If you insist, support our club activities hard. If the game blows up, oppa'll be thrilled, and who knows what opportunities that'll bring."
"...I'll draw three illustrations a day."
"...Don't overdo it."
She was already planning to hustle, but now she had even more reason to.