Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Part 8. The Chick's Dream (1)
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On the way back to the dorm, Yoo Ji-tae and Yeoreum didn't exchange a single word.
A season of falling leaves. The sky was blue, the breeze cool. Yeoreum's red hair swayed up and down. Along the way, street vendors lined up selling bread, takoyaki, and more. It was a famous street food strip in Academy City. He thought it might be fun to bring Gaeul next time.
Eventually, they entered the residential district and arrived at the officetel. The main entrance was an automatic door that slid open smoothly as the two approached. There, Yeoreum paused for a moment. Blocked by her, Ji-tae stopped too.
Was she thinking about something? Or hesitating?
As the door began to close, she shoved her hand in to push it open. Then she resumed walking up slowly. He followed behind.
When they reached the front door again, Yeoreum stopped once more before opening it.
"I was thinking on the way back."
The voice coming from her usually gruff mouth was surprisingly clear and bright.
She turned her head to look at Ji-tae.
"I don't really have anything. Well, you probably heard from my sister already, but there was some trouble when I left home. I lost everything I had."
Ji-tae listened silently.
"All I've done since leaving the nest is wander around picking fights. All I've got is this body. Should've picked some pockets from the guys I beat down, in hindsight."
"So?"
Yeoreum scratched her head.
"That's why... I don't have anything worth giving you."
"What makes you think you need to give me something?"
"I can't, right? 'Cause I got nothing."
"Why would you?"
"Well... I did get something from you. Even someone like me has a bit of pride, you know."
Ji-tae shook his head.
"Forget it. We're not trading or anything."
"No way. I'm already embarrassed about all the help. I told you, I've got pride."
Her red eyes bored into him.
"So answer me. Is there nothing you need?"
He shook his head.
"Nothing you want or anything? A hobby? Something like that."
"Nope."
"You don't seem interested in female bodies either. So what? Want a massage? I'm good at stuff that takes strength. Or anything. Is there nothing you want from me?"
Yeoreum's offer to give him something was completely unexpected. But he shook his head. If he had a wish, it was simply not to die.
With no response from him, Yeoreum's expression soured slightly.
"Ugh, you're so frustrating. Annoying... What the hell do you even live for?"
"Beats me. Just go inside already."
"No. Wait. Even you must get some fun out of life. You're not just surviving day by day, right? Anything at all. Even something simple."
Ji-tae paused, then let out a sigh.
"I just thought of one."
"What?"
"Going inside."
Yeoreum's fine brows furrowed.
"Piss off."
Bam!
She slammed the door and went in.
Left alone in the hallway, the regressor felt a bit dumbfounded. As he stared at the door for a moment and reached for the handle a beat late—
Click! The door locked from inside.
The next day, Yeoreum's name spread across the internet.
The problem was that a freelance reporter from the community had been on site.
And that reporter had stuck to Yeoreum, live-streaming the coverage.
There were a few reasons it blew up. One was the news of severe injuries to Sophia, the "Russian elf girl" famous even in Korea. The other was articles framing it as "the girl who beat Sophia is an 18-year-old Korean kid."
The spark was fanned by the dragon's inhuman—well, she wasn't human to begin with, so it fit—beauty.
It was a fleeting issue that would burn out quick, but Yeoreum's name hit the top of Korea's premier superhuman community search terms for a bit.
Unlike media packaging it as "[Lair Prospective Student Yoo Yeoreum's Rude Remarks Controversy]" or "[Bold Words to Reporters from Her: Lair Cadets' Rights?]", the community video captured raw Yeoreum as is.
Even Ji-tae, who ignored media and press, figured he should check this out. If the fallout affected life at Lair, he'd need to talk to Yeoreum separately.
Communities handled topics differently based on their vibe, with varying like/dislike ratios. There was negative buzz, but positive too—fortunate, really. Though some negative comments stabbed a bit hard. In that mess, the Yoo family—which they'd started calling them at some point—stayed surprisingly chill.
'What about it?' Yeoreum didn't care what people thought of her.
'How intriguing. Yeoreum's getting famous.' Bom just smiled, stroking Yeoreum's hair.
"Waaah, Unni Yeoreum's the best!"
And Gaeul, still clumsy with language and missing half the bad words, was just thrilled.
She occasionally asked what "punk" or "prude" meant, and Bom kindly explained.
"Then what's sex?"
"......"
But that question got no answer.
As Bom just smiled lightly without responding—
"Want me to tell you?"
Yeoreum spoke up in her blunt tone.
"Huh? You know, Unni?"
"Yup. Our little Gaeul's curious about sex, huh...?"
A decadent smile. Yeoreum's tongue flicked over her lips. As she approached with a lewd expression, the chick sensed danger and backed away.
"Uh, um... I don't need to know...?"
"Why not? You're curious."
"No, it's fine. Mom said you don't need to know everything in life..."
"You gotta know this."
"N-nooo."
"Sex is, y'see—"
"Eeeek—!"
The chick plugged her ears and fled, while Yeoreum chased gleefully, spewing unspeakable vulgarities. Very explicit ones. And pretty distorted info too.
"...Mommy!"
The chick's death cry echoed through the officetel.
Aside from that, no real fallout hit their lives. Semester hadn't started, so interest faded quick. Some reporters wanted interviews out of curiosity, but with her battle lust sated, Yeoreum lounged on the living room sofa watching TV—minimizing exposure.
Lair's residential area banned press entry, after all.
Still, downtown trips drew reporters swarming like hawks.
"Hey! It's Yoo Yeoreum!"
"Where? Oh! Over there!"
"Cadet Yoo Yeoreum! Mind a quick interview?"
Then Yeoreum would grimace and bail. She seemed itching to curse them out, but for some reason, she'd glance at Ji-tae and shut up.
"Cadet Yoo Yeoreum! Viewers wanna know about your childhood! What'd you do as a kid?"
"Annoying bugs..."
"Pardon? Ballet?"
Her tiny fist trembled. Yeoreum built up patience.
Finally, Ji-tae.
As her guardian, he had plenty of meetings. With guidance office folks, RIL's legal team, etc. Just an hour or two a day, but annoying enough. Clone duty hours left no choice. Asking them to handle it led here; doing it himself would've been tenfold worse.
But in the process, he felt something unfamiliar.
"You're the guardian, right?"
Someone called; he turned. But it was aimed at another guardian.
He'd assumed it was him—felt oddly off.
People had labels for him before. Platoon leader, regiment commander, division commander. Then mercenary, fugitive, ranker, demon hunter. Never cared for titles, but they always fit that mold.
Now? Different.
"Guardian Yoo Ji-tae."
He was a guardian.
Reflecting on the title, he wondered if anything could fit less.
He didn't like "guardian."
Why not?
Maybe the obsession from crawling through hellfire. Something to protect was a weakness—for him, who'd roamed the world's filthiest pits, it was something to discard.
But regardless of his sour taste, the world now labeled him guardian.
Nothing special, really. Even a bit boring. But not hated. Am I a step closer to normalcy with this? He pondered.
Back home, Ji-tae eyed the blue egg in the living room. Bom was doing her prenatal care routine again today.
Day by day, it swelled bigger. Started ostrich-egg size; now Bom could barely hug it with both arms. The flowerpot was pitifully small long ago.
Hatching was nearing.
Then Gaeul burst out from her room, watch in hand.
"Whoa! Unni! Check this out!"
"Hm?"
As Bom crouched by the blue egg, Gaeul shoved the screen over, giggling. Bom peeked and smirked. Rare sight—Bom laughing like that.
"Doesn't suit her at all, huh?"
"Nope."
What's got them going?
Yeoreum emerged from the bathroom; the chick startled and hid the watch behind her. Suspicious as hell.
"What's got you so excited?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing?"
"What. Hiding something?"
"No?"
"Bullshit. Hand it over."
Resistance was feeble. "Eeeek!" In a flash, the chick was pinned, head bumping the floor as she whined. Yeoreum snatched the watch and checked.
Her eye twitched at the screen.
"Ugh. Got nothing better to do?"
She tossed the watch carelessly and headed to her room. It landed by Ji-tae's feet; he saw the screen. Yeoreum in a ballet outfit.
A cleverly photoshopped pic circulating communities.
"Unni, Unni. But when'd you learn ballet?"
Not knowing it was fake, the chick grinned and asked.
Bam! Door slammed. Ignored.
"Hng."