Reunion (2)
The empire was in utter chaos right now.
That was to be expected after the hero party had returned three years ago, having slain the Demon King.
But it wasn’t like my world had suddenly flipped on its head.
It all felt distant, as if none of it had anything to do with me anymore.
I had become numb. Or rather, completely used to it.
Thinking back, the two descriptions fit perfectly.
“Ugh.”
I had drank myself silly last night, yet by morning my body felt strangely refreshed.
No hangover needed. It was almost annoyingly convenient.
“...Yu Inna.”
The name I hadn’t spoken in so long.
The girl from modern times who had come with me.
She was probably in the capital by now, cheered on as the hero by the crowd.
A perfect happy ending for her.
Would she even remember me?
Honestly, she probably hadn’t.
By now I had mostly accepted that.
The ones who left on that long journey had completed their mission and come home.
Maybe I could go back to the modern world too.
“Guest name, please?”
“Shit! You startled me. Why are you in my room...?”
“Master, I thought you knew that romance is forbidden.”
I was lost in my own thoughts when a voice from beside me made me jump.
Jane, wrapped in nothing but a robe, had a mischievous look in her eyes.
She was clearly teasing me.
I’ve been acting weird since last night.
Romance is a topic too distant for me.
“Enough. Wake up, Master. Time to get ready.”
As usual, Jane woke me with a playful smile and led me out.
When we reached the front of the building, I asked her.
“What’s special about today?”
“Fufu. It’s whatever you decide.”
I guess she knew how much this beauty salon cost.
“I don’t have to come here. It’s a waste of money.”
“Master is our ace. It’s not a bad investment at all. Plus, you look good when you’re pretty.”
“I already paid off my debt. This is on you.”
Twenty million gold.
Honestly, it was starting to feel like too much.
My pride had long since been broken.
I had only paid it off recently.
I never imagined I would become this twisted.
Three years was more than enough to change a person.
Even now, thinking of Jane’s face when I finally cleared the debt makes me want to laugh.
“...Haha. Was that a joke?”
“Yeah. It’s real. I paid it all off.”
“...You suffered. What will you do now, Master?”
Thinking about it, Jane had actually been a pretty good partner.
She had been straightforward with the numbers at least.
She even congratulated me and said I could quit anytime.
But I had decided to stay.
After all, what else could I do in this world?
Jane’s expression had been troubled by my choice.
She nodded with a mysterious look and said she understood.
Now I was not only familiar with the work but also accepted it.
More importantly, I needed money for living expenses.
Housing and food. Even clothing required attention.
Fixed costs added up too.
“Oh my, you’re such a handsome man. Your girlfriend must be so happy.”
The salon staff smiled brightly. She was a middle-aged man who looked quite kind, but the lack of hair was a drawback.
“Hey, I just got an idea!!”
The staff smoothly swept back my hair. The reflection in the mirror looked quite unfamiliar. Was this really me?
“Do whatever you want.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make you the empire’s greatest handsome man!”
The bald staff member blew a puff of breath and brought in his tools. His hand movements became lively as he picked up scissors.
I glanced sideways. Jane was waiting in the back. She wasn’t the kind of mother watching her child get a haircut.
Still, it wasn’t bad at all. I wasn’t even paying.
⁕⁕⁕
“Oh. Today, Hyun, your hair looks nice. You must have put in some effort.”
“Really? Thank you.”
As expected, she got her money’s worth. From my view, the hairstyle today was perfect.
“Tsk. Was it because of me?”
“How did you know?”
That’s impossible.
The pearl necklace around Merlin’s neck sparkled beautifully. From her dress, a luxurious scent wafted.
As the waitress poured the wine, it was swallowed with a smile. After giving me a satisfied look, she handed over gold coins.
“Waa. Noona, thank you.”
It was worth the extra trouble. My hands were big, after all.
Today’s night was quite good too. The alcohol was flowing nicely and the tips were good.
BOOM!!
The door suddenly opened. Every person in the room turned their gaze to the woman who barged in. Behind her stood the waiter with arms outstretched and frozen stiff.
“What’s going on?”
Someone asked. The waiter’s body trembled. I was also flustered by the unexpected situation.
“...That is... the guest...”
The woman in question somehow felt strangely familiar. Her visible lips under the hat were moving as she muttered something and called out to someone.
“...Hyun.”
Ah. She had come looking for me.
“Noonas, I’m sorry. I’ll cut it properly. Excuse me.”
There were always these kinds of people. They would suddenly show up even if it wasn’t a set time. From now on, I’d have to tell them to make reservations.
“What? Where is that even allowed?”
“Instead, I’ll do it better. Huh?”
The women sitting on the sofa had no choice but to nod.
I led the woman standing there blankly into the hallway.
The calluses on my hand were felt. Was she a sword user? The hat and lighting made her face hard to see.
I dragged her into the empty room and slowly opened my mouth. Where had I seen her? The memory was hazy. She wasn’t a stunning beauty, but she had a pretty face.
“...Ah. Sorry. Noona, where did we meet? I’ve been drinking so my head’s fuzzy. Please understand.”
She didn’t seem like a regular. If there was even a rough hint.
The woman slowly lifted her head from the bow. An indescribable expression. That was it.
“I don’t know?”
It was the expression of a husband who returned from war and saw his wife cheating. Even while organizing the client’s profile in a notebook, she really didn’t know.
Eh?
The girl slowly removed her hat. Her short black hair fluttered down.
I put a small container to her eye. The red pupil slowly changed to black. At the same time, my heart began pounding loudly.
Familiar face. Same Korean as me. A more mature atmosphere than before.
No way.
“...Yu Inna?”
The woman’s lips twisted. Her eyes were filled with reproach and resentment.
Why are you here? Why?
⁕⁕⁕
“Long time no see. I cut my hair and the lenses prevented me from recognizing you.”
Honestly, it wasn’t shock. The words I spat out in a daze were foolish even to me.
“Oppaaaa, is this real?”
“......”
“Are you asking if what I’m thinking right now is correct?”
Yu Inna’s eyes were bloodshot and glaring. The intense pressure made me shrink involuntarily. After all, she was the ‘Hero’ who had slain the Demon King.
She had grown stronger than anyone through temple battles.
“Who were the women just now?”
The voice asking in an interrogation tone gave me a headache. I raised my hand and massaged the corners of my eyes.
“Haa. Just a grateful noona.”
“What does that mean? What is a ‘grateful noona’?”
BOOM-!
Yu Inna punched the wall. Her aggressive action would have been noticeable to people outside the room.
“Calm down first.”
“Look at me, I’m calm now? Why are you here, Oppaaaa? You should be in the palace!!”
I quickly grabbed Yu Inna’s shoulder, but it immediately twisted. Maybe it was because of what I was doing that I felt dirty.
Yu Inna and I were not a couple. But the words to say at this moment of solving the immediate problem and inexplicable guilt were this.
“Sorry.”
“What? I hate it. I don’t want to hear that from you. Why are you doing this work here, Oppaaaa? Why? Why?!!”
Yu Inna shouted as if in desperation. Tears were already streaming down her eyes.
“...Why are you doing this?”
“I needed a lot of money.”
“Is that what you’re saying? You’re earning money like this?”
“I thought I was doing it because I wanted to. It’s just working. It’s more than I thought it would be.”
Irritated by the accusatory tone, I snapped too. Ironically, the emotion I felt was closer to resentment than gratitude.
“You’ve gone crazy. Is this the same Oppaaaa I knew? Hey, Seonghyun!!!”
Now she was using casual speech. Yu Inna’s stiff hand gripped my collar. The trembling fingers conveyed her emotion to me too.
“Is this a joke? Say it’s a joke.”
“I got into debt. I had to pay it off. It was a total of twenty million gold.”
Upon admitting it, Yu Inna was shocked. Then she questioned me sharply. After all, it was not a small amount.
“Haa. Why are you telling me now? How did you even live with such a big debt?”
“Don’t worry. I won’t ask you to pay it back.”
She hadn’t cared about me until now. For three years, she hadn’t come looking. Why now? Was she blaming me for living like this?
“What? Okay. I’ll give it to you. Just quit right away.”
“I already paid it off. I’m the ace here. The price is high. I’m just earning money now.”
My head was vigorously shaken by my words. She calmed her breathing and asked with an effort at composure.
“Until what time do I have to do this? No. Let’s go out first. Being here makes my stomach feel sick. Let’s talk outside.”
“Sorry. Reservations are already booked right now. So...”
BOOM-!
Again, Yu Inna punched the wall. A slight crack appeared with the loud noise. The Hero’s property was that her hands weren’t damaged.
“...Did you do the second one too?”
What answer could I give? Her expression was full of certainty. My tongue didn’t move.
“I see.”
Yu Inna nodded coldly and grabbed my wrist tightly. It hurt. The situation was completely different from before, and my head couldn’t follow.
The place she led me to was none other than the room. Maybe that was where she had caught me.
The problem was that someone was already inside. On the sofa, a woman and a man were enjoying intense skinship.
“Eh? You’re here? Hey, if you suddenly leave like that...”
A sharp-eared woman looked at us. But Yu Inna, sitting on the opposite sofa, maintained a listless attitude.
When I stood there blankly staring, she crossed her legs and spoke. It was completely the opposite of her earlier attitude.
“What? Oppaaaa, don’t you have work to do?”
“...Hey, what are you saying right now.”
She’s asking what?
“The cost will be added to ours. Sit down quickly.”
Poison filled Yu Inna’s eyes. I slowly moved my legs toward the sofa she was pointing at.