Since It's Come to This, Frontal Assault
"Waaah! James Teacher!"
The door burst open and Lia came flying straight out. She scampered over on her short little legs and threw herself into my knees. The kid had so much aegyo it was hard to believe she was really Han Gyeowool's daughter.
I scooped her up and gave her the usual airplane ride. Skip it even once and she sulked instantly, so it was basically a mandatory routine.
"Vroooom. Vrooom. Lia, did you have a good weekend?"
I mixed a little French into the greeting. Lia, giggling as she soared through the air, answered back in clumsy French.
"Of course! Today I was practicing drawing!"
"Oh! Really? Then let's see how well you drew."
"Ah! It's not finished yet! Just a little more and I'll show you!"
Remembering the unfinished picture, Lia dashed off toward the living room first. Only then could I properly greet Han Gyeowool, who stood with her arms folded. Her pale porcelain shoulders snagged my gaze.
"Hello, Mother. This is the first time I've visited you at home."
"So it is. Come inside. Put on those slippers over there."
A few pairs of guest slippers sat by the entrance. The logos stamped on them were no joke—famous Italian brands. Even at a glance they weren't the kind of slippers that cost a couple of bucks. I slipped them on with exaggerated care, terrified of creasing them.
Past the foyer a wide hallway opened up.
"...Whoa."
A lavish corridor that drew an involuntary gasp. Abstract paintings hung on both walls like a private gallery, and the hazel-toned marble floor glowed softly underfoot. Walking across it felt like stepping into another world. I kept looking around in a daze, letting out one exclamation after another.
"Wow. Honestly, this is the nicest house I've ever seen in my life. The facilities, the atmosphere—it's like walking into a palace."
My groveling compliments didn't so much as make Han Gyeowool blink. She simply watched me with calm eyes, the way a predator sizes up its prey.
Hmm. Is he just a good actor?
Looking at him like this, I really can't tell.
In the dream he was a complete beast.
If that really was Teacher Kang, I won't let it slide.
Getting me that worked up and then just leaving me hanging?
I'll lock him away on some remote island.
And turn him into a good little doggy who obeys every word I say.
I listened to her blood-chilling plans in real time and broke out in a cold sweat. I forced a casual smile, but my face felt ready to twitch at any second.
Fortunately, Lia appeared at the critical moment. She came running full tilt with a huge sketchbook clutched to her chest. On the paper was a rather cute family scene.
"Teacher! Teacher! Look at this! I drew our family!"
I clapped and beamed at her entrance, smoothly covering my flustered expression.
"Wow! How does Lia draw this well? Is this lady here Mommy?"
I pointed to a woman sitting alone in a car in front of a big house. Lia nodded.
"Yes! Mommy's always busy so she rides in the car! And here's Daddy too!"
Daddy was way off in the distance at a company building. His face was drawn vaguely; the father-daughter relationship clearly wasn't great.
"Then this little princess must be Lia?"
A girl wearing a crown stood on the roof of an apartment building. Surprisingly, she held a gun in one hand and a wad of cash in the other. Blood really does tell. Looking at that ambitious self-portrait, she was unmistakably Han Gyeowool's daughter.
"Yeees! I'm a super strong princess! So I have lots of money and I'm really powerful! I built this building too!"
A colossal skyscraper of a full thirty thousand floors. She already understood that higher floors meant more expensive.
"That's right. Lia's definitely going to become an incredibly strong princess someday. You'll make tons of friends and get mountains of presents."
"Wow! Really? Will that really happen?"
"Of course. By the way, do you have any more pictures? Looking at Lia's drawings is making Teacher really curious."
My enthusiastic reaction got Lia all excited; she started flipping wildly through the sketchbook. I sat beside her and played along, doing everything I could to keep distance from Han Gyeowool.
She clicked her tongue in mild disappointment. Then her chilling inner voice returned.
Well, nap time is in two hours.
See you then, Teacher Kang.
Whether you're acting or not—
I'll dig it out thoroughly.
"Mmm... Teacher. I'm sleepy. I want to go inside and sleep."
"R-really? Then shall we go to bed and snooze?"
"Yeees. I wanna go sleep."
The promised hour finally arrived. After drawing and playing ball with gusto, Lia suddenly yawned and spoke in a dazed voice. Nap time, just as Han Gyeowool had said. I couldn't exactly refuse to put the kid to bed just because I didn't want a beating. I took Lia's hand and headed for the bedroom.
She climbed into her pink princess bed, hugged a rabbit plushie, and slipped into dreamland almost at once. I tucked the blanket snugly around her and returned to the living room.
Han Gyeowool was already prowling there, having caught the scent of prey.
"Teacher Kang. Where's Lia?"
Her question landed like a death sentence. I carefully composed my face and answered.
"She said she was sleepy. I just put her down."
"Is that so? Then come sit and rest a bit. Looking after a child must have been tiring."
"...Thank you."
There was no refusing that tone. I walked over obediently and sat at the round tea table. To my further dread, Han Gyeowool personally brewed the coffee.
"Want some snacks? There are cookies."
"...I'd be grateful. I like cookies."
Her excessive kindness only made me more terrified. Meanwhile Han Gyeowool hummed under her breath, clearly savoring the situation.
Just the two of us and he seems a little tense?
What does that tension mean?
Because he sees me as a woman?
Or because he's afraid his secret will come out?
Heh. I'll cook him slowly.
Look forward to it, Teacher Kang.
She set two cups of coffee gently on the table. Beside them sat imported handmade cookies and assorted tropical fruit.
"Whew. The coffee aroma is really strong. I'll enjoy it, Mother."
"Go ahead. Coming on the weekend must be hard work. If you want more, just say so."
"......"
"......"
An awkward silence settled between us. Only the soft sound of sipping coffee and quiet classical music filled the air. After a few seconds of stillness, she spoke first.
"Oh, right. Teacher Kang. Do you remember what I said yesterday? That you'd tell me if you recalled the dream."
I fidgeted with the coffee cup as I answered. No matter how hard I tried to hide it, the tension was unavoidable.
"Ah, of course. But no matter how much I try, I just can't remember. I'm sorry."
"No need to apologize. Dreams are usually forgotten quickly."
"It probably wasn't anything special. If it had been really important, the memory would be clear."
Han Gyeowool smiled strangely. Then she propped her chin with a languid, seductive look—completely different from her usual self.
"You're not wrong. Important dreams can't be forgotten even if you want to. They're so intense they feel almost real."
Her pitch-black pupils bored into me. I met that gaze somehow and moved my lips.
"Mother... do you have those kinds of dreams often?"
She grinned and nodded. That somehow languid smile carried an unreadable sense of foreboding.
"Often. Especially lately. A certain man keeps appearing in them."
I kept acting as if I knew nothing, taking a bite of cookie like I was enjoying an interesting story.
—Crunch.
"...A man? What kind of man?"
"There is one. At first I didn't care at all, but now he bothers me a little. After seeing him so much, he's got a cute side too. The kind of annoying guy who keeps popping into your head."
"...Hard to picture. Someone of Mother's caliber must have very high standards. He must be quite something."
At that, Han Gyeowool suddenly started giggling. She covered her mouth, savoring some private amusement. It was the first time I'd ever seen her laugh like that; I stared blankly for a moment.
"Well, I don't know if he's 'quite something,' but he had some force to him. Barely scraping the passing line?"
She slowly licked her lips and sent me an unmistakably sticky look. I desperately kept my expression blank and smiled casually.
"...Haha. Still impressive. Getting even that much recognition from Mother. That makes him a pretty great guy."
"Why? Are you jealous? Of being recognized by me?"
"......"
"Heh. No need to be that jealous. That man who appeared in my dream? It's you, Teacher Kang. You."
"!"
The unexpected ambush made my eyes shake violently. A sudden strike that hit right where I least expected. And Han Gyeowool wasn't about to miss that reaction. Her eyes narrowed coldly in an instant.
"Oh my. I was just joking, but your reaction is strangely intense?"
A venomous voice sliced through the air like a blade. Had she sensed something suspicious in my response? Her interrogation left my mind blank white. But I hadn't come here completely unprepared. I'd expected her to attack like this to some degree. Time to pull out the secret weapon.
The so-called emotional blackmail assault. In moments like this you don't make excuses—you reverse the pressure instead. I turned on her with the most wounded face I could manage.
"Ha. Just joking once? Don't you think that's a little too much?"
"?"
"Don't play with people's real feelings like that. Is me liking Mother that funny to you? Is toying with someone's heart entertaining?"
"...Excuse me?"
"I guess so. In Mother's eyes I must look completely worthless. Some guy way out of his league hovering around—how much must you have wanted to mock him."
"...W-what? What is this?"
"But you really shouldn't do this. Honestly, just now I was happy. When you said the man in the dream was me. Just for a second, I was happy. 'So she does see me as a man. I wasn't the only one liking her. Maybe I have a chance too.'"
"...N-no, this is—"
"But it was just you playing with me? How hard did you laugh looking at my flustered face? Was that reaction fun? My hopeful expression must have been quite the show."
"...W-wait a moment. Teacher Kang. That's not—"
"It's fine. Thanks to you I've completely sorted out my feelings. If you were going to do this, you shouldn't have given me any room in the first place. Why take me shopping yesterday? Why buy me a meal? I'm so embarrassed I can't even lift my head. I'll be going first. Keep the pay."
I shoved my chair back and prepared to leave at once. Completely blindsided by the turn of events, Han Gyeowool could only flap her lips in stunned silence.
That's right.
No woman could stay intact after taking this hit.
The brain-melting, make-her-the-villain-without-thinking assault.
It had more than enough power to turn even the mighty Han Gyeowool into a fool.