Chapter 134: Growing More Mature
Chapter 134: Growing More Mature
“Hoo.”
“Hooo.”
Ko Yeonju and I sat side-by-side on the stairs, exhaling smoke at the same time. She had been pouting the entire time she smoked. It seemed she had been genuinely trying to hide this time, and my finding her so easily must have annoyed her. If it weren't for my Third Eye, I wouldn't have found her either. The me from the first run probably wouldn't have noticed so easily.
We just sat there, puffing away on our cigarettes. Ko Yeonju didn't seem to have any intention of speaking first. So, after tapping the ash from my cigarette, I gently broke the silence.
“Why on earth were you hiding there?”
“Well, I felt a powerful mana fluctuation on the second floor. How could I not come up and check it out?” Ko Yeonju answered with a sharp tone. Mana fluctuation? She must have meant Sensing. I nodded once and continued.
“I get that, but you could have just taken a quick look and left, or come out into the open. There was no need to hide.”
“Tch.”
This time, she seemed to have no comeback, admitting defeat with a click of her tongue. I let out a faint smile at her reaction. Good. Once we finish our cigarettes, I’ll head up to the suite…
“You know… User Kim Soohyun, you seem to be a very clueless person.”
…and this day will end on a good note. Just as I was thinking that, Ko Yeonju launched a new counterattack. The moment I heard her words, I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. Me, clueless? After surviving in the Hall Plain for ten years, I was clueless? It was such an absurd thing to say that a silent smile escaped my lips, as I felt it wasn't even worth a response.
But Ko Yeonju didn't seem to think so. Seeing my smirk, she wore a dumbfounded expression and said, “What’s with that ‘that’s ridiculous’ smile? Don’t tell me you think you’re not?”
“It’s just amusing, that’s all.”
“So you’re saying you think you’re perceptive.”
“I suppose so. I think I’m much better than the average user.”
Ko Yeonju tilted her head as if I was missing the point. She turned slightly, placed a hand on my shoulder, and began to speak in a serious tone.
“Listen here, Mr. Kim Soohyun. I’m sorry to say this, but you really are clueless. The kind of clueless I’m talking about isn’t for combat or other things. I’m talking about the intuition a man has when it comes to women. Do you understand?”
“Haha. That’s Ahn Hyun you’re talking about, not me.”
My casual reply left Ko Yeonju looking utterly flabbergasted. She shook her head vigorously for a moment and raised her voice slightly. Seeing her this flustered was a first, and I found it rather entertaining.
“No! That kid is at least far more perceptive than you are. Believe me. And you need to develop some intuition. Something terrible is going to happen if you keep this up.”
“Good grief. What do you mean, something terrible? And as I’ve said repeatedly, I am perceptive. You don’t need to worry so much.”
“Haaa…”
At my words, Ko Yeonju placed a hand on her forehead and let out a long sigh. Then she muttered to herself, “To think I’d discover a weakness like this… No, is it a flaw, not a weakness?” before flicking away her finished cigarette. The innkeeper doesn't know how to take care of her own inn. I took another drag from my cigarette, which still had some left.
Even though she was done smoking, Ko Yeonju didn't get up. From that, I gathered she wanted to talk a little more. And she calls me clueless when I can read her intentions this clearly? I snorted inwardly and decided to wait for her to speak.
Soon enough, just as I was about to stub out my own cigarette, her lips parted, just as I’d expected.
“So, you went to see her after all?”
‘Her’ must mean Yoojung. Ko Yeonju had certainly been against me getting involved. But I had trusted my own judgment and gone to soothe Yoojung.
“Yes. As you can see.”
“I didn’t see or hear anything. Still, I told you not to go…”
As her voice trailed off, I took a moment to gather my thoughts. There was no point in dragging this out. Whether she knew or not, it seemed better to just tell her what I was thinking. So, I began to speak in a quiet voice.
“Yes, you did. But I felt that going was the right answer.”
“Why?”
“Because we don’t have much time left.”
Ko Yeonju immediately fell silent. My last words were laden with countless implications. I glanced over at her. She was staring straight ahead, chin in hand, mulling over what I’d said.
“Not much time left… Hmm…”
Ko Yeonju muttered to herself, tapping her cheek with a raised finger. Her other hand was cupped elegantly under her chin. At the sight, I found myself enhancing my vision to observe her more closely.
Beautiful.
Her skin was smooth like white snow, tinged with the color of peach blossoms, and a faint blush graced her cheeks. Her eyebrows were thin and delicately drawn. As she stared ahead, her deeply submerged pupils seemed to pull me in. Ko Yeonju possessed a fatal charm.
“Hm…?”
Sensing my gaze, she blinked a few times and whipped her head around. Her wavy hair, framing her slender face, swayed with the movement. The moment our eyes met in the air, she graced me with a soft smile. Her eyes curved into beautiful arcs, and her pretty, vermilion lips slowly parted into a half-moon.
“Why are you staring so intense~ly? Have you fallen for me?”
“…Let’s just say I was on the verge of it.”
When I nodded and admitted it readily, Ko Yeonju looked surprised.
“Ha. Really? What’s gotten into you today? You wouldn’t budge no matter how much I tried to seduce you before.”
“Who knows.”
I gave a vague reply and a clumsy laugh. The reason my gaze had been stolen was that her posture had reminded me of Han Soyoung. Han Soyoung had a habit of propping up her chin and tapping her cheek with a finger when she was thinking. Now that I thought about it, I wondered where Han Soyoung was and what she was doing right now.
The thought of Han Soyoung made me sigh involuntarily. Ko Yeonju, who was watching me, shifted slightly and moved closer, our shoulders touching. She then rested her head on my shoulder and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Alright. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I don’t believe for a second that you didn’t understand what I said. You must have your reasons. And your actions will show their results soon enough, so I’ll just watch and see. However, the fact remains that this problem is up to that little kid, not you.”
“That’s true. In any case, thank you for saying that.”
Ko Yeonju was essentially saying that the request I had made back then was still valid. I breathed a sigh of relief. If she had a change of heart, Yoojung’s resolve could be all for nothing. No, not completely for nothing, but it would be diminished.
At my words, Ko Yeonju’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she spoke.
“For free?”
“……?”
“I lent you my inn, fed you breakfast, served you tea, gave you a report, and now I’m going to teach your kid. Have you ever seen such a giving tree?”
“No, I don’t think I have. But you’re not a tree.”
Even I knew it was a meaningless retort. But the moment she heard it, a glint flashed in Ko Yeonju’s eyes. Did I misspeak again? I swallowed hard as a sense of unease crept over me. She giggled at my words and slowly leaned her head in. I could feel her hot breath on my neck.
“That’s right. I’m not a tree. As a person, no, as a User, I think I deserve some form of compensation.”
“Didn’t we agree that payment would be made later?”
“In a mutual transaction, a down payment is the least you can do out of common decency, my dear customer.”
Our bodies were already pressed together at the shoulder. From that position, she slowly lifted her head and pushed her face closer, shrinking the distance between us even more. As I watched her retort to my every word without missing a beat, I felt a growing tension inside me.
I composed myself and spoke in a calm voice.
“Please take good care of Yoojung for the time being. She’s a User with a lot of potential.”
“Only if she comes to me on her own. And don’t you dare try to change the subject. You always do that when you’re at a disadvantage. Uh-uh. Why are you already getting up? Who’s going to eat you? I’m not done with you yet. Where do you think you’re going, trying to sneak away?”
“…Someone who’s going to be a teacher starting tomorrow shouldn’t be acting like this.”
“Oh my. I’m the kind of teacher who accepts bribes.”
“That’s not a funny joke. Well then, I’ll be taking my leave…”
Before I could finish my sentence, Ko Yeonju’s face rushed toward me. It looked like she was aiming for my lips, so I jerked my head back. That’s when it happened.
Sssst. Sssssst.
As if she had predicted my move, her body vanished, leaving behind an afterimage. I couldn’t sense a single trace of her presence. It all happened in one or two seconds. The distance was too close; activating Third Eye would be too slow. There was no time to blame myself for my mistake. In the end, I decided to trust my senses and quickly turned my head.
First, to the left. She wasn't there. Then…
“Hup.”
The moment I turned my head to the right, I sucked in a sharp breath. A warm, soft sensation was pressing against my lips. Ko Yeonju’s face had appeared, perfectly timed with my turn.
“……”
In the first run, I had once thought I’d like to kiss her. Now, her lips were touching mine. I could see her face right in front of me, a playful smile dancing on it. Seeing my expression, Ko Yeonju looked triumphant as she pressed her lips firmly against mine before pulling away.
Mwah.
“Hoho. I finally got to kiss you.”
“How did you just…?”
When I asked with a bewildered look, Ko Yeonju wagged a finger at me. Then, in a much more excited voice, she began to explain.
“I figured it out when we fought before. First, I needed to close the distance. I knew I’d lose for sure if I gave you time to react. That left a 25% chance. Up, down, right, or left. I feinted left, then immediately moved to the right and waited. Then, just as you turned your head, I stuck my lips out.”
“…Hah. To think you’d plan all that just for one kiss. How meticulous.”
“Why? Why are you sighing? Was kissing me not good? Did you dislike it?”
At my sigh, Ko Yeonju tilted her head and asked. Her face was still smiling, but for some reason, her voice carried a strange undertone. In that moment, I recalled a conversation we’d had before.
〈That is right. I was a bar hostess.〉
〈User Kim Soohyun, how do you judge someone like me?〉
〈A woman who worked at a bar in the modern world and was looked down upon by others…〉
〈Look at a person’s eyes. Their eyes will give you a rough idea of what they are thinking.〉
“…No.”
I could still feel the warmth of her lips on mine. I shook my head and stood up. When I looked down at her, Ko Yeonju was glaring up at me.
“So, was it good?”
“Yes. To be honest, it felt pretty good. To think I got to kiss the famous Shadow Queen.”
“Hoho. You’re finally being a little more honest.”
Seeing Ko Yeonju’s bashful smile, I took a bold step toward her. Then, I immediately reached out and grabbed her firmly by the collar.
“Ah.”
“For the record, when it comes to things like this, I don’t know how to be so calculating.”
At my declaration, Ko Yeonju’s eyes widened. I leaned forward and pulled her toward me by her clothes, just as she had done.
“Mmph…!”
It was a bit rough, but once again, that captivating sensation lingered on my lips. A faint scent of tobacco emanated from her breath and lips. She looked surprised at first, but soon her eyes fluttered shut as she responded to my kiss.
This kiss didn't last long. I had a feeling that if we continued, our tongues would get involved, so I pulled my head back. But her lips were so moist that even after just ten seconds, they clung to mine softly, as if begging me not to go.
I let go of her collar and straightened her clothes as I spoke.
“…How was that?”
Ko Yeonju didn’t answer right away. She just quietly opened her eyes and stared at me with a calmness I had never seen before. Then, she stuck out her tongue and lightly licked her own lips.
After savoring the taste, she spoke in a low voice.
“I’m sure girls like Ahn Sol or Yoojung would be blushing and stomping their feet right now. But I’m not like them. If you were hoping to see me flustered with just this, I’m afraid you’ve miscalculated.”
“I see.”
“Still, I’ll take back what I said about you being clueless. You’re not naive, you’re a sly fox. Hmph.”
“Hahaha.”
I let out a pleasant laugh and turned away. It was time to go back. However, the thought of organizing my equipment list was gone from my mind. All I wanted was to go back to bed and rest, or maybe grab my sword and swing it around.
As I reached the top of the stairs and was about to open the door, Ko Yeonju’s voice came from behind me.
“But… why did you kiss me back on your own? Was it a ‘you got me, so I’ll get you back’ kind of thing?”
Ko Yeonju placed a particular emphasis on the words “on your own.” I just glanced back over my shoulder, shrugged, and replied.
“Who knows. I guess it’s something like that. I suppose I was curious what it would feel like to kiss the Shadow Queen myself, instead of being the one kissed by her.”
My answer left her with an inscrutable expression. I deliberately left out the addendum: ‘The me from my first run, that is.’