I've Made Up My Mind

"Father...?"

"Didn't I tell you not to call me that, Yoon Seha? Haa... what is there even to agonize over? It's just an Incubus. You've said it yourself a dozen times."

"Still, he's a demon, technically..."

"What matters in a fight against an Incubus is your mental fortitude. Is your faith in Hana and your sense of duty toward her really so fragile that a mere Incubus could shake it?"

"...Absolutely not."

Absolutely not. If my sense of duty were that flimsy, I would have long ago fallen for someone else's seduction, not just Harin's.

"Then get up and take up your sword again. Whether your opponent is human or demon — that's irrelevant. Don't even think about the risk of failure. Just think about winning and coming back to Hana. That's all."

"Can I really do it? Honestly speaking... I still don't have confidence that I'll win."

"Didn't you survive my attack? If you were any other weakling, you'd have been cut down before you even managed to move. And back then, judging by the look in your eyes, it wasn't mere survival instinct driving you — there was indignation in them."

"Well, obviously, because getting sliced by that axe would have meant an ugly death. And if I get cut down here, I can never go see Hana again..."

"That's it exactly! If a mere Incubus got the better of you, you'd be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠too aggrieved to even sleep! Stop picturing the bad ending where you never return to Hana — picture the good ending, the one where you do!"

"Papa's right, Seha. Come back to me wearing that same confident look you had when you showed off at the claw machine. Survive the Incubus's temptation, and make it so you can proudly declare that the man who defeated a demon without even being a hero is mine."

Really, I'm such a pushover. Who knew the sweet talk of demons whispering at my side could sound this tempting?

After spiraling through nothing but worst-case scenarios until just moments ago, some inexplicable confidence was now blooming in my chest. How ridiculous.

Honestly — could I really do it? Like I said before, we humans have no mana.

That's exactly why we're overwhelmingly outmatched by other races in combat.

But... listening to the two of them, it felt like I could do it. No — that I had to.

More than anything, there were still so many places I wanted to visit with Hana, Wonderland being only the first.

I didn't want my memories with Hana to end as nothing more than the past.

For Hana to become my history while Harin became my present and future... I hated it. I hated it beyond words.

I absolutely despise NTR. I've run on this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pure-love route with Hana for over ten years — no way am I letting the path I've poured my whole heart into collapse now.

I raised my head once more.

The face full of doubt from before was gone.

I want to try. I have to try.

No — I must. And I will.

"I've made up my mind, Father. I'll do it. I'm going to challenge the Incubus — maybe I can even put it on my college application essay."

"You do take your time deciding things, don't you? If this were a battlefield, your head would already be rolling. Back when I enlisted in the army..."

"I'd rather not hear that one, darling. Even the Bluff Baron's adventures wouldn't exaggerate quite that much."

Mother cut off Father mid-sentence, crisp and clean.

"And Seha~ hehe. Yes, you can do it. I, a Balrog, guarantee it. It won't be easy, but it's certainly worth a try!"

"Thank you, Mother. Thanks to you, I finally feel like giving it a shot."

"Then let's draw your sword first thing tomorrow, Seha. So you'll be ready to challenge him next week!"

Hana threw herself into my arms with a joyful expression.

In the reflection of her eyes, there was no trace of my earlier hesitation to be found.

"Sink or swim... let's just give it a shot. The Balrogs are cheering me on this hard — it'd be rude not to even try."

Back home, I rolled around on my bed and pulled up the World Tree Wiki.

Ugh, a footnote inside a footnote. Is this thing a nested-doll structure?

Harin definitely had an Incubus crest on her shoulder too.

If I remember right... it was shaped like a diamond.

Diamond means she's one step below the very top. Ugh.

What's the deal with our class, hoarding nothing but kids from the same terrifying tier?

Balrog, high-ranked Incubus, Dullahan, gumiho...

Not a single one of these other races is remotely pushover material. Wait — hold on, there was a gumiho, wasn't there.

I closed the browser window and went straight into the class group chat.

Since we'd only made it over the weekend, hardly anyone had talked in it yet.

"Which means I don't have to dig through the member list looking for her. Found her. I just hope Sua checks her messages."

I tapped Sua's profile picture — her, in a hanbok, flipping jeon pancakes — and sent her a direct message.

Instant reply. It basically came back the second I hit send.

Let's get straight to the point.

Should I tell Sua that I challenged Harin to a duel? Hmm...

Dang it. Sua read me fast and got ahead of me.

Like I keep saying — she's no ordinary gumiho.

Wait — I was the only one who didn't know Harin had been unconsciously radiating charm this whole time?

And here I thought even Sua wouldn't have noticed.

Of course a fox would wish me a dream of fried tofu and persimmons.

Still, I was one step closer to my goal.

It sounded like she'd taken the charm request positively.

"Hana would say this is unnecessary... but if it can raise my odds even one percent, I have to try everything I can."

Now let me get some sleep. It's already twelve thirty.

Tomorrow's going to be another busy day — might as well rest up.

"Seha, a package with an elixir came this morning. Should we try it right after school?"

"Sure. Though I might have plans."

"Huh? You set up an appointment while going home yesterday? Who are you, some social butterfly?"

Hana's voice darkened — this, from the same girl who'd been twirling my hair around her finger just moments ago.

"Whew... was I being too thoughtless, showing up now?"

"No, you came at just the right time, Sua. What do you think about what I asked yesterday?"

"No problem at all! But I will need to prepare. I have to request a brush from my main family. If it works for you, how about Wednesday or Thursday?"

"That works. We can just do it after school. Would a café be a good place to draw it?"

"Would you like to come to my house instead? I'll see you out when you leave."

"Um, Seha...? Scheduling a date right in front of me — is that supposed to be some kind of provocation? With Sua, no less? Our sweet Sua — turns out she's not a gumiho but a sultry vixen. Fine. I'll set her tails on fire and make her a real fiery fox."

Hana, eyes completely dead, craned her neck a full ninety degrees downward as she flicked a flame to life.

"Eeeek! No no no! It's a misunderstanding, Hana! I was only going to deliver a charm to Seha! I haven't a shred of ulterior motive, I swear!"

Sua babbled her defense at machine-gun speed, panicking. Her five lush tails were drawn in tight, trembling.

"I was the one who asked, Hana. I figured it was absolutely necessary for the challenge next week."

"I'm already wrapping you in my blessing. Why would you bother with something pointless like that?"

I knew she'd say that. She's complaining exactly the way I predicted.

"If there's a way to raise my odds even one percent, I have to try it. If you're that worried, why don't you come along too, Hana? Would that be alright, Sua?"

"Oh...! Of course! Hana, you're welcome to join us. I could even serve you delicious dried persimmons!"

"Haa. I do want to come along... but this time, Seha, you go alone. I have academy classes, and I don't think I can free up Wednesday or Thursday."

"You're sure you're okay with me going by myself?"

"I'm not a yandere, you know. I do like you that much, but... besides, I can't imagine Sua pulling anything weird. I trust you both — that's exactly why I'm sending you off to her house without a fuss."

"Such a broad-minded Balrog! I'll draw Seha the very best charm I can!"

"I'm sure Seha's already told you roughly how things stand, so I won't drag this out. If you're making it anyway, make it good."

"Yes, ma'am! Seha, then how about Wednesday after school?"

"Sounds good. Is there anything I should bring?"

"Nope~ just bring yourself and I'll handle everything else~ Well then, class is about to start, so I'll head back!"

Sua scurried back to her seat.

Her tails had recovered their softness again, swaying lazily.

Great — I've got Hana's blessing too.

So tomorrow, I'll be receiving my charm ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠from Sua.

I wonder what a house where a gumiho lives looks like inside.