Chapter 36
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Practice (1)
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Shocked by the news that Im A-rin had arrived, I dropped training and rushed to the lobby.
On the way there, I checked my messenger just in case...
Sure enough, it was right after I'd seen her last message saying she'd contact me later.
'As expected... did she notice?'
Arriving at the lobby like that.
I spotted Im A-rin standing in the center of the quiet space.
She must have been on her way to a schedule, as she was already in full makeup.
She wore a lovely sky-blue blouse adorned with lace and a white skirt...
Gulp—
For some reason, she seemed especially adorable today.
"Ji-hyeok...!"
At that moment, Im A-rin spotted me first and waved enthusiastically, calling out.
She came trotting over with a bright, genuine smile, just like a puppy spotting its owner.
Her cuteness made my heart skip a beat, as if it had malfunctioned for a second.
It was the thrill I'd felt in so long.
'...Calm down, Do Ji-hyeok... Don't fall for it...!'
I tried to suppress my pounding heart and greeted her as casually and composedly as possible.
"What's up? You came all the way here."
"I just... wanted to see you for a bit...!"
Her bold words were followed by her sticking out her tongue shyly, the picture of pure charm.
Feeling my lips twitch with the urge to pull her into a tight hug, I desperately controlled my expression and kept the conversation steady.
"Got a schedule?"
"Yeah! You know Love Signal?"
"Heard of it."
"I'm a guest there, and I had some time, so I stopped by...! I didn't interrupt when you're busy, did I...?"
Her big eyes widened slightly, a hint of anxiety on her face as she cautiously gauged my reaction.
Part of me wanted to brush her off by saying I was busy...
"I am busy... but I can spare a little time."
But I couldn't bring myself to say anything harsh.
"Really...?"
Im A-rin instantly brightened up as if the worry had never been there, chatting about trivial things before slyly slipping in a question about my weekend plans.
"Weekend?"
"Yeah! Are you free Saturday...?"
This pattern was a clear invitation to meet up.
To keep distance from her, I needed to turn it down...
Fortunately, I already had plans with Bang Han-na on Saturday.
"Hmm... I've got something on Saturday."
"Oh... I see..."
Im A-rin looked down, seeming genuinely disappointed, but then she lifted her head and met my eyes directly, asking softly.
"But who with?"
"...Huh?"
"Who are you meeting...?"
Drip—
A bead of cold sweat trickled down my back at her words.
She was still the epitome of loveliness,
but the way she asked who it was with reminded me of Seol Ju-hee right before she snapped in anger.
"Just... some team members..."
I didn't want to mention Bang Han-na's name specifically, so I fudged it to get past the moment.
"Team members...?"
Thankfully, Im A-rin seemed to buy it, relaxing her expression as she asked back.
"Yeah. Just whoever's free is grabbing a meal together."
"Oh, really? Where?"
One lie is hard, but two are easy, they say.
I dodged her question about the location with another vague answer.
'Is this okay...?'
I felt a slight pang of conscience...
But we weren't really dating anyway, so a white lie like this was fine, I told myself, calming my racing heart.
'Yeah, this is just a harmless fib.'
"Don't you have to get going now?"
"Oh, right!"
Time flew by, and as it came time to part, she suddenly rummaged in her bag and pulled something out.
"This is your favorite, right?!"
It was mint chocolate from my favorite brand.
"...You bought this on purpose?"
"Yep! I heard you were busy, so I got it to cheer you up!"
Her sweet giggle melted my defenses for a moment, and I reached out to take the chocolate with a thank you.
But right then.
Grab—
Im A-rin yanked my wrist,
Mwah—
and planted a kiss on my cheek.
'Huh?'
Stunned in the blink of an eye, I stood there blankly holding the chocolate, staring at her.
She flashed a mischievous, utterly satisfied smile, then stepped back with a wave.
"I'll text you after it ends...! Work hard!"
After Im A-rin breezed away.
I stood dazed in the lobby, then snapped to my senses and glanced around.
Luckily, no one was passing by, and the pillar blocked the view from the information desk.
"...Haa..."
Letting out a heavy sigh that aged me a decade, I dragged my conflicted feet back to the training ground.
"Ah, Producer!"
"Sorry. Were you looking for me?"
The moment I arrived, Bang Han-na, who had been talking with Han Gyu-ri, approached eagerly...
"During training today...! Uh..."
"...What's wrong?"
She suddenly reacted oddly, as if spotting something, and hesitantly pointed at my face.
"...Um... on your face..."
"My face?"
I absentmindedly touched the cheek she indicated.
And then.
"...Huh?"
I felt a distinct sticky sensation on my fingertips.
"!"
It was Im A-rin's lipstick mark.
"Thanks for telling me!"
Realizing too late what had happened, I hurriedly covered my cheek and said,
"Uh... I'll just run to the bathroom real quick! Wait a sec?"
"...Y-yeah..."
I thanked Bang Han-na for the heads-up and bolted to the restroom.
In a church-affiliated hospital in Seoul.
Hong Yu-ra and Seol Ju-hee, who had arrived early for their afternoon schedule, were undergoing examinations.
"Take a deep breath and just relax into it."
Lying on a bed resembling a dental chair, Hong Yu-ra gave a short reply, closed her eyes tightly, and accepted the holy power from the nun-attired healer...
Vrrrrmmm...
"Hmm... Huh...?"
After a few minutes, the healer withdrew her power with a puzzled expression and gave her assessment.
"Something's off. The symptoms are definitely mental interference... but I can't find anything."
"What does that..."
"You can't find it...?"
The healer explained their method of treating mental curses or spells to Hong Yu-ra and Seol Ju-hee.
"As you know, holy power is essentially a blessing. It lets us peer inside and detect impure abilities like curses or hypnosis. But... I couldn't find a single trace in either of you."
"What? How..."
"Of course, the symptoms you've described are definitely suggestion-based. So, this is far from normal."
For the first time, Seol Ju-hee and Hong Yu-ra felt a faint unease.
A suggestion had taken hold, yet they couldn't pinpoint the cause.
Even an A-rank healer renowned in the church couldn't detect this mental ability?
"Hmm... I can think of a few hypotheses."
The healer laid out her theories.
"First, a mental ability user stronger than both of you used their power on you. I can't treat curses or abilities ranked higher than mine either."
But this was unlikely.
Mental ability users A-rank or above were exceedingly rare to begin with,
and even if some unknown powerhouse existed outside government records, one strong enough to affect the two top-ranked hunters was even rarer.
"Second... you've been under the suggestion for so long that it's already fully integrated."
The healer believed this was the closest match and continued her explanation.
"Do you know the myth of the Trojan Horse?"
"The Trojan Horse? The one where they hid inside the horse to defeat the enemy?"
"Exactly."
The healer nodded at Hong Yu-ra's response and elaborated.
"You've been suggested since before you got strong, and a dormant hint in your minds was triggered into activation. Like the Trojan Horse waiting for the right moment."
She said a suggestion powerful enough to alter one's values would require years of exposure...
"My God..."
Hong Yu-ra and Seol Ju-hee felt chills at the healer's words.
Who could harbor such malice to plant a suggestion on them?
And not just 1-2 years, but a horrific scheme spanning nearly a decade.
"For now, rest up and work on restoring your normal values. This type of suggestion can only be broken through sheer willpower."
"...Is that possible?"
The healer nodded at Seol Ju-hee's question.
If they nurtured a will stronger than the suggestion, they could overcome it.
"A stronger will..."
At that answer, the two unwittingly recalled Im A-rin's different behavior.
Unlike them, she had gone to meet Do Ji-hyeok, ready to risk everything.
That night.
'...Lipstick mark... It was definitely lipstick...'
Back home, Bang Han-na bit her nails, recalling the lipstick stain on Do Ji-hyeok's cheek and his flustered reaction.
'They're not dating. It didn't feel like that yet...'
Do Ji-hyeok had stiffened and shown a subtle reaction the moment Han Gyu-ri mentioned Im A-rin's visit.
Meaning her showing up wasn't exactly welcome.
'Then the lipstick... Did Im A-rin kiss him out of nowhere...?'
Bang Han-na pieced it together easily.
To be precise, Im A-rin had shaken his heart while marking her territory...
But it matched that the skinship was unwanted on his end.
'Skinship... Maybe I need to try skinship too...?'
Suddenly, Bang Han-na remembered a story from a college friend.
'Guys always get bored of the fish they've caught. That's why I change up my concept every day so my boyfriend doesn't go back to his wife. Yesterday...'
"Ugh..."
Blushing at the embarrassing tale, Bang Han-na glanced around her empty apartment and tentatively cupped her massive chest, hidden under a single T-shirt.
She recalled her friend's envious advice.
'Han-na, your boobs are invincible. No guy can resist those! Just swing 'em, and they're done for!'
Her friend had said Bang Han-na's chest could steal any man in the world.
"Is it really...?"
Bang Han-na compared her chest to Im A-rin's...
'Hah, I might actually have a shot...?'
Clutching a sliver of hope, she began reviewing the date itinerary coming up soon.