Phantom Pain
"Ahem! Uh, where should this body sleep?"
"Wash up and crash. I'll wrap up some work in the basement. Hmm... My sister's still out cold. Sofa or, if it's too uncomfortable, my bed's yours."
"Eh? Sin-u's bed? Th-that's no good!!"
"I wash the blankets regularly—no smell."
I waved dismissively and headed out of the living room. Then Red Wing's voice hit the back of my head.
"M-misunderstanding! This body didn't mean it smelled!"
I ignored her shout as best I could.
Too much time wasted on that Magic Association tail. Can't pour all my hours into just one client like Red Wing.
Wrap this up quick and get to work proper.
…
Tick tock. Tap tap. Whirr whirr.
The faint clock ticks, keyboard clacks, and endless hum of the PC cooling fans were the only sounds echoing in the basement.
"Nngh!"
I stretched lightly and checked the time.
"One a.m. already? Alright, call it here and hit the sack. Need to test anyway."
Faking fieldwork to WFH at home pricks the conscience a bit... but no choice.
Got to shove these surplus heroes back into society, one way or another.
Fail at that, and our center loses purpose. Miss quotas, and they'll swap us out like worn gears.
Then I'd be no better than the unemployed heroes. Can't do that to the teacher who got me this gig—guilt alone would kill me.
"Modeling's about done. Dragons have plenty of refs anyway..."
A quick test run, and we're good to launch. Too many witnesses risks exposing the fake—keep 'em to a trusted few.
Like... civil servants.
…
I crept up the stairs on tiptoe, careful not to wake anyone this late.
Quick shower, dragged my stiff body to my room. Planned to melt into the comfy bed and wash away the day's fatigue...
But.
"Ugh, forgot. If not in the living room, obviously here. Why aren't you asleep?"
Red Wing was curled up on the floor by the bed, blinking up at me.
"Kh-khm. Couldn't sleep much..."
"Dragons get insomnia too?"
"Oh! Finally admitting this body is a dragon?"
"Slip of the tongue."
I yanked two blankets and a pillow from the wardrobe and tossed them over.
"Bububwoop...!"
Red Wing flailed under the puffy white duvet avalanche but soon poked her head out, staring at me intently again.
"What're you gawking at... Oh, don't tell me there's a hole in the blanket? Lemme see."
"N-no! This body takes care of that much!"
"Good enough. Night. Too beat to give up the bed."
I flopped onto the mattress indifferently.
A quiet silence lingered. Red Wing spoke first.
"Sin-u... why go this far?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Y'know. It's weird. First time meeting today, no reason to grant this body's villain-slaying whim..."
"You said you wanted it. What, backing out now?"
"Umm... what this body means is...!"
She chewed her lip, struggling, then tried again.
"You know this body's just throwing a tantrum. No real reason to indulge it all... right?"
"Not 'cause I'm into you or anything. Don't worry."
"That's not the joke I was fishing for...!"
Lips pursed, she yanked the duvet to her chin.
"Wanted to be a hero, huh?"
"...Yeah. Had that phase."
"Why quit?"
"Why ask?"
"J-just! Curious."
I muttered back to the ceiling, back to the floor where she lay.
"Lost all meaning. In every way."
"Every way?"
"No precious people left to protect. No role demanding I shield anyone... Why am I even saying this? Sleep."
"...Yeah!"
She went quiet after that, drifting off.
Me? My head spun too much to sleep.
'Wanted to be a hero, huh?'
That offhand question strangled me over and over.
A night aching for family.
…
"Wake up."
"Nngh... five more minutes."
-Squish
"K-Kieee!!"
A light tail-step, and she bolted up like a startled deer.
"Nine a.m. already—up. Si-yeon's at school, I'm ready."
"Uwaa, time flew! Sorry, first blanket sleep in ages..."
"C'mon. Quick test."
Like yesterday, cradled in Red Wing's arms, we reached the Mountainside Pavilion.
Starting to feel attached to the spot.
"Few tests here. Not much experience with this scale myself."
"Hm... ever had a problem client like this body before?"
"Glad you know you're a pain... But what're you getting at?"
"Anyone else you've villain-proxied like this!"
"A few. Satisfied enough to quit heroing and boost national GDP in new jobs now."
"R-really...! Sin-u's amazing."
"Not really. Stand over there."
She shuffled to the spot I pointed.
"Okay. Stay still."
Tablet in left hand replayed last night's vid. Right hand drew up mana.
A faint shape bloomed around her, sharpening.
"Hng...!"
"No weird noises. Nothing to feel yet, so why..."
"No feeling, but just seeing it tickles!!"
Her shoulders twitched oddly. The Materialization of Imagination kraken fully formed around her.
"Phew! Hold it. Checking details."
I approached the kraken-shrouded Red Wing.
Wriggling suckers, sticky white slime, ringed razor teeth. Perfect match to the footage.
"Ha, should I switch to movies?"
Satisfied with my own work, I asked her.
"Can you hover without flapping wings?"
"No wings...? Tough."
"Figured. Hang on."
Fired up the drone. Tricky for humans structurally, but she's light—even with tail. Crank output, no issue.
"Something'll touch your butt. Sit and balance."
"B-butt...? Hya! Sin-u! Wh-what is this?!"
"Think of it as a chair. Comfy?"
"Yeah, but... Hya! Floating!"
She bobbed up. I synced the kraken illusion, raising its thirteen legs to match.
"Hmm... sync looks good. Now act. Guide popping up—follow the vid."
"G-guide? What's..."
More mana conjured a translucent screen before her face. Illusion status window gimmick—useless, but fun side project.
"Got it? I'll assist. Just ham it up."
Casual direction, but thunder roared back.
"C-crazy!!! Sin-u, you're down there!! Drop me and you're dead!!"
Her bellow shook leaves loose like fall.
"Hey, we agreed—don't bail now."
"E-even so! This body doing cheesy acting?!"
"Anyone'd think I sent you porn. Such a drama queen..."
The guide was just 13-year-old kraken op footage overlaid on her. Pure, no pervy motives.
For real.
"Action!"
"........."
"Action!!"
"Uh. Uwaa. Th-this. Let. Go."
Stiff as a puppet. Voice choppier than subway announcements.
"For real?"
Awkward as hell. Time for shock therapy.
"Red Wing. Listen."
"Wh-what now!!"
"Human brains aren't perfect. Fooled easy by visuals."
Mana shifted. Kraken legs flowed liquidly. Thin illusion veil over her whole body.
"Hii, hiya!! Wh-what's this!!"
"Calm. Not real touch. But ticklish, right?"
"Th-that's what I'm saying!"
A slimy tentacle grazed her thigh. Pure illusion—no feel.
But hyper-real phantoms trick the brain sometimes into believing it's real.
"Okay, face is good. Convincing."
"Hyat!! This is weird... Feels totally real!"
"Yeah yeah. Nice shoulder shiver. More embarrassed look."
I watched her reactions hawk-eyed, head high. Caught her clothes "ripping" in the act too.
"H-how long... Forgive this body already..."
"Hmm... yeah, wrapping up fine—"
-Riiiing
"Hold on, phone."
"Yaaah!!"
Morning call: Gu Tae-san. Probably cracked the tail last night.
"Hello?"
"Yo! Ban Sin-u!"
"Whoa, chill. What's with the yelling?"
"Sigh... Too much for phone. Get to the lab."
"Ehh..."
"Urgent. Bring that girl from yesterday."
He hung in a rush, like he was swamped.
"What's the deal."
"Siiiinu!!!"
"Sorry. Releasing."
I scattered the mana. Kraken vanished; she hopped down.
Face flushed mad, she swung her arm wildly, glaring murder.
I stared a beat...
-Boing!
Leapt full-force, hugging her tight.
"Ugh...! S-sudden hug what?!"
"Address here. Fly us."
"...Not. A. Taxi!!"