The Government (2)
Early morning, Chae-won had left the house earlier than usual and was walking while staring at the ground. The events of yesterday passed like a revolving lantern, pricking her aching heart.
That idiot has a girlfriend…?
It was a beautiful girl too.
Yoo Jin was beautiful even if Chae-won saw her. She probably would have believed it if introduced as an idol.
It was hard to believe that such a person was her brother's girlfriend.
“Chae-won!”
As they almost reached the school, Sia called out to her.
Chae-won waved her hand weakly at Sia.
Chae-won, who used to run to Sia and chatter, was now like this. Sia was a bit surprised. She asked slyly.
“What's wrong? You don't look good.”
“...That.”
She hesitated, and the face of a certain person came to mind. It was Seonghun. Whenever he hid something, she felt sad even though she didn't show it.
Would Sia feel the same? Then what if she doesn't befriend me.
Thinking this, Chae-won explained her situation with a worried expression.
“...It's done.”
“Ah, so that's why you have a sad face.”
After hearing the story, Sia was still bewildered.
So why…?
Sia also had a cousin brother.
Of course not a real brother, but the relationship was similar. She had thought of him like a real brother since childhood.
Sia's cousin brother also had a girlfriend. What reaction did he show back then…?
It didn't stick in memory as much as the breakfast from a week ago. It wasn't that impressive a thing.
“I'm jealous. That fox-like woman took our brother away. She's a complete Lucifer. A demon. A scoundrel.”
“...!”
How could that be?
She wanted to ask how that could happen, but Sia closed her mouth.
Instead of arguing, she filtered it as much as possible so she could understand.
“S-so, you don't like your brother Seonghun's girlfriend?”
“...That's it!”
In fact, Chae-won had similar thoughts.
Why did my brother get a girlfriend? Why does this bother me so much?
But the important thing was that she felt bad. She didn't know why.
And that worry was resolved just now.
So! I don't like my brother having a girlfriend. That idiot fell for it because he thought it was good for him. What kind of era is this nowadays.
In Chae-won's mind, a news headline quickly flashed.
- Recently, the sexual assault case she reported was revealed to be false, making headlines...
A flower snake! It was definitely a flower snake!
What is this? There are many false sexual assault cases these days. The world is scary.
“She must have approached with bad intentions. That demon.”
“...?”
“I have to save her. Our brother knows nothing about women. He's an incredibly pure person.”
“Ah... I see.”
“Yeah. This is definitely an event that can't be left alone. I'll help, Sia, right?”
When Sia looked at Chae-won, she was already not in her right mind.
But it looks fun.
And Chae-won's delusion had some truth.
She knew that Yoo Jin was affiliated with the government.
It was quite high-ranking too.
The sudden appearance could only be explained as having some purpose.
Sia smiled brightly and said.
“Of course. I'm your friend, right?”
“Thanks!”
The deflated Chae-won burned brightly. She clenched her white fists and made a promise.
“Watch me. I'll save you from that strange person.”
“...Puhup.”
Sia covered her mouth. Chae-won was too cute.
Thus, the 'project to interfere with my brother's dating' was in progress.
Meanwhile... There were people working on a similar but different project.
**
Saerom was bewildered.
It felt like all the common sense she knew had been destroyed in one morning.
“Boss. After mobilizing the Hunter Association's total personnel, it was confirmed that at 7:58 AM, the young lady left home and around 8:10 AM, she bought hotteok at a shop called Manjindubang with Yoo Sia and ate it. Fortunately, she seems to eat breakfast.”
Yoo Jin was writing on the board with a black marker, announcing it enthusiastically.
Seonghun, sitting in the seat, nodded with a serious face, chin on his hand.
“It's a relief. You have to eat a solid breakfast. I should increase your allowance.”
“But Boss, according to the statistics bureau data, the more allowance a high school girl gets, the higher the dating rate...”
“Shut up!”
Seonghun was angry.
“...Allowance is frozen.”
Yoo Jin answered with a slight smile.
“Wise choice.”
“Me... but...”
Saerom asked, trembling with this bizarre sight.
“What is this? In broad daylight, closing the blinds... Aren't we open?”
“Is opening important?”
Seonghun was sincere. Saerom thought.
This is madness... It's an unstoppable true madness.
“My little sister is in puberty.”
“......”
Is this a hidden camera?
But Saerom closed her mouth.
Normally, low-level civil servants do that. If you can, you have to.
She looked at her supervisor Yoo Jin with longing eyes. But she was also not the Yoo Jin she knew.
After two years of working together, she knew. Now Yoo Jin was serious.
“Saerom-ya. Do you not know how serious this incident is?”
“...I don't know at all.”
Saerom's shoulders slumped.
Seonghun, being kind, explained.
“To properly go through puberty, you shouldn't be crooked. I don't want Chae-won to become a flight youth.”
Seonghun suddenly recalled.
Chae-won with her skirt shortened and heavy makeup.
The scene of her trembling her legs in a dark alley and smoking a cigarette.
It was painful!
Even if a knife was in his throat, he couldn't see such a sight.
That was why.
He planned this large-scale project.
I have been too negligent with Chae-won lately. I'll settle everything.
It was the solemn resolve of a general about to wage war.
**
I was sad.
The reason Chae-won abandoned me in my previous life was because I wasn't there during puberty.
At first, I thought it was purely because I was hiding something and she got upset.
So I created the perfect excuse of having a girlfriend... but nothing changed.
Chae-won still had her lips out and didn't eat breakfast.
She even skipped dinner and cooked ramyeon for herself.
This was definitely puberty. It wasn't a normal emotional change.
Puberty is a period of unpredictable emotional storms.
Chae-won came a bit late.
...The problem was that in my previous life, I didn't know that and acted like an idiot.
“I will atone.”
There's no trash like trash. I was angry at my past self.
But I can't live in the past. The important thing is now. I have regressed, and I still have a chance to fix my mistakes.
I was half thinking about other things while stirring the noodles.
It was a failure as a chef. But why do I keep thinking about Chae-won?
“Chae-won-ssi? What brings you here?”
Yoo Jin's voice came from the kitchen.
She had been thinking all day, so now she was hallucinating.
“Just, checking if there's anything wrong with the store.”
This voice was definitely Chae-won's.
I came out of the kitchen and walked to the entrance.
“What's wrong? Did you come to help?”
It was Chae-won.
I greeted her warmly.
“Hmm, incidentally. I'll eat some noodles too?”
Chae-won sat naturally at an empty table and said.
“Oppa, I want to eat bibimbap.”
“Okay, got it. I'll prepare it soon.”
Was my mood a bit lighter?
Since after the breakup, she hadn't visited the noodle house.
Good. I was trying to settle the negligence anyway.
I had to start right now.
A while later, I prepared the bibimbap and placed it on Chae-won's table.
“Eat well.”
“Hmmm, yeah. But oppa.”
“Why?”
“When working with your girlfriend, isn't it uncomfortable?”
The sudden question from Chae-won made me scratch my head.
“Is it because of puberty?”
It was a time to be curious about male-female relationships.
Since it's not really dating, I can't give an exact answer.
I answered as I thought.
“Professionals must clearly distinguish work and personal. Don't worry.”
“But, um... Aren't you worried about working in such attire?”
Chae-won pointed at Yoo Jin's outfit.
It was a short-skirted maid outfit.
“I don't really know?”
“...Idiot.”
At that moment, Yoo Jin came to the table with a smile.
“Does it suit your taste? Seonghun-ssi is a good cook, so Chae-won-ssi is lucky.”
“Yeah, I like it a lot. When I'm at home, he always makes delicious food. He'll continue to do so, right oppa?”
I nodded at Chae-won's question.
“Of course, since you're in your growth period.”
Chae-won raised her collar and looked at Yoo Jin.
She seemed to have a victorious expression.
“Hmmm, but unnie. How did we meet because of oppa?”
“Well, he's reliable, kind, and cool?”
“I see. Then, does our oppa snore loudly when sleeping?”
“...What?”
I looked at Chae-won with a dumbfounded expression.
“I didn't know that far.”
“There is more. She hates mint chocolate, and if there's no soup when eating rice, she can't eat.”
“Oh ho. I see.”
Yoo Jin smiled faintly and took out a notebook and pen from her chest.
“Why are you writing that?”
“So I can know at least one more thing.”
Why?
I was about to ask, but didn't.
Chae-won continued to say my TMI's.
How much did she talk?
Chae-won drank a glass of cold water and said.
“Even when dating oppa, I didn't know these things.”
“That's right. Seonghun-ssi doesn't talk much about himself. He mostly talks about Chae-won-ya.”
“About me?”
Chae-won's eyes widened.
“Yes, he only talks about Chae-won-ssi.”
“...What does he say?”
Yoo Jin glanced at me and said.
“Since the person is right in front of me, it's a bit awkward to talk. Shall we talk later? Between girls.”
Chae-won had a troubled expression.
“Hmmm, okay. Then, let's exchange numbers.”
The two exchanged contact information.
**
“It's cute.”
“What is?”
I looked at Yoo Jin.
“Chae-won-ssi.”
“Of course. What kind of person is our Chae-won.”
After Chae-won left, Yoo Jin showed me her smartphone screen.
- Just in case, I'm watching! If you hurt or deceive our oppa, I'll kill you!
“What, what is this?”
“It's from Chae-won-ya. She must have been worried if I was a strange person.”
I smiled.
On the surface, she always acts tough, but inside, she's thinking about me.
Deep down, I felt proud.
“Yuri also probably has this kind of heart, right?”
Yoo Jin looked at the empty space.
“Yuri will definitely be the same.”
After removing Yuri's core, her body had recovered a lot.
Currently, she is in a coma state while creating a core.
But she will definitely wake up soon.
- Ring ring.
At that time.
Yoo Jin's phone rang.
“The association.”
Her expression sank.
“You still haven't noticed?”
“Yes, really incompetent people.”
The association doesn't know that I treated Yuri's body.
So they are still pressuring Yoo Jin to bring me into the government affiliation.
“Take it.”
Yoo Jin nodded.
“Yes, Chairman.”
I gestured for her to use speakerphone.
She understood and immediately switched to speakerphone.
“How is it going?”
A familiar voice came from the phone.
“It's going smoothly. Soon, he will cross over.”
“Two days left. If no results are shown by then, it's difficult to guarantee Yuri-ya's surgery.”
Yoo Jin's expression twisted.
“Well, if it's you, you could definitely pull him into our affiliation.”
“Yes. Please rest assured.”
“But... Aren't you thinking about something else? As I get older, my worries increase.”
“No way.”
“That's right, you have to.”
“Rather, if I only handle this matter, you'll definitely do Yuri's surgery, right?”
Yoo Jin said with a cold, sunken expression.
“Don't worry. As long as you don't do anything foolish, Yuri-ya's surgery will be fine.”
“I understand. I'll visit soon.”
Yoo Jin put the smartphone in her pocket.
And nodding as if she had made a decision, she said.
“Boss, sorry, but can I use a day off tomorrow?”
“Why?”
“I want to treat her with one blow.”
Her expression was quite serious.
Yoo Jin seemed to be preparing something for revenge.
But.
Tomorrow was the weekend.
The store was at its busiest time, so taking a day off?
“No.”
I said quietly.