Chapter 15
Chapter 15
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Han Ye-rim (3)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Han Ye-rim arrived at the restaurant first and took a seat. She shot her hand up high.
"Hyun-woo! This seat's empty. Over here...?"
Han Ye-rim trailed off. Her face stiffened. Lee Ji-ah tugged my arm, pulling me toward the seat across from Han Ye-rim.
Lee Ji-ah apologized with a sorry look on her face.
"Sorry, Ye-rim. We still have one more companion..."
"Companion?"
Han Ye-rim's face hardened as she pressed the question.
"Wouldn't it be better if your companion sat with you, Ji-ah? It seems like it'd be easier to chat if Hyun-woo and I sit together, rather than strangers."
Lee Ji-ah tapped my shadow with the tip of her foot. She spoke up.
"Yoo-jung, come on out. We're at the restaurant."
Suddenly, Han Yoo-jung popped out of the shadow. Han Ye-rim stared at her with wide eyes, clearly startled.
"Wh-what is this?"
"That's Han Yoo-jung, the companion I mentioned earlier."
"No, I mean..."
A person bursting out of a shadow. No wonder she was amazed. I'd been freaked out the first time I saw it too.
Han Yoo-jung plopped her butt down in the seat next to me. It was a four-person table, but way too cramped for three of us lined up. Han Yoo-jung scowled and shoved my shoulder hard.
"Mister, scoot inside a bit."
"Hey, there's no room. Quit pushing."
"Just stick closer to the lady!"
"Hyun-woo, Yoo-jung needs to eat too. Move over more."
Damn, with two empty seats but us three crammed together, the stares from the other tables were starting to sting. I wanted to switch seats, but it was lunch rush—place was packed.
Guess we'd better eat fast and get out.
That was when Lee Ji-ah and Han Yoo-jung were bickering over whose seat was whose.
"...Um, Han Yoo-jung?"
"Yeah?"
"Why not just take the seat next to me?"
At Han Ye-rim's suggestion, I stepped forward.
"Ah, Ye-rim. The thing is..."
I started to explain about Heavenly Killing Star and Peace of Mind, but Lee Ji-ah suddenly clamped her hand over my mouth. She whispered in my ear.
"Hyun-woo, you can't explain Heavenly Killing Star. Yoo-jung might end up in danger."
Heavenly Killing Star forced murders regardless of the awakener's own will.
Society wouldn't allow a walking time bomb who could swing a knife at any moment to roam the streets.
Lee Ji-ah was spot on.
"Ji-ah's right."
"Right?"
Lee Ji-ah turned to Han Ye-rim.
"Sorry, Ye-rim. There are circumstances..."
"...Ha!"
Han Ye-rim scoffed and roughly swept back her hair.
"More circumstances?"
"Yes."
"...What a load of crap."
Thud!
She muttered under her breath and slammed the menu down on the table irritably. She crossed her arms and legs.
"...Just pick something to eat already. I don't have a hobby of being gawked at by strangers."
Despite her sharp tone, Lee Ji-ah simply nodded without a word.
"Hyun-woo, they say the cheese pork cutlet here is amazing."
"Cheese donkatsu's good, huh?"
"Check the reviews."
Lee Ji-ah showed me her phone search results. It was all glowing praise. As she fiddled with her phone, our eyes suddenly met.
"Hyun-woo. If we order separately, we might not finish it all. Want to share?"
Lee Ji-ah's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled at me. She brushed her hair behind her ear. Her pale nape was fully exposed.
"..."
Rattle, rattle. The table suddenly started shaking like crazy.
I looked down to see what was up—Han Ye-rim was jittering her leg anxiously.
"Ye-rim, you okay?"
"What?"
She snapped irritably. I decided to clamp my mouth shut.
The food arrived quickly.
The server looked flustered at the sight of us huddled together in one spot, but it wasn't a big deal.
The entire meal, Lee Ji-ah and Han Ye-rim kept the conversation going.
I had no idea what had happened to our original plan to meet up. These two, who had zero prior connection, were grilling each other on personal details.
"...So, when did you meet Hyun-woo?"
"At the cafe. He's helped me out so much from then until now. He's basically my lifesaver. What about you, Ye-rim?"
"Since middle school. We were classmates in engineering. That sparked our friendship, and we've been close through high school and college. Speaking of which, you're an S-rank hunter—do you really need Hyun-woo for anything?"
"Haha, of course. No one lives entirely alone. Oh, but what do you do, Ye-rim?"
"I manage a major guild overseas. Not on your S-rank hunter level, but I'm doing pretty well."
"Ah, a manager... Must be busy with the season in full swing. So, what's the urgent reason you came back to Korea?"
"Well, some damn fox pup sank its teeth right into my dog's scruff while I was away from home."
"...Being away that long must've been tough on the dog. You probably left it with someone during your time abroad, right? At that point, the dog might see the caretaker as its owner more than you."
"You think a dog forgets its first owner just like that? No matter how much time passes, it'll always wag its tail happily—that's a dog for you."
This place's cheese donkatsu was delicious.
The ratio of meat to cheese was perfection.
Not drowned in cheese, not oversized hunks of meat.
Somewhere in that exquisite middle ground—a flawless balance. No wonder it was a popular spot.
As I swallowed a bite of donkatsu, I asked Han Ye-rim.
"You were raising a dog at your place? I visited a ton but never saw one."
"Yeah. Sorry, Hyun-woo. I'm in the middle of talking with Ji-ah right now... You wanna finish eating?"
"Uh, yeah? S-sure. Got it."
Her oddly pressuring tone left me nodding in a daze.
Han Yoo-jung next to me chugged some water and spoke up.
"Mister."
"Yeah?"
"Bathroom."
I stood from my seat and asked Lee Ji-ah for permission.
"Ji-ah, Yoo-jung needs the bathroom—mind coming with?"
With Peace of Mind's range so narrow, we had no choice but to stick together even for personal business.
Lee Ji-ah stood up after me, looking none too pleased. Han Ye-rim gaped at me blankly.
"...Hyun-woo, what'd you just say?"
She looked utterly thrown.
"We're heading to the bathroom."
"...With Ji-ah and Yoo-jung too? The bathroom?"
"Ah."
Was that weird?
It sounded weird, didn't it.
Han Ye-rim stared at us in turn with a shocked expression. Suddenly, Lee Ji-ah hid shyly behind my back.
I hurriedly made excuses.
"Hey, hey, just walking to the bathroom door together. Don't get the wrong idea."
Han Ye-rim, head bowed and trembling, finally calmed down. She met my eyes and gave a small smile.
"I understoo..."
Splash!
Han Ye-rim flung the water from her glass right at me.
"..."
Water dripped from the crown of my head down to the floor.
In the now-chilly atmosphere, they headed to the movie theater. Han Ye-rim had originally booked just two tickets, so they'd puzzled over seating arrangements, but...
"Hello? Sorry to bother you on short notice, but would you sell me that seat?"
"Huh? What do you..."
"I'll pay thirty times the price."
"Deal! We'll catch the next showing. Enjoy the movie with your boyfriend."
"Make it forty times."
Lee Ji-ah bought up every adjacent seat. Lee Ji-ah and Han Yoo-jung naturally settled on either side of Kim Hyun-woo. It all happened before Han Ye-rim could even open her mouth.
Han Ye-rim propped her chin on the armrest and sullenly stared at the screen. Kim Hyun-woo snuck glances at her with just his eyes.
Seeing that almost cooled her anger,
"Hyun-woo, my hands were full, so I could only grab one cola..."
"Then you have it, Ji-ah."
"No, I brought two straws. Let's share."
Just watching Lee Ji-ah's antics made her blood boil.
As Lee Ji-ah and Kim Hyun-woo sipped from the straws, their cheeks bumped together.
Lee Ji-ah met Han Ye-rim's eyes and checked that Kim Hyun-woo was focused on the movie.
Lee Ji-ah shot Han Ye-rim a sneaky grin when Kim Hyun-woo wasn't looking.
Grit.
Han Ye-rim clenched her teeth and pulled out her phone. She texted Kim Hyun-woo.
Kim Hyun-woo showed no reaction.
His phone buzzed like mad from the vibrations. Startled, Kim Hyun-woo hurriedly silenced it. He covered the screen with his hand as he checked the messages.
Work colleagues? Give me a break.
Han Ye-rim scoffed. Which part of Lee Ji-ah's behavior screamed "work colleague"?
At Han Ye-rim's relentless questions, Kim Hyun-woo hesitated, fingers pausing. After some agonizing thought, he finally typed out a reply.
Their eyes met, and Kim Hyun-woo gave an awkward "ahaha" laugh.
Han Ye-rim tilted her head. She typed again.
Crack. The screen of the phone in her grip cracked. She took a deep breath and hammered at the keys.
That's all an act, you moron, Han Ye-rim thought to herself.
She started to mutter it aloud but clamped her mouth shut.
Lee Ji-ah was glaring at her with eyes wide open.
In the end, her thoughts never made it past her lips.
Not until the date with Kim Hyun-woo was over.
After parting ways with Kim Hyun-woo, Han Ye-rim slumped to the alley floor and wildly tousled her hair.
"Lee Ji-ah... Lee Ji-ah... Lee Ji-ah... Lee Ji-ah..."
Muttering Lee Ji-ah's name over and over, Han Ye-rim pulled out her phone. She dialed somewhere.
Hello?
"Guild Master, it's Han Ye-rim."
Han Ye-rim switched to fluent English. The guild master responded brightly.
Oh yeah, I heard. Went to Korea to see your boyfriend? How'd it go?
Han Ye-rim replied coldly.
"No."
Oh? Really? Must've fought with the boyfriend, huh?
Han Ye-rim toyed with her soft lips, lost in thought. It felt a bit sorry to bring up with the guild master. She spoke up.
"Guild Master, I've got something to tell you."
What is it?
"I'm quitting."
What!? Why!?
"Circumstances came up. I need to come back to Korea."
Sigh...
The guild master sighed. He could sense the resolve in her tone. Her mind was already made up.
He realized he couldn't hold onto Han Ye-rim for his guild anymore.
You know there's still contract time left, right?
"Yes."
...Fine. You've worked hard—no need to grind out every last day. Just come in, hand things off properly, and go.
"Thanks, Guild Master."
Then work a bit more.
"Can't do that."
Click.
Han Ye-rim hung up.
Back at her hotel, she booked a flight ticket and frantically packed her bags. Every passing minute meant more time for Kim Hyun-woo and Lee Ji-ah to spend together.
She had to return to Korea even a day sooner. Han Ye-rim's steps naturally quickened.