Legendary Designer Choi Nari (8)
“Mihyeon!”
Choi Nari grabbed her friend’s hand and burst into sobs. I let out a quiet sigh. No matter how vast my mana reserves were, what I’d just done was a first-time experiment. I understood exactly what I’d accomplished. It was probably the realm Kang A-jin was striving for. The realm where Valentina occasionally succeeded—and something only possible there.
Application. Not knowledge gained naturally or from existing sources, but a novel combination of what already existed.
What I’d done was a fusion of sorcery and poison arts. Topped off with my unique mana injection ability. My heart raced, and my head spun. It wasn’t just simple fatigue. New inspirations were bubbling up inside me from what I’d just pulled off.
New realms. New applications. New combinations.
I slipped quietly out of the room. I headed to the spacious living room and flopped onto the sofa. In my mind—and throughout my body’s mana—new possibilities were being tested, inspirations flowing in. I let them be. No need to jot them down on paper or force them into memory. Left alone, they’d store themselves in my brain and cells naturally.
I decided to let them debate and figure things out among themselves.
About ten minutes passed with my eyes closed when something cold pressed against my cheek. I startled awake to find Choi Nari holding a beer can to my face.
“Tired?”
“Nah.”
Really, just those ten minutes had eased the headache. New inspirations were still popping up inside me, but they moved independently of my external awareness now. In that short time, I’d figured out how to control them.
I took the beer can from Choi Nari’s hand. She grabbed one for herself and sat beside me. Chik, chik. We cracked ours open. We drank in silence.
Choi Nari’s living room had floor-to-ceiling windows. The view through them was breathtaking. And tonight was a full moon. The round moon hung in the sky, casting its mystical glow toward us.
As I gazed at it, Choi Nari spoke.
“Thank you.”
“Ah……”
Honestly, I hadn’t expected it to work this well. It had been a desperate Hail Mary, but it yielded better results than hoped. Still, no need to say that outright to her.
“How’s your friend?”
“She’s better. What now? Keep feeding her items?”
“No need. Regular potions might help if anything, but better to focus on meals. As you know, she’s lost way too much weight.”
“Ah……”
Choi Nari clapped a hand over her mouth. At the restaurant, she’d seemed so chic and unapproachable, but this side felt refreshingly age-appropriate and pure.
“You’ll join us, right?”
At my question, she punched my shoulder lightly.
“You kidding? Of course.”
“Pretend I didn’t hear the part about not needing money. I promise top-industry pay. And hefty performance bonuses, naturally. Keeping a place like this and those cars costs a fortune.”
“I’ve got savings for that. Honestly, I was thinking of retiring as-is. Rumors flew about me going overseas, but that was never the plan. Why would foreign hunters be better if I already hate Korean ones? If Mihyeon died, I figured I’d slip away abroad quietly and live alone. I could earn living expenses doing occasional freelance under my nickname. That was the idea……”
Choi Nari gazed dreamily at the moon. Moonlight bathed her face, making it strikingly beautiful. With her commitment secured, I stood.
“It’s late. I should head out. Contact Yunmi tomorrow—she’ll give you the details better than I can.”
“Wait.”
She grabbed my wrist.
“What’s the rush? I’m feeling sentimental tonight. Keep me company.”
It was an unexpected line. I hadn’t pegged her as gay, but she didn’t seem into guys either. And such an intimate request? Truth be told, I had nothing pressing back home. Just a cramped one-room waiting, and I needed to change the sheets anyway. They’d held up fine after Seol-bi, but Eun-bi had been a flood. Plus, I was beat—didn’t feel like dealing with it. Maybe crash at a hotel. Or call Seol-bi or A-jin. Or… other options might open up.
Looking at Choi Nari’s face sparked those thoughts.
“More beer okay? Or I’ve got wine and whiskey. Whatever you like.”
“Beer’s fine.”
I sank back onto the sofa. Maybe worried I’d bolt, she dashed to the fridge and hauled out a armful—at least five or six cans. She sat on the floor. She cracked one and handed it over.
“Talk. How’d you get that power? And how’d you kill Jo Dong-geun?”
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. But I wasn’t fully convinced yet. She’d heard I killed Jo Dong-geun, promised to join the new company as designer—but that didn’t make her 100% trustworthy. Not close enough for my full story.
By my standards, one condition remained for total openness: sex. Once my ability triggered and hooked them, I could trust them absolutely.
I stayed silent, and she pouted.
“What? You don’t like it? Only into Yunmi-unnie or Eun-bi types?”
Bold question. No such talk before, but she spoke like she was dead certain I was banging Choi Yunmi and Kim Eun-bi.
“No.”
I chuckled in disbelief.
“You’re pretty too, Nari. You know that~”
“Huh?”
She blinked, startled—unclear if genuine or playful.
“For real? I’m pretty?”
She leaned in close, shoving her face toward mine.
“Really? For true?”
Playful expression, but not entirely—hints of shyness underneath. Why act this way despite the embarrassment?
No. Only one reason.
I stared straight into her face. Her pupils shook wildly as she met my gaze. Even if I didn’t know her well, her personality suggested this wasn’t everyday behavior.
“Nari……”
“What? So cheesy~~”
She laughed awkwardly but didn’t look away. Moonlight lit her flushed cheeks. Without hesitation, I kissed her lips.
“Mmph!”
Her eyes flew wide. The beer can slipped from her hand, clattering to the floor. Foam spilled onto the clearly expensive carpet. But neither of us cared.
This close, skin to skin, I heard her heart pounding. That confirmed it. She was already ensnared by my ability.
Hard to pinpoint when. Probably the restaurant. Her type—holding back, not showing it. Especially with her friend’s crisis overriding her feelings.
Now, the pent-up desire burst forth like a dam breaking. I’d initiated the lip contact, but she parted mine first, slipping her tongue in.
We kissed fiercely, stripping each other’s clothes. Our touching skin sparked that unique chemistry. Even after railing Eun-bi at home, my lust surged hot.
After a long kiss, she pulled back and asked, “Okay with this? Yunmi-unnie and Eun-bi?”
Worrying about others mid-makeout. Loyalty like hers was rare.
“It’s fine.”
“Oppa, you’re a bad guy.”
“Not really. I’ll explain later.”
Was I bad? Hard to say. My ability didn’t exactly scream moral. Cousins Kim Seol-bi and Kim Eun-bi, Eun-bi’s friend Jo A-young. Now Choi Nari. No point overthinking it.
Explanations could wait. Layer by layer, her clothes came off under my hands. A tattoo emerged on her smooth shoulder.
“Hate girls with tats?”
She seemed a bit self-conscious.
“Nope.”
I kissed the floral design.