Temporary Living Place
Seomun Ye-jin, who had retrieved the lost items she dropped during the villain attack as lost property, returned home with Baek Seo-jun.
“Cheers! How is it? This is my house!”
Her house was better than expected.
It was a three-story house, and each floor had multiple rooms of its own.
There was even a small swimming pool in the yard, and a karaoke room in the basement.
'Not bad.'
But it seemed too lonely for her to live alone.
Still, Baek Seo-jun didn’t ask about it.
Because like him, Seomun Ye-jin had a bad family background, and asking would have been rude.
'Even if she’s the original heroine, the information wasn’t detailed.'
In the original story, Seomun Ye-jin appeared as a four-year-older active hero than the protagonist Baek Seo-jin.
She was known as a pure glamour idol hunter, a hero who was popular as a model.
She had never done idol work, but the name stuck from her modeling career.
'Her job in the original was mainly arresting villains.'
Lamia had been the final boss in the original story, and before descending into this world, she had flattered villains.
They didn’t know the world was ending and they would all die, but they were addicted to gaining stronger power through contracts with Lamia.
Lamia needed not mana but the soul’s level, so it was a profitable business to grow the villains’ souls.
Fighting those rampaging villains was Seomun Ye-jin’s job, and with the heroes including Baek Seo-jin, she joined as one of the heroines in the original story.
'But Lamia is wrapped around my neck now.'
Her power was what I had right now.
The bigger threat, the Fox that Devours the World, was something only I knew about in this world.
And the villains’ movements would go in a different direction than Lamia intervening.
The events Seomun Ye-jin would face at the original timeline would differ from the original.
'Baek Seo-jin entering the academy is nine years from now.'
The original story began nine years from now.
***
Nine years until the original.
Until then, I needed to quietly settle in and prepare.
When happiness soared high, dropping into hell was the proper path of revenge.
I would not make any rash mistakes.
But the villains didn’t need to wait nine years.
“Whew~”
I lightly held my breath, suppressing the urge to rush out immediately.
Since I had secured a residence before going to find So Gang-seok, I needed to take care of the relationship with Seomun Ye-jin.
“Where do you like the room? First floor? Second? Third? Just tell me!”
Seomun Ye-jin’s bold words asking me to choose a room showed no wariness toward me.
“Where do you live?”
“Me? I’m on the second floor. Do you want the adjacent room?”
Seomun Ye-jin asked with a mischievous smile.
Would she be fine if I really entered the adjacent room?
- Seo-jun, how about reading this girl’s mind?
Lamia suggested reading Seomun Ye-jin’s mind. It seemed she was concerned about what Seomun Ye-jin was thinking.
With my current power, reading others’ minds without being detected was simple.
But I didn’t want to do it right now, even though I might later.
Somehow, I didn’t feel like it now.
- Lamia, stay quiet. I’ll handle it.
I told Lamia telepathically to stay quiet, then looked Seomun Ye-jin up and down.
Even at fifteen, her development was already impressive, showing the pure glamour qualities that were introduced in the original.
Although all heroines were top beauties in the world view, I felt the reality that she was one of the top beauties.
Seomun Ye-jin, feeling my gaze, gave a slightly dangerous(?) smile.
“Oh my, what are you thinking?”
It seemed she expected me to be embarrassed and flustered, but unfortunately, my mind wasn’t shaken.
“I was wondering if the young lady was feeling lonely and scared by herself.”
“Ah…”
Seomun Ye-jin showed a noticeable reaction to my words.
Seeing that, I guessed why she reacted that way.
'She must have been scared.'
Pretending to be fine and bright, but the incident she suffered today wasn’t something she could easily forget.
The horrific experience of being kidnapped by villains and almost sold at a slave auction.
And imagining how horrific it would be if she was sold, I didn’t want to think about it.
There was fear that other villains might target her again, but she probably deliberately ignored that fact.
She probably avoided even self-awareness, and the reason it was possible was probably…
'Because of me.'
Because I showed strong power and saved her.
She seemed to be relying on me without realizing it herself.
“Is it the savior effect?”
“Huh?”
Seomun Ye-jin showed a puzzled reaction to my words, but I chuckled.
Well, it doesn’t matter anyway.
“Then, while staying here, I’ll protect you anytime, so if you need it, tell me.”
“Ah.”
Seomun Ye-jin’s blue eyes trembled. She seemed to have realized what she was asking for.
She thought I was suggesting a boarding house purely to repay her, but she had unconsciously begged for my help.
The fact that she realized it belatedly, she lowered her head, at a loss.
“Miss, I guess I was trying to use you, sorry?”
“Yes… I’m sorry…”
Speaking in a gloomy tone while lowering her head, Seomun Ye-jin honestly admitted and apologized.
Since she had just experienced such a terrifying thing at fifteen, her reaction was understandable.
“Apology accepted. I’ll stay for now, so don’t worry.”
“Yes…”
“And since I asked you to handle the bothersome things I do, you can expect that, right?”
“Yes! Of course!”
When I asked for help, Seomun Ye-jin answered energetically as if she had never been deflated.
It seemed this girl was good to look at with her bright side.
“Then, I guess I need to decide on the room.”
“Yes. You can use any room you want.”
Seomun Ye-jin was being cautious, perhaps because she recalled that she actually wanted me to be nearby.
I was about to say something to her overly cautious attitude towards me, but stopped.
'At this confusing time, it will get better.'
I slightly extended my hand to her.
“Give me your hand for a moment.”
“Huh? Okay.”
Seomun Ye-jin innocently extended her hand without any suspicion, and I took her hand and said.
“Whenever and wherever you need my help, earnestly recall me. Then I’ll help, so…”
“Ah…”
Seomun Ye-jin’s gaze on me seemed a bit dazed. Her face was slowly turning red… It seemed my words were too stimulating for this girl.
“And since the young lady suits the bright side, without caring about my impression, act according to your personality.”
“Yes! But you just came out of the crack, are you hungry? While choosing the room, shall I order chicken delivery?”
“Alright.”
“Yes! What should I order?”
“Fried chicken.”
“Yes! Fried chicken! I’ll order right away!”
The moment I heard my words, her bright and energetic response made me chuckle.
'She’s bright.'
Like the original heroine, she quickly brightened the atmosphere.
This time, after being reincarnated for fifteen years… even excluding the five years in the Dimensional Rift, it was an experience I hadn’t had.
'Hmm, there you were.'
While Seomun Ye-jin was ordering chicken delivery, I didn’t look around the room.
So Gang-seok.
It was known where that guy was hiding.
By spreading mana to search the entire Earth, it took time, but now I found where he was.
'He went all the way to Somalia.'
He had gone quite far.
“Order complete!”
I asked Seomun Ye-jin, who spoke brightly.
“Thanks, miss. Can I borrow your phone for a moment?”
“Phone?”
“Yeah, I need to check something for a bit.”
“Okay. Use it for a while. After eating chicken and choosing the room, I’ll buy a new one right away. But registering under your own name might be a bit awkward?”
“Well, I want to hide my existence for now. That’s something that can be done.”
I could catch any villain, replace their brain with a loyal subordinate, and register it in my name instead.
If possible, choose a guy with a clean background so no criminal record shows.
“I’ll use the phone well for now.”
I took the phone she handed me and tried searching on the internet portal.
What I searched was about Baekho Guild.
'Just as expected.'
Searching, I immediately got fired up.
It was exactly the kind of thing Baekho Guild did, going against expectations.