Chapter 38: Agreement (1)
Chapter 38: Agreement (1)
The smile vanished from Kang Yujin’s face the moment Han Shin and Grace disappeared from view.
She had noticed something off: for two people who had supposedly just returned from a dungeon, they were far too clean.
They definitely didn't come straight back...
Turning back with a cold expression, she continued cooking while ruminating on where they could have gone and what they could have been doing instead of coming home immediately.
All sorts of thoughts crossed her mind, but without any concrete evidence, she couldn't reach a definitive conclusion.
In the meantime, dinner preparations were finished.
Han Shin and Grace took turns washing up and stepped out. When Han Shin changed his clothes and entered the kitchen first, Kang Yujin greeted him with a beaming smile.
"Noona, is there anything I can help with?"
"No, I’m all done. Just take a seat."
Now that she had revealed to Han Shin that she was a psychokinetic Awakener, she could use her powers freely for housework. Previously, she had been careful to use them only when he wasn't looking to avoid being caught.
Dishes lifted by her psychokinesis drifted through the air, landing gently on the dining table.
Han Shin found it fascinating every time he saw her use her abilities. It was rare for an ordinary person to see an Awakener use their powers so casually. Moreover, the law punished Awakeners severely if they used their abilities to harm civilians. Because of this, seeing psychokinesis in person was difficult; his sister, Kang Yujin, was the first psychokinetic he had ever seen.
"Ta-da! All done! Shin, sit down."
Yujin even used her psychokinesis to pull out the chair for him.
"Shin, you must have spent a lot of time in the dungeon today. You left after breakfast and only just got back before dinner..."
"Uh... well, yeah. I have to work hard while I can. Haha..."
Han Shin laughed awkwardly in response to Yujin’s bright, probing smile. His reaction only served to strengthen her suspicions.
Grace joined them shortly after, and the three began their dinner.
Yujin found it difficult to act in this three-way dynamic. She was terrified of appearing in a negative light to Han Shin.
I always have to be the kind, good sister to Shin.
That was the persona she had maintained in front of him her entire life. Since she didn't know how he would react if she suddenly showed a different side of herself, the most rational choice was to act as if she knew nothing.
She turned her gaze toward Grace.
"Oh, that's right. Grace, we agreed to go clothes shopping today."
This was something they had discussed before going to bed the previous night. Despite their psychological warfare and the friction over Han Shin, Grace nodded in affirmation, acknowledging the truth of Yujin's words.
"Yes, that is correct."
"Then let's head out together after dinner."
"Very well. Let us do that."
The conversation proceeded smoothly. Han Shin felt grateful that his sister was looking out for Grace.
Noona really is kind.
Feeling a pang of guilt for "betraying" such a kind sister—even if it was for the sake of leveling up—Han Shin spoke up, hoping to be of some help.
"I'll go with you and carry the bags."
"No, Shin. It’s better if the outside world doesn't know you've recovered yet, so Grace and I will just go by ourselves."
Yujin rejected his offer with a smile. Her reasoning immediately convinced him.
Two years ago, Han Shin had been an ordinary person whose body was shattered by an Orc in a freak accident. He had barely survived and was expected to live with a permanent disability. If the fact that he had miraculously recovered became public knowledge, it would draw unwanted attention and potentially stir up a hornet's nest.
"Now that I think about it, you're right, Noona. I'll wait here at home."
Realizing this, Han Shin also belatedly understood that his previous outing to buy clothes for Grace, while necessary at the time, had been a bit reckless.
"Hehe, Shin. We'll be back soon, so don't worry."
Yujin comforted him with a laugh.
Grace, who had gained some understanding of Earth's culture by now, also understood Yujin's concerns and remained silent. If her own powers were fully restored, she wouldn't have to care about such things, but that wasn't the case yet. Internally, Grace was impressed by how deeply Yujin thought and acted for Han Shin’s sake, considering it a trait worth emulating.
Dinner concluded in a pleasant atmosphere without any further incidents.
"I'll do the dishes, so you two should get going."
"Okay, Shin. I'll leave it to you."
"Yes, Han Shin-nim."
Yujin and Grace quickly prepared to head out.
The problem was that Grace’s appearance was far too striking. A beautiful woman with platinum hair was guaranteed to make anyone on the street look twice. Yujin felt she needed to hide Grace's looks to some extent. If Grace drew too much attention, someone might try to dig into her identity, increasing the risk of her existence being discovered.
She gave Grace her own hat and mask to cover as much of her face as possible. However, Grace’s healthy, shimmering platinum hair was still an issue. It was a neat bob, but a hat alone couldn't hide it all.
"Hmm... come here for a second."
Yujin beckoned Grace over with a flick of her finger. While the gesture was slightly provocative, Grace found it easy enough to tolerate.
Grace was currently feeling quite confident after having sex with Han Shin in the Sanctuary today. By peeking at Yujin and Han Shin earlier that morning, she had deduced from the number of condoms on the nightstand that they had done it six times. Thus, while washing up in the bathroom at the Sanctuary, she had seduced Han Shin for one more round, bringing their total to seven.
Though she didn't show it outwardly, Grace had been very conscious of Yujin and was determined to make up ground. Having achieved her goal, she felt she now held the upper hand. This made it easy to overlook Yujin's somewhat arrogant behavior.
As Grace approached, Yujin sat her down in front of her vanity.
Running her hands through Grace's short hair, Yujin pulled the bangs up and pinned the side hair back to minimize the exposure of the platinum strands. When she placed the black hat back on, the platinum hair was barely visible. Of course, even this couldn't fully hide Grace's beauty, and a few stray strands of platinum still peeked through.
"I think this should do. Let's go."
"Very well."
Grace actually appreciated the way Yujin was looking after her.
"Have a safe trip, you two!"
"Yeah, Shin. We'll be back soon."
"Han Shin-nim, we shall return."
With Han Shin seeing them off, Yujin and Grace left the house.
"Get in."
Yujin opened the passenger door. She put Grace in her black sedan and drove toward the city center.
It was Grace's first time in a car, but since Nippur had similar modes of transport, she wasn't particularly amazed. She watched the scenery flash by, habitually scanning the terrain as she had done since her days as a knight.
The city center wasn't far, so they didn't strictly need to drive, but Yujin had brought the car to ensure they both remained as inconspicuous as possible. She parked in the garage of a large outlet mall and immediately led Grace inside.
However, a problem arose. No matter how much Grace tried to disguise herself, her charm couldn't be entirely suppressed. Even in a white tracksuit with a black hat pulled low and a mask, her exceptional physique drew the eyes of everyone nearby. Despite their best efforts to avoid attention, this was the result.
Yujin was also heavily disguised in a black hat, mask, and black tracksuit, but she similarly drew gazes. Some people even recognized her.
In the neighborhood, Yujin was known for supporting her younger brother who had been injured in an accident. Given her outstanding looks, it was impossible for her not to draw interest, especially since she had visited the mart with Han Shin a few times. She had even been hit on by men before, though she had rejected them all flatly.
Regardless of their disguises, the fact that both women were clearly beauties meant they couldn't avoid the public's gaze. Without a word, Yujin and Grace both quickened their pace.
Arriving at the lingerie section, Yujin called Grace over and measured her with a tape.
"Your breasts are smaller than mine."
Yujin already knew this, but seeing the numbers confirm it made her smirk at Grace. It was a blatant provocation. However, Grace had to endure it, as she was currently the one receiving help.
Having quickly determined Grace's size, Yujin began buying clothes indiscriminately without asking for Grace's opinion. Starting with underwear and moving to casual wear, she bought about ten outfits, paid immediately, and left the store.
While women's shopping usually takes a long time, Yujin finished unnaturally fast.
"Thank you."
Yujin, crossing her arms, turned to look at Grace, who was carrying paper bags full of clothes in both hands.
"Hmph... it's nothing. More importantly... I think we need to talk, just the two of us, before we go home."
"Fine."
This was the hidden reason Yujin had brought the car: to provide a private space where they could talk away from the eyes and ears of others.