Chapter 24 Noona's Support
Chapter 24: {Sister's Support}
{Sister's Support}
Yu Ha-rin knew that Yu Ji-hu was eating at a barbecue restaurant.
She could sense his presence precisely inside the establishment.
The fact that she could identify the location as a barbecue restaurant was thanks to the modern world, where one could discern what was where simply by looking at a map.
With online maps, it was easy to check what existed at any given location, and thus, Ha-rin could confirm that Ji-hu was currently seated inside a barbecue joint.
Naturally, she could also sense the other person sitting across from him.
It was undoubtedly Seo Yu-rin.
'Strangely irritating.'
She didn't harbor any ill feelings toward Yu-rin.
Of course, that didn't mean she had any particularly warm feelings for her either. But objectively speaking, among Ability Users, it was rare to find someone as genuinely kind-hearted as Seo Yu-rin.
Ha-rin quickly realized why she felt this discomfort.
'Ji-hu and I... haven't gone out to eat together since he came back.'
Though they had reunited after six years when Ji-hu returned to Earth, his condition had been unstable, so most of their meals had been at home. Even today, she was so worried about his outing that she kept sensing his presence to monitor him.
Because of that, they hadn't had the chance to go out for a meal together—just the two of them.
And now, the thought that Yu-rin had beaten her to it—sharing a meal alone with Ji-hu—made her feel both envious and irrationally annoyed.
'I should ask him to go out to eat with me later.'
As she mentally planned out how to spend more time with Ji-hu, Ha-rin retrieved a bracelet from her subspace.
'And this is finally complete.'
A specially crafted gift for her beloved younger brother—it was finally ready.
After finishing their meal of grilled ribs, Yu Ji-hu and Seo Yu-rin returned to Sarang Orphanage to volunteer.
They did laundry, cleaned, and organized, but with their enhanced physical abilities as Awakened, the work was completed much faster than expected.
"It's such a relief that you came today, Ji-hu. I always felt bad seeing Yu-rin struggle alone, so this is a huge help. Thank you so much."
The orphanage director expressed her gratitude to Ji-hu.
She had pitied Yu-rin, who had been handling all the cleaning, laundry, and tidying up after the children by herself. Though the director worked hard too, unlike Yu-rin, she wasn't an Ability User, so her pace was slower. Just keeping the children calm and cared for was exhausting enough.
Kids might seem cute at a glance, but at their hyperactive and endlessly curious age, they caused plenty of trouble. Managing fourteen of them alone was no easy task.
"Don't mention it. It must be tough taking care of them all by yourself. I'll help out too."
"Director, me too. You should take a break for a bit."
"Ah, thank you, Yu-rin. And thank you again, Ji-hu."
With the cleaning done, Ji-hu and Yu-rin took on the responsibility of watching the children.
As soon as the director left to rest, the kids swarmed around them, bombarding them with questions.
"Hey, mister! What kind of powers do you have?"
"Show us your abilities!"
"Mister, are you really dating Yu-rin noona?"
"Oppa, how many monsters have you killed?"
The children, brimming with curiosity, crowded around Ji-hu, firing off questions one after another. Though he looked slightly flustered, he answered each one with a smile.
"My abilities are combat-oriented, so they're not really something I can show off. And no, Yu-rin and I aren't dating. We just reunited after a long time, and we're planning to work together as party members from now on. As for monsters... I've killed so many I lost count."
Despite his answers, the kids only grew more excited and kept asking more.
"Party members?"
"So you're teaming up to go into Rifts together?"
"Hunting together in dungeons? That's just like a comic book!"
Watching Ji-hu patiently respond to each question, Yu-rin couldn't help but smile.
'The kids really seem to like him.'
Even though it was his first time here, he had already bonded with them so easily. The warmth of the scene made her smile naturally.
Soon, evening arrived.
"I should get going now."
"Oppa, you're leaving already?"
"Mister, don't go!"
"Oppa, play with us a little longer!"
As the children clung to him with disappointed faces, Ji-hu smiled and asked,
"How about this? I'll come back in a few days, so think about what you'd like as a gift and write it down for me. I'll bring them next time."
"Really?!"
"Can you get me a game console?"
"I want a laptop!"
"Sure, think carefully and make a list, okay?"
With that, he calmed the kids down, leaving them to excitedly brainstorm their wishlists. Then, he turned to Yu-rin.
"Let's go say goodbye to the director."
"Yeah, we should."
After bidding farewell to the director, the two stepped outside.
"Um, Ji-hu... Can I just go home today?"
"Huh? Home? Do you have something urgent?"
"N-No, it's not that... It's just... You're going to meet your sister now, right? The Empress."
When they were younger, Yu-rin had called Ha-rin "Ha-rin unnie" too. But Ha-rin had never shown any warmth toward her, and Yu-rin still remembered how she used to shrink under her cold gaze. The thought of facing her now was daunting.
Ji-hu nodded.
"You feel unprepared, huh? Don't worry. It's better to get this over with quickly. Besides, my sister's probably looking forward to it."
Yu-rin found it hard to believe Ha-rin would be looking forward to her visit, but if it was about welcoming a new member into her brother's party, maybe there was a chance.
"Y-Yeah, I guess it's better to get it done fast..."
Of course, the real problem was that Ha-rin was too big of a deal.
Was this how commoners felt when summoned to meet the emperor in the past?
'I'm so nervous I'm shaking.'
As Yu-rin trembled with anxiety, Ji-hu gave her his usual gentle smile.
"Don't worry. My sister isn't scary."
Yu-rin nearly teared up internally.
'She absolutely is.'
The fact that she was terrifying to everyone except her beloved brother was common knowledge—just watching the news was enough to confirm that.
Yu-rin had once seen a live broadcast where Ha-rin, as a warning to the world, left the members of the Korean Guild Alliance who had dared to challenge her screaming in agony, their limbs shattered. The cold, ruthless expression on her face as it filled the screen had sent chills down Yu-rin's spine.
"Right, Ji-hu. With you there, it'll be fine."
This was about becoming a member of the party of the Empress's one and only beloved younger brother.
And personally, it was also about becoming the comrade of the heroic figure she admired. Steeling herself, she spoke again.
"Ji-hu, I think I'm ready now. I've calmed down a bit."
"Good. That's a relief."
Though her legs were still trembling slightly.
"Then let's pick up the pace. We're running."
"O-Okay."
As Ability Users with exceptional physical prowess, they didn't need cars. Leaping across rooftops was far more efficient.
And in areas without buildings, they could just sprint across the ground at high speed.
In this way, they reached Gaeseong even faster than a car could have taken them.
The headquarters of the Underground Guild in Gaeseong.
The moment Ji-hu and Yu-rin arrived, they were guided by a waiting staff member straight to the room where Ha-rin was.
"S-She's behind that door, right?"
Seeing Yu-rin trembling nervously in front of the door, Ji-hu almost instinctively placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder—but stopped himself, remembering that such gestures weren't as common on Earth.
'I've really been influenced by the Other World after six years.'
With a slight self-deprecating smile, he spoke.
"Yeah, she's inside. Noona, I'm coming in."
"Mm. Come in."
The moment Ha-rin granted permission, Ji-hu opened the door.
Inside, his sister sat in a black dress that left her shoulders bare. Her soft gaze first landed on Ji-hu—then cooled noticeably as it shifted to Yu-rin.
"So, Ji-hu. This is the party member you chose—Seo Yu-rin."
"Yeah, that's right."
"She does seem talented, at least."
The chill in Ha-rin's voice was unmistakable.