The Finest Means of Conversation in the World (1)
"Wh-what on earth happened..."
The woman looked utterly flustered. She seemed to have at least a rough sense of the situation she'd been in. The shock, I supposed, came from finding herself suddenly in an empty lot after standing in a dark alley, and from the sight of me in these worn-looking clothes.
Even so, there were more important matters at hand.
"You were in an extremely dangerous situation. Some ruffian was about to do you harm. In a moment like that, you must never show fear. Scum like that take pleasure in the sight of it."
"......"
"Still, most of them only mean to threaten you, so you needn't worry too—ahem. More importantly, are you feeling all right?"
There I went, falling into the same old habit. I'd cut the lecture short midway and hastily changed the subject. However well-meant the advice, she was still reeling, and pressing her too hard would do no good. Of course, even saying that, I'd already delivered about nine-tenths of it...
At my words, the woman brushed her cheek, seemed to sink into thought for a moment, and then spoke.
"Ah... back then, that stalker was coming at me... Did you save me from him?"
I gave a light nod. There was no need for unnecessary details—such as how I'd sent a man flying with my bare strength, then carried her princess-style through the air to this empty lot.
And he wasn't merely trash. He was stalker-grade refuse. I'd had my own share of lunatic stalkers trailing me back in the Heavenly Realm, all because of this female body. Whenever a man latched onto me, it gave me genuine chills. In my case, of course, I sent them home beaten to a pulp.
"You... you stepped between me and the stalker and blocked him with your body, didn't you...?"
What? How was that possible? I'd confirmed she'd lost consciousness. How could she remember any of it? Short-term memory loss ought to have erased the moment I made that move. But when she set a hand to her chin, she looked as though she were faintly piecing something together, and it seemed the memory wasn't gone entirely.
"Ah, there was definitely a loud noise! You're not hurt anywhere, are you!?"
This was bad. The shattered pieces of her memory seemed to be fitting back together like a puzzle. Watching her clap both hands over her mouth in shock, I felt cold sweat trickle down. If this conversation continued, she would surely press me for details about the stalker's whereabouts. And if I told her I'd shattered his bones and skipped him across the ground like a stone on water, what then? She wouldn't believe me, obviously. Nor could I simply demonstrate. Even if I did speak, she'd almost certainly take me for someone not quite right in the head.
So I made a decision.
"A-anyway, please be more careful from now on! I'll be on my way, so take good care of yourself!"
Flee the situation—that was the choice. I meant to bolt for the sidewalk at the same time. I simply couldn't think of any way to explain it. Who would believe me if I said I'd trained in the Heavenly Realm for ten years and come back with this kind of strength...? I would simply have to be content that I'd upheld a Fighter's duty to save someone in danger.
And at that very moment, my stomach let out a growl.
I'd eaten nothing since returning to South Korea, true—but why did it have to demand a meal at a time like this...? I judged she hadn't heard it yet and tried to start walking again—
"Um, this is, well...!"
—only for my stomach to roar about ten times louder than before.
I was mortified. If I'd still been a man, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. But ten years had passed since I'd become a woman, and faced with this disaster, my mind fell into chaos. I had definitely been a man. How had I ended up like this...?
Frozen by shame and bewilderment, I heard a voice from behind.
"I... thank you, truly. I nearly left without even saying so."
"It's nothing, haha..."
"You seem quite hungry, though... Would you come to my house and eat something, at least?"
A sweet offer. Having gone so long on an empty stomach, it sounded all the more alluring—especially to someone with neither a home nor money. And refusing the kindness of such a gentle woman would make me the worst wretch under heaven. Not a wretch of a woman. A wretch of a man. Unwilling to be so rude, I ultimately accepted.
......And so, after walking together for no great length of time, we arrived at the house where she lived.
The first thing to catch my eye was a mansion of magnificent scale. It couldn't even be compared to the home I'd once lived in. And the wide garden carpeted in green lawn—what of that...? Overwhelmed by the sight, it took me a little while to pass through the front door and into the living room.
"I live here alone, so please make yourself comfortable."
Good heavens. To think she lived alone in a house this vast.
I began to look around the interior. A splendid white chandelier and a leather sofa that looked unmistakably expensive left me unable to hold back a gasp of admiration. And that capsule-shaped machine of unknown purpose—what on earth was it for?
"My name is Ju Hyeeun. More importantly, is the house uncomfortable for you?"
"Ah, of course not...! I'm Yoo Siyeon, haha..."
To get nervous over a simple exchange of names. Was it because the mansion's grandeur had overwhelmed me? In the midst of it, Ju Hyeeun bowed her head.
"In any case, thank you so much for earlier. If it hadn't been for you, Miss Siyeon, something terrible would have happened. I don't know how I can ever repay this kindness..."
"Not at all. Protecting the weak is only natural, from where I stand."
All the more so for a Fighter who pursued what was fair and upright. But the moment I tried to continue, my stomach chimed the hour again.
Ah, why was the world so cruel? I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a mouse hole. The last incident alone had been enough to drive me mad, so why...? I could feel my own face burning scarlet.
The woman drew a smartphone from her pocket and spoke.
"I'm sorry. I didn't even realize you were hungry... Shall we order delivery right away?"
She was the one apologizing. To think such a well-mannered person existed in the world. I'd never imagined she would go this far to spare me embarrassment, and thanks to that, my flustered heart settled.
Had she said we should order in? So these days, delivery ran even at an hour this late... They say ten years can change mountains and rivers, but I never thought civilization would advance this far. While I was marveling at the conveniences of the modern world, she spoke again.
"Would you prefer something with vegetables, like a salad or a sandwich, or meat, like chicken?"
"Chicken, obviously!!"
I shouted it with force. The dreadful memories of my time in the Heavenly Realm had come flooding back. Most people there favored a vegetarian diet, so vegetable dishes made up nearly everything. Meat wasn't entirely absent, but it had no juices to speak of, and the texture was like chewing rubber—worse than having none at all. So I'd swallowed my tears and eaten vegetables.
Ah... but in my panic, I'd shouted while laying a hand on her shoulder. An ordinary woman wouldn't appreciate such direct physical contact.
"I'm sorry...! It's just—I can't stand vegetarian food...! Meat is obviously far superior to grass like salad or sandwiches!"
What had I just said? Who in the world announced that they hated vegetables? Even I could feel how awkward it sounded. But words once spoken couldn't be taken back, and somehow my meaning seemed to have gotten across.
"Um... would fried chicken be all right? Or something else?"
"Fried chicken, if you please!"
Fried chicken. The kind where the rich juices of the bird came through best beneath a crisp crust. No matter how delicious seasoned chicken or soy-garlic chicken might be, they could never match plain fried chicken. In any case, the anticipation of finally eating something delicious eased the tension I'd felt since stepping into this house.
And then that enormous capsule-shaped device I'd noticed earlier caught my eye again.
What is that thing, anyway? It doesn't look like a machine for helping you sleep... Don't tell me...?
A thought flickered through my mind at the same time. Could it be one of those capsule machines from novels, the kind that let you enjoy virtual reality?
No. Surely not. A device like that couldn't have been developed in a mere ten years. What—VR games so wildly popular that nearly every household had at least one? Even I found the idea absurd. Something like that couldn't actually be real.
Hmm... right......?