Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: How Dare You!!
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“Ho, hoeeek…”
A wildly princess-friendly outfit on Yanfei. And it’s the dead of winter right now? Sure, if others were dressed lightly too, but everyone else is bundled up tight against the freezing cold, and she’s out here like this.
“Do-hee!”
“Ah, unnie!”
“Eve and Chae-ah too… F-first, there are too many eyes here… I’ll text you the spot, come later. Yanfei-ssi, let’s head out.”
“Hng, heheng. Bye, little one~”
“Whoa, it translated.”
I’d tucked Mecha-Doggo away in my pocket since she seemed cold, then pulled her out and plopped her on my head. Yanfei’s words came through translated. But by the time I did, she’d already left with Chae-rin unnie.
“Do-hee, what’d you get?”
“Looks like a reservation for Signiel Busan.”
“Whoa, that’s a super fancy hotel.”
Chae-rin unnie’s text to Han Do-hee had a reservation number for a hotel room already booked. Probably a backup spot she’d snagged for us. But why? We already booked a hotel ourselves. Though, not quite as luxurious.
“We heading straight there now, Do-hee?”
“Eh, we were gonna hit a hotel anyway, right? Just tweak the route a bit.”
We grabbed the car from the public lot and rerouted to Signiel Busan. Suri had vanished for a while, but popped up out of nowhere as we pulled into the lot.
“Whoa, Suri. Where were you?”
—Kiiit…
“You! You ate shrimp crackers! What’s that on your mouth?”
Suri—who knows where—had scored some snacks somehow. She’s out there fending for herself just fine! Good girl. Now, off you go.
“Ahh, I’m wiped. Was gonna see Yanfei tomorrow, but we ran into her today.”
Per the original plan, Yanfei was flying out tomorrow, so we figured chill in Busan today and catch her then. Lucky she showed at Jagalchi Market right on time.
“Agh, isn’t the traffic insane?”
“Yeah, this time of day’s rough.”
The drive from Busan Station lot to Signiel Busan was way farther than expected. Traffic jam, holiday road chaos—no progress.
Still, we inched along somehow.
“What’s up with this road…?”
A spiral ramp twisting up to a high bridge overhead. No clue how roads are built, but why this way? Must be a pain to drive, but fun to watch for me.
“Whoa… so cool.”
We crept up the Busan Port Bridge approach, merging onto the lanes.
—Beeeep!!!
“Huh…?”
“What the hell…!”
Bang—!
A car from behind—not the ramp—barreled up and scraped the left side of our ride in a flash.
“Kyaaah!!”
I was in the back passenger seat, but the impact shattered the right window. Han Do-hee’s swerving car caught the bridge fence and halted, teetering.
“Hah, heok…!”
“Eve! You okay?! Do-hee!!?”
“Uh, uhek… I-I’m fine…!”
“Agh, damn…!!”
Thank god for seatbelts. Sudden massive crash jolts the air right out of your lungs as it cinches tight.
“Hah, heok…!”
—Pibit!!
—Kiiit…!!
“G-Good… thing…”
The close right rear window shattered, but I shut my eyes fast. Thick puffer jacket—no harm done.
“Wah, wuuung…!!”
Cliff drop sheer beside us. A bit more push, and we’d have plummeted. Post-crash shock hit, tears flooded uncontrollably.
“Doggo… Suri…!”
Suri and Mecha-Doggo in the back driver seat looked fine. Suri’s rare metal, Doggo’s light—rolled on the floor, no biggie.
Head ringing, heart pounding. Short breaths—Doggo shook glass shards off me, snuggled in for comfort.
—Pibit…!
“Wuuu…”
Then voices drifted in.
“Aigh, it caught.”
“Told you steer harder!”
“What if we fall too?!”
“Huh…?”
Not Korean. From the shattered left window, inside the at-fault car. Mecha-Doggo translated to Korean.
“D-Doggo…! What’s that mean…? What language?!”
—Pibit!
Mecha-Doggo’s face screen lit up.
“Khmer…?”
—Ring, ring~
Phone buzzed in my pocket amid the daze. Hands shaking too hard to grab—Ophelia’s voice cut in.
“Princess! Are you alright?!”
“Ophelia…! How’d you answer?!”
“Detected an emergency, remotely accessed your phone! Any injuries?!”
“I-I’m okay…!”
But then more voices.
“What now? Push with hands.”
“Ugh, then we gotta flee Korea again.”
Raw Khmer from those two guys, translated. Han Do-hee barely recovered from shock; Chae-ah unnie rousing her—both still in the car.
‘Push by hand…?! Push what off…?!’
—Thud!
Door ripped off their car—two Middle Eastern-looking guys strode toward us.
“Aigh, tom yum kung bastards…!”
Han Do-hee barely unbuckled, reached for the driver door.
—Grab…!
“Wh-What the hell, these guys.”
“Why’re they…?!”
The two gripped the door shut, mana surging suddenly.
‘Awakened…! Gonna shove the car off by hand…?!’
Their faces eerily calm. Like emotionlessly dumping a teetering car off the bridge.
Hit me then—they caused the crash on purpose.
“Hey, you psychos…!!”
“What’s their deal!!”
Even B-rank vanguard Han Do-hee couldn’t budge it. At least B-ranks, maybe A-class strength.
Or they wouldn’t dream of hand-pushing a car.
—Creeeak…
Chilling grind, car tilting. Goosebumps everywhere, tears streaming.
“Ophelia…! Save us pleeease—!!!”
—Ding!
—Kwaaaang!!!
Storm winds blasted through the broken window. Earsplitting roar—eyes squeezed shut, clutching Mecha-Doggo tight.
“O-Ophelia!”
“Ophelia?!”
Front seat—Chae-ah unnie and Han Do-hee’s shocked voices through sealed lids.
—Creak, crreeeak…
“Ophelia…?”
“Princess. Are you safe?”
“Uh, uwaaang…!!”
Ophelia’s blue strings held us from falling, dragging Han Do-hee’s Maxcruz slowly onto the bridge. The foreigners trying to shove us—Minium appeared, they booster-jetted into aerial kicks instantly.
One foreigner took a direct Ultimate Minium Jet Kick to the side—spine folded sideways, tumbled across pavement. The indirect hit flung the other far, barely stopping.
Ophelia then hauled the car fully up, ripped the doors off with strings—perfect rescue.
“W-Wuuu… Ophelia…!”
“Princess, well done. No major injuries—what a relief.”
“Wahh… missed you…!”
Minium faced them, blue flames jetting from her back. One out cold on the ground; the other clutched his side, gasping.
“Princess. Issue command.”
“You bad guys…!”
I bellowed at sword-and-shield-drawn Minium with full dignity. Not letting this slide…! How dare they mess with me!
“Minium…! Beat that bad guy senseless—totally mercilessly!!”
—Clack…!
Sword dropped, shield dismissed—Minium raised a fist with a cool clack.
—Whoosh…!
“What the—”
Before the crash-causer could react, Minium rocketed forward.
—Pssshhhh!!!!!
Elbow boosters propelled a hyper mighty chest strike into the foreigner.
“Keuuk…!”
“D-Don’t kill him!”
—Clack!
Minium pulled back left hand, thumbs-up—dialed power just right, pummeled him savagely.
Now both foreigners rolled chummily on the ground with the first Jet Kick guy.
Blood pooled red on the road—pure white snow began falling.
“Snow in Busan…?”
Chae-ah unnie’s amazed tone watching it.
“Ahyo damn. White Christmas Eve.”
Tension snapped—Han Do-hee slumped to the ground; Ophelia hugged me tight.
“O-Ophelia…”
“I was so worried, Princess.”
“Y-Yeah… Thank you, Ophelia.”
Soon cops and Nova Guild Busan branch arrived via contact, hauled the wrecked car and foreign Awakened criminals. Chae-rin unnie called too.
“…Got it. Do-hee, you okay?”
“No big injuries. Awakened are tough.”
“Eve. How’s Eve?”
“Pretty shaken but fine. Eve, wanna talk to Chae-rin unnie?”
Han Do-hee switched to speaker, held the phone to me.
“Eve, you okay? Must’ve been terrifying.”
“I-I’m fine! Not hurt at all!”
“Yeah, such a relief. Our Eve’s so brave.”
Me, this age, called brave…?
“Oh, and… the foreign guys spoke Khmer! Doggo said Khmer!”
“Khmer? Hmm… Got it. Super helpful info, thanks Eve.”
“Yep! Heehee.”
“Hah. Feels like a bruise on my side.”
“Oh no, what now? We’re hitting the infinity pool.”
Signiel Busan. After Nova ride to the hotel, Han Do-hee rubbed her side irritably.
“Infinity pool?”
“You’re coming too, right? Outdoor pool.”
“Pool…? All I’ve got is this outfit…?”
“No prob. Grab a swimsuit.”
…Nah, this won’t do.