Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: Mirror World
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Yu Eun-ha's house hadn't changed much compared to his last visit. It was still simple, with the moon-shaped mood light twinkling in the corner and casting its glow across the living room.
Ian flinched involuntarily at the sight of that mood light.
It was a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder. The condition commonly known as PTSD.
Maybe it was because of his battle with that massive egg-shaped moon. For some reason, just seeing round moons like that always left him feeling unsettled.
Still, it wasn't anything severe, so he quickly pulled himself together. Ian hung his coat on the rack, sat down on the warm floor, and accepted the cocoa Yu Eun-ha handed him. The steaming heat seeped through the cup into his hands.
"Thank you."
"No problem. Here, Yuna, take yours too."
"Uh, yeah..."
Yu Eun-ha and Han Yu-na had already exchanged names by now. They were calling each other by name, but the awkward atmosphere lingered. Neither was the type to take the initiative to break the ice, so the heavy air was likely to hang around for a while.
Ian had no intention of stepping in to help their interaction.
Human relationships were something people figured out on their own. No matter how much someone else tried to guide them, real progress rarely happened.
So Ian just sat there quietly, sipping his cocoa.
Perhaps because she'd only learned to brew tea without ever leaving the house, the cocoa Yu Eun-ha made was surprisingly delicious. The sweetness was perfectly balanced, better suited to his taste than any hot chocolate he'd ever tried.
"This is good."
"I like it too. Personally, I prefer tea with a bit of bitterness, but something sweet now and then is nice."
Yu Eun-ha smiled faintly as she sat down beside Ian.
A low table for sitting on the floor and drinking tea.
With the square table at the center, Han Yu-na, Ian, and Yu Eun-ha sat around it.
Thanks to the heating, it wasn't cold at all. It was spring anyway, so the temperature wasn't chilly to begin with.
"Ian, by the way, the items..."
"Ah."
As he was quietly drinking his cocoa, Yu Eun-ha asked casually. Ian set his cup down right away, pulled the items from his bag, and placed them on the table.
A female goat's heart in a transparent glass bowl, a thin white thread, and a fully bloomed lily with a faint reddish tint.
Yu Eun-ha carefully inspected each of the three items on the table and nodded in satisfaction.
"They're all top quality. Thank you so much, Ian. With these, I should be able to make the devil contract safely."
The corners of her mouth curved into a small smile. Ian smiled back.
"It's nothing. I'm glad you like them."
"...Hee-hee, you sure know how to talk."
Clink.
Yu Eun-ha brushed her teacup aside slightly and continued.
"Tell me the cost right here. Be honest, no holding back."
"Hmm... Got it. All three together came to about nine million."
"Nine million... That's a fair price. Mind giving me your account?"
He did.
Yu Eun-ha transferred the money to Ian's account immediately.
A total of 100 million won.
It was the basic material cost plus an extra ten million. Ian let out a hollow laugh, having expected just a few tens or hundreds of thousands.
"Isn't that too much? Now I feel even more sorry."
"I had a mage run errands for me, so it's only right to pay properly. And your rates aren't just a few hundred thousand."
Yu Eun-ha said it matter-of-factly. Her mint-green eyes reflected Ian's face perfectly.
"Just take it."
"...Alright. I'll accept it then."
"Sure."
Yu Eun-ha smiled faintly as she took a sip of her tea. Ian set his bag aside and relaxed into a comfortable position.
As he did, Han Yu-na, sitting across from him, nudged his shin with her toes. The sudden touch made Ian furrow his brow slightly.
"What?"
"..."
Han Yu-na didn't answer. Instead, she pouted and tapped his shin faster with both feet. It was a clear sign of displeasure.
Ian couldn't figure out why she was upset. Had she taken a bullet to the head or something without him knowing?
He let out a deep sigh and just left her to it. If it hurt or annoyed him, he'd have brushed her off, but it wasn't that bad. Starting a fight in someone else's house would look weird.
"...Hee-hee."
Seeming to take his lack of resistance as permission, Han Yu-na moved her toes even more rhythmically. She even started playing a tune like it was a piano.
Annoyed by that, Ian pinched the sole of her foot lightly.
"Eek!"
Caught off guard by the counterattack, she jolted upright. In her haste to pull her leg back, her knee slammed into the table, sending snacks and drinks tumbling like dominoes.
Fortunately, the heart, thread, and flower were set aside, so they were fine. But Yu Eun-ha's teacup tipped over, soaking her clothes.
"Urgh...! Ow, that hurts...!"
Ignoring it all, Han Yu-na clutched her throbbing knee and rolled on the floor. Yu Eun-ha felt the lukewarm tea against her skin unwillingly and turned to look at Han Yu-na. Her head creaked around unnervingly.
"..."
Her lips stayed still unlike her turned head, but Ian had a rough idea of what she wanted to say.
It probably wasn't anything nice, so he jumped up and grabbed some wet wipes from nearby.
"Wipe it off with this for now. It's not hot, right?"
"...Yeah. Luckily, it's just lukewarm."
Yu Eun-ha answered while keeping her eyes on Han Yu-na. Han Yu-na whimpered from the floor.
"I-It hurts, Ian... H-How could you pinch me there...?"
"I didn't do anything. You must've just gotten a cramp."
Daring to try the "you were wrong too!" water ghost tactic, Ian dodged quickly while picking up the scattered snacks. Yu Eun-ha sighed deeply and cleared the crumbs.
"You help too. This is your mess."
"...Ugh..."
Han Yu-na joined in.
The three of them finished their cheerful chat and bent over like the women gleaning in Millet's painting, cleaning up the scattered flour clumps. They gathered the big pieces by hand and vacuumed the rest.
Fortunately, cleanup was quick. Yu Eun-ha set the small handheld vacuum aside and pointed to her wet clothes as she spoke.
"I'll go change. Wait just a moment."
"Ah, sure. Take your time."
"S-Sorry... I'll be back..."
"It's fine."
Click.
Yu Eun-ha entered her dressing room. Only then did Ian exhale deeply and turn to Han Yu-na.
"Why'd you freak out like that?"
"Y-You...! You...!"
"Sensitive feet, huh."
"Th-They are a bit sensitive, but... N-No! Even so, if you hadn't pinched, th-this wouldn't have happened...!"
Han Yu-na trembled as she hugged her knees. Her massive chest squished flat.
"Wh-What if the dislike stack builds up and she blocks me again...?"
"Bye. Not going far."
"I-I'm protesting. I'll unleash a horde of mysterious wanderers demanding you get blocked too...!"
"Let's compromise."
Faced with the ultimate threat a community ghost could muster, Ian backed down. Han Yu-na giggled softly.
"Th-Then I'll defend you...?"
"...I'll try. But Yu Eun-ha doesn't seem narrow-minded, so she won't block you over a little dislike."
"R-Really...? You two must be pretty close."
Han Yu-na muttered in a slightly lowered voice.
"D-Do you like that type...? Like, pure and quiet...?"
"...No idea how the conversation turned here, but I don't have a type. Been too busy surviving."
"R-Really...? Good..."
Before he could ask what was good about it, Han Yu-na scooted closer to him. A faint sweet milky scent wafted from her.
"By the way, you use polite speech with Grandmother... Why...?"
"I prefer polite speech over casual anyway. We just agreed to use honorifics with each other."
"...Th-Then what about me...? Sh-Should we use polite speech too... now...?"
"...Sorry, but I have zero desire to be polite with you."
"What."
As they bantered idly, Yu Eun-ha returned after changing. She gave a quick glance at the now-closer pair, then slammed the door shut to draw attention. The click echoed sharply.
Ian's head turned toward her automatically.
"Ah, Yu Eun-ha."
"All changed. Luckily, no stains set in. So, what were you two talking about?"
"Just chit-chat."
Ian brushed it off vaguely and stood up. Han Yu-na followed suit.
"Well, business done, time to head out. Next time we get the chance..."
"Ah, wait. If you have time, can I make a proposal?"
Yu Eun-ha grabbed Ian's ankle as he tried to leave. He tilted his head slightly.
"Uh... Sure. What proposal?"
"Did you see my community post? The one about the Mirror World."
"Ah, yeah. You're looking for someone to go with..."
"Right. So, would you come with me? I plan to do the devil contract over there."
It was quite an intriguing offer. Ian's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Mind explaining in detail?"
"Of course. You too, Yuna."
"Ah, y-yeah...! Got it...!"
Han Yu-na's face lit up, thinking she'd been excluded.
Yu Eun-ha led the two into her dressing room.
She must manage the scent well, as a subtle diffuser fragrance lingered in the air. But far more eye-catching than mere fragrance was the object plopped in the back of the room.
A full-length mirror. But it was in poor condition. No, closer to the worst possible state.
What was there to hide?
The mirror was completely shattered, covered in cracks.
And from within.
A faint sound came from between the broken mirror's cracks.
[Ssssk!]