A Belated Summer Getaway (5)
A slightly late summer vacation at the Indonesian villa prepared by Do Sihee. The first meal there was quite satisfying. Soups and fried rice that seemed like traditional Indonesian fare but had a subtle Korean twist. Honestly, they were all new foods to me, but perfectly edible. Probably Southeast Asian dishes tweaked to suit a Korean palate like mine. Geum Nari (Eunbyeol), Do Sihee's maid, seemed to be a top-tier cook as well.
"By any chance, are you an awakener specialized in handling knives or fire, Miss Eunbyeol?"
"No, just standard physical enhancement."
"I see. I only asked because the food was so delicious."
"Thank you for the praise."
For the record, I didn't ask if she had a cooking-related awakening. Simple reason: no such ability exists. Awakenings cover every imaginable oddity, but they all meet a basic criterion—utility in direct combat against monsters. Things like physical prowess or magic that can outright kill monsters, of course. Even invention or pharmacology might seem non-combat at first glance, but the weapons, tools, or potions they produce clearly aid other hunters.
On the other hand, something like masterful cooking offers zero combat benefit, no matter how you slice it. Sure, it might imply skill with kitchen knives or fire control, but that level of awakening would barely handle a single D-rank monster on a good day. And why would cooking prowess—turning monster meat into meals—be an awakening basis in the first place?
Naturally, that led me to wonder if she had fire or blade mastery. Kang Eunyoung, with her swordsmanship awakening, wields kitchen knives like a pro too. Maybe it was the food from my childhood, but everything tasted great.
As I mulled this over mid-meal, Eunbyeol asked my opinion on the dinner menu.
"For dinner, we're planning a barbecue with meat and local seafood. Is that alright?"
"Of course, sounds perfect to me."
"Understood. We'll prepare it that way."
As she spoke, she emerged from inside the villa carrying casting nets and a few fishing rods, her movements fluid and practiced.
"Are all Do Kyung Group maids this skilled?"
"Of course not. Eunbyeol's just exceptional."
"I see."
"Eunbyeol and I partied together briefly back in the day. She was solid even then."
"So she's retired now?"
"Not retired—more like on leave. Her abilities haven't declined much from her peak. She's on hiatus, volunteering as my attendant, so I trained her for a year and made her my exclusive maid. She's more than capable for assisting me."
That explained why Eunbyeol wasn't with Do Sihee in the abandoned city last time—she was on leave. Given Do Sihee's personality, even if they were in the same party, she'd have told her to stay back. Something about needing to push herself to her limits. Cha Yuri had done similar stunts, and it's not unheard of. Some hunters shatter their limits by suppressing lust entirely, continuing well into later years.
A realm only for those who've never truly felt desire—men included. Irrelevant for the women I've been with, obviously. Do Sihee, with her masochistic leanings even before me, was never reaching that anyway. Besides, such cases are ancient history, from centuries ago. In today's world, where a smartphone opens a floodgate of porn, it's obsolete. Even a toddler can search up a shirtless guy playing piano on YouTube these days.
"We're here for once—time to hit the beach, right?"
Do Sihee asked after the meal, so I nodded.
"Definitely. After the warp gate and helicopter ride, it'd be a waste not to enjoy the full 2 nights and 3 days."
"Meet at the beach in front of the villa in 30 minutes. Pick any swimsuit from your room."
"Got it."
We split to our rooms to change. I opened the wardrobe: left side everyday clothes, right swimsuits and loungewear. The swimsuits were varied—trunks, briefs, drawstring, rashguards. Even two slingshot ones for men.
The duplicate slingshots in different colors screamed Do Sihee's taste, but sorry—not happening. They only reminded me of gay porn from my past life. The rest were normal enough.
Rashguard first. Absurdly, in this world, it's the most common for men. Guys here are too shy to show skin. Online forums rage with "Whoever invented rashguards deserves death" or "Do men think that's hot? It's a total turn-off." Women hate it.
I wasn't fond of full coverage either—out. Plus, awkward for sex. Planning beach action with Do Sihee before leaving, so easy on/off was key. The rest were meh. Tried briefs, but the groin squeeze was instant regret—switched to trunks. Most room down there.
⁎ ⁎ ⁎
Changed and out to the beach, greeted by vast ocean and sand. Do Sihee wasn't out yet. Eunbyeol had set up parasol and mat at the prime spot. Her outfit looked stifling.
"……."
"Something wrong, Mr. Kim Sungcheol?"
"Aren't you hot in that?"
"Good ventilation. Cooling device powered by mana stones inside."
"Ah."
I'd wondered what swimsuit the maid would wear, but nope—uniform on duty, beach or not. Her thick, heat-trapping attire left me slack-jawed.
Settling under the parasol, a familiar voice called from the villa.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting, Sungcheol."
Turning, her silhouette hit me first. Backlit by the sun, Do Sihee's swimsuit came into view.
The blonde heiress's outrageous slingshot—two thin straps barely covering essentials—left me stunned. Good thing this was Do Kyung Group's private beach. Public eyes? I'd lose it to jealousy.
"What do you think?"
"...Pretty bold swimsuit."
"I've got confidence in my figure. Wrapped-up ones are for the insecure."
"Coming from you, it's convincing."
Her already stunning body gleamed under the sun, minimally covered. Her new look hit me hard again.
"That's all? Your verdict?"
"Suits you perfectly. And you're gorgeous."
"Mmm, good answer."
Exposure aside, the suit fit her elegantly. Her unapologetic confidence shone through. The more I looked, the more it screamed her.
"What's that on your back?"
"This?"
She swung it around: white oval board with black trim. Surfboard, obvious.
"At the beach? Surfing, duh!"
Classic chaebol hobby.