Chapter 12. Sacrifice (2)
'Noisy' might be a bit rude, but... I couldn't think of a better word to describe the atmosphere right now.
Noisy... chaotic, bustling, rowdy, clamorous—no matter which one I picked, none felt polite enough. In the end, Lee Sea muttered it to herself inwardly.
It's so noisy...
She turned her head toward the kitchen. Jin Yu-ri's father, Jin Cheol-min, and his wife were chatting away in excited tones.
"Honey, how much sauce should I add?"
"Just one heaping spoonful. No, not the rice spoon—the small measuring one!"
"You should've said that from the start..."
"That's why I told you to stay in the living room. You're being extra today when you only know how to cook what you're good at."
"Our daughter's friend is over. I want to help out. Anyway, is it time to flip this now?"
"I'll do that. Just wash those veggies you pulled out."
They bickered and responded sheepishly, but their faces were full of happy smiles. It was a heartwarmingly joyful scene. To Lee Sea, it felt a little unfamiliar.
It wasn't that she thought other families being harmonious was strange... but something felt off. For her, conversations lasting this long in a home were utterly novel.
Our house... we barely exchange a few words a day, right?
A few sentences in the morning about breakfast or heading to school. A few more during dinner. Even adding up a whole week, it probably didn't hit a hundred words—and the fact that she could even count them meant they'd already lost that battle long ago.
To Lee Sea, home was basically a quiet, silent space. This house's vibe felt incredibly alien, and to top it off, sitting right next to her on the sofa was Jin Yu-ri—someone she'd pass on the street without even making eye contact.
Jeil High School's Friday exams were short, with few questions per subject and often combined tests, so they'd left the classroom earlier than usual, around four in the afternoon. Thirty minutes to get here. Another thirty waiting for dinner prep, bringing them to five o'clock.
In all that time, she and the two girls who shared the classroom—but weren't exactly friends—had exchanged maybe three sentences.
"Follow me."
"Walking?"
"We'll take the subway partway."
That was it. Once they arrived, she'd only briefly chatted with Jin Yu-ri's parents. She hadn't said a word to Jin Yu-ri herself, the one she'd brought along.
When her parents suggested they wait in Jin Yu-ri's room during dinner prep, their eyes had met briefly. If that counted as communication, it did—and ironically, they'd understood each other perfectly. Jin Yu-ri didn't want to drag Lee Sea to her room, and Lee Sea had no desire to be alone in there with her.
Just eat and... go home.
She'd been counting down the minutes until she could leave. With both practical and written exams done—her best scores in years, no doubt—she'd barely held back from bragging to Lee Dojin. But now, she didn't need to hold back. She could proudly shove her test paper under his nose, covered in far more circles than red marks from that drizzly day. What face would he make? Lee Sea endured her lonely time here with those imaginings.
And then.
"You did well today, right?"
Jin Yu-ri finally spoke to her, a full hour after leaving the classroom.
As Lee Sea stared blankly, Jin Yu-ri pulled a few test papers from her bag beside her, feigning nonchalance as she asked again.
"Wanna check answers?"
"...I didn't bring today's."
It wasn't an excuse to avoid matching answers with Jin Yu-ri. Lee Sea really had left all the general subject tests at school. Because she hadn't studied.
Even cramming for core subjects left her short on time, and last night, though she had some leeway, she'd just been too unmotivated and slept instead. So, like always, she'd shoved the completed papers into her desk drawer without a glance...
Jin Yu-ri probed with a hint of surprise.
"Aren't you supposed to study hard from now on?"
"...They barely count."
"They still count, though."
"Guilds don't look at general subject scores."
"It's still an exam subject."
"..."
"..."
Once again, they were reminded how mismatched they were. Jin Yu-ri, who tried to do everything she could. Lee Sea, who only did what was necessary. Leaving aside Yoo Hae-bin, who slickly handled only the must-dos to avoid disaster, even between just the two of them, their tendencies, tastes, and personalities clashed in every way.
Silence stretched for a dozen seconds or so. Finally, Jin Yu-ri's parents approached with the food.
"You must be starving. Oh, yeah—sit there next to Yu-ri."
A hot pot loaded with generous ingredients—enough for four people on its own. But more main dishes followed, enough to anchor the whole meal.
They expect us to eat all this...?
Lee Sea eyed the overflowing table with dread. No matter how full she got, leaving food at someone else's house felt rude. Which meant her only option was to clean every plate. But finishing all this would inevitably lead to... gaining weight, in a word.
I'm already borderline as it is...
Whether from her snacking habit or growth spurts, her uniform felt noticeably tighter than freshman year. Her height had plateaued just shy of 160cm, but lately her clothes felt snug, the uniform no longer as roomy as last year. Strictly speaking, it was positive growth, but it felt unfamiliar to her. Still, she resolved to cut back on snacks over the weekend and picked up her chopsticks...
"You don't have to finish it all. How could four people eat this much?"
As if reading her mind, Jin Yu-ri grumbled curtly. She even scooped some onto Lee Sea's plate with kitchen tongs—about half what Lee Sea usually ate.
The adults watched with beaming smiles, and Lee Sea murmured her thanks.
"...Thanks."
"If you're full, leave some. You don't eat much at school anyway."
"...?"
Her eyes shot a silent question: How do you know that?
Jin Yu-ri defended herself gruffly.
"...I wasn't staring on purpose. I just saw you passing the cafeteria."
The awkward exchange ended there, and dinner finally began. Jin Yu-ri, with whom she didn't get along. Her overly attentive mother and father. All three were tough for Lee Sea to deal with... but the meal itself went smoothly.
Questions about Jin Yu-ri's school life. Brief mentions of Lee Dojin and Yoo Hae-bin. Her parents fussed over Lee Sea a bit excessively.
"Is it to your taste? Want more of anything?"
"No... ah, it's delicious. Thank you."
It wasn't empty politeness—this was genuine. Better than most restaurants, and if she ranked what she clearly remembered, it came second only to Lee Dojin's home cooking.
After twenty or thirty minutes, as Lee Sea started feeling stuffed, Jin Cheol-min brought up a new topic.
"Yesterday, Yu-ri came home with red eyes."
"Ow, why bring that up here?"
"I was worried something happened... but she said she might be an immune body holder."
"I told you not to say it..."
"...It's pretty much confirmed."
Lee Sea recalled her conversation with Lee Dojin on the way home yesterday. It wasn't a matter of needing more checks—it was over 99% certain.
Jin Cheol-min continued in a slightly subdued tone.
"As parents, we're more worried than happy, honestly. She's worked so hard without sleep until now, and this means even more hardship ahead. There are no immune bodies in Korea, and it's hard to find advice—"
"Seriously, stop. I said I'll work hard."
Jin Yu-ri cut in seriously, ending the talk. The air grew heavy for a moment but soon recovered, and dinner continued. Around six, when Lee Sea truly felt like she might burst, Jin Yu-ri's mother stood.
"I'll get some fruit. Eat up, then hang out with Yu-ri a bit before you go. You can even stay over. She never brings friends home, so I hope I'm doing this right."
"Why say that? She said she has to go home. She'll just have fruit and leave, right?"
They hadn't discussed it, but once again, they were on the same page. Lee Sea nodded faintly, and Jin Yu-ri's mother headed to the kitchen. Lee Sea took a deep breath, wondering if she'd have room for fruit. She couldn't skip it—rude, and besides, she had a reason to linger a bit longer.
She had something to say to Jin Cheol-min. Perfect timing—Jin Yu-ri spoke up.
"Gonna use the bathroom."
With Jin Yu-ri gone, now or never. Lee Sea jumped in.
"About earlier—Yu-ri being an immune body holder."
"Huh?"
Jin Cheol-min looked puzzled. Lee Sea carefully phrased it to avoid sounding condescending.
"My brother met an immune body holder today. He said he'll see them often this month, so I asked if he'd mind if Yu-ri met them too... Would that be okay?"
"No, no. I wasn't expecting that."
Jin Cheol-min waved it off quickly. Lee Sea didn't quite buy it. Maybe half-true, but surely a corner of his heart hoped. He couldn't be unaware that one of the 36 Heroes and an immune body holder, Sword Queen Charlotte Tate, was visiting Korea. Lee Dojin had gone to meet her, and they'd be working closely—he'd know.
There were only five living immune bodies, all S-rank Awakeners. No amount of money let you summon them at will. But as the child of heroes Lee Si-hyeok and Jeong Se-bin, Lee Dojin could plausibly ask Charlotte Tate—and Jin Cheol-min would know that too.
So, though it was hard to bring up over dinner with his daughter's friend, deep down he must desperately want to ask. His flustered expression was proof. Lee Sea didn't mind his ulterior motive. It wasn't why he'd invited her—just to treat the girl who saved his daughter to dinner. The immune body reveal the day before was coincidence. A father's worry making him grasp at straws felt natural. If Lee Dojin were in his shoes, wouldn't he do the same for her?
Thinking that way made it not uncomfortable at all. She reaffirmed.
"I just... want to ask my brother myself. Not because you asked me—just because I want to."
"Mm..."
Jin Cheol-min hesitated, unable to say thanks or it's fine. Just then, Jin Yu-ri returned.
"...What's up?"
She sensed the odd vibe. Jin Cheol-min looked awkward but started explaining. Then—
Bzzz—
Jin Yu-ri's phone rang.
"Uh, uh...?"
She checked it, utterly flustered. After a deep breath, she answered.
"H-hello...?"
Her voice stretched thin and long. Lee Sea, Jin Cheol-min, and Jin Yu-ri's mother—who'd returned with fruit—all looked at her, curious who it could be to fluster her so.
Jin Yu-ri hunched slightly, speaking softly.
"Yes, ah, yes. Yes... I'm still at my place. Yes. ...Yes!?"
Her usual high, prim tone spiked in surprise. Blinking rapidly, she gathered herself.
"Ah, yes... Yes, now, ah, yes. I can head out right away. Yes, I'll call again when we leave, Professor."
She hung up and stared at Lee Sea with dazed eyes. Steadying her breath, she dropped the bombshell.
"Lee Sea, you... we have to go now."
"...Where?"
"Your brother called the professor... He took my number yesterday during counseling, said to contact if I had questions. Anyway, uh, he wants you and me... at Professor Seo Sang-wook's lab..."
"...My brother?"
Lee Sea's voice mixed doubt and sulkiness. She didn't get the situation, and the idea of Jin Yu-ri and Lee Dojin exchanging personal contacts... didn't sit well.
Jin Yu-ri spoke in a stunned tone.
"Th-the Sword Queen Charlotte Tate from England... wants to see me. If you're free now, come with, the professor said."
Ten minutes later, a luxury sedan sped down the road, Jin Cheol-min driving with Lee Sea and Jin Yu-ri aboard.
In the back seat, Jin Yu-ri couldn't calm her pounding heart. Charlotte Tate wanting to see her was shocking enough, but how this luck arrived was obvious without pondering.
The professor... told her about me.
Yesterday flashed back. Lee Dojin, kindly encouraging her. Telling her she could do it. Promising to help with whatever he could. Saying to contact anytime with requests or questions.
And even without her saying a word, he'd stepped up first. An immense favor, impossible to repay.
Thump, thump.
Her heart raced hard.
Ah...
Jin Yu-ri realized this beat matched exactly the one from yesterday, alone with him in the lab. She'd thought it was fear she hadn't fully overcome.
Today, it raced again, her face burning.
Thump, thump.
It kept pounding, relentlessly, growing stronger. She hadn't noticed yesterday, but it felt incredibly, wonderfully good.