Chapter 18. Home Visit (4)

In truth, it was a prayer she didn't even believe in herself. Sure, there were progenitor dragons akin to gods, but how strong could they really be? Even in the world beyond the rifts, draconic magic had advanced over time, and by natural progression, modern dragons outstripped their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ancient counterparts. That had held true up until a few thousand years ago, and even now, after their downfall to the demons, she, Yoo Hae-bin, was undoubtedly far stronger than those old fossils from bygone eras. The problem was that the demons they had to face were far too powerful.

So Yoo Hae-bin decided to abandon that meaningless, futile hope. The humans of this planet might pray to gods, but hardly anyone wished upon ancient relics unearthed from tombs. To her, the ancient dragons were much like herself—beings without even a god to pray to. The closest thing to a deity was the demon lord who vanished twenty-odd years ago, but begging favors from him was out of the question. She could only rely on herself.

I can do this. Me, Yoo Hae-bin, 18-year-old discharged female high schooler. I can do it—fighting!

Before coming to this world, she had been part of the resistance despite her young age, and though she hadn't been formally discharged, she was still essentially a soldier—a present-day high school girl. She put on a startled expression, but amid it all, feigned a hint of delight as she asked Lee Dojin and Seo Yeon-hee, “Uh… I'd love that… but is it really okay for you to come over?”

“Yeah. We disguised ourselves on the way here, and you don't have to worry about CCTV or anything. No one can hear our conversation right now. We were gonna surprise you, but there happened to be a pile of deliveries, so we played it off… Did we scare you?”

Seo Yeon-hee replied with a bright smile. Yoo Hae-bin responded in a relieved tone, as if the only thing bothering her was avoiding suspicion from others.

“Yeah, you did. Come on in. But… did you buy all that for us to eat together? Perfect timing—I'm starving.”

She eyed the bags Lee Dojin was carrying. They must have felt bad about showing up unannounced, judging by the haul of food and drinks from various shops. Yoo Hae-bin stepped inside first, quietly cheering herself on with her back to the two surprise visitors.

First hurdle cleared, I think.

She had to stay composed and bold no matter what. If Lee Dojin asked, she'd brush it off casually. I saw how pretty it looked on you last time, so I bought one too.

I've got a shot.

Yoo Hae-bin trusted Lee Dojin. More precisely, she trusted his obliviousness. He'd probably say something dumb like, Did you buy that outfit too? Isn't it pretty? At most, he'd connect the dots to why she'd asked about the store location inside Silver Demon Mountain. But nothing beyond that.

Dojin-kun A.K.A. The Smart Thickhead… I believe in you…

Another formidable rival loomed in June: his fiancée, Han Se-ra. Following the nickname Good Trash that Han Se-ra herself had coined, Yoo Hae-bin now added another contradictory yet fitting one. She approached Lee Dojin and took the bags from him.

“Give these to me. You two haven't had dinner, right? I'll plate it up and bring it over.”

“Ah… sure.”

His voice sounded oddly suspicious, stirring unease, but she had no time to dwell on him right now. The real one to watch was someone else.

The boss knows.

She'd realize Lee Dojin owned the same outfit. They were close on a personal level, and she'd noticed it earlier. But even with her sharp instincts, it was a stretch to imagine Yoo Hae-bin doing something like that.

Because… it's the kind of insane thing only a total lunatic would do.

It was so perversely deviant that its very absurdity made it believable as a cover. She had to pull it off. And then…

As Yoo Hae-bin steeled her resolve and reached for plates to serve the food—

“But, Hae-bin.”

“Yes?”

Lee Dojin suddenly called out to her. Unlike Seo Yeon-hee lounging on the sofa, he stood there alone. Yoo Hae-bin felt her creeping anxiety surge.

If she had to sum up his expression in one word right now, it'd be…

Suspicious…

He seemed to suspect the jacket she wore might actually be his—nothing certain, but possible.

What? How?

There were no real clues, so he should just assume she bought the same one. That was normal. She couldn't fathom why Lee Dojin of all people was showing such keen deductive skills. He asked cautiously,

“Uh… did you buy that outfit too?”

“Ah, yeah. I tried yours on last time and it looked so pretty. The fabric feels great too. I went to the store like you told me, and they had it, so I grabbed one. Sorry for copying you!”

Yoo Hae-bin replied with the most nonchalant, cheerful voice she could muster. Inside, her mind was a mess.

Far from fooling the final boss, she felt like she'd been cornered by a starter-village rat or rabbit mob in a life-or-death pinch. Seo Yeon-hee watched with eyes mixing intrigue and displeasure, and Lee Dojin pressed on.

“But… doesn't it seem a bit big on you?”

Yoo Hae-bin screamed internally.

Eek!

The rustling fabric seemed to mock her. So, who's the thickhead now?

“But… doesn't it seem a bit big on you?”

Asking that felt embarrassingly petty, but I couldn't not ask. Yoo Hae-bin was, what, 168 or 169 cm? Definitely under 170. Just a smidge taller than Jin Yu-ri. So why was she wearing the exact same size as mine—the largest one?

The hem hung well past mid-thigh, and the sleeves were folded over multiple times, puffed up. That line had various sizes, as far as I knew. Why pick the biggest?

I didn't want to suspect her. Friend of Sea's. Phantom subordinate. We'd opened up about secrets, even. Setting all that aside… if it really was my outfit and she'd swapped them on purpose, then this kid I'd pitied for living alone far from home might actually be… I didn't want to think it, much less believe it.

If she was innocent and caught on that I'd suspected her, she'd look at me with utter contempt. What the hell's wrong with your head? And if my hunch was right… that'd be a serious problem. Technically, I'd be the one justified in getting mad, but it'd be so absurd I'd have no idea what to say.

So I asked out of curiosity, not accusation—leaving room to backpedal either way.

Yoo Hae-bin answered quickly.

“Uh, I was going for an oversized look… Does it look weird? I haven't worn it out yet—just threw it on to hit the convenience store, and that's when you and the boss showed up… Is it that off?”

Oversized, huh… She could probably bluster her way through it, but it was really big. That's when Seo Yeon-hee stepped in.

“Mind if I try it on? I've wanted to since before.”

“Pardon?”

She strode right up to a startled Yoo Hae-bin, peeled the jacket off herself with her own hands, and slipped it on. Then she turned to me.

“Does it look big on me like this?”

“Boss, you're tiny. It's not even a dress.”

“Really? It's cute on Hae-bin, but it suits your build better, Dojin—like it was made for you.”

She shrugged it off and handed it to me. I shot her a why are you giving this to me? look, and she smirked.

“It looked good on you before. I wanted to see it again.”

“Can I try it on?”

“Ah… sure.”

Yoo Hae-bin nodded half-heartedly when I checked with her. I examined the jacket in my hands closely.

And realized my suspicion was ridiculous. It looked brand new at a glance. Up close, there were barely any wear marks, and it even had that fresh-from-the-store smell.

Slipping it on confirmed it. Just like trying on a store sample straight from the rack.

No denying it.

The crazy pervert… was me.

I handed it back and asked her kindly, “Hae-bin, what do you want to eat?”

“Huh? From what you bought?”

“Nah, anything else you're craving—I'll order delivery or go grab it. You said you were hungry.”

“Uh… what you brought is enough for me alone through the weekend.”

“Really?”

Good, she hadn't caught on—but I felt bad for the baseless suspicion, so I wanted to make it up to her. My head must've been fuzzy from all the chaos lately.

Though honestly, no way. Whether she liked me or not was secondary. She had her enigmatic side, sure, but swapping clothes? That'd be some next-level deviant behavior no standard vocabulary could touch.

“Alright, let's eat then. Hae-bin, have a seat. Boss, you too. I'll plate it up.”

“No, I should be hosting—”

“Oh, Dojin's doing it? Just chat with me then.”

“Okay…”

Yoo Hae-bin, ever obedient to Seo Yeon-hee, sat quietly on the sofa. They chatted amiably in the living room as I got a text on my phone.

“...?”

Sea had mellowed lately, but what was this vibe? She'd never messaged like that before. But prying might backfire, so I asked something else.

She'd eat it if I brought it, so that was probably not her real intention. I plated the food and returned to the living room. Yoo Hae-bin tentatively took the drumstick I offered and asked,

“Boss told me. Some changes, right?”

“Yeah, Arnaud Duré's on hold. Might've been a mix-up.”

“What about the rest?”

I answered plainly. “Hae-bin, you'll need to look after Sea and Yu-ri until the end of May.”

Rewind the clock a bit to around 7 ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠p.m. Jin Yu-ri checked her reflection in the elevator mirror as she left home.

...Looks good?

Today's concept: innocently pure, like she wasn't trying too hard. Her cat-like eyes were softened with careful eyeliner. Lips got just a hint of sheer tint. Skin prepped for that pale, dewy glow. Makeup subtle yet effective—no heavy look. Outfit matched: simple blouse and skirt, no accessories. Bag, shoes, even socks—flawless.

She loved dressing up, but at eighteen, this was her best. She couldn't look prettier right now, so she was satisfied… but anxious too.

It's getting late.

7:15 p.m. A bit late for a friend's house. Especially one shared with her professor.

The group project meeting was just an excuse. Truth was, she was curious about his home, what it'd feel like to hang out there outside school… pure personal curiosity. So feeling nervous would be weirder.

As the elevator passed the 10th floor, Jin Yu-ri pulled out her phone. The chat with her soon-to-be host filled the screen.

It was logical. She was group leader; topic needed Sea's input. They should've settled it today. But wanting a solid result, she couldn't decide easily—idea hit on the way home.

Going to a friend's for group project… not weird at all.

Her heart pounded then. What if Sea saw through it? Excuse was solid, but breaching this pesky sister-in-law-to-be's defenses? Doubtful.

But after ten-plus minutes of silence, Sea surprisingly agreed.

Thirty minutes later, Jin Yu-ri had primped with speed and quality, hopped a taxi, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠arrived near Lee Sea's place. And now—

Ding. Elevator doors opened.

Standing before Lee Sea's door, heart fluttering, she rang the bell.

“Sea, it's Yu-ri.”

Lee Sea answered in a sleeveless tee and short shorts.

“You're quick.”

“Yeah, didn't wanna be too late, so I hurried. Oh, here.”

Jin Yu-ri handed over a box sweetly. Felt awkward buying it, but better than empty-handed—fruit juice from the convenience store.

“Thanks.”

Glancing at the nonchalant Lee Sea, Jin Yu-ri thought, She dresses so casually at home.

Way more laid-back than her image. Not that it mattered. Finally, she stepped inside.

“Pardon the intrusion…”

How to describe it? Overwhelming sentiment. Home of Guardian Lee Si-hyeok and Archmage Jeong Se-bin, world-savers. Now their kids' place. And that's when…

Huh?

Jin Yu-ri sensed something off. No presence in the house. Like Lee Sea was alone.

Logical question popped up. Prof should've come out.

Guest arriving—a student he taught, not a stranger. Of course he'd greet her. But no Lee Dojin.

Stifling confusion, she asked, “Um… is the professor not home?”

“He went for a walk.”

Casual tone, shocking reply. Jin Yu-ri blanked, barely managing, “A… walk?”

“Yeah, he'll be late. Don't worry about it.”

“Ah… a walk…”

Now she got it. The real meaning of “don't worry about oppa” in the texts.

Literal.

He's not home. So no need to worry. That's why she could come over.

Lee Sea hadn't lied—just omitted the truth.

But it infuriated her so much… Jin Yu-ri screamed inwardly.

Lee Sea!!!