Chapter 21. Partus (1)
Seo Yeon-hee tilted her head and asked, “Where exactly? It’d be great if you could share your reasoning too.”
“I’ll start with the locations.”
I listed three places. All in Seoul, each in different districts. They were three out of the five spots I’d surveyed with Arnaud Duré earlier today.
“These three.”
“……”
Seo Yeon-hee didn’t say much. She didn’t ask why I was naming three places if it was supposed to be a single rift site. She just took a deep drag from her cigarette, exhaled slowly, and gave a simple impression.
“They’re… almost a perfect equilateral triangle?”
“Yes.”
It seemed she’d figured it out the moment I explained what I’d realized during the survey. Out of the five areas we’d visited today, the Black Heart had reacted to three in total.
Area A above the Han River. Areas B and C below it.
The distance between A and B. Between B and C. Between A and C.
They formed a perfect equilateral triangle.
“The Han River runs through the center. That’s probably the rift’s core—”
“And the overall range is a circle outside the triangle?”
“Likely. Can you handle the preparations?”
If my prediction was right, the rift’s diameter would exceed kilometers. Even with the Han River covering a good chunk, the area was still too vast. Evacuating people, setting up shelters, opening warp gates—none of that would suffice on its own.
And Seo Yeon-hee’s solution was simple and reliable.
“I can manage if you give me the word thirty minutes before it happens… Make up some excuse to call in hunters, trigger a mana pulse on the sly, and the civilians will clear out. The outskirts can evacuate even after the rift opens.”
“Noona…”
“Yeah? What?”
She smiled brightly as she asked, and I answered with utter sincerity.
“You’re just… really cool.”
“Only saying that now?”
“I’m just voicing what I’ve always thought.”
It might sound like a joke, but I meant it. As expected of someone with an intelligence stat in the 90s. Far better than me, even after forcing mine up with talent points.
“Thirty minutes before is doable. Should be fine.”
Keeping an eye on Kill the Evil Volume 2’s progress would make it plenty feasible.
We’d covered the essentials, and now Seo Yeon-hee asked in a curious tone, “But aren’t you younger than me?”
“…?”
I was puzzled for a second, but her wink clued me in. From here on, we were just strangers who’d bumped into each other while smoking and chatted a bit. People were heading our way, so for secrecy’s sake—and to play along—I went with it.
Not that I’d make it easy, though.
“How old are you, then?”
“I asked first.”
“Twenty-nine.”
“…Twenty-nine?”
She narrowed her eyes and muttered to herself. I stared back with shameless confidence.
So what? A woman I’d just met asks my age with that ‘you look younger than me’ vibe—I could tack on a few years.
“Yeah, twenty-nine. You?”
“Me too… around that.”
But just then, the group who’d come out to smoke quieted down, their interested gazes turning our way.
And Seo Yeon-hee asked me, “Excuse me, but do you have a girlfriend?”
“No.”
“Thinking of dating anytime soon?”
“Not for a while. Pretty busy.”
“What do you do?”
“Teach kids.”
“A teacher?”
“Something like that. What about you?”
“What do you think?”
“Hm? Rich bum?”
“Is that a compliment?”
She chuckled, tossed her spent cigarette, and glanced at my left hand—specifically, the phone in it. Then, in a voice far too chipper for the situation, she asked, “Kinda random, but… wanna exchange numbers?”
“I’m not looking to meet anyone.”
“Who said anything about meeting? I’ll put mine in—just don’t call if you don’t want to.”
The onlookers’ curiosity peaked, and refusing outright here would probably irk her, so I handed over my phone. Her long, slender fingers tapped in an eleven-digit number.
“I didn’t call to test it, so hit me up if you feel like it.”
With that, she sauntered off, looking quite pleased. Guess she’d keep up the act now that she’d given her number.
I saved it and headed back to the shop, but whispers trailed behind me.
“Wild. A girl like that gives out her number mid-smoke?”
“That sister type acts chill, but she gets embarrassed easy.”
Seo Yeon-hee would probably deny it.
Musing on that, I reached the shop front and went to open the glass door…
“Hm?”
Way in the back, at a table—Lee Sea and Jin Yu-ri were locked in serious conversation.
***
Meanwhile, inside the shop, a full minute had passed in a staring contest verging on a glare-down.
Crunch!
A sharp sound rang out—Lee Sea stabbing her fork into a piece of pickled radish with the chicken.
“……”
Jin Yu-ri flinched at the motion and glanced at her. The crunch of biting into the radish echoed clearly, followed by a sip of cola.
Lee Sea spoke up. “Spit it out if you’ve got something to say.”
“W-Well, you see…”
Deep down, they both knew what this was about. Lee Sea didn’t want to bring it up first, and Jin Yu-ri hesitated to start. But with Lee Dojin due back soon, Jin Yu-ri finally broached it.
“About that spar earlier… our bet…”
“Yeah.”
Not the group project stuff. It had to be the wager right before their final bout.
If Lee Sea won, Jin Yu-ri would bow out and head home. If Jin Yu-ri won, Lee Sea would grant her one request.
She’d won, but still wary of Lee Sea’s mood, Jin Yu-ri pressed on.
“I thought about it… It’d be weird if I asked Professor myself… So could you tell him for me?”
“How exactly?”
“Oh, I mean—”
Jin Yu-ri’s face lit up as she explained, and Lee Sea listened silently, thinking to herself.
Sneaky little…
It was a doozy. Zero risk for Jin Yu-ri, just leeching off Lee Sea to snag what she wanted. Sly as hell.
As Lee Sea’s expression soured, Jin Yu-ri mumbled hesitantly, “I won today, after all…”
“You did win.”
Lee Sea wasn’t about to deny that. Objectively, she might have the edge in raw power, but Jin Yu-ri had earned the victory. Lee Sea knew the reason too.
She fought harder.
Lee Sea hadn’t slacked, but Jin Yu-ri’s desperation bridged the gap. Whether for the bet or to beat her rival.
Still, admitting defeat and handing over major favors were worlds apart.
“You can tell him yourself.”
“He’d think it’s weird… You promised to do what I say if I won, right…?”
“Did that mean doing anything you say?”
“That’s how I took it…”
“……”
Lee Sea pondered. She didn’t want to cave, but being petty to someone who’d fought hard felt off too.
And a thought struck her.
Even if we go… she won’t pull anything.
She’d improved since freaking out at the sight of my brother, but she still got flustered. And lately, she fawned over Lee Sea too. Three of us together? No big results.
Lee Dojin wouldn’t even consider it anyway.
So Lee Sea replied curtly. “Fine.”
“Really? For real?”
“But I’ll tell you after it’s set. Don’t ask till then.”
“Okay! I’ve got no plans this month anyway, just training with you—so morning of is fine!”
“When’s her dad’s birthday?”
“28th, Friday!”
“Then… the weekend before that.”
“Yeah, yeah! Thanks, Sea!”
“……”
Lee Sea hadn’t seen Jin Yu-ri smile that brightly since starting at National Academy 1—four years ago.
That into my brother? She could list ten flaws off the top of her head.
But flip it—Jin Yu-ri didn’t know his good sides either, at least that many. Back to square one.
“Sigh…”
Lee Sea set aside the radish and forked some actual chicken. Decision made, appetite returned, even if she wasn’t thrilled.
Jin Yu-ri beamed and pushed the plate closer. “Eat up. Want more?”
“…Oppa’s buying.”
“Oh… Can’t I get this?”
“……”
Lee Sea held back from saying ‘you’d let my brother spend your money?’ She just figured Jin Yu-ri had a clueless side.
Maybe always had it, unnoticed till now. Or her crush brought it out.
Either way, not unpleasant. Just a twinge of spite if it was the latter.
That’s how Lee Sea felt—and right then, I returned.
“What were you two chatting so friendly about?”
“Nothing much.”
Lee Sea brushed it off primly and stabbed aggressively at the chicken. One bird was too skimpy for two high schoolers and an adult. Seeing me grab the menu, Jin Yu-ri spoke up.
“Um, Professor.”
“Yeah? Hungry for something?”
“Legs and wings are fine… I picked, so let me pay…”
What followed was, to Lee Sea, utterly predictable. I teased, “You think I’d make you pay?” Jin Yu-ri flushed crimson and ducked her head.
And Lee Sea vaguely got why Jin Yu-ri chose those—probably noticed she ate a lot.
Sly kindness, but… not bad.
***
May 15th and 16th weekend.
Lee Sea trained with Charlotte Tate both Saturday and Sunday. She’d even given her a Teacher’s Day gift, left in the morning, came back late, and casually bragged.
Saturday: clear win. Sunday: judge’s decision.
May 17th, Monday.
A text from Seo Yeon-hee.
We tabled that part. Sea had spotted us last time and flipped, so we’d watch till June.
May 18th and 19th, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Smooth sailing. Classes, research with Arnaud Duré and Professor Seo Sang-wook. No solid traitor leads, though.
May 20th, Thursday—group project presentations.
From Lee Sea and Jin Yu-ri’s Group 1 to Yoo Hae-bin’s Group 5.
Group 1: 8.5/10 cohesion, 7/10 results.
Best was Group 5, Yoo Hae-bin leader: 9/10 cohesion, 8+/10 results.
“A-And that concludes… Group 5’s presentation… Role assignments were… as listed in the PPT…”
1. Research: Bae Geon-woo, Baek Ji-yoon, Shin Ha-eun, Yoo Hae-bin
2. PPT: Kim Sang-hoon, Yoo Hae-bin, Hwang Ji-an
3. Presentation: Yoo Hae-bin
4. Report: Yoo Hae-bin, Choi Ji-min
5. Construct formation: All seven
I graded coldly. Yoo Hae-bin gets bonus; the rest, deductions.
And today, May 21st, Friday.
Heading home with Sea after class, an unexpected request.
“Free Sunday?”
“Hm?”
I asked back, and she quietly explained. Sunday morning training, afternoon with Jin Yu-ri.
“Her dad’s birthday soon… I said I’d help pick a gift. If you’re free, come along—eat, shop, maybe movie. Could take a while… Skip if busy.”
“Sunday’s fine.”
“Really… okay?”
“Yeah. But won’t Yu-ri feel awkward with me?”
“…Yeah. But I said you’d help pick… She said it’s fine.”
“I’m good, so let’s do it. Tell Yu-ri.”
“…Okay.”
Her quiet reply, then she turned to the window. Driving leisurely, I gauged inwardly.
Kill the Evil Volume 2 progress: mid-to-late 70s percent. About six chapters left.
Time’s nearing.
Home, chores done—I made a call.
“Hello~?”
She picked up before the first ring, voice bright. I cut straight to it.
“Dragonny, got work for you this weekend.”
“Dragonny…? That’s me, right?”
“Don’t like it?”
“No, it’s cute… but.”
Yoo Hae-bin trailed off, sounding dubious over the line.
***
Beyond the rift.
Partus sat on his jade throne, gazing indifferently ahead.
A pitch-black sphere rippled before him.