Chapter 24. Han Se-ra (1)
About ten minutes passed before Yoo Hae-bin, her tears finally subsided, bowed her head deeply to Lee Dojin.
“Professor, really, really, thank you so much……”
“If I hear that one more time, it'll feel like the hundredth.”
“Aw, it's not that many……”
She muttered in a aggrieved tone at his seemingly indifferent reply, but Yoo Hae-bin knew exactly what Lee Dojin was feeling right now.
Whether the resistance in the world beyond the rift was still holding out. Whether her own kin, the three dragonkin, had survived.
Figuring all that out from a seated position couldn't have been easy.
There must have been penalties, or the expenditure of opportunities and abilities he possessed. He had undoubtedly suffered losses he didn't need to.
For me……
A student he taught. A organization member who'd joined just two months ago. His little sister's friend.
For someone still woefully inadequate to stand as an equal and help him—a mere eighteen-year-old girl.
There must have been better ways to use it.
So this wasn't a calculated move based on gains and losses. It was pure goodwill, unrelated to his own benefits.
Of course, he'd use the information he'd gleaned to build his plans, but even without any such gains, he would have acted just like this.
Knowing that all too well, Yoo Hae-bin repeated to herself in profound embarrassment.
Why are you so damn cool……?
A guy who caught her interest. More precisely, the man she should call her crush.
Intellectual and supremely capable, utterly ruthless and cold to enemies—yet he showed her this gentle side.
It was just too cool, to the point where facing him felt awkward.
What are you? What’s your game here? Trying to seduce me on purpose?
Of course, that wasn't his intention, but Yoo Hae-bin glared at him with a hint of resentment anyway. He urged her on with an expression that seemed to deliberately hide his kindness.
“If you're done crying, eat something. I'm stepping out for a bit. The boss—”
“Ah, I'm fine. Go by yourself.”
“Uh…… huh?”
She panicked at the sudden continuation of the conversation, but Lee Dojin grabbed the cigarette pack from the table and headed straight out.
Left behind were two people: Yoo Hae-bin herself and Seo Yeon-hee.
The heartfelt warmth from a moment ago vanished in a heartbeat, replaced by a sudden, sharp tension as Seo Yeon-hee spoke—her voice dripping with affection.
“Dojin’s sweet, isn’t he?”
“Y-yeah…… yes……”
Unable to deny it, Yoo Hae-bin hesitated before agreeing.
It was the first time they'd talked alone since that incident when Seo Yeon-hee had burst into her home. The creepy act she'd been caught doing, combined with being alone together, felt like sitting on pins and needles.
Seo Yeon-hee took a sip of the liquid glowing faintly orange and spoke again.
“He said smoking around you, his student, feels off here. Even tells me to smoke outside.”
“No need for that……”
It was a bit disappointing for Yoo Hae-bin. She kind of wanted to see him smoke, for some reason.
Seo Yeon-hee chuckled softly, and the increasingly flustered Yoo Hae-bin absentmindedly reached for the table.
The cocktail she'd ordered earlier was still ice-cold, as if magicked, and as she gulped it down, her eyes flicked to the elegant glass bottle across the table.
I wonder what that tastes like?
Beer wasn't great, honestly. But something that expensive—dozens of times pricier—had to be different.
Imagining it, Yoo Hae-bin's eyes sparkled toward the bottle, when Seo Yeon-hee casually broached the subject.
“Oh, Dojin’s on the phone? Sounds like it’ll take a while……”
Seo Yeon-hee paused, smiling at Yoo Hae-bin. She flinched involuntarily, shrinking back, which only deepened the woman's amusement. Then she snapped her fingers.
Ting—
Swoosh……
Two objects slid smoothly in different directions. The bottle Yoo Hae-bin had eyed toward Seo Yeon-hee, and a suitable glass toward her.
And then Seo Yeon-hee got to the point.
“So in the meantime, Hae-bin, want to learn some liquor arts from me?”
“Liquor arts…… uh……”
It was a welcome offer, but unease flooded in alongside it. Seo Yeon-hee beamed.
“Yeah. For an awakener to get nicely buzzed…… you’ve gotta control your mana first.”
Her face was full of mischief.
……Somehow, the same story had been dragging on for over twenty minutes, just rephrased.
Lee Sea's soft voice murmured through the receiver.
<So, Teacher Charlotte said this is a super important time for Yu-ri and me right now, and wants us to go to England with her over break for two months of intensive training. We can come back to Korea in between sometimes, and she'll handle the dorm and training gear, Yu-ri's talking it over with her parents but probably going, and I think the training itself is fine…… not a ton, but we can come back once or twice, so maybe squeeze in a short beach trip if our schedules line up—>
“Uh…… Sea-ya.”
<……Why?>
Her words cut off, and Lee Sea's tone turned prickly in an instant.
I asked with extreme caution—making absolutely sure she knew this wasn't boredom, but genuine need for more info as her guardian.
“Umm…… besides what I've heard so far, is there anything else I need to know?”
Actually, I'd heard it from Charlotte Tate yesterday. She wanted to take Sea and Jin Yu-ri to England just for summer break.
I'd said I'd respect Sea's opinion and discuss it, and after school training today, she'd heard it too, apparently.
So in short, everything Sea had been repeating for nearly thirty minutes was stuff I already knew.
Once from Charlotte Tate, and now three times over the phone from Sea.
Today's school events, how sparring showed Jin Yu-ri's skills had skyrocketed and she'd grown quite a bit herself—thirty minutes of that.
Unable to endure more, I'd tried to wrap it up…… but my sharp-witted sister caught on immediately and grilled me.
<You bored of me?>
“No, it's not boring—”
<Gotta head back to training anyway. Pick me up……? Can't.>
“Uh…… yeah, drinking, no car…… Or when do you think it'll end? I can taxi over and we go home together?”
<……Too much hassle.>
“No, it's not a hassle—”
<School tomorrow, ends at ten.>
Meaning, come over after a light drink? Checked the time—almost nine. No plans to stay late anyway, plenty of margin. I replied to Sea.
“Then I'll be there by ten-twenty latest. Figure cleanup, shower, out—that timing?”
<……Yeah.>
Her low voice brimmed with joy. Right after, Jin Yu-ri's voice called from the receiver.
<Phone during sparring?>
<Coming.>
Sea snapped back curtly, then her final words to me.
<Don't drink too much.>
“Yeah, hanging up.”
I pocketed the phone, warm against my cheek from the long call, and lit a cigarette.
My mind wasn't at ease.
Two days since the rift incident. Sea's changed behavior worried me.
Her warming up to me and our sibling bond strengthening was great, but…… she felt overly dependent.
My fault, probably. The wounds from her childhood had surfaced with this event.
Needed to approach carefully. Didn't want to drift apart again.
A way for her to overcome mentally while drawing us closer. I needed that……
Mulling it over, I finished the smoke and reentered the shop.
Sorry for being gone so long…… but Seo Yeon-hee and Yoo Hae-bin got along great, so probably fine.
And……
I realized right as I opened the door. I'd made a huge mistake.
“Oh? Dojin-kun—!”
Yoo Hae-bin pointed at me with her index finger, shouting as she staggered over.
Back to her Jeil High student look, no disguise. Face flushed, eyes glazed.
Drunk as hell, in one word.
She wobbled up, leaning on my shoulder.
“Ah…… hehe, Professor…… where'd you go, back? Hic, our cool Dojin-kun. Dojin oppa, hehe, oppa!”
“What the…… this is……”
I shot Seo Yeon-hee a look laced with bewilderment. Why'd you let the kid drink?
But Seo Yeon-hee, also a bit tipsy, grinned happily.
“Mm…… Teaching liquor arts, bonding time?”
“……I'll sober her up.”
I moved to channel mana into Yoo Hae-bin. Awakeners need control to get drunk; sobering's easy.
But she suddenly stepped back, assuming a defensive stance.
“No, don't, Dojin-ssi, hic, can't do that.”
“Can't? Come here already.”
Patter patter.
She spun and bolted to Seo Yeon-hee.
“Boss, boss…… Dojin-kun's bullying me…… Punish him!”
“Yeah, it's okay. Stay here.”
Yoo Hae-bin whined, leaning on her; Seo Yeon-hee accepted it, stroking her hair.
Then the disaster unfolded.
“Ah, ah. Hic, mic test…… Our organization's top two, your youngest is suuuper happy today, gonna sing a song……”
Yoo Hae-bin cleared her throat.
Soon, in a clear, pleasant voice, she belted out a song with bizarre lyrics.
“Dragon dragon dragon~ A teeny tiny dragon, lil~ Hae-bin dragon goes out♬”
“…………”
What a mess.
“Dragon?”
Seo Yeon-hee tilted her head; Yoo Hae-bin grinned dopily at me.
“Ah…… hehe, Professor gave me a nickname last time. Dragon! Cute, right? But it's our special nickname, me and Professor…… Boss can't use it, got it?”
“Dojin, really?”
“……Who knows.”
Special nickname or whatever, I just wanted out.
But oblivious, Yoo Hae-bin kept crooning her parody.
“Three dragons♪ Living together~ Dojin dragon, Yeon-hee dragon, Hae·Bin·Dragon~”
“……”
I saw it clearly. When 'Yeon-hee' was mentioned, Seo Yeon-hee's eyebrow twitched.
Drunk Yoo Hae-bin wouldn't notice, and the song continued.
“Dojin dragon's cool~ Yeon-hee dragon's scary~ Hae-bin dragon's too cute♪ Shake it, shake it, good job~♬”
“Woo, applause.”
Even called scary, Seo Yeon-hee clapped and cheered; emboldened, Yoo Hae-bin jumped up and came to me.
Grabbed my hand, dragged me to the sofa, giggling endlessly.
“Ah, but Professoor……”
“What.”
Timing when to magic the booze away, she continued.
“Hey, Professor smoking, can you show me once……?”
“…………”
What nonsense was this?
Staring in bewilderment, she clung to my arm, urging.
“Ah, why…… Kinda suits you, but also doesn't…… Wanna see.”
“Ha…… You're driving me crazy.”
“Why? I wanna smoke too, perfect timing, right? Can vanish the smoke.”
“Hehe, right, Boss.”
I resolved inwardly. Just this once.
Sizzle—
Smoke rose from Seo Yeon-hee and my cigarettes. Magicked to no smell; Yoo Hae-bin watched it swirl, awed.
“Ooh…… You two look so adult like this……”
“You'll regret this tomorrow, not my fault.”
“Huh? Regret? Dojin-kun take responsibility for me?”
“What're you……”
Swish.
She scooted closer. Extended her left hand to my cheek, pinching lightly with thumb and index.
“Hehe, heard from Boss.”
“What?”
“You as a kid, super cute back then…… True?”
“What'd you tell the kid.”
“Just the truth? Way more innocent and cute than now. But I like now better.”
“Hehe, me too…… Wanna see baby Dojin going goo goo gaa gaa…… Ah, but Professor…… Today, I’m sooo grateful to you……? Super happy, thankful, um…… Anyway, yeah……”
“……Glad to hear it.”
“So, I thought about it…… How to repay…… Can't think of anything good…… From now on, I'll keep thinking…… Ah, Professor's cheek so squishy, hehe. Like pudding.”
“……”
Couldn't take more. Seo Yeon-hee watched to see how far it'd go; only I could fix this.
I placed my hand on Yoo Hae-bin's head.
She blinked, murmuring in surprise.
“Uh…… Dojin, bit fast—”
No need for more talk. Firmly.
“You're banned from drinking in front of me till you're twenty.”
Shimmer—
Faint light rippled around Yoo Hae-bin.
Silence followed.
Only tiny mutters from her lips.
“Uh…… I…… uh……”
Thud.
Her forehead hit the table.
Then, soft snores.
Obvious fake sleep, but Seo Yeon-hee and I played along. As we prepared to leave, she sat up, bid quick goodbyes, and headed home.
The next week passed uneventfully.
Sea and Jin Yu-ri decided to go to England with Charlotte Tate over break. Starting Tuesday, June 29—the day after the break ceremony—return sometime after mid-August, not fixed.
S-rank rift incident wrapped up, no major worries. Andrey Ilyin finally regained consciousness.
Russians came, but he planned to return end of June with other heroes, as I'd commanded via soul domination.
The sealing ritual for the black heart, requested from Seo Yeon-hee, nearly complete. Wednesday night, two days into June already.
A message from Se-ra announced her return.