Chapter 161
Chapter 161
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 161
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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Peace had returned to the house only late in the afternoon that day.
Yerim, Junseok, and Chairman Seo Geonchang had already left for Seoul quite some time ago.
After finally finishing the cleanup, I leaned back against the sofa.
'Ha...'
The moment I sat down on the sofa, my head naturally tilted back, and the ceiling came into hazy view.
Moonlight filtered through the curtains, softly illuminating the room, but strangely, all I felt was exhaustion and helplessness.
—We did it last night.
That single sentence lingered in my mind, refusing to leave.
No matter how many times I replayed it, I couldn't make sense of it.
Why?
No, why the hell did she say that!?
'There's no way my memory is wrong.'
I remembered laying the drunk Yerim in her room, confirming she was fast asleep, and only then quietly leaving.
Every moment was crystal clear.
There was no room for misunderstanding.
And yet.
Why had Yerim said that in front of everyone?
I covered my face with my hands and let out a deep sigh.
Recalling the memory again made cold sweat trickle down my back, and my lips felt dry and parched.
'...Chairman Seo Geonchang's reaction was bewildering too.'
He hadn't said a word.
No anger, no denial—just silence as he turned away.
The heavy atmosphere radiating from his back.
It might have been less unsettling if he'd exploded in rage.
Did he believe Yerim?
Or did he dismiss it?
I didn't fully understand Chairman Seo Geonchang's personality, which only added to the confusion.
I'd thought he was the type to make decisive judgments, but at the most crucial moment, he stayed silent.
'Maybe he needed time to think...?'
My stomach was growling, but I had no appetite.
As I idly rubbed my belly with my palm, a vibration broke the silence of the house.
burrrr.
burrrr.
I absentmindedly picked up the smartphone on the table.
The name on the screen was Seo Yerim.
I answered reflexively.
“Hello?”
“Yeah... I got home.”
Her voice was so nonchalant that I furrowed my brow deeply.
“Why did you suddenly lie like that!?”
“Lie about what?”
“Nothing happened last night.”
“...You lied too.”
“When did I lie?”
Yerim paused, as if catching her breath.
Then she continued, emphasizing each word deliberately.
“Today, in front of Grandpa, you said I don't look like a woman to you. Wasn't that a lie?”
“...What?”
“Last night, you clearly said I do look like a woman.”
I was at a loss for words and shut my mouth.
The smartphone in my hand trembled faintly atop my limp wrist.
It was surprising she'd remembered that, but to think she'd dropped a bombshell for such a reason?
“That was... I said it so your grandpa wouldn't worry. We can't afford misunderstandings.”
“What misunderstanding?”
“He kept suspecting something between us.”
“...Did that bother you that much?”
“It's not about being bothered. I said it so you wouldn't be put in an awkward spot.”
“Really...?”
I slowly straightened my torso from where it had been leaning against the sofa.
“Are you hurt because I told your grandpa I don't see you as a woman? Is that why you made that absurd bombshell statement?”
“......”
Seo Yerim fell silent, as if I'd hit the nail on the head.
It really showed she'd never dated before.
“Tell your grandpa the truth. Misunderstandings like this won't do us any good.”
“Actually, things aren't bad between Junseok and me.”
“...Huh?”
“You said you couldn't date me because Junseok and I don't get along.”
“That was obviously a joke—”
Click.
Without even hearing me out, Yerim hung up.
I stared at the call-ended screen in disbelief.
'Did she just say her piece and hang up...?'
In the end, I let out a deep sigh and slowly stood up.
A strange sense of emptiness mingled with quiet conviction.
'Junseok will handle explaining it to his grandpa properly.'
Junseok was quick on the uptake in situations like this.
That's why he'd know better than anyone that Yerim's impulsive remark was just an emotional outburst.
And above all, he knew how to pace things to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings in front of Chairman Seo Geonchang.
'Whew...'
I had no regrets about what I'd said.
The question of whether I saw Yerim as a woman touched on murky emotional territory without a clear answer, but in front of Chairman Seo Geonchang, that response felt right.
Swipe.
I pushed off my knees with my palms and rose from the sofa.
It had been a mentally draining day.
Cleaning late into the night, emotionally exhausting conversations.
'If, by some slim chance, I'd slept with Seo Yerim yesterday...'
It would have been a disaster.
Chairman Seo Geonchang would have noticed the moment he walked in.
'Fuck... I nearly ended up sunk in the ocean.'
I shuddered as I headed to the bedroom.
The end of a hectic day.
Pushing aside the lingering unease, I fell asleep on the bed.
“Thanks for all your hard work.”
I bowed deeply to the middle-aged site supervisor removing his hard hat at the front door.
As workers in coveralls packed up their tools and headed out, he wiped his sweat-soaked forehead with the back of his hand and grinned at me.
“Oh, come on. You were so thorough in checking everything that it made our job easy. Honestly, this building's age had me worried.”
“Ah, I see.”
He stepped back a couple of paces, slowly surveying our house as he continued.
“The framework's solid, and thanks to this remodel, the interior's as clean as any new apartment now.”
“Hearing that puts my mind at ease.”
As the workers finished loading toolboxes into the van one by one, the supervisor gave his final goodbye.
“Keep the windows wide open for ventilation for a while.”
“Got it.”
“Then we'll be off.”
“Drive safe.”
I watched until the company staff climbed into the truck.
It felt like a tension I hadn't realized I was holding finally released.
For days, I'd lived amid dust and construction noise, but all that hassle felt rewarded in this one moment.
Screech. Thud.
I closed the door and quietly stepped inside.
The moment I entered the entryway, a peculiar scent tickled my nose—a mix of new furniture, paint, and natural finish materials.
It was a smell that hadn't been there before.
With the new shoe cabinet, the entryway lighting had changed, and sensor lights glowed softly.
“...It really is different.”
I muttered as I slipped off my shoes and nudged them neatly with my toes, then slowly walked into the living room.
The living room had truly transformed.
The old gray wallpaper was gone, replaced with fresh, light cream-toned plaster-like wallpaper in neutral tones.
And on top of that.
The wall-mounted lights were reinstalled slightly higher, giving the space a more open feel overall.
But more than anything, the new lighting wrapped the room in a completely different warmth.
“...Is it still not enough?”
No matter how much I'd prepared, providing something better than the heavenly realm for the Jade Emperor was impossible.
Still, this was my best effort.
Satisfied, I crossed my arms heavily—and then my phone vibrated.
burrrr.
burrrr.
The caller was Junseok.
I answered immediately.
“Yeah, what's up?”
“Still busy?”
“The construction wrapped up today.”
“So you've got some time now?”
Still scanning the interior, I continued.
“Why?”
“You didn't forget you're introducing me to that girl? Set up a meet ASAP—”
“You little shit.”
“...I already apologized for that. Grandpa doesn't buy Yerim's story at all either.”
“So what happened in the end?”
“I kept telling Grandpa you're not the type to do that!”
As I chatted and plopped onto the sofa, I felt the changed cushioning.
They'd replaced the sofa covers and even redone the filling, so it was only natural.
“Haa... I'll introduce you after I handle what I need to this time.”
“What keeps you so busy out in the sticks?”
“Busy is busy, location doesn't matter.”
“Fine, but you better actually introduce me this time.”
“I said I will.”
“By the way...”
Junseok trailed off, then sighed shortly before continuing.
“Yerim seems off lately. Like she's sick or something.”
“Not possessed by a ghost again, is she?”
“Not that, but it's scarier than when she was possessed.”
“What?”
“Lately... Yerim keeps... being nice to me?”
“...Huh?”
“Even when I pick a fight, she just apologizes nonstop. And the other day, I found a shopping bag on my bed? Guess what was inside.”
I swallowed dryly and shifted my posture.
“What... was it...?”
“Yerim gave me a watch. And creepier still, there was a note inside.”
“A note...?”
“The note was the worst... She called me 'Oppa.' The rest was so shocking I can't even remember.”
“O-Oppa!?”
“Fuck! It said 'Oppa' right there, so I ripped it up on the spot!”
Why had Seo Yerim changed so suddenly?
Was it because of me?
“Didn't you ask why?”
“I was too scared to. It's definitely some vengeful spirit this time.”
Gurgle gurgle gurgle!
Gurgle gurgle gurgle!
Gurgle gurgle gurgle!
Gurgle gurgle gurgle!
As I was about to respond, the sound of running water came from the rooftop.
My eyes flicked upward, gaze sharpening.
“I-I'll call you back later!”