Chapter 189
Chapter 189
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 189
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Next morning, with a towel roughly draped over my shoulders as I dried my hair, I poked around the kitchen.
The subtle aroma of barley tea, which I'd brewed for the first time in ages, wafted gently through the air. Sunlight slanted through the gaps in the living room window, creating a languid atmosphere.
Suppressing a yawn at the corner of my mouth, just as I reached to turn down the gas flame—
♬♪♬
A low doorbell chime pierced the silence.
I turned off the flame under the teapot, shook out my hair once, and headed toward the entrance.
It wasn't even 9 a.m. yet.
I opened the door, and there was the face I'd expected.
"Detective, you've arrived?"
Detective Yoo Seongjae regarded me with heavy eyes.
The shadows under them were even darker than last time, and his lips were parched dry.
A deeply tense expression.
But what seized my attention even more was the other figure standing beside him.
"Just as you instructed, Haeseong-ssi, I've brought my younger brother."
Detective Yoo spoke curtly, one arm supporting his brother.
I nodded slowly in response.
"Ah... so this is Seonghyeon-ssi."
My gaze naturally shifted to Seonghyeon.
He was tall and solidly built.
Naturally tousled hair fell over his neatly combed forehead, while his sharp jawline and straight nose formed a decidedly handsome face.
'Of course, that handsome face is probably why he's in this state now.'
Despite an aura reminiscent of a model, Seonghyeon's expression was strangely vacant.
His eyes stared ahead without focus, eyelids slowly drooping and rising in repetition.
His arms dangled limply, fully reliant on his brother.
"Haeseong-ssi... this is much improved."
"I... I see?"
"He received special permission for an outing today and got sedatives beforehand."
Detective Yoo trailed off, lowering his head.
His voice was thick with exhaustion.
After a moment of silence, I peered into Seonghyeon's eyes once more—they seemed utterly hollow.
"For now... please come inside."
"Pardon the intrusion."
I quietly stepped aside to hold the door open.
Detective Yoo nodded and helped his brother into the living room.
I hurriedly pointed to the bedroom.
"Please lay him on the bed there."
"The bed? The sofa would..."
"It's fine. The bed is okay."
Detective Yoo drew a heavy breath before supporting his brother toward the master bedroom.
Seonghyeon remained utterly silent.
His brother had to lift his foot over the threshold, or he would have tripped right there.
Thud—
Detective Yoo carefully laid his brother on the bed.
Seonghyeon offered no resistance—not even a reaction.
He simply entrusted his body and lay down quietly.
"Detective, shall we step out and talk first?"
"Understood."
Detective Yoo sat wordlessly on a living room chair.
I went straight to the kitchen, poured the barley tea into cups, and set them on the table.
"Freshly brewed."
Detective Yoo gave a faint smile as he lifted his cup.
Only after taking a sip did he speak.
"Barley tea... it brings back old memories. Grandma used to brew it every day when I was little. The house was always filled with this scent."
"I suddenly got nostalgic too. You know those days when old comforts just tug at you for no reason."
"Barley tea gets that slightly sour edge if it sits too long, right? As a kid, I chugged it down without a clue."
"Haha! You too, Detective?"
A brief silence fell, broken by the soft clink of cups being set down.
Detective Yoo's fingers slowly traced the cup's surface as he raised his head.
"Anyway... can you really heal my brother?"
I did have the Heavenly Peach from King Yama, but even I didn't know if it could fully restore Seonghyeon's mind.
I set my cup down and drew a quiet breath.
"To be honest... I can't say for certain."
"I figured... The hospital only stabilized him somewhat—they couldn't fully cure him."
"Still, I'll do everything I can to bring Seonghyeon-ssi back to normal."
My voice remained steady, infused with caution and genuine intent.
Swish.
Detective Yoo silently clasped my hand.
Though large and rough, it carried a desperate warmth at that moment.
"Really... thank you."
In his eyes, I sensed a profound sense of duty and love for his brother.
His shoulders sagged far more than usual, his breaths subdued.
"Seonghyeon was such a bright kid. Handsome, popular, great personality."
"...When did this happen?"
"Five years ago. He went radio silent for a day, then was found the next, drenched in blood by a rural roadside."
"I see..."
Detective Yoo straightened his back and offered a faint smile.
"Truth be told, every time I see you, Haeseong-ssi, Seonghyeon comes to mind."
"Me?"
"He's twenty-eight this year too, same as you."
"Ah... same age as me?"
"So I keep thinking—if not for that incident back then, he'd be thriving just like you, Haeseong-ssi."
"...I'll give it my all to treat him."
Still gripping my hand firmly, Detective Yoo slowly raised his head.
He offered a tiny, almost imperceptible smile.
"Please don't feel too burdened. I'm already deeply grateful you're even trying, Haeseong-ssi."
"Detective... no matter what screams you hear from your brother, please don't enter the room."
His eyes flickered briefly at my words, but he soon nodded gravely.
"Understood."
I confirmed his gaze one last time before rising silently.
Then I quietly retrieved a water bottle from the fridge and headed to the bedroom.
Creak. Thud.
Opening the door let soft sunlight filter through the curtain gaps, bathing the room.
Seonghyeon lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
As if sensing my entry, he slowly turned his head.
"Hello. Let me introduce myself properly. I'm Han Haeseong."
"......"
Seonghyeon's gaze remained unfocused, adrift in space, his expression blank as a mannequin.
His skin was pallid, lips dry and colorless.
Swish.
After gazing at him, I quietly approached the bedside.
I gently placed a hand on his shoulder and slowly raised his upper body.
"......!"
"Please bear with it just a moment, even if it's uncomfortable."
To my surprise, he offered little resistance, pliantly yielding his torso.
One hand supported his back while the other shifted the pillow back for a slight recline.
Rustle—
I set down the water bottle and carefully fished the Heavenly Peach from my pocket.
The mind-clearing Heavenly Peach from King Yama.
I precisely picked up one pill and brought it to his lips.
"Come on, open your mouth."
No response from Seonghyeon.
I hesitated briefly, then cupped his jaw and gently pried his mouth open.
Like a weightless doll, he complied without protest.
As the Heavenly Peach touched his tongue, a faint light flashed at the tip. I swiftly held the water bottle to his lips.
"S-swallow it."
Water trickled from the tilted bottle between his lips.
It seemed to spill at first, but soon his Adam's apple bobbed faintly.
One sip, two sips.
Finally, the Heavenly Peach slid down his throat.
'Did he actually swallow it?'
Confirming the faint rise of his chest, I set the bottle aside and caught my breath.
A heavy silence blanketed the room.
Tension crushed my body.
'Will the treatment work?'
I'd obtained the Heavenly Peach from King Yama out of pity for Detective Yoo's plight, but Seonghyeon's recovery remained a question mark.
I swallowed hard.
"......!"
In that instant, Seonghyeon's blank face twisted faintly, as if something stirred within.
His fingertips and toes twitched in small spasms, and soon a muffled sound escaped his lips.
"......Ugh, ugh...... Aaack!"
"A-are you okay!?"
It didn't pierce my eardrums, but the scream burrowed deep into my mind.
Not mere agony, but a wail born from battling profound darkness within his psyche.
"Euaack!!"
The screams continued.
All I could do was watch helplessly from the side.
"Haa... haa..."
About ten minutes passed that way?
The screams gradually faded, silence returning to the room.
But this was no deathly hush—it thrummed with the tension of impending change.
His chest heaved roughly as shallow breaths deepened into full ones.
"Hoo... ha... hoo..."
Seonghyeon's breathing steadied into a rhythm.
Still ragged, but driven by consciousness, not oblivion.
Swish.
His drifting gaze slowly turned toward me, finally locking into sharp focus.
"Where... is this place?"
A shiver ran through me, as if I'd just pulled off a miraculous surgery.
I wanted to rush out and tell Detective Yoo in the living room.
I smiled calmly at Seonghyeon.
"Fortunately, it's not heaven."