Chapter 197
Chapter 197
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 197
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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I opened the front door, and there were Yang Yujeong and Ye Jiwon, who had just gotten out of the car. They came walking up to the entrance with bright smiles, each carrying a few plastic bags.
"You must be tired from the trip! But I told you not to come empty-handed."
"Come on, how could we? By the way, the house looks like it's changed a lot?"
"Wow, Jiwon, you've got a good memory too?"
"Of course."
Yang Yujeong nodded as well, glancing around her surroundings.
"But you really live here all by yourself?"
"Why?"
"It looks way bigger than I imagined."
"Does it? Maybe I should get a dog after all."
"The yard seems big enough for at least one Jindo dog, don't you think?"
"Haha! Come on in for now."
Once Ye Jiwon and Yang Yujeong had taken their seats, I brought out the pre-prepared dishes one by one onto the table.
At that, their eyes sparkled.
It was truly a heartwarming sight.
"Did you make all this yourself, oppa?"
"Junseok helped."
"Really? But he told me he could only make ramen for me..."
I glanced at Junseok, who was standing there looking sheepish, then turned my gaze back to Jiwon.
"He was probably just joking."
"Oh ho, is that so?"
Junseok immediately plopped down right next to Jiwon, scooping food onto her side plate and pouring the makgeolli we'd prepared as a side drink, smoothly carrying on the conversation.
There wasn't even a trace of yesterday's collapse at the cabin.
I had to admire the guy's recovery and mental fortitude.
Just like that, the drinking session heated up much faster than expected.
"Is this your first time in the countryside, Yujeong?"
"Well... I vaguely remember going to my grandma's house when I was little."
"Yeah?"
"Back then, she'd collect 100-won coins and sneak them to me as pocket money without telling my mom..."
"That's a memory in itself."
I quietly took a sip of makgeolli and looked back at Yang Yujeong.
She had her eyebrows slightly raised as she looked around.
"Oppa, did you do the interior yourself?"
"It was originally my dad's house. I've been fixing it up bit by bit since I came back to live here."
"Wow, you've got great taste."
"I hired a contractor."
"Oh... I thought..."
I burst out laughing at Yujeong's misunderstanding, and suddenly Junseok straightened up, raising his voice like he was bragging about something amazing.
"Oh, right! I didn't tell you there's a bathhouse on the rooftop, did I?"
"A b-bathhouse?"
"Yeah, Haeseong made it himself. It has a cold bath and a hot one, and the view is insane! Soaking in the tub at night while looking at the stars is pure healing, I tell you."
Junseok looked thrilled, like he'd built it himself.
On the other hand, Yang Yujeong's eyes widened as she stared at me.
"Whoa... You really made it, oppa?"
"I built it based on the blueprints my late father designed."
"Still, that's amazing!"
"Nah, it's nothing special. Just has a nice tub vibe."
"Can I check it out later?"
I tried to downplay it as much as possible, but with Junseok's exaggerated boasting, Yujeong's expectations weren't going anywhere.
I hesitated for a moment.
What if the fairies showed up tonight?
But...
The mood was so cheerful, and if I turned her down for no reason, it might embarrass Yujeong.
I let out a short breath.
"...Sure. A quick look wouldn't hurt."
At my words, Yujeong beamed and raised her makgeolli glass.
"Then we'll go later!?"
"Yeah, let's do that."
She wasn't even drunk, but Yujeong seemed way more lively than when I'd first met her in Seoul.
I set down my glass and tilted my head.
"You drunk already?"
"...Huh?"
"No, just... you seem a lot more outgoing than when we first met."
"W-well, that was our first time meeting... so I was quiet."
"Oh... right."
"But when it was just the two of us at the street food stall, I talked a lot, didn't I?"
"Still seemed quieter than now."
I chuckled, and Yujeong clapped her hands like she'd remembered something.
"Now that you mention it, back then Jiwon and Junseok oppa ditched us and left. Didn't even pick up their phones."
Junseok flinched and froze.
His right hand, holding the makgeolli glass, hovered blankly in the air.
He looked utterly flustered, like he hadn't expected the topic to come up.
"Uh, that was... y'see... back then—"
As Junseok stammered, Yujeong giggled and waved her hand dismissively in the air.
"It's fine. Jiwon told me everything. You were trying to set me up with Haeseong oppa, right?"
"...Well..."
Jiwon, unlike Junseok, sipped her makgeolli with a shy smile tugging at her lips.
Something felt off about the atmosphere.
"But Haeseong oppa didn't seem interested in getting with me?"
With that, Yujeong looked at me.
She smiled like it was no big deal, but there was something different in her eyes compared to our first meeting.
It wasn't the awkward, cautious tone from that day in Seoul either.
Like she'd come here with a purpose?
'Am I imagining it?'
I averted my gaze slightly, and Yujeong immediately downed the rest of her makgeolli.
And then.
"Does it bother you if the girl shows interest first, oppa?"
"...Huh?"
"Or is it because I'm too young for you?"
My throat felt dry for some reason, so I picked up my glass.
And took a sip of makgeolli.
"...Not really."
I said it to diffuse the awkwardness.
Short and to the point.
"...!"
But contrary to my intent, Yujeong's eyes went wide.
Her cheeks had flushed from red to a deeper crimson, and the hand holding her glass seemed frozen in place, not moving an inch.
Suddenly, I wondered if I'd said the wrong thing.
"...R-really? So I'm not that bad, huh."
Yujeong muttered softly, lowering her head a bit.
Her hand, slowly setting down the glass as she blinked, still seemed to tremble slightly.
"Someone like you is great. If anything, you'd be too good for me."
"I'm not that great. And what's wrong with you, oppa!?"
"...Huh?"
"You're handsome, in great shape, and you even have a house like this."
Across from me, Junseok and Jiwon exchanged glances while covering their mouths.
I set down my glass and gave a gentle smile.
"Didn't know you thought so highly of me, Yujeong."
Then Yujeong took another shot of makgeolli and spoke up.
"...You're different from other guys, oppa."
"Me? How?"
"Any other guy would've tried something that night and not let me go home. But you were different."
I'd held back because she was Jiwon's friend, but it felt like I'd unintentionally earned a misunderstanding.
If I'd come on too strong and gotten rejected, it'd be a disgrace to my hometown brother image.
"Plenty of guys like that out there."
"At least not around me. No one's like you."
"Like I said before, guys your age are full of youthful vigor."
"That's why I'm looking for someone older."
Yujeong didn't back down an inch.
Honestly, her forwardness didn't feel bad at all.
She was pretty, and going to the same school as Jiwon meant she was smart too.
Plus, just turned twenty.
Too perfect for a divorced guy to turn down.
'Raise her up nice and tall, then devour?'
A wicked desire crept into my mind.
Yujeong was exactly the kind of woman who stirred up greed.
'...But she's Jiwon's friend.'
Just as I tried to change the subject, Jiwon wobbled to her feet.
"W-wait a sec... Ahhh."
"You drunk?"
I asked carefully, and Jiwon, standing unsteadily, spoke up.
"I... I should head out now."
Her words trailed off, and she rubbed her eyes with both hands for effect.
Honestly, the acting was pretty awkward, but I could clearly see the intent behind it.
Jiwon glanced between Yujeong and me, then staggered toward the front door, swaying dramatically.
"Leaving already?"
"It's fine, my parents' place is right nearby. But, oppa?"
"Yeah?"
"My place is too cramped to have Yujeong sleep over... so she can stay here, right?"
At that, I immediately looked at Yujeong.
She looked momentarily flustered but quickly bowed her head with a smile to play it off.
"Jiwon, I'll be fine here, so don't worry."
Yujeong seemed even more natural about it, leaving me the flustered one.
Meanwhile, Junseok shot up abruptly, his face full of question marks.
"Huh? Then what about me?"
He looked genuinely clueless.
Jiwon responded with a faint smile, lightly tilting her chin up.
"Oppa, you should go say hi to my parents."
"F-for real!? At this hour?"
"You don't want to...?"
"It's not that I don't want to, just... wouldn't it be rude...?"
"I already told them. They know we're drinking at Haeseong oppa's place."
I'd expected him to be thrilled, but Junseok looked extremely flustered.
Then he started fixing his messy hair like he needed to freshen up and fiddled with his collar.
"W-well, at least let me walk you home. Let's go."
And so, I stepped outside briefly to see off Junseok and Jiwon with Yujeong.
Jiwon had clearly come today determined to push Yujeong and me together.
"See you tomorrow, oppa."
"Yeah, don't mess up with Jiwon's parents, Junseok!"
After seeing them off with a joking tone, I turned awkwardly to Yujeong and spoke.
"Shall we head back inside?"
Then Yujeong lifted her head high, grabbed my hand, and chirped brightly.
"Show me the bathhouse now!"