Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Yandere Fairy's Gaze is Strange
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"What the fuck! Why the hell did this get bigger?!"
I gripped my hair tightly with both hands as I sat on the sofa.
The Silver Fairy had extended not my height, but 'that thing' attached to my lower body. No wonder a curse slipped out in that instant.
Ha...
No surprise she gave me that contemptuous side-eye before floating up to the sky, having jumped to some ridiculous misunderstanding.
She must've pegged me as a total pervert.
No, actually, wasn't she the weird one?
How could she mistake my request to make me taller for this?
If she was confused, she could've just asked.
Still...
I'd lived my whole life without ever feeling like mine was lacking compared to others', so why didn't this bother me?
Maybe it was a surge of inexplicable confidence?
A weird grin kept creeping onto my lips.
It stemmed from a misunderstanding, which made the irony all the more absurd.
"Even so..."
I needed to give the Silver Fairy a piece of my mind when I saw her.
And while I was at it, maybe use this as leverage to snag another Heavenly Peach.
Smooth.
My worries didn't last long.
The golden goose would keep laying eggs anyway—no need to make a fuss.
"Ahem!"
I placed both hands on my hips and checked the mirror one more time.
Was 'jackpot' the right word for a time like this?
A total surprise upgrade I never saw coming.
Unable to resist, I smirked uncontrollably, deciding that if you can't dodge it, might as well enjoy it.
On my way back home after stopping by the supermarket to buy a bag full of the snacks the Silver Fairy wanted...
Today, three neighborhood aunties were huddled together in the wooden gazebo shelter.
"Hello!"
I bowed politely in greeting, and Jiwon-i's mom—one of them—waved back.
"Oh my! I've been hearing so much about you lately, Haeseong. Planning to settle down here for good?"
"Huh? Who'd you hear that from?"
"Who else? Grandma Choi."
"Ah, got it. I just came back from her store."
"Good for you! You looked like such a mess at the funeral—I was really worried. But your complexion's looking great now."
"Haha... you think? Time to shake it off and move forward."
"That's the spirit. The living have to keep living."
The other aunties scanned me up and down, letting out exclamations of admiration at my change.
As I prepared an awkward wrap-up greeting, Jiwon-i's mom narrowed her eyes slyly.
"How about our Jiwon-i as a bride for you?"
Ever since I was a kid, Jiwon-i's mom had teased me like this about marrying her daughter.
It felt refreshing that she hadn't changed.
Even with my 'divorced guy' label, she didn't seem to care one bit—that's the vibe I got.
I gave a light chuckle and waved it off casually.
"Jiwon-i's still in high school."
"What are you talking about? She's twenty already!"
"She's already twenty?!"
"Yep! Graduated high school last year and she's in college in Seoul now!"
"Whoa... time flies."
"She said she wants to pay her own tuition, so she's working part-time too."
Soeun-i was four years younger than me, and we'd lost touch, so it made sense I was out of the loop on Jiwon-i. Plus, beyond occasionally buying her ice cream at the store, we didn't have much connection.
"You've been through enough hardship now."
"Exactly! So how about our Jiwon-i as your bride?"
I swallowed a wry smile at Jiwon-i's mom's mischievous grin and continued.
"Nah, I've already been married once."
"Divorce isn't a big deal these days."
"Who says?"
"Grandma Choi did."
Where did this grandma go gossiping about me all over town...?
I appreciated the thought, at least.
That's when I overheard the other two aunties exchanging glances and chatting.
"An eight-year gap might be too much these days, even if it's fine in our time. Soeun-i's age matches Haeseong better."
"Right, Soeun-i's back in town too, quit her job."
"She's been a beauty since she was little—all the local boys chased after her."
Why were these aunties so invested in other people's business?
They should at least hear from the people involved.
But...
Jiwon-i's mom clearly didn't like their chatter, pulling a displeased face.
"These gossipy hens talk like our Jiwon-i's ugly or something."
"N-No, that's not it. It's just the age gap with Haeseong."
"So you're saying she's young? Show me a guy with a dick who doesn't like younger girls! Name one!?"
The aunties paled at Jiwon-i's mom's sudden thunderous outburst.
Her next target was me.
"Haeseong, you tell 'em! Soeun-i or our Jiwon-i?"
"Uh...?"
"Younger is better, right?"
I'd only greeted them to be friendly, but now it felt like an interrogation.
I racked my brain to respond without offending anyone.
"Soeun-i and Jiwon-i... they're both pretty."
"Both pretty, but ours is younger, huh?"
"But shouldn't we hear from Jiwon-i herself? She might not even like me."
"No way, she used to talk about you all the time when she was little!"
"Haha! That was kid stuff. She's grown up now—her tastes might've changed."
"Fine, just answer this: Soeun-i or our Jiwon-i?"
I felt like I'd stepped in it bad.
Even alone with Jiwon-i's mom, it'd be tricky out of politeness, but with two neighborhood megaphones? Nightmare.
"Soeun-i and Jiwon-i are both precious to me."
Jiwon-i's mom thumped her chest in frustration, then straightened up.
"Do you know why Soeun-i came back to town?"
"Heard she quit her job."
"Exactly! Do you know why she quit!?"
"Obviously, the company wasn't a good fit."
"No, it's— Mmph! Let go— Mmmph!"
Suddenly, the other two aunties lunged to cover Jiwon-i's mom's mouth.
I blinked in confusion, wondering what the hell was going on, when one forced an awkward smile.
"Jiwon-i's mom had too much to drink today, so cut her some slack."
"...Huh?"
"Just head home already!"
"Ah, got it. I'll be going then."
I was dying to hear what came next, but figured now was my chance to escape.
I hurried home with a quick bow, set the snack bag on the table, and sighed.
'Should've just ignored them and kept walking...'
Time was scary. As a kid in this neighborhood, I'd always dodged the gossip aunties.
Run into one, and you'd be stuck for at least an hour.
I'd overlooked how their killer banter and stamina hadn't faded with the years.
Anyway...
What was Jiwon-i's mom about to say?
Was there more to Soeun-i quitting her job?
She'd told me it just wasn't the right fit.
'Something feels off.'
Jiwon-i's mom might bluff cutely, but she wouldn't fabricate gossip to badmouth someone.
Did Soeun-i quit under circumstances so bad she couldn't tell me?
I couldn't ask her directly, and the curiosity was killing me.
Maybe I should've stuck around to hear the whole story.
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!
The sound of water from the rooftop hit my ears.
But unlike yesterday, it wasn't exactly welcoming.
The Silver Fairy had already visited, so odds were the Gold Fairy was here today.
Yeah.
I knew I was being spoiled.
Not as thrilled as yesterday, but not unwelcome either.
After blowing the Gold Fairy's cash on luxury clothes and a foreign car, I could use more gold right about now.
"Ha..."
Come to think of it, I still hadn't built the cold bath she wanted.
I'd promised completion within ten days, so time was on my side, but I had a bad feeling she'd chew me out.
And if she didn't get what she wanted, no gold, obviously.
'Should I just skip going up?'
What was the point? She'd just tell me to eat her out and withhold the gold.
Sure, the Gold Fairy was stunningly hot, but no need to volunteer free service.
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!
SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH!!
The water sounded fiercer than usual today.
I let out a deep sigh and stood.
"Fine!! I'll go up. I'm the bathhouse owner—gotta greet the customer properly."
My eyes naturally drifted to the snack bag on the table.
If the Gold Fairy liked snacks like the Silver Fairy, maybe she'd overlook the unfinished cold bath and cough up some gold.
With happy delusions spinning in my head, I grabbed the bag and headed for the rooftop stairs.
Thud—! Thud—!
At the top of the rooftop stairs, I squeezed my eyes shut out of courtesy and called out loudly.
"Hello! Thanks for visiting my bathhouse again. My eyes are closed right now, so I'll slowly open th—"
That's when I cracked open my tightly shut eyes.
A woman sat in the bath, facing away.
Not the Silver Fairy's smooth skin, nor the Gold Fairy's toned back.
Petite build?
Even sitting, she didn't seem tall.
Almost childlike...
Smooth.
That's when it happened.
The mystery woman in the bath whipped her head around with a sharp turn.
I steadied my subtly trembling cheeks and calmly spoke.
"Who... are you?"