episode_0212

“…”

With a face flushed crimson as if it would burst, Rachel blinked her eyes, pulling the blanket up to her chin.

She had only just woken up. But several facts were immediately apparent, the first being that she was naked.

She was the type to always wear pajamas to sleep… so she quickly realized the strangeness of it.

And from that fact, another memory resurfaced: the previous night.

Rachel frowned slightly at her throbbing head from the hangover. Then, she turned her head a bit stiffly to look beside her.

Unlike her, who had woken much earlier than usual, the young man beside her seemed to still be in dreamland.

“…Mmm.”

“…!”

Did he sense her gaze? In an instant, Lee Hyunjin stirred slightly, turning onto his side and moving a little closer to Rachel.

Rachel felt her heart pounding as she gazed at the young man’s face, also naked, who had moved closer to her.

His mysterious silver hair, growing richer in color as he became more proficient in ice magic, gently flowed down with his stirrings.

His rather long hair, if one had to say, wasn’t very masculine.

‘…He’s pretty.’

Despite that, his refined appearance, combined with his beautiful features, created a truly handsome look.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t handsome, but perhaps it was more accurate to say he was closer to beautiful.

Gulp…

Rachel swallowed dryly, looking down at his closed eyelids.

Regrettably, she was the type who didn’t lose memories when drunk.

“…Ugh…”

As such, what came to mind wasn’t just one or two things. Rachel groaned softly, pressing her hand against her eyes.

-Date me, not Soyul.

-I’ll treat you better. I’ll make you feel better, even more so.

-Can’t I be the main wife…?

‘How could I…!’

She clenched her lips, screaming internally. How, how could she have said such things while sober?!

…Though having drunk a lot before coming in, calling it ‘sober’ might be a stretch!?

“Haaah.”

Even so. Such an abrupt confession to someone who clearly has an fiancée, a lover.

In addition to embarrassment, Rachel’s face flushed crimson, consumed by an indescribable burning sensation.

Perhaps it was because she had never harbored such romantic feelings before.

Controlling her emotions through reason wasn’t working as she wished.

“Phew…”

But what could she do? As mentioned before, Lee Hyunjin had a destined partner. The same age, the same type of mage, and someone who had built a much deeper connection with him than Rachel had…

‘…Soyul.’

Cheon Soyul, the top student of the entire second year at Cheongsong Academy.

A girl with light brown hair and golden eyes.

Rachel blankly recalled her face, then, with another blank expression, turned her head to look at the mirror on the opposite side of the bed.

There, an exquisitely beautiful blonde girl was blinking her eyes with a dark expression—

Yet somehow, Rachel felt a loss of confidence. She didn’t think she was significantly inferior in beauty, but, how to put it… how to put it…

‘…Soyul is charming. Yes, very much so.’

Rachel also knew. Cheon Soyul, the girl’s charm points, and the deep, profound relationship she had with Lee Hyunjin that Rachel couldn’t replicate.

She was not only an opponent she couldn’t win against but also one she shouldn’t dare to challenge.

At the very least, Rachel had no courage to endure that chilling gaze, flickering with a hint of lightning, ever again…

“Aww, no.”

Isn’t it true that in this world, you can’t have everything your way? Rachel let out a comical sigh and, with a resigned expression, plopped back down onto the bed.

And in that position, she turned her head to face Lee Hyunjin once more.

“…”

Her face flushed red again in an instant. This time, it was influenced by a slightly more tender emotion compared to embarrassment or shame.

…Right. Regardless, at this very moment, the woman lying naked in the same bed as Lee Hyunjin was herself.

That alone is enough—. Rachel repeated this to herself, but soon realized it was still a bit lacking. Even so, there was nothing more she could do.

Because if she picked a fight with Cheon Soyul, nine times out of ten, she would be turned to ashes.

“Yeah, let’s give up on being the main wife. Tell Soyul to do that. Yeah…”

Finally, Rachel, muttering a few words, wriggled her body towards Lee Hyunjin with a silly expression.

Within the blankets, she further closed the small distance and tightly hugged Lee Hyunjin.

“Gasp.”

“Hehe.”

Although Lee Hyunjin’s breathing was momentarily cut off by her soft chest, what did it matter?

At least for this moment, Rachel didn’t have to envy Cheon Soyul.

“Ra-Rachel…?”

“Hyunjin, are you awake?”

And as Lee Hyunjin gradually came to his senses, Rachel very naturally slipped her hand under the blanket.

Grab.

“…?! W-wait. Hey.”

And what she grabbed… While she wouldn’t say it outright, it was a very embarrassing part for Lee Hyunjin, to say the least.

With a bright smile on her face, Rachel subtly moved her hand up and down.

“I like you, Hyunjin. I’m serious.”

“…Hey, no, *huff*.”

“Wait, I’ll make you feel good soon, in celebration of the morning light.”

She chuckled a silly ‘hehe’ and brought her lips to Lee Hyunjin’s cheek.

Kiss.

…

…

…

About an hour later.

Click!

“I’ll extend it.”

Lee Hyunjin urgently put down the receiver he had lifted.

*****

While Lee Hyunjin and Rachel were busy in bed, on the top floor of the reconstructed Cheongsong Academy main building, in the principal’s office.

The man standing before a wooden compartment that resembled a gun cabinet silently stretched out his hand.

What his calloused hand grasped might seem a bit comical, but it was merely a single mop.

Something you might find at a general store… It was a much higher quality item than a three-thousand-won mop, but…

“Hmm.”

Nevertheless, a mop was still a mop.

Even if the most magnificent man in the world held it, he wouldn’t look like anything more than a cleaner.

Of course, this fact wasn’t much different even for Yang Chan-ho, a hero renowned as one of the world’s foremost Awakened ones.

After all, wasn’t he the one with the ability to transform a mop into a holy sword?

Now, it wasn’t awkward for him to be holding a mop again, but—

“Well now.”

That didn’t mean he didn’t feel self-loathing or enter a ‘sage time’ [a state of profound calm or apathy after excitement].

Especially recently, perhaps because he’d been meeting many other Awakened ones…

“In this wide world, there are many Awakened ones, and quite a few rare traits. Why, of all things, did I awaken such a useless ability?”

Yang Chan-ho sat on the sofa with a somewhat somber feeling. The look in his eyes as he gazed at the mop in his hand was rather unusual.

Especially since he was now in a position where he had to travel overseas, carrying that mop and a few extra mops.

“Well, it’s true that thanks to this ability, I was able to reach this position.”

Yang Chan-ho chuckled wryly and casually leaned the mop against something nearby.

Then he subtly turned his head, staring fixedly at the principal’s office entrance.

“Don’t you think so, Senior-nim?”

“…”

There was no reply to his casual remark. But that didn’t mean Yang Chan-ho was talking to himself.

After a brief silence, a black, shadow-like figure slithered up near the entrance.

What appeared was a neatly dressed woman, and Yang Chan-ho knew well that despite her beauty, she was middle-aged.

Hidden Sword Yeon Seobaek. The undisputed number one worldwide when it came to scouting-type abilities.

And she was also the mother of a certain male student currently attending this academy.

Yang Chan-ho smiled faintly, recalling these few personal details.

“Why would someone who should be in Seoul come all the way down here? I imagine you have many other matters to attend to…”

“…”

“May I ask your business?”

“…”

“…Ahem, you’re not here to assassinate me, are you? Or perhaps you received a request?”

As Yeon Seobaek continued to stand silently, Yang Chan-ho slowly began to feel nervous.

Of course, she wasn’t an opponent he’d lose to in a direct confrontation… but if it became an assassination rather than a duel, the story would change.

“You’re still as unnecessarily talkative as ever.”

It was about the time Yang Chan-ho cautiously glanced towards the mop. Yeon Seobaek restored her presence, which had been faint until just then.

Knowing well what that meant, Yang Chan-ho felt his worries ease considerably.

Yang Chan-ho smiled a bit wryly, relaxed his body, and replied curtly.

“How could I not? Is there anyone in this country who wouldn’t be nervous when you, Senior-nim, visit without notice?”

“My son wasn’t nervous.”

Then another immediate reply came. Yang Chan-ho was dumbfounded but didn’t let it show on his face, letting out a hollow laugh.

“…Hyunjin is a peculiar child in many ways. No, before that, aren’t you his parent? Naturally, he wouldn’t be scared.”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“It’s not ‘is that so?’ You keep changing the subject, but why did you come all the way to Daejeon? Do you have business with me, or perhaps you came to see Hyunjin—”

“Moonlight Cult.”

Yang Chan-ho’s lips closed at Yeon Seobaek’s single word, cutting him off.

He looked at Yeon Seobaek with eyes that were sharper than before.

“…Where did you hear about them? I didn’t think the operation was sloppy enough to leak.”

“I have more than one S-class acquaintance, you see. They passed on a topic that was briefly discussed at that meeting a month ago.”

“Ah-ha.”

Yang Chan-ho quickly understood and nodded. Indeed, it wasn’t strange for an S-class to pass on information to another S-class.

Although there was a brief silence, Yang Chan-ho soon scratched his cheek and continued speaking.

“So… Hmm, the reason you came, is it perhaps to stop your son from participating…?”

He offered what he thought was a reasonably logical reason, but Yeon Seobaek merely tilted her head.

“Why would you think I’d do that?”

“…Because you’re his parent?”

Yang Chan-ho was dumbfounded once again. Of course, Yeon Seobaek’s consistent attitude wouldn’t change.

“That child is an adult now. He even has someone he’s promised to marry… If he still wishes to participate in a dangerous operation involving a villain group, I have no right to stop him.”

“…Is that so?”

Yang Chan-ho replied quietly, thinking to himself. On the surface, it seemed she respected her son and his choices… but, well.

Wouldn’t most parents try to prevent their child from going to a battlefield where they might lose their life?

Yang Chan-ho narrowed his eyes and added quietly.

“You’re colder than I thought, Senior-nim.”

“Instead, I’m going with him.”

“?”