Ch.174Chapter 7. The Heroine’s Pressure

※The last part of the phone call has been modified.

Do Ji-hwan previously told Baek Seol-hee his shoe size.

I wrote it but forgot about it.

Oops

* * *

Is Do Ji-hwan the Goblin?

It’s impossible to give a definitive answer to this question.

Baek Seol-hee is a woman with quick comprehension, scoring 100 points in the language section of the college entrance exam, and she’s logical enough to score 100 points in the advanced mathematics section as well.

Therefore, before verifying the hypothesis that ‘Do Ji-hwan = Goblin,’ she shouldn’t rashly assume this hypothesis is true and make judgments.

But if we assume this hypothesis is true, everything fits together perfectly.

That day.

The day Red Scarf Jung Gong-in threatened to burn Seoul after traveling up the Gyeongbu Expressway.

Baek Seol-hee met Do Ji-hwan for the first time and borrowed his bike to ride.

At that time, she didn’t feel the need for ultra-high-speed movement like ice wings, so she had no choice but to borrow the bike.

And the Goblin appeared from the direction he had come from.

1. Why did the Goblin appear from the Seoul direction at that time?

Answer: Because the Goblin was in Seoul at that time, and his bike had been taken from him.

1-1. Then why did the Goblin specifically come to catch Red Scarf?

Answer: Because Seoul is what could be called the Goblin’s home, and even as a villain, he wouldn’t want his home destroyed by another malicious villain.

And next.

The Goblin suddenly appeared on Sejong Island, where he had never appeared before.

And right at the beginning of the semester.

This makes sense if we think of it as the Goblin infiltrating Sejong Island under the guise of a librarian.

2. Why did the Goblin appear on Sejong Island?

Answer: While it’s hard to give a definitive answer, it’s clear he came to seduce women.

There’s no other reason when you think about it.

Reading books in the library is just a hobby; in reality, he’s trying to recruit S-class or EX-class ability users like Ymir or Baek Seol-hee to join the Syndicate.

That’s the most logical and reasonable explanation.

Even if Baek Seol-hee hadn’t entered Sejong Island, there are many excellent ability users on the island, like Princess Bari Tae Yi-rin or student council president Yoon Yi-seon.

2-1. Really just to seduce women?

Answer: Perhaps he came to deal with Dueoksini and whoever is behind her.

He might have learned that Dueoksini and her background, capable of mass-producing demons, are on Sejong Island, and came to directly infiltrate and attempt to destroy their headquarters.

When you think about it that way, everything fits.

And another thing.

When they collided in Gangneung, the Goblin blocked her attack with his left hand.

This was after Do Ji-hwan and she spent a patriotic night on Ulleungdo, and the Goblin responded by blocking her attack rather than cutting her.

If the Goblin is Do Ji-hwan, and if the Do Ji-hwan she knows isn’t much different from the Goblin…

3. Why did the Goblin specifically block her attack with his left hand?

Answer: Because he didn’t want to hurt a woman he had become close to.

Aside from being a villain, it’s a somewhat sweet gesture, but one question remains.

Why would he do something that would leave a wound on his left hand?

Even to the point of wearing a cast?

Why would he create such an excuse, claiming he was injured while engaging in patriotic activities with his wife?

No magical energy remained on the Goblin’s hand.

But if he were the Goblin, he would have had some way to extract the magical energy, so he could have returned to Sejong Island with just a broken bone.

Therefore.

For the proposition “Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin” to be true, appropriate evidence is needed.

Not just forcing connections, but information that truly makes the process plausible.

When police put out wanted notices for suspects, don’t they identify them based on physical descriptions?

Build.

Voice.

Appearance.

So Baek Seol-hee decided to start verifying the first piece of evidence by checking his physical characteristics one by one.

The battle in Yangyang.

The battle in Jindo.

In one, she fought directly with the Goblin, and in the other, they fought together against an S-class demon.

During that process, whether it was part of his concept or whatever, the Goblin attacked enemies by firmly planting his feet on the ground.

She saw those footprints.

Something like skid marks, you could say.

While clear footprints weren’t left behind, she could estimate the Goblin’s size through the concentration and feel of mana spreading around when magical power was channeled into his feet.

Estimated size: 280

And the size Do Ji-hwan himself told her: 280.

And.

When she visually compared the footprints from the Goblin’s ability use with shoes of similar size, the sizes matched almost perfectly.

Well, how can one be certain about someone’s identity based solely on shoe size?

Just.

4. If there’s a reason to believe Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin?

Answer: The answer to this is absurdly simple, but it can only be described as:

A woman’s intuition.

Just that, nothing more.

Setting aside her S-class status and everything else, it’s just a baseless guess that “that man is this man.”

But if it’s true.

If everything from shoe size starts to match up.

From now on.

If she starts gathering information one by one, that’s it.

The day it’s proven that Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin.

Baek Seol-hee would….

* * *

‘That look in her eyes is exactly like she wants to lock me up somewhere and pour out her emotions.’

Ymir subtly gives me a signal.

I immediately catch on.

Baek Seol-hee is now trying to gather definitive information about me using shoes as a pretext, intending to compare it with the Goblin.

‘I know because I’ve been burned before.’

Ymir is giving me signals with her eyes, feet, and hands, making sure Baek Seol-hee doesn’t notice.

-I figured out you were the Goblin based on your body, teacher, so how could Seol-hee not know?

…I don’t think Baek Seol-hee is that perceptive, but I did expect her to catch on since I dropped hints myself.

Still, I’m not worried.

Why?

“Thank you, Seol-hee.”

Because I’ve already prepared countermeasures for this.

“I had a feeling when you asked about my shoe size before. I’m glad I prepared a gift in return.”

“A gift…?”

“Yes. Actually, my wife sent this.”

I took out something I had hidden in the closet at home.

“Ta-da.”

“Th-that…!”

“It’s lingerie from abroad.”

I brazenly handed Baek Seol-hee a box containing black lingerie.

“Try it on sometime. Or, you know, you could use it as a base and layer clothes over it with mana.”

“H-how could I wear such… No, wait.”

Baek Seol-hee, who was about to interrogate me, suddenly lost her composure.

“W-will this even fit me…?”

“It will. It should fit perfectly. Unless something has grown or changed in the meantime.”

“…How did you know my size?”

“Well, I can estimate just by looking.”

Baek Seol-hee fell silent.

Her eyes wavered greatly at the sudden black lingerie attack.

“Wow, teacher! What about me?”

“Yours would need to be custom-made.”

“What?”

“Ready-made products can cover Seol-hee’s size, but for you, we’d need to special order.”

“…Hmph.”

Ymir straightened her shoulders and raised her head.

“I guess it can’t be helped. These things are extremely difficult to custom order.”

“……”

Baek Seol-hee briefly looked down at herself with sunken eyes, then looked up at Ymir.

Though she possessed S-class magical power, she had to concede a point or two in front of Ymir, who had EX-class magical power.

Of course, both would have to bow their heads before an EX+ class ability user.

“Thank you for the shoes, Seol-hee. Will you accept my gift in return?”

“Ah, yes. I’ll… show you how it looks when I wear it sometime.”

“Yes, please do. And let’s go to Ulleungdo wearing that later.”

“……!”

Baek Seol-hee’s face turned red.

As I knelt on one knee and handed her the gift, Baek Seol-hee hesitated before clutching the lingerie box in her hand.

“…Ji-hwan.”

“Yes?”

“Are you hiding anything from me?”

“I am.”

That must be her ultimatum.

But I have no intention of naively saying “No” only to later hear “You said you weren’t hiding anything from me!”

Instead.

“Someday, someday I’ll tell you one really important secret that I’m keeping.”

As if I can’t help it, I take Baek Seol-hee’s hand in both of mine and bury my face.

“When that time comes, you might resent me. No, you’ll definitely resent me. How could I do such a thing? This is betrayal, you’ll say.”

“…….”

“But please understand this much. I’m on your side, and I don’t want to hurt you deeply.”

“Someone like that….”

“If. Someday, if the day comes when I reveal all my secrets.”

With a slightly trembling voice.

“I wonder if I’ll be able to face you like this then… I’m a little afraid.”

I just smiled, looking up at Baek Seol-hee.

I had thought about it before.

If Baek Seol-hee discovers my identity.

She would confront me as a hero.

So I thought I should make her judge me as a woman, not as a hero.

And even if she suspects, I would make her bury those suspicions herself.

Humans are selfish creatures, self-centered beings.

“I.”

I stroked Baek Seol-hee’s leg and lightly kissed her knee.

“I think I’ve come to like you more than I expected.”

The catalyst that would make the Goblin reveal his identity?

“Ji-hwan…?”

“I’m sorry, Seol-hee. This is a bit unlike me.”

Emphasizing that the Goblin is also a ‘human.’

“…I am a man after all.”

Baek Seol-hee’s eyes.

Brushed between my legs.

Bulge.

No matter if they’re S-class or EX-class villains.

“It’s your fault, Seol-hee.”

Even they waver before love, because they’re ‘people.’

“For making me like this.”