Ch.175Chapter 7. Only What I Believe In

Baek Seol-hee thought.

This man.

He really likes me.

Nothing else could explain all of this.

Assuming Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin.

Him becoming close to her as Do Ji-hwan?

Because he likes Baek Seol-hee.

As the Goblin, hesitating to kill the demon right away, constantly checking her reaction?

Because he didn’t want to show her himself killing someone.

Constantly appearing by her side, becoming close as Do Ji-hwan, showing up as the Goblin to save her.

The moment she realized all of this was because ‘the Goblin likes her,’ Baek Seol-hee stopped thinking about it further.

What could she do?

He approached her because he liked her, got close because he liked her, and kept making what people call “moves” because he liked her.

Even if he’s the Goblin, he’s still human, and at the same time, a ‘man.’

It’s only natural to feel your heart race when you see a beautiful woman.

Objectively and subjectively speaking, Baek Seol-hee is beautiful, definitely ranking in the world’s top 5 women that anyone would think, “I want to marry this woman and have lots of children with her.”

Of course, the Goblin also ranks in the world’s top 5 men that women think, “If I fall for this man, I won’t be able to escape, and I might even have an affair with him.”

In fact, that’s exactly how Baek Seol-hee felt.

And very fortunately—

Fortunately?

She wasn’t sure about that.

Baek Seol-hee could no longer control the emotions welling up inside her.

“Ji-hwan.”

“Yes.”

“Do you like me?”

“I do.”

A direct question.

The kneeling man looked at her steadily without the slightest hesitation.

Correction.

His eyes didn’t waver, but he swallowed, his heart pounded, and his fingertips tensed with excessive force.

He seemed embarrassed about revealing his true feelings, yet still displayed his emotions openly with his usual confident expression.

Seeing this, someone might think:

What kind of confidence does this man have to be so bold?

His face? His body? Or that pride all men supposedly have?

In addition to those things, the superpower that everyone living in this age of superpowers would want?

If all those things combined form the foundation of Do Ji-hwan’s confidence, Baek Seol-hee acknowledges it.

He’s the Goblin.

The Syndicate’s Joker whom the whole world fears, all demons dread, and villains pray never to encounter.

Even if he revealed himself as the Goblin and tried to seduce women while wearing his mask, an S-class female hero from another country would fall for him saying, “I want to make babies with the Goblin while he’s wearing his mask.”

Such a man had taken an interest in her, approached her first, always lingering around her, whispering words of love.

Ah, so this is why many people say humans fall because they can’t overcome romantic feelings.

The Goblin had hidden his identity well from everyone, but even he eventually crumbled before love.

Tae Yi-rin had said:

“Love is like this—the one who falls first loses.”

It was rather absurd coming from someone who had never dated anyone and was a lifelong single.

“Unnie. Think about it. When you like someone, you end up giving in. Why do you think there have been so many love stories throughout human history? Having superpowers doesn’t make you any less human.”

Tae Yi-rin had said:

“Love is war. I should fight for my love. The only thing that’s changed after the Great Cataclysm of 2000 is that the objects and forms of love have changed a lot. Especially… around 2020.”

The point when superpower users around the world started becoming “adults”—officially 20 years old by Korean age standards.

“It became not so unusual for one superpower user to have multiple partners.”

From that point, humanity began to open their eyes to new forms of love.

“When a 20-year-old S-class man in Korea declared he would have a female celebrity, a female superpower user one year older than him, and a third-generation heiress of a conglomerate all together, the world began to change. The concept of one man and one woman, a loving couple, disappeared. Now it’s the age of the lion.”

When one person starts something and succeeds, those who follow find it relatively easier to walk the same path.

Having multiple women beside one man is no longer strange.

It’s not strange AT ALL for a man to want several beautiful women around him.

Therefore, it’s not at all strange that Do Ji-hwan has fallen for her.

Especially since he already has his “wife’s permission.”

“…Sigh, really.”

Baek Seol-hee turned her head to the side.

“Thank you for the gift. We can talk more about this later… I should go home now.”

“You’re leaving already?”

“I need some time alone. Ymir?”

“Ah, yes.”

Ymir flinched and drew a circle in the air.

“Um, from now—”

“Seol-hee.”

From below.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go just like that.”

Feeling the pull on her wrist, Baek Seol-hee unconsciously felt puzzled.

The other person clearly wasn’t a superpower user.

Even if he were, he wouldn’t use magical power while hiding the fact that he was the Goblin.

But.

With the strong grip on her wrist, Baek Seol-hee fell right into his arms.

“I can’t just let you go. Ymir. Sorry, but could you turn off the lights?”

“Ah, yes!”

As Ymir approached the switch, canceling the circle she was drawing, Baek Seol-hee swallowed.

Thump, thump.

She finally heard it.

Why Do Ji-hwan wasn’t wavering.

Do Ji-hwan was wavering, but she was wavering even more.

“Seol-hee.”

A hand wrapped around her waist and rested on her shoulder.

“If you think you can leave like this, you’re underestimating me.”

“Well…”

“Seol-hee.”

“…!”

At the sweet voice brushing against her ear, Baek Seol-hee understood what it meant to be disarmed.

“Today, want to watch a movie at my place before you go?”

“Um, well, that’s….”

It was a signal.

A clear signal, and Baek Seol-hee realized once again.

“Listen carefully. Love is war. The one who falls first loses.”

Tae Yi-rin’s words echoed in her mind.

“The Taeguk Watch might….”

“Teacher! I’ll clean Seol-hee unnie’s room.”

Ymir drew a circle in the air and put half her body through it.

“If the Taeguk Watch rings, I’ll come right here, so enjoy your movie! Until when? Until the East Sea runs dry and Mount Baekdu wears away! Bye!”

Ymir clenched her fist and disappeared into the circle.

“Hey.”

Baek Seol-hee placed Do Ji-hwan’s hand on her chest and carefully asked.

“Am I… trembling right now…?”

“I can’t really tell.”

Click.

Do Ji-hwan pointed the Taeguk Watch behind him, turning on the TV and opening a cable channel.

Coincidentally, a movie was playing on the movie channel.

Whether it was a movie or drama wasn’t clear, but it showed a blonde man and woman looking at each other.

“……”

Thrown onto the bed, Baek Seol-hee quietly closed her eyes.

As if it were a scene from a classic movie.

“Do Ji-hwan.”

“Yes?”

“What gives you so much confidence…?”

“What gives me confidence?”

Do Ji-hwan raised one corner of his mouth, stroking Baek Seol-hee’s hair once to smooth it.

“Me.”

Baek Seol-hee gave up thinking.

In the movie.

The male and female leads slowly pressed their lips together as sticky background music began to play.

* * *

At that same time.

“Wow.”

As soon as Ymir arrived in Baek Seol-hee’s room, she released her hands.

“Look at this room. She knows I come in and out, yet she keeps it like this.”

Baek Seol-hee’s room was, how should I put it, in such a state that it would greatly damage an S-class superpower user’s reputation if a broadcast crew were to visit.

“Geez.”

Ymir opened the curtains and quickly tidied up the interior.

Since she needed to be ready in case they came over, Ymir started cleaning by first making the bed.

“Ah.”

Snapping her fingers, Ymir reached toward the air and created a tiny hole with her fingers.

“…Ooh.”

Ymir held her breath as she peered through the hole.

“…As expected.”

Ymir licked her lips as she examined the inside of the hole.

“I wondered if Seol-hee unnie might have noticed… even if she did notice, she’s resolving it like that.”

Ymir was certain.

Baek Seol-hee had figured out that Do Ji-hwan was the Goblin.

“Teacher, really. Saying it like that. How unfair.”

A man kneeling on one knee confessing he likes her?

And not just any man, but one with an extraordinary face, and seemingly with that kind of background?

“When someone clings to you saying they like you even though their life could be ruined because of you, who wouldn’t fall for that? Sheesh.”

Ymir shook her head and ran her hand over the hole.

Soon the hole in the air disappeared, and Ymir continued cleaning the messy interior.

“Hmm hmm, I wanted to support them more… but I guess it’s better to let them have their turn for now?”

Ymir shrugged her shoulders proudly.

“Until the East Sea runs dry and Mount Baekdu wears away~”

Singing the national anthem.

“Patriotism is the future~ Have many children and be happy~”

Singing the public service announcement jingle.

“Like a lion, like a giraffe, like an elephant to me~”

Singing an unidentifiable song.

“Anyway.”

Letting out a small laugh.

“What good is realizing it~ She’ll end up keeping quiet while playing both sides herself~”

Changing the lyrics as she muttered to herself.

“Still.”

With a mischievous smile, she covered her mouth slightly as she laughed.

“…She won’t know for a while. The difference between doing it with human Do Ji-hwan and with the Goblin… is incomparable.”

Snicker.

“Seol-hee unnie. I’m sorry.”

Ymir stroked Baek Seol-hee’s bed and winked.

“If what unnie is eating now is Western food, what I’ll eat separately later is….”

Slurp.

“Wild-caught.”