Ch.58Chapter 3. Mental Care at Your Service (4)

I am not a fool.

I’m not a foolish person who kicks away a prepared meal.

I’m a man who moves forward when I see a green light, and I’m not one to back down in situations like this.

“I can certainly offer you a room to stay overnight, but I can’t take responsibility if a scandal breaks out.”

“You don’t need to worry about that. If a scandal breaks out, the country would probably be happy about it.”

Baek Seol-hee lowered her head with a smirk at my provocation.

“The state only needs one thing to be satisfied. Is the man who will become my husband, the father of my child, Korean? Does he have Korean citizenship? That’s all.”

“Well, that’s something.”

What should I do?

He’s an alien.

Not the beeping kind of alien we commonly know about, but a man from another world.

“Are you saying you’re a pure Korean?”

“Are you of mixed heritage?”

“Hmm… as far as I know, I’m not. Definitely not.”

“But you currently have Korean citizenship, right?”

“Yes. I’ve met the essential condition the state wants for Baek Seol-hee’s husband. According to the state.”

Is Baek Seol-hee someone who has to live, die, or have children if the country demands it?

Not at all.

“Seol-hee. I’d like to call someone, if that’s okay with you?”

“Someone?”

“Yes. I think we need something to drink if we’re going to sit here.”

“Drinking alcohol in a hot spring isn’t good for you.”

“Not alcohol. I wouldn’t drink recklessly.”

Drinking in this situation would typically lead to dangerous scenarios.

“Would you bring us something to drink, or should I go?”

“…I don’t know where anything is.”

“Then I’ll have to go.”

There’s one thing Baek Seol-hee has overlooked.

She thinks of me as a sensible person who listens well to various stories, but while the librarian Do Ji-hwan may act like a sensible person on the outside…

I am clearly a villain.

“…Huh?”

“I’ll get some drinks. What would you like?”

“Oh, any…thing?”

I stood up.

Baek Seol-hee looked me up and down with a confused expression, but I casually stepped out of the water.

“Uh, uh, uh…?”

I could hear Baek Seol-hee’s confused voice from behind, but I paid no attention as I went to the small refrigerator by the entrance of the open-air bath and brought her a drink.

“Would you like coffee milk or strawberry milk?”

“Co-coffee…”

“Here you go.”

I handed Baek Seol-hee a triangular vinyl pack of coffee milk with a straw inserted, and I cut the end of a strawberry milk pack with scissors and inserted a straw.

“Um, Ji-hwan?”

“What is it?”

“…Should I report you for sexual harassment?”

“What? Oh, this?”

I raised both arms to my sides.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of.”

“…What?”

“I’m saying I’m confident because there’s nothing shameful about my body.”

There’s a reason why the owner of the lightning hammer was confident even before the gods.

I don’t need to hide or cover anything.

This is a place I’ve rented, and Baek Seol-hee is just a guest.

“Is there a problem?”

“…Is it okay to just show that off like that?”

“It’s no different from Michelangelo’s David in Florence.”

Before getting back into the water, I struck a pose like the David statue.

“A body like this is a work of art. Talking about sexual harassment regarding such artwork is disrespectful.”

“Did I do something wrong?”

“Of course. I was enjoying the hot spring alone, and suddenly you barged in. I couldn’t exactly be wearing clothes in the hot spring, could I?”

That’s the logical argument.

“I have nothing to be ashamed of about my naked body, and why should I be embarrassed about being naked in a pension hot spring that I rented?”

“But I’m… looking at you?”

“I may not be a powered individual, but physically I’m S-class, no, Special EX-class. Do you acknowledge that?”

“…I’d have to see with my own eyes to acknowledge that.”

“Feel free to look. This beautiful work of art, toned by daily evening exercise. You don’t need to be embarrassed. Everyone can’t help but admire an artistic object.”

Anyone who refutes this would be like Dueoksini.

“What do you think?”

“…Ten minutes ago we were talking about the nation’s shame, and suddenly we’re talking about national genitals. I never imagined that.”

“My, what are you saying about genitals? I’m purely talking about this body.”

“Are you drunk, Ji-hwan?”

“Drunk? Not at all. I’ll drink later in the room after the hot spring bath is over.”

I don’t drink while bathing in a hot spring.

“Seol-hee. Have you calmed down a bit now?”

“Pardon?”

“The mood was too heavy earlier, so I suggested having drinks to change the atmosphere. We also need to talk about you staying overnight.”

I took a sip of my strawberry milk.

“I can certainly listen to your story well. But I’m a bit afraid I might impose my thoughts on you. I can’t force one individual’s thoughts onto you.”

“That’s…”

“I’m not saying this as an S-class powered individual, but as a friend. As friends, we can offer a word of encouragement, but we shouldn’t carelessly say things that might block a friend’s life path.”

“Friend…”

I could hear a slightly disappointed tone in her voice, but for now, we need to talk as friends.

Otherwise, I’ll die because of her.

“Yes. Friends.”

“…Can’t we be more than friends?”

It wasn’t a green light.

This woman is racing down the Autobahn.

“More than friends.”

I shook my head as I swallowed a sip of strawberry milk.

“We can’t progress to a deeper relationship than friendship. It’s a bit awkward to say this, but…”

The truth should be told as it is.

“I have a daughter.”

“…What?”

Baek Seol-hee’s expression froze instantly.

“A d-daughter?”

“Yes. To be precise, I have someone who could be called my wife. There’s a life growing in her womb right now.”

“…Really?”

“It’s true. Why would I lie?”

“…You might say that because you find me burdensome.”

Baek Seol-hee gradually began to watch my reactions.

“Because you don’t like me.”

“No way. How could I make up something that’s not true because I find Baek Seol-hee burdensome? It’s really true. Would you like to hear about it?”

To defuse this situation, I need to ask for her help directly.

“Should I call her now?”

“…Yes.”

It seems Baek Seol-hee is betting that I’m lying, but unfortunately for her, she’s wrong.

“Please wait a moment.”

I tapped my Taegeuk Watch to call someone.

[Hello?]

A woman’s voice came through the Taegeuk Watch.

Baek Seol-hee’s expression immediately hardened at the voice that sounded much younger than her own.

“Hi, honey. Can we talk for a moment?”

[What is it?]

“I’m in a bit of an awkward situation, and I need to prove that I’m a married man.”

[…Hmm, I see.]

The woman’s voice also became subdued.

[Who is it? A woman?]

“A woman.”

[‘Oppa’ said you were going to a pension, but you’re there with a woman? Heh.]

This is strange.

My body is clearly soaking in the hot spring, but somehow it feels like the warmth of the spring is cooling down.

[Oppa. What do you think the ‘Chairman’ would say if he knew about this?]

“Hmm…”

This is a sensitive issue.

The answer is predetermined, but I can’t say it carelessly.

“You’re fired?”

[Wrong. The Chairman would say this.]

The person on the other end answered me in a calm voice.

[There should be no hesitation in patriotic actions.]

“…What?”

That wasn’t the answer I was expecting.

“Um…?”

[What? Do I look like the kind of woman who would make a fuss about you meeting other women?]

“Ah, no. Isn’t that… normal?”

[You know I’m not that kind of ordinary woman. Is the other person there with you?]

“Uh, yes, she’s here…”

[Oh, really? Can I talk to her for a moment?]

No.

Is she really doing this right now?

[Hello? The woman there?]

“…Yes?”

[Use him cleanly and return him.]

Click.

The call ended.

Neither I nor Baek Seol-hee knew what to say in response to this woman who was like a thunderbolt.

“Your… wife seems quite unique.”

“……”

I was speechless.

This was a situation I simply couldn’t comprehend.

What is this?

Is this the quality of a Korean-pride isekai light novel world?

Heroes, Korean pride, criticism of Korea, whatever—putting all that aside, is this really possible?

No way.

Really?

Ding.

My Taegeuk Watch flashed.

A message had arrived, and when I checked it immediately, she had sent just one short line.

[Good luck recruiting the handsome one!]

Ah.

Does she think I’m using my body at night to recruit someone?

And she just ‘approved’ it?

“…Really, I’m at a loss for words in many ways. I’m sorry, Seol-hee. I didn’t mean to create this situation.”

“…’Use him cleanly and return him’? Ha.”

Baek Seol-hee twisted the corner of her mouth.

“…This is absurd.”

“No, Seol-hee…?”

“You know what? I came to see you today because I wanted to be a ‘bad girl.'”

Splash.

Baek Seol-hee rose from the water.

“The country is using a woman named Baek Seol-hee, urging her to have a child quickly. That’s certainly a patriotic act. If a powered individual is born, they will surely become a hero of this country. But… I would just become a dog of the current government.”

She stretched her hand upward, using her magical power to create a faint mist.

“I don’t want that. I do want to work for this country and its people, but I have no intention of becoming a daughter-in-law or wife to ‘corrupt officials’ who use such goodwill to fill their own warehouses.”

“Um, Seol-hee…?”

“Ji-hwan.”

Baek Seol-hee approached me and firmly grasped my Taegeuk Watch with one hand.

“…Will you lend me your night, just for today, so I can be a ‘bad girl’?”

“……”

Let me say it again.

“It might be treason.”

“No one would think of it as treason.”

“…Alright.”

I…

“I’ll help with your patriotism.”

I’m not an idiot who kicks away a prepared meal.

“Let’s talk all night tonight.”