Ch.81Episode 17. Home Visit (1)

“Why?”

The cozy atmosphere of the drinking session instantly turned into thin ice. There was a subtle anger in her eyes as she looked at me.

“Why do you think that? Mom will definitely be happy. We can make sure that trash never lays a hand on her again.”

Even though Yeonhwaryong hasn’t paid any attention since Subin Jin left home, she’s still in that state. Would her trauma really disappear just because someone beat up Yeonhwaryong a few times?

It absolutely wouldn’t disappear.

Of course, it would feel satisfying at the time. There’s something gratifying about seeing someone who hurt you get beaten by someone else.

But for Subin Jin, Yeonhwaryong would remain an object of fear. That much wouldn’t change.

“True. She’ll certainly feel relieved. She’ll feel secure too. But your mother already has trauma. Even if you remove the cause—Yeonhwaryong—now, the result won’t change.”

“It will change. Definitely.”

So stubborn.

Honestly, I didn’t think she’d change her mind with just a few words.

She’s lived her whole life believing it would work that way. Until I show her directly, she won’t believe or change her mind.

But the problem is that Moo-hee Yeon would need more than a year to defeat Yeonhwaryong.

That won’t do. It’s too late. I couldn’t let next year be like this too.

“Let’s say you defeat Yeonhwaryong. How do you think your mother would react?”

“What are you saying…?”

“Just imagine it. How your mother would react.”

“She’d be happy, obviously.”

“Don’t think from your perspective.”

From her own perspective, everything would naturally seem positive.

Unless someone has a fundamentally negative mindset, people tend to imagine ideal scenarios—that’s human nature.

That’s why people always get crushed by the gap between reality and imagination, leaving them feeling helpless.

Moo-hee Yeon looked at me sulkily but started to seriously imagine the scenario.

After watching her quietly for about 10 seconds, I noticed her eyes becoming increasingly restless, darting back and forth.

“…What do you think?”

“S-still, she’d be happy.”

She stubbornly stuck to her opinion until the end. Sometimes such stubbornness could be helpful, but right now it was completely useless.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

This isn’t working. I’ll have to show her directly.

I need to make her realize, even if just briefly, that violence isn’t the only solution to violence.

“Are you free this weekend?”

Instead of sighing, I picked up a cold chicken foot and put it in my mouth as I spoke.

“I’m not free. I need to keep training even if the instructor isn’t watching.”

Sheesh. Playing hard to get.

“Shut up. You’re free every weekend from now on.”

“What does that—”

When I pushed forcefully, her momentum faltered slightly. She frowned, showing her displeasure.

“What’s this about?”

“Guide me. To your mother’s house.”

If I knew where it was, I would have gone by myself and done the groundwork in advance, but now I had no choice but to rely on her.

“What? Why would you go there?!”

Moo-hee Yeon’s voice rarely rose that high.

“I’m going for a ‘home visit.'”

“What? What sudden home visit?!”

She slammed the table, making the dishes clatter as they lifted slightly. Huh. Not appreciating a true teacher’s kindness.

“It’s when the instructor personally visits parents who couldn’t attend the parent-teacher meeting. Do you have a problem with that?”

“I’ve never heard of such a thing…?”

“I just made it up.”

“…”

Moo-hee Yeon laughed dryly. It was a laugh that escaped from sheer disbelief.

Since she rarely laughs, it’s good to see her laugh even like this.

No, maybe I should create more opportunities to make her laugh in the future?

“Anyway, you left at around 8:40 today. Let’s meet at 9:30 on Saturday morning to be safe.”

I checked the time on my phone as I spoke. Three days from now. Confirmed.

“No, why are you making appointments as you please?”

Her eyes were clear, as if my outrageous behavior had completely sobered her up. However, her voice still fluctuated.

The fact that her usually consistent tone was bouncing around was evidence of how agitated she was.

“Well then. Keep that in mind, and let’s end tonight’s drinking session here.”

“W-what are you doing? Seriously.”

In the past, she would have drawn her sword the moment someone spoke to her like this, but now she was only using words. It seemed she had opened up to me quite a bit.

I should maintain this momentum and educate her more thoroughly. Plus, I need to make her speak politely to me properly someday.

“Don’t come if you don’t want to. I already know where your mother’s house is anyway. Or should I say your grandmother’s house?”

Actually, I don’t know.

I know it’s in Taean, but I don’t know the exact address. It was only described as a rural village in Taean, so there’s no way for me to know.

But given her personality of cherishing her mother, if I pretend to know, she’ll come out to stop me if nothing else. She’d be uneasy about letting me go alone.

“H-how do you know?”

She seemed to believe me when I mentioned her grandmother’s house.

“As someone responsible for my students, there are many things I know.”

I got up and went to the counter to pay. They thoughtfully handed me the ice cream cake I had left with them.

By the way, Moo-hee Yeon can hold her liquor better than she looks.

I had been drinking casually, but she had been gulping it down like water. By ratio, she must have gone through about three bottles.

And yet she’s still like that. Does she have detoxification abilities like me? I don’t know of such a setting.

Moo-hee Yeon and I went outside the store. The night was quite chilly, perhaps because it was early June.

“Moo-hee Yeon.”

“…What?”

She seemed a bit annoyed that I was pushing things forward so forcefully. Her curt response made her look quite adorable. Something like a tsundere.

“Happy birthday again.”

“…Yeah.”

Her frowning expression softened for a moment. She opened her mouth to say something but then just nodded slightly in response.

“You should say thank you.”

“Yeah.”

“So stubborn.”

I couldn’t help but smile seeing how obviously embarrassed she was.

“You can change the headband to one you like. I’ll tell you where the store is.”

“It’s fine.”

“Oh, really?”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m glad you like what I like.”

“N-not particularly… It’s not like that.”

When I smiled contentedly, she seemed flustered and mumbled while twirling the ends of her loose hair.

“Sure, sure. Anyway, even if I don’t mention it during the week, come out early on Saturday morning, okay?”

“That’s…”

“I won’t accept any objections. If you don’t like it, you be the instructor.”

“…You’re mean.”

“I’ll be a mean instructor just this once.”

After chatting lightly, I escorted her to the dormitory. Before entering the men’s dormitory, I called the association president.

The signal rang for a long time. Just as the voicemail was about to start, the call connected.

[H-hello?]

A drowsy voice came through the phone.

“Hello.”

[…Does Mr. Yoo Jin not sleep? What business do you have calling at this hour?]

At his words, I checked the time on my phone and saw it was already past 1 AM.

“When villains could threaten citizens at any time, anywhere, how could I sleep comfortably?”

[Since when did you have such a great sense of justice…?]

“Don’t worry about the trivial details. I called because I have a favor to ask.”

I heard him say “That’s not trivial at all…” through the phone, but I neatly ignored it.

[Sigh… I’m getting older and don’t sleep much in the mornings… Thanks for making me lose my night’s sleep too.]

“You’re still in your prime, what are you talking about?”

[Save the flattery. So what’s the matter? Since you’re calling at this hour, it must be important.]

Of course, it’s important.

“Do you still have that video of me sparring with Yeonhwaryong?”

[Well… I do have it.]

“I see. Could I get a copy of that video? Preferably a good one.”

[What for?]

“There’s someone who needs to drink some soda.”

[Soda…?]

I smiled at his voice, not understanding my meaningful words.

[But couldn’t you have contacted me about this tomorrow?]

“Then please send it tomorrow morning.”

[…Sigh.]

The association president sighed and hung up.

I should prepare some herbal medicine for him the next time I visit. He’s going through a lot.

* * *

Three days passed, and it was Saturday.

“You came.”

Despite using her abilities to the limit yesterday, her face showed no signs of fatigue.

She should be unable to get used to it since she always exhausts her stamina to the limit. Impressive. Does she really have self-healing abilities like me?

“…Are you really going?”

Her tone suggested she was asking if it wouldn’t be better not to go even now. She asked while tightly gripping the strap of her sword bag that she brought today as well.

“I’m going.”

“Ugh…”

Now that it had the pretext of a home visit, it seems she couldn’t find a good reason to refuse.

“You brought your sword bag today too, as always?”

I changed the subject before she could say anything unnecessary.

Her outfit was similar to last time.

The only difference from before was that the hair tie securing her ponytail had changed to a red ribbon.

“You never know when you might encounter a villain.”

“And you’re wearing the hair tie I bought you well.”

“This is… a gift. So… courtesy. Yes. Courtesy.”

Her hasty excuse was so obvious it was funny. Why not just say she likes it?

“Right. It looks pretty, so it’s nice to see. Don’t just wear it this once, wear it often in the future too.”

“…I’ll think about it.”

“Okay. Shall we go then?”

“…Yeah.”

Somehow this has turned into a short trip, but whatever.