Ch.89Episode 18. Preparing for Vacation (End)

“So, what did you think of it now that it’s over?”

“……”

Why is this so entertaining?

The animation quality wasn’t bad, and while it was a typical harem series, the character narratives were deeper and more moving than expected.

The story unfolded with well-placed action and humor that kept things from getting boring, and the final kiss between the protagonist and the witch made for a proper light novel ending.

Overall, I’d say it was a common but enjoyable work.

“Hmm~”

“What?”

“Hmmmm~”

“What is it, seriously?”

She leans in uncomfortably close with a meaningful smile.

Even at a glance, she’s absolutely beaming with the thought of teasing me. It was irritating to feel like she had something over me.

“Nothing! I just don’t think I need to hear your review!”

“Oh, is that so?”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it! So you’re taking back that comment about it being trash, right?”

“Yeah. It was good. Not trash after all.”

“Hehe. What did I tell you? I never recommend garbage works.”

Her nose is so high it could pierce the ceiling. Watching Gu Yeonhwa proudly arch her back somehow made me feel annoyed.

“So is that witch’s outfit what you normally wear?”

“No, it’s not the dress from the show. That would lack originality. But~”

She got up from the bed and pulled out a similar black dress from the closet. If I had to point out a noticeable difference, it would be the absence of a white ribbon on the chest.

“I made this myself too. I’ve always wanted to share my fandom with family… no, with someone I could trust.”

She paused momentarily before continuing with a desperate smile.

“Therefore! I’ll specially promote you to my number one trusted person. Try this cosplay.”

“No way, seriously.”

“Aw, why not! You enjoyed the anime, didn’t you?”

“It’s embarrassing.”

“Is being a fan embarrassing?”

“How many people do you know who proudly announce ‘I’m a mega-otaku’ like you do?”

“I’m not a mega-otaku!”

Hey, where did your conscience go?

Even if this is a fantasy world, nobody activates their skills by chanting incantations.

I’ve already taught her through training that skills activate according to ‘will,’ yet she stubbornly maintains this concept purely by her own choice.

If this isn’t being a mega-otaku, then what is?

“…Wait a minute. But that means you’re saying I’m embarrassing!”

“Yeah, a little.”

“Wow! That really hurts!”

Her eyebrows knit together. Her face began to contort into a tearful expression.

Somehow she seemed genuinely hurt. If I misspoke here, she might actually cry.

“Then why do you eat with me in the student cafeteria? If I’m so embarrassing!”

“Because I don’t dislike it.”

“What…?”

“No, I actually rather like it.”

“WHAT?!”

Honestly, I rather liked Gu Yeonhwa’s concept itself. It was just a bit annoying sometimes.

I didn’t mind her doing it in front of me, but it became a problem when she did it in front of others.

“I’m talking about your chuunibyou concept.”

“Ah….”

An inexplicably disappointed sigh escaped her lips.

“It’s not chuunibyou and it’s not a concept. It’s real.”

“To me, it looks like a concept. Honestly, it is chuunibyou.”

“No, it’s not.”

Look at her refusing to admit it like a child until the end.

“Fine. Let’s say it is.”

“I’m telling you it’s not.”

“…At least only do it in front of me.”

“What?”

I know why Gu Yeonhwa acts this way, but she needs to learn some restraint.

Maintaining her concept even in front of people who have nothing to do with her just makes things tiresome for everyone.

Those people don’t care about her chuunibyou behavior anyway. Even if they do take notice, it’s only to point fingers and badmouth her behind her back.

“Are you trying to monopolize me?”

“That’s a strange way to put it. I’m saying this because I know people point fingers and badmouth you behind your back.”

“Then… does Instructor Yujin also point fingers and badmouth me behind my back like others do?”

It was a subtle probing question.

Being badmouthed by strangers feels different from being badmouthed by someone you trust.

If I answer this wrong, Gu Yeonhwa might cry somewhere I can’t see.

“…Why would I do it behind your back?”

“What?”

“I do it to your face.”

I stated proudly. Dumbfounded by my response, she blinked several times and frowned.

She looked at me as if to say, what nonsense is that?

“Since when did I become the kind of creep who watches what he says and gossips behind your back? I don’t tiptoe around you.”

“Well, you might not tiptoe, but still…”

“You’re not getting it.”

“What am I not getting?”

When I used a somewhat stronger tone, she flinched, thinking I was angry. She timidly objected.

“I’m saying if I were to badmouth you, I’d do it to your face, not behind your back. Have I ever genuinely badmouthed you to your face?”

“…No.”

“Right. You know it well. Don’t compare me to those other dimwits.”

I ended the conversation with a final statement. Only then did Gu Yeonhwa seem relieved, forming a smile at the corners of her mouth.

“…You really are a tsundere after all.”

“No, I’m not.”

“The way you always twist things once proves it.”

“I said I’m not.”

“You are.”

“You want to get hit?”

“No.”

“Good, I’m not then.”

“……”

Gu Yeonhwa gave a bitter smile, seemingly at a loss for words at my way of speaking.

“When I think about it, you seem quite childish for your age, Instructor.”

“Shut up. Men are childish for life.”

“Hmph. Well. I suppose so.”

Making a nasal sound and swinging her legs back and forth, she seemed to be in a good mood again. She wiggled her fingers on the bed while subtly laughing.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Are you hungry? I’m ordering delivery. What do you want to eat?”

I asked while opening a delivery app on my phone.

We were well past dinner time because we’d been so focused on the anime. Since the anime was pretty good, I decided to treat her.

“Ah… are we eating here?”

“Of course? I was holding back so I wouldn’t disturb you watching the anime. I heard all your stomach growls.”

“Y-you heard that?!”

She covers her stomach in horror. Then she thrusts her reddened face forward and shouts in embarrassment.

“You’re supposed to pretend you didn’t hear that kind of thing! I really don’t know if you have any sense or not!”

“Quiet. What do you want to eat?”

“…Tteokbokki. The spicy one.”

At least she answers well despite everything.

“Alright.”

“I’ll give you half.”

“No need.”

“I will.”

“I don’t want it.”

And this from someone who’s afraid to even use her card because she’s worried about burdening Mitchell.

For reference, Gu Yeonhwa was consistently receiving financial support. Knowing this, I didn’t think Mitchell had completely abandoned her.

As a mother, she probably intended to take care of her daughter until she could safely become a member of society.

“But I can’t handle spicy food well.”

I said while debating between regular and spicy flavors. Isn’t mild flavor the best after all?

“So you’re weak against spice.”

“That sounds weird? Want to die?”

“Since I’m quite strong, I’ll specially accommodate you. Let’s go with regular flavor.”

“That somehow feels insulting.”

“Hehehe.”

I ordered a tteokbokki set while looking at her smug face. It came with fried food and kimbap too.

“Did you order? Then let’s take your measurements right away!”

Bzzt—!

Just as Gu Yeonhwa was about to pick up the measuring tape she’d thrown on the bed, my phone vibrated.

“Ah~ So inconsiderate!”

I couldn’t respond to Gu Yeonhwa’s complaint. That’s because my phone displayed “Caller ID Restricted.”

“I need to take this call outside for a moment.”

“What? You can just take it here. I won’t eavesdrop.”

I smirked at her as she closed her eyes and covered her ears. It was even funnier because I could clearly see she would try to secretly listen while watching my reaction.

“It’s fine. I’ll be right back.”

I didn’t want to see the Special Class kids, including Gu Yeonhwa, worrying about villains.

I got up from the bed, tidied where I’d been sitting, and put on my shoes.

Leaving her room, I walked to the central corridor of the building and answered the call before it disconnected.

“Hello.”

[…Brain God. Or should I call you Yujin?]

An unfamiliar voice. I had no memory of ever hearing it before. But somehow I instinctively knew.

“Is this Moonlight?”

[Oh. You recognized me immediately.]

He boldly answered, readily acknowledging it.

“I went to your hideout. You weren’t there?”

[I predicted the Association would have discovered the location after taking down Red Moon and most of my core forces.]

“Pretty smart.”

When I went to the address I received from the Association Chairman on the night of the home visit, the hideout had already been abandoned.

If I’d known this would happen, I should have tracked and caught him that night. I was too complacent.

“So, are you willing to join hands with me?”

[Before that, I want to ask one thing.]

“What is it?”

[After killing all those people, you became a hero instead of a villain?]

“What are you talking about?”

Yujin killed people?

That’s strange. If that were true, the Association Chairman would have been the first to find fault with it.

“I’ve never killed anyone.”

[Now you’re openly lying? That day, I saw you kill the Jihyeong executives with my own eyes.]

Killed the Jihyeong executives.

It doesn’t feel unnatural enough to be a lie.

Did I really kill the Jihyeong executives?

Is that part of Yujin’s past that I don’t know about? Is that why Moonlight tried to scout me?

[I know most of your past. Stop trying to get by with flimsy lies.]

“…Stalker much.”

Jihyeong was a villain organization that existed when Akcheon was still insignificant. It had been mentioned a few times among Akcheon executives, so I remembered it.

It was on the news too. A long time ago.

If I unintentionally contributed to bringing down Jihyeong, it made perfect sense why he would have tried to bring me into Akcheon.

But could the Association Chairman not know about this?

I had questions, but I wasn’t stupid enough to ask them outright. I wasn’t tactless enough to proudly admit to killing someone.

[So why did you become a hero?]

“Because as a hero, I can legally beat up trash like you?”

[…I see. In the end, you’re no different from those trash.]

“That’s rich coming from a villain. But is this your way of saying you won’t join hands with me?”

[I won’t. Akcheon’s history continues to flow.]

History my ass. It’s like a sandcastle about to collapse.

“That’s a disappointing choice. If you were on my side, I could have promised you protection.”

[Ridiculous. If I was going to take a hero’s hand, I wouldn’t have become a villain in the first place.]

The voice coming through the phone conveyed determination.

It was his way of claiming he had his reasons for choosing to be a villain. Even if it was just a pathetic excuse.

“That’s rich coming from an organization that targets hero candidates.”

[Be prepared.]

“Ah, forget preparation. Doesn’t Paris say anything?”

[…She asked what I talked about with you. When I said nothing, she threw a fit and told me not to mess around.]

“Isn’t she going to kill you?”

[That’s not enough to kill me.]

“That’s a shame. I was hoping she would.”

[Ridiculous. Do I look like someone who would die to a woman like that?]

“Get along, will you? You’re both executives.”

[That seems difficult because of your meddling.]

“Meddling? It was advice, advice.”

I burst into laughter, mocking him with all my might.

[I’ll make you pay for this dearly.]

“Oh my~ Alright. I’ll come find you soon.”

Though I’ll probably deal with Paris first.

[Come. I’ll finish you with my own hands.]

For someone in hiding, you talk a lot.

I ended the call with a wry smile.

It’s unfortunate, but I’ll have to be satisfied with breaking the trust between the executives.

Still, Moonlight is now in a precarious position.

With his core forces destroyed, Moonlight is now secondary.

My current top priority was Paris.

If Paris gets captured by heroes, Moonlight will think she’s been in contact with heroes, and he’ll try to assassinate her the moment she shows weakness. Or make her submit.

I’ve already requested the Association to handle this, so it will come up during the break. All I have to do is wait.

I looked at the moon hanging in the sky, then put my phone away and headed back to Gu Yeonhwa’s room.

As a side note, when I returned to Gu Yeonhwa’s room after the call, she thrust the measuring tape at me, insisting we take measurements right away, and I smiled and snapped the tape in half.

And so the school break began.