I’ll Give It to You

I let out a long sigh while leaning against the bus. When the evening sunset covers your face, fatigue hits your entire body.

“Oh my, I’m dying…”

My body ached. I suppose it’s fortunate that Glasses’ shadow consumed little magical energy.

‘But what does it matter.’

Park Eunji’s mind control exceeded my imagination.

Replicated abilities are inferior to the original owner’s. I never expected to receive this world’s law in such a way.

It truly felt like all the energy was being drained from my body. If I had been facing a properly trained ability user, I might have barely succeeded once, if at all.

‘I’m going to die at this rate.’

‘Did you plan to live long?’

‘…’

‘I thought you had no such intentions.’

Well, I have been treating my body rather roughly.

Still, it’s bearable. The appearance of Controller means the story has progressed quite a bit, and I’ve definitely achieved a power-up.

Should I go home first? Or should I go to Noah?

Just as I was pondering this, my phone rang. It was a text message from Noah.

[Mister]

[Yeah?]

[Come quickly, dinner’s almost ready]

[Are you at my house?]

[Yes]

She says she’s preparing a meal at my house, having gone there at some point.

I wasn’t sure how to take this, but I decided to be grateful that someone was cooking for me.

“I’m home.”

“Welcome back.”

As I opened the front door, Noah in an apron greeted me.

It was a strange feeling.

“…Aren’t I the homeowner?”

“What does it matter?”

This kid, lately she’s been in and out of my house so often that she seems to think it’s her own place.

Anyway, anyone watching would think we were living together.

Although the food is delicious, so it’s hard to complain much.

“What’s for dinner today?”

“You like budae-jjigae, right? The sausages were about to expire.”

“Sounds good.”

As I entered the house, a pleasant aroma tickled my nose. The distinctive smell of kimchi and processed meat being boiled together.

A smell that also stimulates the appetite.

As expected, a well-boiled budae-jjigae welcomes me.

Noah’s skills are getting better and better.

“You could get married now.”

“Are you going to take me?”

“Not me.”

“Hehe, just help with dinner preparations. Change your clothes later.”

“Sure.”

This kid, I can’t joke around. It’s good that Noah has brightened up, but with that kind of response, my heart skips a beat.

“Mister? What are you doing?”

“…Nothing, nothing… Oh, by the way.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to give-“

Wait a minute.

“You have something for me? A present?”

“…No, nothing.”

You blockhead.

I was about to hand over the item in my pocket when I hesitated. A critical mistake occurred to me.

‘…How should I give this?’

How should I hand over this underwear?

Should I say I took it from Glasses? But Noah doesn’t know who the culprit is yet.

…If I’m not careful…

‘Might I be accused of being the thief?’

I could be accused of being the culprit who ran off with Noah’s underwear.

This is a mess.

‘What should I do?’

My brain works frantically. A brain trying hard to find the right answer.

The answer that came out was.

‘Let’s just keep it and throw it in her room next time I visit.’

For now, let’s keep it. I’m not hiding this with any impure intentions.

I know that good intentions don’t always lead to good results.

Pulling this out now wouldn’t lead to anything good.

“I’m hungry, let’s eat.”

“You must be really hungry. What were you doing that made you like this?”

“Secret.”

Noah puffed her cheeks.

“Tch, that’s unfair.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Adults are unfair.”

“I’ll become an adult soon too.”

I started eating first, leaving Noah sulking behind.

The deep broth warms my exhausted body.

‘I just want to eat quickly and sleep… if I sleep now, I won’t even get three hours…’

Come to think of it, I have to go to work later.

‘…I’m feeling dazed…’

Perhaps because I’m warm, sleepiness overwhelms me.

My eyelids already feel like they weigh a thousand pounds.

I hurriedly empty my rice bowl and get up.

“Noah, I have to go to work later, okay? Just clean up a bit and go home, understand?”

“Yes, go sleep quickly.”

“I’m counting on you…”

Entering my room, I took off my coat and placed it on the chair. As I threw my body onto the bed, the cushion gently receives me.

‘Kkomul-i, you rest too…’

‘Yes, sleep well.’

‘O…kay…’

Kkomul-i slowly leaving my body. With the sound of a “click” that somehow reached my ears, I fell into sleep.

+++++

He is a man with many secrets.

Even when he smiles and talks, there’s a feeling like he’s hiding something, and sometimes he completely deflects the conversation.

This time is no different.

When asked where he went, he says “secret.”

‘What’s that about.’

Noah felt disappointed.

He could at least tell her where he went. It’s not like he did anything suspicious.

‘…Did he do something suspicious?’

Like a date, or visiting an adult entertainment establishment.

‘…No way.’

She already knows he doesn’t have a lover. She also knows he’s not the type to enjoy such entertainment.

In the first place, even if he had done such things, it would be hard to blame him.

The “wait for me” was ultimately closer to her own selfishness.

“…Haah… why is one-sided love so hard…”

Noah put the leftovers in the refrigerator and headed to his room.

He had collapsed on the bed without even changing his clothes. What had he been doing to be so exhausted?

‘You didn’t even put away your clothes properly.’

Noah picked up the clothes hanging on the chair and put them on a hanger.

Looking at them again, they really are flashy clothes. To think he would wear this to a class observation.

‘But he did look cool.’

I should ask him to wear them next time we go out.

As Noah was thinking this, a faint sound reached her.

It was the sound of something sliding down.

A small, white, triangular piece of cloth had fallen to the floor.

‘What’s this?’

As Noah picked it up.

“Hik…!?”

She barely managed to suppress the sound that burst out.

This is…

‘My… my… under… underwear…!’

What emerged from his pocket was Noah’s underwear.

Feeling her cheeks redden, Noah looked at Shin Hyun.

‘Why…!’

Why would the mister have this? The shape and ribbon confirm it’s the underwear that was stolen from her today.

Could it be that the thief’s identity is-

‘No… no… don’t suspect…’

Perhaps he found it by chance and brought it back. Maybe by chance on the street…

‘Is that… even… possible?’

Honestly, it would be more rational to think that mister took it. She doesn’t want to believe it, and it’s not easy to believe, but.

Thinking about him stealing her underwear, Noah.

“…If you had just asked honestly, I would have given it to you.”

She felt strange thoughts emerging.

“It’s not like it wears out… if it’s mister… I might have even given a set…”

Strangely, she didn’t feel bad about it. Rather than feeling bad, she felt good.

“Hmm… what’s this… pretending you don’t…”

So he secretly liked it. Well, they say all men are perverts.

“Hmm…”

Noah held the underwear and pondered for a long time, then folded it neatly.

Then, she opened the drawer and put it in the compartment where his underwear was kept.

A kind of gift… perhaps.

“If… if you find it, I’ll give it to you as a reward.”

Even to herself, it seemed like a perverted act, and Noah’s breathing became rough.

Leaving her underwear in another man’s house, what could be seen as a dangerous act. Yet why did she hope he would find it soon?

“…I think I’ve really gone crazy…”

Covering her rising mouth corners despite self-reproach, Noah hurriedly fled.

“Mi… mister… I’ll even forgive you for wearing it on your head. Sleep well…”

If she had stayed any longer, she might have really given him the top to match, too.

The thought of “Should I have stolen one of his too?” only occurred to her after arriving home.

+++++

“Kyukyu, did you check with the others when you met them?”

“Yes, I checked with all of them.”

A month has already passed. During that time, I didn’t act as Kraken and spent my time quietly.

That was partly because Iris had become stronger and could handle things on her own, but it was also to achieve a certain goal.

“They haven’t gotten much stronger, have they?”

Kkomul-i answered my dissatisfied voice.

“No. They haven’t changed much.”

“Hmm…”

I was dissatisfied.

“If only Iris keeps getting stronger, it’s a problem…”

The fact that the others are at a standstill.

It’s not incomprehensible. Iris is abnormally strong, and because of that, she acts as the team’s spearhead.

However, if that prevents the others from growing, it’s quite problematic.

“So, for a while, I should let them fight without Iris.”

No. Rather.

“What about having them fight against Iris?”

If they realize their deficiencies by directly confronting her, that would be even better.

“But how do you plan to make them fight?”

That was Kkomul-i’s question. The answer to that question was simple.

“Mind control.”

“Mind control…!”

“After capturing Iris, I’ll apply strong mind control. That way, I can control her for a while.”

I’ve been saving magic for this. Subduing Iris, mind control. I expect tremendous consumption for sure.

While I was satisfied with what seemed like a pretty good plan, Kkomul-i muttered.

“…Binding a high school girl with tentacles and then doing whatever you want with mind control.”

“Hey now.”

“Mr. Shin Hyun, did you like that kind of thing?”

“No.”

“I’m worried… that you might take me to ravish Miss Noah later…”

“I won’t.”

“…Ah.”

“What?”

“If that happens, would it be a threesome-“

“No!”

Ugh, my head hurts, I should just get to work already.