episode_0064

The next morning, we woke up early and prepared to leave the inn.

Perhaps because I had spent the night passionately with the two of them in the hot spring until dawn, my mind felt a little hazy.

As much as I wanted to sleep more, there was no time to slack off if we were to make our flight.

Dragging my heavy body, I finished washing my face and was in the middle of changing clothes.

A sudden, intense pain struck my head.

“Guh?!”

It felt as if my head had been hit with a hammer.

The pain was so excruciating, incomparably worse than what I had felt at home previously, that a deep furrow naturally formed between my eyebrows.

“Damn it…! I should have turned off self-hypnosis, so why again…!”

Actually, it’s not certain that self-hypnosis is the direct cause of the headache.

It’s just a guess.

Fortunately, the intense headache receded quickly, like a wave.

My blurry vision gradually refocused, and I thought it was returning to normal.

“Huh?”

Noise.

At the edge of my vision, I felt a faint, crackling noise, like an old CRT TV screen, momentarily flicker.

For a moment, a chilling sense of déjà vu and an ominous premonition ran down my spine.

I dragged my unsteady legs and rushed to the bathroom to check the mirror.

Contrary to my worries, my usual face was reflected in the mirror.

The noise that had distorted my vision also disappeared as if it had never been there.

“Whew.”

Only after confirming that did a sigh of relief, which I had been holding back, naturally escape me.

‘Is it just fatigue? Or…’

Perhaps the act of hypnosis itself is causing some kind of burden.

I can’t be sure, but once I return to Korea, I’ll have to consult with Child.

“Deputy Lee, is something wrong? You look pale.”

Splashing cold water on my face, I was on my way back to the room to finish packing my luggage.

I ran into Juyoung, who was walking from the opposite end of the hallway.

Her eyes were a bit hollow under them, also from being bothered by me all night.

Even so, she first checked my face with a worried expression.

“I’m fine, Team Leader-nim. I guess I just didn’t sleep well.”

Juyoung chuckled at my words.

A familiar flirtatiousness was now quite apparent in her smile.

“Well, we did go a bit overboard last night, didn’t we? Haha. Mina-ssi was complaining a lot this morning, saying her back hurt when she woke up.”

“Hahaha. I suppose I was a bit much, wasn’t I? Are you all ready?”

“Yes. I just need to pack my bags and head to the lobby.”

She answered shyly, unable to take her eyes off me, as if the passionate memories of last night were a dream.

After that, we packed our bags and headed to the lobby to check out.

Okami personally came out to the lobby to see us off and greeted us.

Unlike the elegant and polite demeanor she had on the first day during check-in, she seemed somewhat shy and couldn’t meet my gaze properly.

“Hyeonseong… no, Deputy Lee-nim. Please do visit us again next time. Then… I will serve you with even more dedication than today.”

Her voice held an undeniable sense of anticipation.

She had caught my eye from the moment we first met, but she was a woman with a sex appeal beyond her appearance.

On top of that, she was a married woman.

I had only given her a suggestion to amplify her sexual desire, and she had fallen for it so easily.

I don’t know if I’ll have another business trip to Japan, but…

If the opportunity arises, visiting again wouldn’t be a bad idea.

“Tsk.”

Glancing to the side, I saw Juyoung and Mina sending overtly wary glances towards Okami.

Mina, in particular, clicked her tongue, openly expressing her displeasure.

Juyoung poked my side, expressing her unspoken dissatisfaction.

I deliberately ignored the stinging gazes of the two women, returned a formal greeting to Okami, and left the ryokan.

I dozed off briefly in the car heading to the airport, then sent a message to Lizetta-ssi before boarding the plane.

[Hyeonseong: Lizetta-ssi, I’m about to board the plane. I think I’ll arrive around 12 PM.]

[Lizetta: Yes, understood. I will wait for you at the airport at the appointed time.]

Her usual precise reply came back.

Speaking of which, now that I have captured Kang Juyoung and Park Mina, two rabbits in my grasp, it’s about time I start thinking about other game possessions.

Heh heh.

Indeed, these days, not a single day is boring.

****

The flight was somewhat boring, but thanks to occasionally teasing the two women sitting next to me, it didn’t feel too long.

Finally, when the plane arrived at Incheon Airport and I exited the arrival hall, Lizetta-ssi was waiting for me in front of the departure gate, as promised.

But this time, she wasn’t in her regular clothes; she was dressed in a maid uniform.

“Hyeonseong-nim, you’ve returned safely.”

“Yes. But that attire… did you rush out while doing housework?”

“Yes. I was just finishing up the house cleaning before your return, Hyeonseong-nim.”

“Ah, I see.”

I understood, but from home all the way to here in a maid uniform…

Even at the airport, she was drawing an incredible amount of attention from passersby.

I could feel Juyoung and Mina, who were following behind me, whispering when they spotted Lizetta-ssi.

Just then, Lizetta-ssi naturally moved close beside me, making a subtle gesture as if to link her arm with mine.

It was a similar scene to when we departed last time.

[If you’ve built a harem, shouldn’t you be prepared for this level of pandemonium?]

Child’s smug voice echoed in my ear. So it was your doing after all.

It was unnatural for Lizetta-ssi, after all. But this time, the situation was a little different from last time.

“Deputy Lee, now that I think about it, you didn’t introduce her last time. Since we’re here, why don’t you introduce her to us?”

Juyoung approached first, scrutinizing Lizetta-ssi from head to toe, and asked sharply.

Undisguised wariness and jealousy poured out of her voice.

“Ah, this is Lizetta-ssi. She’s… a housemate who’s staying with me for a bit due to circumstances…”

As I fumbled with the introduction, Lizetta suddenly cut me off and stepped forward.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lizetta, a maid who serves Hyeonseong-nim. I look forward to your kind cooperation.”

She bowed politely, but her expression held a subtle hint of provocation.

“A maid…?”

Juyoung openly furrowed her brow and scanned Lizetta-ssi once more.

Then she shot me a stinging look, as if asking, ‘You, you have such strange tastes too?’

It would have been good if it had stopped there, but Mina, not to be outdone, chimed in this time.

“Oh my, hello? I’m Park Mina, Hyeonseong Sunbae-nim’s junior at work. I’ve heard a lot about you, Lizetta-ssi.”

Her tone was friendly and smiling, but sharp thorns were hidden in her words.

When did I ever tell her anything about Lizetta-ssi, anyway?

But Mina ignored my questioning gaze.

“Ah, yes. I’ve also heard a lot about you from Hyeonseong-nim. Park Mina…-ssi.”

Lizetta-ssi also didn’t back down, glaring directly at Park Mina as she retorted.

For people who don’t even know each other to be so fiercely wary and engaged in a war of nerves…

The invisible pandemonium among the three women, with me caught in the middle, was quite a sight to behold, but…

[How is it? A harem truly needs this thrilling tension to be fun, don’t you think? Hehehe.]

Why are you more excited?

I thought I should mediate between the three and was about to open my mouth when, just then, a familiar voice called Juyoung from over there.

It was Park Mincheol.

“Ah, Mincheol-ssi!”

“You worked hard, honey. How was your business trip? Ah, Deputy Lee-nim, you also worked very hard.”

Mincheol greeted Juyoung, who clearly looked exhausted, with worry, and bowed to us as well.

I inwardly sneered at him and gave a brief nod.

“I told you there was no need to come pick me up.”

“Anyway, I wanted to come out somewhere far for a change too. Did you finish work well?”

“…Yes.”

Juyoung, seemingly flustered by her husband’s appearance, smiled awkwardly and gently held his arm.

There’s no need to be that flustered.

After all, unlike Juyoung, the suggestion I placed on Mincheol remains intact.

“By the way, who is this person next to you?”

Dealing with two women was already overwhelming, and now even Mincheol was showing interest in Lizetta-ssi.

I was about to open my mouth, thinking I should just gloss over it.

“Huh?”

Mina, who was standing about half a step away, let out a stunned sound as she discovered something.

At that voice, I and the others nearby all turned our heads to where Mina’s gaze was fixed.

[URGENT NEWS]

Large monitor screens installed throughout the airport simultaneously switched to an urgent news flash with red subtitles.

[Breaking News] Unidentified colossal tree appears in the middle of downtown Isang City, Gyeonggi Province! Partial damage to surrounding buildings and communication disruptions occurring….

An unbelievable scene unfolded on the screen.

In the middle of the familiar landscape of the city where I live.

A colossal tree stood towering as if piercing the sky.

It was an unreal sight, as if it had suddenly popped out from somewhere.

The anchor on the news screen, with a hurried and trembling voice, reported that the tree appeared right next to the ‘Travel Wiz’ anomaly site.

And as a result, the branch building was partially damaged, and communications in the surrounding area were cut off.

“What, what happened?”

In that instant, a cold, intense sense of unease, similar to what I had felt this morning, enveloped my entire body.

It felt as if the sound of a crack forming in my peaceful daily life echoed in my mind.

[Immersion 30% -> Immersion 50%]