Chapter 124: Do Ji-hwan's Ambitious Project (1)
“Sigh.”
It was tough playing this act.
Now, all that was left was to hope that Baek Seol-hee, amidst her confusion, would view Do Ji-hwan in a favorable light.
‘I can finally get some rest now.’
At least he had managed to get a moment of rest, lying on the bed.
-Typically, infidelity leads to one’s downfall when one lie covers another.
A memorable line from a famous lecture on the internet came to mind.
-It’s a complete disaster. How long can a lie last? Your partner isn’t a fool. They’re as clever and observant as you, deceiving themselves because they love you more than you love them.
One deceived oneself because of love, fooling oneself into thinking they were doing no wrong.
Meaning even the rational judgment of an S-tier hero could be paralyzed by love.
So, rest was essential-
Ding.
The Taeguk Watch beeped.
It was Pension Owner, Mr. Jang.
“Hello?”
[Yes, Mr. Do. Your ‘wife’ is on her way up now.]
“……!”
I quickly sat up from the bed.
“Now?”
[Didn’t you schedule her to arrive at this time?]
“Oh, yes, but…”
It was Yumir’s schedule.
He just hadn’t expected Baek Seol-hee to rush here so early in the morning.
“Please let her up for now.”
[…Hmm. Alright. Hang in there.]
Though Mr. Jang’s encouragement didn’t feel encouraging, so I quickly got out of bed and opened the door leading downstairs.
“Excuse me.”
“Oh, yes! Ms. Seol-hee.”
Darn it.
“I’ve been thinking, you see?”
“Yes, go on.”
“…Why are you sweating so profusely?”
Baek Seol-hee tilted her head upon seeing my flustered state. I couldn’t blame her. After our discussion, my obvious discomfort would raise suspicions.
“Did your wife tell you something? Did she mention meeting Baek Seol-hee?”
“…Not that.”
With things as they were.
“Student Yumir has arrived.”
“……Really?”
Baek Seol-hee looked at me with wide eyes. Soon after, the sound of someone entering from downstairs echoed.
Click, click.
Why did the sound of high heels seem so lively? Given that this was Ulleung Island, shoes should be removed at the entrance. Yet, the sound of those high heels was deafening.
“Ms. Seol-hee.”
“Oh, it’s alright. Yumir is just a student from the academy. There’s nothing to worry about.”
“But the thing is.”
She was coming up.
I could feel someone approaching the place up the stairs, and unfortunately, it was towards my bedroom.
“Ms. Seol-hee.”
“Why? Is there something you’re hiding?”
“Student Yumir doesn’t yet know about my situation-”
“Teacher! Mi-reu’s hereee~~~!”
Darn it.
Greeting loudly enough to reverberate throughout Ulleung Island, Yumir made her way to the bedroom. At the same time, I tried to maintain my composure.
Calm down, Do Ji-hwan.
After all, you had faced such situations before while dealing with four executives at the association.
Instead of dealing with four S-tier people, now it was two S+ tier, or rather, two EX-tier individuals.
Think on your feet.
It was the very skill that brought me this far.
And if you believed in one more thing, it was Yumir’s intuition and prior knowledge.
Baek Seol-hee overcame this crisis based on information that only Yumir knew, and she didn’t.
Before Do Ji-hwan became Do Ji-Hwan.
“Welcome, Student Yumir.”
“……Snow White?”
“That’s right. Hello?”
Upon seeing Baek Seol-hee, Yumir paused for a moment. Baek Seol-hee nonchalantly greeted Yumir and then said-
“Ji-hwan, shall we continue the discussion we were having?”
I sat down, resting my bottom on the edge of the bed where I was lying a moment ago. Seeing this, Yumir frowned slightly, and for some reason, I felt like the room temperature had dropped, or maybe it had become more humid.
Baek Seol-hee had an ice attribute.
Yumir was the Solar Platina.
If winter and summer met, when a cold and warm front collided, a boundary was created between them.
It seemed that the rainy season was coming. For some reason, I felt cold sweat trickling down my back, but I pointed behind Yumir and asked.
“Student Yumir, what’s in that luggage?”
“Oh, this?”
Yumir tapped a fairly large suitcase with her hand, then, without looking at Baek Seol-hee, looked at me and smiled broadly.
“I decided to sleep over tonight. That’s why I brought it.”
“Your suitcase seems bigger than I thought?”
“There’s a variety of stuff inside.”
“Ji-hwan?”
It was Baek Seol-hee who called me.
“I need to answer the question you asked me earlier now.”
There was no doubt her tone turned short at the end.
“Understood, Seol-hee. Student Yumir? First, unpack your things in the room…”
“The room’s right here, isn’t it?”
Yumir dragged her suitcase into the room. After a quick glance at Baek Seol-hee, she confidently pushed her suitcase in front of the wardrobe.
“This is my room.”
“…Student Yumir?”
“I’m not sure why Ms. Baek Seol-hee is here, but this is my room.”
Yumir was calmly lying. There were many rooms in this guesthouse. Why would she claim the one I was staying in? We hadn’t even decided on the rooms yet.
“But, teacher. Were you supposed to meet Ms. Baek Seol-hee at this time? Wasn’t our appointment fixed?”
“It was.”
“Initially, it was supposed to be ‘counseling’ time for Student Yumir, but since Ms. Baek Seol-hee arrived first, we began our session. You two are meeting for the first time, right? This is Ms. Baek Seol-hee, Snow White. We got acquainted in Busan and have been exchanging SNS. This one is-”
“I’m Yumir. Nice to meet you.”
“…Yes. Nice to meet you, Student Yumir.”
Yumir confidently extended her hand, cutting off my introduction.
An E-rank offering a handshake to an S-rank? Even if she was a foreigner, such an act in Korea could be considered rude.
But did that really matter now?
“Wow. This is my first time meeting an S-rank hero up close. I’m a big fan, really.”
“Thank you.”
She was not thankful.
And she was not a fan, either.
“The fight you had in Gangwon-do with the Goblin looked like you were dancing. It was so amazing.”
Yumir was trying to dominate the situation, acting more boldly and courageously than the slightly timid Baek Seol-hee.
“Is that true? About the Goblin and all that?”
“Not at all. Student Yumir… you’re quite outspoken.”
‘Don’t be so rude.’ was the unspoken comment.
“I’m just the type who can’t contain my curiosity. I hope you aren’t offended? Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just that everyone was talking about it.”
Was she getting upset over just that?
“Teacher Do. Were you continuing the counseling with Ms. Baek Seol-hee? Umm, I was under the impression that this was my time. I even made a reservation.”
Yumir was shamelessly brazen.
“No matter if she’s an S-rank, I’d appreciate it if you respected the order.”
It was as if someone had made a reservation at a bank through an app, but then an elderly woman from the next window suddenly sat down, saying, “The seat is empty, so why can’t we talk?”
“I’m sorry. But it’s an important matter.”
Even as she apologized, the way she sought understanding was truly heroic. It felt a bit odd to describe it as ‘heroic’, but for now, I had to sort out the situation.
“Student Yumir. I was discussing my ‘wife’ with Seol-hee.”
She was completely taken aback.
“…Your wife?”
“Yes. My wife. We were talking about her inability to get pregnant.”
“……”
Yumir silently stared at me. She looked as if she was wondering what kind of nonsense this man was spouting. Her eyebrows furrowed as she alternately looked between Baek Seol-hee and me.
“…Hmm.”
I fervently prayed. Hoping that Yumir would pick up on the situation.
“Well, since you’ve told me that much, I won’t make a fuss.”
Yumir’s voice lightened.
“If you’re discussing that, it means you trust Baek Seol-hee enough… and at the same time, she’s someone you can confide in.”
Yumir nonchalantly shrugged as if saying, ‘I understand it all’.
“Then, are the three of us doing this today?”
“Wait, what?”
Baek Seol-hee was flustered. Much like an Asian student was surprised by a Westerner’s social skills, her previously stoic face began to waver with shock.
“Consultation, I mean. Though it’s not the usual kind.”
Yumir glanced at me with a meaningful look.
Judging by her gaze:
‘I’m saving you right now, so you owe me big time.’
Truly, Yumir was the protagonist.
“Phew. I thought that without knowing about your marital status and child issues, Baek Seol-hee was approaching you.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re hearing this for the first time? It’s okay. It might be a deep thought but look at him. He’s trying hard to cope.”
Even in the most unreasonable situations, those who helped, be it a hero or a protagonist, were also the ones who assisted.
“If Baek Seol-hee decides to help out with our situation, I have no reason to dislike her. It’s really nice to meet you!”
Until a moment ago, Yumir had been distant and sharp, but now she warmly greeted Baek Seol-hee.
“Let’s share our concerns and stories with each other, things we can’t tell others.”
As if sharing a secret in a club where she had joined ‘later’ than the others.
“Oh, by the way, Teacher.”
Yumir approached with a broad smile and looked at me with upturned eyes.
“Did you tell Baek Seol-hee about me?”
“Not yet.”
“I see. In that case.”
Yumir squinted for a moment and then gestured at me as if to signal something.
It felt like:
‘I’m saving you right now.’
“Then, I should share my secret with Baek Seol-hee.”
“A secret?”
“Baek Seol-hee?”
Yumir bowed slightly with a light smile.
“I am Solar Platina.”
Baek Seol-hee was utterly bewildered.
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