Haha! This series still isn’t dead yet!
Getting up in the morning is difficult. If, like me, you need a lot of sleep and upon waking up you spend a few minutes in a half-awake daze, then mornings are something you can live without. That's why, after being forced awake by shouting and sitting up, I was unable to understand the situation unfolding before my eyes. I saw a topless Kkachi, wearing nothing but her panties, being yelled at by an enraged Rangii whose hands were transformed into those of a tiger.
"You, you, you, you!!"
For some reason that I didn't know, Rangii face was bright red and she was so angry that she couldn't even speak properly.
"Why were you being hugged by Sunghoon with your shirt off?!"
"Ah, awoo, I, I also, don't—."
Seeing Kkachi confused and unable to even speak properly, I thought I more-or-less grasped the situation. So Rangii got angry because she woke up early and saw me hugging Kkachi? The fix was easy. Ya—awn. Even in the midst of this commotion, Saehee, the only who could explain this situation for me, was fast asleep next to me. Even though she was wide awake without me even having to wake her last night. But what does that matter now? I'm super sleepy. I need to sleep a bit more. I should start by calming Rangii down. If Rangii keeps complaining so loudly, she'll scare off any sleep that could possibly come my way.
"Rangii."
Rangii hadn't noticed that I was awake when she turned her head towards me.
"Sunghoon! How did this happen?! Why is this kid…"
Before my drowsiness drained the last drop of energy from me, I hugged Rangii around her waist and cut her off.
"Hu—nya?!"
Rangii, surprised at this sudden occurrence, changed her hand back to that of a human, and I spoke while hugging her to my chest as I went back under the covers.
"I brought her with me last night."
Rangii started struggling away from my embrace.
"Why'd you do that?"
I'm sleepy. I'll explain everything later.
"Let's just sleep some more. I didn't get much sleep so I'm sleepy."
"B-But—."
It seems like Rangii is going to keep complaining if I leave her like this. But I really want to sleep. How can I get her to stop talking…eh, let's see. What's the best thing to do in times like this? Ah, I just thought of the best way to stop her. This should be an instant fix.
I pressed my lips against Rangii's.
"Uu—ub?!"
Rangii suddenly extended her arms and legs like she received an electric shock. I couldn't see it, but I bet her tail and ears were like that too. I didn't care as I did my best to fend off the heavy influences of drowsiness on my body.
Though all I did was match lips with her, the kiss must've had an exceptional effect because Rangii's face turned bright red for a totally different reason than before and she wrapped her arms around me. I guess this was enough? I moved my lips away from hers. Rangii was breathing strangely heavily as she looked up at me.
"Let's sleep."
Rangii looked so lovely as she lowered her head, unable to make eye contact with me after I said that. I tightened my grip to feel such a lovely Rangii a little more. I could smell Rangii more easily than before. She smelled nice.
"O-Okay."
I closed my eyes to delay waking up for a little longer.
"A-Awooo! So that is how you tempted the Tiger-nim! H-Have you no shame?"
Huh? What's there to be ashamed about? I already did this once before. As I listened to Kkachi's nonsensical words, I once again fell asleep.
—It's hot. Yeah. Like I was hugging a furnace in the middle of summer. Sweat was forming on my back. Ugh. I couldn't sleep like this. No longer in need of any more sleep, I banished the last of my drowsiness and opened my eyes.
Gem-like amber eyes were right in front of me. Close enough for me to easily make out her eyes blinking, her eyelashes, her slightly long pupils, and the strands of white hair on her forehead.
…Was I still asleep?
Why is Rangii sleeping so close to me? Was she stuck to me? It'd be better if she was a little farther from me when it's so hot. She seemed to be hot as well because her plump cheeks were slightly red, so why was she clinging to me? Ah, of course, she looked embarrassed as well so she was lovely to see.
"…Are you awake?" Rangii said.
"Yeah."
However,
"Did you not sleep?"
Something was poking my belly button. It was tickling me with its fur, so it was probably Rangii's tail.
"How could I sleep?"
It seemed like this was Rangii's sign of protest. But hey. You sure said something that wasn't like you? C'mon, 'How can I sleep?' You can sleep anywhere as long as I'm with you, wasn't it? Why was she saying that when she could sleep so easily in this scary haunted house…
Ah.
My head only just now started working. I remembered. What I did last night and earlier this morning.
"Uwaaagh?!"
If it's happened once, it'll happen again!! No, that's not it. I stupidly thought to myself, 'I've only ever done this before the once, so I couldn't have seen this coming!!' I let go of Rangii and moved back. I felt something soft on my back, but I didn't have time to think about that. What the heck did I do last night?!
While I was doing that, Rangii got up, fixed her hair, and adjusted her clothes. She was acting like a young maiden, and those actions that didn't fit Rangii at all. Ah, and where is Miss Kkachi, the true criminal who made me commit these nearly criminal acts? I sat up and found Kkachi was kneeling in the corner, looking at us.
"…What're you doing there?"
An answer came from somewhere I didn't expect.
"Most likely, she felt fear after seeing the Young Master's display of affection."
"Heeek?!"
This time, I shuffled forward because of my shock at hearing Saehee's voice behind me. I looked behind me, and I saw Saehee lying down. W-Were those soft things I touched Saehee's b-breasts? Though it may seem like my mind was wandering to strange places, I couldn't help it because I was a hot-blooded teenage boy. But I bet Saehee's weren't much bigger than Ra…
"Young Master."
Saehee's knife-like voice pierced through my heart.
"Yes?!"
Although it was the middle of summer, I got goosebumps as if it was the dead of winter.
"Breakfast will be ready right away, so please get washed up."
"O-Okay, I will!"
I stopped these weird thoughts and ran to the bathroom as if I was running away.
Because of the morning's commotion, we had a late breakfast, and Rangii and Saehee left to have a small talk. I was a little bothered about that because they said it was a conversation that I couldn't hear, but I didn't have much time to think about it because Kkachi entered the room. Kkachi had on clothes that Saehee gave her, but both the clothes' size and design were the exact same. Where in the world did Saehee get that?
"What is it?" I asked.
"I have something to tell you."
I motioned for her to come forward. Kkachi entered the room and sat far from me.
"So, what is it?"
"Though it humiliates me to do so, I came here to give my thanks."
Huuh? My mouth opened slightly after those unthinkable words. It seemed like she didn't like my reaction.
"Please don't look at me with such a clueless face. You're making me feel worse. Are you unsatisfied with just my thanks?"
I didn't want to be called clueless by someone I saved from freezing to death.
"Should the attitude of someone who came to give her thanks really be like that?"
"I'm a phantom."
"…Don't twist my words around." (tn: Sunghoon used the word for "person" which can also act as the word "human." So Kkachi makes the distinction about her species)
"I only did that because you're spouting idiotic nonsense."
Strangely enough, I feel like my patience is being tested. Should I ask Saehee to install a punching machine in the house? I feel like I could beat the national record if I put a picture of Kkachi on it, and like I could beat the world record if I put a picture of Saehee on it.
"So, is that it? So telling your life savior that he's making a stupid face, saying stupid things, and calling him stupid is your sign of thanks?"
"What are you saying, without listening to a person fully?"
"You said you're a phantom."
"Please don't twist my words around."
I held back my rising fist with superhuman patience.
"Then say what you want to say."
"I was going to, even if you didn't tell me to."
She's raring for a fight. Kkachi grimaced as if simply spitting out those words were humiliating.
"As thanks for yesterday, I give you permission to call me Chii."
"Chii? But you said your name's Kkachi?"
"That is also my name."
I asked her a possible theory I thought of after she said that.
"Is that the name given to you by heaven?"
Kkachi suddenly blushed and her hair, from top to bottom, was flapping as she shouted.
"A-A-Are you crazy?! Why would I tell my name from heaven to a scumbag-human trash-lolicon-pedophile-leech-cockroach-like human like you?!"
"I can understand how embarrassed you are, and I understand how what I said could be misunderstood. But don't say those kinds of things to people."
Because even I, who was used to such spiteful remarks, nearly gave Kkachi a good hit on the noggin.
"I still have more to say! For the misunderstanding you made, you deserve many more insults! You stupid dumbass—."
Her name must be something important to her if she's getting so worked up over it. Come to think of it, Rangii flinched when she heard her name, Bumii, back when she lost all reason.
"You're trash not fit to even be breakfast which was sent flying, hit a tree banch, and fell into mud!"
It was actually entertaining to listen to her create a whole new genre of cursing.
"I get it. Stop. I'm sorry."
"If you are truly sorry, then please die."
Why do you think there're laws in this world?
"Enough. So why Chii?"
"It's a nickname."
Huuh? Your nickname's Chii? It's a pretty name. Though I don't know why that specifically is her name.
"You're telling me to call you by a nickname?"
After I said that, Chii, I mean, Kkachi, frowned. What're you making that face for?
"It can't be helped. Even if you were the cause, you were the one who eventually saved me from freezing to death. If I had died like that, then I would have left the promise unfulfilled. In other words, my death would have been in vain."
"How was I the cause? You were just being an idiot."
"Wh-Who are you you calling an idiot? If you hadn't said something like that in the first place… Ack!"
Chii went, "Shoot," and blocked her mouth with her hands. Without missing what she just said, I bent forward, gave her an angry look, and asked Chii a question.
"If I didn't say what?"
"Nevermind!"
Kkachi turned her head to the side and spoke.
"Anyway, if you don't want to, then don't bother. I'm just repaying the kindness for the one who saved my life by allowing you to use my nickname. Whether you call me that or not, though you can call me by whatever you want, I would prefer that you call me Chii. Because that is the only way I can repay my debt to you."
Yeah. Do whatever you want. It doesn't matter to me whether I call you Kkachi or Chii. But the thing is.
"Isn't that not enough?"
"What are you saying?"
Do you think your life is worth just the ability to call you by your nickname?"
"Awooo!?"
Kkachi acted surprised, as if taken aback. You brat. So you were just going to casually ignore that little tidbit?
"Wha-What are you being so stingy for? Aren't you a man?"
"Who makes a distinction between men and women in this day and age? Don't you know about gender equality? Gender equality?"
That was a lie. In the modern world, there are lots of distinctions between men and women. But what I said is reasonable for now. I bet it'll be hard to give a retort?
I'm not saying all this to try and get something out of her. I just thought that she was being too short-tempered, so my temper was short as well.
She thought about what I said for a moment, then responded while making aptly clear how much she hated what she was saying.
"Okay. Then I will call you big brother."
That wasn't something I wanted.
"Why would you call me big brother?"
Infuriated, Chii suddenly got up and shouted at me while stabbing her finger at me.
"You're the one who said that it wasn't enough! Big brother, you! That it wasn't enough to just call me Chii?! That is why, though it makes me feel sick, I am satisfying you by calling you big brother! After all, big brother, aren't you a pervert who gets off on this kind of thing?! If you're a pervert, then act like one!"
She's making it so I can't just ignore her, this brat!
"Who're you calling a pervert?! Who?! How am I like a pervert?!"
"Big brother, you're the one who said in the middle of the day and in front of others that you'd turn me into your sexual play thing! What else does that make you if not a pervert?!"
"I told you that was a lie!"
"How can I believe you?! Just this morning, when I woke up, I was completely naked! And big brother was hugging me! And something was touching me! So how can I believe you?!"
"Give me a chance! You were about to freeze to death so I had no choice! Don't you know what medical procedures are, medical procedures?! Do you want to thank me, or do you want to get me thrown in prison?!"
"If it was a medical procedure, then why was that hideous thing standing up?!"
Ugh?!
"There's no helping that in the morning! Don't you know about physiological phenomenon?!"
"Why do I have to know about something like that?! Do you have any idea how horrifying that was?!"
…I should stop talking. There was a lot I wanted to say to her, but it didn't seem like she'd ever stop thinking I was a pervert.
"Yeah, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."
It seemed a little late for this, but I decided to show her the tolerance of an adult. But the thing is, is your life only worth me calling you by a nickname and you calling me big brother?
"So, is that all you have to say?"
"I'm going to go for now. Because even being in the same room as big brother is disgusting."
In the end, I couldn't hold back.
"Awooo! Why are you hitting me?!"
"Because you said something deserving a hit!"
"Idiot, dummy, pervert, lolicon! I hope you die!"
Chii left after shouting such verbal abuse at me, and I leaned on a wall from sheer mental exhaustion.
Even so, I did realize a few things during my short time with Chii. It's not that I'm quick, but I figured these things out without wanting to due to my experiences. Though it's embarrassing for me to admit this. Seeing her at her most upset reminded me wholeheartedly of myself. Her not trusting what I said is just like how I created a wall and refused to trust people. Her calling me big brother and telling me to call her Chii are just like how I begged for attention despite not being able to convey my true feelings. Her hiding her tears is just like how I pretended to be strong. She's a spitting image of my younger self. Though I may very well be imagining these things, this is what I felt.
That's why I decided. No, this is the only decision I could make. The reason is simple. There's a kid who's making the same mistakes I did ten years ago right in front of me. So how can I just leave her alone?
And for the sake of this decision, I called out for the ghost who, though she wasn't in the room, likely listened in on our conversation.
"Saehee. Come out."
"What is the problem, Young Master?"
I was getting used to Saehee entering a room without even a whisper as if she was always there.
"Thanks for acting like you didn't know. As you're well aware, the reason I gave for saving Chii's life was a lie."
"Is that so? I thought that you were being serious."
So you're acting like you didn't know.
"That's why I have something to tell you."
Just yesterday, Saehee went along with what I said to save Chii even though she knew I was lying. But now it was different. If I hadn't told Saehee that, she would have kept acting like she didn't know, but now, there was nothing stopping Saehee from once again trying to kill Chii. What I did may be foolish, but this was important to me. Since I've changed my mind. I was about to speak to convince her no matter what she said.
"There is no need to speak. I shall follow the Young Master's will."
But Saehee said what I wanted to hear without my even having to speak.
"Do you know what I was going to say?"
Saehee gave a small smile.
"I do not."
I think you do, though.
"How could I break the will of the Young Master when you have already strengthened your resolve? After all, I am the best at planning and scheming for the sakes of my masters when they have made up their minds."
I couldn't say a thing to Saehee after hearing her say that. It actually made me uncomfortable for Saehee to be so polite to me, then she politely bowed her head to me.
"Then please excuse me, as due to the incompetent and irresponsible Young Master's interference, my duties have just increased immensely."
At this rate, it seemed like Saehee was about to disappear, so I called out to her first.
"Saehee."
"As long as you do not plan on troubling me more, I shall listen, Young Master."
"That's not it… Um, thanks."
Embarrassed, I looked away from Saehee then glanced at her. Saehee spoke with a smile on her face that didn't look good on her.
"There is no reason to thank me, Young Master. Because if you continue to display such a manly appearance, I may actually follow the Young Master's commands."
With those words, that smile became a sneer.