Fourth Story
Narae and Rangii sweat a lot during their work out, and while they left to go wash off, I leaned against the cool wall of the house and simply savored this rare moment of peace. Of course, this was only a rest for my body; my mind, on the other hand, had no reprieve as incessant thoughts raged inside my head. Then, without even the slightest sympathy for my plight, something emerged from out of my shadow. It was a human head. With black hair. Done up in a familiar fashion. It was Saehee. When her entire head emerged from out of my shadow, I had a realization. This time, she actually was popping out of the shadows. I put my hand on her head and pushed down. Go away. Go away, you damn ghost. Am I not allowed even a moment’s rest? But, as if mocking my only human strength, Saehee stood up straight, having emerged up to her waist from the shadow, placed her hands on the ground, and said this:
“Chaos. Destruction. Oblivion.” (Another Warcraft reference.)
“….”
I had no idea what she was saying, so it must have been another reference.
“…What a disappointment, Young Master. A hikikomori should be able to withstand this amount of ribbing, no?”
Saehee fully emerged from my shadow before sitting down formally in front of me.
“You realize that it’s your fault that I’ve become a hikikomori, right?”
“Are you perhaps implying that you would have been the picture of extroversion had we not met?”
“Don’t make obviously wrong assumptions.”
Saehee lips rose in a smirk.
“You wish not to imagine a life in which you hadn’t met the Master, then, I see.”
You’re the one who needs a hearing aid.
“So? What do you want this time?”
Saehee raised her arm to cover her mouth with her sleeve.
“I felt the Young Master has been acting awfully cold to me, and I came here to confront you on the matter.”
I nearly had a stroke.
“…What?”
“I am informing you that I felt hurt when the Young Master acted so cold to me, especially after the great lengths I went for both your and the Master’s sakes. Have you not the slightest sympathy for me, Young Master?”
The hell is wrong with her? Did I do something wrong? Or is she just screwing with me again? Is she trying to confuse me so she can hit me over the head with a bone club? Her usual lack of expression is already hard to read, and since she has her face covered, I have absolutely no idea what she’s thinking. But she was telling the truth when she said how much she was doing for Rangii and me. and maybe I was a little snappy with her earlier.
…That’s probably what she’s trying to make me think.
“I bet you’re just trying to throw me off guard so you can trick me into doing something.”
Saehee lowered her hand. I knew it—she was smirking.
“Your paranoia rivals that of Sima Yi.” (tn: Just … just Google it. I’m not a history major.)
Because there’s a ghost named Saehee trying to get me.
“What is it you want me to do?”
“Jumping straight to the point, much like an eager husband ripping off his clothes without even a single word to set the mood, I see.”
Why make that analogy specifically?
“I’m not in the mood for joking around, so it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.”
It’s only natural that my patience is running thin, after all.
“Only filming of the final scene and editing remain. Are you perhaps disappointed that this is ending so soon?”
That was the first piece of good news she’d given me in this conversation.
“Today has been the longest day of my life, so that should be obvious.”
“That is only true so far, Young Master.”
Don’t say scary things like that! You saying that makes me honestly terrified that it’ll come true!
“So?”
I brought the conversation back on track. Saehee must not have wanted to prolong the conversation either, because she actually answered.
“I have come here to see the Young Master in this pathetic state because I had an excellent idea just a few moments ago.”
“…What is it?”
Saehee took that mysterious book out of her sleeve and handed it to me.
“Please read from page 230.”
“Just a few moments ago my ass! If you just had that idea, then how’s it already written down?!”
“I used magic to modify it.”
If such a convenient spell really exists, then could she teach it to me? Grumbling to myself, I flipped open the book open to page 230. To my honest shock, the events chronicled in page 230 were, compared to everything else she’d made me read, almost too wholesome. Ignoring the dialogue, the descriptions had Narae, Rangii, and me sitting together. And, with me in the middle, we played that game…. Um, you know, that game. The one that couples play. Two people put opposite ends of that chocolate-covered biscuit in their mouths and nibble towards each other, and the winner’s the one who doesn’t flinch. It was about the three of us playing that game. But must not be me, because he, using the game as a pretext, uses the opportunity to forcibly have deep, x-rated kisses with Narae and Rangii. And the two of them just accepted it. This could almost be considered libel.
“And you expect me to do this?”
I decided I didn’t need to read anymore, and Saehee spoke when I closed the book.
“There is a twist that the Young Master could not possibly imagine, so I recommend continuing to read.”
I did as she said. She’s the kind of petty person to take revenge if I ignored what she said. I flipped to the next page and skimmed over the contents before throwing the book at Saehee.
“Hey, dammit!!”
Saehee gracefully caught the book and put it back in her sleeve as if she had expected my reaction.
“Whatever is the problem?”
“Are you asking because you seriously don’t know?”
“It is merely a scene of the Master and Narae licking and sucking on the Young Master’s hard, black, sweet biscuit, no?”
“Don’t say suggestive things like that to a teenage boy!”
“You are saying that you will enjoy the video even more, I see.”
That should be obvious, but that isn’t what I’m talking about right now!
“Next time, I will prepare a powerpoint presentation for you.”
“What’s scary is I actually believe you!”
I sighed, calming myself before continuing to speak.
“Do I seriously have to do this?”
“If you will not do what happens later, then please at least do the things in the beginning. Young Master, whose head is emptier than even Baduk’s.”
So mean! That’s a really mean comparison!!
“Hey. What you’re asking for is still too difficult.”
“It is merely the finishing touch to ensure that Ungyeo is fully convinced by your lovey-dovey video, Young Master. Are you unaware that the climax is the most important part?”
…If she put it like that, then I had nothing to say.
“Ah, and unless there is less than three centimeters of biscuit left uneaten, you will have to try again.”
I ignored Saehee and simply waited for Narae and Rangii to come back from their shower.