After I ate breakfast with a handprint on one cheek and a bite mark on my ear on the other side, Saehee was busy washing the dishes, so I used that time to watch the news in leisure. With her appetite sated, Rangii placed herself in between my legs, sitting on the floor as she leaned against the sofa and used my thigh as a pillow. Narae went to the kitchen to make coffee. Ah, peace and quiet. Yeah, this is the life. I seriously wish my days of treading on thin ice, worrying over every little thing and always being afraid that something terrible is about to happen, would end. After all the trouble I went through these past few days, I want to be able to spend the rest of my summer vacation relaxed as can me. Can’t I ask for at least that much?
“What’re you watching?”
Narae came from the kitchen and sat next to me, a mug in her hands. I wondered why she would drink something that smelled so nice but tasted so awful and answered her question.
“The news.”
“…Weird.”
Annoyed, I allowed my emotions to dictate my actions as I switched the TV to channel 98 without saying a word. I was prepared to pay for my prank with my life, but … an educational broadcast showed up instead. Friggin’ dammit! You tricked me, Saehee!! How could you lie about this?! Have you no blood running through your veins?! I wanted to secretly watch it when no one was here!
“Ah, another thing.”
While I was changing the channel again, Narae finished taking a drink of her coffee and said something I didn’t understand.
“You know that supplementary classes start in two days, right? So we should go back to Seoul tomorrow.”
“…What?”
What in the world was she talking about? I simply looked at her, puzzled, and Narae continued.
“What’s wrong? You’re acting like you had no idea.”
“That’s the thing. I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Narae’s brow furrowed.
“I told you when I got here. I came here to take you back for your supplementary classes.”
…I recalled a memory I had all but forgotten about until now. The conversation she was talking about took place just a day ago, but it felt like months had passed. But she was right. I remembered her mentioning that. But Narae.
“Wasn’t that just an excuse?”
Narae tilted her head to the side.
“Hm? An excuse for what?”
“To hide the fact that you came here because you missed me—aghhh!!”
“Y-you idiot!!”
“Unyaa?!”
Hand! Your hand! Please take your hand off my side!
“Wh-why would I give an excuse like that?!”
Narae let go of my side as if prompting me to respond, and I answered in an instant.
“Because you like me?”
I was hurt. Narae looked at me with a face that said, ‘What? You little shit. You’re pissing me off. Want me to kill you? Pour this scalding coffee on you?’ Both her expression and her slight tipping of her coffee mug were hurtful.
“You’re pissing me off.”
“Forgive me. I said something unbecoming of my low station in life.”
I bowed deeply in apology. Then someone climbed on top of me. It was obviously Rangii. My pained scream likely woke her up.
“Wh-what’s going on? Who tried to hurt you?!”
I looked at the mirror on the wall and saw Rangii’s face full of worry as she sat on my shoulders and turned her head this way and that, her hands planted on my forehead. Stop that. Do you think I’m some kind of watchtower?
“Sorry, Rangii. Sunghoon and I were playing a little, and we woke you up. You can keep sleeping.”
A certain proverb goes like this: Stab the side of the pitiful Kang Sunghoon, and he will die. Rangii, the embodiment of the proverb, one need not fear entering even the den of an angered tiger, calmed down after Narae told her we were just playing and heaved a sigh of relief from her lacking chest. Everything’s fine, so get down already. My back’s about to break.
“Get down.”
“Okay.”
Rangii jumped off me as if kicking off a jumping board and landed on the ground with her legs together and her arms outstretched symmetrically. Her form was a perfect 10 out of 10. I straightened my now unburdened back. Rangii then naturally ran back, towards me, and sat on my lap. This turn of events felt so natural that I only had this to say.
“Hey, you brat.”
“What is it?”
Rangii turned her head to look back at me. Those eyes, shining like the full moon on a cloudless night sky, made my words disappear. So I decided to speak with my actions rather than my words. I put my hands on Rangii’s sides, and,
“Hm?”
I tickled her.
“Kyang?! Th-that tickles! S-stop it … hahaha!!”
“Ya brat. Do you think I’m your chair? Aren’t you going to get down?”
“S-stop it!” Rangii managed to say.
She squirmed this way and that, but she still refused to get off my lap. I learned through my fingers just how incredible a cat’s sense of balance was.
“Stop it.”
I also learned just how strong a bear was.
“Gyagh!”
“Haa, haa.”
Rangii had tears in her eyes as I leaned on her and checked the state of my side. I was okay. It hurt so bad that it felt like my innards had been shifted to one side, but there was no hole torn through my abdomen.
“Stop playing with Rangii. We were in the middle of a conversation.”
Narae tetchily told me off. But, Narae-nim. I wouldn’t have so readily pretended Narae didn’t exist if we had been talking about anything except supplementary classes. There was a gleam in Narae’s eyes. I guess you learn some weird things when you learn magic.
“Why are you suddenly bring up supplementary classes, if I may ask?”
For the sake of my continued survival, I braved this undesired topic.
“What’s a supplementary class?”
Rangii joined the conversation. Nice assist. This could give me just the chance I needed to change the subject. I made up my mind to kindly explain what supplementary classes are to Rangii. Of course, I had to ask if she knew a piece of basic knowledge first.
“Do you know what school is?”
“Uu … I think you treat me like a big dummy sometimes.”
Rangii groused, puffing out her cheeks in a showy pout, but I thought that it was a fair question. Considering her track record, I couldn’t help but assume she knew less than she did.
“Isn’t it similar to the schoolhouses?”
Still, she deserved a complement for her good work. I patted Rangii on the head.
“Heheheh.”
Rangii’s eyes narrowed in pleasure, while Narae’s eyes sharpened to glare angrily at me. Okay! No time to waste—I’d better give that explanation fast.
“When it’s too hot or too cold out, the school lets the students stay at home, and that’s called vacation. It’s like when the kids wouldn’t have to go to the schoolhouse because it was harvesting time.”
Rangii went mmhm and nodded her head.
“But supplementary classes are when the school forces students to study during the time when they should have been on vacation.”
I cleared my throat and held Rangii by the shoulders, a grave expression on my face. Rangii, frightened by this sudden change, trembled in my grip as she looked up at me.
“It’s an evil place, a product of this nation’s insane fervor for education. If I go there, I’ll be transformed into an evil machine that can only think about multiplication, division, and bullying you—gyaaaagh?!”
“…That actually isn’t true, Rangii. Gyaaagh! Supplemental classes are a bother, but—My side! My side!!—it was actually made—Narae! Please stop! I was just kidding!—for the sake of helping—Someone save meeeee!!—students like him.”
“Oh, uh, okay. I-I understand.”
Rangii was scared stiff by Narae, who spoke in a soft voice with a smile on her face even as she tore off a part of my side.
“The next time you teach Rangii something weird like that, I’ll seriously punish you. Rangii’s so innocent that she’ll believe anything you tell her.”
“Okay.”
I held in the tears elicited by the persistent pain and answered. This situation reminded me of the relationship between my dad and my mom. But Rangii, worried about me, turned around and trailed her finger in circles on my side.
“My hand’s taking away the pain. My hand’s taking away the pain.”
…Thanks, you brat.
“I didn’t pinch him that hard. Sunghoon’s just being a big baby.”
I was not. Rangii pouted after hearing what Narae said.
“But, Narae. Sunghoon’s a weakling who’d be sent flying if I even breathed on him wrong, so even something like that could hurt him a lot.”
Who wants to see the weakling who’d be sent flying just by a tiger’s breath take down said tiger? It would be easy enough to do. I would just have to bite Rangii’s ear. Still, if this would let me avoid anymore talk of supplementary classes, then I’d consider myself lucky.
“All right. That aside, Sunghoon.”
“Hm?”
“Get ready to go.”
I would do anything to avoid this. I tried to use Rangii as a distraction to cause enough chaos to make Narae, who was acting like an actual adult, forget about what she was talking about, but it was all for naught. My only way out of this was with a head-to-head match.
“No, but before that. I didn’t submit an application.”
As I said, I didn’t submit an application for supplemental classes. Even my parents understood the importance of studying, so ever since I was a second grader, they made me study. That was why I was determined to have as much fun as possible this year. There was no way I would sign documents that would mean spending time studying at school when I could be spending time having fun. My school didn’t force freshmen to take supplementary courses, and because I argued with my homeroom teacher into letting me skip them, I got an all expenses paid pass to freedom. Plus, students like me with no intention of studying would only get in the way of students who actually wanted to learn. Moreover, I didn’t even pay for supplementary classes. Money makes the world go round. How was I supposed to go to school when I didn’t even pay?
“I knew you’d do that, so I signed you up.”
“You did what?!”
“What do you mean?”
“Why would you sign me up for supplementary classes?”
“Your dad asked me to. He said, ‘Please make my son study.'”
“Daaaaaad!!”
I raised my body off the couch so that I could get my phone from out of my pocket.
“Whoa?!”
Rangii looked like she was enjoying bouncing on my lap. She was having fun. I decided to play with her, but only after I called my dad. I doubted he would answer, but I still had to try. Please answer!
—The person you have called has blocked your number.
“What kind of dad blocks his own son’s number?!”
You piece of crap dad!
“Also, since I’m the class president, it wasn’t that hard to sign you up for it. All I needed was a check.”
Narae-nim. Why are you puffing your chest out in pride when you admitted to doing something illegal? In the mental state that I’m in now, I might even start feeling up those puffed up breasts of yours. Of course, if I did that, my bones would end up buried underneath Jirisan, so I decided to stop avoiding reality.
“What about the bill?”
“Your mom gave it to me.”
Of course. I’m an idiot. When I called my mom, prepared to die for the sake of my vacation, and she told me to do whatever I wanted, she must have done this afterwards. She got me. If I hadn’t signed up in the first place, then there wouldn’t be any problems; but because I was, if I didn’t go, then I’d be in huge trouble. My home room teacher was young and he would likely be somewhat receptive to my plight, but he was an adult, so his decision would be merciless. I was surprised that a wacky person like him could become a teacher, but that side of him made him perfect for the job.
“So enough complaining and get ready to go to Seoul.”
Do I really have to go?
“You’re going to Seoul?”
Rangii, who until now had been listening quietly, suddenly spoke up in a nervous voice. Ah, I forgot. She might not be on board with me leaving for Seoul.
That’s right. It hasn’t even been two weeks since that time. The time when I took Rangii with me to Seoul without thinking, and, as a result, I hurt Rangii so deeply. Without question, it was my fault. And because of me, it’s possible that Rangii only has bad memories of that place. Plus, this house is thoroughly protected by Saehee’s magic while Rangii’s true body is sleeping nearby, but my house in Seoul is only protected by Saehee’s booze magic. It’s plainly obvious which one Rangii will feel safer in. It seems like everything’s been settled peacefully with Ungnyeo and the Bear Clan, but it’s been practically etched into my bones that the world isn’t always a peaceful place. I have no idea what’s going to happen if we go to Seoul again.
“There is no need to worry, Young Master.”
“Kyah?!”
“Whoa?!”
“Unyaah!!”
Ah, this time I was surprised, too. I was totally used to Saehee showing up out of nowhere, but it was different this time. Because, what the hell, she was standing upside down on the ceiling! It was like something out of a horror movie; her skirt wasn’t even falling towards the floor. Because of Saehee, I instinctively clutched Rangii, scaring her in the process.
“Show up normally!”
Narae still hadn’t given up on yelling at Saehee, but that ghost, famous for her cool demeanor, deftly ignored Narae’s outraged yelling and floated down to the ground as she spoke.
“If you were to decide to go to Seoul, nothing of note would happen to Master, so there is no need to worry.”
What wonderful news, but I never asked you.
“I knew your question just by the look on your face.”
I should stop thinking.
“Ah, so that’s what you were worried about? I’m okay with it! As long as I’m with Sunghoon, I don’t care where I am!”
What an adorable thing to say. That cute voice calmed me down.
I’m a student. Even if I were to stay here throughout vacation and skip those classes, I would have to go to school afterwards. Then Rangii would start crying and beg me not to go back to Seoul, and I don’t know if I would be able to leave. At that point, I would have to consider changing my address and going to school here.
…But, for some reason, it felt like everything was aligning so that I go back to Seoul and take those supplementary classes.
“Then get packing already.”
It seemed like everything was settled. Narae put her hand on my side, telling me that she wouldn’t forgive any additional backchat. Man, now I really didn’t have a choice. But still.
“…I don’t have anything to take with me.”
When I came here after returning to Seoul, Saehee teleported me. So I didn’t have anything with me.
“That’s not true! You do have something!”
Rangii, however, gave a strange protest as she turned around to look at me, her hands held up high as she bounced on my lap. Stop that.
“What’s that?”
Rangii raised her voice as if the answer was blatantly obvious.
“Your Rangii! Sunghoon, you have to take me! Because I’m your number 1 most important possession!”
Ah, that was right. Without saying another word, I pinched Rangii’s cheeks on both sides and pulled almost as far as they would go before abruptly letting go.
“Unyaaaaak?!”
Her cheeks bounced back and forth like springs until Rangii put her hands on her cheeks. She looked up at me, more worried than in pain, and spoke worriedly.
“W-wait, are you planning on leaving me here?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why’d you do that?” Rangii asked piteously.
Because you said something that didn’t need saying, you brat. …Though I couldn’t say that in front of Narae and Saehee.
“It looks like Sunghoon’s thinking that you didn’t need to say that, since of course he was going to take you with him. I think he’s just too embarrassed to say it.”
“It is indeed true that the Young Master thinks that what you said did not need saying, Master. He is simply too embarrassed to admit this.”
…There was no point in keeping quiet.
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
This was giving me such a headache that I wanted to bury my face in my hands, but a delighted smile spread across Rangii’s face.
“Is that true? I’m so happy! I’m becoming more and more important in your thoughts every day!”
I had no idea how she could say something like that with such sincerity. I would be too embarrassed to even try.
“Then it’s time for a feast!”
I stared blankly at Rangii. The heck was she talking about? A feast? I expected her to start screaming or something.
“We weren’t able to do it last time because we were in such a hurry, right?” Rangii asked.
Granted, we were in a hurry. When Mom called, we had to rush to Seoul. But I didn’t have anything to say when I got to Seoul and my parents had both left. My mom was the kind of free-spirited person to do things like that, but I had to wonder why she took my dad with her. Why she would take a shut-in like him outside was beyond me. Though, that wasn’t the issue right now.
“What’re you talking about?”
“I’m saying we need to have a huge feast!”
Why, though? There was no logical connection to make here. I ignored Rangii, who was looking up at me with eyes sparkling with excitement, and spoke to Saehee.
“Translate,” I demanded to Saehee.
“Ask a search engine,” she countered.
Is there a Rangii translating website or something?
“Why not simply ask her directly?” Saehee asked.
That would be the simplest solution, but I had some experience with matters like this. If I had Rangii explain herself, then I would be forced to go along with her wishes. If I asked Saehee, then I at least had the possibility of fighting back.
“The result would be the same, regardless, no?”
“In this world, it’s the process of things that matters most,” I said.
“That sounds like nothing more than the whining of a defeated dog claiming that it has done nothing wrong.”
…Have you no fear of anything?
“Then I shall take my leave and clean the house.”
“Want some help?”
Saehee shook her head in response to Narae’s offer.
“Your mounds of fat would only get in the way.”
“Yeah, it must be nice, having nothing at all.”
“I am quite well endowed should I undress.”
I doubted that.
“I seriously doubt that.”
Saehee clicked her tongue at Narae, then got up and left as if she didn’t want to be bothered any longer. I wasn’t happy that Saehee left for the kitchen, but, with Rangii looking up at me with eyes telling me she was waiting for me to talk to her, I had no choice but to ask Rangii herself.
“Why a feast?” I asked resignedly.
“Because now, you can’t live without me either, right?”
I couldn’t deny that.
“So, since we’ve become closer in spirit, it should be okay to think of this like marrying you and moving into your house, right?!”
Man, I was lost for words. What Rangii said wasn’t totally off base, but with her ears pricked up and her tail wagging, Rangii waited expectantly for a response that I couldn’t figure out how to give.
“Then I’ll guess you’ll need some yeonji gonji.”
Narae saved me by speaking in my place.
“Yeonji gonji?”
Rangii made a question mark with her hair.
“That’s right. The bride wears lots of loose hanging clothes, a crown on her head, and a red dot on each cheek with make up. That’s what people normally mean by yeonji gonji.”
Narae’s explanation piqued Rangii’s interest.
“Would it make me look pretty?”
I tried to imagine Rangii made up in yeonji gonji, but it was impossible. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn’t. She would probably look absolutely adorable, but, strangely enough, I couldn’t see it in my head. Because I couldn’t imagine Rangii sitting meekly across from me and bashfully bowing her head.
“It would, but, just so you know, it’s also seriously uncomfortable.”
Rangii stiffened after what Narae said. Don’t suddenly freeze when you’re sitting on someone’s lap. Then there was no point in letting you on my lap in the first place. I massaged Rangii’s hand to make her relax. When Rangii returned to normal, she spoke with fierce determination.
“Th-that’s fine. As long as Sunghoon thinks I look pretty….”
“But Sunghoon doesn’t like those clothes.”
Narae merciless statement brought Rangii’s voice to a screeching halt, and she looked up at me. Simultaneously, Narae and I had a conversation with our eyes.
Just agree with me so you can end this.
But Rangii is….
Oh, Sunghoon. You still haven’t noticed?
Noticed what?
I’m still mad at you.
I defer to you, Narae-nim.
I wasn’t confident that I could lie to Rangii while looking into her innocent eyes, so I covered my eyes with my hand and spoke.
“…I guess it is a little much.”
And I’m definitely not saying this because it isn’t very revealing.
“Unyaah?!”
Shocked by my answer, Rangii jumped down off my lap. Rangii looked urgently from side to side, a desperate expression on her face, before running for the kitchen and shouting.
“Saehee! This is terrible!! Sunghoon said I wouldn’t look pretty in yeonji gonji!”
I was pretty sure that the tiger’s cries wouldn’t summon that ghost. As troubled as I was by what had just happened, the creator of this situation looked completely untroubled. But what happened before, our silent conversation … was it real or imaginary? In an effort to find out, I cautiously spoke to Narae.
“I’m still mad at you,” Narae said without my prompting.
I wanted to cry. I couldn’t even talk to her.
“So, Sunghoon. I’ve been trying my best to act normally around Rangii so that nothing like what happened yesterday happens again, but….”
Narae laughed cheerfully and grabbed my hand. But, for some reason, it didn’t feel like the girl I liked had grabbed my hand. Instead, my heart was pounding fiercely in my chest because it was as though my hand was in the clutches of a savage brown bear with four inch claws.
“Bring up crap like that again, and you’ll have me to worry about when Rangii’s gone.”
Narae may have been smiling brightly, but I couldn’t even feign a grin. My hand, my hand hurt. Thankfully, Rangii returned to the master bedroom before Narae could break my hand.
“She said I just have to wear a wedding dress!”
She said this with a triumphant expression on her face.
We decided to have the government worker from before drive us to Seoul tomorrow after lunch. Rangii and I didn’t have anything to take with us, so Narae was the only one who had to pack. For some reason, even though she came here with three cases, she was only taking one small bag with her. What about everything she was leaving here?
“Don’t worry about it. I’m leaving it here just in case.”
“Wait, but considering that this is my grandfather’s estate, I can’t help but worry.”
“So what?”
I saw Narae’s hand move towards my side, so I decided to stop worrying. Though I was more concerned by someone else. Saehee left me utterly perplexed, because, even though she should have been the one most busy packing luggage, she didn’t take out even a single travel bag.
“Don’t you have any luggage?”
“As the Young Master has become accustomed to our ways, I elected not to make a scene.”
Saehee fully answered my question by pointing at her sleeve. I wouldn’t be surprised even if she said the Great Wall of China was in there.
The house was abuzz with so much activity—well, more activity than usual—that even Baduk woke up from her nap on the veranda. Baduk crawled towards me, put her chin on my lap, and gave a deep yawn.
“Haaaaa … what are you doing, Young Master?”
I doubted Baduk would understand if I told her about supplemental classes, so I gave her the short version.
“We’re going to Seoul.”
“To Seoul?”
Baduk wagged her tail as she asked her question, and I scratched behind her ears.
“Yep. So keep close watch over the house. Because I’ll be back before vacation is over.”
“What?”
After I said that, Baduk suddenly stood up and looked at me with her eyes brimming with tears. Wait, what?
“Wh-what is it? Is something wrong?”
I patted Baduk’s head in an attempt to calm her down. Baduk answered as she wiped her tears away with her sleeves.
“Are you leaving me here all alone?”
I-I am, right? Baduk has to guard my grandfather’s estate, after all.
“Why’re you crying? Do you want to go with us this time?”
Baduk nodded her head.
“If the Master and the Young Master were to leave, then I would feel lonely even if my friends came to visit.”
It looked like Baduk had become attached to me over the time I’ve been here. Probably because she’s such a friendly dog.
“I want to protect the Young Master even in Seoul. Can’t I come with you?”
The sight of a child’s tear-filled eyes looking up at you possesses a mysterious power. There was nothing I could do under the influence of those brown, teary eyes. I decided to ask Saehee if there was anything we could do about Baduk. I couldn’t leave while Baduk was crying, but I also didn’t want to shout for Saehee. If I did, then Narae might come and see this. The first thing I had to do was figure a way to get Saehee’s attention. I looked to my right, my left, and then my right again. Saehee was there. …I didn’t want to get used to her surprise appearances, but she was always there when I needed her.
“That won’t be a problem. The dog days is fast approaching, so staying in the countryside would be dangerous for a dog.” (tn: You know how Koreans eat dogs? It’s apparently a tradition in the summertime.)
Hey, dammit. As if there’s any human on the planet who could hunt and eat a phantom. But that wasn’t the important thing right now. I intentionally ignored the last part of what Saehee said and asked her for confirmation.
“Are you serious? What about the house?”
“Please do not make me repeat what I told you long ago.”
That’s right. She told me that, when I wasn’t here, this place became a phantom den. Which meant that those phantoms would protect this place. Baduk blinked her eyes, clueless of what Saehee was saying, and I gave her an explanation in simple terms.
“That means you can come with us.”
“I really can?”
Baduk couldn’t hide her excitement, and Saehee nodded her head.
“Then I will go as well, Young Master!”
Baduk ran towards me, her tail wagging. I caught Baduk, but I couldn’t hold myself up and toppled backwards. Baduk sat on top of me and licked my cheek. It was like those videos when a soldier comes back home from across seas and has a heartfelt reunion with his dog. She was so happy that I couldn’t bring myself to stop her, so I just patted her head.
“Yeah. You can come with us this time.”
That aside, at this rate, I was about to be covered in saliva. I tried to figure out a way to calm her down, but Saehee said something as she passed by me.
“This is for the best, as there will be trouble waiting for you in Seoul.”
The hand that I was patting Baduk’s head with suddenly stopped. That damn ghost nonchalantly said something scary again. I wrapped my arm around Baduk’s chest and hugged her to me as I questioned Saehee.
“The heck are you talking about now?”
“Did I not tell you before that pretending not to notice when someone talks to herself is proper manners?”
How the heck was that you talking to yourself? You obviously wanted me to hear that.
“Stop changing the subject and answer my question.”
“There is no reason to be so serious. I cannot possibly follow the Young Master even to school, no? I have a massive backlog of books, manhwa, anime, and games that I must get through.”
Stop changing the subject.
“No one asked you about that. Is the trouble you’re talking about going to happen when I’m at school? You just said there’d be trouble waiting for me in Seoul.”
Saehee hid her mouth with her sleeve after I said that.
“One is likely to die when doing something unfamiliar.”
“I doubt I’ll die….”
I was about to tell her to stop changing the subject, when I realized that Saehee’s gaze was focused on Baduk, whose head was resting on my chest. The heck? Was she unable to talk because Baduk was here? Then at least make a hand motion or something to let me know. You’re just making it harder for me to notice!
“Wait, Baduk. Saehee has to talk with me, so can you….”
“Snooore….”
She’s asleep?! Since when?! Baduk was lying on me, her tail lying lifelessly on the ground, and I carefully moved her to the side and walked to the most inconspicuous place in the courtyard. Saehee followed behind me.
“Virgin Ghost Loses Her Virginity.AVI.”
I couldn’t even guess what was going on inside her head. I thought about what Saehee said, realized that it would only cause me massive mental trauma, and instead focused on the main issue at hand.
“Whatever. What do you mean by trouble? Didn’t Rangii resolve everything when she left?”
The corners of Saehee’s mouth quirked upwards in a sneer.
“Limiting access to information is a basic strategy. Since long ago, politicians have often suppressed the media to keep their secrets from being known.”
So you’re a politician now? Wait, that’s not the important thing.
“Why’d you hide that fact from me?”
“I thought that telling you this would be in the Young Master’s best interests. I was reluctant to tell the Young Master the truth when you were already in such mental distress due to what happened to Kkachi-nim.”
What she said made sense. If Saehee had told me the truth, then I might have done something drastic to stop anything like that from happening again. Yeah. I might even have used Rangii to make all the dangerous phantoms….
“And so.”
Saehee surprised me by speaking louder than normal. I wanted to say something, but Saehee beat me to it.
“What is it that you wish to know, Young Master?”
One day, I’ll tell her to stop scaring people.
“Based on what you said, I might still be in danger. What do you mean by that?”
“I will kindly offer an analogy as an explanation to the Young Master whose thoughts are limited to thinking of ways to do lewd things with the Master and Narae-nim.”
What I needed was an actual explanation, not an analogy. Though I kept quiet as I knew full well that saying anything would only make her take longer.
“Please go ahead and say what you are thinking.”
Saehee’s smirk widened, and I barely managed to keep myself from saying something.
“You are growing to be such a boring adult.”
“Stop saying things a teenage boy would say and explain already.”
“A man who is unable to argue will only be hated.”
“By that logic, you must be loved by everyone.”
“Do you wish to take me away with you?”
“Hell no.”
Saehee covered her mouth with her sleeve and instead smiled with her eyes. At this rate, the conversation would spiral into a tangent again.
“When exactly are you planning on giving me an explanation?”
“I was thinking of a comparison that even the bone-headed, subhuman Young Master could understand.”
Saehee kept what she said.
“Even the crowned ruler of a nation will have those who refuse to swear fealty to her.”
That was way easier to understand than most of her analogies.
“Are you saying that some phantoms disagree with Rangii?”
“Some phantoms question if the Master possesses the qualification to be the master of all phantoms and believe that other phantoms deserve that title.”
I asked her:
“What qualification?”
“Strength.”
I had a feeling that she would say that. I could still remember what Ara said.
“And?”
“Those phantoms likely think it would be premature to begin a direct confrontation. And my presence beside the Master has something to do with this as well.”
Saehee’s lips curled up in a smile. She was thinking of someone else as she sneered. …Even I would think twice about bullying Rangii if Saehee were there. Then it would make most sense to get rid of Saehee first and then target Rangii. Saehee continued to speak.
“Thus, there are those who will target the Young Master rather than the Master. They possess the mistaken belief that the Master will return to her previous ways should the Young Master die.”
“Then….”
Was what Rangii did meaningless? I considered asking her this. But then I remembered when Chii almost—no—she did die. That cute, defenseless girl would have died if Rangii hadn’t been there. Saehee just told me that that harrowing experience amounted to nothing, and I couldn’t move my mouth. Then, for the first time, I was grateful that Saehee could read my mind.
“That is not true.”
Saehee’s firm tone made me feel as though she were reassuring me.
“Though they are unhappy, the weaker phantoms would not dare to cross the path of the Young Master. Though they have the brains of snails, they will not forget the strength of the Master’s command resonating through their bodies.”
I still couldn’t forget the feeling of Rangii’s commands.
“And?”
Saehee sighed and began knocking on her head, all without saying another word. Yes, I understood. She was motioning for me to come up with the answer myself. It was actually more than a little strange that she was so kindly answering my questions. She was never such a friendly ghost, after all. …Though I was a little, just a little, infinitesimally thankful for her honesty.
I thought about what she said for a second before asking:
“So you’re saying that only the powerful phantoms, the ones capable of defying Rangii, will attack me? Then how exactly are they going to try to get me?”
“You receive 30 points.”
I thought really hard, at least for me, but I still received a failing grade. I used all my brain power to come up with that answer, so I had absolutely no expectations when I asked my next question.
“Why’d I lose 70 points?”
“You neglected to mention the work I will have to put in.”
In other words, my answer was correct. What in the world did she have to do that cost me 70 points? I itched my cheek and spoke.
“What do you have to do?”
Saehee gave a disturbingly bright, childlike smile as she spoke.
“I must give a warning to all those worthless, insignificant beings who would question the Master’s sovereignty over all on this land that they will be torn to pieces by my hands. That none who would revolt against the Master will be spared this fate. Doing so would truly bring me great joy.”
A chill went down my spine. I was clutched by an instinctive terror at Saehee’s genuine smile of unobscured happiness and fell to my knees. I wished she was kidding, but I could see she was completely serious. My neck felt ice-cold, and the cold sweat running down my back gave no indication of stopping.
I realized that what I had known about Saehee was only what she wanted me to know.
“Ah. My apologies, Young Master. I accidentally revealed my true feelings. I forgot that a cat can look frightening to a baby chick.”
Having returned back to normal, Saehee looked down at me and shrugged her shoulders. Forgot my ass. There was no way that was by accident. Which begged the question of why did she show me that?
“Is there something you wish to ask me?”
Saehee feigned cluelessness as she looked at me with her usual expressionless face, and she raised her hand towards me. Using all of my remaining strength, I grabbed Saehee’s outreached hand and pulled myself up.
“I’m just happy that I’m at least on the level of a bird now.”
“Which would mean you will become a true bird-brain.”
And that was how I spent the rest of my time in Jirisan.