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Chapter 121
I looked nervously at Seo Dawon, side-eyeing Jung Garam simultaneously. Do I… have to bring up what we talked about now? I felt pressured.
However, while I was hesitating, Kim Olim took the initiative to speak first, “Necromancer.”
“…Oh, uhuh?”
“I just discussed the details of your training with Seo Dawon.”
“Training?”
“That’s right. We’ve plotted training that will, for the next two weeks, work to maximize your survivability. After hearing from Seo Dawon all that had happened before, I couldn’t help but laugh. You’re so lucky we met now; otherwise, we’d have met in the underworld.” Kim Olim spoke as if she were looking at an annoying piece of luggage. I almost grew angry at the sight of her expression. But, looking back at previous events, I really had been quite lucky; I closed my mouth. I was truly the weakest on this team. If I were to die, the whole plan falls apart; I was the fatal vulnerability…
However, Kim Olim’s intense criticism was not directed at me but, surprisingly, Seo Dawon. “Seo Dawon planned things so poorly. I can’t believe he thought a combat suit was enough to drag you around… Koo Hui-seo, too. I heard you were left alone in a room with the insidious chimera. If I were there, I would have never tolerated that.”
“I’ve never left Lee-kyung-ie completely vulnerable. 1 I’ve placed the most powerful protective magic I know on him–spells like [Counter Attack].”
“Even if you place a thousand protective magic spells, there will always be gaps. Also, Seo Dawon, you have no knowledge of useful protective equipment or magic that would be useful to those of Choi Lee-kyung’s level. Expensive doesn’t unilaterally mean ‘good’.”
“Really? I thought I did my best, but…” In addition, Seo Dawon meekly accepted Kim Olim’s criticisms. Just what on earth did they talk about for Seo Dawon to fold and retreat a few steps? Of course, I had never thought that my life wasn’t in danger, but I had also never suffered a life-changing injury. So, Kim Olim’s unexpected criticisms even made me feel a bit dazed.
In the past, I once crossed the street without much thought. My friend, who was waiting for me on the opposite side, said that I barely avoided a car crash. I remembered how he made a fuss–was I truly in so much danger? I was embarrassed then, and the feeling overlapped now.
“But… Is Koo Hui-seo really that dangerous? And I’ve never been seriously hurt or anything…” As if I were on auto-pilot, I tried to tell Kim Olim that I was alright. Even as I said it, I felt like I was making a mis-step; sure enough, Kim Olim turned to look at me with a frown and a crumpled brow, confirming my suspicions. Seo Dawon also had a dissatisfied expression.
Kim Olim snapped at me immediately, “Koo Hui-seo is a blood-cursed chimera. Don’t tell me, you didn’t even know this? Those are some of the worst things in history. He’s someone who’s been revived from a state that a top-level witch–his mother–had placed him in after offering up his humanity. Come to think of it, I’ve always wanted to ask: Why the hell are you still allowing Koo Hui-seo to flirt with you?”
“What do you mean, ‘offering his humanity’?” This was the first time I’ve heard anything about that. However, everyone twisted their mouths, as if they already knew about this matter.
Frustrated, Kim Olim was the only one to explain, “Can’t you tell from just looking at him? You must have heard about Koo Hui-seo’s past. It’s not like Koo Hui-seo’s mother left her son unattended. When you entered the room, wasn’t he fused with something like a tree?”
“…H-he was.”
“Who would turn someone into a chimera just to lock them up. If all four limbs were manacled, he wouldn’t be able to move.”
Now that I think about it, it would even have been enough to just leave him in restraints.
And I was shocked by my own admission. Actually, why did I accept Koo Hui-seo’s condition without any further questions? And Koo Kyungman after that… Had I just been too traumatized to think deeply lately?
Barreling through my inner consternations, Kim Olim continued without any hesitations, “No matter how you see it, I can only consider him in that state as simply an ingredient for some black magic that was ‘stuffed in storage’. Even after resurrection, how could you call that a human? That’s a monster or a cursed object–not a human being.”
“I-I see…”
“I’m telling you to not let monsters close just because they can talk.”
“I mean, b-but… I just thought… I thought he would be all better after the curse was lifted.”
“What’s so normal about forcing his brother to have ‘his child’? You show kindness and sympathy to such strange things.”
“Koo Hui-seo even broke his dear mother’s neck–consumed and cleared it away.” After Kim Olim’s sarcastic remarks, Seo Dawon quietly added his own two cents. I had forgotten about Chairwoman Shin, but I felt faint recalling her end. A corner of my heart felt sad at Koo Hui-seo’s admission that he felt happiness from his mother’s late acknowledgment. Then, not even a day later after that vulnerable confession, Koo Hui-seo turned unexpectedly on his mother…
I stroked the back of my neck which was slowly beginning to feel cold. I stuttered, embarrassed for some reason, “It’s not that I’m not wary of Koo Hui-seo… He acts like someone with a few screws missing after all…”
“……”
“…….”
“It’s just…none of that meant that I thought he was normal! I just……I just thought Koo Hui-seo liked me..just a bit? Actually, more than like…a crush? I didn’t think he was going to hurt me…” I thought I had always kept a good distance between Koo Hui-seo and me. Since we had a contract, I didn’t believe he’d make a mess or act untowardly for no reason… Above all, Koo Hui-seo always acted like a dog wagging his tail whenever he saw me.
Aside from his usual bizarre behavior–his constant texting–his sycophantic tendencies had made me loosen my wariness. To be honest, if I were to hit him, I think he’d calmly let me pound away…
However, Seo Dawon seemed to have already guessed my wishy-washy heart; he pointed out the areas that I may be mistaken, “That’s right. Koo Hui-seo likes you. Usually, you want to obtain the hearts of those you like, right? But Koo Hui-seo is different–one-sided affection is enough for him.”
“Huh?”
“What I’m saying is this: he likes you, and he won’t consider how his actions born of that love could possibly hurt you.”
“……”
“If we’re taking it to the extreme, he may kidnap you, lock you in his room, and consider that his version of a proposal. He’ll probably think the same for anything worse.”
“……”
“Since that kind of person is always buzzing around in your presence, I wanted to clear him away when the time is right…but the cursed blood that runs through his veins is quite tricky to deal with. How annoying. Mm… well, anyhow, we all hoped you’d be a bit more careful.”
Seo Dawon had downcast eyes when he muttered, ‘annoying.’ Judging from that expression, I could tell that he must have thought about killing Koo Hui-seo many times. The bloodthirst he could not hide prickled at my arms.
“Ah, I understand…” I answered with a quick head shake.
However, Kim Olim, who seemed to have relaxed her crumpled forehead throughout this conversation, suddenly said something strange, “Yes, Necromancer. Get your head on straight. And, honestly, it’s not your life that Koo Hui-seo’s after: it’s your sympathy and compassion… I want you to be wary of that.”
“W-what are you talking about, all of a sudden!”
“You know that Jung Garam had already designated Koo Hui-seo’s messages as spam, right? He’s sent a good amount of unpleasant photos…He’s most definitely a pervert.”
“What?” I looked towards Jung Garam, surprised.
Jung Garam shrugged when our eyes met, “It’s probably possible to press him for criminal charges.”
Wait, what on earth did he send? I grabbed my cell phone to check, but Jung Garam cut in, “I’ve already wiped it clean.” In other words, he’s claiming that he sacrificed himself for my mental health.
“W-what did he send?”
“It was a specific body part…Do I really need to say what it was? Give a description? I didn’t want you to see so I purposefully erased it.”
“Really? He sent something like that…?”
Is he crazy?
Imagining something bizarre and unpleasant, I quickly let go of the cell phone. I remembered how Seo Dawon said that Koo Hui-seo wouldn’t care whether or not I returned his feelings. No…even if that was the case, how could someone send a photo like that…?
TL: Olim laying down the law and scolding Seo Dawon, lmao.
Also, I 100% believe that Koo Hui-seo would be the type to send unsolicited nudes, smh.
Footnotes
맨몸 = naked body. It literally means “bare self”.