Chapter 63 - Two Knights

Eun Ha finished her recollection, but wasn't sure what she had said to Dae Won. She just tried unsuccessfully to count the shoju bottles in front of her, but her vision was too blurred for that.

"Oppa! You're in trouble!" she drawled, pointing at Dae Won. He stood up, scratching his eyebrow worriedly, yet resigned to his role, "Wait a minute then I'll pay the bill and I'll take you home, okay?"

"You're so… kind, oppa!" she hiccuped mid-sentence, and laughed after that. "You're so kind it even hurts!"

When Dae Won walked away, Eun Ha looked away at the street. She couldn't look at the clock, as her sight was blurred, but she knew it was late, because the street was empty_ and that shadow near the gate across the street was growing towards her… 'Oops! How come?!'

She tried to straighten up in her chair, but her limbs felt too soft. Fumbling, she reached into her coat pocket, groping until she found the magic monocle. Clumsily she held the item so that she could see through it, but it wasn't working. She pushed the lens away from her left eye, zooming out and in, puzzled that even though she looked at the spot, she could see nothing unusual but the bluish, blurry hue.

"But…"

PAF!

Before Eun Ha could know where the sudden pain came from, she put her hand to her aching forehead. "Ouch!"

The Hunter had just slapped her forehead, and was standing beside her.

"Why did you do that ?!" she complained in her slurred speech, still ostensibly rubbing her forehead.

The older fairy didn't answer, just turned to look at Dae Won, who was returning with a worried expression.

"Is there any problem out here, Jung ssi?"

"The problem is: … I'm drunk. Haha ha. But there are no demons."

The men looked at each other as the fashion designer propped her arms on the table and laid her head between them.

Dae Won took his hands from his pockets, "Well, I'll take you to your house, as I said," he was not saying this to Eun Ha_who seemed unable to listen to him_ but to let the strange newcomer in strange and dark clothes know it. He rolled up the sleeves of his bomber jacket in order to start the complicated operation. But before he could get close to Eun Ha, the Hunter intercepted his path.

The usually calm musician frowned, clearly annoyed,

"If there's any reason you're stopping me from taking this lady back to her house, it's a good time to say it."

"I'll take her. You can leave."

Naturally monosyllabic and menacing, the Hunter wasn't exactly the most reliable-looking figure out from them both, and Dae Won didn't seem to trust him.

"Sorry, but I better take her," the composer insisted.

"I'm her… teacher. I'll take her."

"Still, I had already said I'd take her."

"But that won't happen. "

The two faced each other, but in this regard, the Hunter's intimidating power was simply unbeatable. Even so, looking away, Dae Won tried to wake Eun Ha,

"Eun Ha ssi? Eun Ha ssi. Wake up. We'll take you now."

"Are you still there? Aigoooooo! I think… hic!" she raised her head a bit, but seemed zoned out.

"Tell your friend I'll take you and get this over with, Jung."

She held her hair with her two hands, like it was heavy, and sighed, smiling. "This nice ajuhssi is my… Professor. I don't know what he's doing here, but…"

"We had a class. But you were drinking and missed it."

"That was important too."

"It doesn't matter," the fairy Shin bent down a little to help her up from her chair; which he did with ease, but without much care.

"Eun Ha ssi, do you want me to come with you both?" Despite being an extremely polite man, Dae Won showed concern, after all he couldn't be sure of the relationship between the pair in black.

"Oh, oppa, rest assured, he's my tee… tae… teacher," the fairy steadied herself and tried to look more sober than she was. It somehow crossed her mind that the chivalrous musician would have trouble with the rude Hunter if she didn't cooperate with Professor Shin. She wanted to laugh at the situation, but vaguely imagined that her teacher just wanted to make sure she didn't do anything stupid with her magic wand while drunk…

"Go now," said the Hunter to the musician, with no expression on his face, which by itself was quite disturbing.

"I…"

"Good night."

Dae Won walked away, still looking back, and as he was near his car, Eun Ha asked,

"Will my dear teacher carry me on his back?"

"Am I a horse?"

"Aishhh!"

"Gather strength. Walking is good for a drunk person."

"What if I fall? Hic…" she tried to walk straight, knowing very well that this was impossible in her situation. In a few steps, she leaned to the left, tilting… and the Hunter's hand intercepted her body's course once more_ and with a pat on the back straightened her spine, making her to fix the posture.

"Let's get out of here. You're embarrassing."

He started to walk behind her, forcing her stumbling gait. If she began to linger or lean, he would correct her posture and pace; then returning to his position two steps behind the girl.

"Aigooooo! You're so… boring! Looming behind me like a ...ghoust!" as she tried to turn and look at him, the Hunter would turn her shoulders forward again, forcing her to keep walking ahead. They were just a few blocks from the building where Eun Ha lived, anyway.

"Hmm."

"No! Not like a ghoust… ghot… gât…" she gave up. "But I don't know anything about them. And that reminds me that… " She turned with a raised finger, which the Hunter grabbed with one hand and put down. When he was about to turn her around again, she was quick to put a finger to his lips, laughing drunkenly, and said,

"Shhhh! Shut up! Don't command me to walk! You are not my… real teacher. You're not even teaching me right!"

Fairy Shin's face suddenly turned stony. Eun Ha continued, driven by liquid courage.

"You fooled me! You're just using me, and you're not teaching me anything!"

The Hunter wiped her finger from his lips, his eyes somber and dangerous. He didn't look happy at all. "Any other complaints?" he asked.

"Yes!"

Shin raised an eyebrow in question, and Eun Ha turned on her heels, giving him her back in an arrogant and drunken attitude.

"You dress good and bad at the same time."

"Is that a complaint?"

"It is. I need to know if it's by chance or by style."

"Hmpf. Let's go. Don't just stand there. We have to get to your house."

"Don't think I'm going to invite you up… OR… I'm going to invite you up for something… I definitely won't… Invite YOU… to eat ramyun!"

"I appreciate it."

"…!"

"Come on, Jung. Walking."

"Aren't you taking me seriously? Never heard that, 'in wine, the truth'?"

"Hmm."

"OPPA!"

The Hunter stopped walking, annoyed. Eun Ha, who was walking ahead, did not notice this, and kept walking in stumbling steps, saying,

"But be sure to remember my words tomorrow! I demand better classes!"

"I think you better not remember your words tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"If it's so pressing, you should try telling me this when you're sober."

"Do you think I won't?" she asked indignantly.

"It will surprise me if you do," Shin turned her around again, but this time he tucked two fingers in her belt and held it, using it as a rope to guide the girl as he led her forward.

"Wait and see!"

"Hmmm."

"You're so… monosi… nonosibla..."

"I know."

As they reached the front of the building gate, Shin released her, and turned her to himself.

"The keys."

"Uhn? I told you, you won't come in!"

"I'm not a vampire for this to work."

"Uh ?!"

He sighed tiredly. "The keys, Jung. If you fall down the stairs and hit your head… it won't improve what's inside."

"GASLIGHTING!"

"…"

"Hmmm!" she threatened him with an unidentifiable noise of indignation.

He just leaned forward and with one arm, lifted her into the air and threw the fairy over his shoulder, opening the condo's gate.

"Professor Shin!" her proper education returned from shock as he crossed the small atrium toward the building, carrying Eun Ha as a potato sack on his shoulders.

"Jung, why aren't you a silent drunk fairy, huh?" he grunted as he climbed the stairs.

"I don't want to learn from you anymore!"

"I told you. Say that tomorrow. "

"Hmpf."