Chapter 47: The Black-Haired Duo Of Chilgok County (6)
The Heavenly Death Star had vanished.
Warm morning sunlight streamed through the window, accompanied by the cheerful chirping of birds. To my surprise, I felt physically well and appeared to have slept soundly.
Under normal circumstances, I would be late for work in such a situation.
My brain seized up for a full 30 seconds before I sprang to life and checked my phone, finding a slew of missed calls.
What excuse could I use? I had intended to write my novel and play a game before bed, yet I stayed up late because I couldnt finish the game.
It was too challenging to play a game where I fought bravely and won. Sorry. How can I help it if every game, except the last, was plagued with trolls?
Should I claim I was ill? Or that I drank and fell asleep in tears after an argument with my girlfriend? Thats a lousy excuse. Everyone at work knows Im single.
Maybe I should take a shower first. Or eat since Im already late? My thoughts were a chaotic mess that morning.
I was engulfed by that perplexing emotion at the moment.
Where did she go?
Rising from my seat, I walked to where the Heavenly Death Star had been the previous night. I glanced around just in case, but there was only the neatly made bed to greet me.
The bed was made with unnecessary military precision.
Hehe. Where did Sohee go?
Perhaps she was concealed somewhere, observing my reaction.Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
Where would assassins typically hide? Naturally, in a haystack, on a rooftop with a hawk, or beneath the bed.
Might she be under the bed?
Assassins, much like children who find solace in a wardrobe, are presumed to feel secure under beds. I lay down cautiously and peered underneath. It would be awkward to make eye contact.
Then I would be the kind-hearted brother who empathetically understood the Heavenly Death Stars peculiar sleeping habits.
Shes not here.
She was nowhere to be found under the bed. I searched high and low but to no avail.
She had mentioned she would be watching me.
Perhaps she was like those who paid for a years gym membership and only went for a few days in January. Maybe she wasnt that committed.
Has she gone to the bathroom?
There was a chamber pot in the room, but even the Heavenly Death Star, unless she had peculiar habits, wouldnt have wanted to do that in the presence of a man.
I had never seen her go to the bathroom yesterday. Theres a saying that beauties only eat dew and never go to the bathroom, but the Heavenly Death Star had eaten something spicy yesterday.
Maybe her reaction was just slow. It took time to expel old stuff.
The villain of the martial arts visual novel, the Heavenly Death Star.
Apparently, she suffered from constipation. Remember this setting.
Unable to wait any longer for the constipated Heavenly Death Star to return, I decided to step outside.
Sohee?
I carefully called for Cheon Sohee as I opened the door of the guest room, pretending to be a brother looking for her in case she was outside.
She wasnt outside either. Maybe I should go check the bathroom on the first floor.
As I was about to head downstairs to the first floor, I saw the back of the Heavenly Death Star on the ground floor.
Though it was her back, I recognized her immediately from the outfit and straw hat she had worn on the first day. When had she changed out of her ninja outfit?
The Heavenly Death Star was bent over, focusing intently on something.
Sohee, Oh Okbun!
Since there might be people eating on the first floor of the inn, I called her Okbun.
The Heavenly Death Star turned her head at the sound of Okbun but quickly bowed it again.
She looked like a high school student who was caught by her teacher at a PC bang after sneaking out of a night study session. It must have been my imagination.
Okbun, what are you doing the
[Dont come down. Stay up there.]
It had been a while since I heard this telepathy. With just those words, the Heavenly Death Star turned away from me.
As I continued to glare at a spot on the Heavenly Death Stars face, she seemed to sense something was off and wiped the spot I was looking at with her hand. Naturally, red soup stained her palm.
Ah.
Ah?
Aaaah?
Was this how it ended? With just an ah?
Heavenly Death Star Cheon Sohee, didnt you have a conscience?
Sohee.
Pretending to be the Heavenly Death Stars childhood friends older brother, I had to point out what needed to be addressed.
I called out to the Heavenly Death Star in a low voice, feeling a bit annoyed. I doubted she had bought Ros Tteokbokki, but what had she bought?
When I looked at her suspiciously, my annoyance evident, the Heavenly Death Star bowed her head slightly and confessed.
I bought something called Cupbokki from downstairs and tried it.
Ah! So that was what she had boughta popular snack in school cafeterias. It was killer when eaten with fried foods.
Uh-huh.
It seemed there was more she wanted to confess. As I continued to glare at her, the Heavenly Death Star spoke again.
I ate three of them.
The Heavenly Death Star was noticeably flustered and avoided my gaze.
No wonder my wallet had felt excessively light for just one snack. It appeared she realized she had done something wrong, given that I was feigning anger.
With that price, I could have ordered regular Tteokbokki. But she had only bought the cheapest Cupbokki, perhaps out of consideration for my financial situation.
Giving in to temptation, it all ended up being for naught.
But this was just a minor mishap. It wasnt a major expense, so as her brother, I decided to let it go as an allowance.
Dont do this next time. Just tell me, and Ill buy it for you.
I concluded with a small smile to lighten the mood.
Okay.
The Heavenly Death Star nodded obediently.
I put the money pouch back into my pocket and spread out todays work clothes on the bed.
I needed to start working again today.
As I thought about returning to work, worries filled my mind.
Is it really true that the Cheongsapa has disappeared?
They could suddenly appear and take all the money I earned at the Gapsu Trading Company and in the market.
I remembered that day vividlythe chase, being dragged like a dog, the indifferent stares of passersby, being beaten until my consciousness blurred, the rain seeping into my wounds.
Sigh.
I couldnt help but sigh. Could I really do this? Maybe I should move to another town.
Why?
The Heavenly Death Star, who had overheard my sigh from behind, inquired.
Oh, its nothing, Sohee. I have to go to work now.
I needed to maintain the composed older brother facade in front of the Heavenly Death Star. There was no need to show her the worries of a commoner struggling to make ends meet.
I hurriedly put on my overcoat.
Is it because of the bullies you wrote about in your diary?
Sohee, you saw that diary, huh? Its not something you need to worry about. I need to go to work today, so you stay here
If that worries you, Ill help.
The Heavenly Death Star interrupted me and offered something I hadnt even considered.
Eh? What do you mean?
Ill become your bodyguard.