Chapter 48

Episode 48: The Uninvited Guest

I don’t know where it all started to go wrong.

Hmm… well,

This must be what they call Stockholm Syndrome.

Clearly, what exactly should I perceive Harin as?

I’m still somewhat hesitant.

Is it because I don’t fully know her true nature?

It felt like I was the hostage, and Harin was the captor in that situation.

Definitely, the Harin from that time wasn’t as kind as she is now.

Even though she did her job as a healer, somehow… her attitude feels changed now.

Now, she’s kind in a different way.

“Ha… What am I even saying…?”

Her sudden physical proximity, and the shocking comments Harin kept making, made it feel like my mind was traveling elsewhere.

I thought this kind of out-of-body experience only happened during math or science class in school.

Everyone’s had it at least once, right?

When you receive new textbooks at the start of a semester and skim through them because you have nothing else to do, sometimes flipping through the science or math books feels like you opened the wrong textbook and end up seeing English everywhere.

“…Sigh…”

My mind keeps wandering.

I need to get back to the main topic.

It seemed like Harin, who earlier suggested eating eel, was perhaps getting tired of it. So, I made a suggestion.

“Harin, just eating eel might get a bit boring, right?”

“Absolutely… how about we also order some oysters?”

Ah, damn it. Should I not have said that?

[Idiot..?]

“I don’t really like oysters.”

She hates oysters.

“Alright, if you don’t like them, there’s nothing much we can do about it.”

Harin stretched out her legs as if deep in thought.

She had taken off her white stockings earlier and placed them carefully on the floor, though she seemed to have forgotten about them now.

It was as if she had truly made up her mind to live with me. She looked so relaxed.

Still, her bare legs kept catching my attention.

“Then, how about we have some tteokbokki?”

Finally, something normal has come up.

We couldn’t let this chance pass.

“Tteokbokki? It’s a safe choice, so yeah, let’s go with that.”

“Actually… I’m not really a fan of tteokbokki, to be honest.”

What can I do?

Still, at least it seemed like she avoided anything with ill intentions.

[Then what is this bizarre combination of tteokbokki and eel?]

Anyway, we ordered the two dishes through a delivery app.

“Where did you order from?”

“Huh? Just from ○○Ddeubap and ○○Bunsik.”

“Oh… so you ordered from there, huh? Got it. Excuse me, I’ll just use the restroom.”

Then Harin went off to the bathroom.

“Alright, go ahead.”

Can she use the restroom without any trouble, even though she can’t see?

It’s her first time here after all.

Anyway, she went to the bathroom.

Alright, the order was placed. Let’s talk about what happened earlier.

By now, the food was already sitting in front of me.

With the advances in modern technology these days, delivery is incredibly fast.

Or maybe Harin used her money.

“Is it my imagination…?”

[Hey, does it make sense to think food could arrive within a minute of ordering?]

“Ugh.”

This isn’t just a feeling.

Such lavish spending isn’t right.

“Recently, you order and the food just arrives, right? Wow, wow… delicious smell. Did you order from a nearby place?”

“Huh… Harin? So, how much did this cost? Isn’t it a bit excessive?”

“What? You, what are you talking about?”

“Just be honest, does it make sense for delivery to arrive in less than a minute?”

“Here they are—○○Ddeubap and ○○Bunsik.”

Even so, I kept staring at her, unwilling to back down.

“… How much did you pay?”

“… It wasn’t wasteful.”

When I thought about it, ordering food must have used my money.

How did Harin manage to use her resources?

Even if she made a phone call, there’s no way she could have known their number.

[This kind of rush order feels like she probably threw a lot of money at them.]

“Don’t overdo the money talk.”

“Wha, do you think this is important right now?!”

Harin yelled as if there was something she was hiding.

“This smell is definitely grilled eel, right? You take the first bite.”

Before I knew how she found them so quickly, Harin picked up a piece of grilled eel with chopsticks that seemed strange to me and handed it to me.

“Here, take a bite. Ah~”

[Oh, treating like a baby.]

‘… Lately, haven’t you been slightly rougher with your words?’

I asked Chaewon as I took the eel Harin had offered into my mouth.

[Can’t I change just like her? She’s changing too. Your turn now—hurry up and die.]

‘Wha…what?’

Chaewon spoke harshly.

Have I been neglecting her lately?

I thought about it while eating the grilled eel.

[Of course you’re surprised, right? I didn’t say I’d crave you until you’re dead. Even if we’re close enough for physical contact, you can’t do sex, right~]

Ah, damn it.

Instead of a helpful spirit, it seems a promiscuous ghost has attached itself to me.

“Ah~”

If both sides consent, I could liberate this ghost again, but Chaewon won’t allow it and will likely stick around until the end.

I accepted the piece of grilled eel Harin offered and ate it.

But, am I really unable to engage in any intimate acts in my current state?

‘You, that’s just your guess. I’ll go for it.’

No specifics on where I’m putting it. That’s safe.

“Ah~”

Another piece of grilled eel went into my mouth.

[Huh, stop being cheeky. Anyway, you know it’s only talk, right?]

“Ah~”

I kept accepting and eating the pieces of grilled eel.

“Ah~”

I opened my mouth again and pushed the grilled eel into it.

“Ah~”

With the grilled eel still in my mouth, half-chewed…

‘Wait, something’s not right here.’

[That woman, you’re feeding her only eel and eating all the tteokbokki yourself, aren’t you?]

“Ah~… Oh, you’ve got a full mouth, hmm? There’s no more room to fit any more. Would you like a glass of water?”

Harin offered a cup of water with a faint smile.

That cup, filled with ice-cold water, made it feel like the chill was spreading through my entire body.

I drank the water quickly and boldly as if I were about to choke to death.

‘Is she an angel? Or a demon… I can’t tell at all.’

I forced down the grilled eel and set the cup back down.

“Wow, you’ve swallowed it all, huh?”

“Yeah, but I want tteokbokki next—”

“Open your mouth. Ah~”

Damn.

Should’ve ordered a side of seasoned grilled eel.

The craving for salt-grilled fish has turned into regret.

Personally, I feel that plain grilled fish gets bland too quickly without side dishes.

The seasoned version feels similar but, the seasoning helps make it less bland.

I should’ve just ordered a rice bowl.

[Is this what they call food abuse?]

“Why aren’t you opening your mouth? Ah~”

“I can’t eat any more eel…”

It felt like whining to your mother.

Hmm… maybe someone like Harin is overly full of maternal instinct.

Her figure, at a glance, radiates maternal energy.

“Hey, open your mouth.”

“Aah…”

I accepted another piece of grilled eel…

Though I’m not particularly fond of tteokbokki.

I wanted to eat it today.

Of course, I couldn’t even take a single bite.

And surprisingly, the only flavor of seasoning that lingered on the chopstick helped to balance out the eel taste.

[Oh my, she really acts like a fox spirit, doesn’t she? Even indirect kissing?]

… Was it really her lipstick that was lingering from the tteokbokki seasoning?

I don’t know.

I couldn’t see the color clearly.

******

– Ding! – Ding!

My smartphone was going crazy, signaling a message had arrived.

The chime of the notification guided me.

However, I was pinned under her bare legs.

Meaning, I couldn’t check the message right now.

“Haa… this place must be mine,”

‘Anyway, that’s my spot. It’s not yours.’

“Oh, the tteokbokki place must be good.”

She lay on the mattress, hugging the blanket, using her legs as a pillow.

“Indeed… but I don’t really know.”

How would I know unless I’ve tasted it?

It was the first time I ordered from this place.

From now on, the mere sight of eel might make me nauseous.

It felt like there were eels wriggling in my stomach.

“Hmm? Is the effect of the eel already sufficiently circulating through your body?”

“No, I reckon not. Besides, are you really thinking of doing it?”

Upon hearing my words, Harin pulled her legs away and lay me down on the spot where she had been lying.

Then, Harin climbed on top of me in a dominant stance.

“When living things move and organisms live on…”

Harin brought her face closer.

Her forehead touched mine.

I had to endure the changes occurring in my lower half from her weight pressing down.

Which wasn’t easy.

Because this kind of pressure isn’t something you experience casually.

“‘”Reproduction’ is necessary, they say.”

“Oh, oh… right? That’s interesting.”

“Acting so naive… ultimately, the instincts engraved in our DNA naturally lead humans to pursue pleasure.”

She licked her lips.

Was she trying to devour me?

‘Does she intend to cook me?’

[Stupid. It’s obvious she’s aiming for something else. To be honest, I don’t appreciate her beating me to it…]

– Ding! – Ding! – Ding!

My smartphone was bombarded with notifications.

“Excuse me, hold on… Isn’t this behavior a bit too soon?”

“What are you talking about? Stop stalling and cooperate already!”

Harin forcibly pulled off my top.

“Urgh, you’re serious, aren’t you? My heart isn’t ready yet!”

“You, deal with your heart with me. It’s urgent right now.”

Then she laid her hands on my body.

“Now, let’s have a taste… what a fantastic dessert. Can’t wait—”

– Bang!

Right before we were about to consummate our deed, the door to the house burst open.

“Damn… why haven’t you been seeing my messages… Oh?”

“Wha?”

The one who broke into my apartment was none other than Yelim, the alchemist with a mouth like a rag.

Yelim saw the scene and turned red.

And behind her, there were Seoyoon, the social zero hacker, and Kang Chaeyeon, the younger sister of Eunbyul.

“What… the… what are you doing…?”

Seoyoon stammered.

“Chaeyeon, don’t look at this!”

“Huh… Sister, but I want to see…”

Yelim covered Chaeyeon’s eyes.

That’s right.

The members of the Golden Rule organization had suddenly paid a home visit.

Ah, the awkward situation was halted just in the nick of time.

Harin froze in place.

[Chortle…]

But what do we do now that I’m stuck in this position?

You, take responsibility for my lower half.