[ Oh, older brother? ]
Iarin asked brightly on the other end of the phone.
Then she suddenly stopped as if something had come to mind, and in a lowered voice, she shot a question at Jinseong.
[ Code. Provide evidence that it’s not voice phishing. ]
Iarin demanded Jinseong speak the code, as if he were a suspicious guild member saying the password to enter the black market. Furthermore, she made a tiny ‘tick-tock’ sound, silently threatening that if he didn’t answer in time, she would simply hang up and categorize him as spam.
“Hahaha. Did we ever even establish a code in the first place?”
[ If you think I’m just teasing you, let me tell you that won’t work. ]
“I just wanted you to grill my capybara nicely….”
[ Ah, I believe you. You are indeed my older brother. ]
As soon as Jinseong mentioned capybara, Iarin understood right away.
She returned her voice to its usual tone and asked Jinseong while munching on something.
[ But why the sudden call? ]
The sound of her chewing hinted that it was likely fruit.
“Why? You were the one who came to the building first, weren’t you?”
[ Ah, that’s right. ]
Crunch.
Nom nom.
From the smartphone, it sounded as though an animal was eating fruit.
The clarity of the sound was so vivid it felt like an ASMR video.
Of course, this wasn’t very courteous behavior.
If Lee Yang-hoon saw this, he would scold her immediately.
But conversely, such casualness showed the inner closeness Iarin felt toward Park Jinseong.
It wouldn’t be typical behavior unless someone was quite comfortable around another person.
Even someone like Iarin, who seemed to live half on instinct.
[ Well, I kind of figured if I went in, I’d probably trip one of those security things you set up~ and I thought it’d feel awkward if I got caught on CCTV~ and if I showed up on a black box, it would give me a strange feeling, you know? So, I didn’t go in~ ]
Adding to her seemingly comfortable behavior was her languid tone.
It was a voice like that of a lazy beast, or one that was sprawled out, teeming with languor.
This too was a side of Iarin that she wouldn’t show unless she felt intimate.
[ And I just had this feeling, you know? Like…? There’s no older brother in this building. So why bother going in when there’s really nothing I could do? My instinctual beastly sense was whispering that to me. Yeah, the beast in my heart that’s even more ferocious than a black flame dragon…!]
“Instinct?”
[ Yup! My instincts are usually pretty accurate, you see? So, I just turned around. What could I do in a building without my older brother? Besides, there’s nothing special in there anyway…. I checked last time, and it was completely empty. You’d think a homeless person napped there and left some broken household appliances behind. Empty, just the necessary things. Ghosts would show up, ghosts! Huh? ]
“Hmm.”
[ I’m not a blood-relative mate who nags this much. Huh? Just the essentials, you know my younger sister style? If I do what I’m supposed to, I don’t nag or complain. Don’t close the curtains like children of darkness! Keep it neat when resting, work diligently! Clean up a bit. Sweep the dust away, wipe off the stains! And air out the bedding! ]
“You saw something weird again, didn’t you?”
[ Huh? You know that too, older brother? It was an entertaining video chosen by the algorithm. But it seems some veterans are struggling with PTSD? They were writhing in agony in the comments. ]
Iarin giggled and made a popping sound.
Hearing that sound, it was likely she had smacked the bed, moving her feet while lying face down.
[ So, did you really check with something like a CCTV and call me? Were you trying to find out why I’m here? Your brother isn’t in the building right now…. ]
Iarin paused midway through her sentence.
Then she conveyed a whisper of intuition into words.
[ No. You did go into the building, didn’t you? ]
Her instincts told her.
That Park Jinseong was inside the building.
He wasn’t there earlier, but now he was clearly inside as she spoke on the phone.
“That is correct.”
And Jinseong affirmed Iarin’s assumption.
“Thus, come back here. I have a gift for you….”
[ A gift? Gifts are always welcome! ]
But then.
[ But um, going back there is a bit…? Right? ]
Iarin raised her voice excitedly at the mention of a gift, only to quickly express her reluctance.
[ It’s late at night~ If I try to go out now, it’s obvious that the mom-squad is going to nag~ It’s obvious our family’s strict one will have something to say~ Even if they don’t say anything right now, it’s certain they’ll lecture me during dinner~ Yeah, somehow it doesn’t feel right to go now. ]
What she said was indeed valid reasoning.
If her going out was discovered, the moms would surely bombard her with scolding about why she didn’t realize how scary it is to be out late at night. That alone wouldn’t be the end of it; they’d likely even threaten to bring in a proper etiquette teacher to lecture her on manners and appropriate decorum.
In either case, it would be a nuisance for Iarin.
Furthermore, the one she referred to as “strict” wasn’t going to sit this one out either.
In the worst-case scenario, he might cut off her allowance.
If that happened, Iarin would be in agony.
So much so that she might cling to her blood-relative mate, Iserin, whining about her findings!
Just like how an octopus wraps around its prey, she would cling to Iserin, and unless Iserin generously bestowed her with allowance, she wouldn’t let go. Even if Iserin attempted to use her powers to escape, Iarin would obnoxiously follow her, and if Iserin was moved by her love to bestow a gift, only then would Iarin release her, grateful that having a blood-relative mate like her was such a lucky fortune….
It would surely turn out that way!
So, Iarin couldn’t go.
To eliminate that horrifying possibility from the very beginning!
[ So I’m not going. I’d prefer the gift to just be sent via delivery. Don’t you think that’s a good idea too, older brother? Huh? Answer me. ]
Iarin pressed Jinseong to send it by delivery, almost like coercion.
And then she started humming, vocalizing something that had the lyrics….
Jinseong package~ Jinseong package~ A package for everyone~ A precious package just for one~ Jinseong, Jinseong, Jinseong package~
It was slightly modified from an actual delivery advertisement jingle, with the blatant intention of getting Jinseong to come to the mansion.
Hearing that song, Jinseong paused to think.
Then.
“Okay. Wait for me.”
*
Like a bird spreading its wings, cutting through the night’s darkness without a sound.
With wings on her back, shouldn’t she be unafraid?
Even if she claimed no wings were on her shoulders, the very body that constituted her had wings.
Jinseong’s body disassembled into a swarm of insects.
And the swarm of insects became a black fog, easily melting into the night’s darkness, soaring through the air without any threat, and easily reaching the mansion in the shortest distance.
Upon arriving at the mansion, Jinseong reassembled his body into human form in a narrow alley without CCTV, and passed through the door according to proper procedures to enter the mansion.
And….
“Oh, you’ve come?”
As soon as he stepped inside the mansion, he spotted Iarin lounging on the handrail.
She had a marvelous sense of balance, lying on the handrail, stretching her legs comfortably, propping her chin with one hand, looking as if she were a reclining Buddha.
Moreover, whether she wanted to mimic the reclining Buddha or was simply unconcerned, she wore a loose nightgown resembling what the Buddha would wear.
“Hey, Santa Claus. You brought a gift, right? If you come out empty-handed, you’ll get a punch in the gut for each present!”
Iarin spoke in a mischievous manner, grabbing the handrail and slightly lifting herself up. Then, she let go of her grip and sprang down to the first floor.
She landed as gracefully as a gymnast, using her footwork to swiftly close the distance to Jinseong.
Then she attempted the same prank as before, but….
“Hmm?”
Noticing something off, she halted her playful antics, giving Jinseong a scrutinizing look.
A sense of incongruity.
He felt like Park Jinseong she knew, yet at the same time, he didn’t feel like the Park Jinseong she knew.
Iarin tilted her head in confusion, but then she suddenly realized something and exclaimed, “Oh~ Is that some kind of Bluetooth magic?”
