Chapter 144

I wandered aimlessly near the one-room tel for 10 minutes.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─LOL, I’m coming now. Where are you, you bastard?

Finally, Guburi’s chat came up.

It seemed like he had finished preparing himself mentally.

“I’m near the one-room tel right now. Where are you?”

No answer came to my question.

I waited a bit longer, but Guburi didn’t send any more chats.

【Min Ji】─He’s gone AFK again. He’s gonna die.

【Yoho】─He really has a talent for pissing people off.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Se-hoon, when you meet Guburi, smack the back of his head hard.

【Qkrnfl892】─LOL, that guy really needs to get hit.

Why isn’t he answering after asking where I am?

Did something happen?

While I was lost in thought, I kept walking.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─That person standing in the alley, is that Guburi?

At the entrance of the alley.

A group of shady-looking gangsters came into view.

The gangsters were surrounding a woman, glancing around.

It was clearly a scene of extortion.

“Is that Guburi getting robbed over there?”

【Yoho】─Gasp.

【Big Girl】─No way.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! No way he’s that much of a loser, right?

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Whether it’s Guburi or not, let’s help him first.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─?? I didn’t even say it was someone getting robbed, but you guys naturally excluded the gangsters. LOL. Anyway, the person getting robbed over there, I can’t be sure from the back, but the hairstyle is exactly like Guburi’s. And that kind of loser-like back isn’t common, so it’s probably Guburi.

【Handsome Licker】─LOL, loser-like back. Lick.

I’ve seen Guburi’s face before.

During a recent video call, he covered his face, but during the first video call, he showed his face only to me.

But now, his face isn’t visible.

Only his back is showing.

Judging by his physique was impossible too.

I’ve never seen Guburi in person before.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─First, get closer and listen to his voice. Guburi has a unique voice, right?

【Drifting AI】─I’ll say it. There’s no need to confirm. That human is definitely Gyeongsaeng Guburi.

【Yoho】─Gasp.

“…So it’s Guburi? Well, if Drifting says so, it must be true.”

【Qkrnfl892】─LOL, absolute trust in Drifting.

【Meng Yao】─So that’s why he wasn’t chatting, he was getting robbed? LOL.

【Jujijoa】─What a pathetic guy.

【Maehwa Tree】─I can’t believe I got insulted by that kind of girl all the time.

For now, I concluded that it was Guburi.

Drifting is rarely wrong.

Not only that.

The sudden cutoff in chatting also made sense if he was getting robbed like that.

“Guburi really has no answer…”

I sighed and quickly approached the gangsters.

***

Taking down the gangsters wasn’t easy.

Well, of course.

Their strength was beyond imagination.

…Of course, I mean my strength, not theirs.

While my strength was immense,

the gangsters’ bodies were weak, so I had to be careful not to hit them too hard.

If I failed to control my strength, I could easily blow up a civilian’s body.

Looking at it this way,

being too strong isn’t always a good thing.

Anyway,

I somehow managed to subdue all the gangsters and made them kneel in a line in the alley.

“…Ugh. I think my arm’s broken. Is that really a man?”

“Shut up. You want to get hit again?”

“Ugh, sob… I’m a man, but I got hit…”

“Damn… We messed with the wrong person…”

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Kuh. As expected of Se-hoon.

【Handsome Licker】─He’s really good at fighting. Lick.

【Min Ji】─It’s not just strength, his skills are insane.

【Yoho】─It’s amazing every time I see it.

【Qkrnfl892】─LOL, he’s not human. But it seems like he controlled his strength this time.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─I love strong men! I want to be subdued like that too!

【Drifting AI】─I’ll say it. Praise me.

【Maehwa Tree】─Why should I praise you?

【Cat-eared Woman】─He must be broken.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! Everyone’s alive, so he must’ve hit them really lightly! A master of strength control!

【Big Girl】─Watching this, it seems like he’s better at fighting than me…

After getting the stolen money back,

I forced the gangsters to bow their heads and apologize. Not to me, but to Guburi.

The girls who half-heartedly apologized while glaring at Guburi had a few fingers broken.

After that, they apologized sincerely.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Wow. He caught the girl glaring at Guburi and broke her fingers without hesitation.

【Handsome Licker】─Se-hoon is kinda cruel too. Lick.

【Min Ji】─He seems really angry.

【Qkrnfl892】─I’d be mad too if I saw someone I know getting robbed.

【Jujijoa】─Guburi, hurry up and thank Se-hoon.

Guburi just silently bowed his head.

He didn’t even say thank you.

‘…Did I help him for nothing? Guburi must have his pride too.’

Guburi’s face was bright red.

Probably ashamed of being helped by me.

This is a gender-reversed world.

It’s not common for a woman to be helped by a man.

【Meng Yao】─By the way, they look like students. Was Guburi getting robbed by kids younger than him?

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─I told you. Guburi’s a total loser. LOL.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Guburi is definitely below me.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! He’s flying in the chat, but in real life, he can’t even speak!

【Maehwa Tree】─Not even saying thank you? I really want to beat him up.

【Jujijoa】─I want to punch him a few times too. It’d feel good.

【Cat-eared Woman】─Everyone really hates Guburi…

【Handsome Licker】─Up pussy. Lick.

【Cat-eared Woman】─?? Why is the pussy up?

【Min Ji】─It’s karma. Guburi always picks fights with us.

【Drifting AI】─I’ll say it. It’s natural to get insulted when your usual behavior is trash.

【Cat-eared Woman】─Wow, if Drifting says it’s trash, then it’s really bad. I haven’t known Guburi for long, but his chats were trashy.

【Big Girl】─Honestly, trash is an understatement.

【Qkrnfl892】─LOL, true.

For now, I looked away from Guburi.

And I spoke to the gangsters kneeling on the ground.

“Apologize properly to him one more time and get lost.”

“Yes, yes! Sorry!”

“Sorry…”

“Sorry. I won’t do this again.”

“Sorry for trying to steal your money.”

“Sorry for making fun of your voice.”

The gangsters apologized in trembling voices, not even daring to look Guburi in the eye.

Breaking their fingers must’ve worked.

“…What are you doing? If you’re done apologizing, get lost. Unless you want to get hit more.”

“Yes!”

“Yes, yes! I’m really sorry!”

And so, the gangsters limped out of the alley.

They were just a bunch of third-rate thugs.

***

After the gangsters left,

only Guburi and I remained in the alley.

Guburi was still bowing his head, lips tightly sealed.

“…Guburi.”

I placed my hand on Guburi’s shoulder.

After pondering for a moment, I continued.

“You held back well. You could’ve easily won if you used magic, but you didn’t want to hurt civilians, right?”

【Qkrnfl892】─What holding back? Damn.

【Jujijoa】─Don’t hype him up.

【Handsome Licker】─?? It’s not that he didn’t use magic, he couldn’t. It takes Guburi over 30 seconds to make a fireball. LOL. Lick.

I knew it too.

That Guburi was too scared to do anything.

I just said it to help restore Guburi’s pride.

I don’t know if it’ll work or not.

“Y-Yeah! You know me well…!”

Guburi raised his head and answered softly.

Judging by his reaction, my words seemed to have worked.

He’s a stupid and simple guy.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Right! LOL.

【Handsome Licker】─LOL, Guburi’s cute. Lick.

【Maehwa Tree】─I really want to beat him up.

The moment my eyes met Guburi’s,

his face turned red again, and he quickly looked away.

This time, it didn’t seem like shame, just embarrassment.

【Min Ji】─He’s such a loser he can’t even make eye contact. LOL.

【Yoho】─At least he can talk. I thought he wouldn’t be able to speak when meeting in person.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow. If he couldn’t talk at all, he wouldn’t even be human.

“Anyway, let’s forget what just happened and head to my house…”

As I was speaking,

Min Neong, who was on my head, suddenly jumped out and started circling around Guburi with curious eyes.

[This human girl is really cute. Her voice is cute too.]

“W-What… Don’t cling to me…”

Guburi, flustered, shrunk back.

Min Neong, seeing Guburi like that, smiled brightly and suddenly reached out her hand.

And then made a ridiculous demand.

[Hand!]

“…Huh? H-Hand?”

*Tap.*

Guburi hesitated for a moment, then timidly held Min Neong’s hand.

What a crazy girl.

[Good girl!]

【Meng Yao】─LOL, what?

【Qkrnfl892】─Hand! LOL.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Guburi, you idiot. If someone asks for your hand, don’t just give it. LOL.

【Yoho】─He’s such a loser…

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow! Guburi’s turned into a pet!

【Drifting AI】─I’ll say it. Pathetic.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─But if it were me, I’d be scared and give my hand too. Min Neong’s way of speaking is like that, but she looks kinda scary.

【Maehwa Tree】─Sigh… I can’t believe I got insulted by that kind of guy all the time…

【Jujijoa】─Stop talking about that.

Guburi looked uncomfortable, but Min Neong kept smiling, clearly liking Guburi.

[This time, foot!]

“Min Neong, stop with the weird stuff. We need to get going, so return to your original form.”

[Okay…]

Min Neong, with a disappointed expression,

stepped back from Guburi and returned to her original form.

“Guburi, you go first.”

“Uhh…”

“Uhh?”

“Ah, no. Yes!”

【Qkrnfl892】─Uhh. LOL.

【Balloon Gum Collector】─Wow? Guburi’s lost the ability to speak human language?

【Min Ji】─He must be really nervous.

【Yoho】─Sigh. Loser.

Guburi quickly ran and clung to Min Neong.

And then struggled for a while to climb onto her back.

It was a ridiculous sight.

【Maehwa Tree】─Everything he does screams loser.

【Jujijoa】─It’s not easy to do that.

【Handsome Licker】─Guburi’s cute!! Lick!!

“…Why can’t you climb up?”

If I waited for him, it’d take forever.

I swallowed a sigh and lifted Guburi up.

“Huh, huh?”

“Don’t make weird noises.”

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Those ad-libs are so stupid. LOL.

【Handsome Licker】─Throw him up? Lick.

I didn’t plan to throw him up.

He might get hurt.

So I just carried Guburi and jumped high onto Min Neong’s head.

【Qkrnfl892】─He’s carrying him and jumping. Wow.

“Guburi, we’re about to leave, so you give the signal.”

“Signal…? Ah, okay!”

Guburi gulped and then hit Min Neong’s head as hard as he could.

*Tap. Tap.*

[……]

But Min Neong didn’t budge.

It seemed like the hits were too weak.

“Why, why aren’t we moving? I hit you…”

*Tap. Tap.*

Guburi hit Min Neong’s head again.

Then Min Neong sighed deeply and flew up into the sky.

[Sigh… I’ll let it slide just this once. Let’s go!]

And so, we headed home.

***

This time, we flew slowly.

If we flew at our usual speed, Guburi’s body wouldn’t be able to handle it.

【Handsome Licker】─Guburi’s riding posture is so funny. Lick.

【Se-hoon Defense Team】─Frog posture. LOL.

【Reverse Rape Mania】─Frog Guburi~

After landing in the front yard,

Min Neong shrunk back and perched on my head.

“Guburi, follow me.”

When I turned around and said that, Guburi took out his phone and tapped on the screen.

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─OK

“…Why are you answering in chat?”

【Gyeongsaeng Guburi】─My choice.

【Min Ji】─He probably can’t speak properly in front of Se-hoon, so he’s just using chat.

【Maehwa Tree】─Is he really an idiot?

“You’re really something…”

I decided to leave him alone.

If that’s more comfortable for him, so be it.

I turned my head again and

walked into the house through the veranda.

Guburi followed behind, walking awkwardly.

And at that moment.

[Le bang?]

[Popo?]

[Posun?]

[Wah pwak kya pwak?]

The yokai in the living room, drinking cola, all turned their attention to Guburi.