EP.263 Leave the Head
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“Take care, Adelle.”
Sehwa bids farewell to Adelle with a gentle and warm expression.
Adelle waves back at her with a bright smile.
“It was so much fun! I’ll come visit again.”
“You’re always welcome.”
They’ve only met a handful of times, so why does it feel so comforting?
Was it because of their trip to Jeju Island last time?
Or was it because they stayed up late sharing funny jokes?
I don’t know. But it felt really good.
It felt like being at the temple of the Rosario Church.
The comparison might be a bit exaggerated, but it felt that familiar.
“Yeah!”
Adelle energetically replies and runs to Jihyuk, who is standing with his arms wide open, and hugs him tightly.
His broad chest, as always.
It was firm and warm enough to rely on.
After hugging for a long time, Adelle yawns as she pulls away from Jihyuk.
“I’m still sleepy… Jihyuk, you came too early…”
“Do you want to sleep more in my room?”
“No… It’s already six… Please take me to Uijeongbu. I have to go exercise with Silvia today.”
Lately, things have been awkward with Silvia, and it’s been bothering her.
Leaving her alone in that big house also weighs on her.
Though she really wants to spend time with Jihyuk, Silvia is someone she deeply loves.
So, to mend their relationship, it’s right to be with Silvia.
Despite recent ups and downs, this bond will never break.
“Really? Alright.”
Jihyuk responds calmly, but Adelle could tell.
He was feeling quite disappointed.
Adelle felt uneasy about Jihyuk’s reaction, but today it really couldn’t be helped.
As Adelle gets into the car with Jihyuk, she wonders how to cheer him up and recalls the advice Sehwa gave her yesterday in bed.
“Jihyuk.”
“Yes?”
“Do you want to touch my chest?”
At that, Jihyuk, who was about to start the car, freezes.
He stares at Adelle with his mouth wide open and stammers.
“W-what…? Touch what…?”
This was the first time she’d seen Jihyuk so flustered.
It was strange. Sehwa clearly said that all men would love it if you let them touch your chest…
She even said it was something that would immediately win them over.
Could Sehwa have been playing a prank on her? Adelle, blushing, asks again.
“Do you want to touch my chest…?”
“…..”
Jihyuk’s Adam’s apple bobs.
The corners of his mouth slowly rise.
It means he likes it.
Adelle, now convinced of Sehwa’s advice, turns to face Jihyuk.
She coughs lightly and leans her chest forward slightly.
“Here… I’ll let you touch it just once… I hope it helps ease your disappointment…”
“Did Sehwa give you this advice…?”
“Yes… How did you know?”
“Well… You’re acting differently than usual today…”
“I-if you don’t want to, forget it. Let’s just go…”
“No. I’ll touch it… I want to…”
Jihyuk, grinning, reaches out and touches Adelle’s chest.
After pressing firmly on her full chest, he quickly grabs the steering wheel.
His face is bright red, as if it might explode.
He keeps chuckling while driving.
Who knew such a calm and thoughtful person could act so childlike?
The chest tactic worked wonders.
She’ll have to use it whenever Jihyuk scolds her or refuses her requests.
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‘It smells so good…’
Adelle, with relaxed eyes, sniffs Jihyuk’s hoodie scent and carefully places it in the laundry basket.
There’s quite a pile of laundry, but should she run the washing machine now?
No. Silvia seems to be sleeping, so she’ll do it later.
Adelle tiptoes quietly and changes her clothes in her room.
Then, she carefully opens Silvia’s door.
She sees her sister lying on her side, covered with a blanket.
Though she can’t see her face, her back alone shows how drained she is.
Remembering the awkwardness between them, Adelle frowns and lies down on the bed.
She lies down very carefully so as not to wake Silvia, but Silvia is already awake.
“You’re back…?”
Startled by the sleepy question, Adelle apologizes.
“Sorry… I wanted to see you, but I woke you up…”
“It’s fine…”
Silvia slowly turns to look at Adelle.
“Are you hungry? Should I make something?”
Touched by Silvia’s caring nature, Adelle shakes her head.
“No… I’m not hungry… I want to sleep with you and then go exercise…”
Silvia smiles warmly and pulls Adelle into a hug.
Adelle snuggles into Silvia, who feels like a real sister, and notices a long rectangular patch on her neck.
It must be from overworking herself during exercise to relieve the stress of their strained relationship.
“Sis… What’s wrong with your neck?”
“Huh? Oh, this… It’s a bit sore. I overdid it during exercise.”
I knew it.
But why does Silvia’s voice sound shaky?
She must have just woken up.
Adelle brushes off Silvia’s reaction and asks.
“Should we skip exercise today…? Want to go to the amusement park with me?”
“Hmm… Can we sleep first and then decide? I fell asleep reading the Bible early this morning… So I’m still sleepy…”
“Of course… Sleep well.”
“But Adelle, can you pray for me?”
Silvia’s sudden request.
Adelle looks up at her, puzzled.
“Huh?”
“I’d like you to pray for me… Is that okay?”
“Oh, of course…! I can definitely do that.”
How could she say something so touching?
It seems Silvia has developed faith from reading the Bible.
As the representative of Rosario, it’s her duty to deepen that faith.
Adelle clears her throat and begins a prayer of encouragement.
“Holy Rosario…”
Whoosh-!
At the same time, divine power emerges.
The golden glow, slightly brighter than usual, envelops Adelle and Silvia, giving them a warm feeling.
Silvia’s face, lulled by Adelle’s clear voice, becomes peaceful.
But the guilt deep in her heart remains unchanged.
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Squeak…
Silvia peels off part of the patch stuck to her.
Looking in the bathroom mirror, she sighs as she sees the wound still there.
“Haah…”
She should have gone to the medical device…
She was so distracted by Jihyuk’s actions that she completely forgot.
She told Adelle that her muscle pain was unbearable, so should she go now?
Shiver.
As Silvia considers this, a chill runs down her spine.
It wasn’t from fear.
It was a shiver of pleasure.
The fact that Jihyuk, who loves Adelle so much, is slowly turning his attention to her, and that he left her this mark, excites her.
Whoosh-! Click.
After turning on the faucet and hearing the water, Silvia grips the sink tightly.
She can’t believe she’s become such a lowly woman.
But what can she do? She really likes Jihyuk.
She can’t give up now.
After brushing her teeth and leaving the bathroom, Silvia watches Adelle doing home training while watching exercise TV.
Adelle is doing squats.
Even though she taught her the correct posture, she’s still a bit awkward.
But even that is cute.
Smiling like a mother, Silvia walks over to Adelle and starts teaching her the proper way to do squats.
After correcting her posture and exercising together for a while, Adelle, who had been focused, plops down on the sofa, panting.
“It’s so hard…”
Her natural innocence.
I don’t know if I can overcome that.
Silvia, with a weak smile, crouches down and massages Adelle’s legs.
“I’m fine…”
“Stay still. You haven’t exercised in a while, so you need to loosen up. Otherwise, you’ll be sore from tonight and won’t be able to walk properly.”
“Okay… How’s your neck?”
“It’s still a bit stiff. Thanks for worrying.”
“The patch is coming off.”
At that, Silvia panics and quickly touches her neck.
It seems the adhesive has weakened after being peeled off and reattached.
Adelle, wide-eyed at Silvia’s quick reaction, asks.
“Sis, why did you slap your neck like that?”
A suspicious look. She seems to have raised doubts.
At times like this, you have to stay calm.
“Ah… It just… hurts less if you slap it.”
“Really…? Should I try it?”
“You’re not in pain.”
“Oh, right…”
Hehe… Adelle laughs, her guard completely down.
The more she reacts like that, the more Silvia’s guilt grows.
Maybe she should just reveal her true feelings now.
That she likes Jihyuk, that she loves him.
Since her heart is set on Jihyuk, this will come out eventually.
It’s better to take the first hit… She needs to see the forest, not just the trees…
She feels pathetic for continuing to hide it, afraid of Adelle’s reaction.
‘Once our relationship is restored, I’ll subtly bring it up. Maybe she’ll allow it?’
Holding onto the same hope as before, Silvia massages Adelle’s legs with great care.
Then,
Beep-! Beep-!
A warning sound comes from the devices on their wrists.
Adelle and Silvia look at each other and simultaneously check their devices.
At that moment, Jihyuk’s urgent voice comes through.
-Head to the Hawaii portal immediately. The Evil Energy Gauge is continuously rising. An A-rank, maybe even an S-rank, might appear. I’ll be heading out in a fighter jet soon.
Adelle responds.
“Okay…! Can I go with Sis?”
-Do that. It’s Silvia’s first mission, so take good care of her… One thing to note.
“Go ahead.”
-Hawaii is a small island. If a demon attacks, the damage could be huge, so attack immediately upon sight.
He means not to hesitate and give them a chance.
As Adelle is about to say she understands, Jihyuk’s next words make her jaw drop.
-Make elimination the top priority, but leave the head intact.
“Huh…?”
-Don’t use divine power. There’s something I need to check, so please follow my instructions, even if it’s troublesome.
She doesn’t understand why she needs to leave the head, but…
Since it’s Jihyuk’s order, she has to follow it.
“Ah… Okay… We’ll head out right away!”
-Yes.
With Jihyuk’s brief reply, the communication ends.
Adelle looks at Silvia for a moment, then smiles brightly as Silvia hurriedly activates the portal.
“Take care, Sis.”
“You too.”