Yoo Se-Ra asks me with her slightly flushed face.
“Our Seo-Jin.”
Come to think of it, I remember her calling Han Seo-Jin so warmly when we first met.
“What’s your relationship with her?”
Curiosity bubbles up and I throw the question.
Yoo Se-Ra grins mischievously in response to my question.
“Are you starting to take an interest in me now?”
Maybe it’s because she’s an idol, but her smile is unnecessarily beautiful.
Still, it’s about the same level as the other light novel heroines, though.
“We’re childhood friends who grew up in the same orphanage.”
I thought they’d be close, but they’re even tighter than I imagined.
Tap.
Yoo Se-Ra places her hand on my shoulder while wearing a hanbok and smiles.
“So, what do you think of our Seo-Jin, Kim Deok-Sung?”
“What do I think? Well…”
My words naturally trail off.
Han Seo-Jin.
I recall her self-reproachful expression from just a while ago when she felt she couldn’t help me after summer school.
She always shows me a calm and businesslike side, but maybe that’s just because I’m her superior.
She might have shared her troubles with her friend Yoo Se-Ra.
Is that why she’s asking me this?
‘How should I respond?’
It’s not just anyone, it’s Han Seo-Jin.
Maybe because she’s not the type to express her feelings easily, I can’t shake off the unease.
[Why are you hesitating? Just answer honestly based on what you think. If you lie, she’ll catch on immediately. A woman’s intuition is surprisingly scary, you know. Partner.]
The Black Prince gives me advice in my head.
It’s nice to have helpful advice after a long time.
“Well, she’s someone who helps me a lot. Can’t do without her.”
It’s true; I can’t do without Han Seo-Jin now.
There’s no one else as capable and quick at handling everything I assign as she is.
“I see. So she’s someone you can’t do without.”
Yoo Se-Ra responds with a refreshing smile.
Unlike before, her smile seems to carry a hint of sincerity.
She starts fussing with my outfit and says,
“Alright, all done. You can go out now, Kim Deok-Sung.”
I never thought I’d be wearing an emperor’s robe in my life.
I’m no king.
Clicking my tongue inwardly, I open the dressing room door, and what greets my eyes is…
“Master! Master! Master. Eri’s wearing a hanbok, how do I look?”
Eri twirls around in a colorful jeogori and a red skirt.
Wait, a colorful jeogori?
Why is she wearing a hanbok?
Is this some sort of foreigner in hanbok thing?
“Look at you, still can’t shake off that bad habit of cutting in line. Look at me, Deok-Sung. This time… I tried on a hanbok. Uh… how does it look?”
I hear Rin’s calm voice from behind.
Turning my gaze, I see Rin in a navy jeogori.
Lin in a jeogori can be seen.
Her ample bosom, making a bold statement even under the baggy garment, is hard to miss.
How big must they be for even a roomy jeogori to reveal such assets?
“D-do you like it? I-I wanted to show you…”
Lin speaks in a soft voice, her face turning red.
“Hey, Junior! Look at my pretty hanbok…! Over here!”
Next to her, Senior Kasumi waves her hand, donned in a purple jeogori.
Her amethyst-colored eyes sparkle.
“Master, I also… wore a hanbok. D-doesn’t it look weird?”
Makoto blushes as she speaks in a timid voice.
Beneath her green hanbok that matches her hair color, a bosom rivaling Lin’s sways.
This is a bit embarrassing.
Just as I turn my head away.
“Everyone looks super awkward!”
A familiar voice calls out from afar.
Thud, thud.
Footsteps approach.
Olivia appears gracefully in her hanbok, wearing flower shoes and holding a traditional folding fan.
“The woman who looks best in a hanbok is none other than me, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte. Isn’t that right? The only woman suitable for you, dressed as a king, is the noble princess of France—me!”
“No, Bonaparte. You’re wrong. The one who will be Deok-Sung’s perfect wife is me! If he’s a king, I’ll be the queen!”
“Eri, this time I absolutely cannot back down! The prettiest of the galaxy, Eri, is the cutest girl who looks best in a hanbok!”
Lin and Eri immediately counter Olivia’s claim.
Just imagine—light novel heroines fighting over hanboks against the backdrop of Gyeongbokgung!
This was definitely not in the source material.
It’s so surreal I feel dizzy.
“Well, you should just ask yourself. Among us, who looks best in a hanbok? I mean, obviously, it’s your personal maid, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte!”
With a flick of her wrist, Olivia places her hand on her jeogori, sporting a triumphant smile.
“Deok-Sung, I can confidently claim to be the most oriental beauty. Please choose me!”
Next to her, Lin is clenching her eyes shut, face flush.
“Master, there’s no outfit that doesn’t suit the prettiest girl in the galaxy, Eri. Hanbok is the same! Right? Obviously, your number one slave, Eri, is the cutest here!”
Puffed cheeks on Eri in her colorful jeogori.
“Junior, I want to join too!”
“Master, look at me too…”
Makoto and Senior Kasumi chime in.
All five of their gazes turn to me simultaneously.
“““““Who will you choose?!””””””
Their voices echo together.
This damn pressure to choose—didn’t I hear this exact call just the other day during the summer festival?
Back then it was yukata, now it’s hanbok, then it was Tokyo, now it’s Seoul.
To come all the way here and experience this ridiculous light novel event.
I could go crazy.
I glance around.
Yuji and Ishihara, dressed in male hanboks, are taking photos against the Gyeongbokgung backdrop.
While some are engaged in this madness.
Just great, just great.
As my head throbs…
“Since everyone is dressed in hanboks, it’s time to start our tour of Gyeongbokgung.”
A familiar voice calls out nearby.
All eyes turn toward the source of the voice.
There stands Han Seo-Jin, elegantly dressed in hanbok.
Her white jeogori and light pink hanbok skirt create a striking image, making her look like a true noblewoman from the Joseon era.
Unquestionably, the one who looks best in a hanbok right now is Han Seo-Jin.
Without a doubt, the one who looked best in a hanbok at this very moment was Han Seo-Jin.
“Eri… I admit defeat…”
Eri, seeing this, covered her mouth.
“Ugh… No matter how much I try with Shinozaki-style vision lessons, I can’t win against a Korean in a hanbok…”
Rin followed suit, biting her lip.
“…Ugh, I’m so frustrated! This is unfair! This can’t be happening!”
Olivia clenched her fists.
“Seo-Jin… you’re amazing…”
“Wow…”
It turned into an admiration fest with Kasumi-senpai, and even Makoto, hiding behind her, making inarticulate sounds.
Thanks to the overwhelming presence of Han Seo-Jin in her hanbok, the earlier forced-choice event had completely vanished.
A rare question mark appeared on Seo-Jin’s face as she observed the reactions.
“…Is something wrong?”
“No, nothing’s wrong, Seo-Jin.”
At that moment, Yoo Se-Ra dashed over and grabbed Seo-Jin’s hand.
“We need to show Kim Deok-Sung and the others around Gyeongbokgung Palace quickly!”
“That’s right. Okay, everyone, please follow me. First, we’ll head to Geunjeongjeon.”
And so, we entered the Geunjeongmun adorned in our hanboks together with Se-Ra.
This marked the official start of our second day back in the country.
Please tell me it’s not true…
As we passed through Geunjeongmun, Geunjeongjeon appeared before us.
The main hall of Gyeongbokgung, often seen in historical dramas, was now right in front of my eyes.
Having visited a few times before my reincarnation, it wasn’t particularly new.
Gyeongbokgung was just like it always had been.
“Wooooow!”
Eri exclaimed in awe.
Her orange eyes sparkled.
“So this is a palace in Korea…”
Olivia murmured with a serious expression.
Come to think of it, she was the French princess who lived in the Palace of Versailles, right?
Memories of my trip to France came flooding back.
The garden view of the Palace of Versailles was quite beautiful too.
Most importantly, France didn’t have this ridiculous national pride nonsense.
“It really is magnificent. It’s deserving of being the center of a nation.”
Rin spoke calmly from the side.
“I’m really glad I came to Korea, Junior.”
“It’s so big…!”
Kasumi-senpai and even Makoto were smiling.
Seeing everyone so happy made me feel a bit better.
“Master! Eri wants to take a picture here! Let’s take a picture together, Eri!”
Eri fluttered her sleeves and spoke to me.
“What? Who said you could take a picture with him? Deok-Sung. Not that laundry board, me! Take a commemorative photo with me…”
Rin stepped forward, reproaching Eri.
She spoke with a gradually diminishing voice, blushing.
“Excuse me, who said you could take a picture with him? Without my permission, his personal maid, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, you can’t touch a single hair on him! Eeeek!!”
Olivia’s face turned red.
Seeing this, Eri squinted her eyes.
“Without permission? Your Highness. Surely, you have feelings for Master…”
“No! Who, who, who is interested in that universe’s biggest idiot?! It’s nonsense! This is purely a duty as his personal maid!”
Ugh.
Olivia placed her hand on her chest, her face flushed.
If this continues, we’re going to spend the whole day in Geunjeongjeon.
There’s nothing I can do about it.
Sighing inwardly, I stepped in.
“Stop the nonsense, let’s all take a picture together for the commemorative photo.”
As soon as I finished speaking, all three of them turned their gazes toward me.
I could see Eri puffing her cheeks, Rin biting her lip, and Olivia blushing.
Eri puffs up, Rin bites her lips, and Olivia’s face turns red.
“Hmph, there’s no helping it. Just this once, I’ll graciously follow your words. You should be grateful. Got it?”
Olivia crosses her arms and turns her head.
She comes over and stands next to me on the right.
“EriRin. It’s a bit disappointing we can’t take a photo just the two of us, but I still want to take a commemorative picture with you, Master!”
Next, Eri stands on my left.
“…I will follow the words of my future husband, Deok-Sung.”
Rin bites her lips and stands behind me.
“I want to take a photo with Junior too!”
“I want to be with my lord…!”
Kasumi and Makoto come rushing in.
Finally, Yuji and Ishihara, who were sightseeing at Gyeongbokgung Palace, join us in front of the Geunjeongjeon building where all the club members gather.
“Alright, let’s take the photo.”
At some point, Han Seo-Jin appears holding a camera. She fixes it on the tripod and is about to press the shutter when—
“That won’t do, Seo-Jin.”
Suddenly, Yoo Se-Ra grabs Seo-Jin’s hand.
“We need to take a photo together too.”
Yoo Se-Ra smiles.
“Me…? But I don’t qualify…”
Seo-Jin looks flustered at Yoo Se-Ra’s words.
A rare look of confusion appears on her face.
“Well then, let’s ask Deok-Sung.”
Out of nowhere, she turns to me?
Before I can even say anything, Yoo Se-Ra throws me the question.
“Master Deok-Sung, is it okay if Seo-Jin and I take a photo together?”
With a smile, she asks.
Now that I think about it, when taking the commemorative photo at Versailles Palace, Seo-Jin had been left out.
I can’t shake off this uncomfortable feeling.
[Partner. You’re not going to deny them, are you?]
The Black Prince speaks to me in my head.
Ridiculous.
‘Of course, I will. What do you take me for?’
[A petty person?]
The reply comes back as if it’s obvious.
Maybe I shouldn’t even answer him.
Conversing with the Black Prince is just a loss.
Thinking this, I replied.
“Sure.”
It’s just a photo after all; there’s no reason to refuse.
‘I’m not a petty person.’
[Are you hurt? Partner?]
‘Shut up.’
I ignore the Black Prince’s words.
Nodding, I see Han Seo-Jin’s eyes widen.
“Um, w-well…”
“Since we got permission, let’s take it together. Us too.”
Before Seo-Jin could say anything, Yoo Se-Ra pulls her arm.
“Kimchi.”
Yoo Se-Ra, who joined the line-up, makes a peace sign.
Click.
It seems she had set a timer because the sound of the camera captures the moment.
After taking a few more pictures, the commemorative photo session finally concludes.
“Ugh…”
Once the photo session ends, Han Seo-Jin’s face is rarely tinged with red.
Somehow, her expressions have become more varied since coming to Korea.
“Okay, onto the next course!”
Yoo Se-Ra leads like a tour guide.
*
After that, nothing much happened.
I even felt embarrassed about being scared that something was waiting within Gyeongbokgung.
“This is the Gangnyeongjeon. The Gangnyeongjeon was used as the king’s quarters during the Joseon Dynasty…”
Surprisingly, Yoo Se-Ra did quite well as a tour guide.
A Hallyu idol merely acting as a tour guide is absurd.
As we strolled around Gyeongbokgung, relaxing and taking pictures, we were nearing the end of our sightseeing when—
“Okay, now we’ll start the Kimjang experience.”
A horrifying announcement slips from Yoo Se-Ra’s mouth.
What?
“Kimjang experience? Here?”
Hearing about the Kimjang experience revives the nausea I had forgotten.
Kimchi at Gyeongbokgung?
