I’m late! Bisiri Oppa, I’ll go ahead!
Although I had told her to leave quickly to avoid being late, she had playfully insisted she would be fine. Only after checking the time belatedly did she bolt out the door in a flurry.
Her antics were quite amusing, and I chuckled softly before slowly rising and tidying the bedding.
Turning back to gaze at the now-tidy living room, I left Sakura’s house without a second thought and headed straight for the convenience store.
The walk to the convenience store took roughly thirty minutes.
With poor public safety, the area was sparsely populated, and the dwindling demand meant that facilities like convenience stores were hard to come by nearby.
Aside from the distant amenities, it was an otherwise ideal neighborhood, which made its current state all the more regrettable.
…
I continued walking forward, beads of sweat trickling down my skin.
The fiercely shining sun was a bit scorching, but by now, I had grown somewhat accustomed to it, so it barely registered.
As I pressed onward, a voice suddenly broke the silence.
“You there, are you a resident here?”
It was a beautiful voice, one that compelled listeners to instinctively turn around.
Turning my head towards the source of the voice, I saw a woman appear in my line of sight.
She was a beauty with long, brown hair.
Her elegant manner of shielding herself from the sun with a parasol was quite striking.
Honestly, more than anything else, I felt an urge to snatch that parasol and try it for myself.
‘Perhaps I should get one too,’ I mused.
“Pardon? What did you say?”
“I asked if you were from this area.”
‘Still, why would she suddenly ask if I live around here?’
“Yes, I live nearby.”
“Hmm, really? I heard this area was dangerous. Are you, by chance, an Awakener?”
“No.”
Upon hearing my terse reply, the woman scrutinized me from head to toe for a moment, then gave a slight nod and spoke.
“I see. Understood. Be careful at night.”
As if her business was concluded, the woman continued on her way without a backward glance.
‘What was that all about?’
I furrowed my brow at the woman’s bizarre, inexplicable behavior.
‘Is she an Awakener?’
Tilting my head, I assessed the woman’s power level.
The amount of magical energy I sensed was roughly C- to D-rank.
However, like Choi Seon-hee, she might be concealing her true magical power, so making hasty assumptions would be unwise.
While I now knew she was an Awakener, I ultimately couldn’t discern the connection between that fact and the cryptic question she had posed.
‘Beats me~’
Thus, I decided to simply continue on my way.
There was no need for me to suffer under the sun for a reason I couldn’t fathom at the moment.
I stopped by the convenience store and took the opportunity to purchase a generous supply of 9V batteries.
Additionally, I bought a few cup noodles and triangular gimbap to hastily make up for lunch, then started heading home.
As I diligently made my way back home, a sound suddenly reached my ears.
-Thump-thump-thump-thump.
The sound of someone’s uninhibited running footsteps echoed from behind me.
Sensing a C-rank level of magical energy from behind, I surmised it was likely Choi Seon-hee, out for her morning exercise.
‘Does she need something?’
“Oh, Sihyeon-ssi. What a, what a coincidence!”
“Indeed. Good morning to you too. Were you out for your morning run? You must be working hard in this heat.”
“One can’t skip it just because it’s hot, can they?”
Choi Seon-hee quickly approached, soon walking alongside me, matching my pace.
Her sweat-soaked tracksuit clung tightly to her body, creating a subtly alluring silhouette.
I consciously averted my gaze from her body, focusing instead on her face.
But… something about Choi Seon-hee’s expression seemed off.
Her fidgeting suggested she was eager to ask me something.
“Seon-hee-ssi, it seems like you want to ask me something right now, don’t you?”
Choi Seon-hee blinked her eyes, parted her lips slightly, and spoke.
“…How did you know that?”
“Seon-hee-ssi, your inner thoughts are always clearly visible on your face, making you easy to read.”
“Oh, really? Hmm… Perhaps I should try to change that.”
“I don’t know. I actually find that aspect rather charming. So, what is it you wanted to ask?”
…
“Seon-hee-ssi?”
“Ah, yes. The, the thing I wanted to ask.”
Her face flushed crimson, Choi Seon-hee fanned herself with her hand, then hastily continued.
“Well, uh… I hope you won’t feel burdened by this. You know Sakura, right?”
“You mean the new person who moved in next door?”
Choi Seon-hee nervously twiddled her fingers as she cautiously inquired.
“Yes. Um… I truly only found out by chance, but… Sakura mentioned that Sihyeon-ssi was at her house yesterday, and that…”
“Ah.”
I could roughly guess what Choi Seon-hee was trying to ask.
“What exactly did Sakura-ssi say?”
“That she… slept with Sihyeon-ssi…”
‘Oh, Sakura.’
‘You truly are a sorceress of language.’
“Is that, is that true? It’s not, is it? Right?”
With a look of genuine desperation, Choi Seon-hee pleaded for my answer.
Offering a wry smile, I shook my head and replied.
“Nothing of the sort happened. The battery on my house’s smart lock died, so I stayed at Sakura-ssi’s place for one night. I genuinely only slept there and then left. Sakura-ssi probably misspoke in Korean, leading to a misunderstanding. I’m currently on my way back after buying a new battery.”
As my explanation continued, Choi Seon-hee’s face gradually brightened, until she finally let out a deep sigh and murmured.
“…What a relief.”
“What’s a relief?”
“Oh, well, you know. Um… You just said you bought a battery, right? It’s a relief that you can finally get back into your house.”
Choi Seon-hee continued speaking, an awkward smile playing on her lips.
She pointed to my plastic bag and asked.
“Are those the batteries?”
“Yes. Batteries and a few things for lunch today.”
“Lunch? May I take a quick look?”
“Pardon? Yes.”
Choi Seon-hee took the plastic bag from me.
Her expression immediately soured slightly, and she sighed deeply as she asked.
“Do you usually eat instant meals like this?”
“Well, yes. I’ve never really cooked before.”
“You shouldn’t! I used to eat like this all the time, and my health deteriorated rapidly. Nowadays, recipes are everywhere online. Even if it’s bothersome, you need to get into the habit of cooking. These are confiscated.”
“Ah.”
Choi Seon-hee confiscated the cup noodles and triangular gimbap.
She cast a fleeting glance at me, then looked forward again and said, almost casually.
“I was planning to eat kimchi stew for lunch today. Would you like to join me?”
“I don’t seem to have a choice, do I?”
“You understand well.”
Choi Seon-hee let out a small laugh, then looked at me and smiled.
‘She’s truly such a kind person.’
I, too, smiled back at her.
If only I weren’t a vampire.
If only she weren’t someone intent on taking my life.
Perhaps, then, we could have been good friends.
Every time I witnessed her gentle demeanor, a persistent sense of regret lingered in my mind.
****
“A Piña Colada, please.”
“Certainly. Just a moment, please~”
I diligently prepared the cocktail according to the customer’s order.
Fortunately, only a large group of customers had visited the bar today, meaning I wouldn’t have to engage in lengthy conversations with individuals.
However, since Gong Wiseon was off today, I had to handle all the orders myself, which kept me just as busy.
Just then.
-Ding~!
The chime of the doorbell resounded, and a woman stepped into the bar.
“Welcome~”
“Oh my, isn’t that the person I met this morning?”
‘I met her this morning?’
Ah, upon closer inspection, it was indeed that woman.
The one who had abruptly asked if I lived nearby.
“It’s good to see you. What a coincidence.”
“Yes, nice to meet you too. But… is the manager not here today?”
“The manager is off today. Do you have some business with them?”
“No, not really. I just didn’t see their face and wondered where they went. Still, I’m a bit surprised. It must take courage for a non-Awakener to work here. That’s quite impressive.”
The woman clapped her hands softly, then offered a relaxed smile as she introduced herself.
“I’m Gong-yeon. My surname is Gong, and my given name is Yeon. I look forward to working with you?”
“I’m Bartender Yoo Sihyeon. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Yes. I’d like to place an order. An Earthquake, please. Is that possible?”
“Of course.”
Although it was a rather potent cocktail, seeing Gong-yeon’s mature composure, I proceeded to serve it without hesitation.
If Sakura had ordered that cocktail, I would have snarled, telling her not to even dream of it.
“Hmm~ It’s quite clean. The manager here is very particular, so there must be a reason you were hired as a part-timer. I’ll enjoy it.”
She took a small sip of the Earthquake, flashed a beautiful smile, and then immediately moved to another table.
She joined the conversation among the Hunters already there, and after some time, she would move to another table, again mingling with other Hunters.
On the surface, it seemed as though she simply enjoyed conversing with others, but to my eyes, her actions didn’t appear to be purely for pleasure.
It felt… like more than just casual conversation.
It was as if she were trying to extract information.
Seeing Gong-yeon not linger at any one table for more than thirty minutes only strengthened that suspicion.
As time passed, and most of the customers had settled their tabs and left the bar, Gong-yeon, her face slightly flushed, approached the bar counter with a slightly unsteady gait and sat down in front of me.
“A Faust, please.”
“I say this out of concern, but are you sure you’re alright?”
“I don’t usually drink this much, but you make the drinks so well that they just keep going down. May I ask for one?”
“Please don’t overdo it.”
Feeling a little uneasy, but having received an order, I began to prepare the cocktail.
Gong-yeon grinned, leaned towards the bar counter, and then whispered conspiratorially into my ear.
“Since you’re a bartender, you must talk to a lot of Hunters, right? There’s something I wanted to ask you…”
The strong scent of alcohol and her warm breath brushed against my ear.
“…Have you, by any chance, heard about the Villain Killer?”
In that instant, my breath caught.
