Chapter 26: Just as expected, it’s impossible!

The sight of her lifting the glass so casually made Dayoung puff up her cheeks.

‘She was definitely trying to ward off the drunkenness with the power of the hero, wasn’t she?’

For some reason, feeling deceived and frustrated, Dayoung downed the wine in the glass in one go.

The fragrant aroma and the dry, astringent aftertaste stung her throat.

‘Ugh, it’s bitter.’

She hastily stuffed a handful of cookies into her mouth as a distraction.

“You’re going to get fat if you keep eating like that.”

“I won’t.”

“Dayoung, are you drunk?”

“I’m not drunk!”

She was definitely drunk, though.

Sehee’s comment made her irritated for no reason.

Was the dizziness in her head really caused by being drunk?

Could it be the overload of information from that absurd coming-out moment, making her brain short-circuit?

‘A man…’

In a world filled with magic and supernatural abilities, it didn’t seem entirely impossible.

But now that she saw it in person, it was hard to make a quick judgment.

***

‘Maybe I should have just kept quiet.’

If she had just called her “older sister” and let it pass quietly, she wouldn’t have to deal with this headache now.

A small complaint stirred up a ripple in her once-calm mind, and Dayoung lowered her head.

Ah, to have such thoughts about someone who saved me…

‘How messed up must I be?’

As the self-loathing blossomed in her heart, she drank the remaining wine in one go, as if to pluck the petals from the flower.

“Mmm…”

The dizziness that she couldn’t explain made Dayoung press her hand to her forehead and lean back against the bed.

Ah, it’s hitting me now since I haven’t drunk in a while.

My head is spinning.

While she was confused, the person who had made that remark was casually munching on a cookie with no care in the world.

What’s funny is that she thought Sehee could easily turn this into a mukbang broadcast later.

Her instinct as a streamer, sharp as always, made her neck tingle.

***

“If you’re confused, I’m sorry.”

“Hmm, it’s not that…”

At that moment, a voice interrupted them with an eerie chuckle.

Pepe, whose skull had a V-shape, stood up and began to fly toward them.

“Heh, of course you’re confused. If I became a TS, would I turn into one of those super kawaii nerdy girl characters?”

“Pepe, shut up. Know when to stay quiet.”

“Mm.”

After a brief exchange, Sehee grabbed the fainted Pepe and shoved a cookie into her mouth one by one as she spoke.

“Actually, I’m not used to it either… But I can’t just tell anyone, can I?”

“I’m fine with it.”

“Ugh, it’s suffocating! Ugh!”

As Sehee stuffed the tenth cookie into Pepe’s mouth, she stared at Dayoung with a conflicted expression.

“Dayoung, you and I are both heroes, right? So, I thought maybe you could understand me better than others…”

“Well, sometimes I get insanely lonely too. People might say I can just make friends outside, but I get confused because I’ve changed so much.”

After stuffing the thirteenth cookie in, Sehee freed Pepe and took a sip of her wine.

“Well, maybe I’m just drunk and thinking nonsense.”

She wrapped it up without much thought.

Her confidence was as thick as pork belly.

***

“So… What about your family or friends?”

Without being able to bring herself to say “older sister” or “older brother,” she asked quietly.

Sehee blinked a few times before slowly closing her eyes.

With a subdued voice, she replied.

“They’ve all passed away. It was about two years before I was summoned to this world.”

“Oh, I’m sorry…”

“No, it’s okay. I’ve already come to terms with it. And as for friends… Well, it’s like I’ve made my return after ten years. They’re all married by now, so how could I just approach them looking like this?”

“Isn’t that right?” She shrugged her shoulders lightly, as if trying to show that she was okay.

‘What’s this? Why is she acting like it doesn’t bother her?’ Now, I feel like I’m the bad one.

Her mood darkened, and her headache worsened.

Ah, I really must be drunk.

I’m getting all sentimental for no reason.

‘Was that it?’ Maybe that’s why Sehee, who was right in front of me, looked so lonely as she took another sip from her wine glass.

‘Could it be that as the last hero left in this world… she looked so lonely?’

If she’s a hero…

‘It should end with a happy ending, right?’

Just as she saved me, maybe I can help her too.

Because I’m a hero too.

As soon as this thought reached her mind, her cheeks flushed with heat.

Thoughts and emotions are such different creatures, and even though she tried to say it out loud, her lips automatically pressed together.

The night ended with the tension of unspoken feelings hanging in the air.

Already, it was early morning.

Dayoung suggested that Sehee stay over.

Whether it was the wine loosening her up or because they were both heroes, she wasn’t sure.

But she felt that she couldn’t just let her go now.

It was mid-February, and the weather was perfect for an excuse, as it was the time of year when one could easily catch a cold if they went out.

Though whether this excuse would actually work for a hero, she wasn’t sure.

***

“Hey, you guys. I’m going to sleep. Orolong.”

There was almost nothing to clean up, so it only took a moment to tidy up and spread a blanket on the floor.

Pepe, who had the magical ability to fall asleep within a second of closing his eyes, had already passed out.

Leaning back against the soft cushions of the bed, Dayoung, still holding onto the blurry remnants of her mind, gazed out the window.

The cold night sky was as clear as it was cold, and the starlight seemed to add a certain charm to her heavy heart.

As a hero, she recalled the stories she had always heard.

Yes, they always said it’s not about appearances; it’s about the heart.

On this quiet, peaceful night, in the dimly lit room, a small courage seemed to rise within her.

After tossing and turning a bit, Dayoung whispered softly, barely loud enough to be heard.

“Thank you, oppa…”

Thank you, Hero.

“Thank you, oppa…”

The whisper from behind tickled my ears and brought a smile to my face.

Deciding to come out was a spur-of-the-moment choice, but I regretted it, realizing it might not have been the best decision.

It could have led to a broken relationship.

But hearing her voice now, it felt like a signal that she had accepted me.

For now, I should just enjoy the simple joy of making a new connection.

“Heh…”

I quickly covered my mouth.

My lips were curling up, and I held back my laughter, careful not to break the silence.

I made sure neither Da-young nor anyone else could hear.

I felt good.

She called me oppa.

Even though I looked like this, I could still feel my mind was perfectly normal.

‘Still, I need to be careful.’

With a sense of relief, I promised myself to avoid making such confessions in the future.

How Da-young would act toward me from now on, only time would tell.

I pushed those thoughts away.

My head was dizzy from the alcohol, and I didn’t have the energy to think any further.

For now… I closed my eyes, succumbing to the sleep that was steadily taking over.

“Umm…”

My mind was hazy.

Whether from the alcohol or just the sleepiness, my body felt heavy.

When the morning sunlight pricked my eyes, I frowned and turned in bed, but it was already too late.

The sunlight seemed to seep into my eyes, and I slowly opened them despite the dazed feeling.

Just as I thought that the sunlight would warm me, I could feel it shining into my eyes.

“Did you wake up, Da-young-gei?”

Ah, the morning was beautiful, but the greeting was terrible.

“Umm. What time is it?”

“It’s still 9 AM.”

So it’s not too late.

I shook my messy hair and got up, noticing the neatly arranged blankets in front of me.

That’s when I remembered what had happened last night, and my foggy brain reluctantly started to work.

“Umm… what about oppa?”

“You want to call the person who took you away ‘oppa’?”

“Shut up…”

“He’s probably in the bathroom, washing up.”

Ah, so he was still here.

He had a quirky personality, so I thought he might have left by now, but I guess I was worrying for nothing.

A wave of fatigue hit me, and I began to nod off again, feeling the soft bed and the sunlight surrounding me.

***

The sound of the bathroom door opening and closing echoed from afar.

Then came the quiet footsteps approaching.

Ah, so he’s done washing up.

I tried to open my eyes, but something was blocking the light, and I felt something slightly cold against my skin.

It felt pleasant, and I wished it would stay there for a bit longer.

“Did you wake up?”

Ah, it was oppa’s voice.

When I nodded, Se-hee removed her hand from my eyes.

“I ordered some porridge nearby. Let’s eat.”

“Okay, got it.”

“Eh, porridge doesn’t taste good. Gei, let’s order something else.”

“Beef, shrimp, and abalone porridge.”

“Ah, that sounds delicious. Beef, shrimp, and abalone is a perfect combination.”

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at Pepe’s sudden change of attitude.

As my eyes adjusted to the light, I slowly stood up, but suddenly froze in place.

“…Huh?”

In front of me stood Se-hee, the one I had called ‘oppa.’

Her neck, gleaming with golden hair as if molten gold was flowing through it, glowed under the sunlight, radiating like porcelain.

And below it…

Right in front of me, two objects swayed, asserting their presence.

I felt as though two enormous monsters were in front of me, and my pupils began to shake.

‘Did he have implants or something?’

Despite their enormous size, they didn’t seem grotesque at all.

They maintained perfect shape, as if defying gravity.

“That’s too much.”

“Huh?”

‘What was that all of a sudden?’

Ignoring Se-hee’s puzzled expression, I squeezed my eyes shut and shouted.

“How can I call you oppa with those boobs?! That’s impossible! Impossible! Impossible!”

“Uh?”

I shoved Pepe, who was wobbling in front of me, and ran to the bathroom.

“From now on, I’m calling you unnie!”

Boom, boom!

“Calling an I-cup woman ‘oppa’ was really pushing it.”

I ran off, ignoring the absurd comment from Pepe, and Se-hee just stared after me, bewildered.