Chapter 34: Innocence Part 1

This neighborhood is new to me, so I checked the map app to confirm whether I was heading in the right direction.

From Dayoung’s perspective, coming to Gangnam from the Indian neighborhood in Gwanak-gu, which she had lived in since 2021, was unfamiliar in many ways.

I was so flustered when I received the address.

“Where am I?”

Through the gap in my bag, Pepe eyes were darting around, rolling this way and that.

Perhaps it was the unfamiliar surroundings that piqued his curiosity.

Worried that someone might notice, I gave the bag a light shake, almost like I was dusting it off, and gently patted Pepe.

‘Pepe is in my care, but…’

Who’s looking out for me?

Feeling strangely frustrated, I could almost feel the weight leaving my shoulders as I exhaled.

That feeling that had been tickling my heart since earlier—like my body was twisting in a strange way.

That awkwardness I felt in relationships, unable to calm down on my own—something I thought would end once I graduated from school.

‘What’s wrong with me? I feel so stupid.’

Still, I hurried my steps, eager to see my sister.

“Whoo!”

“Ugh!”

The warm breath against my ear startled me, and my eyes widened in surprise.

“Yo~. It’s been a while.”

‘No way…’

It was an absurd greeting, something I would never have imagined in my wildest dreams.

Turning around, I saw Sehee, waving at me with a V sign.

She was the picture of ease, completely at ease, unlike my nervous self.

Well, of course, it was natural for her to act this way—she didn’t even know why we were meeting.

“Really! You said you’d wait at home… Why did you come out here?”

She pouted, grumbling, as if to express her discontent.

“I came to pick you up. In case you got lost.”

“Come on, do you think I’m a kid?”

‘Does she think I’m still a 10-year-old or something?’

But then again, even 10-year-olds nowadays know their way around every corner of Seoul.

“Aren’t you cold? Let’s get inside.”

Her hand naturally reached out to grab mine, and I felt the warmth of her touch, like a spring breeze, melting my frozen fingers.

“…Yeah.”

Thanks to that warmth, the anxiety I had about our relationship being ruined over this whole situation melted away like snow.

“Is that a cake?”

“Yeah, I bought it on the way here.”

“Nice. We can eat it with some drinks.”

Sehee’s voice softly echoed as she casually spoke about light things—like how she had some good wine at home, and there were plenty of snacks in the fridge we could nibble on.

When I stole a glance up at her, her face was peaceful, and it gave me a sense of relief.

Maybe that’s why.

‘If I apologize… she’ll probably forgive me.’

I thought, if I apologize sincerely, she would definitely forgive me.

Of course, that wasn’t my goal, but the cake I was holding was also a form of an apology.

***

After we chatted for a while, the tension inside me began to loosen.

Perhaps because of that, a new feeling started blooming within me.

It wasn’t a deep emotion but simple curiosity.

I had been invited to her house before, but at that time, there was no casual, disheveled side of her that you would typically see at home.

We had stayed the night and had a little mishap in the morning, but other than that, she surprisingly maintained a neat appearance.

Dayoung briefly wondered.

‘What would Sehee be like at home?’

A private space, unlike the public face she always showed outside.

Despite my intention to apologize, I couldn’t help but feel a flutter of excitement.

“Here we are.”

The destination wasn’t far.

Sehee and Dayoung arrived at a villa building.

It seemed relatively new, with an impressive size and a stylish look.

“This is….”

‘Her house?’

I wondered how she managed to afford a place like this in Gangnam, considering the real estate prices are sky-high.

‘Is her family wealthy?’

She did use luxury, limited-edition devices, so maybe that explained it.

‘But how did she manage to make all this money?’

It had been ten years since she left Earth after her hero days.

Moreover, her identity and appearance had changed, so it was hard to assume she had any remaining wealth.

“What are you doing? Come inside.”

Sehee’s urging broke me out of my thoughts.

Well, I would have a chance to ask her about it later.

Then…

“Excuse me.”

I stepped forward, crossing the threshold.

“Phew, damn it. I thought I was going to die from frustration… Yes.”

“Huh?”

As I entered the house, I felt a bit awkward from the complaint that popped out of Pepe’s mouth, who had jumped out of my bag with a ‘pyo-ron’ sound.

”What’s going on?”

I thought for about five seconds before I realized the cause.

It was a bit of a blow to my pride, but still.

“Hey, don’t talk like that.”

“Damn it, I just got hit…ugh!”

A straight punch hit my face.

Leaving Pepe, who had collapsed like a wilted mosquito on the floor, I turned my head toward Da-young.

Based on her behavior so far, I knew Pepe wouldn’t change her tone voluntarily. There must have been some external stimulus or pressure for this change.

It was clearly related to Da-young. After all, the two of them were inseparable.

“What happened?”

“Umm…”

She hesitated.

“Ah…”

She twitched.

“Well…”

She fidgeted.

“Sit down for now. I’ll get some snacks.”

I stood still, knowing that we wouldn’t get anywhere just by standing here.

Whatever it was, it probably wasn’t something she’d casually talk about.

It must be something she felt was difficult to bring up while sober.

If you asked me how to get her to open up, the answer was clear.

“Did you eat?”

“Kind of. How about you?”

“I also just grabbed something. Should we cut the cake now?”

“I’ll help.”

I waved my hand to dismiss her offer.

I couldn’t just have her do all the work, especially since she was the guest in my house.

“Wow.”

When I opened the packaging, I saw that the cake Da-young had bought was a dark chocolate one.

Surprisingly large.

This type of cake usually didn’t have a very divisive taste, but chocolate? I couldn’t resist that.

I set everything up with some white wine I had, and it looked pretty decent.

Sitting across from her, I filled our glasses, and Da-young immediately took a sip.

‘Was she thirsty, or was it her heart that was dry?’

Either way, she probably needed something to celebrate.

“Another glass?”

“Yeah. By the way, if I pass out from drinking, is that okay?”

“Of course.”

She nodded, giving her consent, and without a glance at the cut cake, she emptied her glass in one go.

Seeing her like this, I realized today was the day I’d finally get to the bottom of it.

She hadn’t acted like this earlier today while we were preparing for the broadcast, so what had happened in between?

Drinking wine by herself, Da-young suddenly looked around.

Her cheeks, flushed from the alcohol, looked like ripe fruit.

“Wow, you live in a nice place. Is it rented?”

“No? It’s my house. The entire building.”

“What? How?”

“Well… it’s from my warrior pension.”

After defeating the Demon King in another world and saving the world, the goddess had rewarded me with her favor.

Thanks to that, I was able to adapt to society with an identity and wealth that allowed me to live without any shortages, even in this world.

The items I brought back from the other world were sold off, except for my warrior gear and the holy sword, which were disposed of because they didn’t really have a use here on Earth.

I casually spun the story and packaged it as a gift from the goddess.

Then…

***

“Hey, Pepe, damn it.”

After hearing all of it, Da-young exploded like a volcano ready to erupt.

“Why, why…?”

“Why didn’t I get a reward like that? I had also struggled for at least two years, not ten. Shouldn’t I at least get ten million?”

“Right?”

Pepe, seeing Da-young’s fiery demeanor, flailed in a comical manner.

Oh, I could clearly see the mentality from the other world.

“Has she finally lost it? That goddess from the other world is the weird one. A warrior working for no pay is the norm… Cough!”

“Hey! This is why warriors fall from grace! Do you understand?!”

It seemed like she was going to go on a rampage about the curse of the Demon King.

Seeing Da-young shaking Pepe by the neck, I felt a sense of urgency to stop her before things got worse.

“Da-young, stop for a second.”

“That’s not… Ugh!”

I forcibly shoved a piece of chocolate cake into her mouth.

Naturally, it went down without a problem.

“Swallow it quickly or just spit it out. What are you staring at?”

“… One bite.”

With a slight tear in her eyes, she still asked for another bite, like a little chick?

“When you’re stressed, eat something sweet. Drink some alcohol too. You’ll feel better.”

Without answering, Da-young grabbed the cake on the fork and quickly devoured it.

‘Really, like a baby bird?’

“Da-young, you’ll be a great streamer, so don’t worry too much. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Now, I’m only on my first day as a streamer.”

“Yeah, 6,000 viewers on my first broadcast.”

“Ugh.”

Her teasing wasn’t the first time she’d done it.

She really had that mischievous side to her.

Well, seeing her like this, I thought the atmosphere had calmed down.

Perhaps it was the effect of the alcohol or the bittersweet chocolate cake, but once the ice was broken, the words started flowing.

“Do you know why I wanted to meet today?”

Da-young seemed ready to bring up the topic.

‘What could it be? What happened?’

I shook my head, signaling I didn’t know, and Da-young emptied the last of her wine before closing her eyes tightly.

“I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I almost ruined your broadcast today.”

“Huh?”

“Wasn’t the broadcast going well?”

Now, I was the one starting to feel uneasy.

“What happened? Tell me in more detail.”

“Well, actually…”

What came out of Da-young’s mouth was quite a surprising story.

I couldn’t believe it.

The Gold Sun Frog that had been the target of the mission earlier turned out to be Pepe.

Naming sense, really…

“It’s all my fault. I’m really sorry. If I’d trained Pepe properly, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Da-young apologized, bowing her head, while Pepe just rolled her eyes and avoided looking at anyone.

I’ve seen this before.

It’s like the owner apologizing for their pet’s bad behavior.

Well, it was awkward, but honestly, I didn’t mind this situation much.

After all, the mission would have been canceled even if the price had skyrocketed.

”I’m not in a situation where money is tight.”

What Da-young had feared, the broadcast going awry, wasn’t going to happen.

Besides, I didn’t think this situation was bad for me at all.

Seeing her apologize like this made me think, “I can really trust Da-young. I can rely on her.”

Even though it might seem like a strange way to think, it felt like a good bond was forming.

I could tell Da-young was troubled by this situation, but if she knew how much it comforted me, I wonder how she would react.

”She’d probably hate it.”

Well, I had long forgotten about Pepe’s little mishap.

I gently smiled, thinking I should support the little warrior in front of me.

There was no real disaster here.

Pepe’s actions were just a misunderstanding, and in the end, it was for Da-young.

I shouldn’t be too concerned.

“It’s okay, don’t be so upset.”

”I hope she doesn’t.”

“Da-young…”

Her large eyes shimmered, like a moon about to fall, and I patted her head.

After the atmosphere calmed down, I smiled and said, “Alright, let’s end it here. You and I should clear up our feelings, okay?”

“Thank you. Thank you for accepting my apology.”

Maybe because she’d let go of some of the weight on her heart, Da-young’s face looked much brighter.

It was good to see her smile.

‘But why was Pepe so quiet?’

Looking at that gloomy frog who was quietly eating the cake, I remembered my earlier question and asked again.

“Is Pepe change in tone because of this?”

“Yeah. I’m trying to fix it for real this time.”

“Mm.”

She hadn’t said a word since.

I was tempted to stop her, but unlike Da-young, it seemed like Pepe definitely needed more training.

It was probably fine to leave it like this.