Chapter 41: I Fly, I Soar.

Just because my sister was tangled up in some love triangle drama didn’t mean there was anything I could actually do.

I mean, honestly, I’d usually step in for most things—but that kind of thing… yeah, no.

It’s not like my sister’s some clueless pushover either.

I trust that she’ll handle it just fine.

And if things get serious, she’ll definitely call me.

That kind of petty politics?

Just ignore it and move on.

The real problem would be if things got physical…

But come on, no one’s going to start a fight over a love triangle, right?

…Though, you never know.

I wonder how that whole thing will turn out.

The guy pestering my sister is just some pitiful idiot—not worth worrying about.

The real problem is the girl who likes that idiot.

Jealousy is one of the quickest emotions to short-circuit logic.

Seo-ah’s in for a rough time.

I’ll only step in as a last resort.

As long as no one lays a hand on her, I won’t get involved.

It’s not like my sister cares what people say behind her back anyway.

She’s got nerves of steel.

Whether someone’s gossiping or politicking.

As long as it doesn’t directly affect her, she just lets it roll off.

Still, you never know how deep the bottom of the barrel really goes.

Who knows what kind of twisted blend of jealousy and pettiness might show itself?

The one scenario where she would blow up is if someone messes with someone she cares about.

She and I are different in almost every way.

But when it comes to that, we’re exactly the same.

I’m sure she has at least one friend she’s close with.

If someone targets that friend…

Well, I’ll be offering prayers for them.

Hopefully it never comes to that.

Can’t believe I’m watching my sister get dragged into some love drama.

Honestly, how blind do you have to be to fall for someone like that?

After a hectic week, the day finally arrived.

Activity time.

The paragliding trip organized by Yu Han-gyeol.

And so, here we were, all packed into a car heading to Danyang, Chungbuk.

Naturally, Han-gyeol was the one driving.

I just sat in the passenger seat.

Technically, I didn’t even need to ride in the car.

But this is the kind of stuff that makes trips fun.

Blasting music, joking around in the car… it’s unexpectedly enjoyable.

When I travel with people I’m not close with, I just plug in my earphones and tune out.

But when I’m with friends, there’s no need to overthink.

I can talk about whatever, however I want.

And that’s when I become a chatterbox too.

“My little sister’s giving me a headache these days.”

“Your sister? Why?”

“I dunno. She got caught up in some weird love triangle.”

“Love triangle…?”

“You know those posts you see on online communities, right? Like, there’s a guy who likes a girl, but she’s not into him and keeps her distance, But then there’s another girl who likes him—classic mess.”

“Ah… yeah, I know the type. And your sister’s in that kind of situation right now?”

“Yup. I was gonna ignore it like usual, but… I’ve got this weird bad feeling about it.”

“But isn’t that the kind of thing you can’t really do anything about?”

“Exactly. That’s why it’s giving me a headache.”

“Won’t the girl just pretend not to notice and move on?”

“I mean, I think she’ll do that too. But love triangle dramas always end up being the absolute worst kind of mess.”

“Dude, are you a siscon or something?”

“Where the hell did that come from?”

“You’re totally acting like a worried big brother.”

“I’m not worried about her. I’m worried about the poor souls who might mess with her. My sister still counts as someone in my circle, so she’s under protection.”

“‘Under protection’…?”

“Yup. Oh right—you guys haven’t gotten yours yet. Here, take these.”

I said that and handed them the brooches.

“What are these brooches?”

“They’ll protect you in case something happens. That’s what I’m worried about.
If anyone tries to hurt someone wearing one of these. What’s hiding inside will come out and… put the attacker into cardiac arrest.”

“…Cardiac arrest? What even is this thing? Where’d you get it?”

“I’m the head of the Eradication Agency, remember? There’s a vampire in our agency who works with me—this is her power.”

“Damn, that’s terrifying… So that’s why you were so worried? In case someone innocent gets taken out by accident?”

“Exactly.”

“Then… maybe it’s best to just let it play out. They’ll probably fight among themselves and settle it eventually.”

“Probably, yeah?”

“And seriously, do you think anyone with a brain would mess with your sister They’d have to be completely out of their mind.”

“…You’re not wrong.”

“So just don’t worry about it. Worst case, they’ll just talk crap behind her back and that’ll be it.”

Han-gyeol, sitting next to me, basically said exactly what I’d been thinking.

Maybe I was being too sensitive…

But yeah, that’s probably how a normal person would react.

But still, that uneasy feeling just wouldn’t go away.

“By the way, what are you actually going to do? Are you going paragliding?”

“I’m just gonna ride it normally.”

“…Why?”

“Think about it. If I spread my wings and start flying around up there, I’d only get in the way of the people actually paragliding. It could get dangerous.”

“…That’s true.”

“Right? So I’ll just behave myself this time. It might even be fun in a different way.”

“Fair enough.”

Leaving that weird vibe behind.

We passed the time listening to music and chatting until, before we knew it, we arrived in Danyang, Chungbuk.

It took about two hours, maybe?

Getting to Danyang wasn’t the end.

It still took a good bit of time to reach the actual paragliding site.

After about another hour.

We finally arrived at the spot by car.

“Ughhh, that was a long ride…!”

“Good job driving.”

“Hey, next time we go somewhere, you guys better get your driver’s licenses, alright? Holding the wheel for over three hours makes you feel like you’re gonna drop dead.”

“I don’t really need a license, though.”

When I mentioned that I don’t need a driver’s license because I have wings,
Yu Han-gyeol’s face turned grim.

“…I swear to God.”

“Okay, okay, don’t give me that look, man. I’ll get one if it bothers you that much. But seriously, why are you only picking on me? Hey—Han Tae-hoon, Jo Min-hyeok, Heo Ji-hwan. Are you guys not getting your licenses?”

“I am getting mine.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get it eventually.”

“I already have mine.”

“Alright then, Min-hyeok, you’re driving on the way back.”

“Dude, come on. Isn’t this your car?”

“Like I care? You’re driving. I’m seriously dead tired.”

“Alright, alright.”

We bickered lightly, soaked in the breathtaking mountain scenery, and made our way to the shop we’d reserved to rent the gear.

After putting on various safety harnesses, reviewing the instructions, and getting all set, we finally changed into paragliding suits.

I didn’t really need any of this gear, but my classmates did.

Well, if they ever end up in danger, I can just swoop in and rescue them, right?

Anyway, as we waited at the launch site, the paragliding instructor arrived.

“Wow, I never thought I’d see the person I watched on TV in real life.”

“Ahaha… Hello.”

“But seriously, what’s a dragon lady doing at a place like this? I mean, you can fly on your own already…”

“I just came along because my classmates wanted to do it. And besides, flying like this feels different from flying on my own.”

“Haha! That’s true, that’s true. By the way, did you sign up for the body cam?”

“I did.”

“You heard the safety explanation earlier, right?”

“Yep.”

“Alright then, Dragon Miss, you’ll be the first to go. Let’s do this!”

Sticking close to the instructor, we ran together toward the gently sloped cliff at the launch point.

Of course, if I went full speed, that’d be a disaster, so I just matched his pace.

Then, we jumped off the cliff.

Flying through the sky via paragliding felt… oddly new.

It was different from when I spread my wings and flew on my own.

It felt like… yeah.

Almost like I was sitting in the sky.

“Wow…”

The wind whipping past my ears felt better than I expected.

No wonder people get hooked on this.

As soon as the paragliding was over, my classmates and I took a group photo.

In the end, pictures are the only real souvenir from a trip like this.

“Man, that was amazing. I definitely want to do it again sometime.”

“Didn’t it feel like you were sitting in the sky?”

“Exactly.”

“That was seriously fun. Totally worth the money.”

“So what now? Should we just head back, or chill at a café for a bit first?”

“We came all the way out here, let’s hang at a café and shoot the breeze. Looks like the view’s great from up there, too.”

“Okay then… let’s hop on that shuttle and head up.”

“Yessir.”

So, after riding the shuttle back up to the mountaintop, we ordered coffee and dessert at a café and chatted endlessly about our paragliding experience.

But then…

Suddenly, I noticed something.

One of the instructors and a participant in the air were moving in an oddly unstable way.

Did they get caught in turbulence?

Before I could even tell the others, I shot up from my seat.

“Huh? What’s up?”

If they stayed like that, they’d crash for sure.

There was no time to explain.

I didn’t even bother answering Min-hyeok’s question.

I just moved—rushing out of the café.

I could feel people’s eyes following me.

But I didn’t have the time or mental space to care about that now.

I immediately spread my wings and flew toward the instructor and participant caught in the turbulence.

The landscape rushed past at dizzying speed.

The two I’d seen earlier were now clearly being tossed around midair, losing control.

It was a terrifying sight.

They had completely lost control.

And worse, there were no trees or anything below to break their fall.

If they hit the ground in this state, they’d die instantly.

Without hesitation, I pushed forward with a burst of speed.

As I got closer, I gradually slowed my approach.

Then caught both of them as they fell.

“Are you okay?”

“H-Huhhh….”

“I… I thought we were dead….”

The instructor and the participant both looked completely out of it.

Well, of course.

They were literally inches away from death just moments ago.

I carried them gently back down and landed at the launch site.

At the very least, they needed solid ground under their feet to calm down.