Chapter 176 – Surprisingly Similar to My Ideal Type
“…Annoying.”
“What?”
“It’s just annoying to think that you’re looking at me.”
What a forced excuse.
With alcohol in her system, Baekdo has a slightly haggard expression and puffs air into her cheeks. She’s wearing dolphin pants and sitting with her legs crossed on the chair. Though she’s strong, her stature isn’t that big, allowing her to maintain this posture.
Baekdo gazed at my face and took a sip of her drink.
What could she be thinking?
Her eyes, more relaxed than before, scanned my body from head to toe before she removed her rosy lips from the opening of the beer can.
“…Whew. I think I know what that feels like.”
Perhaps she feels the same way as I do.
I went into the kitchen, fetched a beer glass, and mixed soju and beer.
Holding out the glass, I urged Baekdo, who hesitated for a moment before quietly handing me her beer can.
“Drinking makes me feel lighter.”
“…It does.”
“How great would it have been if it had always been like this? What’s with that darned water costume?”
“…I hate water costumes.”
“Why?”
-Clink-
It wasn’t the lively sound of glass colliding, but the aluminum and glass made a crisp sound in their own way as they clashed.
Baekdo emptied the beer can into her mouth, then exhaled her remaining breath with a satisfied sigh.
Her lips curled into a slight smile, as if in a good mood.
“…A long time ago, I fell into a river while trying to pick peaches.”
“Oh, an old story? Is it from when you were a child?”
“Yes.”
Could it be that there was a reason for her peculiar aversion to water peaches?
I continued to sip my drink and listened attentively to White Peach’s story.
It’s always enjoyable to hear about the unknown past of someone I know.
“So you fell into the river? What happened?”
White Peach handed me another beer, her face flushed from inebriation.
I opened the beer and placed it into her hand.
“…That’s it.”
“That’s it?”
“The peaches I was trying to pick at the time were water peaches. That’s why I dislike them.”
“…”
“Hey! And it’s true that water peaches don’t taste good!”
Upon seeing my pitiful gaze, White Peach let out a loud, embarrassed cry.
It was adorable how she covered her mouth with the beer cans held in both hands.
Her small face, partially concealed by the beer can, was also a charming sight.
“Just out of curiosity… What made you fond of firm peaches?”
“Because they’re delicious.”
“Kehehe. You’re just like Master White Peach.”
– Glug glug.
Sipping the drink and savoring a piece of sweet and salty bulgogi, White Peach had been continuously gazing at my face while drinking.
“Is it okay to drink?”
As I teased her, White Peach raised her voice, sounding embarrassed, and made a jesting remark.
“Ahem. This third-rank disciple’s face… it’s, um, easy to drink with.”
“Of course. This face, with its painted features… no, wait. It’s my original face now, so I suppose I didn’t really benefit from the status window.”
“…What a strange thing to say. Your ugly times are still vivid in my memory. What do you mean, ‘your original face’?”
“Well, you know~ there’s always something like that.”
– Gulp.
After each exchange of conversation, we would sip our drinks, hold our breaths, and let out a sound. Our actions were so similar that others might find it amusing if they saw us.
“Here. Hurry.”
White Peach pulled out another can of beer and handed it to me.
“Aren’t you drinking quite a bit today?”
“…So what? It’s the last one.”
“True, it is.”
Click- As the drink was opened, Baekdo coolly took three sips of beer.
Then, placing the beer down on the desk with a hearty laugh, a cute burp escaped her lips as if the alcohol was rising.
“Oops…”
Unaware of her own actions, she blushed and covered her mouth with the back of her hand.
The back of her hand bore severe scars.
Now that I thought about it, those were the wounds I couldn’t heal because my powers had depleted at the time.
“That wound. How did it happen?”
“Didn’t you say you didn’t need to know?”
“Shall I guess?”
Even if she didn’t remember me, her memories of the past itself likely hadn’t changed much.
Baekdo chuckled and popped a side dish into her mouth. Chewy squid strips, something I also enjoyed.
“Go ahead and try. Even if it’s just a guess, it’ll probably be lame~”
I raised my index finger and spoke with an air of seriousness.
“Did you get injured by a sword while trying to protect Sister Hwangdo?”
“…!”
White Peach’s eyes widened in surprise. She was so startled that her jaw dropped open, revealing the bright red squid strips she had been chewing on.
“And that happened during an invasion by external enemies, right? Do-won? It was there.”
“…”
“Uh-uh, close your mouth or the grotesque thing you’re chewing will spill out.”
“Phew, what a hideous thing!”
White Peach hurriedly closed her mouth, swallowed the squid, and then downed a mouthful of beer. She then shot me a subtle glare, seemingly displeased with my assumption.
“So, am I right?”
“…No.”
Trying to save face, I see.
I raised both hands and shrugged my shoulders. White Peach, visibly annoyed, set down her beer can and furrowed her brow.
“Yes, yes. Of course.”
“Well, who are you to jump to conclusions!”
Surprisingly, I know quite a bit.
It was Baekdo who had wept, rubbing her eyes on my clothes. And it was Baekdo who had urged me, worried that Cheondo would take over the Heavenly Demon’s position.
Of course, there was a reason I brought up the topic.
I held out my right hand and said to Baekdo,
“Give me your hand.”
“…Why?”
“Come on, just give it to me when I ask.”
“I don’t want to. I hate holding hands with an idiot like you. You’re just going to sexually harass me like last time. You think I don’t know that? Imbecile.”
“Ugh… Just give it to me, already.”
“…I said no!”
Suddenly, with a snap.
Baekdo, who had been screaming, became powerless when her hand was finally grabbed. If she was going to be caught anyway, she should have simply given in from the start. It was somewhat fortunate that her hatred for me had lessened by three degrees, thanks to the alcohol she had consumed.
Slowly, I began to draw power into my fingers. Soon, green energy flowed from my index finger.
“…”
I placed it on her palm.
Erasing scars would have been impossible with my former abilities, but now that I’ve endured more than a hundred instances of torment and near-death at the hands of the Heavenly Demon, it’s entirely possible.
“…What? Magic? It’s useless. Back then, it contained a curse.”
“Alright. I’ll give it a try anyway.”
“…Really.”
Ignoring White Peach’s words, she shivers as her lips tremble. She chews on her lower lip and murmurs to herself in a faint voice.
“…Why is this happening, really?”
As she gently brushes her fingers over the scar, White Peach lets out a soft snort. She tenderly strokes the end of the long, torn wound, infusing her power to transform the underlying tissue like new. The hairless scar, now slightly discolored, appears as a blemish on her otherwise beautiful and flawless hand.
“That’s enough. I appreciate the sentiment, so please remove your hand quickly.”
“Hehe. Hmph. Don’t you trust me?”
“How can I trust you, you scoundrel!”
-Swish-
A scar that slowly begins to heal.
Should I describe it as healing? The discolored skin tissue clears up so neatly that one might believe it’s just an overlay.
“…Huh?”
White Peach swallowed an empty breath.
The unsightly spot on the back of her hand vanished, and before long, her skin returned to a pristine white, with fine hairs sprouting anew. It now looked even softer and more beautiful. Stroking her delicate fingers, the back of her hand, and her palm in turn, I chuckled and told her:
“It works.”
To be honest, I had felt a bit of regret for not being able to treat her at that time. It had been a fifty-fifty gamble on my part. It seems that my healing ability has grown significantly.
“…Stop touching me!”
White Peach, with a heightened tone, pulled her hand away and stared at it blankly. She swept the back of her hand with her own fingers as if she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. She held her hand close to her nose to verify it several times.
“…Ah.”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?”
“…It’s incredible. It was a scar that would have lasted a lifetime.”
Baekdo, still fumbling with her hands, lowered them under the table after repeating her voice of surprise.
“I heard even a moron has a redeeming quality.”
Harsh words.
But I understand. That’s how Baekdo has always been.
If I had said I was moved by this, I might have felt foolish.
I lifted my glass again.
“So? Was my prediction wrong?”
“…I don’t know.”
Baekdo pursed her lips. Strangely, she looked quite innocent.
She glared at me several times, then sighed and raised her beer can.
Cheers as is.
Beer foam flowed and fell onto the table, but even that created a relaxed atmosphere.
“……”
Gulp. Gulp.
Intoxication fills with ambition. After a long time, I’m excited too.
Perhaps it’s because I’m gradually adapting to living in the present, moving on from the past.
“It’s strange.”
“Huh?”
Baekdo tilted her head as she alternated between looking at her beer can and me.
“…I don’t usually drink much.”
“Really? But you do when you’re with me.”
“That’s why it’s strange, you idiot.”
“…”
Perhaps she’s a little more drunk than before.
Her manner of speaking gradually reverted to the old White Peach, and the sense of teasing became more pronounced.
Could it be she’s becoming more honest…?
“…Except for when I drank heavily after the leader and my father died, I don’t drink because it annoys me every time.”
“Ah, an old story. Who’s the leader…? Never mind, let’s not discuss it since it’s a sensitive topic.”
“Right.”
“So, why do you drink with me?”
“I don’t know. Didn’t you hear me when I said it was strange earlier?”
I heard her. But isn’t that why it’s strange?
At my question, White Peach’s flushed cheeks grew even redder.
“…Oddly enough, when I drink with you, it goes down a bit smoother.”
“…Really?”
“Yes. It’s strange.”
I took a sip and thought to myself.
‘The leader is dead?’
It doesn’t show up like that in my status window.
Is it a disguise of death? Or perhaps… the World Tree has played its tricks again and the memories have been forged.
Later, as my memory returned, I found out what I had intended to ask while inebriated.
‘Well, that’s that.’
For now, let’s focus on the present and enjoy a drink while observing reality. I comforted the puzzled White Peach and raised my glass once more.
“It’s nice when the drink goes down smoothly. From now on, when you want to drink, you can join me.”
“…Mm. No thanks.”
“Why not?”
“When I drink with you… I don’t know. It’s just kind of irritating.”
“Forget everything and just drink. Come on. Raise your glass, and cheers.”
-Cheers!
White Peach reluctantly takes a sip at my insistence.
“…It’s just annoying. Whenever we drink, you look like a damn dog.”
“A dog? That’s a bit…”
“I don’t know, you jerk.”
Before bringing the beer can to her lips, White Peach grumbled with a sour expression.
“…Thanks anyway.”
In her pure, snow-white eyes, there’s a sharp yet gentle gaze, reminiscent of a tamed husky.
The expansive shirt she donned subtly revealed her undergarments and armpits as she leaned in, intoxicated.
Does she give off a stronger impression of a mysterious girl rather than someone who has lived in Moorim?
White Peach, inebriated… Surprisingly, she closely resembled my ideal type.