Chapter 217 – The Witch and the Winter Sea (2)

“Put the carrier here.”

“Ah, thank you…”

Grab the carrier and put it in the space below. After shaking off my knees, sitting down and waiting, an announcement comes from the speaker.

[Hello customers, our train is a high-speed train going to Gangneung Station.]

“Taeho, first time riding a KTX…? Me, first time riding a KTX…”

“I’ll try it first too.”

“It’s your first time…?”

Seol-Ah’s face instantly turns bright.

[Our flight attendants will do their best to ensure that customers can travel comfortably. Welcome aboard the KTX bound for Gangneung…]

“Then, I’m ahead of my girlfriend.”

“Huh?”

“Hi-Hi.”

Seol-ah smiles and takes my hand. Her dark, rusty eyes stare at me. A little scary. The announcement in English ended, followed by instructions in Chinese and Japanese. The train starts to depart.

“Please, just treat a man as a friend.”

“It doesn’t matter if Taeho doesn’t see me as a member of the opposite sex…”

“What?”

“Because I’ll make it…”

Seol-A puts my hand on her heart with hearts floating in her eyes. Her heartbeat is transmitted as she beats vigorously.

“I know everything Taeho will say… Find another man, or he will say that he has no feelings beyond friendship…”

She hit the spot No, but I don’t have anything to say other than that… To be honest, except for Seolah, Lee Jegana, and Han Yerin, everyone is in an ambiguous position. The reality is that the goal of ‘catching Fenrir’ and the two conflicting goals of ‘my girlfriend hates me extremely’ conflict, so I can’t do either.

There, Seol-ah is even special to me.

It’s the first ‘friend’ I made at the academy, so there are things like this because I don’t want to fall out. That’s how Seol-ah was precious to me.

So, the ‘best option’ I chose was ‘stay as a friend’…

“It’s a mistake to have already come to play with me, Taeho… This is an obvious ‘affair’… Because I love Taeho.”

I don’t think I’ll ever be able to succeed. Seol-Ah’s gripped her hand gets stronger.

“So why don’t you just give up and go out with me right now? I, I… Except for not being human, I’m more perfect than my girlfriend…”

“No.”

The fact that I came to play with Seol-ah itself was ‘infidelity’, but no. Even if I don’t want to go, I’ll force you to come anyway. When I saw Seol-ah’s condition yesterday, if I hadn’t brought her out, ‘another big thing’ would have happened.

“Taeho doesn’t have a choice. I’ll definitely make it later… Okay?”

“Do whatever you want…”

Now that I’m used to it, I don’t react too much to these words.

“I’m going to make a deep love all day today… Look forward to it.”

Same word as this…

Seol-ah puts on her perfect expression. When I saw her smiling brightly and cutely, it was Seol-ah as usual. She’s the same except she looks a lot more excited than usual.

“It takes two hours to get there? Do you want something to eat in the meantime…?”

“Oh right. You said you brought a packed lunch.”

“Yeah, wait a minute…”

I open the suitcase and take out a black lunch box the size of my palm. When she grabbed it, it was still hot, and the luxurious material looked very expensive.

“Did you buy this lunch box?”

“Ugh… I spent a little money… This has a warming effect, so it stays warm even if you put it in for a long time…”

The lid was studded with intaglios of the holy light. Seong-gwang’s lunch box would be a bit expensive.

“Open it once, Tae-ho…”

“Uh.”

When you open the lid, steam gushes out. The subtle scent of rice and chicken tickles your nose.

“Fried rice?”

“Yeah, it’s fried rice made with chicken…”

It is said that soy sauce chicken is used as a base, rice is added, and oyster sauce is added and stir-fried. Just looking at the chin, it looked delicious enough to salivate.

“Oh, and there’s one more…”

“What else is there?”

“Then of course… Taeho has a big stomach. You can’t finish it with just one boxed lunch…”

Then, he pulls out another identical lunch box.

“How is it? Tofu sushi…!”

Seol-ah opens the lid of the lunchbox with a hint of anticipation. The inside was filled with tofu sushi of the right size.

“Even if I’m wrong with other foods, tofu sushi is good… Taehoyah… How is it? It looks delicious…”

The unique sour smell of tofu sushi stung my nose. Having prepared this much, skipping breakfast was a godsend. It’s not as good as the 5-cheop lunch box brought by Han Ye-rin, but this is enough for breakfast.

“I’ll eat well.”

“Have a good meal…? It’s because I worked hard to make it…”

Seol-ah hands over a spoon and chopsticks. What would you do if you just took it like this…

“Ah, Seol-ah. That’s right, I brought that.”

“Yes?”

“Now, here. If you’re hungry too, eat this.”

Give Seol-ah a small magic stone. It’s nothing else, it’s a magic stone that Seol-ah always collects little by little out of pity because whenever she eats something, she falls backwards because she’s a monster.

“Oh, thank you…”

Seol-ah’s cheeks turn red.

“I’ll keep it for the rest of my life…”

‘I gave it to you to eat.’

Whether she knows my heart or not, she carefully keeps the magic stone I gave her and puts it in her pocket. Now I have to eat slowly.

“Oh.”

“How is it? M, is it delicious?”

It was so delicious beyond imagination.

When I nod her head, Seol-ah smiles brightly. It’s a taste that makes my tongue happy enough that even I, who don’t like very greasy things, nod my head on my own. The first spoonful was delicious, so it didn’t take long to empty the lunch box.

“I ate well.”

“I still have tofu sushi left…”

“Ah.”

When I opened the lid of the bento box, there was a piece of sushi that could easily pass 15.

“I’ll eat well.”

“Ugh… Hehe.”

Tofu sushi was quickly emptied. My stomach was full when I ate the last one.

‘It’s my customized lunch box.’

I glance down at Seol-ah. She knew me so well that it gave Seol-ah a little goosebumps. You know the size of your stomach, how far do you know?

“Taeho, the sun is coming in this way. Can I close the curtains for a moment…?”

“Huh.”

“Thank you…”

Seol-ah whimpers and pulls the curtains down. The sun that covered her face died in a flash. As she finishes eating, the drowsiness gradually sets in.

“I need to stand up for a while. I’m a little tired.”

“I knew that, so I brought this…”

Seol-ah takes something out of her suitcase again. Her neck pillow and sleeping patch are held in my hand.

“Thank you.”

“Huh… Gwa, it’s okay…”

As I smile and say thank you, Seol-Ah avoids her gaze with her cheeks blushing. Putting on her neck pillow and covering her eyes with her black sleep mask, she gradually loses consciousness.

*

*

*

“Tae-ho, Tae-ho… We’ve arrived…”

Seol-ah shakes me with her small hand to wake me up. The train, which had been running for two hours, was preparing to stop ahead of its destination.

“Have you already arrived…?”

“Ugh… Let’s get off now… Shall we get him up…?”

“No it’s okay.”

I wave my hands and get up from my seat. After taking out the carrier instead and getting off the train, the quick wind wakes me from sleepiness.

“Did you sleep well…? Didn’t wake up when I touched you in the middle…”

“Yeah. It’s a bit refreshing.”

I feel like my aching body has been released. I fasten the buttons on her coat and carry Seol-ah’s carrier instead.

“Again, again…?”

Seol-ah looks at her with a slightly apologetic look. She says it’s okay and unzips her carrier and puts her neck pillow that was worn around her neck, along with her sleeping mask.

“I gave you food. It doesn’t matter because I have enough strength.”

“Okay… Huh… Seriously, he’s so kind, it’s hard to breathe…”

“What?”

“No, no no…”

This time, Seol-ah shakes her head. Under the clear sky, the low sunlight caressed the back of her hand and around her neck. It was warm enough, but probably because it was winter, the cold wind coming from the next batter made the backs of my hands feel cold.

Then, the back of her hand warms up.

“Hold your hand…”

Seol-ah, who was hesitant, grabbed my hand and didn’t let go. Between her excitement and anticipation, there was such emotion in her eyes as she looked up at me.

‘I can’t shake it off anyway.’

As she nodded, her eyes lit up and her face lit up.

“Me too, I’m used to it now… Yes, I’m not as excited as I used to be…”

“…”

“Nevertheless, good.”

Seol-ah, smiling bashfully, sneaks up next to me. Her strong heartbeat passed through her hands.

“I-I guess it’s because I couldn’t refuse this after all… But I’m really happy, right? Even after doing that, it’s proof that Taeho hasn’t gotten far…”

Seol-ah rubs my hand.

“Let’s not fall from now on, Taeho… Hehe.”

Seol-ah, standing still, rubs her head against me. Because of her short stature, her head touched near her navel.

“…Then shall we go up now?”

“Okay, let’s go…”

Seol-ah holds her hand tightly and rides her escalator. Even Seol-ah knows her. She realizes that this is what she was half forced into. She says she’s happy though, so it doesn’t matter.

Because I have a somewhat harmful side to Seol-ah. The title of being the first friend she made at the academy was considerable. It’s this way she doesn’t want to be far away.

But she’s a friend forever. There were no more emotions.

This was the difference between me and Seol-ah. It’s probably impossible even if I die to close this gap.

“It’s very wide…”

Seol-ah admires a little. When she climbed up, the ceiling plummeted high, like an airport. Nearby was a convenience store and cafe, and on the other side was a storage room and a ticket office.

“Let’s go outside.”

She leads Seol-ah and goes outside.

The sun, higher in the sky, was scattering its light across the earth.

The gusts of wind turned the branches of the trees into skinny ones, and the snow that fell instead of the leaves piled up and was trampled on by people’s feet. There was a strange sculpture at Gangneung Station when I came out and looked at it, in the form of a blue snake coiling around an iron ball.

“What is this…”

“I don’t know either.”

It is called ‘Gangneung Embracing the Sun’, but I don’t know if there was something wrong.

“Shall we go to the sea right away?”

“Let’s stop by somewhere… We have to go to the winter sea last…”

Seol-ah holds my hand tightly and heads for the bus stop. Today, I did not come to play for 2 days and 1 night. I’m just going back after playing for a day, but I think Carrier gave me too much energy.

‘…Huh?’

Something.

I have a strange feeling. The lower part of the body is slightly… No.

“Then where are you going?”

“Let’s go to Gyeongpo Lake Plaza first…”

‘It’s right next to Gyeongpo Beach.’

Sit at the bus stop and wait for the 202-1 bus. After waiting for about 5 minutes, the light green bus stops at the bus stop.

“Give me the carrier.”

“Oh, thank you…”

I take Seol-ah’s suitcase and get on the seat. There were few people. When she sits at the far end, Seol-ah takes the seat next to me.

“It will take about 20 minutes…”

“Okay.”

Seol-ah nods her head and leans her head against her window. Perhaps because of her small size, she was so different that from a distance, she could be mistaken for her father and her daughter.

“When I get there, I’ll show you something fun…”

While Seol-ah said that, she opened the suitcase.

“This is a bit expensive…?”

What Seol-ah took out was a camera. Also, the cherry blossom symbol is impressive.

“Is that why it was heavy?”

“Ugh… I like this better than taking pictures with my cell phone… I bought some…”

“What?”

No kidding, it would be expensive.

A short prime lens will be really, really expensive if you add a DSLR 60-200mm lens, 14-24mm lens, tripod, battery, and camera body to the basics. Even that ‘Kawa Group’ one, it must be more expensive.

‘I’d rather rent it.’

“Arin gave me some money…”

“Ah.”

Then it’s fine.

I nod my head abruptly. Coincidentally, I had a lot of friends with crazy money.

“I’m going to take a lot of pictures with this…”

“Yes, yes.”

As Seol-ah insists, she says. Seol-ah smiles as she nods her head in agreement.

[This stop is Gangneung Olympic Park. The next stop is Gangneung National Sports Center.]

One person gets on the bus.

After talking for a while with a camera, a voice I heard for the first time interrupted.

“Huh? Kim Tae-ho’s older brother.”

Huh?

When I turned my head towards the sound, a child about a head taller than Seol-ah was looking at me.

Overall impression like an arctic fox.

Pure white hair down to the side. Light brown eyes. A woman with fairly large breasts, a thin waist, and a bewitchingly large silence followed was approaching me.

“…Who?”

Seol-ah is wary and puts her camera in her camera bag. Then he puts his arm around my arm and gives me strength.

“Oppa, that’s right! He often appears on TV! Hee hee.”

“Uh…”

Who are you?

A strange girl running with her rifle suddenly sits down next to me. Seol-ah’s eyebrows twitch and twist. The sudden attack fills her head with confusion for a moment.

“Who are you…?”

“Me? A fan of Kim Tae-ho oppa who came to Gangneung to play! The person next to me is a friend? Ah, it’s Seol-ah Han! You’re Seol-ah, right?”

“Don’t cling to Taeho.”

Seol-ah widens her eyes and warns the unknown girl who was leaning next to me. As I try to drop it with my help, the girl smiles.

“Who are you to suddenly cut in between us? Taeho, come here for a second… Get away from her.”

“What is your name?”

As Seol-ah said, he falls away from her side. Second of all, it’s embarrassing and dangerous. If Seol-ah goes on a rampage, her body won’t be able to return safely.

“Kim So-jin! Wait a minute oppa…”

Then first.

It clings to my arms and starts to smell it.

“What, what the fuck…!”

“Sup, haa… As expected, it smells good…”

She forcibly grabbed Kim So-jin’s shoulder and tried to pull it off, but her strength was so strong that she couldn’t even dream of it.

“You.”

The commotion ended quickly.

“Ah, ah, okay… I’m going to fall.”

This is because Seol-Ah put on a terrifying expression and aimed at So-Jin Kim with dozens of her magic formulas. Magic strong enough to make your flesh tremble with just one.

Seol-ah is on the verge of bursting.

She couldn’t even salivate at the fear that climbed up her skin.

“I don’t know why you’re here. What’s your name? Why are you suddenly doing that?”

“Uh… Seol-ah sister?”

“‘Sister Seol-ah?’

Seol-ah glares at Kim So-jin with full of blood.

“If you don’t get off at the next station, I’ll tear her body apart right away and throw it as fish food in the East Sea. This is the last warning. You’ve crossed her line. You.”

“Ah, okay…”

Kim So-jin shriveled up and averted her gaze. What kind of bullshit are you?

“Get off.”

“Yes…”

Kim So-jin gets off the bus in a hurry. Kim So-jin, who had not taken her eyes off me until the last moment, turns her head as the bus departs.

“How…”

“Whoa… Annoying, annoying, annoying better…”

Seol-Ah, full of her anger, gets on her knees and punches her fist. Seol-ah is now a kettle bubbling beyond her smoke point. She had to calm down.

“You have to stand-“

“Stay still, Taeho… You can’t do this.”

“Huh?”

Seol-ah immediately puts the magic ceremony on her hand and scatters my body.

“What are you doing?”

“You’ve got that bitch’s smell. You have to erase everything.”

It was a very, extremely strong cleansing magic.

Her cool and refreshing feeling filled her whole body, and finally all the smell disappeared. She feels like a colorless, odorless, invisible person.

“Whoa… I’m calming down a bit now… That motherfucker.”

I’ll kill you next time we meet.

“…”

Seol-ah grinds her teeth far and wide.

“Yeah, you have to stand…”

“Yes?”

“It was a bit extreme, but… Thank you for taking it off. It’s all thanks to you.”

You need to calm down right now.

When I stroked her hair saying she did well, her distorted expression quickly eased up.

“Ehehe…”

“But let’s not kill them…? I beg you, please.”

“Oh, don’t kill me… I just tried it…”

‘It doesn’t seem like it at all.’

There was sincerity in those words.

“Can I stick with you for a bit…?”

Can not help it.

I nod her head, and Seol-ah clings to my arms like the woman she just did, and she rubs herself against her body.

“Like this, could it be…”

All the tension that was soaring to the extreme is released. He stroked Seol-ah’s head without saying anything.

I guess it took about 10 more minutes. Destination is visible.

“Everyone is here. Let’s get off and stand up.”

“Ugh, wait…”

Seol-ah frantically puts the tripod into her carrier and slings her camera bag over her shoulder. When the bus arrives at the stop, get up. She feels upset

“…Huh?”

“Why, why, Tae-ho?”

“No, nothing.”

Strangely, the lower part of the body is hot.

“It takes about 10 minutes to walk… Let’s go, Taeho.”

Seol-ah holds my hand tightly and walks along the sidewalk.