“Impossible.”
Ji-han muttered as he stepped into the bathroom. No way… Could it really be not?
He stood under the showerhead and turned on the water. He remained motionless for a long while, letting the hot water cascade over his head.
If that person really was Olivia… Then the streamer ‘ExpressBus’ might have simply stated the facts. Without a hint of exaggeration or lie.
“A straight hook…”
No, of course—no matter how handsome, the moment you punch a celebrity in the face, you’re getting hauled to the police station. Ji-han cut off his pointless imagining of Olivia being arrested for assaulting a random passerby and pumped two squirts of shampoo into his palm.
****
– [Guild] InnocentMage: Guild master
– [Guild] InnocentMage: By any chance
– [Guild] Olivia: ?
– [Guild] InnocentMage: It’s nothing
– [Guild] InnocentMage: Sorry, sorry
– [Guild] Olivia: What is it?
– [Guild] Olivia: Tell me.
– [Guild] InnocentMage: No, really, it’s nothing.
– [Guild] InnocentMage: Sorry ㅷㅷ
– [Guild] Olivia: Don’t apologize.
– [Guild] Olivia: Just say whatever you want to say.
– [Guild] Olivia: It’s fine.
– [Guild] Olivia: Don’t feel pressured.
– [Guild] InnocentMage: Yes…
As Ji-han and Olivia’s chat scrolled through the channel, the previously quiet guild members started chattering as if they’d been waiting.
– [Guild] ThereIsAMan: What’s going on? ㅇ,ㅇ What was that just now?
– [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Hmm… this… am I the only one feeling it? ㄹ
– [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: The guild master is… subtly warm towards InnocentMage ㄹ
– [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: MangbungExpert, please give us your thoughts.
– [Guild] MangbungExpert: In my opinion
– [Guild] MangbungExpert: Those two are a married couple.
– [Guild] BlackOfBlack: ♡♡ ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ
– [Guild] MangbungExpert: The children are siblings.
– [Guild] MangbungExpert: The eldest likes reading,
– [Guild] MangbungExpert: and their role model is Isaac Newton.
– [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: That’s enough.
– [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: We’ve heard plenty of your nonsense, MangbungExpert.
– [Guild] MangbungExpert: Yes ㄾ
– [Guild] GodController: ㄹㄹ
– [Guild] ThereIsAMan: ㄹㄹ Hmm but >_< – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: It's true that the guild master favors InnocentMage. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Of course. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: InnocentMage is ranked 2nd in guild damage. – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: Ah;;; Agreed. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Here we must consider... is it really favoritism? – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Or is the reason we get shabby treatment from the guild master because we're actually shabby? ㅇㅜ← – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Don't use the word 'we' so lightly. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: If you're going to use it, – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: I'm tired of hearing 'house deed'!! – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: No, if you're going to say 'we', – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: then vouch for me. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: 'We' are like brothers, aren't we? – [Guild] NoWorkSama: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ Ji-han watched the chat turn chaotic in an instant, then placed his hands on the keyboard. The relaxed atmosphere somehow gave him courage. – [Guild] InnocentMage: Then – [Guild] InnocentMage: Guild master, by any chance – [Guild] InnocentMage: Where do you live? – [Guild] InnocentMage: Don't be too specific...!!! – [Guild] InnocentMage: Just the district would be enough... – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Wait a moment. I just – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: saw a statement I can't ignore. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: 'Just the district'...? Are you being serious about that statement? – [Guild] InnocentMage: Ah ...Was asking about her residence crossing the line? Damn. What would Olivia think of him? Just as Ji-han, his face red, was about to quickly type an apology, – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: The guild master naturally lives in Seoul— – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: an incredibly narrow-minded, Seoul-centric thinking that you've just confirmed. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Seoul citizen InnocentMage ㄹ – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Excuse me; – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Are you projecting? – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: What if InnocentMage knows all 85 cities' districts across the country? Then how'd you be typing like that? ㅇㅜ← – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: If that's the case, – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: What would I do? I'd have to bang my head ㄾㄾ Shall I do it now, InnocentMage? Ji-han bit his lower lip and then released it. It was a relief that he wasn't criticized for the question itself. – [Guild] InnocentMage: No, please don't bang your head. – [Guild] InnocentMage: I'll ask again ㄾㄾㅷㅷ Guild master, which province do you live in...? – [Guild] Olivia: Seoul. – [Guild] InnocentMage: Ah ㄾㄾ – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: ㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] MuscleOut: ㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] MuscleOut: So now, who's narrow-minded? – [Guild] SamPpan: You underestimate South Korea. – [Guild] SamPpan: It's a world where Seoul-centric thinking wins first. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: ....ㅷㅷ – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: I just banged my head, and I'm typing with voice recognition ㄾㄾ For real. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: You might as well say your keyboard gained sentience ㅇㅜ← – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: You're right, my keyboard has sentience. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Right, board? – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Yes, master. – [Guild] NoWorkSama: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Board, board, tell your master to bang his head properly >_< – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: He's already banging it properly. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Blood ♡♡ is rushing ♡♡♡ and it's about to burst. – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: Da ga ri – [Guild] HouseDeedPleaseGive: If you don't know anything, shut up ♡♡♡ – [Guild] HouseDeedPleaseGive: Da ga ri – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: Ah ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] MuscleOut: That's hilarious, seriously ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ Ji-han couldn't help but burst into laughter at the amusing chat exchanges between guild members. Just then, – [Guild] Olivia: xx-gu – [Guild] Olivia: xx-dong – [Guild] Olivia: Should I tell you the apartment too? Ji-han snapped to attention. He typed at lightning speed, fast enough to make a court stenographer cry. – [Guild] InnocentMage: No, no, it's fine. – [Guild] InnocentMage: Really, it's enough. Don't say it. – [Guild] InnocentMage: Don't tell me the apartment, guild master. – [Guild] InnocentMage: You must never mention it. Absolutely not. – [Guild] Olivia: Okay. – [Guild] MuscleOut: What are you two doing? ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: No ㄹㄹㄹ InnocentMage ㄹㄹㄹ Are you being chased? Why the urgency? – [Guild] InnocentMage: It's not that. – [Guild] InnocentMage: But – [Guild] InnocentMage: Personal information shouldn't be shared carelessly. – [Guild] InnocentMage: Right? – [Guild] InnocentMage: Am I wrong? – [Guild] InnocentMage: How sensitive is the apartment you live in as personal info? – [Guild] InnocentMage: Of course, I asked first where she lives, but I didn't want the full address. – [Guild] InnocentMage: I didn't even need the dong. Just the district was enough, really. – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: Hey, I'm sorry. – [Guild] BlackOfBlack: Calm down. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ Ah, wait a moment. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: It seems like your keyboard has gained sentience too, InnocentMage. – [Guild] ThereIsAMan: Or else your typing speed is unbelievable. – [Guild] MuscleOut: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] HouseDeedPlease: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ – [Guild] SamPpan: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ The chat was flooded with 'ㄹ's. Olivia joined in too. – [Guild] Olivia: ㄹㄹㄹㄹㄹ Ji-han stopped moving and fixed his gaze on Olivia's message. He had never seen Olivia type five 'ㄹ's before. ...Was what he said that funny? But what part was funny? Ji-han watched until Olivia's message was pushed out of sight by other chats. Those five 'ㄹ's seemed to be engraved on his retina. **** The background check concluded that the man previously seen at the PC bang was not Olivia. The xx-gu xx-dong that Olivia mentioned was an hour away by bus from Ji-han's neighborhood. It was a wealthy area. The latter wasn't particularly important. 'So she wasn't Olivia.' Ji-han wasn't disappointed. It was only natural. How could he be disappointed when he hadn't expected anything? That's right. Exactly.