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EP.19: Charging Forward
"Wow! James Teacher!"
The door swung open, and Lia burst out, running towards me with her short legs and plopping onto my lap. She was incredibly affectionate, making me wonder if she was really Han-yeoul's daughter.
I lifted Lia up as usual and pretended to fly her like an airplane. This was almost a necessary routine, as she would get upset if I didn't do it.
"Vroom, vroom. Lia, did you have a good weekend?"
I mixed in some French as I greeted her. Lia, laughing as she floated in mid-air, responded in broken French.
"Yes! Today, I was practicing drawing!"
"Wow! Really? Let's see how well you drew."
"Ah! I haven't finished yet! I'll show you in a bit!"
Lia suddenly remembered her unfinished drawing and rushed back into the living room. I finally had a chance to properly greet Han-yeoul, who was standing with her arms crossed.
Her pale shoulders caught my attention.
"Hello, Madam. This is my first time visiting your home."
"Yes, please come in. Wear those slippers over there."
There were several guest slippers at the entrance, bearing the logo of a famous Italian brand. They didn't look cheap at all.
I carefully put on the slippers, not wanting to crease them, and entered the house. A spacious hallway appeared before me.
"Wow..."
I couldn't help but marvel at the luxurious hallway. It was like walking into a gallery, with several abstract paintings on the walls and hazel-colored marble floors that softly glowed.
Walking on it felt like being in another world. I kept gasping in amazement as I looked around.
"Wow, this is the best house I've ever seen. The facilities are great, and the atmosphere is wonderful. It feels like a palace."
Of course, Han-yeoul didn't flinch at my flattering words. She simply watched me with calm eyes, as if observing her prey.
< Hmm, is he good at acting? >
< It's hard to tell just by looking. >
< In my dreams, he was quite a beast. >
< If that was really Teacher Kang, I wouldn't let him off. >
< How dare he excite me and then ignore me? >
< I should lock him up on a remote island. >
< And make him obey me like a good dog. >
I sweated as I listened to her sinister plans in real-time. I forced a smile, but my face felt like it was about to twitch.
Fortunately, Lia appeared at that moment, carrying a large sketchbook and rushing towards me.
"Teacher! Teacher! Look at this! I drew my family!"
I clapped and smiled at Lia's arrival, which helped me hide my startled expression.
"Wow! Lia, you're so good at drawing! Is this woman your mom?"
Lia pointed to a woman driving a car in front of a large house. She nodded and replied:
"Yes! Mom is always busy and drives around! And here's my dad!"
Her father was depicted far away in a company building, with a blurry face. It seemed the relationship between Lia and her father wasn't very good.
"Is this princess Lia?"
The drawing showed a girl wearing a crown, standing on the rooftop of an apartment building, holding a gun and a bouquet of flowers.
It seemed like blood didn't lie. This ambitious self-portrait was indeed Han-yeoul's daughter.
"Yes! I'm a very strong princess! I have a lot of money and power! I built this building!"
It was a massive skyscraper with 30,000 floors. Lia already understood that higher floors were more expensive.
"Yes, Lia will definitely become a strong princess. She'll make many friends and receive lots of gifts."
"Wow! Really? Will that really happen?"
"Of course. Anyway, do you have more drawings? I'm curious about Teacher's reaction."
Lia became excited and started flipping through her sketchbook. I sat beside her, naturally playing along to keep some distance from Han-yeoul.
Han-yeoul seemed disappointed but soon had a chilling inner monologue.
< In two hours, it'll be Lia's nap time. >
< Let's see then, Teacher Kang. >
< Whether you're acting or not. >
< I'll thoroughly investigate. >
"Uh-uh, Teacher. I'm sleepy. I want to go to bed."
"Okay, shall we go to bed then?"
"Yes, I want to sleep."
The expected time had finally come. Lia, who had been drawing and playing, suddenly yawned and spoke drowsily. It seemed Han-yeoul had mentioned nap time.
I couldn't avoid putting Lia to bed, so I took her hand and headed to the bedroom. Lia lay down on her pink princess bed, hugging a rabbit toy, and quickly fell asleep. I tucked her in and returned to the living room.
Han-yeoul was now pacing around, like a predator sensing its prey.
"Teacher Kang, how's Lia?"
Her question was sharp, like a death sentence. I composed myself and replied:
"She said she was sleepy, so I just put her to bed."
"Okay, then come here and rest. You must be tired from taking care of her."
"... Thank you."
I couldn't refuse her tone, so I walked over to a round coffee table and sat down. Han-yeoul kindly made me a cup of coffee.
"Would you like some snacks? I have cookies."
"... If you offer, I'd be grateful. I like cookies."
Her excessive kindness made me more fearful. Meanwhile, Han-yeoul was humming a tune, enjoying the situation.
< Does he feel tense now that we're alone? >
< What does that tension mean? >
< Does he see me as a woman? >
< Or is he worried his secret will be exposed? >
< Pfft, I'll take my time. >
< Look forward to it, Teacher Kang. >
She placed two cups of coffee on the table, along with imported handmade cookies and various tropical fruits.
"Ah, the coffee aroma is very strong. I'll enjoy it, Madam."
"Yes, you've worked hard coming here on the weekend. Let me know if you want more."
There was an awkward silence between us, punctuated by the sound of sipping coffee and soft classical music.
After a few moments, she spoke up.
"Ah, Teacher Kang, do you remember what we discussed yesterday? About sharing your dream if it comes to you?"
I fidgeted with the coffee cup, trying not to show my anxiety.
"Yes, I remember. But no matter how hard I try, I just can't recall it. Sorry."
"It's okay, dreams are easily forgotten anyway."
"If it were an important dream, I would remember it clearly."
Han-yeoul smiled mysteriously and gave me a sultry look, which was different from her usual demeanor.
"You're right. Important dreams are hard to forget because they feel so real."
Her dark pupils pierced through me. I tried to maintain eye contact and spoke:
"Do you often have such dreams, Madam?"
She chuckled and nodded, her smile sending an unsettling feeling.
"Yes, I have them often, especially lately. There's a man who keeps appearing in my dreams."
I continued to pretend ignorance, taking a bite of the cookie as if listening to an interesting story.
—Crunch—
"... A man, you say? What kind of man?"
"There is one. At first, I wasn't interested, but now I'm a bit curious. He seems somewhat endearing and keeps popping into my mind."
"... I don't really understand. You have high standards, Madam. Is he a good man?"
Han-yeoul burst into laughter, covering her mouth. It was the first time I'd seen her laugh like that, and I stared at her in surprise.
"I don't know if he's good or not. He has some presence, barely passing the mark."
She licked her lips and gave me a sticky gaze. I forced a smile, trying to hide my expression.
"... Ha ha, that's impressive. Being recognized by you is quite something. That makes him a remarkable man."
"Do you envy him? Being recognized by me?"
"..."
"Pfft, there's no need to envy. It's actually about you, Teacher Kang. The man in my dream is you."
"!"
My eyes widened in shock at the unexpected attack. Han-yeoul didn't miss my reaction.
"Ah, I was just joking. Your reaction is quite intense."
Her cold voice cut through the air like a knife. She must have sensed something suspicious from my response.
My head felt like it was turning white from her interrogation. But I hadn't come unprepared. I expected her to attack like this.
It was time to use my secret strategy: the emotional counterattack. Instead of defending, I would turn the tables.
I put on a hurt face and began to confront her:
"Ha! Just a joke? That's too much."
"?"
"Don't play with people's feelings like that. Is it funny to see me so flustered? Do you enjoy toying with people's emotions?"
"... What?"
"I guess in your eyes, I'm just insignificant. A nobody who hangs around, so it's amusing to tease me."
"... What are you talking about? This is—"
"But it's not like you really meant it. I was genuinely happy when you said the man in your dream was me. For a moment, I thought maybe you saw me as a man. Maybe I had a chance."
"... Ah, no. It's not like that."
"But you just used me for amusement. You enjoyed seeing my reaction, didn't you? It was entertaining to watch me full of hope."
"... Wait, Teacher Kang. This isn't—"
"Never mind. Thanks to you, I've made up my mind. If you're going to play like this, don't give me any hope. Why did you take me shopping yesterday? Why did you buy me dinner? I'm really embarrassed. I'll leave now. The pay is enough."
I stood up, ready to leave. Han-yeoul was taken aback, her face pale, and she could only stutter.
Yes, no woman can remain unaffected by this kind of attack. It's a mind-numbing, stupid-girl-making strategy.
Even Han-yeoul couldn't withstand its power.
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