Chapter 31 – Rule 14. The Leader Cares for Their Comrades (1)

 

In Lee Doo-hee’s eyes, the panorama of Neo Seoul in Academy City was visible.

 

The dazzling lights that illuminated the night.

 

Yet, it was blurry.

 

Her eyes, now clouded and aged, were afflicted with cataracts.

 

Her daily routine involved being connected to an IV drip and moving around in a wheelchair. She had no intention of using healing magic to treat her body. She simply accepted her ailments and lived on.

 

Bzzz.

 

Her old phone vibrated in her lap. Seeing the caller ID, Doo-hee drew a sharp breath.

 

Caller ID: ‘1215’.

 

Doo-hee answered immediately.

 

“It’s been a while since you called…. I thought we wouldn’t need to talk anymore. What’s the matter?”

 

A deep smile spread across her wrinkled face. Her voice softened and became gentle.

 

It didn’t last long.

 

After listening to the other person for a while, Doo-hee’s expression turned grim.
She closed her eyes and let out a silent sigh.

 

“I see…. So, I shouldn’t mess with Ahsung High’s Disciplinary Committee Leader, is that it? I never thought I’d hear you say that.”

 

Doo-hee leaned back in her wheelchair, staring at the blurry ceiling.

 

She had intended to use a convenient villain like Lee Ha-min, the bomber, to deal with Woo-jin.

 

The reasons were clear:

 

Woo-jin had thoroughly crushed Anomia, an organisation she had secretly invested in.

 

Woo-jin knew too much about Anomia.

 

Anomia had its uses, but it was disbanded before it could be fully utilized, which disappointed Doo-hee.

 

However, it wasn’t primarily about revenge.

 

It was more like being angry that someone broke a pot she had been carefully tending to. Strictly speaking, you can always replace a pot after calming down.

 

Thus, she used only a minor villain like Lee Ha-min.

 

But things went awry.

 

The unexpected intervention of Kim Dalbi and woo-jin’s remarkable insight in capturing the bomber were unforeseen.

 

Now that the attempt to deal with Woo-jin had failed, she saw no need to push further. But it was too late.

 

The cost of targeting Ahn Woo-jin had resulted in an unexpected backlash, scratching at Doo-hee’s heart.

 

After a long blink, she spoke, trying to calm her emotions.

 

“…Very well. If it was bothersome, I apologize.”

 

The call ended.

 

She closed her eyes and placed a hand on her forehead, letting out a deep sigh.

 

“What’s so special about him….”

 

The caller, 1215, had warned her not to touch woo-jin.

 

This reaction was something Doo-hee hadn’t anticipated.

 

She was puzzled by how 1215 had known about her targeting woo-jin in the first place.

 

Doo-hee had no intention of antagonizing 1215 over something like this. She tried to quell her rising emotions.

 

Then, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her.

 

A girl in a nun’s habit and a pink-haired girl, Dalbi, entered the room.

 

“…You’re here?”

 

She struggled to maintain her composure, speaking in a voice that sharply cut through the air.

 

Dalbi greeted with a bright smile, saying, “Hello?”

 

“You really interfered well.”

 

“I told you long ago not to mess with Woo-jin.”

 

“That was a condition for you two to separate. It’s unrelated to this matter.”

 

“Wow… Playing with words. You’re really senile now. Don’t you think you’re being a bit unreasonable?”

 

Dalbi hoped to annoy her even a little, speaking slyly.

 

Her voice trembled slightly from anger.

 

“Child, let me say it again.”

 

Only looking at the cityscape, Doo-hee spoke.

 

“Behave like a dog if you’re a dog.”

 

“A dog will bite even its owner if it feels threatened. Did you forget that because of your dementia?”

 

Dalbi retorted immediately.

 

“If it feels its precious thing is about to be taken away?”

 

Dalbi wrapped her aggression in a playful tone.

 

“You never back down, do you? You insolent girl.”

 

“So? What did you bring me here for? To punish me again?”

 

“…Go back.”

 

“?”

 

Dalbi’s expression showed her surprise at the unexpected answer.

 

“There’s no point in punishing you anymore.”

 

“……”

 

Dalbi, who had been smiling brightly, narrowed her eyes.

 

She realized something must have happened on her way here.

 

“Ye-seo, send her back.”

 

“Yes, let’s go, Dalbi.”

 

The nun-girl, Son Ye-seo, escorted Dalbi out the door.

 

Even as she was leaving, Dalbi stared intently at Doo-hee’s back. Her white hair, turtle neck, and hunched back were the same as ever.

 

The door closed, and Doo-hee sighed quietly in the silence.

 

***

 

“It’s humble, but come in.”

 

“Excuse me.”

 

Baek-seo removed her shoes at the entrance.

 

As befitting a vice leader, even such a simple act exuded elegance.

 

‘It feels a bit strange to have her here….’

 

It suddenly hit me.

 

I had brought a girl home in the middle of the night.

 

She must trust me a lot to come to my place at this hour. She must also be worried about me.

 

But, I’m still a guy….

 

Wasn’t she trusting me too much?

 

‘Enough. This isn’t the time to be thinking about that.’

 

I didn’t want to dwell on the issue of being a man and a woman right now.

 

Baek-seo’s occasional hand tremors since the battle.

 

It was likely a symptom associated with the use of her unique abilities.

 

Whether she burned her hands or hit her head on a door, she never showed any pain.

 

Even she, who had never shown any signs of suffering, was now struggling to hide her trembling hands. I was certain I was right.

 

‘I don’t know the conditions or penalties for using her abilities.’

 

Baek-seo didn’t want to tell me, and it wasn’t mentioned in the game either.

 

In the game, more than half the time, the conditions or penalties for using unique abilities weren’t specified. Baek-seo, who had a minor role, was one of them.

 

So if she was enduring severe penalties without showing it

 

‘I need to take care of her.’

 

I just wanted to look out for Baek-seo.

 

“Can I use the shower first?”

 

“Oh, sure.”

 

Our uniforms were soaked and dried due to her abilities. They still felt sticky, and I wanted to shower too.

 

It seemed she really wanted to wash up since she wanted to shower right after arriving.

 

“I need some clothes….”

 

“Take whatever you want. Something comfortable.”

 

She smiled.

 

“Thank you. This will do.”

 

“Huh?”

 

She grabbed one of my white dress shirts. It was quite large for her frame.

 

“Why that…?”

 

“It looks comfortable. Is that a problem?”

 

“No… It’s not a problem, just asking.”

 

Men often fantasize about their crushes wearing their dress shirts.

 

Of course, I was no different.

 

‘Is this a coincidence?’

 

Probably.

 

I shouldn’t overthink it.

 

Baek-seo entered the shower.

 

Soon, the sound of water began to flow.

 

‘Should I eat ramen first and then shower?’

 

It would be nice to serve ramen when Baek-seo finished showering.

 

When she asked me to make ramen earlier, it reminded me of the phrase “Do you want to come over for ramen?” which was popular in my past life in Korea. It was a euphemism for inviting someone over for s*x.

 

Strictly speaking, Baek-seo had straightforwardly declared that she wanted to eat ramen, but still.

 

‘…Let’s not think weird thoughts.’

 

Baek-seo must be tired too.

 

Today, it would be best to just cook ramen, create a comfortable atmosphere, and let Baek-seo relax.