Chapter 32 – Rule 14. The Leader Cares for Their Comrades (2)

 

Bubble, bubble.

 

‘This looks great.’

 

The ramen was cooked to perfection, mouth-watering from every angle.I set out some properly fermented kimchi and meat side dishes, placing a trivet in the center of the table.

 

The ramen pot went on the trivet. The perfectly cooked egg and chewy noodles looked incredibly appetizing. I must have been really hungry.

 

“Baek-seo, it’s ready. After seventeen years of eating ramen, this is my masterpiece.”

 

“Wow… It looks delicious,”

 

Baek-seo murmured in admiration as she made her way to the table. Her gentle voice made even her exclamations sound serene.

 

The familiar scent of shampoo and body lotion reached me.

 

I turned my head to look.“Come on, eat….” My words cut off abruptly.

 

‘Ugh…!’

 

Unbelievable.

 

Even though I had anticipated and prepared myself for this, the sight before me was more overwhelming than I had imagined.

 

Her hair was still wet from the shower, and she wore only my white dress shirt. Below the shirt’s hem, her pale, shapely legs were exposed. It was an undeniably alluring sight.

 

‘My heart…!’

 

A sudden shock hit my heart.

 

I bit my tongue to control my expression, but the intermittent trembling of my body was hard to hide.

 

“Can you give me an apron? I don’t want to splash anything on this.”

 

“Here you go.”

 

“…Why are you handing it to me so cautiously?”

 

Avoiding eye contact and extending my arm to give her the apron must have looked strange.

 

Baek-seo tilted her head and silently laughed. It seemed like a knowing smile.

 

We sat across from each other at the table and served ourselves ramen.

 

After all the exhausting events and head-splitting worries, I had forgotten how hungry I was. This ramen tasted almost as good as the ramen I ate during night marches in my previous life as a soldier.

 

I stole a glance at Baek-seo. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and used her chopsticks to pick up some kimchi and noodles together. She looked adorable.

 

‘If I get married, will I see this every day?’

 

A moment ago, I was consumed with grim thoughts, but now, a wave of happiness washed over me.

 

When I’m struggling, I look at Oh Baek-seo.

 

Just seeing her is healing.

 

But I couldn’t just indulge in her beauty without a care.

 

I continued eating ramen and thinking.

 

‘…She doesn’t know about the relationship between the Head Principal and Dalbi.’

 

Without my game knowledge, various clues, and the hobgoblin’s message, I wouldn’t have been certain that the Head Principal should be considered a target.

 

‘For now, it’s better if I’m the only one who knows. It’s hard to explain, and it would just burden her. I’d prefer if she could rest peacefully for now.’

 

I glanced at Baek-seo’s hands. Though her trembling had subsided, I couldn’t help but worry about her.

 

“Leader, you cook ramen well,”

 

Baek-seo suddenly spoke.

 

“I’ve eaten it often enough. This is basic.”

 

“You could be called a ramen master.”

 

“What’s with the way you talk? Anyway, if you want more, just let me know anytime.”

 

“You’re a perceptive little rookie, aren’t you?”

 

Baek-seo joked, smiling gently. Then, while eating ramen, she asked an unexpected question.

 

“By the way, has anyone else visited your house besides me?”

 

“?”

 

What kind of question was that?

 

Of course, there had been.

 

‘Other than Dalbi visiting frequently when we were kids, no one.’

 

I hadn’t invited anyone else over.

 

“Not since a friend came over in the past. Why?”

 

“…It’s nothing. Just curious.”

 

Baek-seo shook her head.

 

Was she worried someone might drop by in the middle of the night?

 

‘That’s understandable.’

 

If a friend suddenly showed up and saw Baek-seo and me together, how would they react?

 

Well, there was nothing to worry about.

 

“I see.”

 

We dropped the subject and continued eating ramen.

 

Every time Baek-seo entered my sight, I couldn’t help but focus on her outfit.

 

‘She looks beautiful….’

 

It was impressive.

 

The mind is heavily influenced by the body. Given my youthful vigor, it was hard not to be stimulated by the sight of a beautiful woman wearing only my dress shirt.

 

Especially when the person in question was someone I liked.

 

The stimulation was so intense that I couldn’t stand up from the chair. I had to silently recite the national anthem to calm myself down.

 

After we finished eating the ramen, Baek-seo stood up.

 

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll do the dishes.”

 

“No, guests should rest. I’ll take care of it.”

 

“Really…? But why aren’t you getting up?”

 

“I just remembered something to think about. Go ahead and rest.”

 

Despite reciting the national anthem four times, it hadn’t had much effect. I must have lacked patriotic fervor in my past life.

 

Baek-seo watched me for a moment before giving a slightly awkward smile.

 

“Okay…. Next time, I’ll do it.”

 

Fortunately, she left the room.

 

‘That was close….’

 

In the end, I had to recite the Lord’s Prayer and the Heart Sutra to get through the crisis. Truly, the power of faith was great.

 

After finishing the dishes, I returned to find Baek-seo sitting on the sofa, scrolling through her smartphone.

 

I wanted to just pick her up and…!

 

“I’m going to shower.”

 

…With that impulsive thought, I quickly headed to the shower.

 

***

 

While Ahn Woo-jin was showering, Oh Baek-seo looked around his home. She found his middle school graduation album.

 

She carefully touched the picture of Woo-jin with short hair. It was a side of him she didn’t know.

 

“……”

 

Tonight, she planned to pretend to sleep until Woo-jin fell asleep, then stay awake and keep watch with White Wheel Sword by her side. She couldn’t be sure when a threat might come.

 

So, she kept White Wheel Sword close to her. Outwardly calm, she remained vigilant internally.