Time rewinds a bit, back to the moment when Yu-jin and Seol Ha-yeon left the lecture hall for their mission.

A strange tension filled the classroom, thanks mainly to Sia and Alice.

*Gulp.*

‘Yu-jin managed to handle things somehow, but… is it really happening again?’  
‘Another standoff? Are we gonna get another showdown?’

The students were anxious. They’d just witnessed a heated exchange between Sia and Alice, which Yu-jin barely managed to diffuse. The thought of that fight starting up again was intimidating.

Meanwhile, the two in question, Alice and Sia, were...

‘This is so awkward I could die.’  
‘What should I do? This is unbelievably uncomfortable!’

They were, surprisingly, equally uneasy.

Thinking back to the clash they had just a short while ago, they realized how it might have sounded:

*Yu-jin lent me his clothes. He even held me when we were at the Gate.*  
*Oh yeah? Well, I went to the baths with Yu-jin, and we’re going to see a movie this weekend.*

…In the heat of the moment, they’d said these things without thinking. But now that they’d calmed down, both felt the lines sounded awkward and out of place.

‘If anyone hears that, they’ll think I’m head over heels for Yu-jin...!’  
‘Ugh, she probably thinks I’m madly in love with Yu-jin!’

Their pride only made things worse. They’d barely known Yu-jin for two weeks; falling for someone in two weeks? No way. They weren’t that kind of girl.

So both quietly wondered if the other misunderstood, and the awkwardness hung thick between them.

‘Two weeks… well, I mean, he’s been around for two weeks straight, so maybe it’s natural for some to feel that way.’  
‘Must be like hypnosis. His looks alone would be enough to hypnotize anyone.’

Others in the room thought, *Anyone hit by an eight-ton truck like that would be down for the count*, but regardless, the awkwardness between Alice and Sia finally started to ease as class began.

"So today, uh, what did Ha-yeon teach last week…”

*Slip.*

At that moment, a substitute instructor rushed in to begin class. A small note slipped onto Sia’s desk—one that Alice had discreetly passed to her.

*I apologize for earlier, Sia. I was just proud to show off the clothes Yu-jin lent me.*

Sia smiled slightly as she read it.

*If we keep this fight going, it’ll only make things harder for Yu-jin. Let’s just let it go.*  
*It’s okay. I was being petty too. Let’s forget about it.*  
*Thank you, Sia.*

*For Yu-jin’s sake, I can let my pride go for a moment. After all, we’re comrades in the Pine Needle Gang.*

Alice’s mouth turned up into a grin. The fact that both their argument and their reconciliation had been for Yu-jin’s sake—it seemed fitting for them.

*Slip.*

*So, do you like Yu-jin?*

*Me? Yu-jin is just a fellow member of the Pine Needle Gang. That’s all I see him as...for now.*  
*I see. He’s just a friend to me too. Of course, if he begged me to date him, well, I might reconsider.*

The conversation shifted to a playful test of who had feelings for Yu-jin, creating a warmer, softer atmosphere between them.

*Then… what do you think about Ninomiya?*

*Pause.*

—The peace was quickly broken.

The last possible candidate for Yu-jin’s affection was brought up: Aika Ninomiya. The world’s strongest had entered the conversation.

*Her? She’s probably fawning all over him, not even subtle about it. She’s always struck me as the type to fall fast and hard.*  
*I think so too. Besides, if she didn’t see him that way, she wouldn’t be living with him.*

Sia and Alice both narrowed their eyes, a strange feeling of déjà vu settling over them.

‘What is this? I never noticed alone, but talking with her like this... I feel an odd sense of familiarity.’  
‘Like Ninomiya’s going to swoop in and claim Yu-jin all for herself…’

They were reminded of the feeling they’d had the first time they saw Yu-jin. Every time they fought over him, it felt inevitable that Aika would appear to steal him away.

For some reason, they both felt a sense of urgency.

*Did you know that, the other day, she left the front door open while wearing some scandalous underwear?*  
*Oh, so that swimsuit Haru was wearing came from her?*  
*We’re only around during the day, yet look how much has happened already. Imagine the things going on at their place when we’re not there.*  
*It’s hard to imagine there wouldn’t be anything going on.*

Their investigation narrowed, revealing even more of Aika’s hidden traits and behavior.

*For all we know, she might’ve even tried seducing him in just an apron.*  
*Isn’t that a bit extreme? What kind of woman does that?*  
*You wouldn’t understand, Sia. There are probably even more daring swimsuits—a string swimsuit… you know, something that looks like this.*  
*Who on earth would wear something that skimpy? It’d dig right into her sides.*  
*Yu-jin picked those outfits, of course. He’s innocent, so he probably didn’t realize just how revealing they were when he chose them.*

*Pause.*

*Huh. Yu-jin picked those… Wait. No way. He’d never pick anything like that. Not clothes that messed up.*

*Even if he did pick them, there’s no way Ninomiya would wear them. She’s not an adult film star.*

*You’re forgetting she’s Japanese! It’s a country full of risqué comics! She’d wear something like that without batting an eye!*

Alice’s attack on Aika’s fashion sense was ferocious. As a British “Eye of Truth” expert, she wasn’t the one to talk, but her argument carried weight.

Sia, still a bit doubtful, finally gave in.

*I don’t know, but if you’re that sure...*  
*Yes. So when Yu-jin gets back, we should ask him straight up: Does he like her? If not, we need to find out if she’s tried anything weird with him.*

And so, Alice declared an inquiry. They’d skirted the issue before, but this time, Sia was on her side. They’d get the truth from Yu-jin one way or another.

This was why, as soon as Yu-jin returned, they called him over.

"Yu-jin, come sit down for a moment."  
"We need to talk."  
"…Huh?"

Yu-jin’s golden eyes widened in surprise.

He simply looked confused. He was here to talk about their Gate exercise, maybe even face a little scolding. But he hadn’t even started talking, and already the mood felt heavy. No wonder he couldn’t grasp what was going on.

But that confusion didn’t last long. As he pieced things together, a chill ran down his spine.

‘Wait… did I do something wrong? This doesn’t sound like a normal scolding—this feels worse!’

They want me to *sit down* and *talk*? Isn’t that the line that tops every husband’s list of dreaded phrases?

A sense of primal danger hit Yu-jin. He began desperately combing through his mind for anything he might’ve done wrong.

Was it the Gate exercise?  
No, they couldn’t have heard about that already.  
Was it because I skipped class for a mission?  
No, the Chairman dragged me off—they wouldn’t blame me for that.

‘I don’t know! No matter how hard I think, I haven’t done anything wrong!’

It was terrifying precisely because he couldn’t think of anything. Some might say a clear conscience should be comforting, but…

*Hey, Yu-jin. Did you have fun with that floozy?*  
*Oh, she was having a hard time after taking out a Necromancer, so I spent three days drinking with her, around the clock. Drank so much I don’t even remember it all.*  
*Oh, and you forgot our anniversary yesterday too?*  
*Oh, no…*

Yu-jin had learned a lot from being a husband: If you don’t know what you did wrong, you can’t even begin to fix it.

*Shiver.*

‘Alice was mad for a full week after that… I only managed to calm her down by agreeing to ten sessions of hypnosis play.’

He was trembling in genuine fear. Unlike his playful shock at Seol Ha-yeon’s underwear, this was real. The kind of fear only married life could bring.

"Why’re you still standing? Sit down."  
"Exactly. We’ve got plenty of time before the next class, so we can take it nice and slow…."  
"……."

*Grind.*

Yu-jin gritted his teeth and clenched his hands so tightly that his nails dug into his palms. His golden eyes gleamed with sudden determination.

And then…

*BANG!!!*

"I’M SORRY!!!!!"

Yu-jin threw himself forward, bowing so low his forehead cracked the floor. It was a full-power apology, the kind that could’ve been straight out of ancient customs.

"Yu-jin?! What’s wrong

!?"  
"Are you okay?! I just heard the floor break!"  
"I don’t know what I did wrong, but I’m sorry for all of it!"

*Thump, thump, thump, thump.*

He even went as far as banging his head repeatedly like a woodpecker. If the Chairman had seen this, she might’ve commented, *Is this the Three Kneelings and Nine Prostrations?*

The effect was immediate.

*Whisper, whisper.*

"What’s up with Yu-jin? What’s he apologizing for?"  
"He must’ve done something… But that guy? Really?"  
"Probably another standoff between those two. Gaslighting?"  
"Wow, making him do that in front of everyone? That’s scary."

Public opinion instantly swung in Yu-jin’s favor.

Alice and Sia found it baffling. They only wanted to have a chat, but now they looked like the villains.

"Hey, stand up! We’re not scolding you! This is embarrassing—what are you even doing!?"
"Are you okay? Should we take you to the infirmary?"
"I’m not sure what I forgot because things have been so hectic, but I’m really sorry!!"

Whisper, whisper.

"Oh no, look at them making that poor guy apologize like that."
"He's A-Class, helped with a terrorist attack, and even supported the liberation of Vietnam. And for a little mistake, they’re making him do that?"
"Wow, Alice really doesn’t seem like that kind of person… must be a British thing."

Yu-jin’s hasty apology was turning the crowd against Alice and Sia.

A husband who fears his wife does what he must and apologizes instinctively. But…

"So… you were just going to ask if anything odd happened with my teacher?"
"Yes, that was all. And I can’t believe you’d… why would you do that in public?"
"My face still feels hot…."

Turns out, there hadn’t been a need for any apology. They only wanted to find out if he’d had any strange encounters with his teacher.

…Still, for the sake of her reputation, maybe a little cover-up would help.

"It’s ridiculous. My teacher would never wear anything like an apron with nothing underneath."
"You can tell us the truth, Yu-jin. I remember seeing that suspicious apron….”
"I, Seo Yu-jin, hereby swear under hypnosis that my teacher did not wear anything like an apron with nothing on underneath."

Hypnosis added emphasis to his denial.

…of course, it was true she hadn’t been wearing only an apron, though that was a slight wordplay. And he did release the hypnosis right after saying it, but others wouldn’t know that detail.

Alice fell silent.

“There’s… there’s no way.”
“See? Ninomiya may be odd, but she’s not…well, strange enough to go around in that kind of thing. Those are only in adult videos.”

Though he had no words for some of her other attire, for now, Yu-jin took advantage of the brief silence to change the subject. Dwelling on her wardrobe could get risky, so he spoke up.

“Anyway, there’s actually something I did want to talk to you two about.”
"Oh? If it’s another nonsense apology—"
"You’re now both set to go on weekly Gate mission training with me, one-on-one."

They blinked at him.

"Wait, what?"

He explained the deal with Gong, the agreement to help them train in an S-Class Gate, and how he recommended them to take part in Gate exercises. They’d each be going once a week, and he would be there four days weekly.

"Sorry, I meant it as a surprise, but it all came together quickly…."

To his surprise, they weren’t mad at all. In fact, they were thrilled—both wondered if they could increase their training beyond just once a week.

The discipline and drive in his "wives" left him even more in awe. Though they were still just freshmen, they were eager to dive into real missions.

"Well, that’s a relief. Let’s work well together then."
"Yes! I’m really looking forward to it!"
"Better be ready. I’ll make sure to show you some moves, you know."

So, thankfully, the Gate mission talk concluded without any additional fuss. Though it was a bit risky considering their current abilities, the Chunhwa Clan’s top members would be there to help. There shouldn’t be too much danger.

Yu-jin trusted that, with the support of Chunhwa’s seniors, he could focus on enjoying his “dates” with them…

The next day…

Mumble, mumble.

"It’s just a practice, after all…"
"..."

He hadn’t expected their “Gate practice” to turn out more like an… educational session.