chapter 32
32 – 32.
It was what happened after completely conquering the Mayan book.
After becoming completely lovey-dovey, she regularly yearned for affection from me.
“Hug me.”
“Suddenly?”
“Hug me tightly as much as you love me.”
“Then you’ll die.”
“I’m okay with that.”
“Ugh. Come here, I’ll give you a proper send-off.”
“…Hee….”
Every time, I showered her with love, enough for her to be 200% satisfied.
To the point where I thought I was going crazy.
“I didn’t even do this for Ryeowon….”
Still, there was a sense of accomplishment in making efforts while burdened with guilt.
Mayan transformed into a much gentler form than when we were dating.
The reason she had suppressed and restrained me all this time was clear evidence that my theory, lacking affection, was correct.
Perhaps having regained emotional stability, she will never forget this taste for the rest of her life.
She became addicted to the warmth that love gives, quite literally.
Is the reason drugs are terrifying not because of their terrible addictiveness?
In that sense, Gang Yoochan was no different from the drugs in the Ma-yeon Book.
…It’s not necessarily a good thing.
On the other hand, things were going so well that I couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
Could it be that Ma-yeon Book is intentionally pretending to be calm and composed?
I thought I had her under my control, but in reality, am I the one being controlled?
Occasionally, these doubts would unexpectedly arise.
“…That couldn’t be possible.”
As I continued to completely grasp Ma-yeon Book’s psychology, I proceeded with my plan to regain my freedom, using this as an opportunity.
It was around three days before my return.
After staying up with Ma-yeon Book until dawn, I fell into a deep sleep without even realizing that the sun had risen to its zenith.
“Hmm…?”
Then, at some point, I gently woke up to the continuous sensation of someone’s presence and rustling sounds.
“Are you awake?”
Ma-yeon Book, who had been busy moving around for some reason, suddenly spoke.
“I’m going out tonight. If you need anything, prepare it in advance.”
It was a sudden announcement that she was going out.
“Going out? Suddenly?”
Having fully awakened, I quickly sat up and asked her, who was packing her suitcase.
“Where to?”
“I’ll tell you while we’re on our way. People will be coming soon to do your makeup, so wash up in advance.”
“Makeup? What’s going on? Where are we going?”
Instead of explaining, Mayeonseo simply pressed her lips against mine and resumed her busy movements, gathering our belongings.
“Why is this happening all of a sudden?”
Slightly taken aback by the unexpected event, I headed straight to the bathroom to gather my thoughts…
Bubbling, bubbling. Bubbling, bubbling.
As I finished showering and stepped out of the bathroom, I suddenly heard the bustling sounds of people inside and outside the house.
They were the people Mayeonseo had mentioned.
“Is this for real…?”
Wearing only a bathrobe, I quickly put on clothes and went out to the terrace to see.
There, I could see the butlers and outsiders moving around energetically.
“What is all this…?”
As if moving to a new house, I stared blankly at the scene.
“Oh my! Hello!”
Just then, a strange woman’s voice came from behind me.
“!”
Startled, I turned around, clutching my robe, only to see a petite Korean woman wearing a suit and holding a hanger, brightly greeting me.
“Nice to meet you!”
“W-Who are you?”
“My name is Ie Ye-na. I’m Manager Yeonseo’s assistant.”
“Manager…?”
It was Yena. She introduced herself as the manager of Mayeonseo and reached out her hand to shake mine without hesitation…
“Oh, I was also a woman.”
“Yes…?”
After shaking hands, she suddenly unfolded two hangers she was holding.
One had a heavy, dark-colored suit for men.
The other one appeared brighter, a suit for women.
“Which one do you like? By the way, Yeonseo-nim picked this one.”
It seemed like she had brought clothes for me.
“Um… then I’ll go with that one…”
“Understood. Shall I help you put it on?”
“Oh, no! I’ll try it on myself.”
“Alright then. Take your time and put it on quickly since I’ll be waiting outside. Please put any necessary belongings in that suitcase over there.”
Yena, who stormed in like a whirlwind, placed one suit on the bed and swiftly went outside.
“…What is this?”
Even at this moment, I still couldn’t grasp how things were working.
*
After receiving unexpected makeup and having a quick meal with fast food, we were on our way somewhere, escorted by a vehicle carrying our luggage.
“So this is America, huh.”
As I admired the exotic scenery outside the window, I looked at Mayeonseo, who had been fidgeting with her phone since earlier.
Similarly, she was beautifully adorned and dressed, boasting the beauty that could rival any celebrity on TV.
“Um… Yeonso?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you finally tell me where you’re really going?”
She had been busy with her phone for a while, so she subtly asked Yeona, who was sitting in the driver’s seat, for her opinion.
“What do you think?”
In response, Yeona glanced briefly at the rearview mirror and answered.
“We’re almost there, so it’s probably best for you to tell him soon.”
Finally, Mayeonseo put down her phone and confidently looked into my eyes as she spoke with enthusiasm.
“You’ve been saying that you want to go back, so I decided to take you this time.”
“……?”
Not understanding the meaning of her words right away, I drew a question mark on my face.
“I want to go back… huh?”
Realizing the destination a bit late, my eyes widened as I asked.
“For real?! To Korea?!”
“Yeah. Isn’t that great?”
I couldn’t help but have a faint smile in response to her question.
Of course, going to Korea is great.
But going with Mayeonseo was not part of the plan.
“Do you not want to?”
“Ah, no! It’s not that bad, I don’t really mind…”
“…Your reaction is quite lackluster. Let’s just turn back.”
“Should I turn the car around?”
“N-No, that’s not it! It’s just, it’s a bit sudden…”
With a quick flick of her tail and a mischievous smile, Mayeon playfully grabbed my hand.
And then, with a sticky gaze, she asked me to praise her.
“I did well, right?”
“…Yeah. You did well.”
“I’ll do even better from now on.”
“…Y-Yeah.”
At that moment, I didn’t fully understand the meaning behind her words of doing better.
“We have arrived.”
Finally, we arrived at an international airport.
And…
“Um, what’s that?”
I asked, facing the multitude of people waiting there.
They all seemed to be holding large cameras.
“They’re journalists. Just ignore them.”
“What? No, wait. We have to push through there?”
“Unfortunately, this airport doesn’t have any other passage.”
Sweat dripped down my face as I experienced a strange sensation I had never felt before.
Drip, drip. In the midst of it, a man approached in a car and as he opened the door, a shower of shutters and flashes began.
“This is insane.”
I tensed up instantly and froze.
Swoosh. Suddenly, Mayeonseo put on sunglasses and casually extended her hand to me.
“Come.”
Finally, I realized just how remarkable of a person she was.
Click, click! Click, click! Click, click! Click, click!
Countless reporters pushed their cameras forward, bombarding us with incomprehensible questions.
“……!”
“…………!”
“………!”
Already on edge, I felt dizzy as I heard English being spoken.
“I, I guess even celebrities can’t handle this.”
Feeling like a lost child in an unfamiliar place, I instinctively grabbed Mayeonseo’s hand tightly.
She firmly held my hand as if to reassure me, leading me naturally.
This was the first time I found her to be trustworthy.
“We’ll just go through immigration here and move on right away.”
Mayeonseo had been talking about using a “dimensional transporter” instead of a plane.
The one-way fare was more expensive than a first-class ticket on most major airlines.
“I’ve never used a dimensional teleporter before.”
It was a moment when I was breaking through the crowd, tasting the chaos of Bujua’s realm, and heading towards the departure screening.
“…Wait.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have a passport or anything…?”
Suddenly, I remembered that I didn’t have any identification or documents.
“It’s okay.”
“It’s okay…?”
Before long, I realized that it was an unnecessary worry.
“…Am I a pet?”
It was the pet status that I had suspected.
“That’s right. My summon.”
“No… Is that okay?”
“As long as we have a good conversation, it’s fine.”
She casually shut me up with her extraordinary words.
“Wow, it’s so fancy.”
After going through the departure screening in a separate lounge and being guided by the welcoming staff, we headed straight to the dimensional teleporter gate.
Perhaps because the cost was high, there weren’t many people inside the gate, and only those who seemed to be doing business were busy going in and out of the gate.
It felt like experiencing something extraordinary.
“So this is all a dimensional teleporter.”
The dimensional teleporters, which looked like huge glass windows, faintly reflected the airports of the countries installed on the opposite side.
Just crossing the threshold meant being in a different country.
My heart raced for no reason.
“…It doesn’t feel as special as I thought.”
Finally returning to Korean soil, I relaxed completely at the sight of Korean characters and Koreans scattered everywhere.
It was a bit sudden, but anyway, I was back in Korea.
Not in the United States anymore, so there was no need to be cautious.
I had trained myself well, so I wouldn’t have any trouble because of her anymore.
Now, all that was left was to return to everyday life!
…Or so I thought.
It was just as I was finishing immigration and about to leave the gate.
“I heard there are reporters waiting in front. They’re so crowded that they’re spilling outside.”
“What about the interview?”
“It seems like it will proceed as scheduled.”
The two people started a conversation that I couldn’t understand.
“…Interview? Reporters?”
Naturally, I assumed it would be a conversation related to Ma Yeon-seo’s first return.
To avoid the spotlight, I tried to step back slightly and leave the gate.
But then.
“What are you doing?”
“Huh?”
“Come here.”
Mayeonseo called me from the side.
“You can come with us.”
Yena quietly suggested walking beside me.
“It doesn’t matter, right…?”
Following the two experts who were sleeping, I finally stepped out of the immigration office.
Snap-snap! Snap-snap! Snap-snap!
Wow! You’re beautiful, noona! Sister, marry me!
Even before the door opened, thunderous cheers and the sound of shutters could be heard.
The crowd was so packed that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the entire building was filled with people.
“Oof.”
I was completely overwhelmed by the scale, much larger than expected, and had to make an effort to move naturally.
“Mayeonseo, please look this way!”
“Mayeonseo! Marry me!”
“Yeonseo unni!! I love you!!”
People swarmed like a swarm, ignoring the pre-installed guidelines.
“Step aside!”
“Don’t block the way!!”
“Come out!!”
Fortunately, a number of security guards who had been waiting in advance blocked the way like a solid wall, allowing smooth movement.
“Wow, they’re fierce.”
Being overwhelmed by the unfamiliar culture of airport welcoming, I nervously faced the two with a clearly tense expression.
And then, at that moment.
Thud. Ma Yeon-seo suddenly grabbed my arm and naturally put her arm around mine, wearing a smile that surprised me.
“?!”
And then, she chuckled and showed me a sly smile.
“Miss Ma Yeon-seo! Is that man next to you the person in question?!”
In response to a question from a reporter who pushed through the crowd and extended a microphone, she nodded her head and answered.
“Yes, he is.”
I had no idea what kind of commotion her words would bring.