Side Story 6: Woo Yeon-Hee’s First Greeting (1)

She heard Seon-Hu’s voice.

“She is my girlfriend.”

“Hey, you should have told me earlier. Honey! Honey! Seon-Hu has…”

- Seon-Hu: Please wait a moment there.

About ten minutes later.

- Seon-Hu: You can come in now.

Yeon-Hee never cared about her nickname ‘Bitch’ until now. However, the moment she grabbed the front door handle, she hesitated as she thought she would soon face Seon-Hu’s parents.

Maybe, I should have dressed up better to look more gentle… Ah!

Hastily lowering her head, Woo Yeon-Hee realized her appearance was far from gentle. Her entire body was soaked in blood and showed signs of exhaustion. The war had concluded with Seon-Hu’s great victory when she was invading the mainland of the Declans along with the warriors of the Baclan Queen.

Although she had placed her items in the storage box, she could not do anything about her battle-worn attire. This also explained why Kim Ji-Ae’s parents always looked terrified around her no matter how kindly she treated them.

She regretted it.

- Yeon-Hee: Wait.

- Seon-Hu: Why?

- Yeon-Hee: I look like a mess. They will be shocked at how dirty and filthy I look. What should I do?

- Seon-Hu: You look completely fine. Don’t worry.

It was not true. Woo Yeon-Hee knew how crucial first impressions were. Since she was known as the Bitch, she needed to have a much better first impression on his parents. She would have to put tremendous effort to break that stereotype.

Then, she heard Seon-Hu’s telepathy.

- Seon-Hu: If you are so worried about it…

[The System Administrator Odin has used an unidentified skill.]

A faint light enveloped Woo Yeon-Hee. In that instant, the blood and dirt on her face and hair disappeared. Her face looked as fresh as if she had just taken a shower. Also, her hair shone as if she had just stepped out of a high-end salon.

Furthermore, her dirty battle uniform had changed into a white dress. It was a dress she remembered wearing during a happy time in her life, in Las Vegas. She stared blankly at her reflection in the elevator mirror. She did not look like either an Awakened or the Bitch.

There was only one thing left for her to do.

- Yeon-Hee: Thank you.

She checked her smile in the mirror, then she got the courage to meet Seon-Hu’s parents.

***

When she entered the suite, a hallway leading to the reception room stretched out. Frames were hung at regular intervals on the walls of the hallway. Each of them seemed meticulously crafted, and not only was fabric placed behind their contents, but the frames also appeared to be made of luxurious wood. Such lavish frames typically contained expensive masterpieces.

However, what Seon-Hu’s parents cherished and displayed were family photos and printed emails, presumably sent by their son from a long time ago. The email printout was an employment verification from the Jonathan Investment Financial Group, prominently bearing the company’s logo and a large stamp of the CEO, Jonathan.

Woo Yeon-Hee could tell how proud his parents were of him and what the main topic of conversation would have been for guests visiting this home. Her heart began to race again. Even if they were not the parents of Odin, the savior of the world, many parents regarded their children as the best in the world.

Woo Yeon-Hee barely noticed the scent of kimchi stew wafting from the kitchen. Her heart pounded uncontrollably.

“This way.”

Seon-Hu was approaching from a distance. The atmosphere in Seon-Hu’s parents’ home radiated the warmth that only a harmonious happy family could exude. Among the items in the room, a bookshelf particularly stood out. There were dozens of clear files, all with titles related to the Awakened. It seemed Seon-Hu’s father had printed articles and web search results and compiled them into a scrapbook.

From the entrance hallway to here, the affection and pride of Seon-Hu’s parents toward their son was palpable. She could not help but compare it to her own family. Seon-Hu and her background were very different in this sense, especially when she thought about her mother, who was very manipulative and selfish.

Therefore, she couldn’t shake off her feelings of unease despite Seon-Hu’s comforting touch.

- Seon-Hu: There is no need to be so nervous.

Woo Yeon-Hee smiled. The speaker’s eyes betrayed their owner’s own anxiety.

- Yeon-Hee: Do they know who I am? About our relationship?

- Seon-Hu: I told them.

- Yeon-Hee: No, about our past relationship as a teacher and a student.

- Seon-Hu: Don’t worry. My father is pretty flexible.

That meant he had not told them yet.

***

“This is Yeon-Hee, whom I mentioned.”

“Welcome.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Seon-Hu’s parents greeted her with warm smiles.

“Hello, I am Woo Yeon-Hee…”

Seon-Hu’s mother did not seem to focus on her after the greetings, perhaps she was conscious of her swollen eyes, flushed with tears. They could not be hidden by hurriedly applied makeup.

“I didn’t prepare much, but would you like to join us for dinner?”

The way she said it was shy and reserved. Such modesty was rare among the elites of their era. However, what made Woo Yeon-Hee even more uncomfortable was the scrutinizing gaze of Seon-Hu’s father, as if he was trying to recall something from his memory.

Woo Yeon-Hee looked at Seon-Hu for help, but he didn’t seem eager to delve into their past at that moment either.

Anyway, Woo Yeon-Hee sat at the dining table without managing to convey her intended greetings properly. Then, the scent of boiling kimchi stew, which was made with aged kimchi and pork, stirred her senses and memories.

Long time ago when she was a student, her mother’s kimchi stew was good. It reminded her of the food she had not experienced for a while since the family disputes began.

“Did you already have dinner? Was I being thoughtless earlier?”

“No, no. You don’t need to be too formal. Please.”

It was the second time Woo Yeon-Hee gathered her courage.

“I will try to do that. We will meet up often from now on. But what should I call you? I have no idea how the Awakened’s world works.”

“I would appreciate it if you would call me by my name. My name is Yeon-Hee. Yeon-Hee.”

“Good, Ms. Yeon-Hee. I have been wanting to thank you in person. Thank you so much for your great support to my son. Words cannot express how grateful we are. Thank you so much again.”

Seon-Hu’s father even lowered his head. Woo Yeon-Hee quickly did the same, but her eyes were filled with tears.

Ah…

Seon-Hu had always told her that trained Awakened were supposed to be able to observe their emotions and control them. However, she found it difficult to pinpoint the origin of her tears this time. All she knew was that if she let go of the thin thread of control she was holding onto, she would burst into tears. By then, her tears would never stop flowing down to her cheeks.

- Seon-Hu: Calm down.

Seon-Hu’s telepathy did not help. The process of ascending to divinity was magnificent, but it seemed that understanding a woman’s mind was not.

At that moment, a ladle entered Woo Yeon-Hee’s view, which was fixed only on the dining table.

“Why do you startle her? What if she does not like pork? Please let me know if that is the case. I can take the pieces out.”

“What do you mean? I was just very thankful. Ah, I am so sorry. Was I rude?”

“No, I… I…”

Woo Yeon-Hee could not continue. She felt genuinely regretful and sorry that the mood had become awkward because of her, and she could not make it better.

Why do I keep doing this? I am like an idiot…

***

“She seems very sensitive.”

It was his second cigarette after the meal. Na Jeon-Il checked around in case he had to apologize if there was any loud noise for the neighbors.

Nonetheless, it was not just Na Jeon-Il, but many of his neighbors were smoking cigarettes on their balconies. Some were watching the taillights of the cars from the Blue House while the others were looking at the sky, lost in their thoughts. Everyone was in their own thoughts, and it appeared that the minor deviations of the day seemed permissible.

The neighbors, appearing on their balconies, did not recognize that the father and son across from them were Odin and his father.

“She had lots of scars.”

He was referring to the Stage of Advent and even before it started.

“Mary.” Na Jeon-Il continued, “From what I found out, the reason Mary had such a bad reputation had something to do with you, son.”

“She is also the savior of my life.”

“I don’t know much about the Stage of Advent and Final Stage, but son. Listen to me. I get how hard Yeon-Hee and other grateful people must have struggled for you. It won’t be enough for them even if I thank them a hundred times as your father.”

“Yes, Father.”

“Yes, since you have come to introduce her to us, is that all there is to discuss?”

“I just have to get you guys proper hanbok[1].”

“That seems like a plan, but are you thinking of holding a ceremony?” Na Jeon-Il asked as if he was surprised.

“Are you saying that you give us permission?”

“Permission? It’s up to you. It is your life, not mine.”

“Thank you. I will discuss the ceremony details with Yeon-Hee.”

Na Jeon-Il chuckled. No matter how many times he looked at him, his son looked no different from before. The inherent ability of his son, deemed omniscient and omnipotent, seemed more like a matter to be discussed in fantasies.

His son was called a ‘god,’ who knew everything he wanted and could do anything he wished to do. However, he was nervous introducing his girlfriend now.

Na Jeon-Il was grateful for this side of his son and those who helped him. A smile never seemed to leave his face.

Seon-Hu asked,” Are you that happy that I brought the woman I am going to marry?”

“I remembered something.”

“Pardon me?”

“Ms. Yeon-Hee… She is undoubtedly the one. Wasn’t she your middle school homeroom teacher?”

1. Traditional clothes of Korea. ?