25

Taking a taxi from in front of the café, it seemed we traveled for about 20 minutes.

When I arrived near her home and got out, it wasn't for a particularly big reason that I was surprised.

It was because the place where Dayoung lived wasn't too far from the neighborhood where I had lived before being summoned to another world.

'Ah, I used to hang out with friends around these streets, go to PC rooms, play basketball, and just have so much fun…'

Looking at the familiar streets of this neighborhood, I wondered what emotions I should feel to be normal.

Nostalgia? Longing? Joy?

I didn't know.

'It was hard to clearly distinguish them, so how could I organize these emotions to calm my heart?'

While walking along the street, following Dayoung, I saw a convenience store ahead.

The time displayed on the smartphone screen was already nearing 10 o'clock.

I thought it might be good to reorganize my thoughts after creating a bit of chaos first.

For example… with alcohol or something.

'But, would that be okay?'

The carefree thoughts I'd indulge in at my own home began to creak like an unlubricated machine at the thought of visiting someone else's house.

'If I brought this up here, would Dayoung go along with it?'

After completing my mission as a hero and returning to my homeland, I hadn't worried about things like this before.

'Well, it can't be helped.'

The relaxed demeanor I'd always had was morphing into a pretense of composure in front of the new hero, Dayoung.

'The shared identity of being heroes who had saved another world might put us on equal footing, wouldn't it?'

Without the upper hand of being a hero, even I ended up watching how others reacted.

'Ah, I really am such a coward.'

After mulling it over for a moment, I shook my head to clear my thoughts.

'I don't know. Let's just go for it.'

"Let's buy some alcohol and snacks and take them in."

It was the first time I realized that Dayoung's eyes, which I'd always found adorably big, could grow even wider.

'She's so cute.'

Causality pursues a process and result grounded in rationality, yet everything can crumble and reassemble anew when struck by captivating emotions.

'For instance, if someone with breathtakingly beautiful looks asked for a favor, how many would refuse?'

With just the single factor of appearance, the course of a story can drift into absurd twists effortlessly.

At first, as a viewer, then as an interviewer, then as a savior, and now as a housewarming guest and reality meetup…

The beginning of my connection with Sehee had no particularly unique traits, but…

'This is all moving too fast.'

An inexplicable sense of danger washed over me, as if I might end up giving away everything, even my liver and gallbladder.

I never thought I was naive enough to hear the word "pushover" about myself, but today I truly felt it.

Causality exists!

And one more thing…

"Let's buy some alcohol and snacks and take them in."

Sehee's sudden interjections always carried unparalleled intensity.

"We're going to drink alcohol at my house?"

Dayoung's eyes widened in shock, round as saucers.

In the end, as she nodded, it somehow made her look like a child regressing under her mother's guidance, making her face flush hotly.

Ordinarily, even close acquaintances would hesitate to act this way, yet I found myself going along with Sehee, who seemed ready for a drinking party.

Though we'd only just met in real life and chatted soberly, Dayoung's face didn't suggest she was thick-skinned…

Perhaps, without the sequence of events in virtual reality and the keyword of "hero," this meeting would never have happened.

'Still… isn't this better?'

I thought that human relationships required many elements to be painted onto a white canvas to truly complete, and they didn't necessarily form through time alone.

Even within a short period, alcohol acted as an item that could mix different colors, creating new shades and fostering connections with others.

That's why I decided to go along with Sehee's rhythm.

The casual pace at which we headed toward the convenience store was unusual.

'Her being so laid-back must be the mark of a master.'

"Beer for the alcohol? And jerky and nuts for the snacks. Sounds good?"

"Ah, yes…"

"How about this for the drink? How much can you handle?"

"If it's beer, I can drink plenty…."

"Really?" Sehee's eyes sparkled as if she'd discovered something new.

She seemed to enjoy breaking the ice and communicating, even with strangers she'd just met…

Feeling like she was at an emotional disadvantage, Dayoung pouted slightly.

But Sehee merely chuckled and let it slide, making Dayoung feel like the bad guy for no reason, and she turned her head away.

The sense of shadowboxing alone left her feeling strangely defeated.

After buying eight cans of beer and various snacks, we stepped out of the convenience store to find it was already nearing 10 o'clock.

"Dayoung, your house is nearby, right?"

As we walked along the alleyway, Sehee suddenly stopped and asked, as if recalling something, and Dayoung nodded.

"That's right. If we walk for about five more minutes from here, we'll be there. Why?"

"Hmm, if it's that far, this should be a good spot."

The densely packed residential area had neatly arranged alleyways, but it felt desolate now with no one around.

After glancing around and determining there were no issues, Sehee took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

"Huh?"

Dayoung tilted her head in confusion, but before she could say anything…

A soft radiance, like starlight, began emanating from Sehee's body.

It wasn't intense, but the quiet force of an unchallengeable law seeped into the surroundings.

The starlight gathered in her hand flowed outwards, spreading through this world to establish a new order.

Dayoung, startled, tried to say something, but Pepe's indignant muttering came first.

"A sanctification?"

Dayoung could only nod silently at the sharp words from Pepe, who was clattering away in her bag.

It wasn't easy to agree with his crude tone, but she couldn't deny it.

The ability Sehee had displayed was something beyond Dayoung's understanding—an entirely different level.

'Is that even possible on Earth? Wait… now that I think about it, she did something like this in the park too.'

While Dayoung and Pepe stood frozen in place, Sehee glanced around, looking satisfied, and spoke.

"Hmm, it's been a while since I last used this, but it seems to be working fine. Let's go."

"W-Wait. What did you just do? Why all of a sudden…?"

At Dayoung's stunned question, Sehee blinked and gave a gentle smile.

"To catch the source of the curse, of course. If it's just a simple spell, that's one thing, but what if there's an entity implementing the spell? We wouldn't want any unnecessary trouble, so I made sure to preemptively trap it."

"No way…"

"You didn't think I'd visit your home without considering all that, did you?"

Dayoung flinched inwardly.

'Wait, I didn't just invite her on a whim, did I? Was this really about… removing a curse?'

"Are you here to break a curse?"

"That's right. Think of it as exorcism work, as a hero. To put it simply…"

Sehee placed a slender finger to her lips in a "shh" gesture, her voice teasingly brushing against Dayoung's ears.

"It's like a magic trick."

A magic trick…

Using her hero's powers on Earth at this level of mastery—it made sense, somehow.

'She's not wrong.'

Her mischievous smile, paired with a wink, made her look both cheeky and alluring.

***

Dayoung's home turned out to be a typical villa-style family residence.

It felt oddly familiar, perhaps because it resembled the environment I had lived in before being summoned to another world.

As soon as we stepped inside, something in the corner of the house caught my attention.

"Over there, is that your room, Dayoung?"

"Ah, yes. You found it right away?"

"Of course…"

Given how deeply it was burrowed in, it made sense that even Dayoung, another hero, hadn't noticed it before.

Following her lead, we entered the room, which was clearly set up for a streamer.

A fully equipped computer setup stood next to a neatly arranged virtual reality device.

Unlike my own, hers was a compact headset type, so small it seemed barely noticeable.

Looking at it, I wondered how such a small device could even handle virtual reality games.

It made me realize how luxurious my own environment was.

'Hmm, money really is everything.'

After scanning the surroundings briefly, I reached inside a chair and pulled with all my strength.

-Crrrack!

The sound was like tearing a bug from its shell—a black mass ripped out of the space, clutched in my hand.

"W-What?"

This must be what they call "wide-eyed shock." Dayoung was clearly taken aback.

After all, if something like this were hiding in her room, anyone would be in for a surprise.

"This…"

Ah, is it something familiar? Dayoung seemed to recognize what I was holding.

Since it wasn't a simple curse, of course, she would know.

But the next words out of her mouth were so shocking, even I, who was holding it, was startled.

"The Demon King?"

"What?"

'Why was that name being brought up here?'

And in this situation, neither Dayoung nor I ended up making the biggest fuss.

"Ugh, damn it! I thought I'd suffocate in there!"

Bursting out with the force of a bag being torn open was a winged frog-like creature, hopping out with a "poof."

I had seen it briefly in the park before, but since we were outside, I'd stuffed it back into the bag quickly.

This was the first time I had gotten a proper look.

Noticing my gaze, the frog-like creature waved at me with a sly grin.

'That's… unsettling.'

'Was it sly? Sinister? It gave off a vibe entirely out of place for something meant to accompany a hero.'

"Nice to meet you, pal! I'm Pepe."

Of course, its mouth matched its appearance—far from ordinary.

"A fellow countryman, huh!"

Pepe, as he introduced himself, inspected the black mass in my hand and clicked his tongue in frustration.

"My gosh! Dayoung, you fool! Didn't I tell you to clean up properly?"

"I-I thought I did a good enough job!"

"Good enough? The Demon King managed to drag himself into this world looking like a rat, and you call that clean?"

Ah, it seemed like they knew something.

Apparently, Hero Dayoung's cleanup job during her battle with the Demon King had been far from thorough.

"I told you to follow the standard process and take him down by the book, but look at this mess!"

"But the standard process would've kept me there for at least five years! Do you know how bad that would've been for my health?"

"And you managed to shave it down to two years and get out as a small-time streamer?"

"Grr…!"

-Kapow!

Dayoung's karate chop smashed Pepe's head into a V-shape, leaving him slumped on the floor.

'He's not dead, right?'

"Sorry about him. He's not usually like this, but somehow…"

"It's fine. He seems to be adapting well to this world, at least."

'Was she teasing?'

Seeing her cheeks puff up like a squirrel with a mouthful of acorns, I couldn't help but find it endearing.