At that mont, in Seogwipo City, Sejong Academy Lodging H Hotel Suite Room:
“Unnie, you know the plane the staff boarded? Apparently, an unidentified person collided with it, causing it to spin a few tis and eventually arrive late.”
Yoon Iseon relayed the information she received from a Hero Association agent directly to Baek Seol-hee.
“Unnie?”
“That was .”
“What?”
“I created a clone outside the window and threw it.”
Dressed comfortably in just a white T-shirt and long pants, Baek Seol-hee leisurely sipped on iced coffee through a straw as she sat on the sofa.
“The collision was unexpected, but planes collide with birds and all sorts of things while flying, right?”
“Usually, that would lead to a Mayday situation…”
“It’s fine. It was just a light bump. I only infiltrated the plane secretly, that’s all.”
“Why? To be with the teacher? Even if it’s just a clone?”
“Yes.”
“You’re really going all out with just the two of you, aren’t you?”
“So, my unnie is thinking of retiring for pregnancy, is that a problem?”
“….”
Yoon Iseon clamped her mouth shut.
After all, there was a world of difference between having a child in one’s mid-twenties and having one in the late twenties.
“I’m just following the world’s advice to ‘marry early and have children.’ Though I might be a little late.”
“Yes… The issue is that the partner is a married man.”
“That’s not the only issue, but it’s just a minor problem. He’s fine.”
The fact that the “minor problem” was that he was the Goblin almost slipped from Yoon Iseon’s mouth, but she held it in.
“Right, right. Wishing you the best. So, has the clone joined the teacher?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
“Well, I know it’ll do well, but I can’t check right now.”
Baek Seol-hee pressed her hands to her temples and closed her eyes.
“Maybe it’s because of the big obstacle of Hallasan Mountain, but telepathy isn’t working well. If it were within my magic power range, I could make it work with multitasking and turn it into part of my consciousness, but it’s too far away right now.”
“So, what state is it in?”
“You could say it’s another version of that split off from the mont it boarded the plane. There’s the original Baek Seol-hee here at the Seogwipo accommodation, and then there’s the clone Baek Seol-hee keeping a 24-hour watch by his side. I bet he’d be shocked if he saw it. He’d probably wonder if it has its own personality. Haha.”
“Impressive. With that level of cloning ability, you’ll be able to stay active even after getting pregnant.”
“…Right, soday in the future.”
Baek Seol-hee hesitated slightly in her answer, and Yoon Iseon picked up on the subtle pause.
“Sister, are you… now preg—”
“Shh.”
“We’re alone, you’ve used a magic shield, and it’s not like this conversation is being recorded. Sister, are you pregnant?”
“…Iseon.”
Baek Seol-hee looked at Yoon Iseon with a serious expression and placed her hand on her abdon.
“The reason I ca to Jeju Island was to ‘create an alibi.’ To establish a connection with that man.”
“When did you get pregnant? eting in Jeju in July doesn’t quite fit the tiline, does it…?”
“Uh, well, it’s been about a month… or maybe a bit more? And we’ll just say the baby was premature.”
She planned to lie, claiming that the baby ca prematurely, knowing that the full 10 months wouldn’t be reached.
Yoon Iseon couldn’t help but marvel at the clever yet sowhat flimsy plan Baek Seol-hee had crafted.
“Sister has it all figured out.”
“Of course. The important thing is to have officially t him.”
“In Jeju.”
“During the sumr session. There wasn’t an excuse to et on Sejong Island….”
“Couldn’t you just go to the library?”
“If I went by myself, the people following would bother him. Plus, when he was working as a librarian, I was busy with lectures. Anyway, now everything is in place.”
Baek Seol-hee crossed her legs and reclined on the sofa.
“My clone will stick close, warding off any foxes trying to get close to him, and later, when I reabsorb the clone, all its mories will flow back to .”
“I’m not one of those ‘foxes,’ am I?”
“Iseon, I’m not joking. You may be called a fox in na, but if you try any fox tricks with him, we’re enemies.”
“I have no such intentions with the teacher, so rest assured.”
Yoon Iseon was confident.
If she ntioned being a fan of the Goblin, the room temperature would drop at least three degrees thanks to Baek Seol-hee’s magic.
“It would be nice to know what the clone is doing right now.”
“It’s fine. It’s my clone, so I’m sure it’s doing well. I trust it.”
Baek Seol-hee had complete faith in the other self she had created.
“She’s , after all.”
“For now, don’t call Baek Seol-hee.”
[Harang… Is that so kind of alias?]
“No. It just has a nice ring to it. It sounds like a na, too.”
The Baek Seol-hee clone—no, Harang—firmly established a new title from the start.
“And don’t think of as Baek Seol-hee. If you talk to thinking I’m Baek Seol-hee, others might misunderstand.”
[Even if the eye color is slightly different, and even though the hair is a bit duller, the face still looks like Baek Seol-hee.]
“At first glance, they might think, ‘Oh, it’s Baek Seol-hee!’ But then when they look lower, they’ll just think, ‘Wow, she looks like her.’ Right?”
Hearing this, Harang placed both hands on her chest and straightened her shoulders.
“You should know best. Or should I say, want to touch and feel for yourself? To see the difference between the real Baek Seol-hee and ?”
[Even without touching, I can see clearly enough.]
“As expected, bigger is better for n, isn’t it?”
[Smaller things have their own charm too. I’m not just saying that.]
I learned that from the Chief.
[Instead of staying small, wouldn’t it be better to have both small and big at the sa ti?]
“If you think that way, that’s good. There are so restrictions, but it won’t be a big problem to be together. After all, my original self provided with magic power. And more importantly…”
Srrrk.
Harang approached .
I didn’t avoid her touch, and Harang walked right up to my masked face.
“If you transfer your mana to , I could extend my activity ti.”
[You’re asking to give you magic power?]
“You know where it needs to go, don’t you?”
[Sohow, it feels like you, as the clone, are more assertive and daring than the original. You seem like a different person.]
Even though I could tell the difference, there was too much ambiguity for to see the woman in front of as identical to Baek Seol-hee.
[You said your na was Harang. Are you truly Baek Seol-hee’s clone?]
“Do you want to call and check? Or I could share a secret about you that only Baek Seol-hee would know.”
[What secret of mine?]
“The Goblin is…”
Harang placed her hand on my collar and looked up at .
“Do Ji-hwan.”
[I haven’t revealed that yet.]
“Let’s just say I figured it out.”
[…Hah. Wait a mont.]
I raised my hand to the mask, releasing only the magic covering it.
“…Seeing each other face-to-face while using magic like this feels incredibly strange. It’s like I’m the one who’s completely exposed. Are you listening, Baek Seol-hee?”
“It’s fine. Baek Seol-hee can’t hear us right now.”
“…What?”
“With Baek Seol-hee’s magic and abilities, she can’t maintain a link from Jeju to Seogwipo. So, I beca a distinct, autonomous clone. She can’t control .”
“I see. I understand now. You increased the clone’s autonomy and ego enough to allow for independent movent.”
Although both were Baek Seol-hee before the clone’s creation, once they split, Baek Seol-hee and Harang beca effectively separate individuals.
Despite the short ti that had passed, one part of her, as an S-class ability user, went directly to the Seogwipo hotel suite. anwhile, the Harang before was rely a D-class ability user with limited magic power.
“What do you plan to tell the original later? Will you give her a report?”
“Once I rge back with her, all the mories and experiences will be transferred to the original.”
“…So, for the ti being, it’s like you’re living two lives simultaneously.”
“It’s like aging twice as fast.”
Harang twisted her lips into a sharp smile.
“Even though a woman has to age twice as fast, she still went ahead and made a clone to send to you. What do you think that ans?”
“…To monitor ?”
“Bingo. She told to keep away any girls trying to cozy up to you.”
“Sohow, you don’t sound particularly interested in doing that.”
It wasn’t just my imagination.
My instincts were telling as much.
“A clone that doesn’t follow the original’s intentions.”
“It’s not about not following. After assessing things as Baek Seol-hee by your side, I don’t see the need to chase away every woman flirting with you.”
“And why’s that?”
“What man in the world likes being watched and controlled by a woman? Not unless he’s a pervert.”
“…The more we talk, the more you feel like soone else entirely. It’s like you’re Baek Seol-hee’s little sister or cousin.”
“Then, call Baek Harang, Seol-hee’s little sister.”
“Baek Harang?”
“Yes. Well, the last na isn’t that important. Just call Harang. Or should I attach a different last na? Baek Harang, Seol Harang, or maybe….”
“Let’s just stick with Harang.”
I gently brushed a speck of dust off Harang’s shoulder.
“So, what is it that you want from ? Why did you call out here?”
“Did I call you?”
“You kept looking at as if you wanted to. To talk like this, to have a reason for calling . Am I wrong?”
“No, you’re spot on. What I want is…”
Harang quietly slid next to , gently taking my hand.
“I just wanted to walk and chat with you.”
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