The Returner Chapter 138

"I’m off now…." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Kim Dah-Hyun stared at his little sister with a slightly scared expression on his face. He was about to go to work and Kim Dah-Som had followed him to the front door with a silent and emotionless face.
Kim Dah-Hyun could only flinch from that wordless stare and opened his mouth.
"I told you, I don’t know when he’s coming back." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
The crisis in France had been taken care of, but Yi Ji-Hyuk decided not to come back right away and stayed there for one extra day.
That shouldn’t qualify as strange, nor was it something to worry about, but too bad, there was someone here who didn’t agree with that sentiment.
When he returned home last night, Kim Dah-Hyun found his little sister glaring at her phone’s screen as if to bore a hole with her eyes and right away, he sensed that a storm was coming.
What showed up on the phone’s screen was a map, and the very fact that it was a map of France with a red dot in the middle only served to torment Kim Dah-Hyun even further.
‘Are you blind?!’ (Kim Dah-Hyun)
If he thought about who chose to remain in France, then it became oh-so obvious which unfortunate sucker that very much illegal tracking app was, uh, tracking, at the moment.
But, why?!
Why did it have to Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
With that face! With that body! With that personality of hers!
….Oops, excluding the personality bit.
In any case!
Her personality might be a little…. No, objectively speaking, her personality might be seriously problematic but, when paired with such high-quality facial features like hers, it shouldn’t pose too much of an obstacle, no?
I’m not saying that because she’s my little sister!
No, I’m being objective here!
Yes, it’s an utterly, completely objective point of view, wouldn’t you agree?
However, why Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
Not just anyone, but THAT Yi Ji-Hyuk!! (Kim Dah-Hyun’s inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun could no longer continue the staring contest with Kim Dah-Som’s slightly out-there eyes and turned his head away.
So scary!
She’s my little sister, but she’s too scary!!
"I, I’m telling you, I really don’t know when he’s coming back." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
"……….."
Please say something, will ya?!
What do you expect from me when you don’t say anything and just stand there like that?!
If you want something from me, just come out and say it already!!
Dah-Som-ah, you used to speak fluently before, so what happened to you? (Kim Dah-Hyun’s inner monologue)
Kim Dah-Hyun began to worry that his sister was losing more and more of her ability to socialise like normal people, and exhaled a lengthy sigh, before looking back her.
"I’ll find out when he’s coming back and give you a call." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Nod.
Finally, Kim Dah-Som displayed some sort of a response.
It was worth celebrating the fact that she had reacted to something, but then again, since that reaction was in relation to Yi Ji-Hyuk, it was nothing to be celebrated about, either.
Why did it have to Yi Ji-Hyuk?! Just why??
Dah-Som has come of age so even if she brought home a boyfriend, I’d have kept an open mind and accepted that guy!!
I mean, if it was any other guy, I would have dragged him to a cold, dark corner and threatened to tie him up and leave him in front of a Gate slathered in honey if he even thought about raising his hands at my sister!
But, why Yi Ji-Hyuk?! WHY?! (Kim Dah-Hyun’s inner monologue)
Even if one searched every nook and cranny of the Republic of Korea, there would be less than ten people capable of bothering Yi Ji-Hyuk and getting away with it, but just why did one of those ten have to be…. No, why did the one and only one to…..
"Why did it have to be so d*mn complicated?" (Kim Dah-Hyun)
Why did Yi Ji-Hyuk’s little sister have to be that hateful kid Yi Ye-Won, and why did the guy who rescued Kim Dah-Som from that hateful kid’s bullying spree had to be none other than Yi Ji-Hyuk?!
If one were to get technical about it, then all he did was to try and fix the incident his sibling had caused, yet this kid fell hard for that….
Just which part of Yi Ji-Hyuk appealed to her that much?
Was it his face?
Sure, Yi Ji-Hyuk’s face wasn’t bad enough to be called ugly by no means, but if Kim Dah-Hyun was honest here, well - that man’s countenance was simply too low-levelled compared to the people surrounding him.
First of all, there was Choi Jung-Hoon, whose facial features were so beautifully sculpted that, were he to enter the entertainment industry, he’d be ranked at the very top of the pile right away. Not only that, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Kim Dah-Hyun himself was one of the most good-looking men in Korea, too.
Not just the men - even the ladies made one think that the NDF had to be a gathering of supermodels, instead.
And in the midst of all that, here was Yi Ji-Hyuk and his plain face….
Still, outside looks or whatever, everything was relative.
If you took a kid with regular intellect and dropped him in the middle of the Seoul University, he’d immediately become the most stupid one there. Likewise, you drop a plain-face guy in the midst of the NDF, that guy would automatically morph into Squidward. (TL: Seoul University is the top uni in South Korea.)
Well, sure. Let us forget about that guy’s face for a second. Kim Dah-Hyun knew very well that the face wasn’t everything to a man.
However, his personality was even worse than that!!
That scumbag-like b*stard!!
A human should at least try to act like a human being!! How could anyone find him ‘likeable’, what with that screwed-up personality of his?!
Kim Dah-Hyun fiercely massaged the bridge of his nose.
Just thinking about that man gave him way too much stress. It felt like he was getting a heartburn.
"Definitely. Call me." (Kim Dah-Som)
Hearing Kim Dah-Som’s cold voice, Kim Dah-Hyun begun shivering in his boots.
"Did I leave the aircon on or something?" (Kim Dah-Hyun)
But, who would switch on the bloody aircon in the middle of the winter in the first place?! He knew that there was no way it could be true, but as this biting chill began wrapping around him, Kim Dah-Hyun couldn’t help be suspicious.
Lately, it became too, too cold and he had to cover himself with half a dozen blankets when going to sleep. Staring at the physical reason for that strange weather phenomenon standing right in front of him, Kim Dah-Hyun spat out a long groan.
"By the way…." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
"………."
"There are other, nicer guys out there, you know?" (Kim Dah-Hyun)
"………."
Why aren’t you answering me, Dah-Som-ah?
Your oppa is talking to you, so can’t you at least pretend that you heard me or something? (Kim Dah-Hyun’s inner monologue)
Instead, Kim Dah-Som simply stared at her older brother with a pair of eyes filled to the brim with dissatisfaction after hearing his totally incomprehensible words. Just as her glare was about to change from dissatisfaction to scorn, Kim Dah-Hyun spoked to her in a tragic voice.
"….Fine, I got it. I’ll call you as soon as I get the confirmation." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
"Ng."
Her expression became refreshingly bright once more.
For the time being, he had prevented the destruction of his family.
Kim Dah-Hyun stepped out of his house as Kim Dah-Som bade him a farewell that didn’t really sound like one, and his dazed eyes rose up to stare at the sky above.
Looking at the bright morning sun beating down on him, Kim Dah-Hyun could only mutter out in pure bitterness.
"What f*cking great weather we’re having today." (Kim Dah-Hyun)
So great, in fact, it was tear-inducing, even.
*
Yi Ji-Hyuk ate really well and spent a wonderful day in one of the best suites in France, and made his return to the NDF’s offices the following day. The first thing he did after his return was, naturally, switching on his computer.
Because Choi Jung-Hoon used his gifted tongue once more, Yi Ji-Hyuk didn’t get scolded by his mom for staying out for the whole night as well.
And so, Yi Ji-Hyuk was feeling really great at the moment.
If it weren’t for one certain rotten lizard woman, busy calling the décor of the best hotel in France cheap this and low-rent that, it’d been ten times better, though!
Affeldrichae was booting her own computer right next to Yi Ji-Hyuk, but opened her eyes slightly wider when she sensed Yi Ji-Hyuk’s gaze on her.
"What’s the matter?" (Affeldrichae)
"….Groan…."
"Are you talking about that again? I’ve told you this before. Even if it was gold, you’re wasting your resources when using it in that fashion. And also, you have personally witnessed what my own residence looks like, so I expected you to at least possess a modicum of appreciation for true beauty." (Affeldrichae)
Sure thing. Your home was really spectacularly opulent.
However, well… did you actually decorate that by your own hands? No!
I saw with my own two eyes, all those Dwarves working their butts off to make that place for you, you know!!
You can’t even do anything with your own hands yet you still run your mouth to complain over and over again…. Considering all that, what did you say to me just now?
"Appreciation for true beauty?!"
Why don’t I just yank those eyes of yours out now, ah?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
Seriously now, it was so bad that the Dwarf Chieftain actually clung to Yi Ji-Hyuk and bitterly, tearfully complained to him.
Of course, those complaints entered Affeldrichae’s ears ad verbatim, and the Chieftain ended up paying the appropriate price for his loose mouth, though!
Ng?
You asking me if I ratted him out?
Of course not. It’s just that old geezer simply failed to read the moods properly.
Even back then, I was designated as the special surveillance target too. It was the same thing as CCTV cameras and listening devices following me around for 24/7. But well, that Chieftain dude spoke ill of Affeldrichae around me, so….
Now that I think about it, that lizard woman can be pretty dreadful, can’t she? (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
Perhaps she had read the meaning behind Yi Ji-Hyuk’s expression, Affeldrichae stared at the monitor and pretended to not notice anything.
"Decoration is important. At a bare minimum, it should not rouse the feeling of discontent from you. A décor that makes one feel unhappy has no value as décor." (Affeldrichae)
"Looking at you makes me feel unhappy, so for the sake of my mental health, can’t you just b****r off somewhere?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Feeling unhappy after looking at me, what an odd notion that is. After all, I paid careful attention to this outer appearance in consideration of your tastes…." (Affeldrichae)
"You’re still a lizard inside." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Well, let us excuse ourselves in that regard. I also have to look at your face as well, Mister Ji-Hyuk." (Affeldrichae)
"What’s wrong with my face?!" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What are you trying to imply about my face here! The one my mom gifted to me!!
I’ve never, ever thought of myself as ugly until now!! But nowadays, I can’t escape from this sense of shame in this place, really now!!
And you, can’t you remember how you looked like originally?!
Your skin’s all covered up in scales and your fangs all jut out this way and that!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
"Hah, to hear such things from an ugly lizard…." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Oh, my? I’ve been constantly voted as the most beautiful among my kind, I’ll have you know. How rude." (Affeldrichae)
"….Of course you are." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Yi Ji-Hyuk snorted derisively.
What would it matter if a bunch of dang lizards start discussing who was prettier and what not? They were all lizards at the end of the day.
Yi Ji-Hyuk loaded the game and complained inwardly; meanwhile, Choi Jung-Hoon sneaked in closer and whispered.
"Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Yes?"
"I’d like to discuss something with you." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Eh?"
Yi Ji-Hyuk quietly stared at Choi Jung-Hoon for a bit, before getting up from his spot. The game hadn’t fully booted up yet, so freeing up a couple of seconds to listen wasn’t difficult at all. Especially if it was this guy.
"It’s not something we can discuss here, right?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Us three, including the Captain, needs to talk, so yes." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Well, sure. Let’s." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
When that happened, Jeong Hae-Min, occupying a small spot in the corner and her ears constantly twitching like an attentive rabbit, hurriedly trotted over to Yi Ji-Hyuk’s side.
"….Are you deaf?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Ehehe, me too. Me too." (Jeong Hae-Min)
"Didn’t your hear it’s only for three people?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
Jeong Hae-Min grinned refreshingly and spoke.
"It’s not gonna be bad just because three became four, right?" (Jeong Hae-Min)
"You’d change your tune if I hit you four times instead of three, though?" (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"You wanna hit a girl? You savage!" (Jeong Hae-Min)
Yi Ji-Hyuk responded with an unimpressed expression on his face.
"I’ve been beating up women or whatever when they came at me for over a thousand years already, I'll have you know." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"That joke is getting stale now." (Jeong Hae-Min)
That ‘joke’?
Wanna find out if I was joking or not? (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk stared at her with eyes full of hidden meanings, Jeong Hae-Min blushed slightly and turned her head away.
W-what the heck?!
What are you doing??
Did this shorty lose her dang mind or something?! (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
When Yi Ji-Hyuk’s entire body began shuddering, Choi Jung-Hoon smiled brightly and quickly intervened.
"It’s fine for Miss Jeong Hae-Min to attend, as well." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
That’s not how you show who’s the boss here, you fool!
You can’t say it’s fine in matters like this!! (Yi Ji-Hyuk’s inner monologue)
"You see? Told you." (Jeong Hae-Min)
"Eh-whew…."
Yi Ji-Hyuk shook his head and entered the room Choi Jung-Hoon had led him to. It was the conference room where he went wild for a little bit a couple of days ago.
As soon as everyone settled down, Choi Jung-Hoon opened his mouth.
"All four people are here now." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Nope, it’s five." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Pardon?"
Yi Ji-Hyuk simply pointed to the ground beneath his feet, prompting Choi Jung-Hoon to revise his statement.
"Five, including Miss Gah-Yun." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Yup."
Choi Jung-Hoon got straight to the point.
"Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Please speak freely." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Another request from the Americans came in." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Yi Ji-Hyuk’s expression became rather unimpressed.
"What is this, requesting for me because of they are bored or something? Tell them I’m not interested." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"Hahaha…."
"They might develop a bad habit at this rate." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
What the hell, at least listen to the rest before saying something, will ya?!
You don’t even know what it is, yet you’re not interested? (Choi Jung-Hoon’s inner monologue)
"I don’t even have to hear it to know that they want me to kill a new monster or something. I already got enough stuff from them, so there’s no need to go over there and work my a*s off now." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
"That’s not it, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
Choi Jung-Hoon shook his head.
"This time, it isn’t about that. As a matter of fact, I wouldn’t even ask you to come here if the request was about that." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Mm?"
"Honestly speaking, you must’ve been feeling a bit troubled by the strengths of the monsters lately, am I correct?" (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Hmm…."
Yi Ji-Hyuk leaned back against the chair.
He didn’t know what the Americans wanted this time, but it was also true that he had been thinking about how things couldn’t continue at this rate.
If things continued on, then sooner or later, Yi Ji-Hyuk would be saddled with the responsibility of killing every single monster appearing on this planet.
"Yeah, sure. It is a bit…." (Yi Ji-Hyuk)
It was then, Choi Jung-Hoon formed a genial smile.
"That is why the request from the Americans makes a lot of sense." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"Eh?"
"The Americans are requesting that you, Mister Yi Ji-Hyuk, train the American ability users." (Choi Jung-Hoon)
"….Ehhh?"
Yi Ji-Hyuk dazedly asked back.
Fin.