Chapter 8
[8] Oppa, Which Bitch Was It?
Slash.
‘That’s…’
Minjun’s sword pierced another lizardman’s throat.
It was a clean strike that the Minjun she had known a year ago could never have managed.
Watching him, Sia felt something strange.
‘It isn’t just the sword.’
Physical ability, technique, instinct.
Everything was noticeably different from before.
Minjun himself might not realize it.
But as a dragon, Sia could tell.
He was performing far beyond what should have been possible.
‘How is this happening?’
While she was puzzling over it, Minjun finished the fight and turned toward her.
“Sia.”
“Sia, what are you thinking about?”
“Oh, huh? Nothing.”
Her reaction was obviously suspicious, but Minjun didn’t press her.
“Let’s take a short break before we move on.”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
Despite her outward composure, her mind was racing.
‘I’ll have to look into this soon.’
Into the secret Minjun harbored without even knowing it himself.
His handling of the power was still clumsy, but Sia was certain of one thing.
If the dragons learned about this, it would cause an enormous stir.
They finished clearing the Gate without difficulty.
Long ago, in the world where she had lived, Sia had seen people wield Dragon Bone Swords in person.
Their swordsmanship varied, but they all drew out the power in the same way.
They stimulated the blade, releasing the innate power dwelling within the dragon bone.
Minjun, however, was drawing out the sword’s latent power in an entirely different way.
She hadn’t been sure at first, but watching him wield it again had confirmed her suspicions.
‘I’ve… never seen anything like this.’
A mere human wasn’t “borrowing” the dragon’s power within the blade. He was wielding it as though it were his own.
“Hmm…”
Without Sia’s help, Minjun had defeated every lizardman in the Gate entirely on his own.
And his performance had been incomparably better than before.
Yet even now, after they had finished the raid and emerged from the Gate, he still hadn’t figured it out.
What was this power Sia had mentioned?
“I’ll figure it out someday, right?”
“Of course. For today, let’s just be happy that we discovered your talent.”
After all, even a journey of a thousand miles began with a single step.
Minjun decided to put both the power and the Dragon Bone Sword out of his mind, at least for today.
He could enjoy the rest of their date first and start worrying about all that tomorrow.
By the time they left the Gate, dusk was beginning to fall.
“Shall we get some dinner?”
“Sounds good. I was getting hungry anyway. Is there anything you want, Oppa?”
“I’m fine with anything. What about you?”
After a moment’s thought, Sia answered in an innocent voice.
“Can we have tteokbokki again?”
They had eaten tteokbokki for lunch, but apparently that hadn’t been enough for her.
Still…
It was only yesterday that he had cried at her grave, regretting that he hadn’t shared even one more meal of tteokbokki with her while she was alive.
“Of course we can. Add a few side dishes, and we should be all set.”
“Oh, perfect. Let’s do that.”
They headed to a different tteokbokki restaurant from the one they had visited at lunch and placed their order.
“Hehe.”
Resting her chin in both hands like a flower framed by its petals, Sia gazed at Minjun.
Like a sunflower looking toward the sun.
“What are you thinking about?”
“You, Oppa.”
“You’re so cute I could just take a bite out of you.”
“If it’s you, I’ll let you gobble me right up.”
Their sugary exchange was enough to make anyone cringe, yet neither of them looked remotely embarrassed.
As they continued chatting about this and that, Sia excused herself to use the restroom.
“Don’t cry just because I’m gone for a little while, okay?”
“Oh dear. I can’t promise that.”
After she left, Minjun gazed fondly in the direction she had disappeared, happily reflecting on everything they had done that day.
“Oh… he’s handsome.”
The two women watching him, Jeong Minju and Hwang Yeonju, whispered quietly enough that no one else could hear.
His good looks made him stand out from everyone around him.
He had a nice voice, too.
Above all, even from watching him briefly, they could tell how much he loved his girlfriend.
“I wish I had a boyfriend like that.”
Minju lamented that she would have asked for his number already if he hadn’t had a girlfriend.
But then—
Meanwhile, the two women at the table diagonally across from Minjun continued chatting, stealing glances at him.
“Yeonju, just turn your head and look at that guy.”
“The one in the black hoodie?”
“Should I go get his number?”
Hwang Yeonju suddenly made the outrageous suggestion.
“What the hell are you talking about, you lunatic?”
Naturally, Jeong Minju thought she was joking.
But Yeonju looked quite serious.
“Hey, don’t tell me… you actually mean it?”
“Of course I do.”
“You’re insane. Didn’t you see him talking to his girlfriend just now?”
“That makes it more fun, bitch. Besides, she’s gone now, isn’t she? If I’m going to ask, now’s the time. Want to bet? If I get his number, you’re buying drinks later.”
Yeonju had always been boy-crazy, but she usually respected at least a few boundaries.
This time, though, she had hopped over the line as casually as if she were skipping rope.
“Hey, seriously. This isn’t okay.”
Asking a man for his number when he had been acting lovey-dovey with his girlfriend just moments earlier? She had to be out of her mind.
But Yeonju’s response was even more absurd.
“Scared?”
“What?”
“Scared you’ll lose? Anyway, watch me. I’ll be right back with his number. Don’t forget—you’re buying.”
“Hey! Hey, Hwang Yeonju!”
Despite Minju’s attempts to stop her, Yeonju stood up and headed toward him.
“She’s going to get herself into serious trouble one of these days.”
She had always been a bit unhinged, but Minju hadn’t realized she was this crazy.
Jeong Minju sighed too quietly for anyone else to hear.
Unconcerned, Hwang Yeonju strode confidently toward Minjun.
Then—
“Excuse me…”
Approaching him with a self-assured stride, she struck up a conversation.
“Could I have your number? I don’t normally do this, but you’re exactly my type.”
“…?”
The instant she asked for his number, Minjun couldn’t hide his confusion.
‘Hasn’t she been sitting over there this whole time?’
She hadn’t been far away, so she must have seen him being affectionate with Sia.
And she was asking for his number anyway?
“I’m sorry. I have a girlfriend.”
“I know, I know. But how about just being friends? There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“…Excuse me?”
He had expected her to leave without a fuss, but she held out her phone again.
Subtly emphasizing her chest as she did so.
‘…Has the world gone mad?’
She wanted to be friends with a man who had a girlfriend, even if she couldn’t date him?
What kind of nonsense was that?
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think that would be possible.”
“Oh, come on. If you’re uncomfortable giving me your number, I can give you mine. Would even that be a problem?”
Normally, when someone was turned down, wouldn’t they try once or twice more at most before giving up and leaving?
But this woman refused to quit, clinging to him like a leech as she tried to get his number.
She was definitely crazy, Minjun decided.
“I’m not going to give you my number. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t make this any more troublesome for either of us.”
His voice was unmistakably sharper than before.
Yeonju shrugged as though he were no fun and returned to her seat.
Watching her walk away, Minjun frowned.
Having something like this happen while Sia was away left him uneasy.
Then, right on cue, Sia returned.
She was carrying a shopping bag whose contents he couldn’t identify.
“Oppa, did I keep you waiting? Sorry.”
But the moment she entered the restaurant—
…
‘What’ll happen if his girlfriend finds out?’
‘What do you think? We just sit back and enjoy the show.’
No matter how quietly they whispered, there was nothing her dragon hearing couldn’t catch.
“Oppa.”
‘Why does the atmosphere feel strange?’
Sensing something subtly off in the restaurant, she quietly expanded her senses.
Immediately, the surrounding whispers reached her.
‘Wow, seriously. How do you even think about asking a guy with a girlfriend for his number?’
‘I know. No matter how much I liked someone, I could never do that.’
‘I heard her say she’d settle for being his friend if she couldn’t be his girlfriend. Wow…’
In an instant, the air around them froze.
“Oppa, you’re not hiding anything from me, are you?”
“Hiding something? Sia—”
“Which bitch was it?”
Her eyes, drained of their warmth, stared dully at Minjun.
“Which bitch tried to get your number?”