Chapter 112 - Shirtless French Professor

"He drank a little and, ... he lost his house key. Yes, that was it," Eun Ha  vehemently said, looking candidly at her best friend. 

Ye Rim again looked down at her unnie's rumpled outfit, 

"Uhn, okay. He was the only one who drank too much? And why isn't he sleeping on the couch? Why is he in your bed, and shirtless?"

Ye Rim again looked down at her unnie's rumpled outfit, "Uhn, okay. He was the only one who drank too much? And why isn't he sleeping on the couch? Why is he in your bed, and shirtless?"

"Unnie! Don't insinuate things you don't know! Okay, I didn't want to worry you. But we're mugged while he accompanied me after class, and the Professor defended me!" Eun Ha made up a better excuse. Anyway, the fairy was insulted by the constant and very reasonable questions her donsaeng was nagging her with, 

"If Professor Shin were my boyfriend, you would be the first to know. He's really just my French teacher."

Ye Rim sighed, "It reminded me of that stupid prophecy we had with that strange stick, remember? What morons we were! What was that? Collective hysteria? I don't know. I was excited about your predictions that I was going to be rich and famous, and I made things up too. Look at that. Our birthday is coming and neither you nor I have boyfriends!"

"Hahaha, such nonsense, right?! I was so credulous and imaginative ...!" Eun Ha agreed with a half-hearted smile. "What did you say you saw, again?"

"That we didn't spend our 27th birthday together for any reason. You had a stylish boyfriend, and you spent your birthday with him. Something like that," Ye Rim laughed, and whispered, "Would it be your French teacher? Is he handsome and sleek by any chance?"

Eun Ha excitedly whispered back, "YES!"

They giggled and high-fived, but after that Ye Rim changed the subject,

"Well, I thought I could count on you for something, but you better take good care of the man who saved you from the assault. Eun Ha, please don't walk around at night, even when accompanied. It's dangerous! I worry about you! Look what happened!"

'If she only imagined what really happened, she would be scared and furious with me!' the fashion stylist reflected, knowing that among the two, Ye Rim was the bravest.

"Is it too urgent?" She asked, realizing that Ye Rim looked quite euphoric.

"Yes, I got a donation of exclusive items to sell and raise money to pay off my debt! The President of Sunbae Duk Mi fan club is related to some NGOs. I remembered an event she helps organize every year, a charity bazaar. Luckily, it's today, and she managed to get me to take the items to sell there," Ye Rim spoke and ended her sentence with her signature smile. Her smile swag was a 'close deal' type, but Eun Ha knew it was most often used to sweep under the rug something shady from Ye Rim's part. Like the fine lines in the deal.

She would like to probe further and understand where the catch to that explanation was, but today she needed to take care of Professor Shin.

"I'm sorry, Ye Rim. I won't be able to help you today. But look," she opened the bedroom door. It was long enough for Ye Rim to spy on the sleeping man again. Reaching for her purse inside the room, Eun Ha took some spare money, "Take this and get a taxi."

"Hadn't you been mugged?" Ye Rim waited for her unnie to lend her money, but she didn't stop teasing her again, whispering with an amused expression.

"Yes, but Professor Shin recovered my purse," Eun Ha replied, also whispering. "Now go!" She closed the door and pushed Ye Rim's head out.

She even heard Ye Rim hum around the apartment, looking quite upbeat and lively in the morning, before leaving to the charity bazaar.

It was hard to keep a bad mood or have bad thoughts about last night when the day was so beautiful, even though it was fall. And to think there were people who ignored the beauty of life and preferred the video game's fantasy!

The fairy turned to continue taking care of Professor Shin, and saw him covered with the sheet up to his neck. He looked at the ceiling and every corner of the room as if he were captured and was a prisoner in an enemy camp.

'Aishh what a prude!' she thought she could create some clothes for the Hunter, but found it more fun to make him stay under the sheets.

"Is the Professor feeling well?" she asked as if she hadn't noticed the other fairy's uneasy reaction.

"I am. To my surprise, I'm better than I thought I would," he confessed.

"Am I not great? I spent all night using my magic to save your life," she said, blatantly lying. He had no way of knowing, did he? And Eun Ha could demand extra lessons from him in return. She was already getting used to Professor Shin's capitalist way.

"You probably think about taking advantage of this lie, don't you? You don't know how to practice healing," was the Professor's sour retort.

"Aigoo, how ungrateful! Are all fairies so ungrateful? Your friend In Jung didn't want to help you. I just said goodbye and threw you here at my door."

"Don't be like that. You don't know, but he couldn't help me. Some time ago In Jung used all his magic to accomplish something very important. So he has no magic left," after the explanation the Hunter moved on the bed to get up, but he didn't contain a surprised groan of pain.

Eun Ha almost ran to help him, but stopped herself, putting her hands back, and asking,

"Do you need help from this nurse?" It surprised her to have misjudged the poor fairy In Jung, but now Eun Ha knew that a fairy could lose your magic forever.

The Hunter seemed to ponder for a moment, and agreed. The stylist imagined how bad he was still feeling to accept someone's help. Especially hers.

While bandaged according to his directions, his teacher surprised the younger fairy with a question,

"That was Ye Rim?"

"Yes. That snooper was Ye Rim! And ... Professor Shin, I had the impression that she kind of ... broke my magic?! Is this possible for a human? I mean… Is it possible that she could see just because she already knows me?"

"I heard the conversation and was also intrigued by what happened. No, that's not possible. Even I see your magic as you created it. And you see it that way yourself. It's not common for a human to see through illusion. But I begin to believe that your friend really is as different as you say."

"How different?" For Eun Ha, her best friend was always different from other people. But at the same time, she knew her so well that she might not be able to tell apart.

"Well, there are humans touched by magic still in their mothers' w.o.m.bs. These people are often different. Some see ghosts, others see the future ... And a few have even rarer gifts. I don't know. But it seems that Ye Rim may be one of those 'touched' people.

He looked around, and added,

"This might be why this place is so nice and cozy."

"This is my room, Professor Shin!" she smiled, correcting the Hunter's mistake.

"I still have to know more about your protégé to be sure," Shin purposely ignored his student's comment. 

"As I told you earlier, when you found me, Ye Rim and I were born on the same day and in the same place. Her mother was the laughingstock and the 'madwoman' in our hometown, because she believed my mother was a fairy. I, however, know nothing of my birth mother, only social and legal data. Perhaps Professor Shin could help me find out more about it ... I can pay with magic favors!" she candidly suggested, even trying to make an attractive offer.

"Ah, about that!" The Hunter stood up, frowning but containing other expressions of discomfort. Two things, Jung: I owe you a favor for yesterday. And our classes…"

Sensing that this was one of the times the Hunter would try to undo the deal of teaching her, Eun Ha rushed to his feet,

"No, please Professor Shin! Don't say it's over! I still have a lot to learn. I don't even know where the Dominion is yet! Whether in the north or the south! Please don't say that classes are over!"

He crossed his arms, looking vexed,

"Get up now, Jung!"

Just when Eun Ha was on his feet, his teacher continued,

"As I was saying, I don't have a lot of free time, but ... When I have, I'll teach you. Let's forget about the deal."

"Well, in my defense I was captured because I found a cleaning lady cleaning the restroom and…" she apologized because she quickly guessed that he was saying this because of last night.

"It's all right. I was very optimistic, because of the last time."

"…!" Eun Ha blinked, imagining that the word optimistic and Hunter didn't go together.

"I'm sorry that I was more in the way than helped," she said sincerely, and he made a dismissing signal,

"Don't try catching praise Jung. You showed presence of mind, after all."

"Yes! I know! It was a little fun to upset that woman. But ... Is that really over? Will that gang come after us?" that was a question that persisted in Eun Ha's mind. The Hunter looked at her in an appraising manner, and said,

"Don't worry. Just change how you do the eyeliner, and you will never be found."

She started laughing, until she realized she was being mocked, 

"HEY!!!"

"But if you feel in danger, whatever the reason, call me immediately, Jung!" He went to the bedroom door, but Eun Ha stepped in front of him, preventing him from leaving,

"Wait! Profes… I mean, Hunter Shin, you just said you owe me a favor!"

Surely Shin didn't expect to be charged this promptly, and frowned, but Eun Ha didn't care,

"Listen! This is the plan to get the money for Ye Rim. And I need your help!"

Shin grunted, realizing too late his mistake.