The first guest for the housewarming party was Baek Ahrin.
She was impatiently pressing the doorbell attached to the main gate, it seemed that ringing it would notify the inside of the mansion.
Just then, I burst out of nowhere as if my rear end was on fire, and Hong Yeon-hwa, who hurriedly chased after me, welcomed Baek Ahrin.
“By the way, what have you done to her this time?”
“What are you talking about as soon as I arrive? What did I do?”
Baek Ahrin tilted her head as she assessed my state.
Her unexpected comment made me tilt my head in confusion, while Hong Yeon-hwa responded with annoyance.
“Look at Huyul’s clothes, they’re all disheveled. And your hair too… oh dear.”
With a deep sigh, Baek Ahrin reached out a hand towards me.
Following her gesture, my clothes were neatly rearranged. The wrinkled and crumpled fabric regained its form.
“Seriously, can’t you keep your clothes tidy whether you’re inside or outside?”
‘Ah.’
I opened my mouth slightly in awe.
Now that I thought about it, I rushed out so quickly that I completely forgot to fix my clothes.
Plus, I dashed out in a hurry after combining my physical enhancement techniques, so my outfit must have been a mess.
And here I was, confronting guests in such a disheveled state.
[I’m sorry]
[I rushed out…]
“Shh, hold still.”
Just as I was about to frantically move both my hands, a voice from above made my body freeze.
“That’s right, being still is good.”
Baek Ahrin, seeing me freeze midway, sweetly smiled and brushed my hair back.
“Why did you have to rush out… It seems like your clothes shouldn’t be this disheveled just from running out…”
“Umm…”
Hong Yeon-hwa, who was showing discomfort at Baek Ahrin’s actions, suddenly cleared her throat.
“Even docile Gop-hwa is moving around energetically… I wonder who flared things up from the outside…”
“What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“No, I was just looking at a friend’s face. Are you feeling guilty about something?”
“Guilty? About what? Me? What have I done wrong?”
Hong Yeon-hwa raised an eyebrow at the odd gaze directed at her, while Baek Ahrin feigned innocence with a shrug.
As usual, they were bickering. Meanwhile, Baek Ahrin’s gestures continued, and soon my outfit was back to normal.
“Alright, all done. You can move now.”
With the last gesture of tucking my hair behind my ear, the tidying-up was complete. For a brief moment, I flinched at the cool sensation against my earlobe, then both the outfit and hair situation astonished me with how neatly arranged they were compared to before.
“If you need any more tidying up, just let me know. I’ll help you out as much as you need.”
[Ah]
[Thank you]
[Thanks a lot]
“What do you mean, this is nothing. By the way, how do I look? I dressed up a bit… Can you sense it at all?”
Baek Ahrin smiled brightly and subtly emphasized her own figure.
With one hand on her waist and the other lifting her wide-brimmed hat slightly.
‘Hmm…’
That’s when I casually observed Baek Ahrin’s attire.
A pure white dress and a straw hat with a wide brim, perfect for shielding from the sunlight.
The dress was simple without any notable decorations except for frills, giving off a neat and clean impression.
Except for the straps of the dress, her shoulders were exposed, and the overall loose fit billowed gracefully.
While the baggy clothes might risk making her appear overly stout, the blue strap wrapped under her bust cleverly countered that potential flaw.
…Thanks to that, her ample bosom was accentuated, but anyway.
Overall, the outfit seemed to consider the hot summer weather, resembling something one might wear to enjoy a summer picnic.
Also, her hair was sky blue, which harmonized beautifully with the white dress, hinting at a pure ambiance.
…Such purity, however, was somewhat overshadowed by her pronounced chest.
‘But something feels off…?’
I sensed a strange discomfort emanating from Baek Ahrin’s bosom. A subtle awkwardness, perhaps? It was different from before.
As I was tilting my head in confusion, trying to gather my observations…
“Don’t just focus on my chest too much, okay?”
[Yes]
[Huh?]
[What’s that?]
[No, when did I ever?]
“What? Were you really just focused on my chest after all?”
The words pierced through my thoughts, and I jolted in surprise.
Quickly shifting my gaze, I found Baek Ahrin playfully covering her lifted smile with her hand.
I tried to poke fun at her, but…
“…Huyul?”
[It’s a misunderstanding…]
Immediately, I crouched down under the burning gaze of Hong Yeon-hwa beside me.
.
.
.
Soon after Baek Ahrin arrived, other guests began to trickle in.
Since the main purpose was the housewarming, we had a tour before dinner.
“Wow, look at all the rooms!”
Baek Ahrin explored the main living areas. Bursting into a vacant room in the center, she examined the facilities’ status, expressing her admiration.
“These facilities are spacious and nice. I expected it from the size of the mansion, but there are really a lot. It seems like they are magically maintained… A few people could live here without any problems, right?”
[Yes]
[There’s a separate annex, too]
[It could probably fit hundreds of people]
“Exactly.”
[?]
I tilted my head at the strange smile from Baek Ahrin.
.
.
.
“Look at the training hall, it’s well-equipped. All the necessary functions are there… Facilities like this look really great.”
As expected, Master, a physical trainer in his own right, mainly inspected the training area located to the east.
He didn’t just look at it; he utilized it as well.
Fortunately, it seemed the conditions of the facilities were satisfactory for him.
I hadn’t tested them myself yet.
Between preparing for the move, setting up the study, and cooking, I was too busy, plus there were plenty of bizarre facilities.
For instance, the gravity pressure chamber? Just hearing about it, it sounded like something you would see in an anime.
“Would it be alright if I come back and use this later?”
“Of course, feel free to drop by whenever you need it.”
I was uncertain if it would be useful, but seeing Master’s strict standards reacting positively was a sign that it could indeed be a practical facility.
.
.
.
“Wow, these facilities are really nice. A swimming pool, a heated room, a jjimjilbang…”
Professor Riana mainly set her sights on the western side.
She glanced at the training facilities and the material cultivation areas scattered around the eastern side for a bit, but upon seeing the leisure facilities on the west, she dashed over excitedly.
“Wow, wow, wow, this is really nice…”
She claimed a high-end massage chair and sprawled out on it.
[…Prof. Riana, can’t you get something like this easily?]
Shudder, shudder, shudder… The massaging chair had Riana vibrating as she casually shrugged her shoulders.
“Ah, just looking around… I couldn’t find anything I liked… Even if you have a lot of money, if there’s nothing to buy, it’s all useless…”
[Ah ha]
True, having money is pointless if no one is selling what’s desired. Even looking for alternatives could result in disappointment.
“Ah, this feels so nice…”
Master, who examined the training facilities first, and Professor Riana, who sprinted towards the leisure amenities. Their contrasting reactions made sense.
Despite being a professor at Shio-ram, Master was still technically active.
However, Professor Riana had retired due to injuries sustained during her time as an adventurer.
One could expect her to be more interested in leisure facilities than training.
‘…So, did I just drag a retired person from China into a rough life?’
As I conferred my thoughts, a slight guilt began to bubble up.
I realized anew how ungrateful it was to drag Professor Riana, who had already retired, back to China to put her through hard work.
I’d have to repay her for my negligence in a way that exceeds the trouble I caused.
– Shudder, shudder, shudder…
I promised myself quietly while I excluded the visual of her large trembling figure in that massaging chair.
.
.
.
“Sorry for being late, junior.”
The last guest was Choi Ji-yeon.
[You’re late, what do you mean?]
[We still have plenty of time until the scheduled hour.]
[Please, come on in.]
“Oh, sure… thank you.”
Ji-yeon apologized for being late, but the sunset hadn’t yet even touched the ground.
Considering it was summer and the days were longer, today’s schedule ended quickly.
It was the second semester where students could choose their classes.
Many students adjust their schedules to have days off or to limit their classes to just one or two subjects, especially on Mondays or Fridays.
Today happened to be Friday, so most students’ and professors’ routines normally concluded early.
“Well then, excuse me…”
Ji-yeon entered the mansion with an awkward demeanor.
‘Hmm…’
We had grown somewhat close, but compared to the others, Ji-yeon wasn’t exactly chummy.
But I had invited her for the housewarming anyway.
I wanted to deepen our friendship and also start subtly requesting her help.
‘Time to make my request.’
We had built a decent rapport by now.
Now was the perfect opportunity, using the atmosphere from tonight’s housewarming dinner to tentatively drop my request.
Given the last favor Ji-yeon mentioned, I figured she would likely comply.
…It’s a shallow, self-serving thought, but I couldn’t help it.
After all, it concerned me, as well as Seo-yul.
Anyway, everyone was gathered.
It was now time to call the folks resting in their rooms and start the meal.
‘Phew…’
I nodded with determination and reached into the spatial pocket.
– Plop…
My fingertips grazed something.
The smooth, cool texture made my body tremble. Despite not sensing any aroma or flavor, a wave of unease surged within me.
But with courage, I squeezed it gently.
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