Even back when I accepted her as my exclusive maid or whatever, it was a late-night riverside park like this.
To be precise, back then it was Tokyo Bay, and now it’s the Han River.
It feels like it’s been ages since it was just me and Olivia.
“Why are you here?”
I throw the question at her.
Swish.
Olivia’s face turns beet red as soon as she hears me.
She puffs her cheeks and turns her head away.
“Uh, that… umm… I just…”
Olivia stutters like she usually does.
I used to dislike that about her when we first met.
But here, her tsundere act feels like pure healing.
Healing?
Yeah, this world in Korea must be nuts.
I really need to get back to Shuo Hero Academy.
“…So, uhh… Yeah! I-I’m your exclusive maid! So, I-I have the obligation to take care of you! Th-That’s why I came! There’s absolutely no other meaning behind it!”
Olivia shouts while turning even redder.
Looks like she’s finally found a good excuse.
“Ugh, I-I definitely didn’t worry about a dumb star like you, okay?!”
Olivia yells, squeezing her eyes shut.
She totally worried, 100%.
[Partner. You’re the only one my sister worries about like this. I haven’t received attention like that. Honestly, I’m a bit jealous. Consider it an honor. Got it?]
Here comes the sitcom Black Prince making his unsolicited commentary.
If I ask what she was worried about, she’ll just dive into her tsundere mode and spout nonsense, so I gotta ask differently.
“What on earth made you come here at this hour?”
“Th-That’s…”
Her blue eyes start to waver at my words.
She kicks at an innocent rock while avoiding eye contact and mutters in a small voice.
“I saw you seemed a bit overwhelmed today… so I was a little worried. Not as much as the only hero, but I’ve had my share of the pressure of my homeland’s expectations too… So…”
She places her hand over her chest.
Looking straight into my eyes, she says:
“If you’re feeling overwhelmed or it’s hard, rely on me, Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte! Don’t suffer alone like a fool! Because I… I…”
Olivia bites her lips, her face turning a deep shade of crimson.
“I’m your exclusive maid! Do you, do you get it?!”
Hmph.
Olivia whips her head away, face burning bright as a tomato.
“Tap, tap.”
She’s constantly kicking at the stones.
“Hey, partner. You better watch out. If you make my sister cry, you might just find yourself in serious trouble. Do well.”
The Black Prince is once again showing off his sitcom tendencies in my head.
Did he come all this way just to say that?
Olivia suddenly seems a bit different.
Of course, Olivia doesn’t carry the heavy responsibility she shoulders for anyone else.
But the expectation known as “national pride” is indeed burdensome.
“…Alright.”
Olivia really is the best.
If only she would stop with the maid jokes.
Well, considering she just declared all this stuff live on global broadcast, it’s a bit late to start scolding her for being a personal maid.
“Are you okay now?”
Olivia glances over at me and speaks.
“Uh, yeah, I’m fine.”
It’s not like I’m perfectly okay, but this is my issue to handle.
I can’t just dump it on her.
“…I understand. But if it gets tough, you must be the first to tell me, your very own personal maid, okay?”
Olivia says seriously, her blue eyes sparkling as she raises her pinky finger.
“I’ll even get a copy, stamp, and a signature.”
Seeing her pinky makes me recall the past.
The day she passed on the White Flame Sword Technique to me in the Training Building.
That day, she asked me for a pinky promise.
The only thing she wanted in return for imparting the royal vision skill was merely to accompany her for a cherry blossom viewing.
A miracle possible only in this kind world.
The Olivia of that day overlaps with the Olivia of now.
The one I’ve been with the longest in this world is definitely…
“Hey, what are you waiting for? No promise?”
Olivia puffs up her cheeks and urges me.
“I’ll do it, I promise.”
Pulled from my thoughts, I linked my pinky with hers.
“Copy, stamp, signature… Alright, it’s done.”
Olivia grabs my hand with a flushed face.
“It’s getting late, so let’s go to bed now. Staying up all night is forbidden! As your personal maid, I have the duty to manage your sleep schedule!”
Olivia brings up her personal maid excuse again.
Well, it is late.
Pretending I have no choice, I follow her as she pulls me away from the Han River Garden.
Maybe it’s because of Olivia?
I feel a bit of the burden lifted.
Unlike when I arrived, my steps feel much lighter now.
The cold river breeze supports my back.
That night, I was able to get a good night’s sleep.
*
Day two in Korea dawned.
Unlike yesterday’s torment of the official welcome event, today marks the start of club activities retreat.
No more national pride, it’s time for club activities.
I can’t believe I’d be looking forward to club activities like this.
Feeling good after a stretch in the morning, I washed up in the bathroom attached to my room and opened the door to the love house’s main room, where the members were gathered.
Creaking open the sliding door, the sight that greeted me was all the club members, along with Han Seo-Jin and Yoo Se-Ra, all huddled together.
Wait a second.
“Yoo Se-Ra? What are you doing here?”
I can understand Han Seo-Jin being here, but Yoo Se-Ra?
A bad feeling starts to build.
“Me?”
Yoo Se-Ra grins playfully at the question.
She says, “Well, I’m in charge of guiding today’s official schedule. Kim Deok-Sung.”
Today’s official schedule? Guiding?
Unease starts to swell.
“What’s on today’s schedule?”
I ask Yoo Se-Ra with the heart of someone about to open Pandora’s box.
Yoo Se-Ra smiles sweetly and says,
“It’s a tour of Gyeongbokgung Palace and a kimjang experience.”
My head spins.
My neck feels numb.
No way, this is insane.
Is national pride still not over?
Who will you choose?
Gwanghwamun Plaza.
Here we are, in the bustling heart of Seoul, a place that’s always swarming with people and cars.
The reason I say “a place that used to be” is that, unlike the Gwanghwamun Plaza I knew, there’s not a single rat in sight here.
Looks like they’ve put traffic restrictions in place, as is usually the case at my usual hangouts.
An utterly empty Gwanghwamun Plaza.
It’s creepily desolate.
“Everyone, welcome to Gwanghwamun Plaza, the center of Seoul!”
Ta-da!
With a bright expression, Yoo Se-Ra spreads her arms wide like a guide.
I see the statues of General Yi Sun-sin and King Sejong.
Luckily, there’s no statue of me in the plaza.
Alright, it seems people haven’t gone that far with national pride just yet.
I breathe a sigh of relief inside.
I know it’s strange to feel reassured by this, but after going through so many absurd things, it’s unavoidable.
“Wow!”
Eri runs around the spacious plaza with her arms wide open, laughing.
“So spacious!”
I have no idea why she’s acting like a kid.
“This is the center of Seoul…”
Rin murmurs seriously while looking around the plaza.
Kasumi, Makoto, Yuji, and Ishihara also gaze at the plaza with twinkling eyes.
Pure expressions of awe.
“…Still, today’s not bad at all in terms of looks. Hmph.”
Olivia glances our way, puffing up her cheeks.
What a tsundere.
At the end of the plaza, I can see Gwanghwamun standing tall with Gyeongbokgung Palace beyond it.
That’s our destination for today.
I wonder what kind of unimaginable national pride lurks inside Gyeongbokgung.
I’m already feeling chills.
“Well then, let’s first watch the changing of the guard ceremony at Gwanghwamun!”
Yoo Se-Ra cheerfully announces.
Her beige hair flutters in the wind.
As soon as she finishes her sentence, I hear the sound of drums from afar.
Doon! Doon! Doon!
After that comes the whistling sound of the taepyeongso.
The guards in red uniforms wave their flags as they march toward Gwanghwamun.
This much is within my expectations.
The changing of the guard ceremony at Gyeongbokgung Palace is quite a famous tourist attraction.
Now, I’m good.
I see the guards collaborating with the ceremonial music band while checking identities with the duty guards.
They’re probably all part-time workers anyway.
“Today, the changing of the guard ceremony is specially assisted by traditional ceremonial troops!”
Yoo Se-Ra proudly announces.
Wait, they’re not part-timers?
Are they really going to throw in some traditional military band on top of that?
My stomach, which was fine earlier this morning, starts to churn again.
Doon! Doon! Doon!
The drumming echoes once more.
The duty guards finish their shift and exit while waving their traditional flag.
The ceremony is over.
Skratch.
A red carpet rolls out in front of Gwanghwamun.
Swish, swish.
The ceremonial troops dressed in traditional armor line up on either side of the red carpet holding the traditional flag.
“You can enter now!”
Yoo Se-Ra leads us like a tour guide.
Swish! Swish!
As we step on the red carpet, the flags that had been lowered obstructing our path begin to rise one by one, clearing the way.
The soldiers of the honor guard are gazing at me with sparkling eyes.
I mean, I’m not some king from the Joseon Dynasty.
I don’t understand why this is so unnerving.
“Wow, this is amazing. I’ve never seen anything like this before, Eri.”
“Me too! This is my first time. Eri…”
Eri and Makoto are sparkling with excitement while watching the changing of the guard.
“I’ve never been welcomed like this before…”
Kasumi murmurs in a small voice.
“Hmm. A royal palace in Korea, I’m looking forward to this.”
Rin nods as she looks at Gwanghwamun.
Everyone but me is super hyped.
“Welcome to Gyeongbokgung Palace! Honorable Kim Deok-Sung and companions!”
As the salute from the guard commander ends, Gyeongbokgung comes into view beyond Gwanghwamun.
If it starts like this, I can only imagine what’s inside.
Feeling a bit scared, I step into Gyeongbokgung Palace.
*
Just like Gwanghwamun Plaza, Gyeongbokgung was empty inside as well.
They cleared out the entire vast palace?
I vaguely remember a news report about the U.S. President emptying out the Forbidden City in order to host a banquet when they visited China. Is this happening now?
At this point, it’s not even surprising.
Actually, it’s better with fewer people.
I mean, everyone seems to have dry eye syndrome or something, as they shed tears and glance my way, so having no one around is probably good for me and for the people.
It’s a mutually beneficial situation.
“So why the heck do I have to wear this ridiculous outfit?”
I’m in a changing room set up in one corner of Gyeongbokgung.
And I’m wearing a hanbok.
Not just any hanbok, but a royal garment called a goryongpo.
Why a goryongpo, of all things?
“You have to wear a hanbok because you’re at Gyeongbokgung. Right, Kim Deok-Sung?”
Yoo Se-Ra approaches me with a smile.
Her beige hair sparkles under the lights.
Se-Ra is also a character not present in the original work, just like Seo-Jin.
Earlier, I took a moment in the car to look her up, and as it turns out, she’s quite popular as a Korean Wave idol, even more than I expected.
For someone like her to claim to be my fan is remarkable.
In the original world, it would have been unimaginable.
Well, considering that even chaebols have their eyes sparkling like fangirls, questioning this doesn’t really matter.
“Why are you helping me with my outfit?”
“I can’t leave Kim Deok-Sung all alone and lonely, can I? I’m, um, the president of your fan club!”
Se-Ra says with a beaming smile.
That title of fan club president is really burdensome.
It’s not just me.
[Hey, your partner isn’t alone. I’m right here, so how can he be alone?]
The Black Prince reacts as if waiting for this moment.
“Oh, really?”
“Yep.”
Se-Ra nods in response to my statement.
A brief silence falls between us.
An awkward atmosphere lingers as she fixes the folds of the goryongpo.
I see my reflection in the mirror, dressed in red goryongpo.
Well, I’m all dressed now.
But why wear this in summer? It’s hot!
[Partner, doesn’t the mood feel really weird? It’s a time for the guy to step up and break the ice.]
The Black Prince is babbling in my head again.
What ice am I supposed to break?
Just keep quiet.
As I’m thinking this and clicking my tongue inwardly…
“Uh, Kim Deok-Sung.”
Yoo Se-Ra speaks to me.
“What is it?”
“What do you think about our Seo-Jin…?”
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