NOVEL NEXT – Chapter 31
The convenience store light faintly illuminated the late-night street. The cold winter wind wrapped around the alley. Occasionally, drunkards passed by, humming songs, but the street was quiet.
In the alley where I faced Narae, a cold wind blew. Her face was flushed, perhaps from the alcohol.
“What did you say?”
For a moment, my mind went blank. I couldn’t believe my ears. Was it the alcohol? Above Narae’s head, fox ears stood erect, and behind her, a fluffy tail anxiously swished through the air.
“I want to mate. With you.”
Narae’s tone was far from her usual playfulness. Her voice carried seriousness. Her pupils were narrow like a fox’s, glowing fluorescently under the moonlight.
Her hand, resting on my chest, slowly moved up to my shoulder. A slight tremor was felt at her fingertips. Her body heat warmed my skin.
Then, she wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me close. A faint peach scent brushed my nose.
“Wait, this is a bit…”
I tried to say that we shouldn’t do this since we weren’t even dating.
But my attempt to pull away failed. Instead, Narae pushed me against the wall. The cold cement touched my back. There was no escape.
Her chest pressed against mine. Through her thin blouse, I could feel her heartbeat. It was beating faster than mine.
It happened in an instant. Narae stood on her tiptoes. Her hands around my neck tightened, pulling me in. Then, her lips covered mine.
Was it her first time? Narae’s lips were too forceful, and her tongue’s movements were clumsy.
The sweet and tangy flavor of the plum wine we drank earlier filled my mouth. Perhaps due to the alcohol, her lips were hot. As our tongues intertwined, a sweet shiver ran up my spine.
Forgetting to breathe, I eagerly tangled my tongue with hers until Narae finally pulled away.
“Huff, huff…”
Her rough breaths turned into white mist in the cold air.
We had kissed so intensely that a thread of saliva connected us before breaking. Narae’s eyes were moist.
“Hey, you didn’t even breathe…”
Before I could finish, Narae kissed me again. This time, I took the lead. I couldn’t control my rising emotions.
With our lips locked, I led her, moving my tongue like a snake. My hands naturally wrapped around her waist, feeling her soft curves.
Narae’s body trembled. Her half-open eyes were dazed, and her narrow pupils had become even thinner.
When we pulled apart, Narae asked with a flushed face.
“This isn’t your first kiss, right?”
I smirked and replied.
“Of course not. Why, was it yours?”
“Hmph, of course not.”
Her tone was confident, like a three-tailed fox, but her voice sounded tense, unlike before. I remembered her clumsy movements when our tongues met.
“You’re lying. Look, your face is red.”
“Sh-shut up. I’m older than you, you know?”
My rationality screamed that I shouldn’t have a relationship with a supernatural being, but my instincts whispered to indulge in Narae.
“So, it was your first kiss, huh?”
“Hah, I’ve kissed many guys at the academy…”
Her biting her lip and trailing off was obvious. Her lie was already exposed.
I felt my lower body heating up. But we couldn’t do this in an alley. Looking around, I said to Narae.
“Let’s move somewhere else first.”
“Why? Let’s just do it here.”
Narae’s voice was impatient. She even reached for my lower body. I grabbed her wrist and added.
“Even so, not here…”
“What’s wrong with here? I can do it here too… ugh…”
“Let’s not rush.”
At that, Narae’s face flushed again. After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.
“Okay, fine.”
As we left the alley to head to a motel, we ran into Kang Hana and Moon Jinwook. Both of their faces were flushed.
“We’ve been looking for you. What were you two doing?”
Kang Hana’s gaze was sharp. Feeling awkward, I blurted out.
“We didn’t do anything.”
Kang Hana, looking at me with suspicion, wrapped her arm around my neck and said.
“Come with us. On a day like this, we should go for a second, no, third, fourth round.”
Our plan to slip away with Narae was foiled. Flustered, I asked.
“What about work tomorrow?”
Kang Hana smirked and replied.
“Team Leader Cheon gave us two days off, saying we worked hard. We should take advantage of this. When else will we get the chance?”
Narae regretfully touched her moist lips. But there was no choice. We couldn’t openly head to a motel in front of our superiors.
Instead, we were led by Kang Hana and drank until morning. We only dispersed to our respective homes after having hangover soup.
***
Two days passed in a blur of sleep. I woke up with a headache to find it was morning.
The hangover from two days ago still lingered, making my head throb. My watch showed 6 a.m. It was still early for work, but I couldn’t sleep anymore.
After washing my face with cold water, I looked in the mirror. My reflection looked unfamiliar. My eyes were hollow from the hangover, and my beard was scruffy.
I shaved and put on my suit. The knot of my tie was crooked, but I didn’t bother fixing it.
As I stepped out, the early morning chill enveloped me. The sky was still dark, and the streetlights faintly glowed. The subway, usually packed, was quiet due to my early departure.
In the distance, I saw the Catastrophe Foundation building. A typical office building made of glass and steel. But now, it didn’t seem so bad. As I entered the lobby, the familiar atmosphere greeted me.
The lobby was bustling as usual. Employees who had just finished night shifts mixed with those arriving early. Some looked pale from horror stories, while others exuded the ease of successful missions.
After passing through security and checking my ID, a mechanical voice greeted me.
“Welcome, Baek Jeongwoo.”
While waiting for the elevator, I noticed the large clock in the lobby. It was 7:15. There was still time before work started.
Opening the office door, I was met with quiet air. No one had arrived yet. Only half the fluorescent lights were on, and the coffee machine’s red light blinked for warmth.
As I headed to my desk, I glanced around. Cheon Seungsoo’s desk was piled with documents, Moon Jinwook’s was neatly organized, and Kang Hana’s desk was adorned with a cute teddy bear.
Sitting down, I turned on my computer. The booting sound and the bright monitor greeted me. The login screen appeared, soon replaced by the Family Net logo.
‘Finally…’
I moved the mouse cursor and opened the Family Net tab. The 300 million won reward for defeating Iengami, combined with the 200 million I had saved, totaled 500 million won, shining on the screen. I now had enough to buy “Nostradamus’s Eye.”
A list of horror story-derived products appeared. Among them, the item I was looking for caught my eye.
‘Nostradamus’s Eye’
The image showed a lens with a reddish hue, resembling a reincarnation eye.
I read the detailed description.
『Nostradamus’s Eye』
– Grade: A
– Description: A mysterious lens created by the famous 16th-century French prophet Nostradamus in his later years.
Scrolling down, more details followed.
Twenty-four times a day, if you close the eye with the implanted lens and think about seeing the future, you can see what will happen 10 seconds later. However, the future seen by the user can change based on their actions.
Precautions were also listed.
– Usage resets at midnight.
– Continuous use is not possible; a minimum 1-minute interval is required.
– The lens implantation surgery must be performed at the company hospital or a designated foundation hospital.
After a moment of hesitation, I clicked the purchase button. A payment confirmation message appeared.
The company hospital was on the basement floor. As I stepped out of the elevator, the smell of disinfectant hit me. Fluorescent lights lined the hallway, emitting a cold light.
The nurse at the reception desk looked up. It was the same face I saw during my last discharge.
“You’re back?”
Her voice carried a hint of surprise. After all, most employees only visited once or twice a year.
I took out the case. Inside the transparent case, a reddish reincarnation eye-shaped lens floated in saline solution.
“I want this implanted in my eye.”
The nurse took the case, examined it briefly, and nodded.
“Please wait a moment.”
She went into the treatment room and soon returned with a doctor. A middle-aged man with a scruffy beard.
“What brings you here?”
The doctor’s voice sounded tired. He must have had an emergency surgery overnight. Foundation doctors always had to be on standby for any bizarre situations.
I pointed to the case. The doctor nodded upon seeing the lens and headed to the operating room.
“Follow me.”
The operating room was smaller than expected. A surgical table stood in the center, surrounded by medical equipment. The surgical light emitted a cold glow.
“Left eye or right eye?”
I thought for a moment. The right eye was my dominant one, so it might be uncomfortable.
“Left eye, please.”
The doctor put on a gown and gloves, then began preparing for local anesthesia. Despite it being local, I couldn’t help but feel nervous.
The surgery ended faster than expected. It took about an hour. As the anesthesia wore off, my left eye felt oddly itchy.
“Avoid rubbing your eye for a while. And when looking at objects with the implanted lens, try to move your pupil slowly.”
After listening to the doctor’s instructions, I returned to the desk. It was time to test it.
I closed my left eye and thought about seeing the future 10 seconds later. Darkness filled my vision, then an image appeared.
Kang Hana, who had just arrived at work, was walking towards my desk. She said with a bright expression.
“Jeongwoo, we need to go on a field trip to Hannam-dong. Can you come with me?”
When I opened my eyes, no one had arrived yet. Exactly 10 seconds later, Kang Hana appeared at my desk.
“Jeongwoo, we need to go on a field trip to Hannam-dong. Can you come with me?”
I smiled. The implantation was successful. I now had another weapon to fight against horror stories.