Chapter 88
“Noona, blow on it here.”
“Stop acting cute…”
I grimaced as I wrapped a bandage around Shu’s hand. It wasn’t a deep bite, just a small prick on his fingertip that drew a little blood.
The three of us—me, Shu, and Johan—were huddled behind the bar counter with our backs turned, while Sylvie was playing dress-up with Medusa’s snake hair.
How did I know? Sylvie was narrating the process. My unnie was always so carefree….
“Just needed a change of pace with some dress-up.”
Although I couldn’t see exactly what was happening behind us, having participated in Sylvie’s fashion shows before, I could imagine the atmosphere.
‘When Unnie snaps her fingers, a brilliant light will envelop Medusa.’
Then the hair snakes would be adorned with all sorts of decorations. Wouldn’t she use lace ribbons and jewel ornaments like she did with me?
We had to wait about five hours for the customers to return to normal anyway. I imagined how Sylvie might be decorating the snakes to pass the time.
While I was preoccupied with the snakes, Johan seemed interested in Shu. He had been openly observing Shu for a while.
“I think this is the first time I’ve seen Sena speak informally to someone.”
“Come on, it’s not the first time. There were Hansel and Gretel, remember?”
“They were children.”
“Shu is a child too, you know?”
“He seems a bit too big to be called a child. He can’t be much younger than you, Sena.”
Johan was right. I often forget that I treat Shu like a child, and he acts like one, but he’ll be an adult soon.
But… so what?
“He’s still a child, isn’t he?”
“If that’s the case, I’m relieved.”
Johan smiled slightly when I responded in confusion.
What was he relieved about? I don’t understand.
Shu, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, giggled and poked Johan’s side.
“Don’t worry. I’m just Noona’s cute little thing.”
“You’re just an investor, you know?”
I jabbed Shu’s side. What are you thinking, picking a fight with a VIP customer?
Sure enough, Johan’s face had stiffened slightly.
It was an understandable reaction. If he’s an investor, he’s associated with Milky Way Lounge, so he’d be angry at such rudeness towards a customer.
“Eek! Look at that glare. So scary. Hey Hyung, don’t glare like that.”
“Shu!”
Whether or not he understood my feelings, Shu was enthusiastically adding fuel to the fire.
“No, really. Don’t worry. I have no desire to be Noona’s first, you know?”
“What?”
“I’m fine being second, so let’s not be jealous of each… Oomph!”
I covered Shu’s mouth. Johan’s lips were set in a hard line, but he wore a faint smile, which made him even scarier.
“Johan, I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf.”
“It’s not your fault, Sena.”
Johan waved his hand and relaxed his expression.
“I’m not really bothered. You must be upset enough with the customers turning to stone, I don’t want you worrying about me too.”
“Johan…”
How can Johan be so reliable? His mere presence was reassuring.
But then Johan added one more thing.
“However, that little one seems to be troubling you, Sena. How about accepting my investment instead of his?”
Is he directly targeting Shu now?
No, surely not. Johan must be saying this out of concern for me, right?
Whatever Johan’s intentions, Shu, feeling slighted, pouted.
“Our Sena is popular, huh? So, Sena, who do you like?”
“Ah, Unnie, not you too?”
Sylvie chimed in, adding to the already chaotic situation.
“Noona likes me more, right? Right?”
“Aren’t you being too familiar with Sena?”
“Ugh! We should banish that guy.”
Shu stretched his hand towards the air, as if about to take some action as the system.
Just when I thought things had calmed down, the tension started rising again.
It was like being a shrimp caught between fighting whales.
One is a system that moves dimensions, one is a witch who’s lived for over 200 years, and the other is the Duke of the North who fights against monsters.
Where else could you find such an impossible combination?
To make matters worse, these whales were orcas, and I was just a tiny cocktail shrimp, not even a large one.
‘This might really turn into a fight at this rate.’
Anyway, this was my bar, and I was the owner.
Even a cocktail shrimp has its pride!
“Enough!”
When I shouted, everyone’s attention turned to me. Unlike me, just a cocktail shrimp, their gazes were those of orcas, so I was nervous, but I clenched my fists.
I puffed out my chest proudly and put my hands on my hips.
“Is this the time to fight? Look around. All the customers have turned to stone!”
I drove the point home without backing down or trembling.
“So stop fighting! If you want to fight, go outside!”
Silence fell for a moment. Phew, is this settled for now?
“Sena, but…”
“No talking back!”
“Yes? Ah, I understand.”
Johan stumbled over his words, seemingly flustered.
Sylvie and Shu also behaved obediently, reading the room.
As I set things straight, the atmosphere calmed down.
“…….”
I was worried about Medusa, who was completely excluded from the current situation.
Suddenly, it occurred to me that the petrified customers weren’t my only guests.
‘I shouldn’t just be waiting. The stone customers will return when time passes, but…’
What about Medusa?
This wasn’t something that could be solved by sending her to another dimension like a hunter. No dimension would welcome Medusa.
‘When the customers return home, tales of Medusa will spread across dimensions. Definitely.’
Whether they knew the sad circumstances or not, people would have no choice but to avoid Medusa.
It was a curse that felt maliciously designed to isolate a person.
“If you’re bored, why don’t we all think about a solution together?”
“Didn’t you say they’ll return to normal after five hours? Do we need another solution?”
Shu asked as if he didn’t understand.
“Not for the petrified people.”
“Then?”
“Obviously, I’m talking about a solution to break Medusa’s curse.”
Shu’s eyes widened at my words. Johan also seemed surprised. I didn’t dare turn around to check, but I heard a surprised breath behind me, so Medusa must have been shocked too.
Meanwhile, Sylvie was the first to offer an opinion.
“Alright. Let’s think about it. Well, if people turn to stone when they make eye contact, that means it’s fine as long as they don’t make eye contact, right?”
“I got it! We could cover her eyes with a blindfold!”
“What an impertinent little brat, interrupting me.”
Sylvie grumbled in dissatisfaction as Shu butted in with his conclusion.
“Nonsense. How am I supposed to live if I can’t see?”
Medusa quickly refuted both of their opinions.
“That’s true. It’s not like we can get you different eyes either.”
“U-Unnie!”
That’s too serious a matter to speak of so lightly! I tried to stop Sylvie while watching Medusa’s reaction.
“To summarize, others shouldn’t be able to see her eyes, but she needs to be able to see.”
Johan muttered, stroking his chin.
“There should be something like that…”
Huh? Wait.
Something seemed about to come to mind. I felt like I needed to grasp the thought that was floating like mist in my head…
I pressed my forehead with my hand, mulling over the recent conversation.
‘Others can’t see, but she can see…’
I had just the thing!
“Johan! You said it well just now.”
“Pardon?”
“Customer, please wait a moment.”
Leaving a confused Johan behind, I ran up to the second floor. I quickly opened the wardrobe, grabbed a glasses case from among the clothes, and came back down.
‘These are the sunglasses I bought last winter for a warm Southeast Asian trip.’
I had been talking about taking a vacation for half a year, but that damn bar manager fired another bartender, causing my plans to be canceled.
‘In the end, I never got to go on an overseas trip.’
Though I’m unintentionally traveling through dimensions now.
Anyway, I don’t need the sunglasses, so why not experiment with them?
“Excuse me, customer, would you like to try these glasses?”
As I awkwardly held out the glasses case while still turned away, Sylvie took it.
“What’s this? A fancy pair of sunglasses?”
“They’re coated black, so when you wear them, others can’t see your eyes. I thought they might help.”
With sunglasses on, I can see others, but they can’t see my eyes.
‘The petrification might not work.’
Even if it was just a simple hypothesis, it seemed quite plausible.
Why? You need eye contact to turn to stone, right? How can you do that if you can’t see the eyes?
‘It’s a simple idea, but there are no sunglasses in her dimension.’
If this works, it’s a victory for science.
“It feels quite stylish. Sena, how do I look?”
“Sylvie Unnie can pull off anything, so I’m sure it looks great! It’s a shame I can’t turn around to see.”
Was she curious about this unfamiliar object? It seemed Sylvie had tried on the sunglasses first.
‘What a pity I can’t see it!’
It was sad and regrettable. My sister would look so good in sunglasses!
“Indeed. Snake head, try these on.”
There was a rustling sound as if the sunglasses were being taken off. Unable to show me, Sylvie seemed to have quickly lost interest. The sunglasses were passed to Medusa.
“Will these black glasses have any effect? Sena, let’s experiment.”
I suppose we should.
It’s meaningless if we don’t test it.
If so, we need a test subject, but Sylvie and Shu were exceptions. They had some kind of immunity, remaining unaffected even when making eye contact with Medusa.
“Sena. I’ll be the test subject.”
“No, Johan. You’re a customer.”
“It doesn’t matter…”
“Besides, it wouldn’t be strange for someone of your skill level to have immunity.”
Johan closed his mouth, seemingly convinced by my words.
So the only suitable test subject was an ordinary human without any special abilities.
Yes. It had to be me.
🥂
Thank you for reading! ♡
