TRPM 347

chapter 347

After dinner, when night fell, the real festivities of “Jwibulnori” began.

However, unlike the traditional version where you poke holes in a tin can, stuff it with straw, and light it on fire, here they used specially made tins designed for safety.

Even though the tins themselves weren’t actually burning, they gave off the effect of being fully engulfed in flames.

A closer look revealed that an illusion spell lasting about an hour had been cast on them.

‘Well, this way there’s no risk of fire.’

In the end, it was nothing but an illusion.

“Ehh….”

Still, Lee Ha-eun seemed disappointed once she realized the truth.

If it wasn’t real fire, just fake flames, then there was no reason it couldn’t be experienced anywhere else.

“Ahaha… Ha-eun? Let’s spin it anyway.”

Teacher Son Ji-hye tried to cheer her up, but Ha-eun only swung it lazily.

Seeing that, I said,

“…If you want to try real jwibulnori, let’s do it later in a dungeon.”

After all, fire hazards weren’t an issue in dungeons.

“!”

Ha-eun perked up immediately at my words.

“You’ll come with me?”
“…Yeah. So for now, let’s settle for this.”
“Okay!”

Hearing my firm answer, Ha-eun started swinging her illusion-lit tin with full force.

Maybe she was going a little too hard, but at least she was in good spirits again. Ji-hye teacher and I also began spinning ours.

As I watched the large group of people swinging the tins together, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“…Wait, where are we supposed to throw these?”
“Hm? Throw them?”

Teacher Ji-hye tilted her head.

“Well, jwibulnori usually ends with tossing them onto rice fields or farmland to burn weeds, right? What do we do here?”
“Oh, that? Gun-woo, you didn’t actually read the event description, did you?”

Apparently, we were supposed to take them home.

“…What?”
“These are souvenirs. You don’t throw them—you just bring them back.”

At that, I looked down at the tin spinning in my hand.

…This was a souvenir?

Sure, it was specially made, but in the end, it was just an enchanted tin that would lose its magic in an hour and turn into an ordinary can.

‘Well… it does have a picture of the Hanok Village painted on the outside…’

But even so, calling it a souvenir felt… a little underwhelming.

“Ah, the parade’s starting. Let’s follow.”

While I was thinking that, people in hanbok began marching down the main street, swinging their tins as a group.

And at the center of it were—

‘Oh, the samulnori troupe we saw earlier today.’

They struck gongs, jing, janggu, and buk drums as they led the way, and all of us with spinning tins followed behind them.

“Gun-woo! Are we being filmed properly?!”

The music was so loud that Ha-eun had to shout right beside me.

Even though, for me, she didn’t need to raise her voice at all.

Her question’s answer was—

‘Yes.’

I simply nodded to show everything was being recorded well. I didn’t want to shout and disturb others enjoying the festival—this much was enough to communicate.

Adjusting my floating digital camera with telekinesis, I kept it aligned with our movements as the parade advanced.

‘I also have to make sure it doesn’t block other people’s cameras.’

Mine wasn’t the only floating camera out here. Whether by magic, psychic powers, or spirit arts—there were plenty of ways to keep a camera in the air.

So I carefully maneuvered mine so it wouldn’t interfere with theirs, while also keeping their cameras from blocking my view.

As I enjoyed jwibulnori like this—

‘Hm?’

I noticed one camera moving oddly.

Not as if it was trying to interfere with others, but…

‘It’s copying my camera’s movements?’

Whoever was controlling it had pretty impressive skill.

Not that I had any complaints about someone mimicking me. Still—

‘…Are they trying to provoke me?’

The other camera moved as if mocking mine, like, “Is that all you’ve got?”

‘Must be someone really bored.’

So I ignored it.

“……”

But the camera kept circling around mine. At least it didn’t block my lens, so filming wasn’t affected.

‘…Who the heck is this?’

Their control was refined, but the way they were behaving felt childish.

Tracing the energy moving the camera, I followed it back to its controller—

“Are you a kid?! Smiling while pulling stupid pranks?!”
“Ugh?! Ow! Hold on…! That was my rib!”
“You deserved it!”
“Hey, hey! Stop! The camera’s gonna fall—be gentle!”

Through my extended senses, I saw a man getting smacked around by a woman his age.

Well… looked like his companion was disciplining him for me. No need for me to intervene.

Satisfied, I turned my attention back to jwibulnori.

The next day, after the festival at Hanok Village ended.

We woke up, went downstairs to the first floor of the hotel to check out—and saw a couple already checking out ahead of us.

‘Hmm…? Those two are….’

The same pair we had seen yesterday.

“Argh…! I can’t believe you!”
“I was just thirsty last night…!”
“I told you the minibar drinks aren’t free—you should’ve asked me first!”
“I didn’t want to wake you, so I drank quietly…! Ow! Hey—that’s where you hit me yesterday!”

Once again, the man was getting smacked by the woman.

This time, apparently, for drinking from the minibar.

‘…But with their skills, that tiny expense shouldn’t matter at all.’

The man alone had been good enough to copy my camera movements yesterday. And the woman at his side seemed to be on his level as well.

With ability like that, their income couldn’t possibly be small.

“I’ll handle your payment.”
“Ah, yes. Haa… we’ll talk later.”
“……”

Thanks to the staff stepping in, the man was spared—for now.

What happened after payment, though, was another story.

“…So it was you.”

Teacher Ji-hye muttered, looking at them.

The pair turned toward her—

“…Wait, Ji-hye? That’s really you?”

So, they knew each other.

Naturally, Ha-eun and I turned to our teacher.

Seeing our looks, she explained,

“I told you I used to be in the Cleaner Guild, right? These two were my peers back then.”

Ahh… so they were from the Cleaner Guild.

A guild famous for being small but elite—so each member was highly capable.

‘No wonder their skills are on that level.’

As I thought that, the couple started speaking to her.

“Didn’t you say you became a schoolteacher? What are you doing here?”
“More importantly… you’re still doing that?”

Apparently, Ji-hye teacher had kept in touch with them after leaving the guild.

And judging by their words, they already knew she was actually a man who cross-dressed.

“It’s my preference.”
“…You really are something. Even after getting confessed to by guys in the guild, you’re still keeping it up?”

The man spoke with an exasperated look.

Just like how male students at school admired Teacher Ji-hye, it seemed male guild members had fallen for him back then too.

“And what about you two….”

Ji-hye smirked at the pair.

“When did you start dating? Sharing the same room and all….”

To which they replied—

“Me? With him?”
“Hey… that’s harsh.”

An unexpected denial.

So they weren’t actually dating?

“…Wait, weren’t you two sharing a room?” Ha-eun asked.

The woman glanced at Ji-hye before answering.

“And who are these kids? Your nieces?”
“No. My students.”
“What, you brought students here during vacation for a field trip or something?”

Then she turned back to explain to Ha-eun,

“When awakened hunters are on assignment, they often share rooms regardless of gender. You see all sorts of things in this line of work. I’ve probably seen more of his body than his future wife ever will.”
“What the hell?!”
“Am I wrong? I’ve even seen the inside of you.”
“…Okay, fine, you’re not wrong, but still….”

Ha-eun blinked at their banter, then looked at me and Teacher Ji-hye.

Clearly wondering if what they said was true.

I nodded and explained,

“Not everyone does it, but awakened people who are close often share rooms like that. Even share tents in dungeons. And when she said she’s seen his body more than his future wife—that’s because….”

I hesitated, but Ha-eun was old enough to know.

“…She meant treating internal injuries. Normal civilians would never have reason to see something like that.”
“Ugh….”

Ha-eun grimaced at the mental image, while the woman looked impressed.

“Oh? You’re well-informed. If you’re Ji-hye’s student, you must still be in high school, right?”

“Do they even teach that in high school now?” she asked.

“Of course not. Gun-woo’s just special,” Ji-hye answered.

“…Gun-woo?”

The woman repeated my name, her expression shifting as if struck by familiarity.

And then—

“……”

She broke out in cold sweat.

“Wait… Gun-woo, as in….”

The one widely known to the public as an Artist—

“That’s right.”

“I-I’m so sorry!!”

At Ji-hye teacher’s words, the woman immediately bowed and apologized after realizing my identity.