Looking for the Runaway Heavenly Maiden - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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10.

* * *

Unlike my usual routine, I hadn’t slept properly the night before, leaving my mind still foggy. I tried to shake off the drowsiness by chewing carefully on the rice Yerim had prepared, but it proved far more difficult than expected.
However, the messenger notification that broke the silence of the breakfast table pulled my consciousness back into focus.
I glanced at Yerim.
Jiho looked at Yerim.

“I have my chat notifications muted. Isn’t that yours?”

Yerim, my eldest brother, my sister-in-law, and my mother—just these four.
I hadn’t told my father or my other brothers on purpose. I didn’t want their worry reaching me every single day.
The notification chimed again. My eldest brother, sister-in-law, and mother weren’t the type to contact me this early in the morning.
Puzzled, I checked my phone. Suddenly, one fact came to mind.
Jiho checked his phone with a puzzled expression. Suddenly, one fact came to mind.

“It’s my number, Jiho.”

Of course, it hadn’t been entirely my own decision. We’d been conversing naturally, and before I knew it, Cheonhaerang’s number was saved in my phone.
Why on earth was she sending me messages this early in the morning? I checked the messages cautiously, watching Yerim’s expression from the corner of my eye.
Why on earth did he send a message this morning? Jiho sneakily checked the message while gauging Yerim’s reaction.

Let’s go to school together.
I’ll come by the front of your house.
I’ll go to the front of your house.

I glanced sideways at Yerim. She didn’t seem particularly concerned, her eyes never turning toward me as she continued with her meal.
Jiho glanced at Yerim. The fairy Yerim didn’t seem to pay much attention, not even sparing him a glance.

What do I do…?

In a way, it was a good method to calm Yerim’s suspicions.
Though she had never experienced a romantic relationship herself, she had read about them extensively in books and webtoons, especially high school romance stories.
Since they were dating, arriving at school together was perfectly natural.
The problem, however, was not Yerim—it was the school itself.
Though it had only been one day, based on what I experienced yesterday, Cheonhaerang seemed to be quite famous at school.
As a transfer student, she was as well.
I wanted to keep my school life as low-key as possible. I didn’t want to stand out. Though it seemed I already had….

Jiho.
Do you hate going with me?

The message arrived immediately, as if she had been waiting for me to check it.
Cheonhaerang’s words echoed endlessly in my mind.
Do you hate going with me? Hate? Hate?
…If I actually hated it, I wouldn’t be so conflicted about this.
It wasn’t that I hated it—rather….

“Ryujiho. Are you just going to keep staring at your phone instead of eating?”

Yerim’s stern voice reached my ears. I jumped in surprise and hastily sent a reply.

Let’s go together.

“Oh, no, I’ll eat, unnie.”

After a month of practice, I had learned to call Yerim “unnie” consistently in any situation.
I flipped my phone over and refocused on my meal.

* * *

Thanks, Jiho!
Come down by 7:30.

I checked the time as I read Cheonhaerang’s response.
7:20. It was almost time to meet her.
The thought of seeing Cheonhaerang made my heart flutter strangely. I took a deep breath to calm myself.
There was still something I hadn’t told Yerim. Since she was preparing to drive me, I needed to tell her soon.
I carefully opened the door and stepped out of my room. Yerim was just grabbing her car keys.
I called out to her urgently.

“Hey, Unnie!”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“I don’t think I can go with you today.”
“…Why not?”

Yerim’s mood noticeably deflated.
Jiho rolled her eyes nervously, gauging Yerim’s reaction as she spoke.

“Well… Cheonhaerang asked me to go to school with her.”

Yerim studied Jiho quietly.

‘Are they really dating? Or does Cheonhaerang just happen to look like a doppelgänger of Princess Yeonhwa?’

Something about accepting this at face value felt off. But if I revealed my suspicions too openly, I might draw unwanted scrutiny myself.

‘Then….’

The young divine being Jiho wouldn’t notice anything amiss. And if Cheonhaerang was human, she wouldn’t either.
Yerim gestured to Jiho.

“Come here and sit down, Jiho. Let me fix your hair nicely for you.”
“Huh, what?”
“Come on, hurry.”

With Yerim’s insistence, Jiho had no choice but to sit in the chair.
Standing behind Jiho, Yerim skillfully worked with her hair. A soft luminescence flowed from her hands, shimmering as it enveloped Jiho’s locks, but Jiho remained oblivious to the glow.
A neat ponytail was complete. Yerim felt satisfied.

“There, all done. You look absolutely beautiful, Jiho. Cheonhaerang will fall for you all over again.”

At Yerim’s praise, heat rushed to Jiho’s face.
Without even checking the mirror, Jiho hurried out of the house.

“I’m heading out now!”

Beyond Jiho’s swaying hair, a black ribbon gleamed with an ethereal shimmer.

* * *

Cheonhaerang was happy.
Excited at the prospect of walking to school with Jiho, she had waited for me and Jiho thirty minutes early. Yet it wasn’t boring at all.

“Right, that’s right. Starting today, we’re official!”

“Yeah… I fell for you at first sight.”

Jiho had said that in front of this place yesterday. Even knowing it wasn’t sincere, I was happy.
After all, what mattered now was the future. Winning over Jiho’s heart.
Buzz.
My phone vibrated in my pocket.
Cheonhaerang wondered if it was Jiho. Even if Jiho was running late and would be tardy, that was fine with her.
But contrary to her expectations, the message wasn’t from Jiho.

Come to the Principal’s Office after school today.

It was from Cheonuyhua, her older sister and the Board of Directors at Seonhwa High School.
Cheonhaerang was deeply disappointed. But the time was 7:25. In five minutes, she could see Jiho.
She naturally ignored Cheonuyhua’s message. Cheonuyhua, frustrated at the time, was muttering to herself about Cheonhaerang not replying: “This punk’s completely smitten…”
Ding.
The sound of the main entrance opening. Cheonhaerang’s head snapped up.

“Jiho!”

Finally, it was Jiho, whom she had been waiting for. Her lips curved upward involuntarily.
What made her even more excited was Jiho’s hairstyle. Unlike yesterday, Jiho had her hair tied up high in a single ponytail today.
This style was beautiful too.
Like a loyal dog wagging its tail at its owner, Cheonhaerang approached Jiho.

“Your hair’s different from yesterday? Did your sister do it for you?”
“Yeah, um… How is it?”
“It’s pretty. It really suits you.”

Jiho had answered thinking it was just casual small talk, but when such an enthusiastic response came back, she was a bit taken aback.
Pretty, she said.

“Cheonhaerang’s going to fall for you again.”

Yerim’s words echoed in Jiho’s mind, and she shook her head vigorously. The heat she had barely cooled down seemed to rise again.

“Huh? What’s wrong, Jiho?”
“…No, it’s nothing. We’re going to be late. Let’s hurry.”

Jiho’s pace quickened in her flustered state. However, it was not difficult for me to catch up.
Walking alongside Jiho, I stole a glance at her.
Long eyelashes that fluttered like butterfly wings. Cheeks flushed with returning color. Full lips.
Beneath her swaying hair, her pristine white neck was fully exposed.
I forcibly suppressed the turbulence within me and managed to look away. Then I discovered something peculiar.

‘What is that?’

A black hair tie binding Jiho’s hair.
At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary hair tie, but I could tell it was different.
A fabric hair tie wouldn’t emit that gleaming light.
Moreover, the light took the form of a small bead, floating gently toward me.

‘Yerim’s doing.’

For a surveillance device, it was remarkably ornate. It was proof that Yerim hadn’t let go of her suspicions.
The light bead seeped into the necktie I was wearing. The light was no longer visible.

‘I won’t be able to visit the Principal’s Office today.’

I had intended to leave school with Jiho. That way, I might also allay Yerim’s suspicions.
Besides, I needed to determine how long this light bead would remain effective.
In truth, I had no intention of returning to school after going home.
Following Jiho onto the bus, I quickly scanned the interior. Unfortunately, given the time of day, there were no available seats.
Anxious that Jiho might lose her balance, I stood beside her and gripped the handrail.
The bus hummed as it pulled away and drove down the road.
Fortunately, the bus driver’s handling was stable with no sudden braking, so Jiho didn’t fall.
However, the problem came after.

“Jiho?”

I discovered Jiho standing before the entrance as if nailed in place. Her already pale face had turned ashen with what appeared to be fear.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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