Necromancer Survival

Chapter 317

      However, Bang Eunji merely stared blatantly at me.
Her gaze was laden with clear mistrust.

     “W-What’s with that expression…”

     When I resolved myself and declared something so big yet was met with such an expression, the complaints automatically tumbled out of my mouth.
However, Bang Eunji simply stared at me with her thin pupils and said in an aloof tone–

[But… Necromancer-ssi.
You don’t look very popular.]

     “W-What?!”

     I was angered by her words, which honestly hit the nail on the head.
However, regardless of my reaction, Bang Eunji continued.

[Other than Jung Garam, at least Eunji received lots of confessions from other guys.]

     Then, she suddenly licked my face with her sandpaper tongue.

     I stuttered, unable to speak properly after the sudden attack.

     However, Bang Eunji licked my hair a few times with her tongue–revealing my face by fully slicking back my bangs–before carefully looking at my forehead and the features below it.
I couldn’t dare move and stood motionless before her observant gaze.

     We stood, looking at each other, for a long time…

[Tsk.]

     She made a mysterious noise and, as if she had lost interest, buried her face in her arms.

     Eventually, I ran towards Bang Eunji and began pummeling her front paws with my fists.
“Bang Eunji! What does that mean!?!”

      She looked up reluctantly and sighed deeply.
Her nostrils flared against my wet bangs.

[Necromancer… ssi doesn’t look like he’s particularly popular.]

     “What?!”

[It doesn’t mean you’re ugly, so please calm down.
In any case… Eunji doesn’t think you’ll be of much help.]

     She really just said all she had to say.

      This time, I was rendered speechless.
I knew that Bang Eunji said what she said objectively, with no other intention than to be honest, but that didn’t lessen the hurt I received.

     Rather, in a way, it hurt even more as she spoke without much emotion fueling her words.
Unwittingly, I shouted, “I’m… Despite that, I’m dating someone I like!”

      My expectations were subverted once again–Bang Eunji listened to those words with wide-open eyes, as if she were flabbergasted by those words.

[Eunji has also dated someone she liked.]

      “Huh…?”

[That’s to be expected.
After all, how old is Eunji?]

      “……”

[Jung Garam is Eunji’s 20th love.]

      She raised her blue eyes and looked down at me–

[Now way–is this Necromancer-ssi’s first relationship?]

      “……”

[Hmmm… But you look older than Eunji?]

     She began muttering to herself.

     However, just as she was curious about me, I was also curious about her.

     Honestly, how old is she for Jung Garam to be her 20th love? If I’m being generous, she should be, at most, 20 years old…

      I began nitpicking at her words, dumbfounded, “If Jung Garam is your 20th… When on earth was your first relationship?”

[Of course, it was when I was in daycare.
But, elementary school was when Eunji first confessed and entered into a relationship.]

     “……”

[Eunji was always popular.]

     Eunji said this as if it were all common knowledge.
Everything sounded absurd, but, at the same time, I recalled her original appearance.
She wasn’t an easy person to approach, but…

     ‘As much as I loathe to say it… Her face is seriously adorable.
Damn.’

     I didn’t think she was bluffing when she was talking about her previous relationships or her confessions.

     In the end, I, the ‘unpopular man,’ was the only one who took a hit to my pride.
As she stated, I was always unpopular, and it was a miracle that I was dating Seo Dawon right now.

       However, there was a bigger issue than my hurt pride–Bang Eunji was distrustful of me and I couldn’t attract her interest.

      If Bang Eunji’s relationship with Jung Garam had no chance of improving, she probably wouldn’t actively engage in the Vengeful Ghost contract.

      Even now, Bang Eunji was immersed in her own thoughts and was no longer looking at me.
I felt nervous as I stared at her closed eyes.

     ‘If I don’t attract her attention now… I might fail a contract for the first time.’

     That thought made me suddenly open my lips.
“Bang Eunji…”

[……?]

     “I… You’re right in that I’m not particularly popular, but…”

[Ye~es.]

      “…You’d be surprised to know who I’m dating now.”

[???]

      Bang Eunji looked at me with one eyebrow raised.
I tried to ignore her scorching gaze… I steeled my resolve and shouted, “I-I… succeeded in seducing S-Seo Dawon!”

[…What did you say?]

      After I spat out those words, I felt incredibly embarrassed and wanted to die on the spot.

      However, as I expected, Bang Eunji jumped to her feet and looked at me, throwing away her weary, energy-lacking aura.

      Deeper mistrust settled into her pupils.
I almost choked up again, worried that my thoughts were transparent on my face.
Anyways, I comforted myself with the fact that my words were half-truth.

      ‘This is Bang Eunji’s contract space, so there’s no one else to nitpick at my words.
Let’s calm down.’

      At that moment, Bang Eunji couldn’t endure and shouted back–

[Lies! What are you even saying?! Guildmaster-nim likes women!]

      After finishing my mind-control-mental-exercises, I answered nonchalantly, “That’s what I’m saying–I can seduce a man who’s only liked women before… I’m that c-capable.”

      Of course, I still wanted to die as soon as I spoke.

     Staring at my reddened face, she immediately refuted–

[You just stuttered right now, though?]

     “…If you keep attacking me like that, I won’t tell you how I seduced him.”

[……]

      Amusingly, though Bang Eunji’s lips kept voicing her disbelief, her eyes were sparkling.

     Normally, those who hear something unbelievable will show that disbelief in their expressions as they focus on picking apart the words; however, Bang Eunji, though she did look as if she could hardly believe me, was fascinated by the very mention of the Mage.

      In any case, I tried to appear confident by standing tall, raising my chin, and crossing my arms over my chest.
“First… Regarding you and Jung Garam.
I think the problem is that Jung Garam doesn’t even view you as a woman.”

[That’s because Jung Garam-kun is stupid.]

     “…I understand your resentment… But, honestly, if I were Jung Garam, I wouldn’t know about your affection for me–the possibility wouldn’t even enter my dreams… I’m not trying to take sides here, though.”

[……]

     Actually, this was the most important point I had determined from her earlier story.
Bang Eunji’s kindness was just too one-sided, and her actions did not take into consideration the embarrassment or confusion that her object of affection was sure to experience.

     Her bulldozer-like affection may suit some people and comfort them, but, judging by the time I had spent with Jung Garam, I was sure her method wouldn’t work on him.
Furthermore, Bang Eunji was sure to have already realized that something about her methods was ineffective.

      ‘I’m sure she’s realized, but, as she’s always acted a certain way, she can’t easily change herself.’

      Both Jung Garam and Bang Eunji had high pride and did not easily bend for others.

       Even when Eunji tried to reconcile, Jung Garam probably made sure not to miss the opportunity to make fun of her.
For some reason, I could vividly imagine Jung Garam giggling as he rejected her flirts or advances.

[Didn’t Eunji say that dwarf has no idea when Eunji is being kind to him?]

     As expected, Bang Eunji protested as if she had been bitterly wronged.
The momentum had clearly swung in my favor.

       I answered her slowly and clearly, as if I were teaching basic Korean letters to a young child.
“…From now on, insulting Garam using words like ‘Dwarf’ is prohibited.”

[What?]

     “Garam-ie would rather be cursed at; he’s sensitive about his height… You should know that better than me.”

[……]

     “If you keep teasing him using his height, even if you confess, he’ll take it as a joke or will never accept your feelings.”

[……]

     Bang Eunji opened her mouth slightly as if she had something to say.
After a long exhale which shook her whiskers, she began kneading at the ground ahead of her.

      She wriggled like that for a long while, as if she had a lot to complain about.
Then, with a long sigh, she nodded.

[…I’ll consider that.]

Her answer was a bit vague, but her expression looked more sincere than before.
I spoke more decisively, trying to encourage their reconciliation.
“That’s honestly the most important thing… It’ll already be much better if you properly call Garam-ie by his name.”

      Bang Eunji merely stared blatantly at me without nodding.
Then, in a rather provocative tone, she said–

[Aside from this matter.]

     “Huh?”

[You said you seduced Guildmaster-nim–show me the evidence.]

      “What?”

[I want to know how Necromancer-ssi seduced him.]

      After saying that, the pink cat returned to her Bang Eunji form.
I was shocked to see her human eyes and realized that she was being serious.

      So, I yelled at her hurriedly, “What? No–wait a minute.
I didn’t seduce Seo Dawon, ‘here….!'”

     However, I couldn’t speak fast enough.
Bang Eunji quickly snatched me away with one hand, and the mysterious space returned to a familiar location accompanied by a snapping noise.

     Jo Chan-young and Jung Garam, whose figures had become dim while Bang Eunji and I were conversing, appeared in full glory once more.

——

TL: We’re back in! Don’t worry guys; there are plenty of revelations to be had about what Vengeful Ghost Memories are…As far as memories are concerned, this one is pretty plot relevant.

Also, it may be just me, but ever since I’ve gotten a cat I’ve become more partial to kitties.
I just want to pet Bang Eunji’s pink head.
That thing about her first relationship being in daycare though, lmao, that’s exactly something a bratty younger sister would say.