The Splintered Path - III

To sum things up, a lot happened when I got back to my apartment. Thankfully, Claire, Hannah, and Flone all got along with each other. And fortunately, they agreed to help work all the other girls to get used to the idea of sharing me... or at least soften them up.

Still made me feel like a scumbag, but since it was like this, I might as well own it, right?

Anyway, they got together and started plotting operation 'Imperial Harem.'

Their words, not mine.

...I was seriously starting to wonder if I made a terrible mistake some time in the past which led to the current powder keg of relationships.

But that was that. For now, I would just play things by ear.

Speaking of playing things by ear. It turned out that Hannah was the super sensitive type and Claire liked being ordered around.

Also Flone definitely had some succubus blood in her or something because she was still perfectly fine by the time those two had turned into slobbering wet messes.

That aside, after the morning fun, it was time to check up on business.

Seora and Seohui were busy winding down Sinyoung while starting up their own Seoji company.

...And since they called it that, I definitely knew where those two stood in regards to their feelings about me. Though, Seora was never really subtle about it.

Anyway, they called me and said they'd be busy for a while but that they'd call again if they needed my help.

The situation with Roe Scheherazade was resolved nicely according to Hao. According to reports, the widowed queen had recently been seen roaming around the palace and the city with a brilliant smile on her face. The look of someone who had completely achieved their life goals... apparently.

Though considering the 'tools' I passed off to her as well as the 'gifts' I shipped without a return address using the Triad Priority Shipping company, I wasn't surprised.

So things were good. Checking up on the other people in Carpe Diem, it seemed like everyone was relaxing as well and enjoying their time off.

Hao mentioned that there were some trouble sprouting up here and there in Paradise with an imposter running around pretending to be me, but that a black spearman kept smacking that guy down so it wasn't an issue.

Blackie was having a blast apparently. Though that part about an imposter worried me a bit...

But all of that was side info. Since I was banned from Paradise for a month by both my wife, mistress, and the lustful former vengeful spirit that promised to haunt me to hell and back, it really didn't matter much anyway.

So I decided to do something productive for once. Just a bit of normalcy to reset before I had to deal with the other giant tangle of things in my now crazy life.

Laptop in hand, I walked to the usual PC Bang that I visited when I went to do work. To not draw *too* much attention to myself, I threw on some casual clothes. Just a loose grey sweatshirt and jeans, along with some white sneakers.

Unfortunately, it seemed like I had long gone past the point of no return in terms of being discreet by just dressing down.

Fortunately, it was the middle of the day so the only people in the PC Bang were the staff members and some random guys playing MOBAs and MMORPGs.

The staff members had seen my gradual progression from random bum to respectable person, so they weren't going out of their way to bother me. And the guys were busy trying to hit Challenger or whatever the top rank was in the MOBAs they were playing to notice.

That meant I was able to sit down at a cubicle and load up my work without being bothered.

"Let's see..." I muttered and pulled open the dashboard for my various apps. "Hannah's been managing things well. Looks like those contractors are doing a good job maintaining the code, but they really should get better at leaving comments in the changelog. Gotta make a note of that... And update the privacy policy terms..."

I mumbled to myself and started typing away, quickly fixing things up and prepping things for when we all inevitably checked back into Paradise for a while.

Lining up increased rate events for gacha games, fixing up UI for the social media apps and working on optimizing the sloppy back-end code that the contractors wrote. Gotta make sure that's ready for when the big corps role out their major cloud infrastructures...

And speaking of upcoming tech advances, Bitcoin was a thing. That's going to skyrocket in a few years, so gotta make sure to invest in that... and send some Maria's way. She'd definitely be interested in that sort of stuff and would appreciate the heads up if she didn't know about it already.

What else...? Right. Jinhee was writing a webnovel. Since I'm here, might as well check it out-

"Hm?" A young female voice. Vaguely familiar.

I blinked and looked up to see a cute girl waving at me. University aged, pretty eyelashes that almost looked painted on, a beauty mark...

Wait. "Yuri?"

She laughed and leaned against the wall. "That's me! But geez, it's been a while since I've seen you around. Thought about calling you a few times, but since you're a proper working member of society and all I didn't want to be a bother." She glanced at my laptop and said, "Wait. Were you doing some work here too? A bit of a workaholic, aren't you Oppa?"

I smiled and said, "Just a little. But what brings you here?"

"I work here. Well, for now." She frowned and said, "Even though it's summer break, my parents still won't let me just relax at home."

I nodded. "Sounds like parents. But relaxing at home, huh?" I leaned back in my chair and said, "I would have thought a cute girl like you would be out with friends or dating a guy by now."

Yuri laughed and then batted her eyes. "Why, are you offering, Oppa?"

A flash of crimson light shot out from Yuri before wrapping around my arm.

...Oh. Right. She was one of the girls too, huh?

I laughed, resisting the urge to facepalm, and said, "That's cute. But I'm pretty sure I'd just be breaking your heart. I'm a scumbag who goes around a girl's back to see other women, you know?"

"Mm." Yuri nodded and said, "Oppa *does* give off that vibe." She placed her index finger on her chin and gave me a once over. "Though it might be worth it..."

I started to sweat.

Yuri laughed and said, "Just kidding~ But anyway, I saw your name in the register and just wanted to say hi. Don't be a stranger, alright? You're pretty much the only interesting thing in my life these days, so keep in touch! And since I know you're alive, I'm going to be bugging you with texts, so don't leave me on read!"

"A-Ah, wait-"

Yuri winked and then left.

I sat there in silence for a bit and then covered my face. "Another girl and I still haven't sorted things out with Seonhwa yet... I'm definitely going to have to watch my neck when I go back. Blackie's gonna try to kill me for sure."

I sighed and turned my attention back to my work.

Well... I might as well have some fun flipping stocks for a bit and seeing my bank account go up.

xxx

"A trip, huh? I'm surprised that you took the initiative to arrange it, but that's a good idea- Ah, one moment."

Maldong lowered his phone and then glared at the newbie chef he hired. "Kid! You're pulling the noodles too rigidly! Use your wrist more, not your elbows! Circles, not lines!"

"Y-Yes, Master Maldong!"

Maldong shook his head and then placed the phone back up to his ear. "You were saying, Maria?"

"...Are you opening a restaurant, Mister Maldong?"

Maldong looked away from the newbie chef and said, "Something like that. I'm just getting things ready that crazy bastard to retire."

"...Right. Anyway, I'm counting on you to convince Oppa. Remember, it's a secret!"

Maldong chuckled and said, "I'll make it happen. It would be rude to ruin your efforts when you're trying so hard to impress your 'Oppa' after all."

"W-What? I'm not trying to impress anyone! Sheesh! Just... Make sure to get him there! Bye!"

The call ended.

Maldong shook his head and slipped his phone into his pocket. "That crazy bastard's going to be in for a hell of a ride later in life."

Four out of the Six Crazies were head over heels for him. His ex-girlfriend turned out to be the Sacred Empress. The Daughter of Luxuria was his 'stalker.' Teresa Hussey would throw herself at him the moment Jihu asked. Then there were the Sinyoung heiresses, Flone...

"Heh." Maldong shook his head and said, "With great power there must also come great responsibility, Jihu. Especially when it comes to women."

"L-Like this, Master Maldong?"

The newbie chef held out a bundle of stringy dough.

Maldong groaned. "Not like that! The texture is important too! Tch, move aside. I'll show you once."

xxx

A luxury condo in Romania, early in the morning. There, Ghio and his beloved Marika laid in bed, snuggled up against each other.

And then a soft chime echoed. A notification from Ghio's phone lying on the bedside table.

Ghio blinked then groggily grabbed the phone with his left hand. With bleary eyes, he turned it on to check his messages.

There weren't many. After all, the Steel Archer was a fairly closed off person. That had already been the case before his beloved had been taken from him. But that had changed recently since he joined Carpe Diem.

"Mm." A sultry voice called out from beside and said, "My beloved. Can't that wait until morning?" Marika nuzzled against Ghio's side and then hugged her bare chest against his right arm.

Ghio gave Marika a light kiss on the cheek and said, "I am sorry, Mari. It will only be a moment."

"Mm... Fine. But not too long. I want to feel your warmth as I sleep."

"Of course."

With that, Marika closed her eyes, waiting.

Ghio glanced at his phone. It was a message in English. From... Maria, it seemed.

---

[Maria]

It's confirmed. We're taking a trip to Hawaii to celebrate. I emailed you two tickets for you and your wife. It was expensive, so you'd better show up!

---

"Heh." Ghio shook his head. "Of course. Benefactor is so great he can turn even the scrooge Maria into a generous saint."

Marika mumbled and said, "Something involving that Jihu?"

Ghio switched his phone to silent and put it back. After that, he spun around to hug Marika. He gave her a swift peck on her lips and said, "I will tell you in the morning, Mari. Rest now."

"Hmph. I am no dainty woman, my beloved... but if you insist."

After that, Marika nuzzled up against Ghio.

Ghio smiled and wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.

xxx

In Japan. A small apartment in Osaka. There, a petite young woman with silky black hair and a mole near her left eye pouted to her big brother.

"Why can't we visit, Onii-chan?! You promised!"

Kazuki sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "Be patient, Yui. We have already been invited on a trip to meet with your Benefactor."

Yui huffed, crossing her arms together. "But it's already been a long time! Since when can I say thank you in person?"

Kazuki laughed and placed his hand over his sister's head. "Jihu is a busy man, Yui. And furthermore... we don't want to cause any misunderstandings."

Knowing Jihu, since there was finally downtime and no excuses for him to brush off his romantic relationships, that man was probably deep in the jungle of romance and sorting out his various women.

Bringing along Yui who was all too enthusiastic about thanking her benefactor... While Kazuki thought it might be amusing, he wasn't that cruel.

Yui pouted. "Fine. But you're treating me out for dinner again at the fancy sushi restaurant!"

Kazuki started to sweat. "Y-Yui. Fresh tuna is-"

"Is more than enough to treat your traumatized imouto, right?"

"...Perhaps you have recovered a bit too well."

Yui stuck out her tongue and laughed.

Kazuki let out an exasperated sigh. But even so, he couldn't hide the relieved smile on his face.

xxx

In the United States, at a small jazz bar in Chicago. There, Hugo let out a deep laugh and clapped his hand on the back of a suave middle-aged man next to him. "Thanks for coming out to visit, Ian! I was starting to get bored by myself, you know?"

Ian laughed and sipped on a glass of rum and coke. "Of course. As the only bachelors left in Carpe Diem, we have to stick together, no?"

"Damned straight!" Hugo took a deep swig from a tall glass of beer before letting out a burp. After that, he eyed down a pair of busty women in the corner of the bar and nudged Ian. "Hey? Wanna try to pick up some chicks? I wanted to go with Bro, but since you're here..."

"I thought you'd never ask." Ian smirked and then adjusted his clothes. After that, he stood up and said, "Watch the master at work and just follow my lead."

xxx

"..."

"..."

Teresa and Yuhui sat across from each other at Yuhui's apartment.

"...Hubby forgot about us, didn't he?"

Yuhui sighed. "Well. I guess he's busy. And it's a bit rude to step in on Miss Hannah right now since she just married Jihu..."

Teresa slammed her fist on the table. "But I was first in line! Dammit!"

Yuhui laughed. "Yes. Well... Jihu is just like that."

Teresa huffed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms together. "Hmph. That bastard better get enough practice then with his other girls. When it's my turn, I'm not letting him go until Daddy gets a grandchild."

Yuhui giggled, but her eyes were sharp. "Yes. A cute baby son or daughter would be nice, wouldn't it?"

Teresa laughed.

Yuhui giggled even more.

xxx

I felt a shiver run down my spine and glanced off in the distance.

"...Okay. Maybe I should go have that chat with Seonhwa."

Something told me that my life was going to get a lot more complicated until I sorted that out.

[No shit, you fucking asshole. All of that karma for betraying your biggest supporter is coming right back around to kick you in the ass.]

Oh hey, Blackie. Having fun in Paradise?

[Go fuck your- Actually, I take that back. Knowing you crazy bastard you might find a way to make that happen. Go fuck off already and talk to Seonhwa. And tell her everything. Or I swear to everything above and below, I WILL find a way to drag myself to Earth and beat your ass black and blue.]

I closed my laptop and tucked it under my arm. After that, I started walking out of the PC Bang.

Yuri was manning the front as I left, so she waved at me and said, "Leaving already, Oppa?"

[Wait. Is that freaking Eun Yuri?]

I smiled at her and waved. "Yeah. See you around, Yuri."

"Call me!"

[It fucking is. And why the fuck is she flirting with you? No, how the hell did you track her down on Earth?!]

You know, being angry all the time isn't good for your blood pressure.

[I'm practically a vengeful spirit anyway so fuck you. I need answers, not witty responses!]

I headed out of the PC Bang and started walking towards Seonhwa's cafe. As I did, I muttered, "And I need a break. That's not happening though, so I guess we'll both just have to put up with it."

[This is fucking your fault, asshole. Don't complain your sorry ass to me when I fucking told you so back then.]

You know, cursing at someone doesn't make them want to listen to you very much.

[And fucking sticking your head in the ground doesn't make things better either, dumbass! Argh. Just... go fucking explain things to Seonhwa already. Fuck. I need a smoke.]

With that, I felt the line between me and Blackie shatter again.

I shook my head and then let out a deep sigh. "...You didn't need to tell me twice, you know?"

I sighed again and then pulled out my phone. "Well... Now or never. Really should have done this first in hindsight... but beggars can't be choosers. Anyway..."

One ring. Two. Three... And then the phone connected.

"...Jihu."

"Um. Is it too late now to say sorry?"

Silence. And then Seonhwa let out a deep sigh. "...It's fine. I already knew that you would-"

"Before you say anything else, can we talk in person? There's a lot I have to explain. About me."

"Hm?"

"...It's complicated. But you're at yuor cafe right now, right?"

"I am, but-"

"Great. I'll be there soon. And when I get there, you can yell at me all you want. Actually, please yell at me because I've been an idiot. And then please help me out afterwards."

"...What?"

"That's all for now. Love you, see you soon."

"L-Love? W-Wait, Ji-"

I hung up the call and then ducked into an alleyway. After making sure I couldn't be seen, I changed into a fancy suit.

Now... Round two of spilling the beans about me not being Jihu, start.

...Maybe I should get a teddy bear or something first. Better have that thrown at my head than a cup or some silverware...

Yeah, that's a good idea...