Chapter 233: Jealousy (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 233: Jealousy (5)
On the way back from training, Kim Ga-eul was in a good mood again today.
To be precise, it would be more accurate to say she had been in a good mood constantly as of late.
Part of it was because, ever since she overcame her trial at the sea, her training—which had been stagnant for so long—was finally showing results, as if a blockage had suddenly cleared. Another reason was the appearance of a reliable helper(?) in her relationship with So-hyun, which had previously shown little progress.
So-hyun had been happily eating the food she made for him, and today, he had even patted her head and told her it was delicious. So many good things were happening that it was almost frightening.
To be honest, by her own assessment, she hadn’t been particularly lucky in life until now.
Her talent was ‘Incitement,’ a talent that, no matter how you looked at it, was only suited for a villain. Then, she had completely made a fool of herself by mistaking the identity of the first person she ever liked.
She had even been kidnapped by a villain at the beginning of the first semester and faced a life-threatening crisis.
…Thinking back on the blunders she’d made, it felt like karma, but regardless, she hadn’t exactly been lucky.
However, it seemed her karmic debt had finally been paid, and her luck was starting to turn.
Maybe.
Maybe this time, for real.
Could it be that Kim Ga-eul’s era was finally arriving?
The ultimate rivals she had to overcome had turned into allies, the major incidents had passed, and now that happy daily life was continuing, wasn’t this the perfect timing to go on the offensive?!
“Oof.”
Just as she was lost in those thoughts, she nearly walked into a wall that suddenly appeared.
Right, she needed to focus on walking when she was on the street. She almost caused an accident because her mind was elsewhere.
But when she looked up, wondering what kind of wall would be in the middle of the sidewalk, she realized it wasn’t a wall blocking her path, but people. Among them, she saw some strangely familiar faces.
Some were complete strangers, but the rest were people she used to hang out with at the beginning of the semester.
“Ga-eul~ Can we talk for a second~?”
The voice sounded as if they were meeting a very dear, close friend, but they hadn’t just blocked her path—before she knew it, they had naturally surrounded her.
‘I’m screwed, aren’t I?’ She had intended to run away the moment she let her guard down.
She didn’t know what kind of pathetic act they were trying to pull, but considering their past relationship, it likely wasn’t for anything positive.
“Huh~? Why? Can’t we just talk here~?”
She tried a small act of defiance, but the girl who used to be her friend… what was her name again? Anyway, that bitch’s face contorted, and her voice dropped an octave.
It seemed she had finished confirming there were no other people around.
“Hey, can’t you read the room? Don’t make this complicated and just come with us, okay?”
“Ha. Wow.”
There were five of them.
If it were the Kim Ga-eul of the past, she would have run away from those numbers no matter what, but to the current Kim Ga-eul, who had survived several major incidents, this number wasn’t all that threatening.
In the first place, these kids were originally at the same level as the old her.
They didn’t seem to practice that hard, and they skipped classes all the time. How much stronger could they have possibly gotten?
“Hey, you guys. I’m in a good mood lately, so I’ll let you off easy. Just go, okay?”
“…Ga-eul, have you lost your mind?”
Ah, she remembered my name even though I forgot hers.
“What are you going to do with just five people~? I might not look it, but I’ve gotten a lot stronger than before.”
“Stop bluffing.”
“Ha, we’ll see if it’s a bluff or not.”
“Is that so? It doesn’t matter if it’s a bluff. You’re mistaken about something—what you see isn’t everything.”
What? Did they have an ace up their sleeve? Did these guys also get stronger by finding some fortuitous encounter like she did?
“Hey, come out.”
Ah, what. It was just more people.
Fine, let’s see how many more there are.
Even if the number doubled, it would only be ten. If there were ten, she could probably find a gap and make a run for it.
However.
“Uh, uh…”
Why did they keep coming out?
Honestly, she thought maybe five more would show up at most, but they kept appearing endlessly until there were over twenty of them.
“Hey, Ga-eul. What was that? You’re in a good mood so you’ll let us off?”
Uh, this is getting a bit tough.
“Just come with us while we’re asking nicely. It’s not like we said we’re definitely going to do something to you, right? If we wanted to, we could have done this anytime before now. Can’t you tell just by the fact that we left you alone until now?”
…Exactly. We’ve been ignoring each other and getting along fine until now, so why the hell are you doing this all of a sudden?
“Why?”
She racked her brain to find an opening, but honestly, it didn’t look like there was a way out.
Should she pretend to follow them quietly and then bolt?
Just as that thought crossed her mind.
“Can’t you do anything without your fancy friends around because you’re too scared?”
…The bitch went and touched a nerve she shouldn’t have.
“Fine. I don’t know what you’re up to, but let’s go.”
“Don’t act tough, Ga-eul. It’s not cool at all. Anyway, good choice. It’s not like we’re going to eat you if you just come quietly, so why waste your energy?”
* * *
“You want me to set you up?”
“Yeah. It’s not a big deal, is it?”
Honestly, compared to her expectation of being suddenly jumped and lynched by a mob, their goal was surprisingly moderate—or rather, simple.
They weren’t asking to join her inner circle; they just wanted her to act as a bridge.
It was such a simple request that she almost thought she could just do it for them, but after hearing their attitude and their reasons, she didn’t want to cooperate in the slightest.
“I mean, our image on campus hasn’t been great lately.”
That’s because you skip classes whenever you want, don’t do your assignments, and aren’t particularly good at anything.
“So, we figured if we get close to kids like Lilac or Cheon Yu-hak, our reputation will naturally improve.”
“Besides those two, Kang Han-hee and Kang So-hyun are doing really well these days too.”
They had no intention of putting in the effort themselves; they just wanted to parasite off others.
“Honestly, they’re all so soft-hearted. If we just put on a sad face and say the right things, wouldn’t they be friendly with us?”
…You’ve never even had a proper conversation with them, yet you’re looking down on them?
“It would be even better if we could find a decent dungeon and go with them sometimes.”
“Wouldn’t they give us stuff as a sign of our new friendship?”
Their attitude of looking down on the very people they intended to use was disgusting.
What did they even know?
“Hey.”
They were such good people.
“Your mouth smells like a dirty rag, so shut it.”
“…What?”
“Who do you think you are, talking like that? Do you know them well? Have you even talked to them? No, you haven’t.”
Laughing at my friends. How dare they.
“Our Ga-eul really can’t read the room, can she? Do you think you’re hot shit just because you hang out with the elites? Or do you think some hidden power is going to awaken just because someone insulted your friends?”
She pulled a whip from her waist.
“Wow, you’re really going to try? Are you crazy? There are over twenty of us. And your talent isn’t even combat-related.”
Strangely, she wasn’t that scared.
She had been terrified until a moment ago, but now, rather than fear, it was… well, anger.
“Ah, fuck. It’s not even a big request, just an introduction. Why are you snapping? She’s a total psycho.”
“If you don’t want to introduce us, then don’t~ But you’re prepared for the consequences, right?”
“…You’re the ones who should be prepared. I’m a lot tougher than I look.”
“Whatever, crazy bitch.”
* * *
“Kyaah…!”
Right, honestly, she knew it was a bit much.
“Wow, this crazy bitch, what the hell is wrong with her!”
“Kh…!”
Even these losers were superhumans, and being kicked in the stomach hurt quite a bit.
…How long had it been since she felt this kind of pain?
It seemed the limit for Cadet Kim Ga-eul was taking down about eleven thugs on her own.
If she had been just a little better, she might have been able to handle it, but unfortunately, her strength gave out halfway through and she lost her weapon.
“Hey! You crazy bitch! What are you going to do about my hair!”
She had tried her best to tear it out, and fortunately, it seemed to have been effective.
“I tried to be nice about this!”
The indiscriminate beating made it hard to breathe.
How much time had passed? The beating stopped, and she heard a voice filled with spite.
“Hey, Kim Ga-eul. Why are you acting all high and mighty and pure? You’re no different from us.”
I’m the same as you?
“The bitch who bullied people just to look good for Cheon Yu-hak, and then when things went south, she had no pride and immediately wagged her ass for the guy who used to torment her.”
Ah, right. That’s right. I was originally no different from them.
“You’re no different from us, you just got lucky and ended up in that group. Well, I guess your face is somewhat decent.”
She wanted to scream that it wasn’t like that, but she had no strength left.
“Anyway, the only reason you can fight a bit now is because the others carried you, right? You probably shared some fortuitous encounter they found.”
…No, she had to tell them they were wrong.
“Let us in on some of that too. Ga-eul, it’s not like you actually think of them as friends anyway, right? It’s obvious you’re just sticking around to suck them dry.”
“Don’t… bull… shit… you crazy… bitch.”
“Oh? Do you seriously think you’re actually friends with them? You don’t fit in at all. There’s such a thing as social standing.”
They’d been spouting nonsense for a while now.
“Hey, fine. Ga-eul, since you’re stupider than I thought, you might actually believe that. But do you think your ‘elite’ friends feel the same way?”
“…What?”
“You’re more delusional than I thought. To them, you’re just a trophy to show off. Like picking up a bad, ill-reputed kid and ‘reforming’ her. It’s the same as those people on TV who pick up a stray dog just to act all virtuous.”
…Is this the only way this bitch can think?
“Fine, let’s say I’m exaggerating. Maybe they really do care about you. But you can’t deny this, can you? They might do things for you, but have they ever asked you for anything?”
Her head was spinning from the beating, but for some reason, those words echoed clearly.
“They haven’t, right? They just unilaterally treat you well and give you things, but they never rely on you or ask for your help. Isn’t that right?”
That’s just… just… what is that?
“You don’t call that a friend, Ga-eul. You call that a pet. Honestly, you knew that too, didn’t you?”
No.
“That’s why you probably felt insecure while hanging out with them. You always put yourself last and just go along with whatever they want to do.”
It’s not like that, so please shut up.
“You’re not the type that belongs there. You just, you just got lucky and happened to catch their eye. They wouldn’t have cared if it wasn’t you.”
She wanted to scream that it wasn’t true.
But that day.
What if I hadn’t been among those kidnapped by Jin Gyeong-tae?
What if that girl in front of me had been taken instead, and So-hyun had saved her?
Would our positions have been reversed?
No. That couldn’t be. That incident was certainly the reason we became close so quickly, but that wasn’t everything.
“You’re not good at anything, and you’re not exceptionally pretty. Honestly, you’re a total eyesore when you’re with them.”
She felt like she was going to cry.
I know. I know I don’t fit in. That’s why I tried so hard.
“…Wow, are you trying to make us the villains again? Do you think someone’s going to come and save you again? Shall we test that out?”
As she spoke, she slowly pulled a pair of scissors from her pocket.
“Don’t be scared. I’m just going to trim your hair a bit. You tore mine out, didn’t you?”
She trembled at the approaching malice.
Why were these crazy bitches suddenly doing this?
“…Right, it didn’t necessarily have to be you in that spot, did it? Let’s see if you can still stay in that group once you look even worse than us. Hmm?”
Someone…
Someone, please.
“I think that’s enough, don’t you?”
The person who appeared was not the boy she had been picturing in her dizzy head.
Platinum blonde hair, ridiculous drill hair, and a girl who, unlike herself, was overflowing with individuality.
“I was passing by and it was so noisy. There should be a reasonable limit to a numerical advantage for me to just ignore it and walk away.”
Aisha.
She was there.
Not intimidated in the least by the overwhelming numbers, she scanned them with a look as if she were looking at insects, then walked confidently toward me.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Ga-eul. I should have come sooner.”
…How is that your fault?
“Well, don’t worry. I’ll clean this trash up in no time. It’s a good chance to earn some points with So-hyun, too.”
Was it because of the conversation she just had? Words that would normally have sounded reassuring somehow sounded twisted.
…Why is the reason for saving me to ‘earn points’ with So-hyun?
No, I shouldn’t think like this.
If it had been Ha-ni or Professor Cathy, this wouldn’t have happened.
But I’m different from those two.
“Now then. Whoever wants to get beaten first, step forward.”
Even as she tried her best to deny it, her heart felt complicated as she watched Aisha’s confident figure.
She didn’t have to look far. Even just Aisha was so much better than her.
If she really tells So-hyun later that she saved me, So-hyun will say thank you, right?
No, I told myself not to think like this.
Maybe she’ll use this as a chance to get closer to him than I am?
She’s trying to save me. I should be more than grateful, so what am I doing?
…For some reason, I’m a little jealous.
Even as she denied it, a small seed was slowly taking root inside her.