Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Relationship Exposed
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Kim Seonghwa's shout sliced through the battlefield.
That voice pierced Min Seola's ears with miraculous clarity amid the chaos of noise in the heart of the downtown.
"…!"
Focus returned to her hazy eyes.
The cold shadow tentacles strangling her throat. The suffocating pain. The rampaging mana beyond her control.
Amid all that turmoil, a single fact imprinted itself in her mind.
'Seonghwa-ssi is watching….'
Kim Seonghwa had jumped into the middle of this dangerous battlefield and was calling out to her.
'Seonghwa-ssi is right. I got done in because of this unfamiliar drunken haze, nothing more.'
Min Seola's hand gripped the shadow tentacle wrapped around her neck.
Kwachik!
It wasn't even torn off.
Just her grip strength alone shredded the shadow, tougher than steel, like paper.
"What…?!"
Yupia's eyes widened.
She didn't even have time to panic.
A blue flash erupted from Min Seola's toes.
Paat-!
Speed close to spatial teleportation.
In an instant, she escaped Yupia's range and landed right in front of Kim Seonghwa.
Thud!
The asphalt cracked wide open, and Min Seola emerged from the dust cloud.
Torn suit, disheveled hair, lips beaded with blood.
Yet even that appearance was beautiful like a goddess of the battlefield.
The moment she saw Kim Seonghwa, she grabbed his shoulders tight and yelled.
"Are you insane?! Why did you come down here! Do you want to die?!"
Her voice trembled with anger.
But it wasn't anger at Kim Seonghwa—it was terror at the thought of losing him.
"Get back up there quick! What is Jubin doing! I told her to stick close! And how did you even get down here in the first place, Seonghwa-ssi?"
At that question, Kim Seonghwa thought.
No time to explain.
Words won't cut it.
"Seola-ssi."
Instead of answering, he seized Min Seola's waist.
"…Huh?"
"No time for those questions."
Kim Seonghwa pulled Min Seola into his arms.
And without hesitation, he pressed his lips to hers.
"Mmph?!"
A simple hug wouldn't suffice, he judged.
To quell this rampage, the most direct and intense contact through mucous membranes would surely stabilize her for certain.
Kim Seonghwa parted his lips and slipped his tongue between Min Seola's.
The moment her surprised, stiffened tongue tangled with his.
Pajit-! Pajijijit-!
Sparks flew even more fiercely, but Min Seola began stabilizing rapidly.
The new mana rampaging through her veins met Kim Seonghwa's energy and quieted in an instant.
"Hauum… Mmuuum…!"
Min Seola's eyes flew wide open, then slowly drifted shut.
'This is it… I need Seonghwa-ssi for this….'
A brain-melting comfort.
Warm energy seeping into every joint.
Forgetting she was even on a battlefield, she wrapped her arms around Kim Seonghwa's neck and lost herself in the kiss.
Pajit- Pajijijij-
The precarious sparks flickering from her body weakened, vanished completely, and instead, densely compressed blue light began emanating.
Hwaaaaa-!
That light stretched out behind Min Seola, forming enormous wings.
Overwhelming and holy blue wings, like a descending Valkyrie.
"What…."
Yupia's face twisted as she watched the scene.
"That… bitch…!"
Her eyes blazed red with jealousy and madness.
"Why is that pervert stud here? This is ruining the plan!"
It wasn't just the kidnapping plan going awry.
The man she so desperately craved was right there, stabilizing her rival with a kiss.
"You two, separate right now?!!"
Yupia screamed.
Yet those lips showed no sign of parting.
At that sight, Yupia ground her teeth.
"You're really making this body angry…."
In that moment, a colossal shadow erupted from behind Yupia, large enough to blanket the entire city.
A shadow beast bigger than buildings.
The black monster, with thousands of eyes and teeth, opened its maw and roared.
"Min Seola!! That stud is this body's!! This body's food!! Don't touch him and back off!!"
At Yupia's gesture, the massive shadow monster lunged to devour the ground.
The sky turned black, blocking even the sunlight.
Kim Seonghwa froze at the sight, his tongue pausing briefly.
'Crazy… what the hell is that….'
Even as he debated stopping the kiss, Min Seola didn't let go.
She clung to his waist with one arm and slowly turned her head to glare at Yupia.
Flash!
Her eyes gleamed transparently like sapphires.
No more wavering, no more anxiety.
Only absolute will to protect her man.
She extended her free hand into the air.
"Seonghwa-ssi is my man."
A soft voice, yet resounding clearly across the battlefield.
"Not someone trash like you can touch."
Kuwaaaaaang!
"Heaven's Vault, open. Azure Nova." ⟨ Azure Nova ⟩
Min Seola uttered the unknowable incantation like a magic chant, then swung her hand down.
Thereupon, the pillar of light piercing the heavens crashed vertically toward Yupia and the shadow monster.
Flash-!
All sounds in the world vanished.
At the clash of light and darkness.
Silence like time had stopped.
Then.
Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!
A shockwave rivaling a nuclear blast erupted.
But that shockwave didn't shatter buildings.
An invisible tsunami swept away only Yupia's darkness, erasing it.
The colossal shadow monster shattered and scattered before the blinding light.
"Kyaaaaaah!!"
Yupia's scream drowned in the light.
The shadow armor encasing her shattered, and her true body was swept away by the storm, flying far off.
The dark clouds blanketing the sky cleared in an instant.
Dazzling sunlight poured down over the ruined downtown.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
The dust settled, and silence fell.
I stared blankly up at the sky.
The violet-tinged heaven from moments ago was now impossibly clear and blue.
"…."
The wings of light spread behind Min Seola slowly dispersed into the air.
Panting, she rushed to me and hugged me tight.
"Seonghwa-ssi…."
Her eyes meeting mine held a brighter, more beautiful smile than ever.
"You okay? Not hurt?"
"Yeah. Thanks to you, Seola-ssi."
I gave a faint smile and straightened her disheveled hair.
'It's over.'
As the adrenaline drained, my legs went weak.
That was when.
Dudududu-
Helicopter noise came from overhead.
And distant cheers from the crowd.
Countless camera shutter sounds.
Click-click! Click-click!
Only then did reality sink in.
'Oh, right….'
Looking around, broadcast helicopters circled above.
Citizens and reporters hiding behind building debris all raised their cameras at once.
And the large screens on the streets.
They were live-broadcasting the scene from moments ago.
In the heart of the ruined battlefield.
Korea's No.1 Hero, Min Seola, arms wrapped around some man's waist.
The close-up of her honey-dripping gaze screamed "woman in love" to anyone watching.
'Ah… I expected this, but the scale is….'
A sigh escaped me.
The life of ordinary salaryman Kim Seonghwa was perfectly over as of today.
I looked at Min Seola with a stiff face.
But she was smiling.
As if this moment—our relationship exposed to the entire nation, no, the world—was pure joy.
"…Now."
Min Seola buried her face in my chest and whispered.
"We can't hide our relationship anymore."
She lifted her head, smiling with her eyes at me.
"The whole nation saw. That you're my man, Seonghwa-ssi."
"Ha…."
I let out a deep sigh, rubbing my forehead.
Couldn't argue.
It was the path I chose.
"Life…."
In that instant, I somewhat understood the hearts of heroes who sacrificed their most precious things to save the world.
'At this point, am I a hero too?'
To maintain Korea's peace, hadn't I given up my most precious dream: normalcy?
Well, compared to heroes in stories losing their closest ones, mine was tame.
'What can you do. Already done it.'
Feeling Min Seola's warm body heat clinging to my waist, I gave a wry smile.
"Don't worry, Seonghwa-ssi. I'll protect you from now on too."
Min Seola's face was bright and innocent.
She wouldn't know.
'I'll miss ordinary life….'
Going to work, doing the day's tasks, interacting, feeling just the right stress.
A peaceful life where most of the world doesn't know me, even if worries from relationships pile up.
A regular person's life where home guarantees comfort, even after a scolding from the boss.
A life where you just handle today's work and keep going, rather than the desperation of daily grind.
For some, a day laborer's life is far more comfortable than a celebrity's.
Those who can't empathize won't understand me.
'Still, it's fine. I've got to live tomorrow too.'
With a mix of resignation and resolve on my face, I endured the barrage of flashing cameras aimed at us.