Disciple: Baek Jaesung 5
“Oh my, oh my! Look at that couple! What the hell are they doing, all lovey-dovey like that?”
“That girl’s seriously pretty. But what’s up with that guy’s face?”
“Must have money. Or maybe he’s got skills?”
People around us were throwing comments our way. A few assholes were even whistling mockingly. I could see Bong Jinsu’s pupils dilate in real time. What a fucking retard.
“Whoo! Jaesung, turns out you’re a real romanticist, huh.”
Hwang Cheolmin chimed in with that annoying quip. The barbarian bastard shot him a piercing glare. When Cheolmin caught the party leader’s venomous stare, he whipped his head away in a panic. This guy can’t read the room for shit.
“So, you interested? Fuck off and stop hitting on a girl someone else already marked, you dumbass.”
I said it in a mocking tone.
“You crazy fuck, cursing me right from the start. Fine, you picked the wrong guy today.”
The barbarian didn’t hold back his anger like I did. Maybe it was the booze, or maybe that’s just his nature. Probably the latter. He gripped his empty whiskey bottle reverse-style. The mood turned nasty, drawing all eyes to us. Getting the spotlight like this was a first for me. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel half bad.
Right then, a cool, handsome voice cut in.
“What’s this?”
It was Han Seungjin. He stepped between me and the barbarian. The crowd buzzed at his entrance—more intensely than when Sujin and I kissed earlier.
“Whoa! T-shirt and shorts, and he still looks that cool!”
“He’s really one of us?”
“He’d suit that girl way better than this average-looking dude. How the hell did that guy land a girlfriend like her?”
One of the onlookers spouted some bullshit. Who the fuck said that?
“Outsiders stay out!”
The barbarian turned his glare on Han Seungjin, growling like a wolf.
“Causing a scene isn’t a good look.”
Han Seungjin replied with a furrowed brow. Annoying as hell, but even that looked cool. Fucking prick.
“What’s going on here?”
A woman’s voice rang out from afar. Our eyes snapped toward it. A blue-haired woman in training robes approached with arms crossed. She had an eyepatch over her left eye with a chrysanthemum drawn on it. 3 Rank Dungeon Hunter Kim Minyoung.
“If possible, please avoid making a fuss.”
She spoke politely to us, but it was a veiled threat to keep it down. As the workshop manager, stopping fights was her job. I nodded and sat back down. Han Seungjin turned to her and apologized, even though he hadn’t really done anything wrong.
“Sorry about that.”
“We provided the drinks, but getting too wasted looks bad. The mood’s heated up nicely, so… drinking time’s over.”
She issued orders to the association staff. They cleared the bottles from the tables. Some grumbled in disappointment, but next came simple snacks like chocolate and biscuits, plus non-alcoholic drinks.
The barbarian slunk away, still glaring at me. I met his eyes without flinching. He looked ready to snap at any moment. Crazy fucks like him need constant watching.
*-*-*
Bong Jinsu stormed down the hallway, fuming. Yeah, the alcohol had made him act on instinct. He knew he’d messed up, but he couldn’t shake the image of that guy who’d openly picked a fight with him. He vowed to crush him if they crossed paths again.
“Fucking dog. I’ll show you exactly who Bong Jinsu is.”
But a man blocked his path. The same handsome bastard who’d intervened earlier. He knew the name: Han Seungjin, the hottest dungeon hunter lately. Bong Jinsu hated pretty-boy empties like him. Not as much as that other prick, but still.
“What!? Get lost!”
He barked at the guy blocking his way. Han Seungjin just smirked and extended a hand.
“Try not to cause any trouble while you’re here.”
Shiiik! Suddenly, pitch-black darkness swallowed Bong Jinsu’s vision. It felt like the blood was draining from his body—a bizarre sensation. An overwhelming, nauseating wrongness flooded him, cutting off his thoughts. Nothing visible, nothing felt. How was this possible? It was like his existence had been erased from the world, a nightmarish void.
“Ughhh!”
“Got it?”
The world snapped back. The horrific experience felt unreal now, but the reality before him was undeniable. The training center hallway was clear, the air warm, his body present. Only the cold sweat soaking his back proved that hellish ordeal had been real.
“Huff…! Huff…! Huff…! Huff…!”
“Being loud isn’t ideal.”
Han Seungjin walked off down the opposite hall.
*-*-*
“Hello.”
I was heading to the bathroom when a blonde woman approached me. Her Korean was so flawless, it was hard to believe she was foreign. You’d have to start young to speak like that. But more surprising was that she was talking to me.
“I’m Reina Everett. From the US.”
“Baek Jaesung. Pure Korean stock.”
Up close, she was stunning. Her overwhelming bust felt even more three-dimensional this near. Everett smiled and continued.
“Saw you kissing earlier. Impressive. I heard Koreans don’t show affection like that much.”
“Hmm. Is that so? I’m Korean and I wouldn’t know.”
She’d taken an interest after the scene I caused. Everyone else was obsessed with Han Seungjin. I figured even this hot exchange student would be into him, but nope. Good for me. I planned to bang her during this workshop. Her walking right into my mouth was perfect.
I was about to find a common topic when a tall blonde guy like her approached. Another foreigner. Not quite Han Seungjin level, but handsome and lanky. Instinct told me he knew Everett. Guard up automatically.
(Everett. What’re you chatting about so fun?)
(Nothing much. Say hi, Murray. This is Jaesung.)
They switched to English. My language skills sucked—I couldn’t follow. My English grades weren’t terrible, but Korean education fails at listening and speaking.
“Rafael Murray. From LA. Childhood friends with Everett.”
Murray’s Korean was decent, not as good as hers but solid. Dropping the childhood friend bit right off the bat? Yeah, he was into her. I eyed them both, gauging how far things had gone.
“Baek Jaesung.”
Both were 8 Rank Dungeon Hunters. Four-plus years in, but only three dungeons cleared. Barely one a year, yet 8 Rank? In Korea, that’d barely hit 9 Rank. Our party had cleared more in months. Of course, US dungeon styles differ. They take longer per raid since dungeons aren’t as dense in their huge land.
“Murray’s our party leader. Graduated from prestigious University of California dungeon studies.”
Everett praised him, and he visibly lit up—trying to play it cool, but obvious to everyone.
“Everett, our party’s success is thanks to you.”
“I’m just your run-of-the-mill dealer. You tanking up front made it possible.”
They laughed, praising each other. I got the vibe. Not lovers, but more than friends— one confession and boom, together. Thin wall left, about to shatter. No sex yet. My gut’s never wrong on this stuff. Thought foreigners were more aggressive in love, but apparently not always.
Works for me. Heh heh! Still a free agent, huh?
Even with a goalkeeper, I’m the striker who forces it in. Taking Juyeon taught me stealing a taken girl has its own thrill.
Nah, this’d be mental NTR. Murray’s got that lovesick look—probably fantasized about shacking up already.
I excused myself to the bathroom. As I left, Murray got even more excited, yapping away with Everett. Couldn’t understand the English bullshit. Not trash-talking me, right?
*-*-*
Rec time ended, wrapping up the day. It was 7 PM. I showered quick and headed back. Sujin takes an hour, so around 8. I activated Surveillance Eye. I have two; one’s been running since we arrived, mostly filming the women’s bath. Used the other on Murray.
He showered fast too and hit his room—two doors down from mine.
(Phew. Good day today.)
He sat, opened his laptop. Wallpaper: him and Everett with a few others—party group pic. He pulled up a doc.
(This trip, I’ll confess for sure. Phew…! Stay calm! Like hunting monsters… Cool and collected confession!)
Title: CONFESSION PLAN. Self-explanatory. Timetable and steps inside. This fucker’s gonna confess to Everett. I skimmed it fast. Listening sucks, but reading’s okay—caught the key points. Final workshop day, during fireworks. Read some light novels, huh?
Kekeke! Nice. I’ll time my surprise perfectly.
I memorized his plan and plotted a counter-event. He’ll never forget this workshop.