Chapter 66
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: True Ancestor Ameris
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"You came up with the club name yourself?"
Erina shot back at my question, resting her hand on her hip with full confidence.
"Obsidian. Obsidian!"
"Obsidian?"
"That's right. Isn't it cool?!"
Kang Hwa-yeon stared at her in surprise, but Erina kept up her bold tone.
I never imagined Erina— with her personality—would be into urban legends like Obsidian. Unexpected.
With that thought, I said to her,
"I didn't know you were into rumors like that."
"Rumors? What are you talking about?"
"Obsidian, I mean."
Erina looked incredulous at my words.
"It's my original idea!"
A chill suddenly swept through my mind at her response.
'Why all of a sudden...'
For some reason, that eerie feeling made me grab Erina's shoulders and stare into her eyes.
"Wh-what are you doing, Si-woo? Trying to bore holes in my face?"
Erina's face flushed red in surprise. She averted her gaze, looking embarrassed.
"So you're saying you came up with the name Obsidian?"
"What, you think I'm trying to scam you or something?"
A coincidence?
Is 'Obsidian' really such a common name for a group that someone could just randomly think of it?
Especially Erina, who's only been in Korea for a few months?
All sorts of thoughts swirled in my head.
"Hic!"
?
"Hic! Hic!"
The clear hiccuping sound right in front of me snapped me back to reality.
Erina's face was beet red as she hiccuped away furiously.
"You okay?"
"Whaaat're you talkiiing abouuut?! You thiiink I'm stiiill druuunk? No woorry todayyy! How 'bout thaaat? Laaast time waaas juuust a fluuuke!"
Erina's speech suddenly started slurring.
She'd clearly hit her limit.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Got it."
"Thaaat's riiight! Hic."
She must have still been sore about me teasing her last time for not holding her liquor after all that boasting.
'If she pushed to her limit last time, she should know her tolerance by now. Why overdo it again?'
As I thought that and looked at Erina, I noticed she was holding the ultimate hangover cure from Awakening to SSS Hunter Academy: 'Gut-Buster'.
Not 'Refreshing'.
It meant you'd drink until your stomach hurt—hence 'Gut-Buster'.
'The naming sense in this novel's always been like that.'
Of course, chugging that wouldn't magically boost her tolerance. Wonder who told her about it.
That's when Baek A-rin's shout made me turn my head.
"Yaaahooo!!! I looove friendly guys! Kim Si-woo! Erinaaa! Foreverrr!"
"What about me?"
"Our Hwa-yeooon... Hwa-yeon goes without saaaaying..."
Baek A-rin had gotten plastered too and was spilling her true feelings.
'She's in rough shape too...'
?
That's when I spotted what Baek A-rin was holding.
Gut-Buster.
"You..."
She must have taught Erina that drunk talk too. Probably had a little booze summit together.
I let out a sigh.
Erina probably just heard 'Obsidian' somewhere and liked it.
Nothing to overthink.
'But why'd I get that feeling?'
When Erina claimed she'd invented the name Obsidian, an inexplicable chill hung in the air.
Like plummeting from a great height. The kind of thrill you get at an amusement park.
"Hoo..."
I shook the beer can in my hand, and the scant liquid inside sloshed around.
'Am I drunk too? Not in a position to judge.'
That's when Erina latched onto me.
Wait, this situation feels...
Familiar. Too familiar. And that's what's unsettling.
"Back off a sec, Eri..."
"We're going with my naaame! Uweeek!"
Rainbow-colored something sprayed onto my clothes.
At the same time, Kang Hwa-yeon stared in horror.
"Si-woo, total disaster."
"It's fine. I saw it coming."
"Feels niiice and breeezy now..."
"You hurled it all on me, of course it feels breezy."
It's okay. My stomach's not weak, and honestly, part of this is on me for not stopping her from chugging so much tonight.
I'll just wash it off anyway.
With that in mind, I smiled and asked Hwa-yeon,
"I'm gonna go clean up. Mind moving these two for me?"
Hwa-yeon looked genuinely impressed.
"Si-woo, you're top-tier for smiling through this."
***
The next day, on the way to the academy. A normal commute like always, except...
"My heeead still huuurts..."
"Weird. With Snow Mountain Clan's Gut-Buster, it shouldn't."
As if. Better than nothing, sure, but puking your guts out then expecting no hangover?
And that was Snow Mountain Clan's stuff?
"Si-woo ended up doing all the work yesterday, huh."
"Appreciate the recognition."
Heading to school with the three most spotlighted students around.
'Erina for slightly different reasons.'
For some reason, Erina's family doesn't get much attention. Maybe 'cause she's stuck in that class rep image.
But those prickling stares from earlier... just my imagination?
No way.
The stares were real. And not the good kind.
"Isn't that Inferno's heir? Next to her's Snow Mountain Clan's Baek A-rin! And the one after... isn't that the girl from the class rep video?"
Guess that video's circulating. Sorry I couldn't protect you, Erina.
"She's gorgeous, though. Senior, right...?"
"But why are all three with a guy like that...?"
"Shuttle service?"
"Nah, Kang Hwa-yeon's known for being so kind. Probably some volunteer thing."
They add 'nim' to Hwa-yeon's name but treat me like dirt.
Volunteer thing? What the hell??
My image seems better with some folks, but this is still the average take.
Honestly, ridiculous enough to laugh about.
Truth is, I couldn't care less about their stares.
'More than that, these three must deal with this level of attention daily. Must suck.'
Baek A-rin whispered to me then.
"Mind the stares?"
"How could I not?"
"You can't let it get to you. You'll be drawing way more eyes from now on."
"What do you mean?"
Baek A-rin narrowed her eyes, flashing a smirk that was almost a sneer.
"Forgot? Now that I've chosen you, that's how it has to be. That's how it will be. I'll make sure of it. So get used to it now."
That's what she meant.
"If that's the case, don't worry. I'll make sure you get more attention than you've ever had."
I don't particularly crave flashy spotlight, but since Baek A-rin chose me, I'll live up to that.
"Nice resolve. I'll hold you to it."
Baek A-rin smiled back.
That's when a group of students caught my eye. They were staring our way.
One big guy like Kwak Du-pal. Another with striking white hair and a parasite vibe.
And the standout: a girl with twintails.
'That hairstyle works in real life, huh.'
Anime-style twintails, but long black hair in a subdued color made it look natural.
'Haft-twintails or something like that.'
As I thought that, the twintail girl approached us.
"H-hello!"
"Hey, hello."
Hwa-yeon greeted back.
"Know her?"
"Uh, Si-woo, this is..."
Before Hwa-yeon could answer, the girl chirped brightly.
"Hi! I'm Rin! Huge fan of Hwa-yeon unnie! And you're definitely Kim Si-woo, right?"
"Uh..."
Her bubbly energy caught me off guard.
Never knew there were kids like this. Bouncing around like a Shooting Star ice cream pop.
Of course, I'd checked student profiles, and her name rang a bell—Japanese exchange student.
'But seeing her in person hits different.'
Extras' personalities aren't detailed anyway.
Not many had greeted me this cheerfully from the start.
Human-wise, solid first impression.
"Nice to meet you. Kim Si-woo."
Feeling good, I flashed a bright smile and offered a handshake—
Slap—
...?
My hand stings a bit.
Rin. One of the big guys behind her stepped up and smacked my hand away.
'This is awkward.'
Rin yelled in shock at his action.
"What are you doing?!"
"Mistress's orders."
'So she didn't order it.'
Positively speaking, maybe not so bad.
I'd braced for a twist where Rin was the one slapping my hand away.
Those bubbly-on-the-outside, black-hearted types are cliché anyway.
'Sorry for suspecting you.'
But how should I take this?
Better than the twist I feared—mild flavor? Or should I lament my stinging hand thanks to this etiquette-eating brute?
As I pondered, the white-haired parasite guy ended my dilemma himself.
"Who gave you permission to reach out with those filthy hands?"
This guy's killing my mood.
I ignored him, but he squinted and pressed.
"Ignoring me? I asked if you're trying to touch my girl with your dirty hands."
'Persistent.'
Still, I'm a polite guy.
So I smiled and replied,
"Ah... you don't know? This is a handshake. In Korea, we call it a regular old handshake."
I could see the guy's face redden a bit.
My sincerity must've hit home.
I stepped past the vein-popping jerk.
"See you around, Rin."