Chapter 109
Chapter 109
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 109
Chapter Title: That Damn Raphael
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Finals were still a ways off. It hadn't even been that long since midterms. Though, yeah, it's common sense to start prepping for finals right after midterms end.
Common sense or not...
"Why are they announcing it so early?"
They usually don't announce this stuff until a week before. Has it always been like this?
I took the phone Lachesis handed me, feeling a bit puzzled.
"What is it? What? I'm passing on any more hellish training."
"You have to go out tomorrow too. What do you mean, passing?"
"Don't say it. If you keep going, the wrath of an angel might turn on you, Seong-hoon."
Is she crazy? She's gone full denial mode. Ignoring the girl shoving her face in to peek, I turned on the screen.
"Hey. Stop pushing. I can't see."
"I'll look and tell you."
You think that makes sense? I pushed her cheek away and checked the screen. It was... weird.
With the original story twisted all to hell, I'd figured the finals would change too.
"Huh?"
Midterms changed, the ranking matches changed—nothing stayed the same.
It hasn't changed. They're doing finals just like in the original. That's pretty great.
I can definitely mess with Kim Tae-hyun for sure. I know everything that happens on that island.
"Two-person teams? This is perfect for us. Let's show those popular kids what we're made of!! Team name: Raphael and Lee Seong-hoon!!"
Raphael looks at me. I averted my gaze. I stared at the floor and whistled.
"Huh? Seong-hoon? I just had a bad thought, but no, right? Team name: Lee Seong-hoon and Raphael is fine too. I can go second. Whatever."
Lachesis's fur is so soft. Yeah. Even her hair in human form is soft. Hey.
Be quiet.
"Seong-hoon? Look at me. Lee Seong-hoon!!"
Now she's grabbing and shaking me. Why is she like this? Stop being so clingy. Clingy girls aren't my type.
"Don't do this. I don't have any friends!!"
"Raphael. We need our own space."
"No we don't!!"
We do. Island 6 is a forest island. The whole place is one massive woodland, thick with grass everywhere you step.
No way I'm dragging a deadweight around there. Levatein's buffs are enough.
And to properly sabotage Kim Tae-hyun there, I need someone more reliable.
Isia or Sophia. Or Shin Chae-yeon.
Shin Ga-yeon would work too. Yeah. One of them—
"Seong-hoon."
"What. You can team with Michael."
"I'd rather die!! If you act on those thoughts, I have plans too."
As if they'd be anything special. Like deleting my game history? I snorted, and Raphael whispered in my ear.
"Seong-hoon, age 16. Think back to what happened at 22."
What the hell? I frowned, and she said something even weirder.
"16. Real life. 22. Unrequited love."
Just from the keywords, I knew. My frown smoothed out. My brows relaxed, and the corners of my mouth turned up.
I looked at Raphael with the friendliest smile in the world.
I raised my hand and gave a thumbs up.
"Raphael. I've always thought it. We're like a burger combo. I'm the burger. You're the cola."
"I'm the cola?"
"You're the burger, Raphael."
Ahem! Watching Raphael beam with confidence, I felt it.
Finals are gonna be rough.
Hearing the french fries' voices, I swallowed back the tears welling up.
The next morning.
I left the dorm after checking the flood of messages from last night. Raphael was spinning around happily for some reason.
"What's got you so excited?"
"Does being excited need a reason? If I had to pick one, it's thanks to Seong-hoon getting beat by Shin Ga-yeon in morning training."
Should I kill her? Nah, I'd probably just get wrecked, so I held back. Ignored the spinning Raphael striking weird poses.
Replying one by one to the messages I'd read and ignored last night.
First up was from Isia.
[Hey.]
[Team with me for finals. Having a mage makes it easier.]
I sent back [Raphael].
Next, from Sophia.
[Team with me. No veto.]
[Emoticon]
[Photo]
I snapped a pic of myself making a kwang~ pose with my hand and sent it. She's been on a photo kick lately. Sent her [Raphael] too.
Was about to reply to Shin Ga-yeon's message when...
"Ah! Over here~~~"
I saw her waving from afar and just walked over. Raphael stopped spinning. Guess it's embarrassing in front of others.
She cleared her throat awkwardly, but I ignored it and kept walking.
"Where's Shin Chae-yeon?"
I noticed the odd vibe right away. The sisters always waited for me in the mornings, but only one today.
"Meditating inside. Anyway."
Shin Ga-yeon approached me lightly on her toes. She moved fast—right in front of me in no time.
Such graceful steps. So romantic. I wanna learn that.
"Why didn't you reply to my message?! I get you were busy. But still!!"
She clasped her hands and looked up at me. Nah, I wasn't busy. Just too lazy to reply.
I barely reply if there's no real business anyway. Get used to it.
"Was gonna reply, but then I saw you."
"You couldn't reply 'cause I stole your attention?!"
"Do you have filters in your ears? Want me to remove them? This ear? Or this one?"
"Ahh! This kind of embarrassing skinship is still..."
She's killing me. Raphael was giving me a look like I'd shown her something gross as the girl twisted away bashfully.
Looking up at me all shy-like was kinda burdensome.
"Anyway. I'm teaming with Raphael. You team with Shin Chae-yeon."
Shin Ga-yeon glanced at Raphael, tilted her head, then looked back up at me.
"So. Make me want to team with you before finals!!"
"You don't know the word 'give up'?"
"Isn't that what they say when selling cabbage?"
No. Give up is the most comfortable word in the world. No point arguing, so I patted her head once and headed into the training hall.
Pretended I didn't hear the gasp!!
Come to think of it, I've been rolling around a lot lately. How much elixir have I absorbed?
Nice progress. At this rate, it'll be fully absorbed by summer break. The barrier should vanish around then too, so luck's key. Come on, Luck-Boost Elixir!!
Stepping into the training grounds while waiting for a reply that'd never come, the first thing I saw was...
A blue-haired girl sitting cross-legged, breathing steadily.
Her white hairband stood out today.
"Why's she like that?"
"She's been like that since last time. Ever since losing to that Kim Tae-hyun guy."
Ah. Since then.
"She says it's fine to lose, but it must be bugging her."
Doesn't that make me trash for pitting them against each other? Cold sweat dripped down.
"The one who set up the fight is trash, huh. Ruining someone just to see what they wanted. Right, Seong-hoon?"
Don't say it. I know. Our eyes met with the girl who'd opened hers and was staring.
Her eyes said 'It's not like that.' Which just made me feel worse.
I walked over to her. Squatted down to meet her gaze, wiped the sweat from my damp back, and spoke.
"Does losing to Kim Tae-hyun bug you? He's always been number one. I told you after, remember? He's someone you're not supposed to beat."
"I know. It's not that."
Then what is it? I scratched the back of my head.
But thinking about it, her beating Kim Tae-hyun would benefit me. My conscience was pricking too.
Just this once.
"Don't go blabbing that you heard this from me."
"What?"
"You know Spirit Breathing?"
I'm not raising her. Just giving a hint.
"Seriously."
On the quiet morning walk to school. Sophia pouted—big time—as she walked.
She'd been in a great mood cooking breakfast, but then the message arrived.
How could one word shatter that vibe?
Just three letters. Yet Sophia's brows furrowed, lips puffed out.
Her eyes narrowed, naturally.
[Raphael.]
Reply to the message she'd sent yesterday. Does that even make sense?
She'd even taken an embarrassing photo, and this was the response. A one-worder.
Another girl's name, no less. Sophia's lips stayed puffed.
"Raphael. Raphael. That damn Raphael."
Raphael everywhere she went. Meals, classes, training—always Raphael.
Why not just live with Raphael? She wanted to text that, but...
He'd probably say 'Got it' and do it. So she held back.
What does he see in Raphael? Sure, her face is pretty. Very pretty.
"I'm pretty too."
Sophia's looks weren't anything to scoff at either. But...
"Raphael's on another level. It's cheating."
Raphael was unfairly beautiful. Sophia couldn't even dream of winning her over with charms.
Her pout deepened.
"My personality's better anyway."
No reply came, just her pathetically hyping herself up. She sighed.
"Who am I gonna team with now?"
She trudged along, spirits drained, when something caught her eye from the opposite direction.
Rare black hair. Down to her waist, matching her beauty. A glowing black ring on her left hand.
Sophia squinted and tried to pass, but the voice stopped her.
─Whoosh.
─She skips club activities but won't team up?
─I did everything she asked, and all I get is one-word replies. For real.
─That damn Raphael. Why not just live with her?!
No way...?
Sophia froze, and Isia noticed her. Their eyes met.
They stared.
It didn't take long for words to spill from both mouths at once.
""No way?""
A pointed finger and that one phrase.
The "Send Lee Seong-hoon to Hell Training" team was born.
"Achoo!!"
"Told you not to sleep in the cold."
"No. I don't get colds. I bundled up fine."
With my perfect body, no way I slept cold. Who's listening? I rubbed my itchy nose with my hand when Raphael gave me a weird look.
"What? That 'looking at a virus' stare?"
"No approaching Levatein for a while, Seong-hoon."
"I don't catch black colds."
"Then no approaching me!!"
That's how it is, huh?
"Ack!! Get away!!"
I chased after the fleeing Raphael.