Chapter 135
Chapter 135
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: Selfless Man
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"What?"
I quickly pieced together the situation while watching Isia, whose eyes were spinning like mad.
Eyes rolling around. Flushed face. Paper clutched so tightly it was on the verge of crumbling. Blue headband perched on her head.
And the hand gripping my clothes hem tight. It was trembling. I pondered a bit on how to handle this.
But like always, my deliberations are long, and my decisions short.
"No."
"Whoa."
"That's Lee Seong-hoon for you."
I ignored the voices from behind. Whether it was Purple Hair gasping in admiration or that damn blond nodding along.
Ignoring them all, I looked at Isia. Her eyes were unfocused, either from panic or losing her mind.
She looked like she'd make a thud any second. Was this girl seriously an idiot?
I patted the frozen Isia's head twice. Right on the headband spot.
"Okay?"
That "okay" carried a lot of meaning. Like, we're on different teams. Enemies, even.
I was Lee Seong-hoon, the man who showed not even a shred of mercy to enemies.
Ahh. Next time we meet, you're the enemy.
"But what's it about? The paper's all crumpled!!"
"You don't butt into someone's conversation."
"What's wrong with that? We're all friends here."
"Because we're friends."
I shoved Yang Min-ji's head as she barged in, but she didn't back off. What the hell was her deal?
And why that face? Like she was exasperated by my perfectly reasonable point.
Annoying. I shoved her head harder. But I was curious too. I'd brushed her off as an enemy, but why?
"Ah. Um. It's for the obstacle race item retrieval—"
I turned away without hearing the rest. Yeah. No way in hell I'm helping.
To snag MVP, it didn't matter if I shone or bombed—our team had to win first. Help the enemy team under those crap conditions? If I seemed that nice, I recommend an eye exam.
"Does it have to be me?"
Isia nodded at my question. Okay. Helping officially off the table.
I caught Lucy's disgusted look, but my mind was set. First time seeing trash?
Trash litters the streets.
"Why not just go?"
As I turned from Isia, someone called out from afar, approaching. The white idiot.
"The obstacle race is almost over. That means nearly every student's already past the item retrieval."
She glared at me while saying it. Blond or white-haired, they sure caught on quick when it was about themselves.
"Wanna die?!"
No.
"It'd be fine to go. She seems stuck—why not help her out once?"
I glanced at the girl still clutching my hem from behind, then at Raphael speaking flatly.
She did look pitiful, on the verge of tears.
"Isia."
"..."
No response. I took a breath.
"Find someone else!!"
"In this mood? You were totally gonna help a sec ago! The vibe said yes!!"
Raphael clicked her tongue at Yang Min-ji's outburst beside us.
"Ms. Yang Min-ji, you still don't know Lee Seong-hoon very well."
You know him too damn well, that's the problem.
I said that, but in the end, I followed along.
Truth is, me?
I'm a selfless guy. Someone who lived in 21st-century Korea. How could I be selfish? I live thinking of others.
And I have to take care of my maids' welfare too. A company president’s top priorities are welfare first, welfare second.
Yes. That's why I'm tagging along. No clue why she's holding my hand, though—as soon as we stepped out, she grabbed it and started running, so I went along in a daze.
"Isia. Lunchtime's almost here."
"I know!"
She looked thrilled, though. I meant hurry up.
"Where's the course? I'm hungry."
Truth is, I'm not that hungry. Hungry, sure, but not starving. But—
[Daddy. I'm hungry.]
My daughter's hungry. Her dejected voice echoing in my head tugged at my heart.
If I'd left her home, she wouldn't starve. Lily packed a lunchbox—we can spread a mat later and eat together.
"Almost there."
We came pretty far. What the hell was on that paper clutched in her other hand? I wondered.
What did it say? Only I could do it.
I racked my brain, but no dice. The obstacle race wasn't this big originally.
Just dodging a few hurdles, but the sports day scaled up, so it changed.
"Track's the same."
[Yup. They removed all the traps, though.]
True. Still bummed about that. Dragged along by Isia, I kept pondering.
Nothing came to mind. Cliché? I considered, but nah.
The clichés for this pattern were: the paper says [Man], and I'm the only guy she thinks of.
Or some weird paper mix-up drags me in.
Both lame. Wait, [Man] might work. Isia has no friends.
"Isia."
"Yes?"
"You got any friends?"
"..."
Whoa. Didn't even turn, but I could tell. Bad face. The "whose fault is this?" expression.
"Guy friends."
No reply. She's pissed. My fault, yeah. No time to make friends with our spars and the maids—
Felt a twinge of guilt, then the late response came.
"N-No! Just you!!"
"Me?"
Didn't look back, but I saw her nod.
Just me? Well—
"You joking? I'm your master."
[You've never let that slide nicely.]
Gotta set the master-servant dynamic straight. We entered the track in silence with Isia.
Her ears were red as she sped up. I ran after her without thinking.
We reached the [Item Retrieval] banner. The draw student eyed us pitifully.
"Everyone's gone already. Hurry!!"
Isia rushed over, handed the paper. The student alternated between it and me, then whispered to her.
She whispered back in a fluster.
"What're they doing?"
[Bullying her out of the group.]
"Exactly."
Dragging her here for this? As I stood awkwardly, the whispering ended, and the student looked at me.
Glanced at the paper, at me. Nodded with a grossed-out face.
"Go!!"
"Thanks!!"
Time-crunched Isia bolted. Midway, she stopped, turned back like she'd remembered something.
Squeezed her eyes shut and
"D-Do not let that guy see it!!!"
Then dashed off.
"Saying it like that just makes me more curious."
What the hell? What if it's [The one I like] or something? Am I at peak popularity now?
Planned to grill Isia when she returned. Torture it out if needed.
No need anymore. Curiosity didn't last.
I saw Isia start the next obstacle in my view.
Other students were already clearing it, heading to the final straight.
Isia couldn't take first like this. I relaxed, ready to leave. But.
It flipped in an instant.
BOOM─!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Couldn't believe my eyes. Massive explosion roar. Front-runners all blasted back.
No time for mana shields. I puzzled it out eventually.
"Explosion Rune."
The one I buried deep for chain reactions.
I'd erased it, so why— No time for that. Backblast hit.
Gunpowder stung my nose, wind tousled my hair. Flying pebble bounced off my face.
Ting─
Pebbles clattered down cheerily. Then the draw paper smacked my face.
[Trash] written on it, but I didn't register.
Only one thing: beyond the explosion debris, black hair passing baffled.
My body froze like stone. Wouldn't move.
[People always fall for their own tricks.]
Lies.
[Daddy. Sausage this time!!]
Levatein devouring it with a cute aang~. Normally I'd snap a pic of this adorableness, but no energy today.
My mind checked out.
"What's wrong? You're killing my appetite."
"Impossible."
"Here we go again. Levatein, come here."
[Huh? Why?]
The second Levatein hopped into Raphael's arms, I flopped onto the ground.
All around: flower field. Levatein said she knew a spot. Few people come, so Lily and her sneak out often.
But that's not important now.
What's important—
"This is bullshit!!! How'd she get first in the individual run? Maldives? Where? Don't go!! Come back!!"
"Whoa... Seong-hoon. Isn't it embarrassing to thrash around on a picnic mat at 25?"
My body's 17, so fine. Shame's long gone.
This makes no sense. Cavalry fell right off. The last-place girl I helped thinking she was trash took first.
Why can't anything go my way? This is rigged. God's screwing me over.
"What a weirdo. Right?"
[Yeah, master!!]
As I writhe, those two ignore me. Gently wiping Levatein's mouth on her lap.
"The world's unfair."
"Just try hard this afternoon?"
Tried that; effort changes nothing. Maybe hit Shin Ga-yeon's place, steal some robes, sell 'em—
Dark thoughts brewing when a sound came from afar.
Blaring speaker. Clear without straining.
[Surprise event starting at lunchtime!!]
[Find treasures hidden across Justitia!!]
[Treasure hunt event underway!! Prizes galore, even MVP-shot items hidden!!]
[Get hunting!! P.S. Lady Rosaline hid most—super unexpected spots~]
I shot up. Devoured the lunchbox with terrifying speed.
"Treasure hunt's my only shot now!!"
Hope's light!
[Meow.]
Shared some with the main character too. Eat up, let's power through.
"That's the weight of being head of the house."
[What's that?]
"Means idiot."
[Daddy!!!]
"Yep!!"
Who's the idiot.