Chapter 94
Jang Eun-ah found it all utterly ridiculous. Did Han Ya-seong really want to stand up to her terrifying father? Or did he see himself as some kind of counterweight? Either way, she could only conclude that she'd relied on him, even if just for a fleeting moment. She realized she'd harbored some vague expectations simply because he was Choi Yu-jin's man.
Eun-ah picked up her smartphone. She typed out a message. Sending this would change everything. No—her entire life might flip upside down. In the worst case, Ya-seong could end up killed by her father. The man was more than capable of eliminating any obstacle to his ambitions.
Clutching her phone, Eun-ah agonized over it for a long while. Yu-jin had said he was anything but ordinary. He might even challenge her father someday. But if he tried and died, that would just be Ya-seong's limit.
Right there, her upper-class mindset shone through. Like a noble young lady selecting a loyal servant to shield her from a fearsome father, she made her choice. And with that, the message was sent.
The message chimed insistently as it landed on the smartphone sitting on Han Ya-seong's desk. But the attic door stood wide open, and Ya-seong was nowhere to be found.
"Yadoong-ah, eat slowly."
Having portaled over from the other world, he handed the takeout food to Yadoong. Though only a day had passed there, it had been nearly four months here. Yadoong, left alone, had trained rigorously on his own and grown remarkably tough.
Seeing that made time feel wasted. While Ya-seong lounged in the gym or rested in that world, Yadoong had pushed through over a hundred days of training here. The gap in their achievements was glaring. At this rate, he'd fall behind Yadoong. Rivalry sparked a fresh resolve to train even harder.
"Yeah, what woman could ever fit into my fate? Too bad about missing out on the upper crust."
Without upper-class status, forget a harem of a hundred—no, not even ten. Hell, not even one. Even Senior Yu-jin would leave. He had to claw his way into the elite somehow. Then he could pin down Senior Eun-ah and have his way with her.
Thinking it over, it felt a bit arrogant. Eun-ah, with that face that'd crumple into tears if you spanked her ass while she was bent over, but she had fire. Conquering her would definitely be fun. A flavor entirely different from Yu-jin. Eun-ah seemed the type to harbor deep submission. Once you got close, she'd obey any command. He might even fully tame her.
But to make that happen, upper-class status was non-negotiable. That night, Ya-seong ran through the forest nonstop. He hated running usually, but something felt suffocating, driving him for hours.
Was this really living right? He wasn't dominating others through training, but it still felt like half-assed existence. Becoming elite just to fool around with women? It struck him as sleazy. What set him apart from scum like Oh Jung-hoon? His life's goal felt misguided, himself pathetic.
So he kept pounding through the dark woods, exhausting his body. But he couldn't stop. Without that elite ambition, he'd slide back to his old mundane routine—wasting days in wretched idleness. He refused to regress like that. Win or lose, he had to do something.
"Haa..."
Ya-seong finally dragged himself back to the shelter as dawn twilight crept in. He gulped water, collapsed on the bedding. Yadoong, belly full from the takeout, sprawled snoring by the campfire. Exhausted and hungry, Ya-seong munched a chocolate bar. Senior Eun-ah nagged at his nerves. She was nothing like Yu-jin. Like a thorn lodged in his throat, she kept surfacing.
He finished the bar, lay back eyes closed, and drifted off.
The next day, he woke around noon, ate, then dove into intense training. Sleep had erased the fatigue, but stress boiled over—he pushed brutally hard. For two hours, he vented on a massive tree with his wooden sword. He sprinted wildly through the woods, firing his crossbow. Hundreds of push-ups, squats, deadlifts, roaring like a beast.
No women around meant no sex, so he channeled the frustration into savage workouts. No answers anywhere—just getting stronger. Eventually, results would come. That's how Ya-seong spent two weeks. His most grueling training yet.
Yu-jin had motivated him to train; Eun-ah drove him to extremes. Both seniors exhausted him. Poisoned chalices. He didn't want to claim them, yet the thought drained him. How much hell would owning them bring? He wanted no endless torment.
Maybe the best outcome was a few years of fun, then parting ways...
Waiting for the portal with Yadoong, Ya-seong's body had reached peak form after training equivalent to half a year. He'd surged ahead in raw presence again—something you could sense at a glance. Training volume measured their combat power.
But even now, strong as he was, tomorrow's return would find Yadoong stronger. While Ya-seong spent a day there, Yadoong got over 140 days here to train solo. Ya-seong stayed vigilant.
"Yadoong-ah, ease up on training. Push too hard, and you'll burn out."
"Grrr..."
Yadoong scowled like he was talking nonsense. Ya-seong sighed. If Yadoong got too strong, it'd be awkward. He always had to be weaker—no exceptions. The pressure to outpace him was tiring. Friend, partner, pet—whatever, weakness wasn't tolerable.
Next visit, he'd bring a year's worth of food. He planned to stay until school resumed. Around 7 a.m., a white portal shimmered near the ruined temple.
"Yadoong-ah, I'm off. See you next time."
Ya-seong dashed in. Yadoong watched him vanish, then sauntered back to the shelter. Over a hundred days till that guy's return—time for a real break. Truth was, Yadoong found it a hassle too. Syncing training to his visits was exhausting.
A few months of coasting, then ramp up a month before—train to death, show off strength, keep from looking weak. Yadoong saw Ya-seong as a subordinate. Couldn't be weaker than the boss. Now, with him gone, he flopped down, yawned hugely, and slept soundly.
Back home, Ya-seong showered, toweled his wet hair while planning breakfast and gym. Then he spotted the phone on his desk. Several unread messages—from Eun-ah, surprisingly.
Right after portaling out. Why the sudden house call? Puzzled, he checked the rest.
Ya-seong frowned.
Relentless. Was this the real Eun-ah? Always so soft-spoken and demure. Now her true colors emerged.
Two weeks of isolation had maxed out Ya-seong's libido. If she showed up now, he'd lose control for sure. Resistance or not, he'd take her. Desperation kicked in—he fired off a reckless reply.
He grabbed a drink from the fridge. Needed food and gym pronto... but now he had to wait. Minutes dragged—10, 20. By 10 p.m., still silent. Petty revenge for his late reply?
Frustrated, he headed out to eat anyway. Gym or no, he needed fuel. Galbitang down, then—
She's actually coming? After that? Chewing kimchi, Ya-seong scowled. What the hell was driving Eun-ah? Obsession gleamed through. You never really know someone till you see them tested. Club room chats painted her sweet; now she seemed a bit twisted. A crooked woman after all.