Chapter 74
Chapter 74
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Lingering Thoughts and Sighs
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Seoul, some university.
The lecture hall.
As the morning class ended and students hurried out, one girl sat blankly in her seat.
"......"
Her name was Lee Haneul.
A third-year student in her department.
Why was Haneul sitting there so motionlessly, lost in thought?
Simple.
Lately, someone kept popping into her mind.
That was why she was spacing out in the lecture hall, thinking about him.
'Get out of the way, you bastards!'
The first time they'd met in real life, his rough attitude had thrown her off—it was so different from the polite guy she'd seen in the game.
But he'd saved her regardless, and he'd shown a friendly big-brother side by caring for her best friend Mira.
A bit of fondness.
That was all it had been back then.
But then...
'I'll handle it quick, so just wait here quietly.'
Going back and forth to the dungeon with Seokwoo lately had deepened those feelings.
In moments of crisis, he'd saved her not once but twice, dispatching the bad guys cleanly and even showing off some unexpected charm.
He'd looked just like a prince on a white horse.
'Yeah, I'm actually grateful he drew their attention at the right moment. Made it easier for me to take them out.'
'Oppa Seokwoo...'
'It's fine. I gave those jerks a proper thrashing.'
And his gentle words, one after another.
As a result, her feelings for Seokwoo had advanced a step beyond fondness.
"Haa."
A unfamiliar emotion she'd never felt before.
Maybe that's why.
Haneul just sat there, blankly thinking of Seokwoo and letting out sighs.
The guys still lingering in the lecture hall were especially bothered by the sight.
They'd all had crushes on Haneul for a while.
'Something bothering her?'
'No way she's got a boyfriend now, right?'
'Should I talk to her? Now might be the time...'
Her shy personality.
Her cute looks.
She was the ideal type for many guys on campus, drawing tons of attention.
But seeing her like that, full of worry?
It was intriguing.
Too intriguing to ignore.
Some of the guys started inching closer, using it as an excuse.
But then.
"Class is over—why are you still spacing out like that?"
"Oh, Mira."
Mira appeared—one of the top ideal types on campus alongside Haneul—and their attempts fizzled out.
'It's Mira.'
'Man, doesn't Mira look even prettier than yesterday?'
'Heard she barely wears makeup...'
If Haneul stirred protective instincts with her cute style, Mira was the pure, bubbly type.
Practically everyone on campus knew her face.
She'd shaken the hearts of countless guys, and today was no different as she approached Haneul.
Best friends since before college.
That made it hard for anyone to approach either of them.
'Sorry, we're talking right now.'
'I, uh, have plans with Mira. Sorry.'
No room to squeeze in between them.
So the guys just watched from afar, as usual.
But that didn't last.
"You were thinking about oppa, weren't you?"
"N-no, nothing like that!"
"Liar, it's written all over your face!"
"It's not! Why would I think about Seokwoo oppa? We're not even that close..."
"I just said 'oppa.' Never mentioned Seokwoo oppa."
"Eep!"
"Caught you!"
Haneul flinched!
The guys' faces hardened one by one as they overheard the conversation.
'Oppa?'
'Seokwoo oppa?'
So she'd been spacing out all day because of some guy?
Shocking news.
Alarm bells rang wildly in the heads of the guys crushing on Haneul.
"Oh, right. The college festival's coming up soon. What if we invite Seokwoo oppa?"
"To the festival?"
"Yeah! Introduce him to the school and enjoy the fest together. Sound good?"
"I..."
"Come on, you know you like the idea."
"T-that's not it."
"Oh yeah, we should invite his friend Dosik oppa too. You haven't met him yet, right? He looks super scary, but actually..."
The conversation flowed naturally.
Mention of the college festival.
'Coming to the festival?'
'Gotta see for myself what makes this guy so great!'
'Just show up—I'll embarrass him in front of them...'
Before long, the guys' eyes burned with fierce determination.
'Ah.'
Meanwhile.
Yoo Seokwoo—who'd become the enemy of many guys—had come to a nearby café after a while.
"Ah."
"Ah."
"Aah......"
"Aaah......"
Sitting face-to-face with Dosik, no less.
Both sighing like they'd lost their souls.
"What's with those guys?"
"Two dudes sitting there, sighing like the world's ending. Did they lose a ton of money or something?"
"They look like they've lost everything."
Slumped postures.
Empty eyes.
Hollow sighs drifting through the silence.
What was their story?
Onlookers stole cautious glances at the odd vibe.
Sympathetic stares gathered on the second floor.
Then, the half-curly-haired guy spoke up late.
Seokwoo opened his mouth.
"You too?"
The big guy nodded belatedly.
Dosik replied.
"Figures you too."
"Yeah, something futile happened."
"Aah, same here."
"I see."
"Yeah."
"Yup."
"Indeed."
"Yup, indeed."
A sense of déjà vu hit, but they brushed it off casually.
Why?
Their heads were full of that recent incident.
That's why they'd met at the café like last time.
To vent their empty feelings.
Hoping it would ease the void, somehow.
"I have no idea what I went through all that hell for."
As expected, Dosik started.
"Work stuff?"
"Yeah."
"Results not matching the effort?"
"Nah, no results even. I'm grinding through the tasks handed to me, and midway the guy giving them says..."
"What?"
"Nothing for me."
"Ridiculous. Why suddenly nothing?"
"Dunno. He's looking into it, apparently..."
"That's bullshit."
"Right? Haa..."
Truly.
A heartbreaking tale.
He sounded like he'd suffered immensely, yet no reward for it.
No wonder Dosik looked so down.
'Whoever it is, probably bailed 'cause they don't wanna pay up.'
Entirely possible.
Cha Dosik.
People had always said he suffered for helping others.
Maybe he'd taken a loss aiding someone again and got stabbed in the back.
"You didn't just sit there, right?"
"Of course I pushed back. But... unavoidable. Suggested switching to another job."
"......"
"Ah, what was all that for..."
Tremble!
Fist clenched tight.
Shaking with rage.
Dosik suffering like that pissed him off to no end.
'Damn, compared to Dosik, my whining's nothing!'
Seokwoo couldn't calm his anger.
"Can't let it slide. Don't care who, I'll track them down right—"
"No, don't. Not someone easy to meet, and anyway, they're important to me right now."
"Still..."
"Plus, it's my issue. Don't want you dragged in."
"......"
True.
Even best friends had to separate personal and professional.
Some things were off-limits, like family matters.
So Seokwoo cooled down and sat back.
"If you say so."
"Talking it out with you helps a bit. Thanks for caring."
"No big deal."
"So what about you?"
"Ah, me..."
Seokwoo scratched his head.
Compared to Dosik, his issue was minor.
"Similar. But different—results came out all wrong."
"Aah, got it."
"Yeah, something like that."
It was literally about event rewards.
Worlds apart from Dosik's unrewarded grind.
"......"
"......"
Awkward end to the talk.
They just sipped coffee in silence.
The quiet stretched on.
"Oh, right."
"Hm?"
Dosik spoke up again, something recalled.
"Actually, another reason I called you."
"What?"
"High school reunion."
"......For real? I mean, someone actually inviting us?"
"We kept it low-key in school. Just bad rumors about us."
"Fair."
Still surprising.
Turbulent high school days.
Dosik was his only friend back then.
Rumors of them brawling outside.
Reality: dragged into unwanted fights.
Yet someone inviting them to a reunion?
"Didn't know, but there's apps for finding alumni. Got a message from Kim Hyeon-tae—you know, the class prez back then. Wants us both there."
"Hmm. You going?"
"Kept begging, couldn't say no."
"Ugh."
He'd already agreed.
And Seokwoo was tagging along.
'We weren't that popular—why invite us?'
Felt off.
But sending Dosik alone felt wrong too.
"No choice. Text me the date and time later."
"Heh heh heh, thanks. Was worried about going solo!"
"Knew it."
Seokwoo chuckled and finished his coffee.
It'd been a while since they'd sat and talked like this.
"Time to head out?"
"Grab a meal before splitting."
"Sure, your treat this time."
"Hey, I paid last time too!"
"Did you?"
They grinned, standing up.
Then—
Rumble rumble!
The café suddenly buzzed.
"What's with those guys?"
"Suits, but they give off total thug vibes."
Dozens of suited men.
Pouring into the café.
Heading straight to the second floor.
Right at Seokwoo and Dosik's table.
'Who sent these guys?'
Seokwoo frowned.
Familiar faces among the suits.
'Who sent 'em?'
'What?'
'Yeah, won't spill easy. But...'
'Bullshit.'
Haneul's bodyguards from the alley blockade.
"You know them?"
Dosik, not recognizing them, asked with a stiff face first.
No reason for random suits to target them.
"Yeah, a few."
"Don't look friendly."
"More like a pain. They were blocking the alley, so I chatted with 'em Gandhi-style."
"I see."
Dosik's massive frame rose, eyes narrowed—and the suits flinched.
His scary face and build worked on them too.
But they were here for Seokwoo.
"What, revenge?"
Seokwoo stepped up, questioning their purpose.
But.
"No, sir."
"What?"
"......Ugh."
Something off.
The suits fidgeted, faces reluctant.
Then they bowed deeply to Seokwoo.
"We're truly sorry for that time!"
"Huh?"
He'd expected grinding teeth, not this loud apology.
Incomprehensible.
Then.
"Sorry for the commotion."
A man in a gray suit stepped from the group.
"Yoo Seokwoo, right?"
"Uh, yeah."
"Our employee subordinates made a huge mistake against you last time. We're deeply sorry."
"......"
The slick-looking man smiled wide, greeting him.
"Ah, late intro. I'm Lee Hajin. Haneul's brother."