Chapter 130: Temporary Joining
Chapter 130: Temporary Joining
I was genuinely surprised when Ko Yeonju readily agreed. She was certainly different from the other members of the Ten Strong. She used her position but didn't abuse it. She maintained her dignity within reasonable bounds, but not to the point of arousing intense resentment from others.
Of course, her offer came with the condition that she would only teach the basics, but even so, I thought she was a truly straightforward User. A pleasant smile spread across my face at the thought that Yoojung could finally grow.
“Thank you. I never thought you’d actually agree.”
“Hmph. You didn’t seem very grateful when I offered you the entire inn, but you seem truly thankful for this. However… the User who’s supposed to be learning doesn’t look too happy about it, does she?”
At her words, I quickly turned my head toward Yoojung. Just as Ko Yeonju had said, Yoojung was pouting. If I had to put her expression into words, it would be something like, “You promised you’d teach me, Oppa. So why…?” She looked utterly betrayed.
I sighed inwardly at her reaction. That clueless kid. She seemed to have no idea what a massive opportunity had just fallen into her lap. The detailed arrangements were clearly a one-sided favor from Ko Yeonju. If I were in her shoes, offering so much so generously only to be met with such a reaction, I’d be upset too.
I glanced at Ko Yeonju’s face, but she was just smiling, showing no other particular emotion. She looked back and forth between me and Yoojung, then, seeming to grasp the situation, she let out a soft chuckle.
“Well, I’m always ready. But once I start teaching, I don’t go easy. So… if you really want to learn, come find me yourself later. You clueless little brat. Tsk tsk.”
Ko Yeonju clicked her tongue at the end, revealing her true feelings. It wasn't so much anger as it was the frustration of looking at a kid who hadn't yet matured as a User of the Hall Plain. Hayeon, not wanting to miss this chance either, kept giving Yoojung pointed looks, urging her to accept. (As an aside, Ahn Hyun was getting antsy next to her, saying he’d do it if she didn’t want to.)
“…Hmph.”
At Ko Yeonju’s mocking tone, Yoojung grit her teeth and sharply turned her head away, which served as her answer. Ko Yeonju simply shrugged and looked at me, a gesture I often made myself. I gave her an apologetic look and decided it was time to wrap things up.
It seemed I needed to have a serious talk with Yoojung soon.
After breakfast, the group returned to their usual schedules. Hayeon, with a calm expression, grabbed Ahn Sol’s hand and practically dragged her up the stairs. Ahn Sol’s rabbit-like eyes darted around as her mouth opened and closed, but no one came to her rescue.
Ko Yeonju decided to clear the first-floor tables immediately so the others would have a place to train. She said she could manage alone, but Ahn Hyun insisted on helping with the intensity of someone charging into battle. When Ko Yeonju said, ‘You are quite the gentleman, Ahn Hyun-gun,’ he squirmed while trying to look dignified.
Ahn Hyun’s behavior wasn’t surprising, but Shin Sangyong also stepping up to help Ko Yeonju was definitely unexpected. However, seeing his good-natured smile, I figured he was probably thinking along the same lines as me. I gave him a slight nod of thanks, and Shin Sangyong shook his head slightly as if to say it was nothing.
Yoojung, clearly upset, stormed straight up the stairs. I watched her retreating back for a moment before slowly getting to my feet. In the past, I would have given her a stern lecture on the spot, but after the Ruined Laboratory, I knew how much she cared for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t understand her feelings, so I planned to soothe her gently.
I was just about to take a step when Ko Yeonju, who had been sizing up the table arrangements, grabbed my arm as I was turning to leave. As if reading my mind, she shook her head and spoke.
“Don’t go. Just leave her be.”
“Pardon?”
“I said, just leave her be. I’ve seen this kind of thing before and have wanted to say something for a while. It’s not good for the leader of a caravan to get involved in every little problem. Especially with an issue like this, it’s much better to let her realize it on her own.”
“Still…”
As I hesitated, I felt a hand grab my left one. I turned my head to see Vivian holding my hand with a cautious look on her face.
“Kim Soohyun. I agree with this woman. I’ve been meaning to say something, but you have a tendency to let the kids drag you around too much. Especially the two who aren’t here right now. So don’t go.”
“That’s right, Hyung. Don’t go. You acted all high and mighty at the laboratory, but in the end, you’re just the same. It’s not every day you create an opportunity like this, and it was frustrating for me to watch. So since it’s come to this… Shadow Queen-nim. If you look closely, I’m a really decent User…”
With Ahn Hyun, who was practically an original member, also chiming in, I finally closed my mouth. To be honest, Ko Yeonju wasn’t wrong. In fact, every single word she said was right. The moment I heard her, a parental instinct to retort, “My child isn’t like that,” welled up inside me, which only made me feel sadder.
“Hoho. Get lost. Anyway, I don’t know about the kids’ potential, but in the Hall Plain, the mental aspect greatly influences the chances of ‘survival’ you mentioned. Now, as the leader of the group, you should go and take care of your important duties. Trust the person involved to handle the small stuff, and trust your other comrades.”
After casually rejecting the fawning Ahn Hyun, Ko Yeonju gently pushed my back. (Her firm words left Ahn Hyun deeply wounded.) As she nudged me along, I fell into thought. Even I had to admit that my recent behavior was a world away from how I was in the first run. But I had always thought of this softer side as just an act, confident that I could revert to my old self the moment a real situation arose.
My thoughts trailed off to, They’re my kids who trust and follow me, so… and then it hit me. At the same time, I felt a bitter smile rise from within.
Perhaps it wasn’t just the kids who got swept up in the atmosphere. Maybe I, too, had become intoxicated by that flow, that mood.
In the first run, I was alone. Of course, my brother and she were there, but they were surrounded by many other Users. And I was just one of them. So, strictly speaking, it was true that I had been alone.
But now was different.
It wasn’t me who was around other Users; it was other Users who were around me. Waking up to see them looking for me stirred unfamiliar emotions I’d never felt before, and it was a rather pleasant feeling. Maybe that’s why I had been paying more attention to them without even realizing it.
I gently pried off Vivian’s hand, which was still clinging to mine, and calmly climbed the stairs. For now, I planned to head to the executive suite and adjust our future schedule.
*
“Kim Soohyun. Kim Soohyun.”
As I reached the third floor, I heard Vivian’s voice as she trotted after me. I turned my head with an indifferent expression, and Vivian once again grabbed the collar of my shirt. I quickly swatted her hand away and spoke.
“What are you doing? Let go and talk.”
“Ah, okay. But I have a question.”
“What is it?”
What could she possibly be so curious about to look at me with such an earnest expression? Figuring it wasn’t something trivial, I leaned in to listen, and Vivian spoke immediately.
“What on earth does ‘marry-man’ mean?”
“…Why are you asking that now?”
“That woman said it earlier. She said she could even accept a ‘marry-man.’”
“Sigh… Work it out from what she said before that. She mentioned a man with children, remember? More precisely, she meant a married man—a man who already has a wife.”
At my words, Vivian’s eyes widened as she retorted.
“What? You were married?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. There’s no way I’d be married at my age.”
After my immediate and strong denial, she continued, her expression visibly more relaxed.
“Then why did that woman say that to you?”
Another sigh escaped me. If the usually dense Vivian had caught on, then everyone else must have understood the meaning behind Ko Yeonju’s words at the time. But since Ko Yeonju had cleared things up herself, I decided to let it go for now.
Looking at Vivian tilting her head with a question mark floating above it, I began to explain calmly. How the others usually called me Dad, how that could be interpreted as me having a wife, and how Ko Yeonju had said it on purpose to tease me.
After I finished my rather detailed explanation, Vivian finally seemed to understand. She nodded and burst into laughter.
“Hoho. That is funny. Modern people use such interesting expressions. ‘Marry-man.’”
“And it is ‘married man,’ not ‘marry-man.’ Anyway, just watch. From now on, the moment I hear anyone call me Dad or a married man, I will spank them mercilessly.”
“Butt?”
“I’m going to hit their ass.”
I was half-joking, but being called Dad at the age of twenty-four wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling. At my words, Vivian’s eyes sparkled for a moment, and then her cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke.
“I-Is that so? So you dislike being called Dad or a married man, Kim Soohyun.”
“That’s right.”
When I affirmed it, she spoke again.
“So you’re not a dad or a married man, Kim Soohyun.”
“Right.”
“I see. So you’re not the kids’ parent, and you don’t have a wife.”
Her pointless repetition of my words started to get on my nerves. I frowned and gave her a stern warning.
“…Are you making fun of me right now?”
But ignoring me completely, Vivian just hummed, nodded, and turned around. Then, she subtly stuck her butt out.
“……”
I wanted to give her a swift kick in the rear, but I had a feeling that would be giving her exactly what she wanted. So, I just gave her head a light tap and went inside. It was nice to have more comrades, but I had a feeling things were about to get a lot noisier from now on.
*
〈Northern Continent — Metropolis Barbara, Golden Lion Clan House〉
“By the way, I heard they’re making the announcement tomorrow?”
“What announcement… Oh, that? Yeah, I heard too. I guess they’re trying to boost morale and gather more people before the plan starts. Seriously, our clan is something else when it comes to showing off.”
“Oh, come on. Anyway, she’s so lucky. The Golden Lion Clan is giving her their full support. I went through hell and back just to get in. Some people get a good class, snag a good man, and get in within a year. Ugh, it’s so annoying.”
“A year? She’s a Year 0 User. I’m annoyed too. That young bitch, with those arrogant eyes of hers. I can’t stand her.”
“Hey, hey. Watch your mouth. Don’t you know Park Hyunwoo secretly looks out for her?”
“Sigh~. Whatever. It’s the same here as it was back in the modern world. Anyway… won’t her arrogant face be even more annoying after the announcement tomorrow? Just thinking about it pisses me off.”
“Hehe. You’re right about that.”
The sneering voices faded, and silence returned to the hallway. In a dark corner of the corridor, a single User stood shrouded in shadow.
The User was a woman of stunning beauty. Her glossy, blue-black hair flowed well past her ears, covering her shoulders. Below a sharp, straight nose sat small, cherry-like lips, and glimpses of her skin were so fair they were reminiscent of white snow.
Her expression was incredibly cold. While the icy look suited her perfectly, one couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret, thinking how pretty she would be if she smiled just a little.
But right now, the female User’s face was radiating a chill that was impossible to read. Her eyes were so calm it was impossible to tell what she was thinking, giving off an almost unnerving feeling. It was as if she had lost all emotion.
However, a closer look at her expression would reveal something subtle. Her long, slender eyebrows were slightly raised, and her exposed forehead was faintly creased.
After a moment, her tranquil eyes began to stare endlessly down the hallway where the voices had just been.
“Haa…”
Suddenly, she parted her beautiful lips and let out a sigh. The breath revealed a glimpse of her pearly, perfectly aligned teeth.
After staring down the hall for a while, the woman lowered her gaze to her own hand. In it rested a single jewel that emitted a clear light. She unconsciously tightened her grip, nearly crushing the gem, but then immediately relaxed her hand, letting it fall to the floor.
Tuk, clatter.
As she watched the jewel roll across the floor, a sorrowful light appeared in her eyes for the first time. Then, in a hollow voice, the woman called out a name.
“Soohyun-oppa…”
The female User’s identity was none other than the Jewel Mage, Kim Hanbyul.