Chapter 223: Many
Chapter 223: Many
A rift began to form between Baek Hangyul and Cha Yuna. Of course, they hadn't completely broken up. It seemed that after Park Hwanhee's repeated attempts to persuade Baek Hangyul had failed, Cha Yuna had finally stepped in herself. And in that process, they must have argued over their differing opinions.
I had a rough idea of Park Hwanhee's plan, so I decided to ruin it this time as well. To that end, from that day on, I adjusted my support duties to match Baek Hangyul's schedule exactly.
During every training session, Baek Hangyul always entered alone and trained alone. I sometimes saw Cha Yuna, sitting next to Park Hwanhee, gesture to him with her eyes, but he would stubbornly turn his head away. However, it was plain to see the loneliness that filled his face.
In the midst of all this, my job was to take Cha Yuna's empty place.
This strategy was quite effective. It was true that even though we'd gotten much closer, we had still maintained a certain distance from each other. But as I took good care of him like an older brother and soothed his loneliness, the little distance that remained between us closed in an instant. To exaggerate a little, Baek Hangyul started clinging to me so much that he reminded me of Ahn Sol in her prime.
While our relationship was rapidly progressing, I felt the need to contact Ko Yeonju. I thought it would be better to tell her in advance and give her time to think, rather than having her decide right after arriving at the Academy.
When I went to obtain an exit pass, Park Hyunwoo heard my reasoning and offered to let me use the Golden Lion Clan’s communication facility. I firmly refused. A facility inside a clan house could be tapped or leave a record. Spending a little money on a disposable communication device in Barbara would be far safer.
He tried to persuade me a couple more times, but I was eventually able to get the exit pass and send a messenger to schedule a call with Ko Yeonju.
And on the day the call with Ko Yeonju was scheduled, she listened carefully to what I had to say. As soon as I finished, she opened her mouth with a grin.
(Oh my. That crazy bastard.)
“…”
(Ah. I wasn't talking about you, darling.)
“Wait a minute. What was that term of endearment just now? Did I hear you wrong?”
At my retort, Ko Yeonju covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.
(Let's move past the trivial things. Anyway, that Park Hyunwoo guy. He's seriously arrogant.)
“Ko Yeonju. I don't think this is something to be taken so lightly.”
When I spoke in a slightly chiding tone, as she seemed to be taking it too playfully, she immediately stopped laughing. However, the smile lingering on her lips hadn't faded. Soon, her lips, which had been forming a thin arc, slowly parted.
(Soohyun. Don't trust the Golden Lion.)
“…”
Don't trust the Golden Lion. It was just a few simple words, but they held so much meaning. Ko Yeonju looked at me once with her clear eyes and continued speaking.
(It was a really good choice not to decide on the spot. Thank you for letting me know in advance. Thanks to you, I've bought some time to look into it.)
“You're the one going through the trouble, not me. I'm sorry.”
(Oh, come on. Don't say that. It's a wife's role to support her husband when he's away on a business trip~.)
“Haha.”
As if trying to ease the awkward mood, the Shadow Queen turned on her charm. A laugh escaped me. Ko Yeonju showed no sign of feeling burdened; instead, she smiled with her eyes and spoke in a sweet, coquettish voice. It was probably her indirect way of telling me not to worry.
“I understand. Then I suppose we can meet after the eighth week.”
(Ah. Are you trying to hang up already?)
“I have to go back.”
(Then give me a kiss before you go. I won't let you leave otherwise.)
Ko Yeonju made a disappointed face and pressed her puckered lips to the crystal ball. I watched her thin, soft lips for a moment, then lightly pressed mine against their image on the screen. The Shadow Queen’s face flushed with bewilderment, and her eyes widened.
(…?!)
“Well then, see you next time.”
(S-Soohyun? Soohyun!)
I heard her voice, mixed with surprise, but I immediately ended the call and crushed the crystal in my hand. After stomping on the fragments that scattered and fell to pieces, I headed for the User Academy. I suddenly thought that the wind caressing my face felt incredibly refreshing.
*
Time passed quickly, and the eighth week was drawing to a close. In fact, the training was effectively over. Special training had been abolished long ago, and the new Users treated the weekend as a day off.
Tomorrow was the day Ko Yeonju would visit the Academy. However, she said she would go see Park Hyunwoo first to settle things rather than coming straight to me, so we decided to push back our meeting time a little. In any case, I needed to keep my entire day free tomorrow, so there were a few things I had to take care of today.
The sun is already setting.
I went to see Baek Hangyul in the morning. It was to give him the snacks I'd bought when I went out last time.
Seeing him cooped up in a corner of his dorm, I felt incredibly sorry for him. I thought about how harsh both Park Hwanhee and Cha Yuna were. Park Hwanhee, in particular, was a guy who, like me, knew how to use and sway people's personalities and emotions. Baek Hangyul had a personality that relied heavily on his girlfriend and was prone to loneliness. If I hadn't been there, he probably would have been swayed and given in long ago.
When I secretly called him out and gave him the snacks I'd bought, Baek Hangyul looked up at me with a bright smile. For a man, he had such delicate features that I felt a momentary dizziness. It was obvious he wanted to eat them with me, but I had too much to do in the afternoon to grant his request.
Around noon, I attended the ninth-week training meeting, then ate with Sung Hyunmin at his insistent request. By the time the meal ended, night was falling. At first only the Han Clan had joined us, but more groups arrived one by one, led by the Reverse Clan, and the gathering dragged on. They seemed ready to continue all night, so I escaped only after making excuse after excuse.
And so, I wrapped up the sixth day of the week (time in the Hall Plain follows the same time as the modern world) and headed back to my quarters. Just as I was about to turn down the hallway, I saw that the door to my room was wide open.
Huh? Why are they…
Two Users stood outside my door. One was Kim Hanbyul, whom I knew well. The other had his back to me, so I could not see his face, but he did not seem unfamiliar: narrow shoulders, a body with gentle curves, and a hesitant posture with his head bowed. I immediately called to him.
“Hangyul?”
“Ah. Oppa… Instructor?”
“Ah, ah!”
I had clearly called Hangyul, but both Hanbyul and Baek Hangyul turned around. Hanbyul had been wearing an oddly sharp expression, only to look flustered when she turned. Baek Hangyul looked miserable, but the moment he saw me, his face brightened as though he had found a savior. I walked straight toward them.
“What's going on? Why are you two talking here?”
“Well. This new User said he wanted to see you, Instructor.”
Kim Hanbyul shot Baek Hangyul an uncomprehending look. Their reactions immediately told me what was happening. Had I not escaped the gathering when I did, I might have missed this valuable opportunity. Immensely relieved, I patted Baek Hangyul’s head and saw confusion spread across Hanbyul’s face.
“Hangyul, what brings you here?”
“Th-that is…”
When I spoke in a gentle voice, Baek Hangyul shyly raised his hands. In his hands was the bag full of snacks I had given him that morning. A quick glance told me he had barely eaten any of them.
He's barely touched them. Don't tell me he brought them back to return them? Why?
My question was completely answered by his next words.
“I didn’t want to eat them alone… I wanted to eat them with you….”
“H-He calls you that?”
When Kim Hanbyul challenged him in a sharp voice, Baek Hangyul immediately shrank back. Deciding I needed to settle the situation, I raised a hand to calm Hanbyul. She continued to stare at me in confusion.
“I told him he could call me that when it's just the two of us.”
“Ah, even so. Hah. Fine. Then why did he come here? This is strictly the instructors' quarters. New Users…”
“I told him he could come. There's no rule against it, and that's something I can decide at my own discretion.”
“But…”
Since meeting again at the Academy, Hanbyul had usually followed my lead and yielded. For some reason, she was acting like her old self today. I did not know why, but I had been waiting for Baek Hangyul to visit and had no intention of losing this chance. I placed a hand on his back and led him into the room.
“Come on. Come in.”
“Th-thank you.”
Baek Hangyul gave a slight bow to Hanbyul, who still stood there blankly, and carefully entered the room.
I moved the paperwork on the table to a corner and had Baek Hangyul sit down. He looked around with curious eyes, as if it were his first time seeing an instructor's room, then blushed when his eyes met mine.
An uncomfortable atmosphere still lingered. I emptied the snacks Baek Hangyul had brought onto the table and asked Hanbyul for something to drink. She sighed but rummaged through a box as requested. Baek Hangyul only watched my expression, apparently unwilling to speak first.
“So. I don't think you came to see me today just to share these. Is something troubling you, perhaps?”
Baek Hangyul nodded once.
“Alright. What is it?”
“Well…”
Baek Hangyul struggled to speak. I adopted an even kinder expression and gently encouraged him.
“Hangyul, you came all this way. You are here with me, so there is no need to hesitate.”
“N-no!”
“Then tell me. Speak your mind freely.”
“Actually… it's… because of my girlfriend…”
Clang! Tang…
At the sudden noise, I turned and saw Hanbyul staring at Baek Hangyul in disbelief. She seemed to have dropped the drink she had been carrying. I waved to show that it was fine, then focused on him again.
“Ah, her? Cha Yuna, was it? Don't tell me you still haven't made up?”
“No. We haven't said a single word to each other for the past week.”
“Really? That's not what it looked like to me. I saw you two making eye contact sometimes.”
“N-no! That’s not it! Yuna… Yuna is being deceived right now.”
Is he finally getting to the point?
Baek Hangyul sighed softly, looking deeply conflicted. I watched him for a moment, then poured one of the light-green drinks Hanbyul had brought into a cup and reached for the snacks spread across the table. I called them snacks, though some were rather expensive for simple treats.
I picked up a small, teardrop-shaped lump and dropped it into the center of the cup. The moment it touched the drink, bubbles surged upward like a fountain and spilled over like beer foam. I shook the cup to mix it and handed it to Hangyul, whose eyes were wide.
“Here, drink up. It's a stamina recovery drink, but I mixed a crystal in, so it should have a calming effect as well.”
“Wow. Thank you.”
I wondered how many times he had thanked me since arriving. Smiling, I watched Baek Hangyul lift the cup. He swallowed a mouthful of foam and stared at me with rabbit-like eyes. When I smiled back, he beamed and drained the rest. By the time he set the cup down, he looked far more relaxed.
“Feeling a little better now?”
“Yes!”
“Good. So, can I hear the details now?”
“Yes. J-just a moment. Let me think for a second…”
Baek Hangyul squeezed his eyes shut as if organizing his thoughts. A tap on my shoulder made me turn, and I found Hanbyul staring blankly at me. I nodded toward the remaining chair. She sat, still visibly confused.
A few moments passed. Just as I sent Hanbyul, who was staring at the cup, a look that asked, “Want me to make you one too?” I sensed Baek Hangyul open his eyes.
“Um… what do you think of Park Hwanhee?”
“Park Hwanhee? Hmm. Judging only by appearances, he is polite, well-behaved, successful in training, and popular. What do you think, Hanbyul?”
“I'm not interested in other things, so I don't really know. But I heard his grades are good.”
“As expected…”
It was a very Hanbyul-like answer. After hearing us, a faint but unmistakable frustration appeared on Baek Hangyul’s face. He pouted and muttered to himself.
“Why?”
When I asked back with a curious expression, Baek Hangyul scowled for the first time since we'd met.
“You’ve got it all wrong. Park Hwanhee isn’t a good person. He’s nothing but a hypocrite. Everyone is being fooled by him.”
“Hangyul, calm down and explain. If you suddenly say that, I cannot simply accept it without hearing why.”
“Ah. S-sorry. But Park Hwanhee is a really bad guy. I'm sure of it.”
“Okay. I don't think you're lying. So, can I hear why you think that?”
“Yes. I'll tell you now. But you have to promise to keep this a secret.”
“Of course. My lips are sealed.”
At my assurance, Baek Hangyul's expression softened slightly, as if relieved. He looked like he was about to speak, but then he saw Kim Hanbyul and closed his mouth again. I quickly reassured him.
“It’s alright. You can speak. She’s a younger friend I know well. We went through the Rite of Passage together, so you can trust her.”
“Ah. Really? The Rite of Passage… Then I can tell you without worrying. Actually, what I'm about to tell you is also about the Rite of Passage.”
“The Rite of Passage, huh… Alright. Go on.”
I felt Hanbyul’s expression stiffen when she heard me, but Baek Hangyul’s next words left me no time to dwell on it. To show that I was listening, I met his clear gaze directly.
“After I was dropped into the Rite of Passage… It was just after Day 1 had begun.”
Baek Hangyul's voice was low. As if recalling that day, his eyes were half-closed.