Chapter 234: Baek Hangyul and Kim Hanbyul
Chapter 234: Baek Hangyul and Kim Hanbyul
The ceiling.
I didn’t look up. She might realize I’d noticed. I had already used the Third Eye and Sensing to get a grasp of what was there.
I calmly gazed at Hanbyul. Seeing her throw seductive glances my way from the moment I opened the door felt truly awkward. In that fleeting moment, a million thoughts crossed my mind, but I buried them all at once. Then, I slowly stepped into the room.
“Oppa. I’ve been waiting for you all day.”
Hanbyul said with a gentle smile. But I didn’t answer, instead walking to the table and grabbing a chair. She tried to pull it out for me, but I tugged it firmly, preventing her from doing so. For a second, I saw Hanbyul’s face stiffen before relaxing again. I sat down across from her and stared with a heavy gaze. Unfazed, Hanbyul continued to speak to me with an awkward expression and tone.
“You should have come home earlier. That’s so mean.”
“…”
“Oppa. How do I look? Aren’t I pretty?”
“…”
“Why are you so quiet? Are you mad that I started drinking without you? Okay, okay. I’ll pour you a glass.”
“…”
Hanbyul made a cute face that didn’t suit her and offered me a glass. I didn’t take it. She laughed awkwardly, poured the drink herself, and carefully set it in front of me. Without even looking at the glass, I spoke for the first time.
“You.”
“Yes?”
“Just what happened to you?” I wanted to ask, but I couldn’t bring myself to say the rest. Where had the brilliant, sharp Hanbyul gone, leaving only a shard of glass that looked ready to shatter at any moment? I inspected the drink she had poured, downed it in one gulp, and continued after a regretful sigh.
“Hah… So. What’s the occasion?”
“Just because. The Academy is ending soon, you know? I’m a little sad. I wanted to talk about things we haven’t had the chance to… Why? Am I not allowed to do this?”
“What are you sad about?”
“That I… won’t be able to see you anymore, Oppa.”
I could feel Hanbyul’s tone briefly revert to normal before changing back. I sighed again and pressed my hand to my forehead. My chest felt incredibly tight. I wanted to flip the table and storm out right then and there. But the pleading look deep within her eyes held me pitifully in place.
“I didn’t know you felt that way.”
“Hoho. I’m a woman, too.”
“Hanbyul.”
“Yes. Ah, just a moment. Maybe it’s because I drank so much, but I’m really hot.”
Hanbyul smiled with her eyes and placed a hand on her shoulder. Her outfit was already revealing, but when she undid the strap that was barely holding it up, one side began to slide down, and her ample chest was also gently revealed.
The moment I saw her hand, which was about to proceed further, trembling, I finally lost my patience and spoke in a heavy voice.
“You don’t have to do that.”
“…What?”
As I spoke, Hanbyul’s hand, which had been moving slowly, froze. Then, with the unnatural movement of a doll turning its head, she shifted her gaze to me.
“What do you mean…”
“You. Don’t. Have. To.”
I emphasized my words, speaking one by one. Hanbyul’s expression began to waver. She looked at me, flustered, before lowering her head. It seemed she didn’t know where to look. Eventually, the hand that had been undressing her clothes dropped to her side, and she began staring at the innocent table.
I kept my eyes fixed on Hanbyul’s face. And though she could feel my gaze, she didn’t look away from the table. As I was silently watching her profile, I saw her suddenly lift her head.
A quiet silence enveloped us.
“…”
“…”
Hanbyul’s eyelids trembled. Her breathing grew ragged. Her lips quivered.
Right now, the mask covering her face was about to come off. I spoke once more in a calm voice.
“Hanbyul.”
“Oppa…”
“I don’t think you need to go so far as to pretend to be drunk.”
Those words were the final blow. Hanbyul, who had shown one last moment of hesitation, collapsed onto the table with a choked sob.
“Sob… sob… sob…”
I said nothing. I just quietly watched the broken Hanbyul. Now that it had come to this, I intended to see just how far she would go. If she crossed the line after coming this far, I had no intention of standing by any longer.
It was then. The sobbing Kim Hanbyul suddenly lifted her head and reached for the wine bottle beside her. She broke off a small crystal decorating the bottle, stood up, and placed it on her palm. Then, though her voice was still tinged with tears, she began to chant in her original tone, not the cloying one from before.
“───. ───. ───.”
I silently reached into my pocket, took out a cigarette, and put it to my lips. The moment I lit it with an ignition stone, I heard Hanbyul complete her spell.
“Penetrate. Blossom of Crystal.”
I glanced up and saw the crystal on Hanbyul’s palm emitting a bluish light. The crystal soon erupted in a brilliant flash, forming the shape of a beautiful flower. From its center, a single, sharp point of light began to shoot upward without restraint. And the direction it was aimed was toward the ceiling.
Crack! Shatter!
I heard the video-recording crystal break and its fragments scatter in every direction. I tossed the ignition stone into the air and lightly snapped my fingers. “Snap!” With the sound of flesh striking flesh, fierce flames coiled through the air. The fire incinerated every fragment raining down. Once its work was done, the ignition stone landed neatly back in my hand.
“Haa.”
Hanbyul took a deep breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, her original expression had returned, the mask now gone. Her eyes shone with intelligence, and she exuded a sharp aura. It was like seeing her during the Rite of Passage.
Hanbyul watched the embers scattering in the air for a moment before finally meeting my gaze. Her eyes showed she had made a decision. I no longer felt the discomfort I had before. She then opened her mouth, her voice cool.
“Oppa. I have something to tell you.”
“Go on.”
“The Golden Lion is targeting you.”
“Sit down. And tell me everything.”
I had already expected this, so I answered calmly. Hanbyul looked down at me quietly. Then she immediately sat in her chair and began to speak slowly.
*
I listened to Hanbyul’s story without interrupting her even once. I wasn’t surprised to learn that the Golden Lion Clan had tried to use her to entrap me; I had already pieced most of it together. However, when she mentioned they might resort to a last resort, a chill ran down my spine. I didn’t hear the specifics, but from her tone, I could tell it involved malicious intent.
After finishing her story, Hanbyul let out a long breath, a look of relief on her face. Then, perhaps feeling my persistent gaze, she blushed and covered herself. To give her time to get dressed, I turned my head and sank into thought.
Hanbyul soon took out the robe she usually wore and put it on. As she sat down across from me again, I voiced the question that had risen in my mind.
“Hanbyul. There’s something I’m curious about.”
“Yes. Go ahead.”
“Right. I appreciate it, but why did you tell me this? You’re a member of the Golden Lion Clan, aren’t you? And you were following their orders up to a point.”
“…”
At my question, Hanbyul bit her lip. In truth, after confirming the video recording crystal on the ceiling, I had planned to see just how far she would go. But she hadn’t crossed the line. In fact, she had gone a step further and exposed her clan’s internal plans.
Seeing her still unable to answer, I activated the Third Eye.
Player Status
1. Name: Kim Hanbyul (Year 0 User)
2. Class: Jewel Mage (Secret, Jewel Mage, Runner)
3. Nation: Barbara
4. Clan: Golden Lion Clan
5. True Name · Nationality: One Who Hails from the Stars · One Who Wields Beautiful Light and Luster · Republic of Korea
6. Sex: Female (22)
7. Height · Weight: 170.5cm · 43.8kg
8. Alignment: Lethargy · Scar
[Strength 50] [Durability 58] [Agility 70] [Stamina 52] [Magic Power 88] [Luck 68]
(You have 4 remaining stat points.)
She’s raised her stats evenly. Her growth isn’t as high as the others, but… Lethargy? Scar? What’s this about?
“I don’t really know. I just felt like I didn’t want to do this to you anymore, Oppa.”
“…”
Just as I was pondering Hanbyul’s stats and Alignment, I heard her voice, which had trailed off into a mumble. I deactivated her Player Status and looked up to see her wearing a detached expression. It seemed like she didn’t want to answer, but I decided to keep asking. I was curious about her true intentions.
“Alright. Let’s say that thanks to you, I can prepare for the danger. After the term ends, I’ll leave Barbara. What happens to you then?”
“…I don’t know.”
“What do you mean, you don’t know? Did you do this without thinking?”
“…”
For a moment, I wondered if I was pushing her too hard. Kim Hanbyul fell silent again. She simply took my words in silence, her face colored with sadness.
Tap, tap. I habitually tapped my fingers on the table and calmly organized my thoughts. A quiet stillness flowed between us, leading to an uncomfortable atmosphere. Thinking like this would only complicate my thoughts and tighten my chest. In the end, I decided to stop thinking and trust the Third Eye. That meant what I needed now was a conversation with her.
So, I decided to ask questions one by one, calmly. First, I needed to ease this awkward atmosphere a little.
“I think we need to talk. You don’t have to answer anything that’s too difficult, but I’d appreciate it if you answered as much as you can.”
“…Okay.”
I barely heard her faint reply. And then, I asked her the first question, the one I was actually most curious about.
“You. Why on earth are you still in the Golden Lion Clan, even while receiving orders like that?”
“…”
“I mean, that’s the reality of it. No matter if it’s an order from above, there’s a right and a wrong. And it’s hard to believe you have a taste for being victimized.”
“I don’t have a taste for that. But I… I can’t leave this place. I can’t leave the Golden Lion Clan.”
Hanbyul finally spoke, her voice low but clear. And mixed within that voice was an undeniable hatred.
*
After arriving at the pub, I sat down and looked around. It was Sunday, a day without any control support, so there wasn’t much to do. And as the Academy was slowly nearing its end, access had been freely opened, allowing me to go out without any trouble.
They haven’t arrived yet.
Since I was the one who had invited them, not the guest, waiting a little didn’t matter. As I sat alone on the empty third floor, a waitress soon approached me with light steps.
“Hello! Are you here alone?”
“No. Two more people will be arriving soon.”
“Should I take your order then?”
“Let’s just do it now. Please bring everything you’re confident in. Including alcohol, of course.”
“Excuse me?”
Instead of answering, I tossed her a pouch. The waitress caught the pouch flying through the air with practiced ease. She peeked inside, then quickly bowed her head and retreated. I watched her back as she hurried away, as if afraid I’d cancel the order, and stretched widely. I had talked with Hanbyul late into the dawn, and my entire body was crying out in fatigue.
I gently closed my eyes and tried to clear my head, but thoughts of Kim Hanbyul wouldn’t leave. I recalled the conversation we’d had and slowly drifted into my thoughts.