Chapter 237: A Twisted Belief
Chapter 237: A Twisted Belief
In an instant, the grand auditorium buzzed with a festive atmosphere. There was the joy of finally completing the academy, of course, but perhaps because Park Hwanhee's speech had lifted everyone's spirits, the hall was beyond just noisy. The Golden Lion and its allied clans didn't try to quiet the new members who were celebrating wildly. In fact, a few of them even joined in to congratulate them.
When I turned my head, thinking of the Southeastern instructors, I saw a scene in stark contrast to the one I had just witnessed. There were new Users around them as well, but they numbered only a few dozen. Soon, I saw Seo Jinwoo, whose eyes met mine for a moment before he began leading his clan members out. It seemed he was planning to meet up with the people sent from his clan and join the members who were about to leave the Golden Lion.
I felt I should follow him quickly, but watching Baek Hangyul finish things was the priority.
“See, Hwanhee-oppa? I was right, wasn't I? I told you Hangyul would come back eventually.”
“Yes, thank you so much. Thank you, Yuna, and thank you, Hangyul. Hahaha!”
“…”
I watched Park Hwanhee and Cha Yuna share a happy reunion while Baek Hangyul silently observed them. I suddenly remembered meeting him the previous night. The kid tended to escape reality and had a dependent personality, but judging by everything I had seen him do, he was still within the bounds of a normal person.
As Park Hwanhee looked at him with a bright smile, Baek Hangyul suddenly extended his hand. The two shook hands, and Cha Yuna watched them with a pleased expression. After the handshake, Baek Hangyul spoke for the first time.
“Hyung. Your speech was moving.”
“Oh. So you’re finally calling me ‘Hyung’ again.”
“Yeah. And congratulations.”
“Congratulations? Hahaha. Right. Anyway, welcome back for trusting me again. We may have parted ways for a bit, but I won’t let you go this time. Thanks for the congratulations.”
“Huh? What are you talking about? That’s not what I meant by congratulations.”
It was only for a fleeting moment, but the smile vanished from Park Hwanhee's face. The surroundings were still buzzing with noise. As Park Hwanhee leaned in closer, as if he couldn't hear, Baek Hangyul finally shouted. It was a scream that unleashed all the resentment he had held back for so long.
“Congratulations on dating Yuna-nuna!”
Baek Hangyul’s voice was loud, but it was nothing compared to the noise filling the entire auditorium. However, the Users around Park Hwanhee certainly heard it, and a sudden silence fell over them. Park Hwanhee’s eyes widened. He quickly composed himself and spoke.
“Hangyul. What are you talking about? Yuna is your girlfriend, isn’t she? Why would I…”
“Let’s get our facts straight. Cha Yuna is my ex-girlfriend, right? And now she’s your girlfriend.”
“Yuna is my girlfriend? What is this nonsense all of a sudden! Yuna and I are not in that kind of relationship.”
“Really? Then why did you two sleep together?”
It was a completely random, out-of-nowhere accusation. But its effect, timed for the moment of silence, was undeniable. Though it was only a small area, a quiet stir began to ripple through the frozen stillness.
Curious about Cha Yuna’s reaction, I watched her closely and saw her expression changing from moment to moment. She first reacted as if her heart had stopped, then her face turned deathly pale as her mouth fell open. But Baek Hangyul wasn't finished.
“I once saw you leaving the dorm and secretly followed you, Nuna. And that day, in the bushes, I saw you and Park Hwanhee having sex…”
“Baek Hangyul! Stop talking nonsense!”
“Hangyul! No! It’s a misunderstanding!”
Murmur, murmur.
“What, what’s with him? What is he talking about?”
“Ah, that’s the wimp. The one who was always waiting for his girlfriend in front of the dorms.”
“What? So is he telling the truth?”
“Hey, no way. Hwanhee wouldn’t do something like that.”
Perhaps because Park Hwanhee had built up a decent network of connections, people didn't seem too shaken. After Park Hwanhee and Cha Yuna both denied it, the mood quickly shifted to the belief that Baek Hangyul was spouting nonsense. After glaring at Park Hwanhee with a murderous look, Baek Hangyul turned his gaze to Cha Yuna.
“I’ve been thinking a lot about you, Nuna.”
“My dear Hangyul. Hangyul. Calm down, be a good boy, okay? Hmm? Just listen to me first. It’s me, your nuna. I can explain everything.”
“At first, I thought it was all my fault. So I tormented myself with guilt. Because you’re my Nuna. Because you would never abandon me. And even if you did, it must have been because something was wrong with me.”
“Ha-Hangyul. Please, just listen to me…”
“But someone told me something. They told me not to think from your perspective, but from my own. Not to escape reality, but to face it head-on. To look at the situation exactly as it is. So. When I thought about it like that…”
Baek Hangyul paused and closed his eyes. His eyelids trembled, suggesting he hadn't sorted out all his emotions yet. But he didn't keep them closed for long. His eyes shot open, and he spoke in a voice dripping with contempt.
“I hated you. I came to hate you, Nuna. I felt enough resentment to hate the people called Park Hwanhee and Cha Yuna. That’s right. I didn’t do anything wrong. This was all your fault.”
“H-Hateful? How could you say that to me…! Sob!”
“Baek Hangyul. This is your last warning. There’s a limit to this nonsense. If you keep spouting whatever you want, I won’t stand by either.”
Cha Yuna finally burst into tears, and Park Hwanhee dropped his gentle tone. The Users surrounding him all began to criticize Baek Hangyul, shooting him looks that said he should know when to stop. But he didn't back down.
“A misunderstanding. A misunderstanding? A misunderstanding?! Don’t lie! I could understand if you’d left me because you genuinely hated me. But that’s not it, is it? You were planning to use me while screwing around with that bastard!”
“No! That’s not it! Waaah!”
“So you’re going to lie to the very end. Then answer me this. When you were sleeping together, you told Park Hwanhee you loved him, didn’t you? In that bastard’s arms, panting, you promised you’d bring me back and whispered, ‘I love you, Hwanhee-oppa,’ didn’t you!”
“No! I never said I loved Hwanhee-oppa! I was only doing it for you…!”
“Cha Yuna!”
It seemed Cha Yuna finally couldn't hold back and exploded. The moment she did, as if realizing her mistake, Park Hwanhee's sharp voice cut her off. But the water was already spilled.
“…”
She hadn’t said she loved him. True, she hadn’t said that—but in one careless moment, she had admitted everything else. If Hangyul had been aiming for that, it was impressive. I was genuinely impressed.
After those words, a large-scale silence descended once more. The stillness that had started in this spot had, over the course of the incident, stealthily taken over the entire auditorium. By now, everyone was focused on the three of them. Park Hwanhee’s face was completely distorted, and Cha Yuna covered her mouth with a dazed expression. She began to look back and forth between Park Hwanhee and Baek Hangyul, at a complete loss.
Having said all he wanted to say, Baek Hangyul took a deep breath. He then let it out with a voice full of relief.
“Haaaah. Don’t say it was for me. It’s disgusting. Anyway, I feel much better now that I’ve said my piece. Ah. No. There’s one more thing.”
“…”
“I’ll get lost now. So, live well.”
“Hangyul! Wait! Hangyul-aaaaaaaaah!”
It happened then. Just as Baek Hangyul was about to turn away, Cha Yuna screamed like a madwoman and lunged at him. But he remained calm and simply held out his hand. A hazy, whitish barrier flickered into existence in front of him.
“Aaargh!”
Crash!
Cha Yuna, who had charged as if to devour him, slammed into the barrier and was thrown back in the opposite direction. Seeing her tumble violently to the ground, an SSUN Clan member who had been rushing over to sort out the commotion froze. There had been no preparation, no incantation. They seemed surprised that a new User had used a relatively advanced reflection ability.
Deciding it was my turn to step in, I stopped being a spectator.
“Hangyul.”
“Hy-Hyung. This is…”
“It’s alright. Don’t say anything right now. You’ve been through a lot, and you did well. Besides, we’re in public. You should call me Clan Lord, not Hyung.”
“Yes, yes! Clan Lord-nim!”
Baek Hangyul gave me a faint smile. His expression looked sad somehow. I calmly patted his head and glanced at Park Hwanhee. His face was so contorted it couldn't possibly scrunch up any further. I was originally going to thank him for getting rid of a nuisance for me, but seeing his face, there was no need.
The auditorium, once filled with a joyous mood, was now filled with nothing but an unpleasant buzz. Park Hwanhee hadn't mentioned that Baek Hangyul possessed power. He probably intended to hide the fact that he was a Secret Class, thinking the attention on himself would diminish if it were revealed, at least until he had him completely under his thumb.
No, in the first place, the reflection spell wasn't even taught at the User Academy. If the fact that he had intentionally hidden this was revealed in connection with what just happened, he would probably find himself in a very difficult situation.
“Fuck… You stupid bitch…”
“Huh?”
“Hmph. Gather everyone right now. We’re leaving immediately.”
“Uh, okay.”
Deciding this place was disadvantageous for him, Park Hwanhee let out a growl. The new members followed behind him slowly, all with sour expressions.
“Hwa-Hwanhee-oppa? N-No, Hangyul?”
“Shall we get going too?”
“Yes, Clan Lord-nim.”
Taking the hand of Hangyul, who answered in a strong voice, I turned around. From behind, I could hear Cha Yuna’s voice crying out both their names. But neither Park Hwanhee, walking in the opposite direction, nor Baek Hangyul, following beside me, looked back.
Now the woman is the only one left to pity. Tsk, tsk.
As if he didn't want to hear her calling for him, Hangyul’s pace kept getting faster. Matching his speed, I made my way toward the auditorium entrance. One stage was cleared, but there was still another to go, so I felt a sense of urgency.
Just as the two of us reached the entrance, a sorrowful, wailing scream echoed from behind us.
*
It wasn't hard to find the location of the second stage. After leaving the auditorium and walking toward the main gate, I saw two groups facing each other in lines. Although one side was overwhelmingly larger in number, the air crackled with a fierce tension that suggested neither side was backing down.
My eyes first fell on Kim Hanbyul’s back among the Golden Lion Clan members. And facing my direction, I could see the Southeastern clan members with Jo Seongho at their head. Behind them stood several members still wearing the Golden Lion Clan uniform. A rough count put them at nearly twenty people.
Perhaps because it took a little time to wrap up the first stage, Do Youngrok and Jo Seongho were already in the middle of a heated argument.
“In any case, we’ve had enough of your behavior. I was wondering why there was so little recruitment of new Users this time, and it looks like you were up to your usual dirty tricks again.”
“What bullshit are you spouting? This time, the new Users rose up of their own free will. They said they wanted to act independently, so what could we do? We have to respect their wishes. Isn’t that right?”
“You’ve certainly got a silver tongue. I think I know who’s behind the Golden Lion’s usual media manipulation. Ah, you said you’d respect their wishes. These people here are also Users who believe your actions were wrong and have declared their withdrawal on their own. What are your thoughts on that?”
“Hilarious. That’s what I’d call a dirty trick, just as you said. Anyway, bark all you want. You think I’ll even bat an eye at this?”
Startled by the tense scene unfolding before him, Baek Hangyul stuck close behind me. Just as we had almost closed the distance, one of the Golden Lion Clan members who had been standing silently stepped forward.
“User Do Youngrok. We can no longer trust you. To be honest, I was against the reckless expedition from the start, and you’ve done nothing but disappoint us ever since. It’s gotten to the point where I doubt you’re even genuinely mourning the Matriarch’s death. Wouldn’t it be better to admit everything at this point and make a clean statement?”
“You seem to be one of our clan members, but I don’t recall who you are. Anyway, you’ve got some nerve, spouting such nonsense. Did someone give you a script? Heh heh. It’s so absurd I’m speechless, seeing the way you bastards who clung to us when the Golden Lion was doing well are talking now. Why don’t you tell the truth instead? That as soon as things got a little tough, you were just biding your time, waiting for a chance to leave! Isn’t that your true intention!”
“You continue to disappoint us to the very end. I started to lose faith after the sexual bribery scandal, and now I don’t have a single lingering attachment left.”
“It’s ridiculous that you’d believe such a baseless rumor. Then again, there’s no need to listen to people who switch sides whenever it’s convenient. In any case, our clan has no need for cowardly Users like you. In fact, I’m grateful you’re leaving. I have no intention of holding you back, so I’d appreciate it if you’d stop loitering here and just leave.”
“Ha. Fine. Then I, along with 19 other clan members, will hereby withdraw from the Golden Lion Clan.”
“Yeah, yeah. I don’t give a damn, so do as you please. And for the record, don’t even dream of crawling back.”
Do Youngrok’s words must have struck a nerve, because the people behind the speaker looked uncomfortable and began removing their clan uniforms all at once. At the same time, Hanbyul, who had been standing silently, began taking off her clan robe with the others. The robe emblazoned with the Golden Lion fell limply to the ground, and she stepped free of the group and walked toward the opposite side.
The eyes of several Users naturally followed her back as she crossed in front of them. Before long, Sung Yubin’s dumbfounded voice rang out.
“Kim Hanbyul! You, what are you doing right now?”
“I am also withdrawing from the Golden Lion. For the record, I am one of the 19 people who just spoke.”
“What, what? Are you crazy? Are you kidding me right now? Get back here, now!”
“I’m not kidding. Check the list.”
Kim Hanbyul replied coldly without stopping. Just as I was about to pass by the Golden Lion to join the other side, Sung Yubin’s voice, her mouth agape, stopped me.
“Mercenary Lord!”
“Yes.”
“Wh-What is going on? No, where are you going?”
“Pardon?”
When I asked back with a look of confusion, Sung Yubin’s eyes flashed. I shrugged and continued.
“They just said the ceremony is over and we should go back. I heard it through the voice amplification. Ah, but I did scout one person. Haha.”
I held up Hangyul’s hand and gave a slight smile. In that moment, I could see a storm of emotions cross Sung Yubin’s face. She seemed pretty sharp, so she must have immediately grasped what was happening.
“Ho… Hoho… Hohoho… Kim Hanbyul! You’d backstab me like this, you fucking bitch? Hey. You can’t do this to us, you know?”
“Backstab you? That’s a harsh thing to say. And what is it that I can’t do?”
“Shut your mouth before I rip it apart. You dare to mock me? Black Lions! What are you doing? Grab that bitch right now!”
Sung Yubin, who had been speaking in a seething voice, finally pointed at Hanbyul and shrieked. Just as the Users in black armor, whom I remembered seeing before, were about to step forward, two Users from the Southeastern clan’s side walked out to meet Kim Hanbyul. The two were none other than Seo Jinwoo and Yeon Hyerim.
The Black Lions hesitated and looked at Sung Yubin. Seizing the opportunity, Hanbyul slipped between them, and Sung Yubin stomped her feet in utter frustration.
“Kim Hanbyul! You, you haven’t forgotten the contract you signed when you joined, have you?”
“Don’t worry. Send me the bill.”
“What? What did you say?”
“I’ll pay it all back. I have no intention of skipping out on it, so just send the bill.”
“Oh my. How pathetic. Who makes someone sign a contract just to join a clan?”
As Hanbyul shot back coldly, Na Seung-hye chimed in with a sneer, as if she’d been waiting. She had been put on the pending list as the first priority before, and it seemed she had been holding a serious grudge about it.
“Enough!”
In the volatile situation, Do Youngrok shouted loudly. He shot a fierce glare at Sung Yubin before raising his head to glare at Hanbyul.
“You damn bitch. Do you think you can get away with this?”
“I just want to leave quietly. I’d appreciate it if you’d just let me go.”
“Who says you can? Not you. Your case is different.”
“Hold on a moment. Why the sudden change in attitude from the person who so coolly said he’d let them go just a moment ago?”
Sung Hyunmin stepped forward at the perfect time and called out Do Youngrok. He signaled for him not to interfere, but Sung Hyunmin responded with a snort. As soon as I passed the Golden Lion and joined their group, he looked at me and continued.
“It seems strange that you’re not stopping the other clan members but are specifically trying to hold onto User Kim Hanbyul. Mercenary Lord, do you happen to know the reason for that?”
“Hmm. Let’s see. I can’t quite remember right now. But.”
I paused for a moment, then looked at the Black Lions and continued.
“I think I might remember if the Black Lions take one more step forward.”
Several Users let out snorts of laughter at my words. Seeing them mock him, Do Youngrok was so enraged he was practically fuming.
The standoff continued. Do Youngrok’s expression shifted in real-time as he slowly scanned our entire group.
After a short while, a voice laced with fury escaped from between Do Youngrok’s parted lips.
“Take those bastards and get the hell out.”
“Heh. So you’re just going to cower again in the end.”
“I said get the hell out right now. And don’t even think about setting foot in Barbara again. As of today, I’m issuing an order to ban you from entry.”
“Hehehe. We had no intention of doing so for the time being anyway, so you don’t have to worry.”
“What did you say?”
“Ah, it’s nothing. Well then, I hope you stay healthy until we meet again. As you said, we’ll be on our way. Now, everyone, let’s leave this stinking place.”
Jo Seongho didn't push his luck any further. I don't know if he thought this was enough or if he decided it was time to back down. But his final words left a definite impact.
The standoff was finally resolved, and we turned to walk toward the academy's main gate. I heard a sharp “Smack!” from behind, the sound of someone being slapped, but I intentionally didn't look back.
The academy's main gate wasn't far. Just as I was about to step through it, something Ahn Sol had once said to me flashed through my mind.
‘Nooo… We can’t stay here… Let’s go together… Waaaaah…’
Come to think of it, I heard there are quite a few homosexuals among the Vagabonds.
I didn't know what would become of Park Hwanhee, but if he insisted on going west, I decided to mourn his future for a moment. Hoping his anus would remain intact, I finally stepped out of the academy's main gate. The moment I did, I felt a wind of liberating freedom wrap around my entire body.
*
As soon as she came out, Hanbyul was surrounded by a crowd almost as large as mine (though most of them were scouts). Even in the midst of it all, she didn't forget to find the people who had helped her and thank them.
And so, everything was over. I said my goodbyes to the people I had grown close to. A few Users, including Sung Hyunmin, looked like they wanted to talk more, but when I told them I had left my clan unattended for too long, they nodded with disappointed faces. I told them I would visit the city again sometime in the future and quickly left.
On the outside, Baek Hangyul maintained a fairly calm demeanor, but his eyes were a whirlwind of complex emotions. He would occasionally mumble, as if he wanted to say something, only to sigh again. I thought it would be best to wait patiently for him to sort out his feelings.
After passing through the plaza and walking down the street, the Warp Gate soon came into view. Though I had been lost in deep thought, seeing Hangyul diligently following me made me think of the kids. Then, the faces of my clan members followed. A faint smile naturally formed on my lips at the thought of seeing them soon.
“Uh, Clan Lord-nim!”
I was about to enter the Warp Gate quickly, but Hangyul’s sudden call forced me to stop. When I looked at him, I saw him pointing a finger behind us.
“Since a while ago. That scary nuna has been following us.”
“A scary nuna? Who… Pfft.”
Actually, I had known since the plaza.
When I slowly turned around, I saw Hanbyul watching me from a distance. I stared in her direction and waited silently. Soon, she began to slowly close the distance between us.
“Um…”
“You’re late.”
“I-I was just saying my goodbyes.”
“Did you come to say goodbye to me too?”
When I asked playfully, Hanbyul hesitated and just scuffed the ground with her foot. I watched her for a moment, then gave a slight nod and started walking into the Warp Gate. She looked surprised at first, but she must have realized I was deliberately walking slowly, as I soon felt her presence catching up.
“O-Oppa.”
“Monica, Southern City. Three people.”
“Oppa…!”
“Let’s go inside first. We can talk after we get there.”
I said nothing more after that and wrapped my arms around both of their shoulders. Then, I stepped into the activated portal. As the cool flow of magic enveloped my entire body, a thought suddenly crossed my mind.
Ah. Come to think of it, Yeon Hyerim asked me to go with her.