Chapter 170: An Unexpected Combination (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 170: An Unexpected Combination (5)
The reason she went out of her way to partner with Kim Jeong-hun was clear.
To divide and conquer.
She would take Kim Do-jin, and he would take Shin Yu-jeong. It was a win-win situation.
‘And if they get together, I'll feel less guilty.’
Besides, having Kim Jeong-hun, who could provide both money and people, would make things much easier.
In any case.
After securing Kim Jeong-hun's unconditional support, she agonized over her next move.
‘What would be the most dramatic way for us to meet…?’
It would have been better if they were meeting for the first time. Then she could have started things off on the right foot, carefully and correctly.
But her relationship with Kim Do-jin had already gotten off to a bad start.
‘I never bullied him that badly, but…’
She had occasionally teased him for being fat, and the bread he’d panted and puffed to buy from the school store had included an order for her.
The girl who was friends with the bully who had tormented him relentlessly.
It was hardly a title that would inspire warm feelings.
That was why she had to be extra careful.
‘What would be best?’
What kind of event could dilute her past image and strongly capture his attention?
After much thought, she landed on a crisis and a rescue.
Creating a suitable crisis would not only grab his attention but would also be an effective way to water down her past image by casting herself as a victim, not a perpetrator.
She immediately asked Kim Jeong-hun to lend her some men.
That night, two large, brutish-looking men knocked on her door.
They were both members of a small-to-medium-sized guild sponsored by the corporation Kim Jeong-hun's father ran. They were seasoned veterans, often used for various jobs, and supposedly skilled at acting.
Was he trying to gauge Kim Do-jin's skills through these two?
They were overkill for her little scenario, but she decided not to mind. Selling fake products on social media that looked nothing like the pictures was a common occurrence. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use this opportunity to test his skills as well.
Jo Yun-kyung immediately had the two men dress up as neighborhood thugs and fed them the scenario.
“Got it? You act your part for a bit, then run. If things get out of hand and you two get in trouble, I won't take any responsibility, so you're on your own.”
“Yes.”
“Don't you worry.”
The preparations were complete.
For a solid alibi, she had even told Shin Yu-jeong that she had something to give her and would stop by sometime, establishing a plausible reason for being in the area no matter when the incident occurred.
Now, all she had to do was wait for Kim Do-jin to pass by and let out a scream….
‘Wha-what?’
She was startled to see a woman with Kim Do-jin when he came out of his house that evening.
‘Why is Princess here…?’
Princess, the A-rank Hunter famous for her peculiar concept, was coming out of his house with him!
For a moment, she suspected they were in a relationship, but she quickly reassured herself that it couldn't be true.
‘Yu-jeong definitely said she and him were in the talking stage, right?’
Besides, the distance between them as they walked side-by-side down the street at night seemed far too great for a couple.
Could it be that she came all this way to recruit Kim Do-jin for her guild?
The thought ignited her motivation even more.
‘I have to get him.’
She knew her own limitations. She knew that reaching the lofty ideals she longed for with her abilities alone was next to impossible.
So, what choice did she have?
If she couldn't do it with her own power, she had no choice but to borrow someone else's to get there.
“He's coming.”
The signal came from the man standing watch outside.
She clutched her trembling chest and steeled her resolve once more.
‘Okay, let's do this.’
After calmly steadying her breath, she waited for the right moment and screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!”
*
“Is my day cursed or something….”
Seriously, how many unexpected things can happen in one day?
“I really wish things would stop happening around me….”
I didn't have the slightest desire to live like I used to, actively meddling in other people's lives.
But no matter how much I felt that way, I wasn't the type to just ignore trouble when it happened right in front of me.
Look at me now.
Grumbling both inwardly and outwardly, yet still running straight toward the sound as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Shut your mouth, you bitch.”
“You think someone's gonna come save you here? Huh?”
“Mmph! Mmmph!”
The situation was a classic, through and through.
Two big, nasty-looking guys trying to force themselves on a woman.
Seeing such a textbook scene, I couldn't help but sigh.
“…It's so classic, I'm speechless.”
The man watching from the side reacted to the words that had slipped out of my mouth in disbelief. He looked at me, scowled, and waved his hand dismissively.
“Hey, buddy. You should probably just keep walking.”
Then the other guy, who had been busy covering the woman's mouth and licking his lips, chimed in.
“Hey, hey. What's with that talk, now that he's come all this way?”
Then the bastard turned to me and said.
“Buddy! You came all this way, might as well have a taste yourself, heh heh!”
“After our two big boys have had their turn, of course.”
“Mmph! Mmmmmmph!”
“……”
Two punks, chattering away happily amongst themselves, and a woman crying out from behind a gagged mouth.
It was clearly a desperate situation for the woman, yet instead of a sense of crisis, I felt a sense of wrongness.
Their tone, their lines, their actions—it was all so contrived.
It felt less like I was witnessing a crime and more like I was watching a scene from a play.
“Am I going crazy…?”
Had I experienced so many crises that I'd reached a point where I could no longer recognize one for what it was?
As I stared blankly at them, the bigger guy strode over and threatened me.
“Hey, I told you to scram when I asked nicely. Why are you still standing there?”
“…Didn't you say I could have a taste?”
“Wha-what…?”
A look of bewilderment crossed the man's face, as if he'd heard a completely unexpected answer.
The other guy shoved the woman he was holding to the ground and walked over.
“Ha, look at this bastard. You really want a taste after we're done?”
I curled my lip and replied.
“Yeah. Doesn't sound too bad.”
They started to panic. They looked like actors who'd been struck dumb by their scene partner's unexpected ad-lib.
“P-please, save me!”
The woman sprawled on the ground behind them cried out pitifully.
At least her acting was decent.
If these two goons had been slightly better actors, I might not have noticed….
“Ha, haha! You want to clean up after another man?”
“This bastard's a total sucker, a real sucker!”
“Phahah! That's it!”
“……”
In that moment, a fuse in my head snapped.
“…These bastards are crossing a fucking line.”
Even if it was just an act, there were some things you just don't say.
How dare they say that word in front of me…
“Uwaaaaaaaah!”
You're dead.
*
Thwack! Pow!
“Kuek!”
“Gyaaaaaaah!”
A scene of overwhelming violence unfolded before her eyes.
Kim Do-jin moved through the alley as if it were his own living room, beating the two men to a pulp.
‘I-I have to stop him, but the words won't come out….’
The sight was so brutal that even though she knew she had to intervene, she couldn't bring herself to speak.
“How dare you associate a person with a brand of detergent that was discontinued ten years ago…!”
She didn't understand.
She had no idea what had made him so angry.
“And from people who've probably never even used Pong-Pong dish soap!”
But one thing… no, two things became certain.
First, he was unbelievably strong.
A Hunter aspirant, and a mage at that, was beating two C-rank Hunters like they were nothing.
What more needed to be said other than that he was strong?
And second… if she didn't stop him soon, someone might actually die.
“W-wait a minute!”
Jo Yun-kyung managed to get to her feet and rushed to wrap her arms around him from behind.
“Y-you're going to kill them.”
The pleasant, soft feeling pressing against his back began to slowly quell Kim Do-jin's rage.
But his anger hadn't fully subsided, and he asked in a sharp voice.
“These bastards deserve to die.”
“W-well, maybe, but… if you do that, you'll be charged with a crime. I don't want that to happen.”
“……”
At her lovely tone and voice, Kim Do-jin lowered his raised fist.
Still holding him, Jo Yun-kyung shot a look at the two men sprawled on the ground.
Run. Now.
The two men, barely managing to read her signal, scrambled to their feet and started to run. For men who had just been getting the shit beaten out of them, they ran with surprising vigor.
“Hey, I have to catch those bastards.”
As Kim Do-jin tried to step forward, Jo Yun-kyung hugged him tighter to stop him.
“I-it's okay! I don't want any more trouble.”
“……”
The soft sensation continuously pressing against his back helped Kim Do-jin regain his senses.
‘Ah, right. This was an act.’
Only then did he fully remember that the actions of the two men and the woman hugging his back were all part of a performance.
He grew curious.
Why on earth would they put on such a ridiculous act?
‘Was I the target? Or would anyone have done?’
He gently removed her arms from his waist and turned around.
“Th-thank you so much for helping me.”
The woman bowed, her eyes glistening with tears as if the shock hadn't yet worn off.
But her face was familiar.
Long, glossy black hair with gentle waves and soft-looking eyes.
It was definitely a face from the memories of Kim Do-jin's original body.
‘What was her name again….’
One of the three best friends who always hung around Shin Yu-jeong in high school.
The one who was the most popular after Shin Yu-jeong…
“…Jo Yun-kyung?”
“You… know me?”
Seeing her ask back with wide eyes, all the pieces of the puzzle began to click into place.
He thought to himself.
It seemed a golden opportunity had just fallen right into his lap.