Chapter 25
Chapter 25
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 25
Chapter Title: Cynthia
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Kang Woojin had lightly subdued Choi Si-hyeok.
He scooped Cynthia up like a princess and carried her away.
Choi Si-hyeok watched his retreating figure with a look of profound shock frozen on his face.
In truth, "shock" didn't even begin to cover it.
It felt like he'd been treated like a child, and he could sense the vast gap between a kid and an adult.
"...Fucking hell."
It was a sense of defeat he'd never experienced in his life.
"Fuck, fuck...!"
Choi Si-hyeok knelt on the floor, muttering endlessly.
Crack.
He clenched his fist for no reason.
"..."
The excruciating pain from before was gone.
What the hell happened...?
It wasn't an illusion or hallucination.
The agony he'd endured was real.
It had been so intense that it even instilled fear of his opponent.
He, who'd lived his life as the quintessential alpha male, had never truly felt pain before.
He'd rarely even been hit, and any fights he'd been in were just one-sided beatings he'd dished out.
In other words, Choi Si-hyeok was unaccustomed to pain.
And yet.
This man who'd only ever been a perpetrator in his life had finally tasted real suffering.
It was no wonder his body trembled from the first defeat he'd ever known.
Was that guy an Awakener too? Did he use some special ability...?
Chewing over the pain and reflecting on the past, Choi Si-hyeok flexed his fist repeatedly.
But his thoughts didn't linger long.
"Huh?"
He noticed the elevator indicator in front of him lighting up as it ascended.
The one carrying Kang Woojin and Cynthia.
If they were heading home, it should have gone down.
So what did going up mean?
Choi Si-hyeok thought of the luxury suite in the JS Martial Hotel and pushed himself to his feet.
Then, like Cynthia's stubbornly closed heart(?), he punched the elevator door.
Bam!
After the thick sense of defeat and fear, what dominated Choi Si-hyeok's body was rage.
"You fucking bastard!"
What kind of woman was Cynthia?
She was pure like a blank canvas, meant to be dyed in his colors and live solely for him.
As a woman, and as an Awakener.
He'd spent ages plotting how to make her his.
Revising plans over and over, he chose to approach her as a friend.
His intention was to slowly build her affection until she saw only him.
"That bitch...!"
But now, this Cynthia was heading to a hotel room with some random guy.
"That bitch...!"
Choi Si-hyeok was losing his mind, hopping mad.
"She's my possession...!"
His hollow voice echoed down the empty hallway.
I might as well burn the whole hotel down...
In a fit of anger, he summoned mana to ignite flames but shook his head and stopped.
This hotel was crawling with newbie Awakeners and Hunters from various guilds.
Making enemies of them all wasn't wise.
He had to consider his father in the business center and the reputation of Flame Guild.
Grind.
Regaining his composure with effort, Choi Si-hyeok glared at the elevator indicator and ground his teeth.
I'll make you regret this.
He vowed revenge for the humiliating defeat.
No matter who that bastard is.
Thinking of the masked man's face.
"...Yeah, it's me."
Suddenly dialing someone, he turned on his heel to shake off his mood.
"I'm heading to the club now, so prepare some girls. Yeah, yeah. Get them drunk too."
And so.
At that moment, Choi Si-hyeok had no idea.
That the masked man who'd taken Cynthia was Kang Woojin.
That the one who'd ruined his plans was Stella Academy's biggest loser and total nerd, Kang Woojin.
By the time he learned that truth, it would be too late—and not far off in the future.
* * *
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Hee hee."
While showering, I let out a silly laugh.
Thinking back to Choi Si-hyeok's pathetic state made me chuckle involuntarily.
It felt like a decade-old grudge had finally lifted.
About one year out of those ten?
"Gotta make him suffer more from now on."
Finishing my shower, I wrapped myself in a robe and stepped out of the bathroom.
"W-Woojin...?"
Cynthia, seeming a bit more sober now, looked at me with a flustered expression.
"Where are we? No, when did you get here...?"
I replied flatly to her still-dazed self.
"Came to pick you up, obviously. You messaged me saying you were drunk and needed a ride."
"Oh... right."
"What? Not happy? Disappointed it's me coming out of the bathroom? Were you expecting someone else?"
"N-No way!"
Cynthia, who'd been huddling up tightly, thrust her head forward and raised her voice.
"I just... my memories are spotty. I didn't do anything embarrassing, did I...?"
Then she quickly deflated again.
"Nah."
"G-Good."
"At least as far as I know."
"What? Don't say it like that, you're making me anxious."
Cynthia pouted, putting on a sulky act.
"Go wash up first. A shower'll sober you up more."
"...Okay."
She obediently got off the bed and headed to the bathroom at my words.
"Hey, Woojin, um..."
Pausing at the bathroom entrance, she hesitated.
"Earlier today... where were you working...?"
"Huh?"
"Uh, no. Nothing. It's not important. Whatever you do, you must have your reasons."
Seeming to convince herself, she slipped into the bathroom.
She must've connected the masked hotel staffer with me.
She'd half-suspected before.
She wanted confirmation, but as she said, it wasn't a big deal.
Should've just revealed myself back then and surprised her.
That could've been fun too, but the ship had sailed.
No, I'd already quit the job— no need to stir up trouble.
Sia's an idiot when it comes to that stuff, but she's not fundamentally dumb.
Hopefully, it was just that she talked too much sometimes.
If I explained everything I did, she might uncover my ultimate goal.
I'm actually planning revenge on you and the guy after you.
If she learned that, our relationship would shatter.
Thankfully, she trusted me implicitly and showered without suspicion.
Shhh—.
Soon, the sound of refreshing water began to fade.
Creek.
Cynthia emerged from the shower in a robe like me, neatly folded dress in hand.
"All clean?"
"Yeah..."
"What about your clothes, by the way?"
"This is them."
"Really? Not rented?"
"Bought new ones. With Soyeon."
She shyly smiled, having bought a bolder outfit than expected.
Next time, pick something sexier, Sia.
Cosplay would be great too.
"Anyway. Turn around for a sec, Woojin-ah. Gonna change. We should head home now."
I shook my head at her words.
"Go where?"
"Huh?"
"What time is it?"
"Wh-What time...?"
"One-thirty a.m."
"What?! I slept that long?"
"You dozed off a bit, but not for ages. The party ended late anyway."
"R-Right..."
"Sleep here and leave tomorrow. It's late, and they went through the trouble of booking us a suite from the Management Bureau."
A lie.
I'd booked the suite myself.
But hearing it was from the Bureau for graduates eased her mind a little.
"Oh right! What about Soyeon? Is she okay? She must be worried since I left without saying anything..."
"You remember leaving without a word?"
"Kinda, vaguely."
"She called, so I handled it."
"Th-Then that's good..."
The financial(?) burden lifted, but she still rolled her eyes awkwardly at the situation.
"Um, what about my parents? Any calls...?"
She asked next.
"Sent them a text from your phone. Said you're crashing at a hotel."
"You did...? Wait, hold on! So you went through my phone?!"
"Yeah. Password was easy. Who uses birthdays anymore?"
"Woojin, you jerk! Bad boy!"
Cynthia approached and playfully punched my arm with her tiny fist.
"You didn't go through my chats or gallery, did you?!"
Of course I did.
Nothing much, surprisingly.
Oh, you took a bunch of pics every time you sent me some?
Liked a few, so I transferred them to my phone and deleted the traces.
...Couldn't say that, so I put on my most trustworthy face.
"Didn't. Privacy, y'know."
"Really?"
"Why would I snoop on someone else's phone?"
It's fun.
You talk about me a lot with your friends, surprisingly.
A bit disappointing it was all wholesome stuff, against expectations.
Still, glad your friends seem solid.
Good job not DMing other guys.
...Couldn't say that either, so I patted her head.
"Anyway, time to sleep."
"Yeah. I'll take the sofa over there."
"Why bother?"
"Well, obviously..."
"Why act all awkward now? We've shared a bed tons of times as kids."
"Th-That was when we were little."
Avoiding my gaze, Cynthia continued with flushed cheeks.
"And Woojin, put some clothes on..."
"Huh?"
"Staying in just a robe might make you catch a cold."
"It's the middle of summer."
"Summer colds are the worst..."
She shot back without backing down, masking her embarrassment.
She hadn't said it outright, but she'd been averting her eyes the whole time.
Like she had nowhere to look.
"Fine for me, but what about you? Scared of colds, so you'll sleep in your dress?"
"Awakeners are tough; it's fine."
"So I dress up, and you strip down?"
"No, I've got shorts on. T-shirt in my bag too."
Ignoring her Confucian propriety, I stuck to my robe and spoke.
"Why so shy anyway? We've seen each other naked plenty as kids."
"That was when we were little too... And I don't remember."
"I do."
"What...?"
"Kidding."
Grinning, I lay down on the bed.
Cynthia hesitated between sofa and bed, then climbed on after changing into shorts and a tee from the suite corner.
She curled up in one corner, looking a tad offended.
She was tense as hell, but I'd acted like it was no big deal.
Denying she was the only one overthinking it, she was getting defiant against my playful attitude.
Rustle.
But that lasted only a moment.
"...Hey."
Though she'd gotten into bed, Cynthia lay as far from me as possible. She rolled toward me and spoke.
"Woojin-ah, asleep?"
I cracked my eyes open and stared at the ceiling.
"Nope."
"..."
"What?"
"N-Nothing. Just... goodnight."
Caught off-guard by sharing a bed, she revealed her giddy feelings plainly.
And silence settled over the hotel room again.
Tick. Tock.
Only the antique wall clock's second hand whispered in the quiet.
Knowing full well Sia couldn't sleep, I suddenly spoke up.
"Ran into Choi Si-hyeok on the way here."
Her body jerked, shaking the bed.
"You lied to me, Sia."
I turned to meet her eyes directly.
"L-Lied about what...?"
"Said you were with friends."
"Yeah, true. I didn't lie..."
"Choi Si-hyeok was drinking with you?"
"Huh?"
"Is Choi Si-hyeok your friend?"
"Th-That's..."
Her gaze naturally dropped.
Avoiding my eyes like she had no face to show, she mumbled.
"I didn't mention it 'cause I thought you'd be uncomfortable..."
Implying not to misunderstand.
"So he is a friend?"
I shifted closer, cornering her.
"N-No, not a friend... We're both Stella Academy students, but I've never seen him that way..."
"So you lied to me after all?"
"Yeah..."
Trapped, Cynthia looked on the verge of tears.
"Sorry... Don't be mad, Woojin-ah..."
"What exactly are you sorry for? Explain it properly."
"I lied to you, Woojin."
"Again."
"Again...?"
She racked her brain at my words, forcing out another apology.
"Sorry for drinking so late. Made you worry...? Sorry for making you come pick me up on purpose too."
I nodded.
I considered pressing harder about Choi Si-hyeok.
But tonight was enough.
"Fine, as long as you get it."
Of course, "enough" applied only to the mental training.
"Open your mouth. Stick out your tongue."
The physical education was just beginning.
The night was long.
Especially tonight—it felt endless.