Chapter 71
Chapter 71
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 71
Chapter Title: The Purpose of the Class Reunion (2)
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Park Jeong-hwan spoke in a daze.
"Oh, long time no see. Sia. I thought you weren't coming. Thanks for showing up."
Cynthia, who had finally put in an appearance, nodded as she replied.
"Because Woojin asked me to."
She made it clear that her presence here was entirely due to Kang Woojin's request.
It drove a wedge into the hearts of the male classmates who had been tearing him down.
Rubbing salt in the wounds of the single guys who had already been deceived, she latched onto the arm of Kang Woojin, who had just stood up from his seat.
Far from dumping him like the earlier guys had mocked, she revealed an even closer relationship than back in middle school.
"Anyway, congrats. Jeong-hwan. Getting married, huh? I might not make it to the wedding, but I'll send a gift."
"Yeah."
And she wasn't the only one.
"Yoo Harin... Yoo Harin..."
One guy muttered the name of the friend Kang Woojin had introduced, his eyes gradually widening.
"No way, from White Tiger Guild?!"
Kang Woojin's classmates, realizing Yoo Harin's identity, couldn't hide their shock one after another.
"I-I saw her on the news!"
"She's super famous, right?! A-rank Awakened, they said?!"
Jeong Yong-wook, who had already seen her once before, was outright stunned.
Han Ye-eun, sitting next to Kang Woojin, had a similar reaction.
"Woojin has some seriously amazing friends..."
Lee Ji-hye, giggling as she elbowed Kang Woojin's side, was just as surprised.
"Whoa, Woojin the total playboy now?"
Kang Woojin let out a chuckle.
"Playboy? Nah, just friends. Friends."
Not satisfied with his response, Yoo Harin suddenly locked him in a headlock.
"Super close friends, right? Right?"
The guys couldn't hide their envy at the sight.
"H-ha, you guys must get along really well..."
Even Park Jeong-hwan, with his wedding coming up, felt the same.
Yoo Harin, who had made Kang Woojin's male classmates even more envious, casually drew out their jealousy and envy as she spoke.
"Let's go now, Woojin-ah. How long are we staying here?"
Putting on an uncharacteristic cutesy act with a nasal whine, she suddenly turned icy as she continued.
"That pig bastard keeps staring. Makes me sick. Feels like he's raping me with his eyes. Keep this up, and I might cause a scene."
While she utterly crushed Jeong Yong-wook, he couldn't even muster a word.
He fully understood what kind of people Awakened were.
And what kind of figure Yoo Harin from White Tiger Guild was.
Unlike at the theater before.
No matter how much punks like Jeong Yong-wook strutted around, they were nothing compared to Awakened. Even their bluster had limits.
Facing off against them again, Jeong Yong-wook couldn't even meet Cynthia's eyes, much less Yoo Harin's cold glare.
All he could do now was shrink like a mouse before a cat, inwardly cursing his ignorant past self.
"Let's head out. I was about to leave anyway."
Kang Woojin soon stepped away with the two women.
After exchanging formal goodbyes with Park Jeong-hwan, saying he probably couldn't make the wedding.
"We're heading to round two. Wanna come, Ye-eun?"
He turned back to Han Ye-eun as he left.
"Huh? Me?"
Han Ye-eun blinked at the unexpected invitation.
Pondering whether to stay with the classmates or follow Kang Woojin, she glanced between both sides before slowly rising from her chair.
She hadn't liked the drunken vibe mocking Woojin as pathetic just moments ago anyway.
Having scolded them herself, staying felt even more awkward.
And then.
"Me too! Can I come too?"
As Han Ye-eun quietly followed the three, Lee Ji-hye shot her hand up.
"That sounds way more fun!"
There was no reason for Kang Woojin to refuse.
And so, the others just blankly watched the back of Kang Woojin, who had monopolized(?) all the pretty girls.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The five, including Kang Woojin, moved to a nearby izakaya.
A cozy old-school tavern full of rustic charm.
They grabbed a room in the upscale-interiored bar and sat around one table.
"This should cover the appetizers. Sake okay for drinks?"
Kang Woojin smoothly placed the order and chatted amiably with the women, already buzzing from the booze.
Of course, this was only round one for Cynthia and Yoo Harin.
They talked, shared drinks, and had a pretty good time.
Far better atmosphere than the previous reunion.
With no ulterior motives.
The five were simply enjoying the drinks purely.
"So, know what Woo-chin said back then?"
Pointing at Kang Woojin, Yoo Harin's words made the three women burst into laughter.
Despite it being her first time meeting Lee Ji-hye and Han Ye-eun, Yoo Harin hit it off with them right away.
No need to mention Cynthia, who had gone to the same middle school.
"Speaking of, Ye-eun, where'd you get your hair dyed? The color's gorgeous~."
Her natural sociability bridged the six-year gap, chatting with Han Ye-eun like they were back in middle school.
"This...?"
But Han Ye-eun, who had been all smiles, suddenly looked awkward.
"Just the local salon."
Her pink hair, tinged with a soft glow, was actually a genetic change from her Awakening manifesting externally.
"...Isn't it kinda weird, honestly?"
It was no wonder she felt awkward, hiding her Awakening just like Kang Woojin, but for different reasons.
"No way. It's pretty, Ye-eun. That local salon must be amazing."
Clueless to her situation, Cynthia beamed.
"Yeah. If there's a chance, I'll introduce you. She's an older lady teacher type, super nice."
Han Ye-eun quickly relaxed, melting back into the chill vibe.
Smooth.
One drink, two drinks...
"..."
Han Ye-eun, with glass to her lips, gazed at Kang Woojin—who was leading the convo—with fresh eyes.
"Earlier, Harin said..."
Her feelings toward him were deeply complex.
She'd once used her ability to hypnotize him.
And felt some guilt for dragging his stepsister into Dawon Truth Church.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't her fault.
Han Ye-eun sipped her drink, continuing to watch Kang Woojin.
'He's changed so much...'
Truth be told, she'd been paying attention to him for quite a while.
Not just today, but since middle school six years ago.
A tall, lanky guy slinking around all gloomy and timid—it drew the eye.
'That kid from back then is like this now...'
When he got bullied, she'd secretly cheer him on or nag inwardly.
Don't just take it like an idiot—use that size of yours.
She'd wanted to talk to him plenty back then.
Of course, middle school bullying wasn't too severe, and he always scraped by unscathed.
Han Ye-eun had built up an inner fondness for Kang Woojin long before.
Knowing he wasn't on SNS proved she'd looked for his account.
Reuniting after six whole years...
Seeing him so utterly transformed, words couldn't describe her feelings.
'Could I change like Woojin too?'
Han Ye-eun, preordained as a candidate for Dawon Truth Church's Great Luo Saintess.
With the cult leader Han Jong-hwi as her father, she'd lived by his will alone. She yearned to escape her fate.
Just live normally.
But scared of her father and change, Kang Woojin's total overhaul felt incredible.
"Why stare like that, Ye-eun? Something on my face?"
"Ah, no. Nothing."
Catching her gaze, she waved it off frantically, but kept stealing glances.
Truth was, Han Ye-eun had her own reason for attending this reunion.
For someone craving normalcy, the reason was...
To reminisce about old times.
In a way, it fit the reunion's purpose best.
Sharing memories, bonding—that's the core of reunions.
Drifting into the past, Han Ye-eun relived fond memories through Kang Woojin.
"Right, Woojin, remember? You lost your gym clothes once and played soccer in your uniform."
Teasing him innocently about the past, she let out a soft laugh.
Back then, she didn't know her fate.
Recalling her clueless, normal self made this moment blissful.
Using memories with Kang Woojin as a mirror to her past self.
"...Am I being too selfish?"
She suddenly muttered to herself.
"Huh? What?"
Kang Woojin, mid-flirty banter with Lee Ji-hye, tilted his head.
"Ah, nothing."
Han Ye-eun flailed her hands again.
"What keeps being 'nothing'?"
"R-really nothing. Anyway, Woojin, that story you just told—is it true?"
"Which one?"
"That you've... had that kind of experience..."
Desperately changing the subject, she unwittingly asked about his sexual history.
"Yeah, I have. You?"
"Me? Not yet..."
Her face flushed deeper from the booze and embarrassment.
"Ji-hye too—all you girls are weird."
Turning the tables on her earlier tease, Kang Woojin smirked.
Pretty, cute girls in their twenties still virgins? No way.
He relentlessly ribbed their "abnormal"(?) virginity.
"Don't say that. I just never had the chance to date..."
"Ye-eun's right. I've been slammed with part-time jobs—how would you know, Mr. Rich?"
The two virgins teamed up, Lee Ji-hye jabbing his side again.
"And how much have you even done?"
To her follow-up, Kang Woojin gave a meaningful look.
"Plenty."
He couldn't exactly reveal his sex life with Cynthia or Yoo Harin, sitting right there.
"With who?"
So he told the story of Park Ah-young, who took his V-card.
"Someone from the gym. Met her at the hospital first, things just happened."
At that exact moment, a chill swept the izakaya room.
"What? Fuck, that's new to me."
"Woojin with that woman..."
Yoo Harin and Cynthia glared daggers at Kang Woojin for carelessly(?) dropping that.
Not expecting such a sharp reaction, he gave an awkward laugh.
He'd forgotten.
Their possessiveness and jealousy were no joke.
They'd been growling at each other lately too, eyes narrowing now.
"Well, if I say it was a lie, believe me now?"
"Too late, asshole."
"Seriously... too much..."
Lee Ji-hye quickly steered the topic while watching the three.
"Cheers, everyone! Cheers. We've rested too long. Sake's getting cold. Oh, more beer too!"
Her quick thinking clinked five glasses crisply.
One, two, three...
After the long break, drinks poured fast, flushing faces growing hazy.
"Cheers~!"
"Clink~!"
And sometime later.
"..."
Empty beer and sake bottles piled on one side when Lee Ji-hye slammed her glass down hard.
Bang!
The table shook like her shoulders.
"Hey! Kang Woojin!"
Sloshed, she suddenly raised her voice.
She'd proposed the toasts, but she was the weakest drinker.
Awakened with superior physiques had top-notch detox too.
Lee Ji-hye had less tolerance than Cynthia, the weakest drinker among the four Awakened here.
"Hey! Kang Woojin!"
Repeating herself, she pointed at him, drunkenly cute.
"You that good at sex?!"
Han Ye-eun reflexively spat her drink.
Pffft.
"You that good at sex?!"
Kang Woojin chuckled at Lee Ji-hye's slightly glazed eyes.
"Ji-hye's drunk."
He's good, sure, but no words for it. He signaled Cynthia and Yoo Harin.
"Blow it off her. Sia, Harin, help out."
Not done chewing him out yet, they reluctantly hauled Lee Ji-hye up anyway.
'Guess that's why they say name specific people in emergencies.'
Finally, just Kang Woojin and Han Ye-eun.
"Sh-should we call it...?"
Han Ye-eun fanned her hot face.
"Yeah, let's."
Kang Woojin nodded shortly, broaching his real reunion purpose carefully.
"Oh, yeah. Heard from a friend earlier."
She tilted her head at his lead-in.
"Huh? Friend? Heard what?"
No suspicion in her eyes.
"Saw you proselytizing."
Shaking her heart, he smiled brightly.
"Dawon Truth Church, right? Think I could join? World's crazy these days—wanna try some religious teachings."
His utterly unexpected words froze Han Ye-eun's expression.