I Hate Cheolsu
"Younghee seems to be targeting you."
Lime repeated her exasperated words, but Yujin just blinked in confusion, still not getting it.
It took a while before he finally spoke up.
"Younghee's targeting me? Does that mean my era has finally arrived?"
"No, what the hell are you talking about? She seems to be bullying you!"
Ah~ So that's what she meant. I almost misunderstood again. Yeah, no way a pretty girl like Younghee would like someone like me.
"But Younghee bullying me? Does that mean my era has finally arrived?"
"Are you a real idiot? Sigh... Actually, there was poison on that fruit you ate earlier."
"Poison?! .......What does that even mean? What's the point of poisoning fruit? To make me healthier with extra vitamins?"
"Yeah, right! What makes you so hot that she'd brew some fancy tonic just to boost your health?!"
"Why not? We're friends..."
Argh, this guy's frustrating me to death! Lime pounded her chest like she'd choked on a hundred sweet potatoes midway.
Why do other kids get sweet romance or tragic backstories while I'm stuck with cancer-inducing frustration? Damn author needs a knuckle sandwich!
"Fine, it wasn't lethal enough to threaten your life. But if a normal person ate it, they'd be doubled over with stomach pains like food poisoning."
"I ate it and felt fine, though?"
"That's because I neutralized it right away."
It was a poison potent enough to affect even Heroes. No idea how Younghee got it or smuggled it in, but it was undeniably deadly to the human body.
"Hmm."
"That's not all. During the fight earlier, she subtly swung her whip toward you. If Cheolsu dodged, you'd have taken the hit instead."
"Wasn't that just a coincidence?"
"No. That was definitely a malicious attack."
Yujin crossed his arms and pondered for a moment.
Honestly, that alone wasn't enough evidence to judge. But Lime wasn't the type to spout nonsense. She must have some suspicious circumstances to back it up.
"Of course, it's not serious enough to kill. At worst, it's just kid stuff. But in the middle of fighting monsters? That's a different story."
In combat, even a tiny mistake can decide victory or defeat. Especially against a boss-level foe like the "Twin-Headed Serpent"—even Yujin couldn't afford to get careless right now. She might not kill him, but an injury was possible.
Looking at it that way, it wasn't something to brush off lightly.
"Hmm, I get what you're saying, Lime."
After some thought, Yujin opened his eyes. His face still showed lingering doubt.
"But why would Younghee bully me? There's no reason for that."
"......"
It was the most fundamental question from Yujin's perspective.
If Younghee were a rival student, he could understand. Messing up an opponent's condition boosts your own rank. But she was on his team. If he got sick, it would hurt their score too.
More than that, weren't they friends? No reason for her to target him like that.
Of course, from Lime's objective view of the whole situation, it was a tricky question.
Ah, damn. How do I even explain this?
Should I tell this naive kid that all his 'friends' actually hate his guts? Nah, that'd be a disaster. He'd be shattered.
Lime knew how much Yujin valued his school life. Friends were his goal in this current existence. Even if the illusion would shatter someday, she wanted to preserve it for now. At least, she wouldn't be the one to break it. She couldn't bear seeing that heartbroken face.
Maybe she's being mind-controlled by some psychic villain like me.
"Just to bully me? That's going pretty far."
"Or maybe she's being threatened by the other kids."
"Mm... uh-huh."
Yujin nodded at that. It was the only explanation that came to mind.
That sweet Younghee doing something like that? Must be because she's scared of bullying from other students.
Stories of kids sabotaging tests out of fear weren't uncommon. Plus, from the other students' perspective, tanking the Scorpion team's scores was a golden opportunity. Everyone expected the all-elite Scorpion team to rack up high points.
"Sigh, it's Hero Academy—they hype it up, but in the end, it's all dirty score games behind the scenes. Nasty, just nasty."
"......Yeah, tell me about it."
"Come to think of it, Younghee seemed kinda off earlier, low energy. Must be stressing over that."
"Yeah. Probably."
Lime thought Yujin was thoroughly misunderstanding, but she kept quiet.
Whatever—if it worked out for the best. At least now he'd be wary of Younghee. She'd stay vigilant too. With Yujin's specs, just keeping his wits about him would dodge most threats.
Besides, it wasn't life-or-death serious for him right now.
Still, better safe than sorry.
Honestly, Yujin was too naive sometimes. She needed to drill some caution into him for peace of mind.
"Or should I just ask Younghee directly? Who’s bullying her? Cheolsu and I could protect her."
Lime jumped in shock at Yujin's words.
No, crazy! Ask who’s bullying who? And team up to protect?
"Th-that might not be great! From her side, getting hit with that question out of nowhere would be awkward, right? Real friends wait for her to open up first!"
"Hmm, yeah?"
Lime sighed inwardly in relief. Imagine the culprit who tormented her and her boyfriend getting asked, "Who's bullying you?" How absurd would that be for Younghee?
Even Lime, indifferent to human drama, knew that much.
Sigh, why do I have to go through this?
Anyway, mission accomplished. Now Yujin would watch Younghee a bit more closely. And who knows—maybe doting on her would actually cheer her up.
The real issue... is who's behind turning Younghee like this.
To Lime, Younghee seemed like the obedient type. For a girl like that to suddenly target Yujin on her own? Highly unlikely. She'd had plenty of chances before.
There had to be some external force pulling the strings. A hidden mastermind blowing poison winds into her ear.
That was Lime's conclusion.
Not something I can figure out right now, though.
First things first—finish the exam and get off this island.
With that thought, Lime hoped the next few days would pass without incident.
…
Younghee was abandoned in a black void.
Her clothes—down to her underwear—had been stripped away, leaving her completely exposed.
No wind blew, but the air carried a biting chill. Her body shivered.
Not just from the cold.
It was terror of what was to come.
"I hate this now..."
Younghee hugged her knees, curling up tight. But it was futile to hide her fragile form.
And then, inevitably, that voice echoed.
'Hate.'
Her shoulders jerked at the voice from nowhere. Her head throbbed like it might split open.
The voice burrowed into her ears, then seeped into her brain. A sensation that dominated her emotions, ignoring her own heart.
The more she resisted, the more the pain spread.
With nowhere to escape, Younghee was defenseless against it.
'Hate. Hate so much.'
"No! I don't!"
'You hate Cheolsu so much you can't stand it. Right? He's so hateful.'
"No! Cheolsu's my childhood friend! The most precious person to me!"
Younghee clutched her ears with both hands and bowed her head. But even that was denied.
Chains erupted from the darkness, binding her.
Hands, feet, her entire body—stripped of freedom. She had to endure the voice fully in that state.
'You hate him, right? Hate him. You hate Cheolsu for making you put on that act for Kim Yujin.'
"No... I don't! I did it for Cheolsu! I didn't expect anything in return!"
'But what did Cheolsu do? Even today, wasn't he only looking at the class president? He's already switched to another girl. Isn't that betrayal?'
"Th-that's..."
As if spotting the crack in her heart, a shadow emerged from the darkness.
He held a black coin on a string.
Dr. Jekyll.
The moment she saw him, Younghee's trembling intensified.
"I hate it. Please stop..."
She shook her head side to side, but it was useless. Even closing her eyes felt impossible, as if her very will was stolen.
Jekyll began swinging the coin gently before her eyes.
"Younghee, you hate Kim Cheolsu, don't you?"
"N-no..."
His voice was so sweet, so alluring. If she accepted it, the pain would vanish. The chill would fade, replaced by warmth.
She knew from experience.
"No, you hate Kim Cheolsu."
"Ahh."
"You can't stand him anymore—leaving you behind to fawn over the class president."
At first, she resisted. Denied it over and over.
But after dozens of repetitions, her will and heart wore down.
"Let me ask once more: Do you hate Cheolsu?"
"Yes... I hate him."
Younghee bowed her head deeply as she said it.
Aah, I can't stop it. That voice seeping into my heart. No matter how hard I try, resistance is impossible.
"You hate Cheolsu."
"Yes..."
"So you'll hurt him however you can."
"......Yes."
"And what do you think of Kim Cheolsu?"
"I..."
Deep down, she realized: Answering here meant no turning back. Her heart would shatter, replaced by someone else's will.
She had to endure this much, at least.
"I hate him."
Yet, against her strong will—her mouth moved on its own.
How did she feel about Cheolsu?
"I hate Cheolsu."
Suddenly, she snapped to.
The first eyes she met were Yujin's.
"Younghee?"
For a moment, she couldn't grasp why she was standing there. The dream's memory vanished the instant she woke.
Like sleepwalking, she'd just risen suddenly.
So Yujin's shocked expression puzzled her even more.
"What are you doing?"
At his words, Younghee slowly looked down.
In her hand was a kitchen knife, poised as if to stab someone.