Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: crow
Chapter Title: The Favor (2)
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"I'll handle the bill. Order whatever you want."
Shin Jeong-hwa was still treating her with that same popular-girl attitude.
Lee Seo-yeon looked at her nonchalantly, but inside, she was rotting away.
"...I'll have an iced Americano."
"Oh, you don't have to order something cheap. We're friends, right? Don't feel burdened."
Shin Jeong-hwa.
A classmate from the same prestigious high school and even the same class as Lee Seo-yeon—an elite among elites, excelling in both academics and athletics.
She was the only one who always smiled and cheered her on from behind, even when other students discriminated against her for being from a factory family.
Shin Jeong-hwa's attitude had been the driving force that allowed Lee Seo-yeon to stand tall amid the bullying.
'She sure loves calling us friends.'
That was until her mask came off.
Back in school, on a day when Lee Seo-yeon was hiding in the bathroom during lunch to avoid the bullying.
Some girls entered without knowing she was there and excitedly gossiped about her.
[When's that bitch Lee Seo-yeon finally gonna quit?]
[She's so persistent even after all this bullying.]
You think I'm gonna drop out because of losers like you?
She felt a surge of defiance, but the conversation that followed made her doubt her own ears.
[Yeah. Must be because she's from trash origins. Persistent like a cockroach.]
[Right? Just like you said, Jeong-hwa—why are factory trash so damn tenacious?]
[Maybe because they live in roach-infested places, they end up alike?]
Is this really what I just heard?
But what came next was even more shocking.
[But Jeong-hwa, why tell us to bully her but act nice to her yourself?]
[Because it's more fun to build her up like this, make her dependent on me, and then drop the truth bomb later.]
[Kyahaha! Epic! I hope that day comes soon!]
[For real, won't she just kill herself then?]
The conversation continued after that.
[But is this okay? What if the teachers find out?]
[I said it's fine, right? I've already worked on them, so don't worry. You think they'll believe her or me?]
[True. We wouldn't even think of bullying her without you, Jeong-hwa.]
It didn't take long to realize that Shin Jeong-hwa had been the mastermind behind all the bullying.
Later, the bullying came to light to passionate teachers and outsiders who weren't under her influence, and everyone was punished.
But Shin Jeong-hwa got off scot-free, thanks to her usual image and lack of direct involvement.
Lee Seo-yeon, shattered by the betrayal, fell into a delusion that everyone secretly mocked her for her factory background.
She ended up dropping out on her own to escape it all.
In short, Shin Jeong-hwa was the origin and root of Lee Seo-yeon's trauma.
'You think I still don't know anything?'
Lee Seo-yeon glared at Shin Jeong-hwa.
Her smiling face looked genuinely happy to see an old friend.
"Ah! Seo-yeon, you don't come to cafes much, huh? Don't get an Americano—try something else. I know it feels burdensome, but we're friends, right? You can order something expensive. Like an espresso? How about it?"
The subtle dig of 'You haven't even been to a cafe, have you?'.
And suggesting espresso—same old tactics as before.
"No thanks. Americano's fine."
"Alright then. Whatever."
Soon after, the drinks arrived.
They sipped them while facing each other.
Lee Seo-yeon wanted to ignore her but also wanted to make herself known to her.
"So, what have you been up to? Job hunting? The job market's tough these days. But you'd find something quick, Seo-yeon."
"......"
"And you're better off than other unemployed bums. They leech off their parents, but you proudly went independent, right? Taking responsibility for yourself like a real adult—how cool is that?"
Even before a proper conversation, she was treating her like an unemployed loser.
And bringing up parents knowing full well she was from a factory family—this bitch.
Just like Yoo Jun-hyuk had said before, to proudly show her success!
Lee Seo-yeon pulled a business card from her pocket and handed it over.
"Huh? What's this...?"
"Where I work now. I'm the team leader of Millennium Guild's Network Security Consulting Division."
"What!?"
Shin Jeong-hwa's composure cracked for the first time.
Her smile vanished as she genuinely panicked, flipping the card over and over.
"...Seo-yeon, where'd you pick this up?"
She dropped the subtle sarcasm and went straight to dismissing her.
But just rattling her was victory enough for Lee Seo-yeon to fire back dismissively.
"Rude. Pick it up? Can't you see my name right there?"
"Yeah, you're right. Sorry, that was rude. Forgive me?"
She'd panicked at first but quickly regained her composure, trying to play nice again.
"How'd you get into Millennium Guild?"
"What's the salary like?"
"Are the people nice to you?"
"Got any close friends there?"
...It was more like an interrogation disguised as chit-chat.
'Revenge really is best with a big corp job.'
Who knew this bitch would be so interested in me?
Drunk on the thrill of victory, Lee Seo-yeon answered every question, until Shin Jeong-hwa ended it, claiming she was busy.
"Sorry, gotta go. Work's piling up."
"Sure. Take care. Nice seeing you."
"Ah! Wait. Since we're connected by fate..."
Before leaving, she handed over a white invitation.
"Our guild's throwing a party to commemorate the EX Guild's destruction. Wanna come if you're free? Outsiders can join with an invite."
"...A party?"
"Yeah. I want to keep in touch. We were close, right? So come!"
"Wait, hold on..."
With that, Shin Jeong-hwa breezed off after saying her piece.
Left alone, Lee Seo-yeon stared holes through the invitation.
'What scheme is this?'
Keep in touch?
She meant that horrific school connection.
Thanks to Yoo Jun-hyuk, her delusions were cured, but facing her school bully was different.
Especially one who'd hidden her true nature and played nice till the end!
"...Next week."
She wanted to go and show off her success to more people.
But thinking of what shady plot this creep might have made her hesitate.
"Sigh, whatever."
Torn, Lee Seo-yeon left the cafe without deciding.
＊＊＊
'Something up?'
The weekend passed, and weekdays resumed.
Lee Seo-yeon always stopped by the cafe on her way home from work, but today she was off.
Normally, she'd figure out how to talk to me.
And pretend to read a book to maintain her intellectual vibe, since she hadn't given up.
"Sigh."
Today, she kept sighing like bad luck would follow and stared out the window nonstop.
'Hmm.'
At first, I thought she'd given up on me.
How could I not know her actions were meant to win me over?
But if she'd really quit, she wouldn't come to the cafe—so it was probably something else.
'Wonder what.'
Customers were thinning out, closing time nearing.
I couldn't hold back my curiosity and spoke up.
"Seo-yeon? Something wrong?"
"...No. Nothing."
As if.
Her tone screamed otherwise.
Plus, my senses were telling me she was lying.
'Ever since the hypnosis skill leveled up, I feel it all.'
Maybe because hypnosis manipulates emotions.
The upgrade made me hyper-sensitive to others' feelings.
So I easily caught her lie.
To find out what, I cast a light hypnosis.
"Tell me honestly. What's going on?"
The hypnosis made her confess her hidden worries openly.
She sighed and spilled everything.
"So..."
She'd run into the ringleader of her school bullies by chance.
Showed off her success at Millennium Guild.
But the woman invited her to a guild party—that was the gist.
"That's your dilemma?"
"Yeah. Should I go or not..."
"Just go. What's there to be scared of?"
"But... I don't know her game, and I'm not a guild-registered Hunter."
Lee Seo-yeon proudly called herself a Millennium Guild member.
But she was just external staff, not a Hunter.
Against the suspect—a Hunter in rank-7 Aris Guild—she felt inferior.
"Hmm. That worrying you that much?"
"...A little?"
I'd told her to flaunt her success to her bullies, but since it wasn't total success? Or was she just timid by nature?
Sadly, Lee Seo-yeon lacked confidence.
'Shin Jeong-hwa, huh...'
I'd heard of Aris Guild, but not her.
Same age as Seo-yeon, so younger than me—new Hunter, no time for fame yet.
'Not every Hunter's like Yu-ra noona.'
But I wanted revenge on that Shin Jeong-hwa bitch too.
Lee Seo-yeon becoming Go Jin-yo was all because of her, right?
Others got punished, but she slipped away.
'Classic.'
The bullying ringleader thriving unscathed.
Even an outsider like me was pissed—how must Seo-yeon feel?
"Disgusting."
"Huh?"
"Not about you."
Knowing her story made it feel personal—I wanted revenge.
But she'd already learned of Seo-yeon's success here at the cafe.
Needed something more decisive.
"Ah."
Wait, success isn't just job and money, right?
For women this era, the ultimate success beyond career is...
"Seo-yeon, got a great idea. Wanna hear?"
"What is it?"
"So..."
I explained, and her eyes went wide.
"Y-You serious!? Y-You'll really do it!?"
"Just ask."
No need for hypnosis against trash like that.
"I said I'd grant one favor before."
As a man.
No need to report to Yu-ra noona.
I had my own weapon.
'Plus, my face and name aren't known.'
Let her assume.
'Make her feel inferior.'
What better revenge?
＊＊＊
"Welcome to the party."
Aris Guild banquet hall.
Shin Jeong-hwa, in a dress greeting guests, took a break and scanned the room.
'Not here yet?'
She was looking for Lee Seo-yeon.
Her old school 'toy' and 'plaything' hadn't arrived, so she sighed regretfully.
'Hurry up. I wanted to parade her around and humiliate her.'
When she learned Lee Seo-yeon worked at Millennium Guild upon reuniting.
Shin Jeong-hwa was shocked enough to deny reality.
'How the hell did factory trash get into Millennium Guild?'
Sure, not as a Hunter, but external business content.
She'd interviewed there multiple times herself.
Couldn't forgive even that connection.
'Her skill was hacking, right? Haha, even shit's useful as medicine—they must've scouted her for security.'
Her twisted personality that secretly incited classmates to bully Lee Seo-yeon back then.
That personality remained, but as a socialite, she hid it.
'Trash, human, human, trash, trash, trash, human.'
She still called factory-origin guildmates trash inwardly, not human.
Scanning the room to sort trash from humans, her team leader approached.
Shin Jeong-hwa was on a Hunter team under her.
"You look pretty today, Jeong-hwa."
"Thanks. You too, Team Leader."
"Hoho, empty words."
Right. Empty words.
How'd factory trash like you become team leader?
That's why Aris Guild, launching with Millennium, was stuck at perennial 7th.
She thought that inwardly but wore her thick mask, playing normal effortlessly.
'Once I reach the top of the guild... I'll purge them all.'
Until then, hide her true self perfectly.
But hiding too long built up insane stress.
Reuniting with Lee Seo-yeon now was sweet honey and salt to her.
'First, introduce her to the guild execs.'
As a Millennium Guild Hunter.
Then slip away.
People wanting Millennium ties would grill her.
Lee Seo-yeon would crack, admit she's just non-Hunter external staff.
'Then slowly chip away at her pride again.'
Make her realize as a non-Hunter in a Hunter guild, she's nothing.
Lee Seo-yeon seemed confident now, so strip that to revert her to a toy.
'When's she coming.'
Then, at the entrance, her awaited guest appeared.
Lee Seo-yeon in a dress was stunning, but Shin Jeong-hwa just sneered.
'Pumpkin stripes don't make a watermelon?'
But as she neared, Shin Jeong-hwa doubted her eyes.
"...Huh?"
A man beside her.
Even Shin Jeong-hwa, who'd seen countless upper-class men, had never seen such.
A hunk among hunks!
"Th-Thanks for the invite."
Lee Seo-yeon stuttered a greeting, but Shin Jeong-hwa didn't even glance.
Her eyes were forcibly locked on the man beside her—she couldn't turn away.
"Th-This is my partner for tonight..."
Cute and handsome coexisting.
Plus the decadent allure in his gaze, like a 'woman's' charm.
"Thanks for the invite."
The man spoke to the entranced Shin Jeong-hwa, who'd lost her focus.
"I'm Yoo Jun-hyuk. Nice to meet you."