For My Survival (2)
Honestly speaking, Choi Yu-jin couldn't understand Yoo Si-woo at all. He'd changed so drastically, almost in an instant, to the point where it felt like a completely different person had taken over. It was too extreme to dismiss the version of him she'd seen back at the dorms as mere pretense.
"Sunbae. Didn't you go to school with that sunbae?"
"We were classmates in our first year before I enlisted."
"Then how..."
"We lost touch after I went to the army. And he wasn't like that back then. He'd handle all the group project prep by himself and never complain about it later."
Even those who knew the old Yoo Si-woo from the past felt the same way. Was it the environment that changed people? But that didn't quite fit either—this transformation was too profound, and everyone dropped into this place had gone through the same trials simultaneously.
So Choi Yu-jin decided: I'll judge based solely on the facts I've seen myself. Not on others' memories or perspectives, just my own experiences.
A guy who'd gone completely off the rails since arriving in this otherworld. For survival, he wouldn't hesitate to sell his body to a naked dark elf beauty or let a girl he barely knew suck his dick.
...A guy with a cock so massive it was hard to even fit in her mouth.
She'd only licked it once with her tongue, but Choi Yu-jin instinctively knew that single blowjob was the root of why she was in this position now.
"Yu-jin unnie!"
"What did sunbae say?"
Her juniors and classmates approached—women she should now call "comrades." Back at college, they'd have sized each other up or formed cliques, but here they were openly treating Choi Yu-jin as their leader.
"What did Yoo Si-woo sunbae say?"
Just because she'd had a one-on-one talk with him.
Especially the ones from the group that had supposedly traded info with him before—they shot her jealous glares.
"He, like, groped her ass or something."
In college—or what she now had to call the "modern world"—they'd have mocked her, saying she should sue for sexual harassment. But Choi Yu-jin could only force down her rising smirk.
Seeing the envious stares from these women at the hand on her ass made her acutely aware, once again, of where she was.
"So what?"
This wasn't the modern world anymore.
"I'd already braced myself to suck dick, so a little ass-grab is mild. No big deal. He said he'd come find me tonight once things settle."
"T-tonight? Alone?"
"You don't mean..."
Her classmates and juniors exchanged glances, confirming their shared suspicions with eye contact, then swallowed hard as they looked at Choi Yu-jin.
"Are you really going?"
"Kim Chae-rin."
Amid the chatter, one female hero asked Choi Yu-jin. The prettiest one here objectively—the type who'd have been the most popular with guys back home. In a normal place, she'd either be the natural female leader or get bullied for being "too pretty," the baby of the group.
"Yes, unnie?"
"What, you wanna go instead?"
"N-no! That's not it. I mean..."
She denied it, but Choi Yu-jin caught on immediately. Not just Kim Chae-rin—others had realized it too.
"...If that's what he wants, I could go in your place. You saved us, unnie."
"No, Yu-jin-ah. I'll go. You've suffered enough already."
She wanted to say: Contact with Yoo Si-woo is the safest path to survival, whatever comes next. Don't cross the line.
"No, it's not like that."
Choi Yu-jin shook her head, drawing a firm boundary even though she knew damn well why he'd summoned her. She flashed an innocent smile at Kim Chae-rin and the others.
"Si-woo oppa was rough with that madam, but this is the place we live in now, right? He probably called me 'cause I'm easy for him to deal with."
Where do these bitches think they're slinking off to?
"We've run into each other a few times before. Got some tips from him when I was solo."
Unlike you idiots who got chained up like dogs by Park Chang-su and dragged around—if me and Si-woo hadn't helped, you'd be a whore in some brothel, nothing but a cumdump for gladiator fighters.
"First things first—how about we focus on winning to escape this place? It wasn't planned, but I snagged 1 win from Si-woo oppa already. A few more victories, and we're out."
I'm different from you lot. My 1 win was handed to me personally by Yoo Si-woo.
"Let's prioritize survival. Si-woo sunbae won't bother helping dead weight, right? Isn't that so, Chae-rin-ah?"
"Y-yes..."
Maintaining her smile, Choi Yu-jin shot a silent warning at Kim Chae-rin and the rest. They weren't oblivious—they'd get it.
College ties meant nothing to Yoo Si-woo here. In this world, competence made you special.
In that sense, Choi Yu-jin had half her body under his protection already.
Even if... no one said it outright, but she knew it herself too.
"Yu-jin unnie."
"Yeah?"
"Did you... hear anything about Yu-hee?"
The one truly inside his circle—the most special, and currently the only one—stirred a twinge of unease in Choi Yu-jin.
"Nothing specific."
A guy who'd made a bland girl suck his dick. Would he have left Shin Yu-hee untouched?
If Yoo Si-woo defined relationships with women through sex, how far had he gone with her?
"But... Si-woo oppa's probably still watching out for her. Maybe he didn't bring her this time 'cause he didn't want her seeing him risk death."
Choi Yu-jin was certain: he'd already fucked Shin Yu-hee.
Otherwise, why pass on a girl like her—someone he could drag straight to bed and pound— to go for Shin Yu-hee?
"Ah..."
Kim Chae-rin sighed in pity, averting her eyes like she'd pieced something together.
"Shin Yu-hee."
She flinched.
Choi Yu-jin called her name at Kim Chae-rin's reaction, shaking her head curtly.
"Ran into her when she was with oppa last time. She seemed totally different too."
Don't even think about cozying up to Shin Yu-hee.
"Must be thanks to Si-woo oppa. But I kinda get why he keeps her around."
"Why?"
Kim Chae-rin's voice carried a hint of venom. She probably thought she was hotter, yet Yoo Si-woo stuck with Shin Yu-hee.
"Remember what the angel said? We're reserve heroes."
The term Yoo Si-woo kept using for everyone. Choi Yu-jin hadn't forgotten.
"In oppa's eyes, she was the only one worthy of his hero party. The rest... well."
She trailed off deliberately.
"Anyway, we'll find out when we talk later."
The reserve heroes' faces soured. If the bedroom summon wasn't for sex but for "party recruitment"?
"Let's do what we gotta do first. It's fine—oppa showed us. Stab 'em and they die like anyone else."
Since she'd already proven herself to pique his interest, the path to grabbing that golden lifeline was simple: demonstrate ability.
"If it's too tough, tell me. I'll talk to Si-woo oppa for you."
The incompetent. Those needing help.
She'd report their aid upward, but they'd never enter his circle.
"One step at a time. Steady."
But they'd advance somehow. The reserves, and Choi Yu-jin too.
"Who knows? Maybe Si-woo oppa calls us once he hits 4 wins."
In a world where life hung by a thread, clinging to the strong was no sin.
"I'll help. Si-woo oppa told me—if we head to the training grounds over there..."
After handing the reserve heroes off to Choi Yu-jin.
"Sunbae!"
I headed straight back to Shemiri's restaurant, where Shin Yu-hee—in light clothes—spotted me and charged.
She hugged me tight.
"What? Why are you crying?"
I hadn't even washed off the blood properly, but she clung to me, tears streaming.
"You're okay, right? Right?"
Shin Yu-hee's eyes avoided mine, fixed clearly on where the rapier had pierced me.
"...What? You saw? How?"
"There's ways."
Shemiri waved it off.
"Sorry. Knew you wanted to keep her from seeing under training pretext, but thought it best she did."
"You did it, Shemiri?"
"Yeah. Felt necessary."
"......Tch."
I patted Shin Yu-hee's back.
"Didn't wanna show you fighting recklessly relying on potions or holy power—could make bad habits."
"Sunbae..."
"Watch close, Shin Yu-hee."
I pushed her back gently, then stripped off my bloodied armor and clothes.
"Scar still there?"
"Yes."
The rapier wound had clearly healed thanks to Chekhov's blood magic, but the color differed from the surrounding skin.
"As long as you don't die, wounds heal. You know that from the survival log. But not recommended."
"Why not?"
"Obvious."
I grabbed her waist with both hands and hoisted her up effortlessly.
"No plans to teach my woman fight styles that scar her pretty face or body."
"Ah..."
"I'm teaching you to protect that body, not to take hits winning fights."
"Sunbae..."
"Shemiri. Shower time. No refusals."
"All yours."
Shemiri raised her hands, pointing to the back kitchen. I carried Shin Yu-hee straight there.
"Let's see how much Shemiri taught you."
"I didn't learn sex—"
"Just washing together, not fucking?"
"Ah."
She flailed in surprise, mouth agape.
"...You're not gonna?"
She bit her lower lip, trembling.
"As if."
I pecked her.
"Choi Yu-jin wanted to fuck me."
"What?"
"Said it's fine to straight-up rail her in front of everyone, not just a public dick-suck."
"That unnie, seriously...!"
"Turned her down and came here instead."
I kissed her cheek, carrying her into the shower.
"To fuck you."