Chapter 24
Translator - Zofu
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* * *
Han Ye-rin's confession that she wanted to have outdoor sex was enough to put me in a state of shock.
The intensity of the play... felt like it suddenly broke through the ceiling. Until lunchtime ended and the sky turned colors with sunset and dark clouds, my head was filled with complicated thoughts.
It felt like a bolt from the blue.
It felt like the final period had been stamped on my life. Han Ye-rin was giggling, pleased about something. Fuck. Han Ye-rin and Kim Seok-hyun held hands and headed out the door. It was a look that said to follow them if I felt like it. I got up from my seat. It's complicated.
Tomorrow... should I just skip the academy?
It's a meaningless thought. I can't skip now.
Because Han Ye-rin right now isn't in her right mind.
The sky is gloomy. The dark clouds scattered everywhere represented my current state of mind.
I trudged out into the hallway. Han Ye-rin and Kim Seok-hyun were probably waiting in the limousine.
I walked down the hallway feeling like a pig being dragged to a slaughterhouse. Then.
"Hii..."
I spotted the witch. The witch slowly waved her hand toward me.
Today's bathroom sex overlapped in my head, making my shoulders shudder involuntarily.
"H-huh!? Hello?"
"You seem... a bit down... Are you okay...? Is something wrong...?"
Han Seol-ah worried about me.
"Hahaha. Nothing's wro... ng?"
Actually there's a fucking lot. I awkwardly turned my head away.
"Um... You don't have to use honorifics..."
"Huh?"
Han Seol-ah suddenly said I could speak casually to her.
Still... is that okay?
"I just... want to get closer... You don't have to use honorifics..."
"H-huh?"
Han Seol-ah suddenly... wanted to be friends with me.
It's sudden. Wh-what? I had to go have forced outdoor sex with Han Ye-rin, and my already complicated head got even more complicated.
Han Seol-ah was different from me.
I'd really come into the academy with nothing, and the only thing Han Seol-ah had in common with me was family circumstances, but thanks to her overwhelming 'magic', even those picky noble kids bowed down and called her a 'witch'.
She might not have been at Han Ye-rin or Kim Seok-hyun's level, but she was still a pretty famous figure in Korean society.
And that person suddenly said she wanted to be friends with me.
Really... what the hell?
"Shou... ld we?"
"Yeah... You don't have to use honorifics..."
Han Seol-ah nodded. Fine. I don't know anymore. Being friends would be good.
Han Seol-ah came closer and grabbed my collar with her hand.
"Um... hey..."
"Yes? Wait, yeah?"
Han Seol-ah hesitated, then looked up at me.
"Tomorrow... during lunchtime... are you free...?"
Rolling her eyes around, Han Seol-ah waited for my answer.
Tomorrow during lunchtime... is she asking if I'm free...?
Han Seol-ah smacked her lips while looking at me.
My complicated head spun tightly. I'd thought she'd just say hi and go, but I guessed not.
Should I just refuse and say it's fine?
As the waiting time gradually grew longer, Han Seol-ah's eyes started to moisten. Wait. My heart grew impatient. I nodded my head. Now even I... don't know.
"Okay... tomorrow... let's meet at the bench..."
"Okay..."
Han Seol-ah let go of my collar. I blankly watched Han Seol-ah walking in the opposite direction.
"...Phew."
Now it's time to be dragged back to the slaughterhouse. A sigh escaped automatically.
I trudged out of the academy and headed toward Han Ye-rin's limousine.
* * *
I stuffed the assignments I'd been putting off into my bag.
Before I knew it, it was after school. After roughly greeting my friends and confirming everyone had left the academy, I headed to classroom 2-A with my boyfriend. I tried to make as little noise as possible, walking on tiptoes before pressing against the hallway wall.
Today too... they'd do it, right?
Outdoor sex.
I held my breath and waited. I kept... waiting. Then I heard rustling sounds from inside.
Are they doing it now?
My body trembled. So they're doing it now.
"What... is a student doing here?"
"Huh?"
The classroom door opened and the security guard came out.
The security guard... why is he here...?
My pounding heart suddenly turned cold. My head was filled with panic.
The old guard alternated suspicious looks between the two of us. Wait, what about Kim Tae-ho and Han Ye-rin?
"N-no! Nothing's happening."
"Are you waiting for someone?"
"N-no, no!? No one! I'll just be going now!"
"Huh? What?"
I grabbed my boyfriend by the nape and quickly fled the hallway. What the... what? They're not doing it today?
For no reason, my face flushed with shame. I'd finally psyched myself up to watch, and it's not happening?
I want to watch, but I can't. I don't know where Kim Tae-ho went.
When I stepped outside, I saw a limousine speeding down the road in the distance.
That limousine... was Han Ye-rin's.
"Sigh..."
So today they're doing it at Han Ye-rin's mansion, not at school. The sky-high expectations came crashing down to earth.
If only I could know when they're doing it outside...
"...Hmm?"
If I can't know... can't I make it so I can know?
My eyes lit up. With my family's power, there's nothing I can't do.
Using an 'artifact'... it's possible.
I can 'gift' Kim Tae-ho an artifact with a location tracking function.
That's right. Come to think of it... Kim Tae-ho said he wanted to join the Special Forces, right?
A combat artifact. Let's give him a physical enhancement artifact.
'Later, as an apology, I'll buy you something.'
Our previous conversation echoed in my head. I'd already planted the seed.
If you don't know where the puppy is, just attach a bell.
Just wait a little.
* * *
My lower back was sore.
Han Ye-rin must have developed a taste for the previous 'Geum Tae-yang' sex, because yesterday during sex she kept commanding me to spew 'humiliating words'.
I spewed out every filthy word imaginable in front of the couple.
In the classroom, I spat out unpleasant words trying to escape the situation, but yesterday... it felt forced under duress.
Both body and mind were exhausted.
I just want... to rest a little. Today I really didn't want to get out of bed. It felt like it was getting harder and harder. The previous relationship seemed better than the current one.
Today... they said we'd do it outside.
My head throbbed. I'd endured this far because I had a goal to kill Fenrir, the one who killed my father... but I wondered if I could really keep my sanity intact between this crazy couple.
I looked at the seat next to me, and saw Han Ye-rin sitting in my seat.
Her expression was blank. That's to be expected. Yesterday I couldn't properly act out 'Geum Tae-yang'. It was forced acting to begin with, so aside from being awkward, I couldn't carry it out properly.
Han Ye-rin nervously tapped her pen on the desk.
Since I hadn't done it properly yesterday, her lust had probably built up. Fear crept up my spine. That lust will probably... be released outdoors today? Fuck. Where will we do it? A park? A bathroom? A playground? A movie theater?
Wherever it is, there's only one thing that's despairing. A sigh escaped automatically.
Before I knew it, the bell rang. It's lunchtime.
Come to think of it... Han Seol-ah said to meet at the bench during lunch today, right? Is it the bench where we first met?
Han Ye-rin looked at me with twitching eyebrows. Let's just get out of here. As long as I'm not by this couple's side, anything is fine. Let's escape.
I trudged to the bench with weak steps. Han Seol-ah was already waiting for me.
"Hii..."
"Hey."
Han Seol-ah sat modestly and waved at me. I sat next to Han Seol-ah too.
"But why did you call me here?"
"...Just because?"
What the hell is this now.
What, just because?
My expression was colored with confusion. Is she similar to Han Ye-rin?
"I just... want to get closer..."
Han Seol-ah said that and lowered her head, fidgeting with her fingers. Then she turned her head sideways and looked at me with a slightly sad expression.
"Is that... not okay...?"
It's not that it's not okay.
Her fidgeting was a little cute, so a slight smile formed on my face. I don't know why she wants to get closer, but isn't that a good thing? I shook my head left and right and looked at Han Seol-ah.
"It's not that it's not okay."
"Right...? So we're friends now...?"
I nodded my head. It's just words for now, but who knows. Maybe I'll become friends with a walking army. She doesn't seem to have a bad personality, she's cute, and just seems nice. But why me of all people? This question kept spinning in my head. Even with how I am now, it shouldn't be easy to approach me.
"But, um, Han Seol-ah? Why do you want to be friends with me?"
"You can call me Seol-ah... it's okay..."
Already calling me by name? A question mark appeared above my head. My eyes met Han Seol-ah's.
"When you want to be friends... you don't need much of a reason..."
"Huh?"
"I just like you... that's why I want to be friends..."
And she said you don't need a grand reason to make friends.
Come to think of it, I get it too. You become friends just because you like each other. Maybe because I'd been at the academy for two years, I'd come to think of it as just another social networking event between families and chaebols that happened as naturally as breathing. Both Han Seol-ah and I were in similar circumstances, but networking for the future didn't need to be the reason.
Our minds connected. That reason alone is enough to become friends.
Realizing this fact a bit late, I felt a corner of my chest filling up with warmth.
She really wanted to be friends in the purest sense. She was the second friend I'd made at the academy since Kim Seok-hyun.
No... Kim Seok-hyun... forget it. Right now that's closer to sex business than friendship.
So is Han Seol-ah practically my only friend at the academy?
I kept... wanting to cry... fuck.
I rummaged through my pocket. A handkerchief... ah fuck.
Han Ye-rin took it, didn't she? I grabbed my head with my hand. Even when she's not here, she still interferes with me to the end. This is driving me crazy.
"Um... don't have a handkerchief...?"
"Ah sorry, Han Ye-rin took that handkerchief... really sorry."
I bowed my head apologetically. Han Ye-rin is the problem, as always.
"Does Han Ye-rin... just take things like that...?"
"She doesn't usually take things, but weirdly she took it then. I don't know the reason either."
Before she would just bully me, not take things. Why she's doing that... I don't know either.
"Hmm... here's a handkerchief."
"H-huh? No no it's okay Seol-ah."
"Just take it... I can at least do this much... because we're friends..."
Then she put a gray handkerchief in my hand. Instead of getting angry that I'd lost my handkerchief, she gave me a new one. She's... way too nice? I wiped the corners of my eyes with the handkerchief in my hand. I felt a little bit of my heart filling up.
"Ah... because we're friends... that's what I should do..."
"Huh?"
Han Seol-ah took out her phone.
"Can you... give me your phone number...?"
My eyes widened. Right. Since we're friends, we should exchange numbers? A smile formed on my face. Yeah, this is what real friends do. It was my first number exchange since coming to the academy. Come to think of it, with Kim Seok-hyun... no, forget it. I don't need that pervert's number. What I want is a 'real friend's' number.
A smile bloomed on my face.
It felt like I'd come to a lounge after getting beaten up every time. I quickly took out my phone too.
"Yeah... thanks..."
"No, I'm the one who should be thankful."
A broad smile formed on my face.
Yeah, this was the relationship I'd always wanted. I'd always wanted an equal friendship, not a master-servant relationship. Not vertical, but horizontal. A friendship where we rely on each other.
After exchanging numbers, a faint smile appeared on Han Seol-ah's face.
It was a pure smile. Just an ordinary smile because she was happy.
Once again, my heart felt full.
Not a smile from getting fucked in pleasure, not a smile from superiority while tormenting me, an untainted smile.
This was the smile I'd always wanted.
Looking at Han Seol-ah, I smiled too.
"From now on... if anything difficult happens... contact me..."
"Thank you..."
I felt genuinely grateful.
She said it was okay to lean on her. I'm happy. She's just pure. A pure person.
"Ah... I think the bell will ring soon... should I go...?"
"Oh, yeah. Bye Seol-ah."
"You too, bye..."
Seol-ah waved and disappeared, enveloped in light.
A corner of my chest warmed. That's the kind of meeting it was.
If... I had opened the door then...
"...Sigh"
If I had opened the door in that bathroom then, Han Seol-ah wouldn't have even looked for me. She would have just treated me like I didn't exist.
I almost lost a friend because of Han Ye-rin.
In the end, it was all because of Han Ye-rin.
Even as the bell rang and I headed back to class.
My sighs didn't stop.
* * *
Physical enhancement alone didn't seem enough.
I racked my brain. It had to be something Kim Tae-ho couldn't refuse, but if it was too expensive he might refuse because he'd feel burdened. At a reasonable price... something the guy would like...
"Hii..."
While I was thinking, Han Seol-ah sat next to me.
I gave a quick smile at Seol-ah's greeting and went back to deep thought. What would the guy like...?
Should I just ask someone if I don't know?
Who should I ask... let's just ask anyone. I turned my head to the side.
"Seol-ah."
"Yeah...?"
"Do you happen to know a good gift for a guy?"
"Huh...? Who are you giving it to?"
"My boyfriend."
I roughly deflected.
"How would I know... but..."
"Yeah?"
"You've been dating for over 3 years... and you don't know what he likes...?"
"Hmm."
She asked me, tilting her head innocently. Did I deflect too roughly?
"It's not for your boyfriend... is it?"
"Urk."
She's perceptive. I avoided eye contact. Han Seol-ah looked at me.
"Could it be... for Kim Tae-ho...?"
"Huh? Huh?"
How does she know? I was flustered. My eyes met Han Seol-ah's.
"You don't have any close male friends... and I doubt it's a gift for your dad... there's only one guy you've met recently..."
"..."
True, besides Seok-hyun, there weren't many guys I met. Even if there were, it was just occasional greetings, not enough to call them friends. But, to identify someone this quickly? Is there some magic?
"But... I have bad news..."
"Huh?"
"Even if you give a gift, Han Ye-rin... takes things..."
Han Seol-ah made a slightly sullen expression.
"I... had my handkerchief taken too..."
What... does this mean? My head got complicated. Han Ye-rin takes things? This was unexpected.
I grabbed my head. More work had been added. I'd thought just giving the artifact would be the end of it, but there was an interfering factor.
How... do I solve this? If I just give the gift recklessly, Han Ye-rin will take it. There's no point.
Wait a moment, come to think of it... I'm the second daughter of Ije, aren't I?
I'm one of the people Han Ye-rin can't properly mess with. She may be more powerful, but she can't completely push out Ije. Rather, Null Group wants to be on good terms with Ije, not fight them.
Mulsan Group is the same. It's not a fight where I'll lose. If you include my boyfriend, it's Ije and Han Seok-ga.
I can't just give an artifact. I need to give it meaning.
"Hmm..."
A gift from Ije's second daughter to a 'friend'.
Not just a gift given, but making it a gift from a friend.
And if I add that it's for a friend with the will to kill Fenrir.
Even Han Ye-rin would have a hard time taking that thing.
Because if she takes it, I and the family head won't stay quiet.
Creating a reason she can't take it.
...Let's become 'friends' with Kim Tae-ho!
A new goal had emerged.
* * *