'The Extra' Presents 'Hope' to the 'Protagonist' (2)
The female student scowled at Eunhyeon's attitude, as he boldly commanded her in a forceful tone, matching her own arrogant demeanor without flinching.
She hadn't paid him much mind from afar.
But now, with the distance between them narrowed to the point where she could touch him if she stretched out her arm, she found herself instinctively shrinking back from his towering height—though she tried not to let it show on her face.
His upturned lips, as if mocking her, made her feel like he was looking down on her, which soured her mood even more.
Slightly intimidated by his presence and hesitating for a moment, she soon wore an expression of wounded pride toward this plainly dressed man, wondering why she'd ever felt afraid of him.
Even after he'd laid out the perfect opportunity, she still didn't act, so Eunhyeon provoked her once more.
"What, is it because of the height difference? Can't reach my face even if you cast Water Ball? If that's it, here."
With another sneer, he bent his knees to match her eye level.
Already displeased with him, she fully took the bait at this.
"How dare you!"
Even faster than when she'd targeted Erin, she conjured the same Water Ball, her face flushed red and purple as she shoved it right onto Eunhyeon's unresisting head.
"Ah!"
Seeing Eunhyeon suffer the same fate as her, Erin jumped up in shock.
She tried to rush to him, but the other two girls, who had been watching, grabbed her arms and held her back.
"Let go of me!"
Struggling even more fiercely than before and glaring daggers, Erin's resistance caught them off guard—it was nothing like her earlier pitiful writhing.
Startled, the two girls lost their grip, and Erin's arms broke free.
Finally unbound, she hurried toward Eunhyeon to help, but the unexpected sight made her freeze and stare blankly at the pair.
The girl who had cast the spell was just as flustered.
Eunhyeon offered no resistance at all, and his face, submerged in the Water Ball hovering over her hand, was utterly serene.
Like he was simply holding his breath underwater.
It was a problem easily solved by just holding one's breath, after all.
But Erin, with her arms pinned and panting in panic, hadn't been able to reach that simple, calm conclusion.
Eunhyeon, eyes closed in peaceful composure within the Water Ball, soon opened them. Peering through her fingers at the girl's panicked face, he flashed a grin.
Then, in one swift motion, he grabbed her neck with one hand and hoisted her up effortlessly.
"Gah... ack!"
With her neck gripped and lifted by Eunhyeon, the girl could no longer maintain the spell. The water barrier around his head shattered just like it had with Erin earlier, soaking him completely.
As Eunhyeon tightened his grip ever so slightly on her slender neck, her windpipe compressed. She gasped desperately, unable to breathe properly.
Her thin arms flailed weakly at his iron hold, her legs kicking futilely in agony.
"When you crush someone's windpipe like this, they can't breathe. And without air, they die. You don't even need magic—anyone can do something like this. I really hope you'll accept my kindness."
"Guh... hrrk!"
"S-stop it!"
The other girls, stunned by the sudden turn, snapped out of it and screamed, rushing over to intervene.
They grabbed his arm, trying to pry his hand away to save their leader, but even with both clinging desperately, his arm didn't budge an inch.
"Wh-what is this? It's like steel!"
In fact, they were horrified by how immovable his arm was, like a boulder, during their futile efforts to force it down.
"What's wrong?"
"Huh?"
"This is your so-called 'social activity,' isn't it? You were doing great just a minute ago. Why stop now?"
Seeing his wide, knowing smile, the two girls realized he was fully aware and mocking them with his words.
He was recreating what they'd done to Erin—not with magic, but with raw physical force—and rubbing it in.
'This guy's completely insane!'
To threaten a noble lady like this? It wasn't just bold; it was suicidal. What kind of twisted mind did he have?
"Pl... ease... save... me..."
The leader, her throat crushed in Eunhyeon's grip, rolled her eyes back, teetering on the brink of death, foam bubbling from her lips as she begged hoarsely.
Anyone could see she was in mortal danger.
"Stop..."
Having caught her breath, Erin murmured weakly, but Eunhyeon glanced her way.
The others hadn't heard her faint voice yet.
"Stop it!"
Erin shouted louder this time, and only then did he release his grip on the leader.
"Gahk! Cough! Cough!"
Dropping to the ground the moment he let go, the girl gasped raggedly, coughing violently.
Her body heaved with each spasm as the other two checked on her, then looked up at Eunhyeon with terrified eyes.
"You... think you'll get away with this unscathed?"
"Why? Gonna tattle to her parents?"
"Ha! Once this gets out, you're done—your whole family, everyone connected to you! You picked the wrong person to mess with!"
"Sounds fun. Go ahead, tell them."
"Wh-what...?"
His encouraging tone left the girl supporting their leader flustered instead.
Thinking about it, no one would do something like this without a plan. That would be sheer idiocy.
"I'll make sure to report every single detail. Including everything you did to this girl. I'm dying to see how the ducal house reacts when they learn you touched someone under their protection."
"Urk...!"
The girl was at a loss for words, her face twisted in frustration.
It was true—they had been bullying Erin, and if that got out publicly, it would be disastrous for them.
But backing down like this grated on her, so she spat out a feeble retort.
"Nearly killing a noble lady is a different story."
"It was just social club activities."
His sneering insistence on that line was infuriatingly smug.
"Besides, I didn't kill her."
"Ha?"
"And you didn't kill this girl either."
The implication—'That's why I let you live'—drained the blood from their faces.
In other words, if he hadn't stopped, and if Erin had died, he wouldn't have hesitated to kill a noble lady.
"You're a psycho..."
"That's some rough language for a noble lady."
Eunhyeon didn't stop mocking them right up to the end.
The more he spoke, the angrier they got. Grinding their teeth, one hurled a genuine curse under her breath while helping their leader away in a hasty retreat.
"......"
"......"
Now, only Eunhyeon and Erin remained in the back garden, an awkward silence settling between them.
Erin kept her head down, unsure what to say to him.
She'd been seen at her absolute lowest by the one person she least wanted to witness it.
A mix of shock, shame, plummeting self-esteem, and more swirled within her.
There was also unease and fear from glimpsing the fierce side of the always kind, smiling Eunhyeon who'd treated her so gently.
If she hadn't stopped him, would he really have strangled that girl to death?
Erin agonized over how to face him now.
Lost in her thoughts with her head bowed, she suddenly felt something drape over her shoulders and looked up.
Eunhyeon had produced a black coat from somewhere, slipping it over her and fastening the buttons.
"Ah..."
Only then did Erin realize she was drenched like a drowned rat, her white shirt clinging transparently to reveal her undergarments. Her face flushed crimson.
"I-I can do it myself!"
She hunched away from him, fumbling to fix her clothes and pull on the coat herself.
Eunhyeon stepped back, puzzled by her fluster, but smiled faintly as she composed herself.
"Ah..."
Erin stared blankly at his pure smile—not the mocking sneer he'd worn for those girls, but a genuine one.
'It's different.'
Something felt off; the Eunhyeon she'd seen today was terrifying and unfamiliar. But this smile directed at her was the usual Eunhyeon, filling her with inexplicable relief and joy.
"Th-thank you."
Snapping out of it belatedly, she glanced at him nervously before finally expressing her gratitude for saving her from those girls.
"Honestly, I was just gonna watch."
"Yeah..."
"But I couldn't stand seeing you like that anymore."
"Yeah..."
Erin bowed her head lower at his words.
She'd insisted she could handle it alone, tough it out, keep going to school.
But having her pathetic display exposed made her already rock-bottom self-esteem plummet further.
"Why are you making that face?"
"Huh?"
Erin looked up in surprise at his gentle hand stroking her hair.
"You didn't do anything wrong. The world's just full of trash."
Erin listened in a daze, saying nothing.
"You want to see Elvin again, right?"
"...Yeah."
She nodded slowly.
"Got things you wanna say to him?"
"Yeah."
"Wanna tell him you're okay now? That you can handle things on your own?"
"Yeah."
Erin nodded vigorously again.
It was the guilt buried deep in her heart.
Because she hadn't resisted at all, just curled up trembling.
That's why her brother had no choice but to make that decision.
Because she'd relied only on him, done nothing herself, leading to this outcome.
She kept tearing herself down like that.
Bad thoughts bred bad situations, self-blame for those situations fueled more bad thoughts, creating a vicious cycle of worsening circumstances.
Eunhyeon had hoped Erin would break the cycle herself, but the fragile girl, her self-esteem in ruins, had no strength left.
So, for the first time, he intervened directly with the 'protagonist' Erin.
She had no pillar to lean on right now.
She needed support like Elvin had provided, so Eunhyeon spoke.
"I'll raise you."
"Eh...?"
"It'll be brutal. You'll be hungry, cold, exhausted, in pain. But if you've still got the fire in you to change this pathetic version of yourself..."
Erin's eyes widened as she stared at him, absorbing his words.
"Don't doubt a thing. Trust me and follow. I'll carve out your path."
"Ah..."
Eunhyeon was smiling.
Not with disappointment or contempt for her mess, but a gentle, reassuring one.
Seeing it, tears welled up unbidden.
Everyone had looked down on her, offered no help.
Far from it—they'd scorned, despised, mocked her, as if shouting, 'You're unnecessary in this world.'
She'd even given up on herself, but this man said it wasn't too late and told her to follow.
How moving, how grateful those words were.
Tears brimming, Erin—for the first time in two weeks—smiled genuinely with joy and nodded.
Verdandi smiled at the sight of Erin happily trailing behind Eunhyeon.
She was pleased by her devoted apostle's commendable actions.
Worried yet far more expectant about what this would bring to the girl's growth and change.
Today too, the 'extra' presented 'hope' to the 'protagonist'.