Ch 39-46 - Online Story Read Mode

Chapter 39 – Whether It's Good Luck or Bad Luck (4)

Fear.

"Ha, ha, ha."

Fear is the most primal emotion humans possess.

It is the irrational sensation of extreme anxiety, disgust, and terror that dominates the entire body in response to certain situations or objects.

Fear, imprinted deep within the brain, heart, or genes, is an essential element for survival.

Humans fear the dark, fear strange creatures, and fear heights because they instinctively know these pose threats to their survival.

In essence, feeling fear is akin to sensing a threat to one's life.

Thus, Matteo's decision to ﬂee for his life was a perfectly rational choice for a human being.

After all, hadn't he nearly been killed by that man's hand? A blade dripping with blood.

Walls and ﬂoors stained with red liquid.

The pungent smell of blood and the screams of his comrades.

All these memories vividly resurfaced in Matteo's mind as if they had happened just yesterday.

A dreadful past he wished to forget.

But this memory became a thorn embedded deep within Matteo's mind, never to be removed.

Seong Yura had taken him in, and he had almost forgotten, but he never imagined he would face that man again in this place.

Why now? "Damn it."

Matteo cursed quietly.

The more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. Hadn't he been a butcher who made a living by taking lives?

As a hitman, he had taken countless lives and sometimes instilled fear in others.

Known infamously as "The Crescent Moon" in the underworld, Matteo now found his current state utterly laughable.

Running away without even considering a ﬁght. How pathetic.

"Ha, hoo…"

Matteo panted intermittently, wiping the sweat off his temples with his left hand.

He had ﬂed with all his might, fearing the man might change his mind.

Thanks to that, he managed to completely disappear from Lee Jinhyuk's sight, but he had consumed too much mana and stamina.

If it were the usual Matteo, he would have distributed his mana and stamina calmly while ﬂeeing, but not today.

No, he couldn't.

He wasn't his usual self.

People often behave differently when trapped in trauma.

They may shiver with extreme anxiety, exhibit lethargic behavior, or react violently to the object of their trauma.

It may seem irrational, but isn't that what trauma is?

Matteo, whose trauma was more severe than he had thought, couldn't make a rational judgment at the thought that Lee Jinhyuk might be the Vigilante.

However.

"Ha, hoo, we made it, right? Leader?" "…"

"Leader?"

"…"

This time, he hadn't lost his comrades.

It might seem laughable for a criminal who toys with and tramples on others' lives to think of comrades, but even beasts cherish their offspring.

Having once dreamt of being a hero, and with the trauma of losing his comrades to the Vigilante, Matteo thought more about comrades now.

Though he was living the life of a hitman, Matteo once… 'Why did I choose this path?'

A memory from the past ﬂashed through his mind.

In the past, he had entered the Hero Training Institute with high hopes, but the lack of supernatural abilities and his fatal weaknesses in ﬁghting large monsters led to him being bullied by the trainees.

At that time, many trainees were elitists, believing that those with supernatural abilities were superior, and Matteo, who lacked such abilities, became a target.

While training for combat against humans, he accidentally crippled a trainee, faced heavy criticism and ﬁnally dropped out, wandering into the underworld.

His ﬁrst kill had made his heart pound and his mind go white, but now it was just monotonous.

Conscience, heinous crimes, brutal murders—all dulled overtime.

Once dreaming of being a hero, Matteo had become a mere villain.

"What's wrong, Leader?" "Nothing."

Matteo snapped back to reality at Lee Han's voice. "How is Park Sooyoung?"

"She lost consciousness due to severe blood loss. She probably needs a transfusion."

"I see. We should head back immediately."

Park Sooyoung, her head drooping from excessive blood loss, had fainted.

The bloodstains on her pants were stark.

It seemed urgent to return quickly due to the excessive bleeding.

"Let's regroup and head back…" Just then.

"Leader?"

"Quiet."

Matteo raised his dagger diagonally, staring intently beyond the bushes.

"Grr, grrr."

Several blade-leaf wolves, hiding among the bushes like nocturnal predators, were approaching silently.

"Grrrr."

They were watching intently, baring their sharp fangs.

"Monsters, huh. They must have been drawn by the blood scent."

The sight of those wolves drooling over their meaty prey was laughable.

How dare such weak monsters hiding in the mountains to avoid human eyes.

Even if Matteo was quite vulnerable in monster battles and had almost exhausted his mana and stamina, he could handle those monsters easily.

Moreover, Lee Han and Park Sooyoung were also there.

Lee Han, a reliable tank and sub-dealer, could take down those monsters without much damage on his own.

Park Sooyoung, well… She was unconscious and of no help.

"Tsk. There might not be many monsters in this forest, but if we waste time, more might come drawn by the blood scent. Let's ﬁnish this quickly."

"Yes."

Lee Han nodded in understanding.

"I'll handle those wolves. Lee Han, you protect the unconscious Park Sooyoung."

"Understood, Leader."

Matteo slowly raised his twin swords. He was a non-ability user.

Having almost no blessings in supernatural powers and mana, he was extremely vulnerable in monster battles.

To take down a monster, overwhelming ﬁrepower was required, not psychological games, rhythm-breaking tactics, or sharp, intricate skills.

Enormous ﬁrepower was needed to pierce through the massive or super-alloy-like tough hides of monsters.

Matteo, lacking strong supernatural abilities and with a naturally low mana capacity, was not suited for ﬁghting large monsters.

Monsters wouldn't die from a critical stab like humans.

Many monsters couldn't even be pierced by blades, and even if they were, they would quickly regenerate or be immune to physical attacks.

But those wolves were different.

Even with almost depleted mana and stamina, he could easily kill those monsters with a few slashes.

Thud! Thud! Thud! "What's this presence?"

A large creature with signiﬁcant mass was charging towards them like a frenzied horse.

The blade-leaf wolves turned to look brieﬂy and then quickly ﬂed the scene.

Matteo frowned and urgently commanded Lee Han. "Prepare for battle. Something's coming."

"Yes."

Avoidance was the best strategy, but with Park Sooyoung unconscious, ﬂeeing wasn't easy.

Matteo had no choice but to prepare for combat.

Then, a massive boar, smashing short trees as it charged, appeared.

A monstrous creature with a sharp horn and dark hide. "A boar…?"

"Could it be a Large-Horned Black Boar? In this forest?" A Large-Horned Black Boar.

With its sharp horn, it could impale its prey, and its tough hide could deﬂect bullets.

Its massive size made it resemble a living tank. "Leader, that thing…"

"Annoying."

It wasn't a good match-up.

Back in school, Matteo had been bullied due to his poor performance in large monster battles.

For ability users with strong ﬁrepower, it was just a large moving target, but for Matteo, lacking ﬁrepower, it was a troublesome opponent.

He didn't have enough mana left to pierce the thick, armor- like hide.

Even with suﬃcient mana, it was a resilient creature that required time to hunt.

To kill such a monster quickly, traps and heavy bombardment would be ideal.

But Matteo and Lee Han lacked such ﬁrepower.

If only Park Sooyoung were conscious, they could handle it easily with her large-scale ﬁrepower…

'We brought Lee Han and Park Sooyoung as a contingency, but now Park Sooyoung is…'

Matteo glanced at the unconscious Park Sooyoung before looking back at the black boar.

The Large-Horned Black Boar, breathing heavily, stared intently at Park Sooyoung.

It seemed highly agitated by the scent of her blood.

If left alone, it might charge at Park Sooyoung any moment.

It was quite troubling, as they couldn't block such a massive creature.

'Moreover.'

Matteo extended his senses subtly.

Several monsters were hiding quietly, waiting for an opportunity.

Though few in number and not particularly dangerous, if they attacked during or after the ﬁght with the boar, it would be quite troublesome.

Besides, they had to protect the unconscious Park Sooyoung while ﬁghting.

Without ﬁrepower to take down the massive boar quickly, they had to keep it away from Park Sooyoung.

If Matteo were in his usual condition, he could handle it. But now, with depleted stamina and mana… Considering all factors, it was best to leave this place.

'I could use Lee Han and Park Sooyoung as bait to escape easily.'

They were assigned for such a role.

They were spare parts provided by Seong Yura to compensate for Matteo's lack of attack and defense.

Matteo, who had some comradeship, could make a bold choice if it meant survival and accomplishing the mission.

However…

– Oh, trying to run away?

– You scum really have no loyalty, huh?

– Go on, run like a bug. Your comrades will end up crippled or dead.

Why did that memory resurface?

The memory of running away pathetically to survive alone. "Leader, what should we do?"

"…"

Matteo looked at Lee Han and Park Sooyoung. If Matteo ran, they would surely die.

Lee Han wouldn't abandon his unconscious comrade, so he might die with her.

In that case…

"Lee Han, take responsibility for Park Sooyoung. I'll divert its attention."

"What? Oh, okay."

Matteo adjusted his mask and thought.

People die when they do things they normally wouldn't. But after meeting the Vigilante today…

He didn't want to run away alone again.

Of course, if it were a ﬁght-to-the-death situation, it would be different, but now they could manage somehow.

He could overcome this with Lee Han's help.

He didn't want to run away alone like before. "Grrr, grrr!"

"Hoo. It's coming."

The Large-Horned Black Boar charged at Matteo, shaking the ground with its massive body.

Matteo raised his twin swords to face the boar head-on.

***

How much time had passed since I parted ways with the unknown villains?

'There it is.'

I was lying ﬂat among the bushes, staring blankly at a cave.

That shallow cave seemed to be the home of the Large- Horned Black Boar.

Following the large boar tracks and trampled grass, I managed to ﬁnd its lair.

'The Large-Horned Black Boar isn't visible? Is it out hunting?'

Peering through the shallow cave with a kaleidoscope, I couldn't see the Large-Horned Black Boar.

It couldn't easily hide its massive size, so it must have left temporarily.

Should I go into the cave and look for the Interdimensional Ring?

'…Just joking.'

I didn't want to die.

If I went in thoughtlessly and the boar returned, what would I do?

Facing the Large-Horned Black Boar head-on in a conﬁned space was suicide.

I should avoid entering the cave until the boar is dead.

'The Large-Horned Black Boar is tough, so it won't budge with ordinary ﬁrepower. That's why I brought all these.'

I ﬁddled with various special arrows for large monsters in my quiver.

To hunt the boar, strong ﬁrepower and overwhelming force were best.

Even a beginner like me could hunt it easily with the right tools.

Knowing the boar's lair, I could set traps some distance away, use blood packs to lure it out, and then…

Using magic scrolls, explosive arrows, and clay grenades, I could take down the boar.

With such overwhelming ﬁrepower, I could deﬁnitely kill the boar.

So, should I start moving?

'Alright, let's move to a suitable place to set traps… What?'

Thud, thud, thud!

Heavy footsteps were approaching slowly from a distance. The ground shook slightly with the large mass's movement.

As far as I knew, there was only one creature in this forest that could do that—the Large-Horned Black Boar…

'Is it already back?'

I turned towards the source of the footsteps.

And then…

"Squeee, squeee, squeee."

The Large-Horned Black Boar was dragging its bloodied body back.

It was covered in blood.

One eye was missing, its sharp horn broken, and its back, belly, legs, and face were all wounded.

Especially a dagger stuck in its side—wasn't that the dagger used by one of the villains?

"Squee, squee, squee…" Thud.

Exhausted, the boar collapsed right in front of the cave. The resilient boar was now barely breathing.

It seemed like it would die soon.

'Did it ﬁght those villains?'

It must have followed the scent of the wounded mage's blood.

Judging by its condition, the villains probably didn't make it safely…

'They might have died… There are other monsters in the forest besides this one.'

So, did I kill them indirectly?

Since I aimed to lure the boar by wounding the female mage…

'…'

I bit my lower lip gently.

I had prepared myself, but I felt uneasy.

I couldn't be sure they were dead, but still…

'Haa, they were villains. Don't overthink it like with Kate.' I quickly sorted out my thoughts.

Even if I indirectly killed someone, I had prepared myself for killing villains.

So, don't get depressed.

'Anyway, let's deal with the boar quickly and ﬁnd the ring.'

Other monsters might come attracted by the boar's blood scent.

Well, honestly, aside from the boar, there shouldn't be any dangerous ones.

'It's fortunate I saved many items. The villains took down the boar for me…'

Hmm.

Despite the dangerous processes, considering the result, I didn't get hurt, so today's luck might be trustworthy?

Chapter 40

Whether It's Good Luck or Bad Luck (5)

"What? No contact with Matteo's group?" Seong Yura's oﬃce.

Her expression twisted.

It was due to an unexpected report from her servant. "Yes, that's correct."

The servant was ﬂustered.

He cautiously observed Seong Yura's reaction.

If she got angry, it wouldn't end with mere reprimands. Her ruthless nature was notorious even among villains.

"Not only have we lost regular contact, but the emergency communication network is also down."

"Does that mean they're either in a situation where they can't contact us or… they're dead?"

"It seems likely."

"Sigh."

Seong Yura let out a light sigh. Why couldn't she contact Matteo?

Roxanne and Kim Deoko shouldn't pose a threat to Matteo. Moreover, she had sent two additional men just in case.

They weren't great in power, but they should have been suﬃcient to cover Matteo's weaknesses.

Even if monsters appeared in the forest, Matteo's group should have been able to handle it.

'…Surely he didn't run away?' No, no.

That couldn't be.

There was no reason for him to choose to ﬂee in the ﬁrst place.

Even if he failed the mission a bit, it wouldn't be enough to make him run.

So, did something really happen? Did some unexpected variable arise?

"What are the chances that Roxanne and Kim Deoko took down Matteo's group?"

"Very low."

"Yes, I thought so."

Seong Yura nodded to herself without adding anything further.

Matteo alone could have easily taken down the two, and she had sent additional subordinates just in case.

And even if by some miracle, Roxanne and Kim Deoko managed to defeat them, it would be strange to have lost contact until now.

Matteo would have been able to escape, and Roxanne's personality wouldn't have allowed her to kill villains anyway.

"Ugh, this is annoying. Send some men to search the mountain."

"Yes."

"Roxanne… No, leave her be for now. Send men to interrogate Kim Deoko."

"Understood."

As Seong Yura gestured with her chin, the servant bowed his head and slowly walked away.

The unexpected situation caused her irritation to rise. "Surely they didn't really die?"

It would be a shame to lose someone valuable here.

"Monsters, monsters… It's too strange to think they fell to monsters in the forest."

Is there another reason?

Perhaps someone helped Roxanne?

If that's the case, she wouldn't let it go unnoticed. Never.

***

"Wow, it was worth the effort. The Interdimensional Ring is amazing!"

I sparkled with delight in my eyes. Look at this brilliant ring.

An Interdimensional Ring!

I caressed the ring with utmost care.

"The Encyclopedia of Items said it opens another dimension for storage, but experiencing it ﬁrsthand feels different."

I looked up at the air.

In the air, slightly away from my eyes. A black ﬁssure appeared.

It looked like a crack in transparent glass.

When I tossed a pen into it, it was instantly sucked in. It entered the interdimensional space.

'In the game, it was just an inventory expansion, but in reality, it's implemented like this.'

The difference between the game and reality.

In the game, it was merely for expanding inventory, but in reality, it wasn't.

Opening a space to store various items like this… This might be more useful than I thought.

'Not bad at all.'

Using this ring, one could open an interdimensional space around themselves.

The space opened almost like a straight line, and one could freely put in and take out desired items through the gap.

'It's great that I can retrieve desired items just by thinking about them.'

When I thought of taking out the pen I had put in earlier, it popped out from the gap in the space.

It's a really convenient function.

'And I can open the interdimensional space anywhere within a 6-meter radius.'

A 6-meter radius.

The ring wearer could open the interdimensional space within a 6-meter radius.

Anywhere.

'Well, the speed of opening the space was a bit slow… but it could be used for offensive purposes too?'

For instance, if I opened the space in the ceiling and mentally dumped desired items, it could be used like a mass weapon.

Of course, dropping items from 6 meters wouldn't bother monsters, but it might affect humans.

Imagine getting hit by a bowling ball.

It wouldn't just end with some pain.

Of course, heroes or villains wouldn't die from it.

But a direct hit to the back of the head might at least cause a concussion?

'Based on my experiments so far… living creatures can't be fully stored, no time passes inside the space, the ejection speed of items is quite slow, and the storage capacity is still unknown… hmm.'

I couldn't experiment much in a short time, but overall, I was satisﬁed.

Most importantly, I could carry items I couldn't usually bring along.

With this Interdimensional Ring, I could bring many useful items into the academy, which was a relief considering the trouble villains would cause.

'So, let's see…'

I slowly turned my gaze to the other side. 'Shall I level up a bit?'

I then detached the Tears of the Moon artifact from the sword's guard.

Afterward, I dropped it into a pre-prepared mixture.

This mixture was made from items I had requested from Yoo Seolhyun. It included the newly delivered Spirit Powder, Water of Life, and Blessing of the Moon.

Though it was part of the game's setting, doing this would make the Tears of the Moon emit green light, creating a type of enhancement to fully unlock its original performance…

'Oh, it's really glowing?'

The Tears of the Moon began scattering green light from within the mixture.

According to the Encyclopedia of Items, swallowing the Tears of the Moon in this state would attach it directly to the body.

If this were a game, I would just enhance it and click to equip it, but reality isn't so simple.

'But am I really supposed to swallow this…?' Now that it came to this, I was a bit worried.

Seeing the jewel glow as I knew it would give me some reassurance, but fear still lingered.

What if something went wrong after swallowing it?

I hesitated for a moment but soon steeled my resolve and carefully took the glowing jewel out of the mixture.

Considering the future, I needed to become stronger.

According to the setting, the original use of the Tears of the Moon was to attach it directly to the body, not to other objects.

Attaching it directly to the body would unleash its true power.

Probably.

"Ah, whatever. I won't die, right?"

Muttering the number one phrase of men before their last words, I swallowed the Tears of the Moon.

And then… "Ugh, urgh."

For a moment, I felt the urge to retch, but soon I felt an unfamiliar energy surging from my stomach.

The energy gradually swept through my body before settling down.

'Oh? Did it work?'

Feeling the unknown energy, I cautiously activated my mana, intending to use the Tears of the Moon.

Then, pure mana gathered at my ﬁngertips.

'Wow, it's much easier to control mana than usual?' I went to the kitchen and grabbed a small knife.

Channeling mana into it, a blue sword aura formed. I watched the azure mana ﬂicker momentarily.

The sword aura looked much clearer and sharper than usual.

In the past, lacking mana and control, I struggled to create a sword aura.

But thanks to the Tears of the Moon, my mana eﬃciency seemed to have improved signiﬁcantly.

Though I wasn't a swordsman, being able to use such a vivid sword aura suggested I could better concentrate mana on arrowheads.

'Could I use the Sword Qi Wounder like when the artifact was attached to the sword?'

The Sword Qi Wounder, a dream technique for typical swordsmen.

It required extreme training in mana concentration, acceleration, and release.

But I could mimic it with the artifact's help.

Now that it was directly attached to my body, I thought I could use it similarly.

'Shall I give it a try?'

I slyly propped a cutting board against the wall.

Then, I cautiously generated a small amount of mana. I thought it was enough and threw it.

Oh? It really works? Crash!

A small sword aura ﬂew and split the cutting board in two. Even cracking the wall behind it.

"Now, can I release and control mana to this extent even with other weapons?"

This makes me look like a master who can use the Sword Qi Wounder!

Though I'm not skilled in swordsmanship, purely relying on the artifact to use the Sword Qi Wounder.

But what of it?

To become strong, I must actively use items like this. This isn't a game but reality.

In a place where leveling up isn't possible, getting stronger quickly means relying on items.

"My stamina consumption… seems reduced compared to before?"

Indeed, my stamina consumption had signiﬁcantly decreased.

A few months ago, using the artifact once or twice left me panting.

I had tried hard not to gasp after using the Sword Qi Wounder in front of villains.

This time, I used it lightly, but I could tell my stamina consumption had decreased greatly.

'Moreover, with the Tears of the Moon directly attached, I should survive a few magical attacks, right?'

I should be able to absorb a few hits.

Though I can't absorb supernatural abilities, absorbing magic alone is good.

Isn't it?

'I'm quite satisﬁed. It was worth the trouble.'

I chuckled and sat in a chair, looking up at the ceiling.

'Come to think of it, these past few months… I've hunted the Academy's gibbon, cleared the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon, befriended Yoo Seolhyun, farmed items from Yuksung Mountain… I've done quite a lot.'

Since entering the academy, I had continuously chased after gains based on my game knowledge.

However, I was somewhat worried that each of my hasty actions might return as a storm in the future.

After all, there's the butterﬂy effect.

My actions might have already changed many things. 'Many things have changed, huh.'

I had acted without disrupting the ﬂow of the main story.

Because I was wary of the story changing in ways I didn't know.

Information was my only advantage.

If the story deviated and my knowledge became useless, many variables could arise.

Responding to all of them would be increasingly challenging. That would be deadly for me.

'Though I didn't interfere with the main story, many things must have changed.'

For better or worse.

Many things must have changed.

This isn't a passive game but a dynamic reality.

'Oh, come to think of it, that incident must be happening soon?'

Jin Soyeon's "stalker incident," one of the story events.

In the game's story, a stalker who had a crush on Jin Soyeon would cause trouble, and the male protagonist would resolve it and gain her favor.

'If that happens, I…'

I bowed my head, pondering.

There wouldn't be much beneﬁt in getting involved directly, and Lee Siwoon, the male protagonist, would likely handle it well.

So, if I wanted to foster closeness between Soyeon and Lee Siwoon, it would be better not to intervene.

But. 'Thinking about Soyeon suffering from the stalker makes me uneasy.'

Imagining Soyeon struggling made my heart ache. After all, Soyeon was my childhood friend.

I didn't want her to suffer.

'Oh, right. Why not discreetly resolve it or assist Lee Siwoon? I can give him the credit for solving the stalker problem.'

I nodded to myself, coming out of my thoughts.

'Ah, whatever. I'm tired today, so I'll think more about it tomorrow. For now, let's clean up and get some sleep.'

I hastily tidied up the messy living room and trudged towards the bedroom.

Then, I saw the sword from which the Tears of the Moon had been removed.

That sword…

It's a ﬁne sword, but I'm not a swordsman.

Honestly, it's nice to have, but I don't necessarily need it. 'Should I just give it to Soyeon as a gift?'

I hadn't taken care of Soyeon much, and as a swordsman, she could handle the sword much better than I could.

I could ﬁnd another suitable sword for myself later. 'Great, I'll give it to Soyeon as a gift.'

With that thought, I tossed the sword into the interdimensional space.

Yawning, I lay down on the bed.

***

Somewhere in Seoul. "Huh? What?"

The Vigilante blinked.

The sword's location couldn't be tracked. Why suddenly?

"Damn it, ﬁrst you sent me on a wild goose chase to Chungnam, and now it's undetectable?"

The Vigilante's expression turned gloomy.

This scabbard didn't provide the exact distance. Why did it suddenly become undetectable?

After coming all this way.

All I wanted was to retrieve the sword…

Chapter 41 Why You? (1)

A quiet night where starlight poured through the gaps in the window.

"Sigh."

Jin Soyeon let out a deep sigh and lay on her bed, quietly gazing out the window.

It was already late, but she couldn't sleep.

For some reason, Yoo Seolhyun's words were stuck in her mind like sharp thorns and wouldn't go away.

Part of a conversation she had with Yoo Seolhyun alone at the academy was quietly echoing in her mind.

– Imagine that beautiful face hanging out with other male friends. It must have been tough for your boyfriend.

Yoo Seolhyun's nonsense about Jin Soyeon and Lee Jinhyuk's relationship, without knowing anything.

After all, why would Lee Jinhyuk ﬁnd it diﬃcult if Jin Soyeon got along well with her friends?

Jin Soyeon and Lee Jinhyuk were in a fake relationship.

Of course, Jin Soyeon might have been annoyed by the jealousy of other boys because of her fake relationship role, but she wouldn't have been troubled by hanging out with other guys.

For Lee Jinhyuk to feel troubled by such a reason would mean he liked Jin Soyeon as a woman, right?

Hmm…

Lee Jinhyuk liking Jin Soyeon as a woman? Ha, ha.

Really, what a joke.

They had been childhood friends for over ten years. They had been together since they were snotty kids. Honestly, they were almost like family.

At one time, Jin Soyeon wondered if having siblings would feel like this.

They had seen everything of each other, both good and bad. Thinking of each other as romantic interests?

No way. Absolutely not.

"…Yoo Seolhyun, talking nonsense without knowing anything."

Jin Soyeon pursed her lips and grumbled.

She knew well that there was no way Lee Jinhyuk liked her as a woman, so she could dismiss Yoo Seolhyun's words as mere rubbish.

No matter how much she thought about it, Lee Jinhyuk wouldn't see her as a romantic interest.

If Lee Jinhyuk liked Jin Soyeon, would he have so willingly agreed to break up, even if it was a fake relationship?

Even if it was fake, if he liked her…

– I thought you wanted to break up because you were tired of her hanging out with other guys.

Yoo Seolhyun's words ﬂashed through her mind.

– It must be tough for a boyfriend if his girlfriend has many male friends.

"…"

A girlfriend with many male friends…

If they were really dating, it might be tough.

No matter how much of a friend they are, seeing your romantic partner with other people of the opposite sex wouldn't be pleasant.

But what if?

What if, by any chance, Lee Jinhyuk secretly liked Jin Soyeon?

Wouldn't that mean Jin Soyeon had been making Lee Jinhyuk suffer?

Because of her request to pretend to be her fake boyfriend.

All this time, Lee Jinhyuk… "…What am I thinking?"

Jin Soyeon suddenly sat up in bed, shaking her head vigorously with a weary smile.

That would be the worst.

Not only did she ask someone she liked to pretend to be her fake boyfriend, but she also kept showing him hanging out with other people of the opposite sex.

That was truly inhumane.

Especially to her best childhood friend, Lee Jinhyuk. Even more so.

"This is just giving me a headache."

What if Jin Soyeon were in the opposite position?

She would have accepted the request for a fake relationship.

It wouldn't be pleasant, but even a fake relationship was still a relationship.

But if her romantic interest kept hanging out with other people of the opposite sex?

Even if it was a fake relationship.

Even if she was fulﬁlling such an unreasonable request? "Ah… I might not have been able to stand it."

Jin Soyeon never really liked anyone before, but if she did and they did such a thing, she would have complained soon enough.

But Lee Jinhyuk had quietly endured for years…

'No, no.'

What am I thinking again?

There's no way Lee Jinhyuk likes me. Absolutely not.

He shouldn't, and he couldn't.

But the word 'if' stuck in her mind like sticky bubble gum.

The more she tried not to think about it, the more it clung to her.

Like an inescapable quagmire.

'There's no way, but if by any chance the reason Lee Jinhyuk declared a breakup was because of that…'

Lee Jinhyuk suddenly declared a breakup.

Lately, he seemed to be avoiding Jin Soyeon, claiming to be busy.

He started hanging out more with Yoo Seolhyun.

"…"

These thoughts ﬂashed in her mind like a ﬂeeting star, leaving Jin Soyeon's mind in turmoil.

'No way, but if…'

Suddenly, a loud thud echoed in her ears.

A heavy object had fallen into the yard, causing Jin Soyeon to reﬂexively get out of bed and look out the window.

But it was dark, so she couldn't see well. Jin Soyeon bit her lower lip slightly. Could it be, again?

Jin Soyeon grabbed the training steel sword in her room and opened the window, landing in the yard.

It was a two-story drop, but Jin Soyeon was an aspiring hero. Landing from that height was easier than eating porridge.

Once in the yard, Jin Soyeon quickly turned her head to ﬁnd the source of the sound. As expected.

In one corner of the yard, a large stone lay.

Attached to the stone was a white piece of paper. As she approached to look closely, she saw 'Jin Soyeon, you slut' written in large letters.

"Again, really…"

Jin Soyeon frowned and quickly went outside the gate, but there was no one on the residential street.

It seemed whoever threw the stone quickly ﬂed after throwing it into Jin Soyeon's yard.

"Sigh. Really."

Sighing heavily, Jin Soyeon locked the gate.

This had happened before, and now it was happening again. "Tiring."

It was undoubtedly the work of someone jealous of Jin Soyeon.

Not even childish kids, yet people her age were doing this sort of thing.

Jin Soyeon had experienced this a few times before.

Getting close to popular boys provoked envy and jealousy, leading some girls to bully Jin Soyeon in various ways.

They stuffed trash in her desk, spread bad rumors, splashed water on her in the bathroom, stuck weird things on her, and more.

Jin Soyeon tried to act nonchalant, and with Lee Jinhyuk and her mother's help, the incidents were resolved well.

But due to her sociable personality, beautiful appearance, and friendships with boys, these things occasionally happened.

While she was dating Lee Jinhyuk, things had been quieter…

Even at the prestigious Union Academy, people are all the same.

'Reporting to the police wouldn't be much help, would it?'

She had reported once before, but with no signiﬁcant harm, only minor offenses like attempted vandalism and misdemeanors applied.

There were no CCTV cameras, making it hard to identify the culprit.

It seemed to be an academy student. Who was it?

'Good thing Mom is on a business trip.'

Jin Soyeon tore the paper off the stone. She quietly looked at the words for a moment. Slut. Such blatant profanity.

'…Could it be one of the girls who likes Lee Siwoon?' There were many girls who liked Lee Siwoon.

But she didn't blame Lee Siwoon. The perpetrator was the one at fault.

She shouldn't avoid him or feel intimidated because of this. She didn't want to.

It would be like succumbing to the culprit.

Should an aspiring hero yield to a mere criminal's intent? 'But calling me a slut is too much.'

Lately, bad rumors about Jin Soyeon had been circulating in her class.

There were rumors that she dumped Lee Jinhyuk to date Lee Siwoon.

'Sigh. Annoying.'

Jin Soyeon, with a slight rebellious streak, acted nonchalantly despite hearing such rumors but did feel some stress.

'Why do they always make strange rumors whenever I hang out with friends?'

With a slight frown, she tore the paper into pieces.

Her mind was already cluttered with thoughts of Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun, and now she felt even more stressed.

***

The next day at the academy.

"…Is she still chasing after Lee Siwoon?" "Seems like it. Did you hear that rumor?" "What rumor?"

"She supposedly…"

"Wow, really? Unbelievable. Just because she's pretty." Whispering.

Bad rumors about Jin Soyeon continued to spread.

Many female students secretly murmured while glancing at her.

"…Sigh."

Jin Soyeon frowned.

Lately, the strange rumors had been getting worse. 'Could it be Yoo Seolhyun and her group spreading them?' It was obvious.

It was deﬁnitely Yoo Seolhyun's doing.

Come to think of it, Yoo Seolhyun had said something about being interested in Lee Jinhyuk, though she didn't know if she was serious.

Oh, could Yoo Seolhyun have thrown the stone at her house too? Maybe had someone in her group do it?

'If that's the case, I can't let Lee Jinhyuk be with her.'

What if, by some chance, Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Jinhyuk ended up dating?

Anyone else would be ﬁne, but not Yoo Seolhyun.

She couldn't let Lee Jinhyuk be with someone as malicious as her.

It would deﬁnitely be tough for Lee Jinhyuk if he got involved with her.

Yes, deﬁnitely.Absolutely.

Chapter 42 Why You? (2)

Another peaceful morning at the academy. "Sigh."

I quietly turned my head.

Jin Soyeon was letting out a deep sigh. She didn't look well.

She was resting her chin on one hand and staring blankly into the air.

"Hey, Soyeon? Not feeling well today?"

Kim Seoyoon, who had been chattering away like a sparrow, paused to look at Jin Soyeon and raised a questioning eyebrow.

"No, it's just…"

Jin Soyeon hesitated for a moment, chewing on her lips, before responding with a faint smile.

"…I just didn't sleep well."

"Really?"

It seemed true that she hadn't slept well. But that wasn't the only problem.

Soyeon's behavior was different from usual.

Her actions, tone of voice, eyes, and expressions were all slightly different.

It was a subtle change, but as her long-time childhood friend, I could tell.

Something bad had happened to Soyeon. Normally, I might have been slower to notice.

But considering what had likely happened at Soyeon's house last night, I was keenly aware.

"Hey, our Soyeon, couldn't sleep because of something, huh? Oh, were you on the phone with Siwoon late at night?"

"Of course not. I've just had trouble sleeping lately." Kim Seoyoon's chatter and Jin Soyeon's bitter smile.

Jin Soyeon seemed to want to avoid causing unnecessary worry to those around her, so she was trying to brush it off.

But I couldn't let her do that.

It might just be my imagination, but if it wasn't, things could get complicated if left unchecked. I needed to press Soyeon for more information.

"It looks like you have a lot on your mind, not just trouble sleeping."

"Huh?"

As I quietly started the conversation, Jin Soyeon and Kim Seoyoon turned their attention to me.

Kim Seoyoon blinked a couple of times, then grinned mischievously as if she had a great idea.

She started chattering loudly like a magpie, 'Oh? That's the intuition of a childhood friend for you!'

Ignoring the babbling Kim Seoyoon, I continued speaking.

"Is it really just trouble sleeping? Isn't there something else on your mind?"

"What's this all of a sudden? It's nothing."

"You always do this. Whenever something's wrong, you try to handle it all by yourself."

Before Jin Soyeon could make another lame excuse, I quickly interrupted.

She looked a bit ﬂustered, stealing glances at my face. I didn't stop, raising my voice slightly.

"Because you always do that, you end up suffering more later. So, if something's bothering you, just say it. Don't keep it to yourself."

"Uh, well…"

After a few more words from me, Jin Soyeon hesitated. When I kept maintaining eye contact, she ﬁnally sighed deeply and began to speak.

"Sigh… I didn't want to say anything because it would just make you worry."

"What? Soyeon, did something happen?"

As Jin Soyeon cautiously started speaking, Kim Seoyoon's expression turned worried.

"Well, actually…"

Jin Soyeon told us about what had happened the previous night.

Someone had thrown a stone with profanity written on it into her yard.

Kim Seoyoon, who had been listening quietly, immediately erupted in anger.

"Wha? Who the hell does that?"

Kim Seoyoon furrowed her brows furiously, expressing her anger like an erupting volcano.

"Complete psycho, right? How did they even ﬁnd out where you live… sigh."

Shaking her head, she suddenly grabbed Jin Soyeon's shoulders and nodded sympathetically.

"Oh, our Soyeon must have been so scared. Don't worry, I'll help you. Let's catch that psycho!"

"Uh, Seoyoon? Calm down a bit."

"Let's call the police! Whoever it is, they need to be punished!"

"Seoyoon, lower your voice. Everyone's watching." "Huh? Oh."

Kim Seoyoon glanced around.

Sure enough, the other students were watching us.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, she scratched the back of her neck.

"Sorry, I got carried away."

I had expected Kim Seoyoon to react like this. It was predictable, so I wasn't surprised.

In fact, I was grateful for her outburst.

Because thanks to her, the male protagonist, Lee Siwoon, would have overheard it.

"Soyeon."

Suddenly, Lee Siwoon stepped out from the group of students and walked towards us.

He came close and spoke up.

"I wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but…" He hesitated before continuing.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course. It's no big deal. Nothing happened, and I've experienced things like this before. I'm used to it, I guess?"

Jin Soyeon tried to act strong, brushing it off. Lee Siwoon bit his lip slightly, remaining silent.

He seemed to be contemplating why Jin Soyeon had been targeted.

Soon, his expression turned slightly sharper.

He seemed to conclude that it was because of him. "Is it because of me?"

A short but direct question.

He seemed to think that one of the girls who liked him had done it out of jealousy.

Not entirely wrong.

The culprit was likely one of the girls who had a crush on Lee Siwoon.

But if we consider the game's context, the mastermind behind the crime was someone else.

I couldn't be sure yet, but if this incident followed the game's pattern, it was deﬁnitely that person.

"No, it's not that."

"But…"

"It's not your fault, Siwoon. The real problem is the person who did it. So, don't worry about it."

Despite Jin Soyeon's words, Lee Siwoon's eyes remained calm.

His usual near-expressionless face showed a slight twitch in his eyebrows, indicating he was quite angry.

He couldn't help but feel bad, thinking that the girl he liked was being harassed because of him.

"What happened, Soyeon? Are you okay?" "Who would do such a crazy thing?" Several other students approached.

It was Kim Yuseong and Choi Changwon. They were both secretly fond of Soyeon.

Especially Choi Changwon… "Did you see who it was?"

"No. It was in the middle of the night… no one was there when I went out."

"I see. Shouldn't you report it to the police then?" "I tried that before, but it didn't help much." "Yeah, I guess."

Choi Changwon sighed and glanced aside.

"Who would do such a thing to you, Soyeon…"

"Could it be them?"

"Hmm? It's gotta be them, right?" "No way, really?"

"Yeah, I bet it was them."

Several students' gazes naturally turned to one spot.

In that direction was the largest group of girls in our class.

And in the center of that group was a familiar face, looking our way with an unreadable smile.

"Why's everyone staring?" It was Yoo Seolhyun.

Her lips were curved up, but her eyes were not. "Hey, what's your problem?"

Sunari, beside her, scowled like a crumpled piece of paper. "What are you staring at?"

"N-no, just…"

"Are you suspecting our Seolhyun?" "No, it's not that…"

It was a well-known secret that Jin Soyeon and Yoo Seolhyun didn't get along.

Most of the kids had picked up on it.

So they naturally glanced at Yoo Seolhyun's group, but Sunari's ﬁerce glare made them shrink back.

Everyone knew that crossing Yoo Seolhyun, who held signiﬁcant inﬂuence and formed strong cliques, was not beneﬁcial.

Moreover, Yoo Seolhyun was the third daughter of one of Korea's top clans.

Getting on her bad side could cause problems when trying to get a job in a clan later.

Korea's hero industry ran on connections and power.

So, few dared to confront Yoo Seolhyun openly in our class. "Yoo Seolhyun. Is it really not you?"

"Huh? What are you talking about?" "Really, is it not you?"

"What are you talking about?"

Standing up to Yoo Seolhyun was one of the few people on Soyeon's side.

"Still haven't ﬁxed that habit?"

"Ha. I was wondering what you were talking about. Funny, Lee Siwoon. What have I done?"

It was none other than Lee Siwoon of the SL Group.

"I knew you were subtly bothering Soyeon. I didn't think you'd cross the line."

"You sound so sure it was me." "Considering your history, it's likely." "What?"

Unlike her usual relaxed, languid smile, Yoo Seolhyun responded quite emotionally.

It seemed Lee Siwoon's words had struck a nerve. 'Hmm.'

I observed the situation quietly. Watching the two argue.

Judging by the actions of the person who stirred up this conﬂict, it seemed almost certain.

The method of creating division and escalating tensions was similar to the actions of that person from the game.

"It probably wasn't Yoo Seolhyun." "…"

I spoke up to intervene.

"She wouldn't have had a reason to target Soyeon. And it's a crime. She wouldn't go that far just because she doesn't like her."

I shrugged.

"If someone was willing to throw a rock at her house, they would have done worse at the academy. And Yoo Seolhyun."

"Hmm?"

"Haven't you been telling your group not to spread strange rumors about Soyeon?"

"Well, sorta?"

Yoo Seolhyun seemed to remember her promise to me and was trying to keep her group in line.

"It's more likely that someone else acted on their own or another group did it."

"…"

"Just my thought." "…"

Objectively, my words lacked credibility. But it didn't matter.

Whether they believed me or not wasn't important.

What mattered was stopping the argument before it escalated.

If Lee Siwoon and Yoo Seolhyun continued to clash, it would waste time, just like in the game.

"…Hmm. Well, for the record, I had nothing to do with it. Sure, my group might have acted on their own."

As the situation calmed, Yoo Seolhyun sighed and spoke in a cool voice.

"I can't control everything my group does, can I?"

She glanced at Lee Siwoon, then walked back to her group.

Lee Siwoon watched her retreating ﬁgure for a moment but said nothing.

I had something to discuss with Yoo Seolhyun about this incident, so I sent a text message discreetly.

She paused, read the message, and gave me a quick glance before walking away.

"…"

A brief silence fell among us. I opened my mouth.

"Anyway, we don't know who the culprit is, but we'll help you out. Right, Lee Siwoon?"

"…Yeah."

Lee Siwoon nodded with a slightly sunken gaze. "Yeah, Soyeon. I'll help too. Don't worry too much." "Me too. I'll help."

At Choi Changwon's words, Jin Soyeon gave a bitter smile.

"Thanks, but… midterms are coming up. Don't worry about me."

"Don't worry about it. As long as we do well in the practical exams, right? Only Jinhyuk cares about the written tests, anyway."

"Jinhyuk, you…"

"I've already ﬁnished all the second-year material, so it doesn't matter."

I responded nonchalantly to Jin Soyeon's words. And I quietly thought to myself.

I had no intention of dragging this out.

If it dragged on like in the game, more victims would suffer, and Soyeon would struggle more.

Though such hardships could serve as a stepping stone for the future, Soyeon seemed to be under a lot of stress these days. I couldn't let her suffer more.

I didn't want to see Soyeon suffer.

Soyeon was my childhood friend in this life and my favorite character in my past life.

I just wanted Soyeon to have a good ending with someone like Lee Siwoon, without too much suffering.

'Is it already lunchtime?'

Lunchtime had arrived. I hadn't intended to tell my classmates about what happened last night, but Lee Jinhyuk had noticed, so I had no choice but to confess.

…Really, Jinhyuk.

Jin Soyeon smirked secretly.

He's so clueless when it comes to girls, but sometimes he's sharp like this.

Why is he so sensitive about things like this? Can't hide anything from him, can't hide.

…Though he's helped me a lot in the past. In the past.

Yeah, something similar happened before.

Back then, I tried to handle it alone, but Jinhyuk's help resolved it safely.

I've received a lot of help from Jinhyuk.

"Soyeon, what are you doing? Let's go eat lunch." "Wait a minute."

Wanting to spend some time with Jinhyuk, I turned to look at him, but he was quietly leaving the classroom.

"Jinhyuk, let's go to the cafeteria together."

"Sorry, I'm going to the snack bar."

"Again?"

With that, Lee Jinhyuk disappeared. What's with him, always like that?

Jin Soyeon watched him for a moment, then stood up. No, I can't let it go this time.

Today, I'm going to confront him. "Where are you going, Soyeon?"

"Sorry, I'll have lunch at the snack bar today."

Ignoring Kim Seoyoon's call from behind, I hurried after Lee Jinhyuk, not wanting to lose sight of him.

But… huh?

That's not the direction of the snack bar.

Puzzled, I followed Lee Jinhyuk secretly, wondering why he was looking around as if checking for followers.

Like someone wary of being tailed. 'What's he doing?'

I followed Jinhyuk, moving quietly.

I never thought I'd use the stealth techniques I learned in class here.

Where is Jinhyuk going?

'This is… the Tactical Training Center for Large Monsters? Why here during lunch?'

We arrived at the Tactical Training Center.

Lee Jinhyuk cautiously headed to the rooftop.

He entered the code to open the ﬁrmly closed rooftop door. How does he know the rooftop code?

Before I knew it, Jinhyuk opened the door and went inside, closing it behind him.

I quietly approached and put my hand on the doorknob.

Just as I was wondering why Jinhyuk went to the rooftop alone.

"Oh, you're already here?"

"Lunch at the cafeteria sucks today." 'Huh?'

I faintly heard Yoo Seolhyun's voice through the rooftop door.

'Huh? Why are they on the rooftop?'

Chapter 43 Why You? (3)

Creeeak.

As I opened the rooftop door and stepped inside, I saw Yoo Seolhyun sweeping her radiant blonde hair to the side and looking at me with a tilted head.

Judging by her slightly upturned eyes, she didn't seem to be in a good mood.

But I nonchalantly began the conversation. "Oh, you're already here?"

"Lunch at the cafeteria isn't good today." Today's menu is pork cutlets, though.

"You don't like pork cutlets? They're pretty tasty." "Whatever."

Yoo Seolhyun cut me off dismissively, crossing her arms and speaking with a tilted head.

"So why did you call me here?"

Did she think I called her to question about what happened in the morning?

Yoo Seolhyun looked consistently displeased.

Of course, calling her to question was partly true.

"Well, you know. About what happened in the morning."

"What, you defended me earlier and now you think I ordered those girls?"

She furrowed her brows more deeply and pursed her lips with dissatisfaction, but I shrugged and answered coolly.

"No."

"Huh?"

Yoo Seolhyun blinked quietly.

"I told you in the morning. I don't think you orchestrated it. I believe you."

"Oh, really?"

"I don't think you'd lie about something like that. It's not in your character."

The Yoo Seolhyun I knew might mess with kids she didn't like, but she had her limits.

She wasn't the type to commit outright crimes like throwing rocks into a yard.

…At least, not until she fell into villainy.

"Besides, we had an agreement."

"Not to bother Jin Soyeon in exchange for helping with the dungeon?"

"Yeah. I don't think you'd do something like that after making a promise."

"Hmm."

Yoo Seolhyun looked at me in surprise for a moment before smiling.

"How amusing. Even Lee Siwoon, who could be considered a childhood friend, suspects me, but you believe me."

"Ah, Lee Siwoon?"

Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Siwoon weren't as close as Soyeon and I, but they were somewhat like childhood friends.

'…Maybe that's why he suspects you more.'

Lee Siwoon had a point; you did have a history after all. But I didn't say it out loud.

No need to stir the pot unnecessarily.

"But you seem oddly conﬁdent. Is it because of your ability?"

"Not necessarily."

I wasn't just blindly trusting Yoo Seolhyun's character settings.

I was basing my trust on everything I'd seen of her over the past few months.

I believed that the Yoo Seolhyun I knew wouldn't do such a thing.

Well…

The real reason was that I already knew who the culprit was.

"Just from what I've seen of you, I don't think you'd do such a thing."

"Haha. I don't know how you can say that with such certainty."

I've seen you for quite a long time, considering my past life too, probably?

"Anyway, I called you because I need a favor and to hold you accountable."

"Accountable?"

"Yes." I nodded ﬁrmly.

Yoo Seolhyun's eyebrows twitched slightly.

She didn't seem to like the word accountability. "What accountability?"

"For the rock thrown at Soyeon's house. That's what I mean."

"You said I didn't do it."

"Of course, you didn't do it."

I paused for a moment before speaking again. "One of the girls in your group probably did it." "Oh? Are you sure?"

"Let me turn it around. You had a hunch, didn't you?"

"Hmm? There are quite a few girls who like Lee Siwoon, you know."

"Don't play dumb. Even if they had a crush on Lee Siwoon, only a few girls in our class are impulsive enough to do something like that."

"…."

There weren't many girls in our class who had such aggressive personalities that they'd throw rocks at someone's house just because the boy they liked had feelings for another girl.

And one of those girls belonged to Yoo Seolhyun's group.

"Kang Yujeong. The one who threw the rock is probably Kang Yujeong."

"…."

"You didn't have concrete evidence that Kang Yujeong was the culprit and didn't want to expose the ﬂaws within your group, so you pretended not to know, right?"

"Hmm."

Yoo Seolhyun didn't offer any further explanation or excuses, just shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"So what do you want from me?" "Take responsibility in your own way." "How exactly?"

"Interrogate Kang Yujeong. Even without evidence, if you press her hard enough, she'll eventually confess."

Hearing this, Yoo Seolhyun raised the corners of her lips slightly.

"Why should I?" She added curtly. "…If I say no?"

"Typical of you. Quite shameless." Where's your conscience?

"If Kang Yujeong indeed did such a thing, I'd be very disappointed as a friend…"

She dragged out her words, looking at me curiously as if wondering how I'd react.

"But should I really be responsible? I didn't instruct her, and it was her doing. Just because she hangs out with me… Should I?"

Yoo Seolhyun's group, so to speak, was just a bunch of friends(?).

Individuals, in other words.

Yoo Seolhyun might not need to take responsibility for Kang Yujeong's actions.

…That is if she wasn't involved in any way.

"You said I pretended not to know, but honestly, I didn't really think Yujeong was the culprit. She was suspicious, but I didn't want to doubt a friend unnecessarily."

Since when did you think of your group members as friends? "So, don't you think it's a bit much to hold me responsible?" Yoo Seolhyun ﬁnished her spiel with a sly smile.

She didn't care much whether she interrogated Kang Yujeong or not, but was curious about my response.

That mischievous nature never changes. She never listens to good words.

"Of course, you should take responsibility." "Why?"

"Because it's your doing."

Yoo Seolhyun tilted her head slightly. "Mine?"

"You secretly spread bad rumors about Soyeon. Kang Yujeong was the most affected by it."

"Isn't that just a guess?"

"And you promised me you'd stop bothering Soyeon." "Yeah. Because of that, I was stopping any bad rumors."

"Suddenly stopping after stirring things up must have made Kang Yujeong more rebellious."

"That seems like a stretch."

Well, someone else was secretly provoking Kang Yujeong.

"Yoo Seolhyun, you and I have a lot to exchange in the future, right?"

Based on future information, there were many things I needed to do with Yoo Seolhyun.

I was sure she was counting on me to provide important information, as I did during the Youngdeung Mountain Dungeon raid.

"I believe the foundation of everything is trust. You and I made a deal that you wouldn't bother Soyeon, but because of your past actions, Soyeon got hurt."

"Hmm, well."

"So, if you act like it's none of your business, I don't think I can trust you."

"…."

Yoo Seolhyun ﬁddled with her sleeve before chuckling. "Haha. Okay, why are you so serious?"

"I'm not being serious."

"Well… as expected."

Yoo Seolhyun smiled subtly.

"You care a lot about Jin Soyeon?"

"Of course. She's my childhood friend.""And your ex-girlfriend."

Unnecessary comment.

"Anyway, just get Kang Yujeong to confess and apologize to Soyeon. The real culprit is someone else."

"The real culprit?"

"It's awkward to call them the real culprit, but someone else secretly provoked Kang Yujeong."

We needed to catch that person.

In the game, there was someone who used kids who had bad feelings towards Soyeon to hurt her and then slowly approached her, offering to help ﬁnd the culprits to make her depend on him.

Such a creepy stalker-like thought.

Only someone twisted could think of making the person they like suffer and depend on them.

"That's interesting. So, I just need to interrogate Yujeong and ﬁnd out who the real culprit is?"

"No, Kang Yujeong probably won't know."

"Why?"

"He's not an idiot. He just subtly incited her." Hatred is easily inﬂuenced by gravity.

Even a slight push can make someone fall endlessly, like falling off a cliff due to gravity.

"He knew Kang Yujeong really hated Soyeon. And since you were stopping any weird rumors about Soyeon, she must have been frustrated. So, he used that to provoke her."

"Hmm."

"But… it's still a guess. Not certain. So, I need to gather evidence to be sure."

"You said you had a favor to ask. Is it related?"

"Yeah. Can you recommend a good private investigator?" "Alright. I don't know what you're planning, but I won't pry." I wasn't planning anything strange.

I just wanted to secretly secure a few items from his place. "So, who's the one provoking Yujeong?"

"Choi Changwon, I think."

"Choi Changwon? That guy? Didn't he say he'd help ﬁnd the culprit this morning?"

"Yeah, he did."

Choi Changwon was ranked 34th among freshmen.

He seemed ﬁne on the surface, but inside, he was rotten. Of course, I knew the game and reality could be different.

So I planned to hire a private investigator to be sure he was the culprit.

In the game, the culprit wasn't caught this way, but who cares.

Why drag it out? Let's catch him quickly.

'Yoo Seolhyun doesn't seem to doubt my words.'

She believed I had foresight abilities, so it was good I didn't have to persuade her.

"Once I secure evidence that Choi Changwon is the culprit, I'll confront him with Lee Siwoon."

"Lee Siwoon? Why with him? You can handle it alone, can't you?"

He's ranked 34th. What if he goes wild?

I wanted to report it to the police, but I'd be questioned for obtaining evidence illegally.

Also, reporting to the academy or police wouldn't show Lee Siwoon catching the culprit heroically.

I was trying to increase Lee Siwoon and Soyeon's closeness.

"You mentioned this morning that Lee Siwoon would help you. Why speciﬁcally with him?"

"Oh, did I?"

"Why do you want to work with Lee Siwoon?" "Hmm."

I hesitated.

Should I be honest?

But Yoo Seolhyun would ﬁgure out my intentions as things progressed.

Might as well tell her now.

'Even though Yoo Seolhyun and Lee Siwoon have a quasi- engagement, they don't take it seriously. It's okay to mention it.'

I knew they didn't see each other as romantic interests. Lee Siwoon ﬂirted openly with Soyeon.

Yoo Seolhyun only bothered Soyeon out of pride because Lee Siwoon, who ignored her, liked a commoner.

Even though it was a superﬁcial relationship, it wouldn't feel good if her ﬁancé dated another girl. But it was necessary to mention it.

"Honestly, it might be awkward for you, but I want to help Soyeon and Lee Siwoon get closer through this."

"What?"

Yoo Seolhyun asked, puzzled.

At least she didn't seem offended. She was purely curious.

"Why you?"

Yoo Seolhyun tilted her head slightly.

She seemed genuinely confused as to why I would do this. Well, it's understandable.

I was her ex-boyfriend after all. What should I say?

Saying 'it was a fake relationship' might not be convincing. She wouldn't easily believe it.

Ah, there.

How about this?

Such excuses work well, probably. "I liked Soyeon a lot."

I muttered slowly, feigning bitterness.

"So seeing her with a good guy…"

I ﬁnished with a bitter smile.

"…I wanted to let go of this silly attachment."

Thud, click. 'Huh?'

Did I just hear something from the door? Yoo Seolhyun didn't seem to hear it.

Maybe it was just my imagination.

Chapter 44 Why You? (4)

Whiiiish.

A cold wind swept past us, brushing against our skin.

Yoo Seolhyun's hair ﬂuttered brieﬂy in the breeze before settling down.

She raised her right hand slowly, smoothing her wind- tousled hair, and then parted her lips.

"Letting go of foolish feelings, huh…"

Yoo Seolhyun repeated my words, then lifted her chin slightly to look me straight in the eye.

Her eyes held a subtle glimmer. What was she thinking right now?

I couldn't be sure, but one thing was clear. Curiosity.

Yoo Seolhyun was intensely curious and puzzled by my words.

"Didn't you say you broke up amicably?"

"…"

Well, yes, that's true.

I closed my lips for a moment.

I was pondering how to phrase it.

After a brief silence, I organized my thoughts and met Yoo Seolhyun's eyes.

Alright, let's clarify my stance.

'Considering the future, it wouldn't hurt to explain to Yoo Seolhyun why I'm trying to pair up Soyeon and Siwoon.'

I needed to justify my actions and make them credible.

In the future, I might need Yoo Seolhyun's help with matters related to Soyeon and other male protagonists.

Explaining my actions every time would be impractical.

The atmosphere and ﬂow weren't bad, so it was a good opportunity.

I took a small breath and began speaking slowly. "I dated Soyeon for a long time."

After a brief pause, I continued.

"Honestly, Soyeon seemed to like me more as a friend than as a romantic interest."

Given our fake relationship, it was understandable.

"We've seen everything of each other since childhood, so it was inevitable."

"Hmm."

"I liked her a lot, though."

I deliberately made a slightly bitter expression, and Yoo Seolhyun just looked at me quietly without saying anything.

"And about Siwoon. Don't you think he goes well with Soyeon?"

"Siwoon?"

"Yeah. Even in middle school, Soyeon seemed close to Siwoon, and Siwoon seemed to care about her."

"Hmm."

"Watching them together made me feel strange."

Honestly, Soyeon and Siwoon weren't that close in middle school, but Yoo Seolhyun wouldn't know that.

"Siwoon has good abilities, a good family, he's handsome, rich… he lacks nothing."

His personality is a bit ambiguous.

As one of the male protagonists, he wasn't bad. He had a decent role as a hero.

…Until he got blinded by jealousy.

"Soyeon has always been popular. Even someone like Siwoon is interested in her. But compared to guys like him, I'm just…"

"…I don't think your abilities are bad either." Actually, I don't have any special abilities.

Yoo Seolhyun was mistaken, but that's why she said that.

"Anyway, I thought it would be better for her to be with someone like Siwoon than dating me."

"I see."

"Some guys bothered me to break up with Soyeon, but if she dated Siwoon, that wouldn't happen."

I added more details.

"If Soyeon had really liked me, things might have been different… But honestly, she didn't seem very interested in romance. She got along well with other guys too."

It wasn't that she left her boyfriend to hang out with other guys, but she maintained close relationships with both genders.

It might have seemed off from a boyfriend's perspective, but since our relationship was fake, we didn't mind.

The kids thought, 'They've been like that even before dating,' and didn't take it seriously.

"Hmm. Having a boyfriend but hanging out with other guys… could it be stringing them along?"

Yoo Seolhyun smiled mischievously.

There she goes again with strange ideas.

Given her perspective, it was understandable, but Soyeon was very insensitive to gender boundaries.

She helped many people, so she got entangled with guys too.

No wonder she was the protagonist of a reverse harem. "Soyeon has always been sociable."

"Well… let's go with that."

Yoo Seolhyun nodded with a knowing expression. I looked at her and continued.

"Anyway, I ended up dating Soyeon, but I thought she might be more interested in Siwoon romantically."

"Hmm."

"And watching her get close to other guys was hard. It was always like that, but intervening now felt silly… so we decided to break up."

I continued calmly.

"But I don't blame Soyeon. I just want her to be with someone good like Siwoon. Maybe then I can let go."

"…"

"I didn't expect to tell you all this. You can just let it go in one ear and out the other."

"…"

"But does it bother you? Since you're sort of engaged to Siwoon."

"It's ﬁne. Siwoon and I don't care about that. And I'll ignore how you knew about it."

Yoo Seolhyun shrugged.

"I understand. But honestly." "Hmm?"

"It's foolish."

"Uh, really?"

"Yeah. It's foolish. I don't get it."

"Love makes people foolish, especially ﬁrst loves." Of course, I didn't like Soyeon romantically.

Before regaining my past life memories, maybe, but now I saw her as a precious childhood friend.

Combining past life memories, I'm quite old. Thinking of Soyeon romantically feels wrong.

"In short, you think Soyeon doesn't see you romantically, doesn't suit you, and you want her to be with a better guy?"

"More or less."

"That's foolish. It's pathetic."

"Huh?"

Yoo Seolhyun stepped closer, her eyes glinting with something unreadable.

"If you want someone, why give them up?" Well, not exactly giving up.

We weren't in that kind of relationship.

I can't tell her it was a fake relationship.

"If you really want something, shouldn't you get it?" "That's you."

"Not just me, but most people. So, it doesn't make sense. You're not a pushover."

"Hey, hey."

"What's with helping the girl you like date another guy? Let go? I don't get it."

Yoo Seolhyun shook her head with a puzzled expression. "…I don't get you."

Given her personality and values, my actions were incomprehensible.

She had to have what she wanted.

"The idea of letting go because of love… I can't get behind that."

"You don't need to." "Yeah, I don't."

Yoo Seolhyun sighed deeply. And quietly muttered to herself.

"Having someone who cares that much… I'm a bit jealous, Soyeon."

"Are you saying it loud enough for me to hear?" "Yeah, of course."

"As always…"

I cleared my throat and raised an important point.

"But are you really okay? With me helping Siwoon and Soyeon get closer."

"I told you, it's ﬁne. Don't worry."

"In that case…" I nodded.

I was worried about Yoo Seolhyun's reaction, but she seemed genuinely unbothered.

No major obstacles now in pushing Siwoon and Soyeon together.

Helping them this once might not drastically increase their affection, but it would bring them closer.

That would make future tasks easier with Siwoon's help.

Right?

There's a tightness in her chest.

A dull pain surges from her diaphragm.

Jin Soyeon felt her pulse race, her heart pounding heavily. 'This can't be, this can't be happening.'

Unable to comprehend the situation, Jin Soyeon ran from the rooftop, through the campus.

She wanted to clear her confused mind and escape from the voices of those two.

Jin Soyeon ran across the wide campus, her breath quickening, until she reached a park-like area.

"Haa… ugh… whew…"

Leaning halfway over, Jin Soyeon panted heavily.

The conversation she overheard between Lee Jinhyuk and Yoo Seolhyun wouldn't leave her mind.

Despite the confusing talk, one thing pierced her deeply. Lee Jinhyuk secretly liked her.

'No, it can't be… it can't be true…' She didn't want to hear it.

The idea that Lee Jinhyuk liked her was absurd.

Normally, she would dismiss it as a joke, but now she couldn't.

She overheard Lee Jinhyuk confess his feelings. '…He liked me all this time? And I didn't notice?' They were childhood friends for over ten years.

She prided herself on knowing everything about Lee Jinhyuk. But she missed the most important thing.

How did she not notice Lee Jinhyuk liked her? And she asked him to be her fake boyfriend…

'Ah…'

A wave of nausea washed over her.

She imagined how Lee Jinhyuk felt when she asked him to be her fake boyfriend.

Secretly in love, it must have been complicated for him.

But he quietly accepted without complaint.

Even when she hung out with others, laughed and joked, he never complained.

Because their relationship was fake.

Lee Jinhyuk had no right to object, being her shield for years.

'How could it be?'

What was Lee Jinhyuk thinking all this time? What did he feel looking at her?

Why didn't she notice? '…'

When she lost her father and sat alone in kindergarten, it was Lee Jinhyuk who reached out.

He taught her how to be with others. He was her support and fence.

Whenever she struggled, he helped without asking for anything.

Even during that dangerous incident in the past, he saved her without hesitation.

And what did she do to him? She hurt him.

For years.

'Jinhyuk didn't get close to other girls because… he liked me?'

It made sense.

Lee Jinhyuk was handsome and smart, popular with girls, but he seemed uninterested.

Like he had someone else in mind.

'After entering Union, he distanced himself and tried to pair me with Siwoon… to let go? And for my sake? Because he thought I liked Siwoon…?'

How could someone do that? What if she were in his position?

Could she care for a childhood friend like he did?

'I didn't know he was hurting… If I knew he liked me, I wouldn't have asked him… Jinhyuk, why did you…'

Jin Soyeon sat down and covered her face.

Confusion.Her mind was a mess. She didn't know.

She never imagined Lee Jinhyuk had a crush on her.

If she knew, she wouldn't have asked him to be her fake boyfriend.

But it was too late.

She didn't realize how oblivious she was.

How could she not know her childhood friend liked her after ten years?

Even if he hid it, there must have been signs.

Jin Soyeon tried hiding what happened last night, but Lee Jinhyuk noticed quickly.

A longtime friend should have noticed. But why didn't she?

'I didn't mean to… But thinking of the hurt he endured…' Guilt and complex thoughts tore at her.

Her mind was a jumble of emotions. But one thing was clear.

She hurt Jinhyuk deeply.

Asking him to be her fake boyfriend wasn't her fault. She didn't know what he felt and he accepted willingly. But that didn't matter to Jin Soyeon.

She received so much help from Jinhyuk, only to repay him with hurt.

That fact alone clouded her mind and heart. 'Jinhyuk…'

Jin Soyeon quietly muttered his name.

The precious childhood friend she had hurt so much.

Chapter 45 Why You? (5)

"Today's homeroom is over. Midterms are coming up soon, so make sure to focus on your training. Dismissed."

Our homeroom teacher, Hong Daye, yawned tiredly as usual and waved her hands dismissively as if telling us to leave.

After watching our teacher leave the classroom, I glanced at Soyeon's proﬁle.

Soyeon didn't say much throughout the day, only occasionally stealing glances at me.

Her complexion was unusually dark, and her expression was stiff.

How should I put it? She looked drained.

Or maybe, she looked depressed.

She sighed deeply from time to time, peaking at me furtively, looking nothing like the Soyeon I knew.

'…Is it because of what happened last night?'

Considering someone with ill intentions came to her house and threw rocks with curses on them, it was understandable for her to feel this down.

If it were an ordinary person, they wouldn't just feel down; they would be shaking like a leaf and immediately report it to the police.

Soyeon was tough, so this was the extent of her reaction.

'I need to catch Soyeon's stalker quickly without wasting any more time.'

Although I wanted to prepare more, I couldn't leave Soyeon in her current state.

'But wasn't she ﬁne this morning? She seems to have gotten worse after lunch… hmm.'

I tilted my head brieﬂy before speaking to Soyeon. "Soyeon, are you okay?"

"Huh, um?"

"Don't worry too much. We'll ﬁnd the person who did this to you soon. With Siwoon's help, it should be easier."

"Ah… Siwoon…"

Soyeon mumbled while biting her soft, light pink lower lip.

She seemed like she wanted to say something but hesitated, glancing at me furtively.

"…"

She stared into my eyes for a moment. I also quietly met her gaze.

Her eyes, usually shining like the sun, were clouded. With a hazy expression, she parted her lips.

"…Um, Jinhyuk."

"Yes?"

"Well, um."

Soyeon, nervously twirling the ends of her hair.

But she forced a bitter smile and changed the topic. "No, it's nothing."

"You're making me more curious by cutting off in the middle. What's going on?"

"It's really nothing. Don't worry about it."

"It's not related to what happened, right? Don't hide anything."

"It's not related to that… really." She didn't seem to be lying.

Then what is it? It's bothering me. Should I press further?

"Soyeon, don't—" "Soyeon."

A cool voice interrupted us.

As Soyeon and I turned towards the source, there stood Lee Siwoon, looking at us with a calm expression.

Siwoon softly spoke to Soyeon.

"Do you want to go home together today?"

He looked worried about what happened this morning.

I had something to discuss with Siwoon today, but it could wait until tomorrow, so I decided to support his suggestion.

"Yeah, Soyeon. Go with him. Considering what happened last night, it's better to be careful."

The culprit, knowing the commotion about Soyeon since the morning, would probably lay low for a while.

He wouldn't want to draw attention unnecessarily.

But it was a good excuse to push Soyeon and Siwoon together.

"…Ah, um."

Normally, she would have nodded and said, 'Okay, let's go together,' but she kept glancing at me.

Puzzled, I tilted my head.

Why was she looking at me like that?

"…It's okay, I have something to do today. So, I'll go ahead. See you tomorrow."

Soyeon, who had already packed her bag, looked at us with a bitter smile and quickly walked out the back door of the classroom.

I blinked, staring blankly at her retreating ﬁgure. I didn't expect her to leave alone like that… Anyway.

'Well, since it's come to this, I should also handle my business.'

As I subtly turned my head towards Siwoon, he was looking at me with a slightly complex expression.

He seemed to realize that Soyeon was subtly checking my reaction when he suggested going home together.

Hey, don't get jealous over something like that. I'm trying to help you two get closer.

"Siwoon."

"Yes."

"I have something to discuss about Soyeon. Can you spare some time today?"

I whispered softly so others wouldn't hear.

"…I have a suspect. I want to conﬁrm it with you."

"…"

Siwoon looked at me seriously for a moment before nodding.

As expected of one of the male protagonists, anything related to Soyeon was a quick draw.

***

Sunday afternoon.

"Wow, so this is Siwoon's place?"

Choi Changwon looked around the spacious house in amazement.

Lee Siwoon lived independently from his family, so the only people living here besides him were a few staff and security personnel.

"Hi, Siwoon. Oh, Jinhyuk, you're here too."

Choi Changwon greeted us as he walked over to where Siwoon and I were sitting in the living room.

"So, where are the others? Not here yet?"

"They'll be here soon." I shrugged.

We were at Siwoon's house because he had important things to discuss regarding what happened to Soyeon.

Choi Changwon, who had directly offered to help Soyeon, couldn't refuse Siwoon's invitation.

"Did you invite Kim Yuseong and Kim Seoyoon too?" "Yes."

Of course not.

They weren't needed for today's task.

"It's scary to think someone threw rocks at her house and ran. What if they hit someone else?"

Choi Changwon clicked his tongue as he sat on a living room chair.

"I can't believe someone at our academy would do such a thing. Who's the culprit, anyway…"

"Kang Yujeong is the culprit." Siwoon answered calmly. "Huh?"

"Yoo Seolhyun helped a lot." "Yoo Seolhyun?"

"Yeah. She suspected Kang Yujeong recently and asked me to help question her. Since Kang Yujeong is interested in me, she said she'd confess if I pressed her."

Kang Yujeong threw the cursed rocks at Soyeon's house because she had a crush on Siwoon.

With Siwoon's strong questioning, she couldn't deny it.

Yoo Seolhyun could have questioned her alone, but I had Siwoon do it to make him stand out more.

"We got her confession. She was venting because Soyeon and I were close."

"Really?"

"Yes. And two days ago, I arranged for Soyeon to meet her, and she apologized. I'm not sure if she's truly remorseful, but Soyeon forgave her, so I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."

"What? It's already resolved? That's good news." Choi Changwon relaxed and shrugged.

"But I didn't expect Yoo Seolhyun to cooperate. She hated Soyeon, didn't she? And Kang Yujeong is part of her group. Why expose that?"

"…"

"Is it thanks to you, Siwoon? You're childhood friends, right? You've got good connections."

"…"

"Couldn't you have told me earlier? I've been wasting time. Oh, by the way, do Kim Seoyoon and Kim Yuseong know?

They were also looking for the culprit."

"…Choi Changwon."

Siwoon, in a low voice, called Choi Changwon's name and glanced at me before speaking again.

"Kang Yujeong was provoked by someone. I'm not excusing her actions."

"What do you mean? Someone provoked her? Who?"

Choi Changwon blinked in confusion. Understandable, since he didn't expect this.

"Did you ﬁnd out by questioning Kang Yujeong?"

"No. Kang Yujeong didn't realize she was being provoked. She often badmouthed Soyeon, so there were many who agreed with her."

Siwoon made eye contact with Choi Changwon. "So, it's hard to pinpoint one person."

Kang Yujeong would've been caught eventually, so the real culprit stayed hidden and subtly provoked her.

It made sense, considering the culprit intended to reveal himself later to win Soyeon's favor.

"What? Then who's the real culprit?"

"Choi Changwon, I'll give you a chance before I tell you."

Suddenly, Siwoon spoke coldly. "It's you."

"What? No way."

"The one who provoked Kang Yujeong's resentment." "Hey, don't joke around. Why would I—"

Siwoon, with a serious look, added another word. "You're Soyeon's stalker, aren't you?"

Chapter 46 Why You? (6)

Anger.

Lee Siwoon was currently angry.

Normally composed and indifferent, Lee Siwoon now showed a subtle yet unmistakable fury.

It wasn't the kind of anger that burned like ﬁre, but a cold, northern chill that settled heavily.

Even though I knew the anger wasn't directed at me, it still gave me goosebumps.

Since entering Union Academy, I had never seen Lee Siwoon show this level of direct anger towards anyone.

'…It's because it involves Soyeon, isn't it? He must be really upset.'

On reﬂection, it was understandable.

Choi Changwon wasn't just any stalker; he was a particularly nasty one.

Given that Lee Siwoon had already seen the items Choi Changwon possessed, his reaction was somewhat expected.

Lee Siwoon had already been quite disturbed when he discovered the items Choi Changwon had stolen.

"Hey, hey, what's with the serious face, Siwoon?"

Seeing Lee Siwoon's sharp gaze, Choi Changwon hurriedly tried to play it off, his lips trembling slightly.

"Choi Changwon." "Y-Yeah."

"I already told you, you have only one chance to confess." "Hey, Siwoon, you…"

Deciding it was a waste of time to talk further, Lee Siwoon shook his head and began to mention what we had found together.

"Photos."

"What?"

"We found photos on your phone."

"My phone? When? W-Wait! Photos? Don't tell me…" "Yes, that's right. There were quite a few."

Choi Changwon's face turned pale as Lee Siwoon frowned and continued in a cold voice.

"Photos of you secretly taking pictures of Soyeon."

"Ugh."

Photos secretly taken of Soyeon. Nothing inappropriate was captured.

They were just ordinary(?) photos taken from various angles. They wouldn't be an issue if they weren't secretly taken.

"I never thought you'd do something like that…" Dragging out his words, Lee Siwoon glanced at me brieﬂy. "…If it weren't for Jinhyuk mentioning it."

"I guess I just got lucky."

I shrugged and slowly parted my lips.

"I saw Choi Changwon acting like he was taking photos once."

Of course, that was a lie.

Given that he was secretly photographing a girl at the academy, Choi Changwon must have been quite cautious.

"I wasn't sure if he was actually taking photos or just checking his phone, so I didn't pay much attention at the time."

I didn't know when Choi Changwon took those secret photos of Soyeon, but I knew for sure that he did.

Not only because I knew the game's content in advance, but also because I had investigators, introduced by Yoo Seolhyun, check Choi Changwon's house.

"Thinking back, Soyeon mentioned feeling like she was being watched and that some of her things were missing."

The investigators recommended by Yoo Seolhyun were quite capable.

I made a request during lunchtime, and within hours, they thoroughly searched Choi Changwon's house, secured evidence, and sent it to me.

Since his parents arrived home late at night, the house was empty, allowing the investigators to search safely.

In Choi Changwon's room, they found photos of Soyeon printed and attached to the walls, like a stalker from a subculture.

Ugh, disgusting.

No wonder he was a villain in an otome game, plastering Soyeon's photos all over his room… It was revolting.

"Given the incident at Soyeon's house, I thought about it and found you suspicious."

I looked directly at Choi Changwon, who was sweating profusely.

"You've been glancing at Soyeon a lot lately, haven't you?"

"M-Me? No way. You must be mistaken."

"Ridiculous. Your gaze was weirdly intense. And I think Soyeon was nearby the last time you checked your phone."

"Uh, no, that's…"

Honestly, I didn't know if he was secretly watching her. "So I kept an eye on you."

When our eyes met, Choi Changwon quickly looked away.

"A few days ago, I saw you entering your phone's password. The four-digit code was Soyeon's birthday. Isn't that a bit too much of a coincidence?"

Using the birthday of a girl one is stalking as a phone password is creepy.

In the game, I thought, 'Is this guy a psycho?' Experiencing it in real life, I was left speechless.

"I discussed it with Siwoon, explaining that your behavior was suspicious."

I exaggerated a bit and added some details to persuade Siwoon easily.

"So we decided to check it together."

When Choi Changwon left his phone on the classroom's shared charger, I led him out of the room.

In the meantime, Siwoon unlocked his phone and checked the albums.

That's when Siwoon realized that Choi Changwon was the one secretly taking photos.

"It was shocking. Not extraordinary photos, but secretly taken ones of Soyeon."

"W-Wait. That wasn't me! I lent my phone to someone recently, and they must have done it. And the password was just a coincidence…"

"Stop spewing nonsense." Things moved quickly after that.

Once Siwoon realized that Choi Changwon was the one secretly taking photos, he didn't hesitate.

"Then how do you explain this, Choi Changwon?" With a cold expression, Siwoon continued.

"When I remembered Soyeon mentioning missing items, I decided to check your desk and bag…"

"Ah."

"…and found this."

Siwoon showed a water bottle.

A sports bottle that could be held in one hand.

A regular person might think it was just another common water bottle, but Choi Changwon turned pale.

Because it was the water bottle he had stolen from Soyeon. Stealing a girl's used water bottle… Gross.

"Soyeon lost this during training recently."

"W-Well, I…"

Seeing Choi Changwon's eyes tremble, he was clearly shocked.

"The water bottle. I found it in your drawer. How do you explain that?"

"M-My drawer? No, that can't be."

Choi Changwon, momentarily ﬂustered, stammered.

Because the bottle had originally been hidden in a box in the master bedroom, not his drawer.

I had secretly placed the bottle in Choi Changwon's drawer so that Siwoon would ﬁnd it.

"When I asked Soyeon, she conﬁrmed it was hers. Even if it's the same product, the wear and tear are unique."

"Why, why was that in my drawer…"

He was likely frustrated by the fact that the cherished item he had hidden at home was suddenly found in his drawer, but he couldn't explain it now.

After all, he couldn't very well say, 'I hid it at home! It shouldn't be in the drawer! Did you take it from my house?!'

That would be admitting to being the culprit.

"Someone must have planted it to frame me! And there's no proof it's Soyeon's…"

"Just in case, I had it checked. Both your ﬁngerprints and Soyeon's were found."

"…!"

He didn't expect ﬁngerprint analysis.

"Also, during questioning, Kang Yujeong mentioned you. She said you often agreed with her complaints about Soyeon, almost encouraging her. Doesn't that seem odd?"

Siwoon's eyes calmly ﬁxed on Choi Changwon.

"A stalker who steals Soyeon's items and secretly takes photos also agreeing with Kang Yujeong's complaints?"

Choi Changwon swallowed dryly.

"I can't believe you weren't trying to provoke Kang Yujeong to harass Soyeon."

At that time, Siwoon wouldn't have understood why Choi Changwon was provoking Kang Yujeong.

Until he found Choi Changwon's note.

"After knowing all this, Jinhyuk and I debated what to do with you."

Siwoon glanced at me and continued.

"Should we report you to the police or the academy?" "Ugh."

"But I thought there might be more photos and items at your house, and you might leak Soyeon's things later, so Jinhyuk and I decided to check your house."

"What? So you did go to my house!"

Convincing Siwoon to break in was easier than expected.

Normally, Siwoon, as a hero, would be reluctant to engage in illegal activities, but given the secret photos and the water bottle, it wasn't hard.

In other words, Choi Changwon was a perverted stalker who secretly stole and kept Soyeon's belongings and photos.

Who knows what other items and photos related to Soyeon might still be in his house?

Having a stalker secretly keeping the belongings of the girl he liked?

Who knows how Choi Changwon might use them? It was intolerable for Siwoon.

When I subtly suggested, 'Maybe he's like those stalkers on the news who print photos and stick them to the wall,' or 'Soyeon lost her handkerchief recently, maybe he took it,' Siwoon was quickly convinced.

"Choi Changwon, I was shocked. Photos stuck to the walls, and missing pens, erasers, handkerchiefs, hairpins—all there."

"Uh, no, I mean, how…"

"We didn't touch most of the items to avoid tipping you off."

Siwoon glanced out the window toward Choi Changwon's house.

"By now, the people I hired are probably retrieving Soyeon's items."

He looked back at Choi Changwon.

"I only took this."

He showed a thick, dark notebook. It was Choi Changwon's diary, detailing his raw feelings and thoughts about Soyeon.

"This is yours, right?" "…"

"It details how you feel about Soyeon and your plans, including using Kang Yujeong and others."

"…"

"If left alone, you would've continued to secretly harass Soyeon, using bad rumors and other students, while pretending to help and comfort her."

"…"

"Harassing and helping the girl you like… Unbelievable, Choi Changwon."

"…"

Despite Siwons's scolding, Choi Changwon kept his lips tightly sealed.

He no longer looked ﬂustered, made excuses, or tried to defend himself.

He must have realized that with all the evidence, convincing us otherwise was impossible.

"So, Choi Changwon, do you have any more excuses?" "Excuses…? Fuck, what excuse?"

Choi Changwon, revealing his true nature, began to show a vicious expression.

"Is this why you called me here today, you bastards?" "Choi Changwon."

"Fuck! What?!"

He stood up and shouted, his eyes ﬁlled with menace.

"Who the hell are you guys?! Jinhyuk, you broke up with Soyeon but stick to her like glue!"

Then he glared at Siwoon.

"And you, Siwoon! Why Soyeon of all people?! You're rich, talented, with a nice house! You have plenty of girls chasing you, so why Soyeon?!"

"Changwon."

"Yes, I did it! So, what now, you bastards! This evidence is illegal! You can't use it! If I destroy it…!"

Choi Changwon tried to use magic to destroy the evidence, but his body froze.

"Changwon, Choi Changwon." It wasn't my or Siwoon's voice.

Choi Changwon's face crumpled like a piece of paper. The voice belonged to someone he both liked and feared. A person who shouldn't be here.

"S-Soyeon…"

Jin Soyeon, who had been quietly waiting in the room, now stood outside, looking at Choi Changwon with sad eyes.

"W-What? Soyeon, you're here too…?"

"Changwon, I want to hear it from you."

Jin Soyeon spoke.

"About Kang Yujeong and these items."

With a shadowed expression and a low voice, she asked, "…Did you really do all this?"

In that moment,

Choi Changwon's face contorted in despair.

Chapter 7 - Ch 39-46