Chapter 167
“Hey, Alessia, are you sure this is going to work?”
“Absolutely.”
It was an early hour, when I should normally be at the Academy. Yet here I was, sitting in the mansion, in Alessia’s room, getting ready for school.
Well, not the academy, but ‘school’.
“Here, let your hair down like this……and put on your horn-rimmed glasses……Oh, and Master, your skin is pristine white, so you don’t need to apply anything.”
Me with my eyes closed, and Alessia making a face like that.
“There, that’s it. Master. Would you like to open your eyes?”
Hearing her voice, I slowly open my eyes and see my reflection in the vanity mirror.
“It’s …….”
“I’ve made you up just as you said, Master, to look like you’d be easy pickings for a passing thug, what the world calls a nerd.”
I wore my hair slicked back in a way that made me look calm, as opposed to my usual pompadour, black horn-rimmed glasses, and a plaid cardigan.
I couldn’t help but stroke my chin in admiration at how different I looked from my usual self.
“……I can’t imagine.”
This was definitely the kind of look that a rogue wouldn’t let go of.
“Then Master. From today on, you’ll be going to Jiggle Middle School instead of the Academy?”
“Yep. Probably for a week or so.”
I had a strong feeling that a week’s break meant that I’d had a hard time with the midterms.
“In that case, I’ll tell the other family members separately, and from today on──.”
“No. Don’t do that, because from today, I’m going to ride my motorcycle to school.”
“You mean a motorcycle, then I can’t help it, because you don’t have a license──.”
“I do.”
She smiles at my answer, but then her expression hardens.
“What?”
“I have a license.”
I waved my newly acquired license in front of her and smiled brightly.
“I went and got it over the weekend.”
I’ve only had a couple years of motorcycle experience so I could probably pass it in one shot if I tried with my eyes closed.
“Well, I had to try five times before I got it, and…….”
I wondered what was wrong with my driving, but there was a reason.
“In that case, I guess I can’t help it…….”
Alessia suddenly put her hands in her pockets with a defeated expression.
Then, picking up a key with a trembling hand, she held it out towards me and said in a trembling voice.
“You can borrow my ──”
“Ah. I bought a scooter, so it’s okay.”
“Hmph.”
I wonder why she doesn’t realize that if she goes out on the streets on her own motorcycle, she’ll get caught by the police.
No matter how sorry Alessia is, there are some things you shouldn’t do.
Fiddling with the scooter keys in my pocket, I smile at Alessia.
“Bye, Alessia.”
If I stay any longer, I’m sure she’ll follow me.
* * *
Jiggle Middle School it’s a middle school with a name that means a place where wisdom is formed but despite the name, it was known for being the most vicious place in Incheon.
“Is it really possible for a high school student to carry only this?”
The alleyways around such a school.
It was already time for class to start, but for some reason, there were three students in a group.
“All the kids these days are carrying cards. Shouldn’t we change our methods?”
The girl in the yellow bridge frowns as she fiddles with the bills in her hand, and the boy with his back to the wall grumbles.
” I guess we can just get it by direct deposit?”
And the guy in front of them, smirked like he had a solution.
The girl counting the money scowls and slaps the boy in front of her on the head.
“Hey, you punk, don’t you know that transferring money goes on record? Do you want to be tried again and go to jail?”
“Why are you hitting me?”
“I hit you because I’m afraid you’ll hit me, asshole. Why are you picking on me?”
“No……sorry.”
The boy takes a step back, cowering at the sight of the girl’s clenched fist. His name tag reads “Kim Hyun-soo”.
“Anyway, how do you get around with these idiots……Ugh.”
The girl shakes her head and leans back against the wall.
“Ha……It’s circle activity fee week, and if I don’t pay, I’ll be beaten like a dog. Is there any way?”
The girl with the name tag [Han Ji-yeon] on her chest looked at the hand holding the circle activity fee as she said that.
A boy tapped Han Ji-yeon on the shoulder.
“Hey, I have an idea.”
“What is it?”
Han Ji-yeon looked up at [Ki Min-ho] next to her and asked.
“Grown-ups carry more money than kids, so why don’t we just rob them?”
After muttering that with an evil grin on his face, Kim Min-ho heard the sound of a scooter coming from beyond the alley.
One by one, the children stand up and look out of the alley.
A mint-colored scooter was approaching the deserted street.
“……Sure. I’ll pay for the activity fee if I hit the jackpot. How?”
“As usual.”
“Okay. So you’re ready to go?”
The kids’ faces light up at the prospect of money.
Han Ji-yeon, who has only peeked out to gauge the speed of the scooter, begins to gather energy in one hand.
“What’s with the stupid mint-colored helmet? Is he making a delivery or something?
“Now!”
The ball of light left her hand and rose into the air, causing a strong flash and the scooter’s owner was knocked sideways in a panic.
The speed wasn’t great enough to send him flying, but it did send him sprawling on the ground.
“Move!”
Han Ji-yeon shouted, and the two children in the alley quickly dragged Mint Helmet and the scooter into the alley.
At the same time, she spreads her magic to make it impossible for anyone to see in from the outside.
All of this happened in just 20 seconds and it’s a move that’s impossible to pull off without mastery.
“I was worried because I usually only deal with bikers, but it worked?”
Han Ji-yeon smiles as she looks at the man still lying on the ground.
A quick glance reveals the man’s fashion under his mint helmet.
“Ugh. A plaid cardigan over a white shirt and black slack pants, what kind of fashion is that? I hate it.”
“Well, maybe he’s just a passerby.”
Kim Hyun-soo, intrigued by his prey’s combat prowess, roughly removes his helmet.
“Let’s see his face, shall we?”
With the helmet removed, the man’s face is finally revealed.
At the same time, the faces of the three children stiffen.
“Uh…….”
“This…….”
“This brother is so fucking handsome.”
Obviously, before the helmet was taken off, he was just a sandbagger1, but as soon as his face was revealed, the three began to panic at the sight of him transformed into a model photo shoot for a famous overseas magazine.
“”Well, he looks like a fucking idiot. Hey, wake up, aren’t you going to pay for the circle?”
Ki Min-ho grumbled at Han Ji-yeon’s distraction and started to wipe his hands on his shirt. After a quick glance, the kids quickly followed suit.
“Check the center first.”
“Search her pockets first. Does he have a wallet?”
At her words, Kim Hyun-soo immediately stuck his hand into his pocket and the corners of his mouth turned up at the same time.
“Yes. Wallet.”
Raising the hand holding the wallet, he sees the logo on it and gasps.
“Wow, isn’t this some kind of expensive manufacturer? This is crazy. I think we hit the jackpot this time, right? Inside is…… Wow. Who the hell is this guy?”
The wallet was full of 10,000 credit bills.
Kim Hyun-soo’s mouth drops open at the sight of so many bills that it’s hard to believe since not many carry cash these days.
“It’s probably some rich guy with a lot of money, but……what’s he doing?”
The kids, who are all excited about the suddenly huge amount of credits, turn to look at Han Ji-yeon in the back.
She’s squatting down, staring at a stunned man with crooked glasses.
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“Treating his eyes.”
Boys shake their heads in disbelief at her immediate response.
“What the fuck is so about being handsome?”
“He looks like shit in that outfit.”
“What the hell do you know, you fashion terrorists?”
Han Ji-yeon, who had been looking behind her with a disdainful expression, looked at the man’s face again and giggled.
“Oh, really. If you weren’t a target……what would I do?”
“What can we do, you crazy bitch, we have to run before she wakes up!”
But Ki-Min-ho was about to grab her hand and leave immediately.
“──Where are you going?”
His attempt ended with the fallen man opening his eyes.
“Holy shit…….”
His face showed.
* * *
The only information I had about them was on paper.
That’s why I organized this operation, so I could see and hear them with my own eyes and ears, but I didn’t think they were going to run away.
In fact, after everything they’ve done to me so far, I can see why they’re lumped together and rated as difficulty S.
Blasting a passing scooter with flashes to stop it?
For an Awakened person like me, this could have been a major accident.
Then there’s the skill of bringing it into an alley and concealing it.
I could tell this wasn’t the first time they’d done this.
‘I’m starting to get an idea of how to cook them.’
They even took my wallet and cash, which I had purposely left out as bait.
Now that I had a good excuse, it was just a matter of getting up and educating them.
If you have a problem with this…….
“No, really, why is he so handsome?”
This was the girl who was now squatting in front of me, staring into my face.
Her name is Han Ji-yeon. From the looks of things, she’s probably the leader of this group.
However, what I hadn’t expected was my attractiveness level, which had risen under the influence of the attribute [Bad Guy] thanks to my recent notoriety.
‘No, no matter what, I can’t believe I’m still being put in this situation.’
I tried to get up at the right time but the stares were too much for me to handle.
“We’ve got to run before they wake up!”
Just then, as they were trying to leave, the opportunity presented itself.
Run? Try it.
I circled the neighborhood a few times looking for them so I straightened up and said.
“Where are you going? I’ve seen your faces.”
“Holy shit.”
Let me be the first to declare that I have memorized all of their faces so that they can’t get away with anything.
Their uniforms, their faces and I even remember that they used their abilities against me, so they won’t be able to escape.
Of course, even if they did run away, I was confident that I could chase them all down and catch them.
“Now, let’s see what happens.
Are they going to run away?
Or they’re going to fight.
And if not, then-
“Hey, can I have your number?”
──I didn’t expect that.
