In the end, Han Soo-Young rubbed my face with her handkerchief to the extent that it made a scratching sound until Choi Hyun-Woo, who arrived next to her, stopped her.
I told her to stop as she was rubbing the handkerchief so hard that I thought my skin would peel off, but the way she meticulously moved her hands with a focused expression, I could even feel an unknown obsession.
"It's not going away… ."
"What?"
"The smell of perfume… ."
Choi Hyun-Woo muttered as if he was dumbfounded at Han Soo-Young's crying answer.
"Why would the smell disappear when you rub it? Look at how red his skin has become because you rubbed it too much."
Choi Hyun-Woo said, pulling Han Soo-Young away from me for a moment so that she could have some time to calm down.Then he broke into a small laugh as he looked at me.
"Doesn't your cheeks smell like chicken gizzard?"
"You think this is funny?"
"Yes. I think I'm going to die of laughter."
Choi Hyun-Woo giggled and naturally tapped my shoulder.I raised my arm to hit it, as if to say don't do it, but he kept smiling and patting me.
"I'm glad you're okay. Do you know how surprised I was when I heard about the accident at the zoo you guys went to on the way here? But Ji-Hyuk, you always seem to be in the center of accidents... !"
Choi Hyun-Woo, who had been saying this, stopped speaking, freaking out.Then he carefully turned his head to look at his side.
"…… ."
Jin Ye-Seul was standing there silently.She was holding a wooden skewer that she had brought from somewhere, thrusting at Choi Hyun-Woo's side.
"… Back off."
She then slowly raised her head and looked at Choi Hyun-Woo, and said so in a voice that said she would not allow him to refuse.Choi Hyun-Woo nodded as if he understood and moved away from me.
"…… ."
Without a word, Jin Ye-Seul reached out her hand to me and dusted off the area where Choi Hyun-Woo's hand had touched.And as he looked at her with an expression that said what's going on again, she looked at him and said.
"You're not allowed to come within a three-meter radius of Ji-Hyuk from now on."
"What?"
"You're not allowed. I've definitely said it."
Jin Ye-Seul said so in a firm voice.Then her eyes met Han Soo-Young's, and she loosened the skewer she was holding tightly in her hand.
"I think we have something to talk about."
At Han Soo-Young's words, Jin Ye-Seul nodded.
"Let's go somewhere quiet."
And Choi Hyun-Woo, who had been watching the two of them as they naturally went somewhere, sneakily took a step closer to me.
"… They're not trying to fight, are they?"
"… They aren't. Why would they suddenly fight?"
"But why in the world are they suddenly… ."
A wooden skewer penetrated the asphalt just in front of Choi Hyun-Woo, who was about to take a step closer.Startled, he looked up and saw Jin Ye-Seul staring at him without even blinking.
"…… ."
"Ah, okay! 3m as you said! Here, happy?!"
Choi Hyun-Woo said that and moved away from me.Looking at that, Jin Ye-Seul slowly turned her head forward and walked along with Han Soo-Young.
"Huu, my heart is pounding."
He muttered as if he were complaining and looked at me with an incomprehensible gaze.I don't know what it is, but at least I could see that the way he looked at me contained the most feelings of pity.
"Anyway, what happened?"
"Huh? Oh… ."
Choi Hyun-Woo shrugged his shoulders.He and I were far away, so we had to speak loudly.
"I suddenly got a call from Master."
"Ah, her."
"She said something suddenly happened and that she'd be coming here soon."
"Suddenly happen?"
"That's… . Well… ."
He looked at me for a moment and swallowed his words.Then he nodded a few times as if he had made up his mind and said to me.
"Well, that's… . Don't be too shocked."
"What is it?"
"Master said that an old acquaintance of hers had unfortunately passed away and that she was going to meet with some of her acquaintances urgently to talk about it."
"Yes."
"But that acquaintance, that's… . General Jang."
"Ah."
I nodded at his words.It was something I had deliberately left out of my consciousness.
… To be honest, I thought I would be calm even if he died.It was because it was only a relationship that had only lasted a few days.On top of that, unlike now, it was also a time when everyone I met was perceived as just NPCs in the game.
But when I heard about it again, I somehow felt my heart get stuffy.When I heard from Lydia before, it was something that I had deliberately put off from my consciousness.It occurred to me that I had a closer relationship with him than I had imagined.Jang Deok-Pil, who died of self-harm.And the polar bear I saw earlier who had fought their own kind until they died.
Lee Jae-Joon.The leader who gathered and led the fanatics.He must have done it.
"…… ."
I hadn't intended to hold hands with him from the start, but now I had another reason not to.
"So she asked us to make some later. When she's done with her business, she has some things she wants to tell us after a long time."
Choi Hyun-Woo ended his words like that, looking at my mood.I didn't have a good reply, so I just nodded.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes."
I nodded at his cautious question.Thinking that what I can do is to relieve his injustice rather than pray for his soul.
"Did you wait long?"
Not long after, Han Soo-Young and Jin Ye-Seul returned.Han Soo-Young immediately approached me and held my hand naturally.
"Are you hurt anywhere? Were you surprised?"
And she told me as if to say be careful.
"And I heard from Ye-Seul, but really… . From now on, if someone you don't know approaches you, be a little wary. Okay?"
"… Yeah, okay."
I was about to say something back, but I couldn't help but stop when I saw Han Soo-young's eyes looking at me.Her eyes were full of worry, as if they were looking at a child who had been thrown into the water.I quietly said the answer she wanted.It was awkward, perhaps because it was a gaze I had never seen before.
"Wha, what? Why are you doing this to me?"
Then I turned my head towards Choi Hyun-Woo's panicked voice.There was Jin Ye-Seul, who was looking all around Choi Hyun-Woo as if she was inspecting him.
"… You really didn't get close. I'm satisfied."
She mumbled quietly, but when Choi Hyun-Woo heard that, he looked like he was getting goosebumps.I've never seen him look so terrified.
"I like people who keep their promises."
Then she asked Choi Hyun-Woo.
"You're going to remain as someone I'll like, right?"
"Uh… ."
Choi Hyun-Woo looked at Han Soo-Young without saying anything.At his sorrowful gaze, as if begging her to be on his side, Han Soo-Young looked at me for a moment and then quickly nodded.
"Soo, Soo-Young… ?"
And she moved her body as if covering me from his gaze, gently avoiding his gaze.To Choi Hyun-Woo, who was stunned by the shock of being abandoned by his family, Han Soo-Young replied in a voice that seemed sorry but could not yield.
"… Sorry. But this time, I feel the same way as Ye-Seul."
Just suffer for a while.At those words, Choi Hyun-Woo made a dumbfounded expression.
Han Soo-Young looked like she couldn't help it in her own way.
* * *
We eventually headed to the five streets with nowhere to go.
Even if we didn't want to go, there was honestly no better place to hang out than there.First, we filled our stomachs briefly at a restaurant, and then talked about what we would like to do for fun.
"Shall we go to karaoke?"
Choi Hyun-Woo nodded at Han Soo-Young's words.He was strangely far from me.
"Oh, that's good."
"Hmm… .Me too."
Jin Ye-Seul nodded as if it wasn't bad.Then she looked at me and asked.
"Ji-Hyuk, what about you?"
"I don't really… ."
At my lackluster response, Han Soo-Young and Jin Ye-Seul for some reason insisted that I must go to karaoke.I kept asking to go somewhere else, but it didn't work at all, and strangely, Choi Hyun-Woo, who was discouraged, was quietly watching me suffer as if he was enjoying it.
… In the end, I couldn't ruin the mood, so I had to follow them to karaoke.
Han Soo-Young sang mainly lively songs, starting with the latest popular idol songs, while Choi Hyun-Woo mainly chose ballads that highlighted his originally beautiful voice.What surprised me the most was Jin Ye-Seul, who arguably was not inferior to being a singer right now.The variety of songs she chose was so diverse that, frankly, I was naturally looking forward to what she would sing next.
… And all that was left was me.After a while, the three people who got out of the karaoke room were struggling to hold in their laughter, so I think that was enough to answer how my song went.That's why I didn't want to come.
"Ji-Hyuk… . Ehum, your voice was good... ."
As Han Soo-Young said that, Jin Ye-Seul nodded.Their mouths were strangely closed as they struggled to hold back their laughter.
"… Yes, the song you chose was particularly difficult."
Then, Choi Hyun-Woo suddenly opened his mouth next to her.
"Dear My Lovee~"
When he sang along to the part where my voice was out of tone earlier, Han Soo-Young and Jin Ye-Seul burst into laughter with a pu-ah.I felt like I could see what my face looked like without even looking in the mirror.
"… Have you all laughed enough now?"
At my words, Choi Hyun-Woo murmured with difficulty, clearing his throat.
"Ji-Hyuk, your singing ability is really… ."
"I'll kill you. You really."
When I said that, Choi Hyun-Woo suppressed his laughter and nodded as if he understood.Then, Jin Ye-Seul suddenly grabbed my arm and shot at Choi Hyun-Woo.
"Aren't you being too mean to Ji-Hyuk?"
"Uh, what?"
"You can't make fun of people like that. Honestly, it's because Ji-Hyuk is nice, if it were someone else, there would have been a fight!"
At Jin Ye-Seul's words, Han Soo-Young made an oppsie expression and quickly nodded.
"That's right, Hyun-Woo. Even if I think about it, I think you are wrong. Hurry up and apologize to Ji-Hyuk."
"What, I'm the bad guy again?"
Looking at Choi Hyun-Woo, who looked as if it was unfair, I took a small breath.Then I smiled softly and opened my mouth.
"Dear My Lovve~"
After laughing in front of the karaoke for a while, we headed straight to the cafe.In the meantime, we were able to capture a huge stone statue standing tall in the middle of the square, where all five streets meet.
One of the Seven Evils.Dragon Minerva.
"…… ."
Looking at it, I gently rubbed the forearm that had Nidhogg's fang in it.I should have worked on it long ago, but things hadn't been looking good in the meantime.It was because there was Margo's incident, and most of all, it was ambiguous to let go of the Nidhogg's fang now that I was entangled with Lee Jae-Joon.
In any case, one of the worst counters for Lee Jae-Joon, a member of the World Tree clan, was the Nidhogg fang I was holding.Still, I had to try.
"Ye-Seul."
"Yea? No, wai... . Did you call me by my name just now... ?"
While Han Soo-Young and Choi Hyun-Woo were away, saying that their master called again, I secretly called out to Jin Ye-Seul.When I called her by name, she looked at me in surprise.
"Ye-Seul, I have a favor to ask."
"…… !!!"
At my words, she shook her head, her eyes shining.She looked at me as if she wanted me to say anything, and I gently pointed to the stone statue and said.
"Can you damage that a little?"
"That? Now?"
"Yes. But don't get caught."
At that, Jin Ye-Seul nodded and ran straight to the stone statue.Then, after a while, she trudged back to me with a crying face.
"I can't… ."
She showed me weapons that had been smashed or broken.I pulled out the Nidhogg's fang and handed it to her, thinking that after all, half-baked ones wouldn't damage it.
"Can you do it with this?"
"… I'll give it a try."
And she approached the stone statue again.On the way, the patrolling guards noticed her and blew their whistles loudly, but she wasn't someone who would be caught by a few guards.After a while, Jin Ye-Seul, who came back safely, dodging the chase, told me.
"I did damage it, but… ."
"Did it go back to normal soon?"
At my words, she nodded as if she were ashamed.It was as expected.I looked at the statue, telling her that she had done a good job and that it was really helpful.
‘After all, it also has the ability to repair itself.'
If that's the case, it means the Nidhogg's fang has to be kept inserted.At this point in time, when there is a high possibility of colliding with Lee Jae-Joon and the rest of the Thorns Cross Society, I couldn't just keep it inserted.
I had to find some other way.
* * *
"So let's try to put it all together again."
Lee Ye-Eun looked at the trembling man behind the screen and asked him in a calm voice.Next to the man tied to the chair stood her henchman.
"The order you received was to blow up the research facility. It was just that?"
"Yes, yes! That's right!"
"Attack someone, there wasn't anything like that?"
"Yes… ! As always, we were simply after those devil civiliansss!"
Suddenly, the man next to him struck down with a blunt weapon on the back of his hand.At the sound of the screams, Lee Ye-Eun frowned and waved her hand once.He bowed his head and stopped what he was doing.
"I told you to only answer the questions asked. Yes or no. Can't you understand?"
"Yes, yes… . Noo! Noo! I understand!"
"Good."
Lee Ye-Eun nodded.That man was the only one at the executive level.Every single member of the group had already spat out everything by now, but she couldn't get any satisfactory results.
"You guys have some kind of kill list that you're usually given, right?"
"… Yes."
"Recite the whole list."
"Tha, that's too many to remember… !"
He screamed again.This time, it was not with a blunt weapon, but with a blade.
"I think you can't judge the situation."
Lee Ye-Eun sighed.
"The Thorns Cross Society is now a first-class wanted group. That means you're just a bunch of insects who can be shot dead on the spot without breaking the law. But now."
Lee Ye-Eun nodded.
"I'm giving you a way to survive."
Then.
"You have to roll your head hard, right? Don't you think so? Even someone like you would want to live, right?"
"Yes, yes… !"
The man nodded enthusiastically.He then began to pick up the names of the people as hard as he could, bringing back memories, and Lee Ye-Eun calmly wrote down their names.Yoo Ji-Hyuk's name wasn't there.
"…… ."
There was nothing that conflicted with the confessions of the general believers who had already confessed.Lee Ye-Eun nodded, thinking that there was nothing more to shake off.
"Okay, there's nothing more to shake off now. I don't think you've lied."
"Tha, thank you… ."
"Yeah, I don't want to see him anymore, get rid of him now. Oh, but keep the promise and send him off comfortably."
At that, her henchman pulled out a pistol from his inner pocket.The man freaked out and screamed when he heard the sound of the pin being pulled.
"Wai, wait! Save me, you said you would let me live!"
"What, did you really believe that?"
Lee Ye-Eun muttered as if it was ridiculous.
"You guys dared to touch my brother, didn't you? Then you have to die."
"Wai… !"
There was a loud gunshot.Le Ye-Eun muttered quietly as she watched the man fall with a thud.
"No one."
No one can touch my family.She muttered like that and turned off the screen.
Her eyes, reflected on the blackened screen, were as cold as ever.
