Ch.73Episode 15. Building Trust (1)

“…Did you really come here?”

Is he not doing his job as a security guard?

This guy’s an outsider.

Even if he’s an Academy graduate and S-class, you shouldn’t open the door for him!

“Me! You thought I wouldn’t come?!”

I looked at the mint-haired woman with contempt, interrupting my morning preparations. She was so agitated she was even panting.

“What’s with that look?!”

“Nothing. It’s just… impressive.”

I had a lot to say, but decided to hold back since arguing would only prolong the conversation.

“So what brings you here?”

“Did you forget what happened yesterday? With that brain of yours, you might as well throw it away.”

“…I understand envying people with good intelligence.”

“Do you really want to die?”

“…Instructor?”

As we were arguing at the door, Yuri called out to me. She had come to walk to school together as usual.

“This person is… H-Hirak from the special class?”

Her eyes darted between me and Lee Bang-sil several times. Those black pupils, clearly showing her agitation, demanded an explanation from me.

“Don’t worry. This person just arrived.”

“Who are you calling ‘this person’?!”

“Stop getting so worked up like a child.”

“You really think you’re something? Your way of speaking is disgusting.”

“I-Instructor is a kind person!”

Yuri, who had unnecessarily joined our conversation, offered a rebuttal to Lee Bang-sil.

Though Yuri’s intervention complicated matters, I patted her head.

“That’s right. I’m a kind person. Thank you.”

“…What bullshit.”

“But why did you come here?”

“Were you taught to leave guests standing outside?”

I was about to say ‘You’re not a guest,’ but stopped myself.

If the argument dragged on, I’d be late for work. To end this endless bickering, I needed to match her pace.

“Come in then. Yuri, you go to school first. I need to talk with this person.”

“Just the ‘two’ of you?”

Her tone was somehow cold.

It was as if she was ‘jealous’ of me being with another woman.

“Yes. Just us two. It has to be that way.”

“…Alright. But don’t forget our ‘promise’?”

I intended to keep my promise not to date anyone until I made Yuri a hero.

“…Don’t worry.”

Though her face darkened, seemingly uncomfortable with leaving me alone with Lee Bang-sil, there was no helping it.

I’m planning to teach her a thorough lesson while I’m at it.

I closed the door. I didn’t forget to lock it.

Lee Bang-sil had already taken off her sneakers and was looking around my room.

“You really live in such a cramped place?”

“Three years ago, you lived in a student dormitory that was even worse than this, didn’t you?”

“Where I lived wasn’t shabby.”

“Wow. What nonsense.”

The more I talk with her, the more absurd it gets. Surely she doesn’t treat everyone except herself like trash?

“Anyway. Yesterday… you just left me, didn’t you?”

At least she had the sense to come in the morning. Honestly, I thought she’d barge in last night.

“I was tired.”

“You think that’s a good enough reason?”

She activates her skill. The energy emanating from her small frame is ominous.

“Are you prepared to take a beating from me?”

Prepared to take a beating…

I boldly walked up to Lee Bang-sil and placed my hand on her shoulder. She looked at my hand as if something filthy had touched her.

“What’s this hand doing?”

“I should definitely settle this karma.”

“What—”

«Nullify».

Her energy scattered with a ‘pang’ sound. It wasn’t an actual sound, but that’s how it felt.

“What…?”

Lee Bang-sil’s face quickly hardened as she realized her strength was gone.

“It’s time to settle the score.”

“You, what are you trying to do…! I-I’ll scream?!”

“If you scream, wouldn’t that just be announcing your ‘defeat’ to me?”

“W-what?!”

You wouldn’t like that, would you? Especially someone with such immense pride like you.

I grabbed her and pulled her over as I sat on the bed.

Dragged along powerlessly, she had a dumbfounded expression at the strange position. Her face, lying across my thighs, gradually flushed.

“You, what are you—!”

SMACK!

I spanked her buttock without hesitation.

“Oww! W-where do you think you’re hitting?!”

“Stay still. Or would you prefer to be hit somewhere else?”

“You, this is sexual harassment!!”

“Yes~ it is sexual harassment.”

SMACK!

“Eek! Let gooo!”

“Keep talking.”

You’ll keep getting spanked as long as the nullification holds.

Let’s see when that mouth of yours closes.

* * *

“Ah~ That feels good!”

I felt refreshed. Like all my pent-up frustrations had been released.

My palm was a bit red and stinging, but I felt so good it didn’t matter. I stretched contentedly.

“Owww… my butt hurts…!”

I looked at Lee Bang-sil clutching her buttocks on the bed. Now that I noticed, there were slight tears in her eyes.

“I was gentle. Stop exaggerating.”

“Eek!! Y-you’re the first person to treat me like this!”

“Huh? That line…”

That’s a very familiar line.

Of course, unlike in manga, getting spanked didn’t make her develop feelings for me. Rather, she looked like she might shed tiny tears of humiliation at any moment.

I gave her a mischievous smile while receiving her hostile gaze.

“We haven’t known each other long… yet you’ve already offered your butt…”

“Why does that sound so wrong?”

“Because you spanked me! Why the butt of all places?!”

“Isn’t it the best place to hit? Makes you feel like you’re returning to childhood.”

“I never got spanked even as a child!”

“…Then why do you keep picking fights with me?”

“I never picked fights!”

How oblivious can she be to not realize how provocative her manner of speaking is?

“I was actually being lenient. I did it when we were alone, not in front of others.”

“How, how old are you?!”

“Twenty-five. Same age as you. So stop speaking informally to me.”

“Ugh! I-if it bothers you so much, you speak informally too!”

I grinned at her stubbornness.

“Should I? Then I look forward to working with you, Bang-sil.”

“D-don’t call me Bang-sil! It makes me sound like someone who goes around smiling foolishly!”

The reason she cared about her name was simple.

She didn’t want to appear casual to her juniors. She wanted to create an image of a stern and strict top hero that no one would dare approach.

In reality, I knew many junior heroes found her difficult because of her manner of speaking. Most avoided talking to her since she usually ignored them.

To me, she just looked ridiculous, like a grown woman acting like a bratty kid.

“Your parents gave you that name. How sad they would be if they knew.”

“Now you’re making jokes about my parents?!”

“How is that a joke about your parents?”

“You’re really pushing it…! I’m ranked 3rd!”

“So? Want another spanking?”

“N-no! I don’t want to be hit!”

When I reached out my hand, she frantically tried to use her power. The nullification state had been lifted, and she could use her skills again.

I withdrew my hand and shrugged.

“I don’t feel like hitting you anymore anyway.”

“…I saw it yesterday too, but your ability is to nullify others’ abilities?”

“Hmm. Something like that.”

I decided to tell her as a courtesy.

If I treated her too harshly, she might spread unnecessary rumors. Though I knew her pride would prevent her from telling anyone she got spanked.

If her personality had been a bit different, I wouldn’t have spanked her. A simple flick to the forehead would have sufficed.

“Anyway, I need to go to work now.”

“My butt still stings!”

I lifted the whining Lee Bang-sil and forcibly held her hand.

“I don’t care about that. Let’s get along as fellow heroes from now on, Bang-sil-Bang-sil.”

“Who are you calling Bang-sil-Bang-sil! Grrrr…! Someday I’ll kick that butt of yours!”

“Do as you please.”

I casually responded to her words and checked the time. There was still time before the instructor’s roll call. But I decided to tease Lee Bang-sil once more.

“…Take responsibility for making me late.”

“Serves you right! You trash!”

Trash? That’s harsh.

“Just kidding.”

“Die!”

Thanks to her sincere death wish, I might live another day longer.

They say you live longer when people curse you.

* @ *

“So that’s why I couldn’t reach him…”

As soon as Wolgwang heard the report from the Jeokwol organization member released by Yujin, a headache struck him. He couldn’t help but close his eyes at the throbbing pain in his skull.

“W-what should we do?”

“Did Noesin really tell you to relay that?”

“Yes, he did.”

“Huh…”

He let out a hollow laugh.

‘Noesin, that bastard already knows the internal situation of Akcheon well.’

The message Yujin wanted to convey to Wolgwang was simple:

«Now that your core forces are gone, you’ll be devoured by the executives. You’ll never become the head of Akcheon one way or another. But if you tell me the positions of the other executives, I’ll capture them for you. Then becoming the head of Akcheon won’t be an issue. Join hands with me, Wolgwang.»

‘This guy plans to use me to deal with the other executives, not just to bring down the entire Akcheon forces… but ultimately to dispose of me too.’

Wolgwang had already read Yujin’s intentions. Yet even after reading them, he felt conflicted.

He knew that information about his core forces being damaged had already reached the ears of the other executives.

“So in the end, I was in Noesin’s palm all along…”

Wolgwang could only let out a deep sigh, knowing that whichever choice he made would lead to ruin, yet he had to choose nonetheless.