Ch.126The Thing I Cannot Give Up – 2

“- I love Mondays! They’re the absolute best! -“

What the hell. What kind of lunatic is teabagging first thing Monday morning?

I glanced over and saw a student broadcasting taunts from his phone.

I wondered if he was doing it deliberately, so I tried to get a look at his face.

“…oh boy.”

One look at the student’s face and I understood immediately.

That wasn’t broadcasting taunts – he was teabagging himself!

The hollow face, the dark circles under his eyes.

Plus that wobbly gait – anyone could see he wasn’t normal.

He must have been caught up in something all weekend.

‘Come to think of it, didn’t they say exams are in two weeks?’

Even if an S-rank gets assassinated, if gates appear ignoring suppressors,

If monsters much stronger than before come pouring out of them,

The Academy’s exams never stop. Yes, this is Korea.

“Arbiter, isn’t that pleasant to hear?”

What nonsense is this guy spouting now?

I shot a glare at Hyunwoo Lee walking beside me.

I’m not the only one. Other students who heard Hyunwoo’s words are doing the same.

Their looks say: what kind of lunatic agrees that Mondays are good?

They wonder how someone like him became one of the Academy’s promising students.

“After resting well all weekend, Monday feels so light! Hahaha!”

“Yes. Yes. I’m sure it does. Is there any day you don’t like, student Hyunwoo?”

I made that comment with obvious discomfort, a clear provocation.

But our ultra-positive protagonist neutralized even that with ease.

“Haha! That’s right! There are no days I don’t like! No days off either!”

This can’t go on. If I keep talking with this madman, I’ll go crazy too.

I deliberately ignored Hyunwoo and quickly entered the Academy.

If I had to commute with this protagonist from the beginning…

Ugh. I’d be trembling with tears and dripping with sweat. Damn it!

‘Though Hyunwoo’s words aren’t entirely wrong.’

As he said, I really did get to rest properly last weekend.

I have the mindset that ‘my home is the most comfortable place in the world.’

So I usually hate going outside on my days off.

But that villa I went to with Soohyun shattered that belief in one blow.

Now I understand people who talk about “hotel vacations.”

It’s not a waste of money but a kind of capital healing, you could say?

Though not often, occasionally making such changes might not be bad.

“What could it be, Arbiter? This strange atmosphere?”

Suddenly, I recalled what Dasom Yoo said at breakfast yesterday.

She looked like someone who already knew everything that had happened.

Yet Hyunwoo, who had been with us first, seemed clueless.

At the same time, I remembered what happened the night before, on Saturday.

Soohyun asking about the reason for my goodwill, and my honest answer.

Then her request to close my eyes, followed by a sudden kiss.

‘…it should be fine, right?’

Clearly there’s no problem. Neither of us is a minor.

This worry must be due to the slight uneasiness I feel.

The possibility that Soohyun might turn into the worst villain, The Crimson Witch?

That’s partly true. Originally, that was her destiny.

But I twisted that fate. And I’ll make sure it never returns.

I’m confident I can ensure Soohyun remains a beautiful ability user forever.

Then the biggest source of my anxiety right now is obviously…

‘The relationship between Rina and Soohyun….’

Woong!― Woowoong!―

Speak of the devil. Still not a gentleman.

The caller ID on my phone screen was none other than Rina.

After hesitating for just a moment, I pressed the answer button.

[Hello. Why the hesitation? Why didn’t you answer quickly?]

…This gives me goosebumps. How did she know I hesitated?

Is she watching me from somewhere nearby?

Yes. If it’s Rina, she’s perfectly capable of that.

She’s not called crazy for nothing. She would do something that bizarre.

So I quickly scanned my surroundings when Rina’s voice came through the phone.

[I’m working right now, so stop looking around. I’m not there.]

“…Seriously, is mind reading your ability?”

[What can I do if I hear you turning your head? And it’s obvious our pure Seojin would think ‘She might be watching me from nearby!’]

I have nothing to say. How can she be so accurate?

Are other S-ranks like this too? At least Jiyoon Han seemed more human.

“By the way, if you’re working, should you be making calls like this?”

[What are you saying? I’m not a slave. Not even an underling. If I want to make calls, I do. If I want to work, I do. Who would dare say anything to me?]

“That’s true.”

[…Your immediate agreement somehow makes me feel bad. Anyway. I called because I have something to ask. Can you talk?]

Isn’t that something you ask at the beginning of a call?

“Yes. I can.”

[Good. Then, where were you and what did you do last weekend?]

I involuntarily flinched at that moment.

I thought I had nothing to hide and no intention of hiding anything.

But when asked like this, I almost said ‘I was at home?’ without thinking.

‘Calm down. I took everyone with me in preparation for this.’

If I had gone with just Soohyun, I would have been really nervous.

But I took Soohyun, Hana Kang, Dasom Yoo, and Hyunwoo Lee.

Anyone would see it as team bonding.

Even if not, it looks like taking a break to get closer.

Even Rina couldn’t say anything about that.

“Last weekend, I went to Chairman Minseong Kang’s villa.”

[…You went to Kang’s villa?]

“Yes.”

[You wouldn’t have gone alone. Tell me honestly. Did you go with that woman, Kim Soohyun?]

“Isn’t that obvious? We were able to go to that villa thanks to Soohyun in the first place.”

[….]

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. It wasn’t just the two of us.”

Rina responds with “Then?” to my answer.

I’m not imagining the slight urgency in her voice.

“I told you before. I decided to join the Mage Tower Clan. I went with all the team members who’ll be active there. Student Hana Kang, student Dasom Yoo, and student Hyunwoo Lee. Five of us in total.”

[So you went with your team members.]

“Yes. We’ve closed gates together at the Academy and fought monsters. And since we’ll be working together in the future, spending time relaxing together is the best way to get closer.”

[Hmm.]

As I expected, Rina couldn’t say much about that.

What could she say about team members going to a villa for bonding?

Even Rina couldn’t interfere that much.

Plus, Rina has shown me more than goodwill – clear affection.

I still don’t understand why she feels that way about me.

Well, she says she’s a monster and the world has trouble accepting her, and only I can.

I don’t think I’m on her level, but that’s how it is.

Anyway, that means she can’t cross the line unnecessarily.

“But why are you suddenly curious about that?”

[No. The night before last, that Kim Soohyun suddenly sent me a strange message.]

“A strange message?”

What’s this about? Soohyun, what weird thing did you do without me knowing?

Surely not? You didn’t tell Rina about what happened that night, did you?

[She sent me a single ‘ㅋ’ out of nowhere. When I asked why, she sent ‘ lol’ next and that was it. Anyone would find that suspicious, right? It felt like a weird provocation, and it was annoying.]

“…And?”

[What do you mean ‘and’? I said it’s suspicious. There’s only one reason she would suddenly provoke me like that. It must be one hundred percent related to you, right?]

Soohyun… Why did you do that? Why?! Didn’t you know how perceptive Rina is!?

No matter how much you wanted to brag, you should have held back a little.

[Hello? Why aren’t you answering? Was there really nothing going on?]

“There wasn’t. How could anything happen with all the team members there?”

[Does having a goalkeeper mean no goals? Besides, those team members probably had no intention of playing goalkeeper. If that fox-like woman Kim Soohyun wanted something, nothing could stop her.]

Damn. There’s nothing wrong with what she said, so I can’t even refute it.

[I’ll ask again, Seojin. Be honest. Really, did nothing happen? Don’t lie. I can tell right away. If I think you’re lying, I’ll fly right over there, okay?]

That statement about flying over. It’s not a joke or playful threat.

This woman is serious. She would really drop everything and fly here immediately.

So I need to act well, answer well.

Okay. Let me try self-hypnosis. Nothing happened. Nothing happened.

I just closed my eyes and fell asleep that day. Nothing happened between Soohyun and me…

“Nothing happened. If you don’t believe me, come right now and see my face…”

[KWAAAANG!!― Tuuuu―]

I thought my eardrum would burst. A thunderous sound came through the phone.

Startled, I checked my phone to find the call with Rina had already ended.

What’s going on? Is she really flying over here?

But that doesn’t explain the roaring sound just now.

Ding!―

[Safety Alert – Elder appearance, urgent evacuation required for citizens in nearby areas]

The moment I received that message, without hesitation, I called Hakjun Ma.

“Yes, President. This is Seojin Baek. I’d like to take a day off today!”