Ch.73Yellow Red Yellow – 3

“Tell me quickly. What’s so funny?”

This is the kind of question that makes me want to say, “You’re asking because you don’t know?”

It’s just so strange to see someone like you talking about Eastern etiquette and manners.

It’s not just because Rina Lee is blonde with blue eyes.

I can’t find a trace of manners in that woman.

Would a well-mannered person be called a madwoman by both sides?

“There’s something like that.”

“Damn it. When I get curious about something, I can’t just let it go, you know? Hurry up.”

“I just laughed. That’s really all there is to it.”

“Stop lying.”

This woman, didn’t she say she shouldn’t be doing this here?

Claiming she was reflecting on her actions. Saying she was prohibited from going out except for Superpower Academy business.

So why is she still here doing this?

“Shouldn’t you not be caught here like this?”

“Well… I’ll just get scolded more by my mom.”

She’s trying to sound nonchalant, but I saw it.

The slight trembling in Rina Lee’s eyes when she mentioned her “mom.”

That was truly the look of a child afraid of being scolded by her mother.

“Your mother seems to be strict.”

“She keeps saying I’m doing bad things! But I’m just catching villains!”

“Well, no matter who the villains are, treating them like that obviously won’t earn you praise.”

“What did I do?!”

Does this woman perhaps have bipolar disorder with amnesia too?

Just looking up a few news articles shows that Rina’s incidents are on a completely different level.

Like how the villains she caught were damaged beyond description.

Or how she used her powers against non-powered individuals who had cooperated with villains.

These were incidents where accusations of excessive force were inevitable.

Even for those who wanted to cover for her, it was at a level where they had to say, “This is going too far.”

So it’s natural that Rina’s mother would be angry.

Her daughter could receive praise from everyone if she just controlled her temper a bit.

But this crazy woman goes around laughing maniacally and causing all sorts of trouble.

The number one powered individual who is both the strongest and the most controversial—that’s Rina Lee.

‘If it were me, I’d be furious too.’

They say parents want to see their children succeed.

In that regard, Rina could be called a fire-attribute filial daughter.

What filial daughter? She’s making her parents sick with worry.

Has the world run out of actual filial daughters?

“Ah! Stop, stop. Why is oppa talking about my mom?”

“What? You started it first, Rina.”

“Hmm…. Ah! I get it! Is it because she’s your future mother-in-law?”

“Please, I’m begging you, could you just listen to what people say?”

At my sincere plea, Rina giggles and smiles.

Then, sitting on the windowsill, she stares at me intently.

“What?”

“You know you can’t hide it anymore, right?”

“Hide what?”

“What else? The ‘true nature’ of our Seojin oppa.”

Rina says this with a sharp gaze.

Seeing that look, I couldn’t help but sigh.

This woman still thinks I’m hiding something.

In reality, my ability can only be used when certain conditions are met.

The Gatekeeper trait showed maximum efficiency against Alpha and The Elder.

But against Minseong Kang, it only showed half the efficiency.

Even then, I was barely able to handle the former thanks to the Overtime trait.

Originally, it’s a trait that only shows maximum efficiency inside the Academy.

Literally, it means I can only conduct “Silver rank evaluations.”

Whether she knows what’s going on in my mind or not, Rina just continued with what she wanted to say.

“I heard you inflicted quite a wound on that water ghost guy? Right across the chest like this!”

“That’s what they say. I was too disoriented to confirm it properly.”

“What? Even if you faint, you should see that. Watching the pride crumble on someone who thinks they can never lose is real sweet entertainment!”

Can’t you hear King Sejong lamenting?

I wonder if she’s talking like this to prove she’s a madwoman.

“Besides! What should we do about this? I feel so sorry for our Seojin oppa!”

“About what?”

“That bastard, maybe because he looks so gloomy, has serious stalker tendencies.”

“You mean The Elder, Hyuk Kwak?”

“Yes. That bastard, ever since I thrashed him before, he’s been saying he’ll kill me. But when I challenge him to a fight, he always slips away. Now it looks like he’s going to follow the examiner around! Ahaha!”

Shit, don’t laugh. This is really serious.

A dark, gloomy man, and The Elder at that, stalking me.

It’s horrifying just to imagine. It gives me goosebumps.

“Ah. When you’re discharged, the Superpower Association will look for you, Seojin oppa.”

“For me?”

“I overheard they want to measure your ability again. I heard they’re saying you’re C-rank.”

Actually, I’m not even C-rank. Until recently, I was originally D-rank.

This C-rank is almost like a temporary promotion.

The reason is that I’ve been completely demolishing Silver rank students with such ease.

“Should I look forward to it?”

“No. Don’t. At best, I’ll be B-rank.”

Having worked in the ability measurement department, and since my original ability is in the detection and measurement category,

I can fully anticipate what rank I’ll get when measured.

The reason is simple. Can I use my trait during the rank measurement?

‘Probably, with high probability, I cannot.’

First of all, the conditions for activating the trait don’t match.

It’s a situation where I’m being evaluated, not doing the evaluation.

And it’s not the urgent moment that has been consistent until now.

After seeing the benefits of the Gatekeeper trait several times, I now know for certain.

It might be different at other times, but it won’t have any effect during rank measurement.

In other words, all I can show during the measurement is the movement my body remembers.

It means I can’t display any of the assistance I received from the trait.

“Seojin oppa?”

But Rina seemed to have interpreted my words differently.

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to get angry.”

“Why are you getting angry? Why would you get upset about me receiving a rank measurement…?”

“So according to what you’re saying now, a mere B-rank wounded the water ghost, easily defeated villains, and even caught my attention?”

“Nothing’s impossible, right? Even if I’m B-rank…”

“No.”

Suddenly my body tilted backward. And I fell onto the bed.

I was wondering what was happening, when Rina’s face filled my vision.

This crazy woman. She had suddenly climbed on top of me.

“W-what are you doing?!”

“The only beings worthy of my attention are those as strong as me. Someone who can understand me. Someone who can be with me. Someone who can survive me!”

What’s with that last part? Survive you?

I felt like I’d heard something very dangerous, and was about to ask what she meant.

Until I heard murmuring sounds from beyond the hospital room door.

I tried to quickly push Rina away, but the door opened faster.

“The condition is still fine. Probably…”

The first thing visible was a doctor in a white coat.

And behind him, a nurse and…

“Oh.”

“Ah.”

Red-tinged eyes met mine directly.

Soohyun Kim. She had entered the room with the doctor.

*

“Ah, hello, doctor. I’m not late, am I?”

“No, no. You came just in time. I was just about to check on his condition.”

Soohyun Kim was fidgeting with her hands as if embarrassed.

Looking at her, the doctor in charge of Seojin Baek thought:

She came again today. That patient really is lucky, he thought.

He hadn’t heard the detailed news. He only knew that the patient had suffered tremendous injuries.

They said he had received treatment from Support Class individuals on the way, but his condition was still serious.

The subsequent treatment was successful, but perhaps due to accumulated fatigue and shock, he couldn’t wake up.

What’s important is what started after Seojin Baek was hospitalized.

“Please take good care of him.”

First, the Academy’s headmaster, Hakjun Ma, came and made that request.

Moreover, the S-rank powered individual, Jiyoon Han, was with him.

That was already enough. It was appropriate to give VVIP-level treatment.

But the visitors making requests didn’t end there.

“He still hasn’t woken up?”

The next visitor was Inbeom Kang, the master of the Mage Tower Clan.

Hana Kang was beside him, and she looked extremely worried.

They also repeatedly asked to take good care of him before leaving.

The next visitors were a man and woman. More precisely, they could be called siblings.

“Our grandfather sent us.”

“How is the condition of Examiner Seojin Baek?”

The siblings were Dokyung Kang and Jisoo Kang.

As Minseong Kang’s grandchildren, they were the new talents who would lead the Kang family.

They were geniuses with a strong possibility of becoming the next S-rank powered individuals.

In other words, the greatest of the past, the greatest of the present, and those who would become the greatest in the near future.

All these people would visit occasionally and ask about his condition.

‘And this beautiful lady keeps visiting too.’

It was an enviable scale of hospital visits.

It certainly made him think that famous people who appear on the news are different.

Of course, upon hearing that he had fought with The Elder, he immediately shook his head.

“You come every day.”

While heading to the room, the doctor casually spoke to Soohyun Kim.

He didn’t have any ulterior motives; he was just genuinely curious.

It wasn’t just a regular hospital visit, and the patient probably wouldn’t even remember.

It was surprising and somewhat curious that she visited like this every day.

“He’s my benefactor.”

“Ah.”

“And also, the most precious person to me.”

Oh my. The nurse beside them was slightly surprised and covered her mouth.

The doctor also understood what those words meant, so he just smiled.

The doctor arrived at the hospital room and opened the door.

And what he saw was the patient who had regained consciousness and

A blonde, blue-eyed beauty straddling him.

“Huh?”

At first, he thought he was seeing things.

But because that woman’s face was so widely known, he recognized her immediately.

“Rina…”

“You!”

The doctor’s voice, filled with surprise and admiration, was drowned out by Soohyun Kim’s angry cry.