episode_0002

‘… ‘Who am I fooling?’

I was at a loss for words for a moment due to the sudden conversation, but soon came to my senses and shouted, barely shaking off Seol Joo-hee’s grasp.

“Now what nonsense is that! What should I do?”

This is absurd.

Who am I deceiving and deceiving?

“Sol Joo-hee. What on earth are you talking about!”

“Yeah, Jihyuk couldn’t have done that… !”

Hong Yu-ra and Lim A-rin also took my side, as if they did not believe Seol Joo-hee’s absurd claims.

but.

“… … .”

Seol Joo-hee didn’t even blink and glared at me as if she were going to kill me. She walked over to the bag she had thrown away, took out an envelope of documents, and threw it on the table.

“… Why don’t you try this even after seeing this?”

‘What is that again?’

While my attention was briefly drawn to the appearance of an unidentifiable document envelope, Lim A-rin quickly ran out and laid out the contents of the envelope on the table.

Patter──

A few photos and a small USB fell out of the document bag that Seol Joo-hee threw away… .

“… Uh… ?”

Lim A-rin, who was looking at the fallen photo, suddenly looked embarrassed.

Hong Yu-ra’s expression began to harden as she checked the contents.

‘… what?’

An unusual reaction from two people.

Sensing that something was wrong, I quickly approached the two people and checked the photos they were looking at.

and… .

“… !”

I was shocked when I saw the face of a man clearly captured in the photo.

It was me.

“… This… .”

In the photo, I was rolling around in bed with a half-naked woman, and I couldn’t believe what was so fun about it, but I had a very bright expression on my face.

‘W-what is this… ?’

I narrowed my eyes involuntarily at the unbelievable sight, looked at the photo a little more closely, and was shocked once again.

The person in the photo was clearly me.

No matter how similar people are, even the scars on their legs from childhood injuries cannot be the same.

But I had no memory of sleeping with a woman like this.

No, I have never slept with a woman since I fell into this world.

But what on earth is this photo about?

‘What the hell is this…? .’

My head turns white, and my heart beats unpleasantly.

That time when I was standing there blankly looking at myself in the photo.

Sigh─

Hong Yu-ra picked up a photo on the table and secretly raised a question.

“This… . Isn’t it synthetic?”

“Ah… !”

“!”

I suddenly came to my senses and quickly looked back at Seol Joo-hee.

OK.

“Ha.”

Seol Joo-hee let out a quiet laugh, then pointed to a small USB on the table and said something meaningful.

“I didn’t believe it at first either.”

The heavy air that settles into the living room with just one word.

Everyone’s eyes were focused on the USB placed on the table.

Gulp─

I carefully picked up the USB and immediately connected it to the TV.

I am hopeful that Seol Joo-hee must have seen it wrong.

but… .

[ Seol Joo-hee, that bitch… . He just lives off of his own good taste? How cheap… . ]

[ really? Isn’t he that cheap? ]

[There is no such truth! I thought it looked a bit flat, but I had a dirty temper… . ]

[Why didn’t you just eat it once and throw it away? ]

[ Normally, if you touch a bitch like that by mistake, you’ll be screwed. I should tell them to spend their whole lives spinning spider webs. ]

“… Huh?”

As if I had given up hope, in the video I was lying naked with an unidentified woman and swearing at my teammates without hesitation.

[Hong Yu-ra? ]

[Hong Yu-ra? That bitch with big tits? I get really nauseous just looking at him. It should be big enough… . Looks like a pig. ]

[ no way… . Don’t men like bigger things? ]

[ Well, he kind of crossed the line. And Hong Yu-ra is such a fucking old brat. If you sleep with those bitches, they’ll tell you that you have to marry them, right? ]

[Phew… ! ]

“You… .”

“No! This is not what I said!”

[ then… . What about Lim A-rin? Is he no good too? ]

[Arin Lim is a bit better. But he’s kind of like that too. Asking for just one bite every day, how much… ]

“… Ji, Jihyuk… .”

“Oh, no!!!!!!!!!”

I couldn’t bear it any longer and threw the remote control at the TV in a fit of rage.

Kwajik─!

The screen has cracked and turned pitch black.

But the video didn’t stop, and horrible dialogue came through the speakers.

[Anyway, I’m so sick of messing around with those bitches. I’ll just brush it off roughly. ]

[What will I eat now? ]

[I made a lot of money by selling some of their information. I’m going to get recuperation abroad. Somewhere like Hawaii. ]

[ really? Brother, take me too! huh? ]

[Do you want to go to Hawaii? ]

[ huh! ]

[If you work hard today, I will think about it. ]

The conversation did not continue any further.

Only the obscene sound of water echoed in the living room, and even the sound was cut off after the tickled woman’s moans.

“… … .”

An unpleasant atmosphere settles down in the living room.

“… Do Ji-hyuk… .”

“… Jihyuk… .”

I slowly turned around at the call of Hong Yu-ra and Lim A-rin,

My heart sank at the sight of the two people’s distorted expressions.

“… Hey guys… . no… . That’s not me… .”

I desperately complained of injustice.

That’s not what I said.

I have never once thought bad of you.

however… .

The two people seemed to be in great shock and did not listen to me.

“Oh, no… . No… .”

I hastily threw away the photos and clung to them, expressing my resentment.

“Arin! Hey, this isn’t me! Look closely… !”

“Ji, Jihyuk… .”

Lim A-rin has a perplexed expression and doesn’t know what to do.

“Yu, Yura! Why would I say something like that! You know I’m not that kind of person… !”

“… … .”

Instead of answering, Hong Yu-ra bites her lip and turns her head away.

“… Joo, Joo Hee. You know that I’m the kind of person who can never do something I don’t like, right? How could I force myself to stay with you… ! That’s all fake… !”

And even Seol Joo-hee, who looks coldly at her.

“… Hey guys… .”

Among the three, there was no one on my side.

‘Yours… . You think of me as that kind of guy… ?’

My head feels dizzy, as if I’ve been hit with a hammer.

Feelings of betrayal, despondency, disappointment, and all kinds of negative emotions lingered in my heart, and I didn’t know how to prove this unfair and angry feeling.

“No! This is rigged! Someone is slandering me… !”

“Do Ji-hyuk.”

Seol Joo-hee’s cold voice pierces my ears.

My heart sank at the sound of her voice, so I urgently grabbed Seol Joo-hee and asked her.

“Joohee. Who gave you this? You said you were meeting the leader. You’re the manager, right? Right?”

but.

“… I’m disappointed.”

Seol Joo-hee did not listen to my story.

Her face was already filled with extreme sadness and betrayal. And she was drenched in cold anger, and her eyes did not contain a single ounce of trust.

“I… . I didn’t even know you were that kind of bastard… .”

“Joo, Joohee. Because it’s not like that… ! Yu, Yura! Arin!! It’s not like that! It’s all a mistake!”

I desperately tried to resolve the misunderstanding, but… .

“Rather… . You should have told us… . It would be better if… .”

“… Joo, Joo Hee… .”

No one listened to my story.

Is this what it feels like to feel like everything is collapsing under your feet?

There was no point in making any more excuses.

No matter how much I shout at the wall, all I get back is an empty echo.

“… … .”

The loneliness that had been buried in a corner of my heart came crashing down like a huge wave.

I was soaked in loneliness, so I quietly got up with my mouth shut, and looked around at the three people.

Hong Yu-ra looks into space with a stiff face, and Seol Joo-hee lowers her head and drops her fist.

The only one, Im A-rin, was looking at me with an expression of disbelief.

“… … .”

I carefully parted my heavy lips to say something to her.

OK.

Sigh─

Lim A-rin quietly turned her head away, shedding a single tear.

I soon closed my mouth again, silently withdrew my gaze, and quietly turned around and headed towards the entrance.

I walked slowly, with a faint hope that maybe someone would catch me… .

“… … .”

No one caught me.

*

next day.

I called Gook-il, the leader of the Cheonhwa Guild, and asked about the meeting with Seol Joo-hee.

Who handed over such data?

What is the source.

but… .

[I guess I had the wrong person. Very disappointed. ]

Gook-il criticized me with disappointment, as if he already knew everything, and treated me like a petty traitor who betrayed his loyalty without knowing grace.

[I have all kinds of forms… , How dare you sell our inside information? Was money really that good? ]

I expressed my resentment, saying that the video was manipulated and that I never did that, but… .

[I won’t talk too much. Get out quietly. I have no intention of working with a guy like you. ]

He coldly hung up the phone, as if he had no intention of listening at all.

“Ha… .”

How many days has it been since I last spoke on the phone with Nook-il?

I, who had been rolling around in bed helplessly the whole time, stared blankly at the ceiling and tried to shake my head.

‘… That video… . What on earth was that…? .’

The person in the video was clearly me.

No matter how good the technology is, it is nearly impossible to perfectly embody the scars, appearance, and voice.

But I have never done anything like that.

You’re busy enough to be stuck in the office every day, staring at the monitor, and managing your team, but when do you do something like that?

‘It’s clear that it was manipulated… .’

I have a serious feeling, but I can’t think of a way to prove that it was manipulated.

‘Did you use your abilities?’

Although there is someone capable of realizing fantasy, her skills are not great enough to create an entire video.

‘If you look for that woman… .’

How on earth can you find someone whose name or last name you don’t know anything about?

“… Fuck… .”

I have no idea where to start or how to solve it, and I am just endlessly frustrated.

“I don’t know either… .”

In the end, I gave up on solving the problem and covered my face with a blanket to think about the future.

‘Maybe it’s better now… .’

15 years ago.

After realizing that this world is a novel world without dreams or hope.

I have run so far only to have a peaceful ending.

Although he was unable to become the main character as originally intended, he developed Seol Joo-hee, the main character of the original work, to the end, and even Hong Yu-ra and Im Ah-rin, whose deaths were confirmed along the way, were also developed perfectly.

If variables such as power inflation do not suddenly arise, we will probably be able to prevent the invasion of this world without difficulty and achieve a peaceful ending.

then… .

What after the ending?

What should I do after that?

“… … .”

When I think about it, I don’t think I thought about what happens after the ending.

If the author of ‘The Strongest Master’ had serialized an epilogue or a side story, it would have proceeded as is… .

I fell into this world right after the last episode was posted.

There’s no way to know what happens after that, and since all the characters die, it’s unlikely there will be any backstory.

“It’s the end… .”

Suddenly, an old memory comes to mind.

When I was training and staying in a training camp with the three of us, I remember huddled together and talking with our heads together before going to sleep.

─Jihyuk. Is there anything you want to do later when you make a lot of money?

At that time, I answered Lim A-rin that I wanted to live in Hawaii.

I remembered hearing somewhere that Hawaii was a good place to live.

I remember answering casually because I was in the middle of a serious injury and stopped debuting as a hunter, and I was only thinking about the growth of the three of us.

‘… Hawaii… .’

Is it a coincidence?

Coincidentally, I also mentioned Hawaii in the video brought by Seol Ju-hee.

“Ugh… . Fuck… .”

Suddenly feeling bad, I rolled over and tried to think of other thoughts.

‘How much did I save?’

In the meantime, he worked as the executive producer of Queens and earned a considerable amount of money.

I didn’t have much interest in accumulating wealth, so I only saved a little, so I’m sure I have enough money to play and eat for the rest of my life.

Perhaps living in Hawaii would be enough.

‘I should really go abroad.’

In fact, unlike the original, the happy ending is confirmed, so there is nothing to worry about.

The only problem was that it caused a huge misunderstanding among the three people from Queens who had become like family.

‘Now that I think about it, it’s a shame… . Losing 10 years worth of friendship over just one fake video like that?’

Of course, the video was so clever that even I was confused.

I don’t know who made it, but it’s true that it was made so well that it gave me goosebumps.

So I can’t just blame the three people… .

I think it’s inevitable to feel resentful.

“… ha… .”

That was the time when I gathered my mind, calmly organized my thoughts, and planned for the future.

Wooung─ Wooung─

I heard my cell phone vibrating.

It means a message has arrived.

‘if?’

Feeling faint anticipation at the contact I received after such a long time, I quickly reached out and checked my phone.

[Hunter High School 36th class Kim Jun-hyung: ㅁㅎ? ]

[Hunter High School 36th class Kim Jun-hyung: Busy? ]

The person who sent the message was none other than classmate Kim Jun-hyung.

I was a friend who was preparing to debut as a hunter together in the past, and then got a job as a civil servant.

“Tsk… .”

Feeling a bit dehydrated, I responded appropriately, saying that I was resting at home.

OK… .

Wooung─ Wooung─

Immediately a reply came back from Kim Junhyung.

[Hunter High School 36th class Kim Jun-hyung: Looks like he’s taking the day off today]

[Hunter High School 36th class Kim Jun-hyung: Then please help me with just one thing]

“… ?”