episode_0115

As we entered the large shopping mall, we were looking around with nervous expressions.

To be exact, three people excluding me.

Soyi, who always maintains a calm expression, seems to be nervous this time.

The smile wasn’t the same as usual.

However, strangely enough, the inside of the shopping mall was quiet.

As if it was a promise.

“…It’s quiet.”

Jaehoon said that and looked around the shopping mall.

It was definitely strange that there were so many people at the time of the tutorial.

No matter how many people went out to hunt monsters for the current mission, some people had to remain.

Jaehoon, who sensed this strangeness, looked at me and said.

“…It’s exactly as you said.”

At some point, Jaehoon was calling me older brother.

It was only natural that my childhood friend Eun-jeong was reluctantly calling me oppa.

“You said so, right?”

The message sent to Jaehoon was as follows.

People in a shopping mall are being attacked indiscriminately by a group of men, and their Avatar is also in danger, so please help them.

If the Constellation had sent this message to someone else, they would have ignored it.

As it happened, it was Jaehoon who received the message.

Perhaps because it was a constellation, my eyesight was quite wide.

I knew exactly who to send the message to.

However, there was something even that constellation did not expect.

It was Soyi and me.

“It doesn’t make sense.”

I said with a smile.

No matter how crazy the world was, it was still early days and there were no people who would massacre people in a shopping mall.

No, there wasn’t much in the second half.

The violence of numbers is amazing.

Unless you were a crazy person with a strong sense of fear, you couldn’t normally think of fighting against a large number of people.

Besides, it wasn’t easy for humans to do such cruel things.

Yeah, I’m usually not good at it.

I glanced at Soyi next to me.

…There’s that kind of person next to me?

Of course, it’s in the future.

So I gave Jaehoon a hint in advance.

Maybe it’s a trap.

The people you saved could attack you.

But Jaehoon didn’t believe me.

To be precise, I trusted people.

The people that she and Eun-jeong saved.

They couldn’t believe that they might be attacked.

So after that I kept quiet.

No matter what I say, it would be better to experience it yourself.

” Just as you said, there are no sounds of fighting, no traces, no people…”

Yes, they will all be hiding.

To attack us where we have a point.

We headed to the second floor.

To the ground parking lot on the 2nd floor.

When I saw the entrance to the parking lot, I slowly raised my hand.

It meant going slowly.

The three people nodded.

Entrance to the parking lot.

This was a place where Eun-jeong and Jae-hoon had memories of defeating the doll mask.

I don’t know if I can classify that as a memory.

The parking lot is dark to begin with, but maybe it’s just my mood.

It seemed darker than usual.

I found that odd, so I slowly looked at the entrance, and my newly acquired detection and observation skills were activated at will.

I could tell.

Through the unnatural shape of the shadow at the entrance and the sound of heavy, nervous breathing.

As we passed the entrance to this parking lot, two sturdy men were waiting for us on either side, holding something.

Just like Eun-jeong and Jae-hoon when they attacked the doll mask.

Jae-hoon and Eun-jeong’s eyes wavered when they heard what I said.

It was a look of disbelief.

“That can’t be possibleㅡ”

I caught Jaehoon, who was trying to go ahead, and shook my head.

“I’ll go first.”

“…Yes? Oppa why? ”

I couldn’t help it.

That surprise attack was still dangerous for Jae-hoon and Eun-jeong.

I entered the parking lot entrance first.

Then, as expected, the two men swung their weapons at me.

Huh!

As if he was waiting for someone to come in, he swung his weapon without hesitation.

But I immediately twisted my body to avoid it.

A large aluminum bat passed by me.

If only I hadn’t avoided it, and if it had been someone other than me.

It was clearly an attack that would lead to serious injury.

Because I knew that, I didn’t put much mercy in my hands.

Knock, knock!

He punched the man on the right in the stomach and hit the man on the left with his elbow.

Both of them collapsed with that one blow.

He sat down on the floor, clutching the area that had been attacked.

“Keuuk… Now, wait… We were ordered by the Constellation…”

I guess so.

I know best that the Constellations are bad guys.

However, if you call that an excuse, seeing those people shouting loudly made me angry.

“So, are you guys honest?”

“…”

“You guys swinging bats at people…”

The two people who fell down at my words were speechless and kept their mouths shut.

Jaehoon and Eunjeong looked at the two fallen people with mixed expressions.

And Eunjeong looked at me.

At first, he hesitated with his lips, but then he looked into my eyes and spoke as if he had made up his mind.

“…Why did you do that?”

“Huh? What.”

“Why did you take the lead instead of Jaehoon? It was just dangerous. Do you know?”

Eunjeong said a little angrily.

It was dangerous.

Well, does it seem that way when you look at it from the side?

I almost avoided it by just turning my body slightly.

I gave a sly reply to Eun-jeong, who was angry.

“Hey, who is your brother? It’s Lee Jeong-don’s gum.”

“Who are you?”

“Huh?”

“We… I don’t even know my brother’s name yet. After receiving help several times…”

“…”

Eunjeong looked up at me with a guilty expression.

It was my first time seeing this expression.

He looked like he was going to cry, and he still looked a little angry.

Where has the sharp expression on his face from up until now gone, and why is he suddenly acting like this?

Come to think of it, I haven’t even told them my name yet.

“Were you that curious about my name?”

“…Yes, I’m curious.”

Even though I asked her in an awkward tone as always, Eun-jeong did not frown or avoid her eyes.

It was a different reaction than before.

I was rather embarrassed by that reaction.

So I suddenly answered.

“…call me a saintly oppa.”

“…Yes, my brother. Thank you.”

Eunjeong laughed slightly.

Now I knew.

The look Eunjung makes to someone she opens her heart to.

Honestly, when I saw that expression, I thought it was a good idea to step forward.

I looked at Jaehoon.

“So what should I do? These two people.”

“…”

He pointed his finger at the two men who were lying down.

This was a choice Jaehoon had to make.

Because it was like that in the original.

Jaehoon was biting his lip.

His expression was full of betrayal and emptiness, but Jaehoon soon returned to clear eyes.

“Just… let’s just leave it at that.”

“They might attack again?”

“It’s okay, I’ll subdue the two people then. Again and again.”

I nodded with a faint smile.

Like the main character, he was just as idealistic as he always was in webtoons.

So it was a satisfactory answer.

And in fact, it seemed unlikely that those two would attack again.

I glanced at Soyi.

“Let’s go back…while being careful of other possible attacks.”

Three people nodded at my words.

Soyi looked intently at the two people’s faces and then turned her back.

And Soyi and I, who were looking at that scene, made eye contact.

“…”

“Why do you look at me like that?”

Soi raised the corners of her mouth.

It was different from usual.

“No.”

I knew it was a slightly different smile from my usual smile, but I didn’t bother to point it out.

I just wanted to watch for now.

About how Soi will act.

***

We moved back to our respective bases.

Soyi left me in the middle, saying she needed to go to the convenience store for a while.

I asked if she would go with me, but Soyi smiled and waved her hand.

He said that no matter how much he liked her, he was following her around too much, and said a sly line as if he were talking to Eun-jeong.

And, about 30 minutes after I arrived at the base, Soyi returned.

“…You’re here.”

“As expected, you are not surprised.”

Soyi came into the living room and smiled as she saw my reaction.

When Soi returned to base, dark red blood was splattered on the sleeves and waist of her white shirt.

I cleaned my hands and face cleanly so there was nothing on them, but I couldn’t even seem to remove the traces on my clothes.

No, it would have been enough to change, but Soyi didn’t do that.

“Do you know what I did?”

“Yes.”

I was thinking wrong.

She didn’t become a villain specifically because of the constellation.

The Constellation only provided her with a little help.

She, Soyi, was that kind of person from the beginning.

He could be the main villain.

Soi was on his way back after seriously wounding the two people who attacked us.

“…Jaehoon won’t like it, right?”

“I guess so.”

Soyi chuckled at my words.

“I wish everyone understood me like my brother.”

I understand incendiary?

Although it is difficult to understand.

It was also difficult to deny.

What if I was attacked when I was alone?

What would I have done with these two people?

“Jaehoon is so stupidly kind.”

“There is that side.”

“Don’t you think I can make up for Jaehoon’s shortcomings?”

Soyi smiled brightly.

It was a creepy, but beautiful smile.

No, it was an eerily beautiful smile.

I realized this was her real laugh.

The smile so far was just a mask.

Just this excited, big smile while wearing a blood-stained shirt.

It was Soyi’s real laugh.