Chapter 90

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I stared blankly at the status window floating in the air for a while.

The reason I came to my senses was because Mandragora, who shook hands with the branch of the World Tree in a corner of my field of vision, looked at me and touched me as if to tell me, calm down.

"Ah."

First, I headed to the bathroom to take a shower.

Even though I poured cold water all over my body, my mind was complicated.

When I came out of the shower, I hesitated for a while and sent a text message to Han Soo-Young saying that I had some urgent business to attend to for a while and that I would be going out a little late.

I needed to organize my thoughts for a while at least.

I got text messages and phone calls from Han Soo-Young right away, asking if I was sick or where I was, and I sent a reply saying don't worry, it's not a big deal, and then sat down on the bed.

“…… .”

Mandragora was standing next to me, not knowing what was going on, but he patted my arm as if to cheer me up.

For some reason, the branch of the World Tree slipped out and was nodding together with Mandragora.

I pondered without a word.

After a while, someone knocked on the dormitory door and rang the doorbell.

At that sound, Mandragora hurriedly ran into the tank.

I got up and opened the door, and there was a familiar person standing there.

"Hi."

“What, why are you here?”

That person was none other than Choi Hyun-Woo.

He also looked somewhat tired and asked me as if he were scolding me.

“Did you ignore Soo-Young's call?”

“Oh, a little?”

"Thanks to you, I'm beat."

He showed me his cell phone, and I could see a huge number of texts.

[[Hey, something's wrong with Ji-Hyuk. Hurry up and check.]

[Hurry up and check.]

[Reply]

[Answer]

[Are you sleeping now?]

[Do you want to die?]

[Are you also ignoring my call?]

[You're really going to die.]

[Hey]

[Hey]

[Hey]

[Go quickly]

[Hurry]

[Something's wrong with Ji-Hyuk]

[Are you really friends?]

[No, have you gone crazy? Go quickly]

[I'm really going to the men's dormitory]

[You're going to die, really]

[I'm going in? If I get a penalty, that's it.]

… All of them are from Han Soo-young.

And that in less than 5 minutes.

"I'm sorry. You had a hard time because of me."

"No. Well……  I was a little flustered because it had been so long since she had done this. Is it going to take long?"

Choi Hyun-Woo smiled bitterly as if it was a little bit bitter.

“No, I just need to change my clothes. Come in and wait.”

Choi Hyun Woo said, excuse me, and walked into the room.

I glanced and saw Mandragora was quickly standing still in the tank, like a normal water plant.

However, it was not only Mandragora who stood still, but also Choi Hyun-Woo.

Choi Hyun-Woo, who entered the room, stood blankly like a stone statue when he saw a black sword and a grimoire lying on the bed.

He remained silent for a moment and asked me carefully.

“Hey, Ji-Hyuk. Can I ask you something?”

"What is it."

“While I was talking to Soo-Young on the phone earlier, she said you have something to give us. I heard you said it like that, is that true?”

"I did."

"Okay…… .”

Choi Hyun-Woo nodded his head blankly.

His gaze was fixed on the sword lying on my bed.

“I hope my prediction is right…… .”

He murmured in a low voice and turned his head towards me with difficulty.

"But why did you say you’re going to be late all of a sudden? Thanks to that, Soo-Young is in an uproar now.”

“I have something to do. I'll be out soon."

“Yeah, that’s good.”

He let out a small sigh.

Then he sat down on a chair at the table and muttered as if he had goosebumps.

“In the past, Soo-Young was once scolded by our master because of my mistake, you know? She wasn't like this except then, so I was a little flustered. At that time she really went after me telling me about killing me or sparing me.” 

He looked around my dorm room, curiously.

Then he spotted the tank and his eyes lit up in wonder.

“Do you keep fish?”

"No. Just water plants."

"That's amazing. Can I take a look?"

Then, at an angle only visible to me, I could see Mandragora shaking his head if to say absolutely not.

Putting on my clothes quickly, I said that I would show him later, and grabbed the sword and grimoire that I had left on the bed.

"Hey."

As soon as we got out of the dormitory, Han Soo-Young, who was literally waiting right at the entrance, greeted us.

She didn't even seem to care about other boys looking at her as she walked back and forth through the entrance.

And as soon as she saw Choi Hyun-Woo, she frowned and looked at him.

"I told you to call me if you checked."

"Ah."

Choi Hyun-woo took a step back, looking unusually perplexed.

I quickly stepped forward, looked at her, and said.

"Let's go. You had a hard time waiting."

“...Hyun-Woo, you'll see later."

After saying that, Han Soo-Young quickly turned her head and walked out first.

Choi Hyun-Woo looked at me and bowed his head small as if he was grateful.

We first entered a cafe located around the academy.

After ordering each a drink, I placed the sword and grimoire I was carrying on the table.

At that, Choi Hyun-Woo exhaled a little, and Han Soo-Young looked at me with eyes asking for an explanation.

“Thank you for going to the dungeon with me before. This is to ask for your help in the future...… Yeah, I got it from the person who asked me to excavate the dungeon."

It was when I was handing them over with the words.

Han Soo-Young hit the back of Choi Hyun-Woo's hand, who was trying to reach out without realizing it as if to say, how dare you touch it?

"Ouch!"

“Stay still! You've always had your eyes turned upside down whenever you see a sword... !”

Han Soo-Young said that and looked at me.

Then she shook her head a few times and pushed it back towards me.

“We can’t take this.”

"Why?"

“Because we didn’t follow you in hopes of something in return.”

She said so and nodded.

“We're just friends, so we helped you. If you do this, we will...… .”

“Then you should think it’s a gift I'm giving to my friend as a thank you, and just accept it.”

I stared at Han Soo-young, gently pushing them back to the two.

“If you don’t accept it, I think I'll be very embarrassed. Can't you just accept it for me?”

“Ahem, hem!”

Han Soo-Young, who met my eyes for a moment, immediately turned her head and coughed in vain.

Then, with trembling hands, she gently took the grimoire and spat out a few words to Choi Hyun-Woo for no reason.

"What are you doing? Are you going to make Ji-Hyuk embarrassed?”

“No, of course not. Thank you, Ji-Hyuk. I'll be careful when I use it."

Choi Hyun-Woo carefully grabbed the sword and pulled it out, and muttered in ecstasy as he saw the blade of the sword shining in black.

"Crazy, it's really a piece of art…… .”

Han Soo-Young also made a strange breathing sound next to him, 'Hik, heut, heek!' and rummaged through the grimoire with trembling hands as if she couldn't believe it.

“Wha, what…… Is this the original?”

Seeing the reaction of the two, it seemed that they were more satisfied than I expected.

Meanwhile, Han Soo-Young touched and tapped Choi Hyun-Woo, and whispered while handing him something.

Choi Hyun-Woo nodded as if he understood, got up from his seat and said that he would bring what had been ordered, and walked away, holding the scabbard to his chest.

“…… .”

“…… .”

In the end, only me and Han Soo-young were left at the table.

It would have been fine normally, but I felt more awkward than usual, perhaps because of the fact I had learned earlier.

“That’s right, Ji-Hyuk. Do you know what odeng is when you stretch into five letters?"[1]

Then, suddenly, Han Soo-Young showed a confident expression and said.

"What?"

“Deng-deng-deng-deng-deng.”

What is she doing now?

As I looked at her as if dumbfounded, for some reason Han Soo-Young looked at me as if in a fluster.

“Is, Isn’t that right?”

After muttering, she opened something under the table and looked at me again.

“Then what if two letters say there are four cows?”[2]

“…… .”

“Pac, package…… .”

She muttered in a small voice and pulled out what she was hiding with a red-hot face.

On the front of the book was written, 'A collection of gags that make you faint from laughing!'

"Didn't you like things like this?”

Han Soo-Young murmured as if resentful as she looked at me with a red-hot face.

I made a subtle expression and patted her hand as if to say it's okay.

As I did so, Han Soo-Young silently looked at me with a grumpy look, and she immediately turned her hand over and grabbed my hand tightly.

When I looked up in surprise, she was staring at me.

“So, are you still not going to answer me?"

“...I was going to tell you today."

I tried to let go of Han Soo-Young's hand, but she was holding it so tightly that I couldn't.

I had no choice but to keep holding her hand and look at her as I opened my mouth.

"I don't know if I told you before, but I have something important to do.”

"Yes."

“It's very dangerous. On the way…… I might die. The reason I kept it a secret from you and Hyun-Woo was actually that. And I know you guys wouldn't care and would have tried to help. Even if you could be in danger, you would have followed."

"Right."

“And when everything is over…… Honestly, I don't know if I can be sure, but maybe I'll leave far away.”

“How far is it?”

"So far away that once I leave, I can't come back."

“Can't I come with you?"

After hesitating for a while, I shook my head.

"No. probably."

"So this is what you're saying then?"

Han Soo-Young quietly looked at me and whispered.

“There are circumstances that I can’t tell anyone, it’s really dangerous, and when it’s over, I might go somewhere far away. So don't hold your heart out to me for no reason and come to your senses quickly?”

"To be honest, I wanted you to do that."

And I just realized that it wasn't that simple.

In response to my answer, Han Soo-Young stared at me for a moment and opened her mouth.

"It's a short time, but we…… Including Hyun-Woo, I think the three of us went through quite a few incidents. And we had a lot of time to get to know each other.”

As she said that, she gently intertwined her fingers with mine and looked at me.

“So, you must know that I wouldn't be swayed by such words, right?”

“… Yes."

“Then why did you say that? If you were hoping that I would lose my affection for you with this sluggish behavior, then I really won't let you get away."

“It’s not like that. I'm just saying, you'll definitely regret it later."

"Do you want me to tell you what I think? I will never regret it.”

She quickly added.

“I will help you no matter what you do, if you're in danger, I will go and help you, and if you need to go somewhere, I will follow you, and if I can’t do that, I will hold you.”

She smiled slightly.

“I'm in head over heels in love with you, so even if you tell me to leave, I won't leave, you know? If I at least put a leash on you, I can notice you when you run away. Then I can go there and grab your pant leg and drag you back.”

Han Soo-Young muttered like that as if she were joking.

She then quickly pulled the hand she was still holding towards her and said.

"So stop playing hard to get."

I think I'm going to lose confidence.

Han Soo-Young, who had been muttering like that, smiled weakly.

"If you keep doing that, I'm going to misunderstand. The truth is, you don't like me, you're just sorry, so you're not saying no to me."

Han Soo-Young muttered like that, and then slowly loosened her fingers.

And when I grabbed Han Soo-Young's hand and held it tight, she gave a surprised expression.

“Who hates you?”

"Huh?"

Looking at Han Soo-Young, I closed my mouth for a moment.

I didn't feel this way when I confessed for the first time.

“To be honest, I don’t hate you either. But the situation is so complicated right now...… I kept doing this because I was afraid that if I did something wrong, it would only lead to bad results for both you and me. But…… .”

“Wai, wait a minute.”

Han Soo-Young looked at me with an attitude that she had to point this out.

“So, you don’t hate me either?”

"Yes."

"What…… .”

Han Soo-young smiled weakly with an expression of relief, as if her previous appearance was a lie.

Then, suddenly, she grabbed me by the collar.

When I flinched and trembled in surprise at the moment, she spoke in a gentle, child-like voice, as if to say it was okay.

“It’s okay, I won’t burst your lips this time.”

I practiced with a pillow.

Then she smiled mischievously at me.

"No matter how much I think about it, I don't think there's a better answer than this."

Saying that, Han Soo-Young pulled me as it was.

It was then.

"Oh, you guys were here. The person who has come from the association right now...… .”

For some reason, Choi Hyun-Woo, Alice Blesbuck, and a middle-aged woman who I saw for the first time appeared together.

Professor Blesbuck stopped speaking as if surprised by our appearance.

“…… .”

Holding a tray of coffee and cake in both his hands, he was bowing his head as if he had nothing to do with it.

Professor Blesbuck and the middle-aged woman looked at us silently.

It was as if they were asking how long they were going to be like this.

Han Soo-Young, who looked at the three of them in turn, as if awkward for a moment, slowly released her hand.

It was when I was organizing my clothes for nothing.

“Tsk, what does it matter?”

Han Soo-Young, who muttered like that, hurriedly approached me.

This time I didn’t burst your lips.

I could feel something grabbing the back of my head as if to keep me from running away.

“… Kids these days are so open-minded.”

When a middle-aged woman muttered like that, for some reason I heard Professor Blesbuck saying, I'm sorry.

* * *

"So…… .”

The middle-aged woman asked for an interview with me, and as soon as I sat down, she opened her mouth as if it was ridiculous.

"I came in person as you wanted, but I didn't expect to see that."

In an instant, her voice changed to that of a young woman.

I wasn't surprised because I had roughly noticed.

She gently covered her face with her hand and pulled it away, her face had changed in an instant, as if I were watching Chinese face changing.

As she, who turned into my face, continued to move her hands, she turned into Choi Hyun-woo this time, then Han Soo-young, Alice Blesbuck, and finally Esmeralda Lysnerger's face.

And now, after hiding her face for a little longer, she took her hand away and the face of a much younger woman than I had expected appeared.

“Let me start by introducing myself.”

She sat down and said, facing me.

“You can just call me Lydia. Since my name doesn't really matter."

She, Lydia, spoke in a quiet voice, and gently lowered her collar with her hand.

On her collarbone, there was a mark indicating that she was Red Case.

"I'm an executive of the Red Case and the leader of infiltration and Espionage team. I came to you in person as you wanted. Since we don't have time, let's get to the point...… .”

She looked at me with a straight, unshakable gaze and said.

“Boss of Red Case, I want to kill him.”

So, please cooperate.

With those words, she quietly bowed her head.

Immediately after, a window appeared informing me that the scenario's singularity had occurred again.

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[Note: 

1)Do you know what odeng is when you stretch into five letters?

너 오뎅을 다섯 글자로 늘리면 뭔지 알아? [ 오뎅 - Odeng/Fishcake]

Answer: Deng-deng-deng-deng-deng (뎅뎅뎅뎅뎅)

오(O) means five(5), so five deng(뎅)

--------------------------------

2) What if two letters say there are four cows?

소가 네 마리가 있다는 걸 두 글자로 하면? [ 소 - Cow]

Answer: Package (소포)

Again 소 means cow, and '포' is pronounced "Po" which can sound four(4).

So 소4 → 소포 → Package.

. .]

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