Chapter 112

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The sealed Seven Evils could be seen as inviolable beings.

Case where access itself is impossible because it is sealed in the deep sea.

Like Svengali, who was actually sealed inside the World Tree, or sealed in a place that can't be touched realistically.

If it wasn't the case, it wouldn't have made sense to attack him who was sealed there now.

In the case of Minerva, who was a stone statue right now, the only one who could hurt him was Jin Ye-Seul and even she could barely hurt him when she hit him with the legendary weapon, Nidhogg's Fang.

Even that would be automatically restored in the stone statue state, so the condition for breaking his ability, ‘wounding him’, would not be met either.

The only methods that immediately came to mind were to wound him just before the seal was broken, to shatter him to the point where it would be difficult to recover, or to drive it into him completely like a stake.

The reality of the situation was so slim that it reminded me of the method of killing an elephant with a toothpick that I had heard of before.

The last method was still a possibility, but frankly, even this had a lot of limitations.

I had to come up with a more innovative and efficient method.

Sitting in a café with a clear view of the stone statue, I gazed at it and skimmed through the records of past notification windows.

[Margo's authority begins to take hold within you!]

Margo's authority.

I checked the status window just in case, but there was no change.

There were no new skills, talents, or art, nor were there any changes in status.

I checked it just in case, but there was no change in my karma value either.

It had reacted when I met Lee Jae-Joon, who has the factor of the Seven Evil, so I wondered if it would react again if I see the Seven Evil.

It was when I drink coffee with that thought.

"Huh?"

Jin Ye-Seul, who was sitting in a circle talking, looked out the window and tilted her head.

Then she got up, looked at me, and said.

“Ji-Hyuk, can you wait a minute?”

"Why?"

“Um, Yu-Na and the others are here, so I'm just going to say a quick hello."

I turned my head to look outside, and sure enough, Lee Yu-Na and a group of female students who seemed to be her friends were gathered there.

Among them, Lee Yu-Na was being hugged from behind like a doll by a particularly tall girl, but she was so small that it was as if looking at two sisters who were far apart in age rather than friends.

And the students around were playing with her cheeks and hands as if they were bored, treating her as a kind of mascot.

Looking at her expression as if she was aloof from the world, she seemed to have already given up.

As soon as Jin Ye-Seul went out and greeted them, her loud laughter seemed to come all the way up to here.

Then, Jin Ye-Seul pointed towards where we were sitting, and the girls who spotted us waved their hands in surprise.

Of course, most of the gaze was focused on Choi Hyun-Woo sitting next to me.

“Hyun-Woo, they're saying hello to you."

"Huh? I've never met those girls before?"

"But they're Ye-Seul and Yu-Na's friends.”

At Han Soo-Young's words, Choi Hyun-Woo nodded and waved at them.

Then, the girls, who looked even brighter, waved their hands around.

I turned my head slightly and looked at Choi Hyun-Woo's side profile.

"Wow."

“Why, Ji-Hyuk?”

I looked at Han Soo-Young and shook my head lightly.

“No, I'm really not joking, I think Hyun-Woo is damn handsome.”

I wasn't kidding, I had never seen anyone more handsome than this guy in my entire life.

So much so that kids would often ask me questions related to Choi Hyun-Woo or ask me what I thought of them, without getting tired, even as I was strangely ostracized in class.

Come to think of it, a few days ago, one senior student confessed to him and was rejected.

“… What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

In the midst of this, a sullen-faced Han Soo-Young quietly poked her head out and blocked the space between Choi Hyun-Woo and me.

And she looked at me right in front of her with dissatisfied eyes, and I naturally had no choice but to look away from her.

"Oh."

As I did so, my eyes met with Lee Yu-Na's.

Seeing me, she gave me a slightly startled look, then smiled awkwardly and waved her hand.

I thought that cheekiness was really good.

And as she saw me staying still, her expression immediately wavered, so I waved a little along with her.

After a while, Jin Ye-Seul returned to the cafe, and Lee Yu-Na and the other girls rushed their way.

As soon as Jin Ye-Seul sat down, Choi Hyun-woo, who was touching the ice with a straw, asked me.

“By the way, that archery tournament, when is that going to be?"

“It's probably less than a week away, I think."

Choi Hyun-Woo, who heard the answer, gave me a look of surprise.

“It's so fast? It hasn't been long since the exam is over."

“But I think there are almost fifty students in my year alone who will be participating. Of course, a lot will be filtered out in the preliminaries. From what I've heard, the higher you go, the more there will be."

"That's really a lot of people participating."

He nodded as if it were unexpected.

Then, Jin Ye-Seul looked at me and asked with sparkling eyes.

“Hey, Ji-Hyuk. Of course you're going to win, aren't you? Right?"

What she said was ridiculous, so I laughed a little.

How the hell did she ever think I was going to win?

"It's like the Olympics… .So, I'm just trying to place significance on participation. All the members of the archery club are forced to participate."

"Shall we go cheer for you?"

Han Soo-Young looked at me with her hands on her chin.

“I’ll prepare a lunch box too. Ji-Hyuk, you definitely like tuna kimbap, right?”

"No, it's okay. Don't bother.”

I waved her hand, wondering how she knew I liked tuna kimbap.

"If you came all the way to cheer me and I don't even pass the preliminary round, it'll make me look really pathetic. And I'd feel bad for you guys."

“I think I'll like you no matter what you look like, Ji-Hyuk.”

Han Soo-Young was still looking at me with her hands on her chin.

She giggled as she saw me speechless as if I had been caught off guard.

“…Give me a signal before you say something like that.”

“I won this time, right?”

I nodded helplessly at her question.

“Yeah, you won again.”

"Yay."

I turned her head away from Han Soo-Young, who was smiling at me, and this time, Jin Ye-Seul was looking at me.

She just smiled at me silently.

“Don’t worry, Ji-Hyuk.”

She soothed me with a voice that seemed really reassuring.

“I've already told someone to secure the preliminary participants' list, so you don't have to worry about not being able to advance to the finals… .”

“Stop it right now while I'm saying it nicely.”

"Huh?"

“I'm really going to get angry."

At my words, she looked around in surprise.

It was as if she were asking what she had done wrong.

“Haa.”

I let out a small sigh and sipped the remaining coffee as if I were pouring it into my mouth.

“Then I'll have to practice harder from today. At least I have to pass the preliminary round to show my face to you guys.”

“It’s okay if you don’t pass.”

Han Soo-Young was still looking at me with her hands on her chin.

“We'll give you a hug and comfort you then."

"Yes, yes. It's okay even if you cry.”

Jin Ye-Seul nodded and added that.

I smiled silently, sipping the remaining coffee.

“…… .”

And right next to me.

Choi Hyun-Woo, who was looking at us with a ridiculous gaze, chewed on the ice.

“Do they put sugar in Americano here, why is it so sweet… .”

He sighed and grumbled like that.

* * *

Surprisingly, many students stayed in the academy even after the exam is over.

Most of the time, there were still matters to be checked like additional exams or teaching depending on the student, but Ahn Do-Hoon was in the latter case.

And when he didn't go out, most of the gang who naturally followed him around stayed inside the academy.

Ahn Do-Hoon clearly said that anyone who wants to leave should leave, but at least no one in his gang was capable enough to do what he said.

"Come to think of it."

In the end, Ahn Do-Hoon, who was walking inside the academy after finishing all his business, stopped and looked back.

Behind him, as always, were several students following him.

“Jin-Ah, did you say you were going to the archery competition this time?”

At Ahn Do-Hoon's question, the female student nodded in surprise.

"Huh? Uh. Uh… .right. di, did you remember?”

At her question, Ahn Do-hoon nodded.

He seemed to have lost his fume from some point in time, and some students accused Choi Hyun-Woo, saying he was despondent because he lost to him in the fight, but the students close to him knew better that this was not the case.

In the past, it felt like a stiff wooden plank being hit, but now it felt like a cotton ball full of water being crushed.

Because unlike him in the past, they could feel that kind of grave momentum in him now.

Perhaps that's why their common opinion was that although he certainly became more docile than before, he became more difficult to deal with.

“Do well. There are a lot of people there."

Saying that, Ahn Do-Hoon turned his head and walked away.

Did he just encourage me?

Choi Jin-Ah tilted her head, but her heart seemed to ache somehow.

“B, by the way, Do-Hoon, are you also attending?”

Ahn Do-Hoon nodded to the question from a large male student next to him.

"Yeah. I'll attend. We're one of the companies sponsoring the festival. If there's nothing else, I attend the opening ceremony and after-party every year, so I think I'll this time, too.”

"Oh, I see… .”

In the past, he would have just told him to shut up, but he answered his question without showing any sign of annoyance.

Even so, he was still difficult to deal with.

And Ahn Do-Hoon, who was naturally aware of these signs, sighed inaudibly.

He roughly decided to throw any words at them to lighten the mood.

“Speaking of which, Il-Jun, aren’t you also attending with me?” 

“… Uh?"

Na Il-Jun asked back in a blank voice, as if he didn't expect his name to be called.

Then, with an oppsie expression on his face, he immediately nodded and answered.

“Tha, that’s right. I think I will go this time.”

"Okay. Then let's go together.”

Then a male student giggled behind him.

“Hey, I envy you, Il-Jun. You'll get to see Lee Ye-Eun in a dress, right?"

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? Why that person?”

Then, Na Il-Jun immediately asked back as if to say, what he was talking about, but Ahn Do-Hoon could notice that Na Il-Jun's voice was shaking faintly.

Just when he thought he'd said something unnecessary, he saw that familiar green hair over there and thought quietly.

The timing is just amazing.

"Oh."

It seems the other side spotted them first.

Lee Ye-Eun approached them with the female student named Kang Yeon-Kyung, who always follows her.

"It's been a while."

"Yes, it has."

At Lee Ye-Eun's greeting, Ahn Do-Hoon bowed lightly.

As he said, they had known each other since they were young, so they could say hello to each other.

It was just that, though.

"Hmm… .”

But, unlike usual, Lee Ye-Eun, who would have left after greeting lightly, stopped and looked at him as if she was troubled.

Ahn Do-Hoon asked her if she wanted something.

“Is there something you want to say?"

“Excuse me, may I ask your class?"

“Class?”

Ahn Do-Hoon asked back at her odd question.

Lee Ye-Eun replied with a nod.

“Is there anyone in Class A… ?”

To her question, Na Il-Jun answered hesitantly.

“Uh, I’m in Class A, is there something wrong?”

"Oh."

Lee Ye-Eun took a step closer to him with a look that seemed to say, just what I wanted.

"If it's not too rude, may I ask one more question?”

Flustered, Na Il-Jun nodded a few times.

Lee Ye-Eun took a moment to catch her breath and asked him.

"Are you by any chance close with junior Yoo Ji-Hyuk?"

Ahn Do-Hoon frowned a little at the mention of that name.

He was well aware that Na Il-Jun had an inferiority complex with Yoo Ji-Hyuk.

But, of all people, the name came out of Lee Ye-Eun's mouth... .

"Uh… . Why is he suddenly... .”

Na Il-Jun, who had failed to manage his facial expression for a moment, managed to smile and asked back.

"It's… . It’s a bit personal.”

When Lee Ye-Eun smiled as if she was embarrassed, Na Il-Jun's expression began to harden more and more.

Ahn Do-Hoon, who couldn't bear to look at him, spoke to Lee Ye-Eun.

“I'm not that close to Yoo Ji-Hyuk, but I'm close to the guy he hangs out with, do you want me to ask him?”

“Oh, could you do that, please?"

Lee Ye-Eun happily turned to Ahn Do-Hoon.

“The, then can you ask if he's injured anywhere and where he is right now… .”

Ahn Do-Hoon was puzzled at Lee Ye-Eun's whisper-like request, but sent a text message to Choi Hyun-Woo.

Soon after, when he showed Lee Ye-Eun his reply that said, he's not injured anywhere, he's having a good time on five streets, and what's going on, she sighed softly, as if it was fortunate.

“Oh, he’s a member of our club.”

Lee Ye-Eun quickly uttered as an excuse even though Ahn Do-Hoon did not ask.

“I was worried because I saw him caught up in the incident on the news earlier… . But I'm glad he's okay."

“If he's a member of your club, don’t you know his number? Why didn't you ask directly... .”

At Ahn Do-Hoon's words, Lee Ye-Eun seemed to be at a loss for words for a while, but she soon muttered in a crawling voice.

“… I’m afraid.”

"Yes?"

“I, I’m afraid I might bother him.”

Ahn Do-Hoon, who heard Lee Ye-Eun's answer, was at a loss for words.

“An, anyway thank you. I heard he's okay, but... .still it's not bad to check over and over again."

Lee Ye-Eun bowed her head in an uncharacteristically hasty manner and disappeared as if she were running away.

Behind her, Kang Yeon-Kyung smiled awkwardly, bowed her head slightly as if to say, thank you, and immediately followed Lee Ye-Eun.

“…… .”

Ahn Do-Hoon glanced at Na Il-Jun silently.

As he stared at Lee Ye-Eun's with his mouth tightly shut and not saying anything, Ahn Do-Hoon could only hope that nothing troublesome would happen.

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