168 — I Want To Have You (3)

I pondered for a moment.

‘Look at this bastard…’

Having seen the entire storyline of ‘GAL,’ I knew very well.

That it was a condition to trigger ‘that ability’ Kim Minsu possessed even more strongly.

I hesitated briefly.

‘What should I do?’

Ignoring him was one option.

Considering his characteristics, he wouldn’t hold a grudge, nor would he change his plans.

After all, Kim Minsu was one of the main <Villains> in <GAL>, a key obstacle standing in the way of the Supervisors.

‘GAL’ itself wasn’t a game that deeply illuminated villains or portrayed them in detail.

Therefore, his detailed past or background, any narrative he had, wasn’t explicitly revealed anywhere.

However, his mindset had been frequently described, allowing me to understand his goal.

‘A total Moon Ha-yeon fanatic…’

The leader and executive of the criminal clan <Tartarus>.

‘And…’

The older sister of Moon Bora by three years.

For her, Kim Minsu was willing to do anything.

His ultimate goal was to elevate Moon Ha-yeon into a position where she ruled the underworld.

That was his entire identity—his purpose.

‘It’s almost an obsessive fixation.’

Whether it was love or devotion, I couldn’t say.
The game never explored it in such detail.
But perhaps because of this foolish devotion, he had some notoriety among the Supervisors.

Of course, I wasn’t interested in all that.

What was I supposed to do with the tragic backstory of an enemy?

That cliché where the villain turns out to be a good guy deep down?

Not interested.

‘I digress.’

Soon, I smiled and grabbed his hand.

And before grabbing it.

I made sure to suppress as much of my power output as possible.

The reason was to activate the derivative skill of [Strange Monstrous Strength], [Dominion of Chaos], without being detected.

To be precise…

‘For the <Status Immunity>.’

I clearly recognized that the <Immunity> was activated.

Then, hearing the sound resonating in my ear, I inwardly shouted, ‘Nice!’

‘Good.’

His ability, once resisted even once or already known, loses its effectiveness significantly against the same target.

Perhaps it was because it was such a unique ability.

The lingering aftereffects of using the ability.
A catalyst commonly referred to as residue was left behind.

This meant I could use it against him later.

“……”

A deep smile appeared on Kim Minsu’s lips.

This brat…

He’s pleased.

‘He must think he got me.’

Well then—let’s make him misunderstand even more.

I wrapped my arm around his neck.
He was surprised by the unexpected action.

“It was a good match, and thank you.”
“What? Oh, no, it was a good—”
“No, no, not that. You helped me out in the dorms, didn’t you?”
“Eh? Ah, I wasn’t actually there… My friends said they helped you, though.”
“Really? Then, well, we’re friends too.”

Kim Minsu’s expression turned bewildered at the cheeky remark.
A thought lingered in his eyes, ‘Is he always like this?’

One minute later.

As I walked back up, I watched him heading somewhere in the distance and thought to myself.

‘Go ahead and smile while you can.’

Because that very smile would soon become the dagger driven straight into the heart of Moon Ha-yeon, the one you so obsessively worship—and beyond that, into the core of <Tartarus> itself.

---

All <Sparring Matches> came to an end.

‘Now what’s left is the <Monster Summoning> exam…’

The <Midterm Exam> was finally nearing its conclusion. It had felt long, yet short at the same time.

“Meow~ Seha~”

Soon, a drawn-out voice was heard.
A smile naturally appeared on my lips.
I bent down and hugged Meowi, who was running toward me with a ‘Meoow!’

“Meow, meow! Seha, I won them all!”
“Yes, yes, our Meowi is amazing!”
“Meow~”

Ju Na-young and Moon Bora soon came up.

“Good job!”
“Everyone worked hard.”

Our entire group, including myself, was beaming with smiles.
It was only natural.
We achieved a perfect record of 5 wins and 0 losses.
It was certain to be recorded as an excellent performance.

“Seha, the day is almost over… Shall we have dinner together?”
“Meow~ Soup!”
“Yes, let’s go have soup, Hana.”

Moon Bora gently patted Ma Hana’s head with a smile.

“……”

I looked at Moon Bora for a moment.
More precisely, I looked at her hand wearing gloves she usually didn’t wear.

‘Hmm…’

As I suddenly moved closer, a flicker of confusion appeared in her eyes.

“…Seha?”

Squish!

“…Um, huh?!“

As I touched her cheeks, she became even more flustered.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Ju Na-young’s gaze instantly darken. But I ignored it.

“…Are you okay?”
“Wh-what are you talking about? Suddenly… I-I’m, ugh, ugh! I’m fine.”

She insisted that she was eating well.

That she hadn’t lost any weight.

But that wasn’t what caught my attention.

“Cold.”
“Huh?”
“It’s cold.”

Moon Bora specialized in <Ice Magic>, so her body temperature was usually low, but not to this extent.

Despite appearing naive, Moon Bora was actually quite smart.

She understood the hidden meaning in my words, and her expression slightly hardened.

She turned her gaze away.

It seemed she intended to let it pass, but I decided to speak directly.

“…Are you really okay with Ms. Cheon Mira’s lessons?”
“……”

Everyone—including me—knew very well that she had become the exclusive disciple of <Snow Ice Lady> Cheon Mira.

Moon Bora said nothing for a moment.
Then she mumbled as if speaking inwardly.

“W-Well, actually… I decided to take a break from her lessons for a few days.”
“……”

Moon Bora rambled.

She blurted out a plausible excuse that it was because of the exams.

Everyone nodded with an “Aha~,” but my concern remained unchanged.

‘As expected…’

There was definitely a problem.

It seemed certain that Cheon Mira had noticed and informed her in advance.

I contemplated.

‘What should I do…?’

Should I meet Cheon Mira?
If it were me, I would solve this problem…

‘No.’

I decided to watch for now.

In <GAL>’s storyline, Cheon Mira played an extremely important mentor role for Moon Bora.

She was a woman of immense pride and unwavering responsibility. If I interfered unnecessarily, there was a good chance she’d get offended—which would only make things more complicated.

‘…Let’s focus on the exams for now.’

Once <Midterm Exams> ended and <Vacation> officially began, I could meddle all I wanted.

---

After everyone had finished washing up and changing from the spars, we agreed to meet up.

I, like a man, finished the fastest and waited outside.

Did I come out too early? That thought was soon drowned out by the sound of approaching footsteps.

Tap, tap.

“…?”

I turned my gaze.

A woman with dark crimson hair was approaching.

She took off her sunglasses and looked at me.

‘…Huh?’

I was momentarily surprised.

‘She looks like…?’

She bore an astonishing resemblance to Ju Na-young.
It wasn’t that they looked the same.
In the first place, there was too much of a difference in their figures…

However, things like the atmosphere…
Or the magic flowing through their bodies…
There were many similarities in various ways.

‘Decisively…’

Their green pupils were so alike.

The woman who smiled at me sweetly extended her slender hand.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ju Yuri. Sorry for visiting you so suddenly. I have a personality that needs to get what I want immediately.”

“……”

“…Excuse me?”

“Ah, I apologize. You reminded me so much of someone I know… My name is Yu Seha.”

“…Someone you know? So, that means she’s not your lover yet?”

“Pardon?”

“No, just talking to myself.”

A sudden appearance, followed by sudden, unexpected words.

I tilted my head in confusion.

“Um, but what brings you to me…?”

The woman who had introduced herself as Ju Yuri was rather flustered by the question.

“…Haven’t you heard of my name? I was told Silla definitely passed it on.”

Silla?

‘Uh…’

Ah, the green-haired woman, Bodenov Silla, naturally came to mind.

At the same time, I remembered the ‘business card’ she had handed me.

“Oh, could it be…?”

“Yes, the leader of <Dragon’s Reverse Scale>. An A-grade hunter. I’m Ju Yuri. Nice to meet you.”

“Yes, pleased to meet you. I heard from Silla. She said you were an excellent leader…”

At my words, Ju Yuri blushed slightly and smiled with a ‘Yong-hu-hu…’

‘No doubt about it.’

With that tone, I once again realized, although I didn’t know the exact connection, that this woman was related to Ju Na-young.

Who else in the world would say something like ‘Yong-hu-hu~’?

“Ahem!”

Ju Yuri soon composed herself and cleared her throat.

With a gentle smile, she confidently extended her hand.

“Actually, being this direct isn’t really my strategy. I’m more of the type who likes to get to know someone before approaching.”
“…Pardon?”
“But, I felt that if I did that with you, Yu Seha, you might end up disliking me. Plus… I wasn’t really sure what you wanted. But I was intrigued. I couldn’t resist.”
“Um, what are you talking about…?”

Ju Yuri smiled bashfully.

“I’ll get straight to the point. Yu Seha. Would you like to join our <Dragon Sword Mir>’s best team, <Reverse Scale>? Of course, as a full-time member, not as an intern.”

“…What?”

It was such a sudden scouting offer.

Seeing my surprised face, she calmly began to appeal.

“It’s not a proposal I make to just anyone. I see great potential in you, Yu Seha.”

“…I’m still a novice who hasn’t even achieved a C-grade—”

“Such humility is almost rude. You’re practically a B-grade, aren’t you? You might lack a bit in stats… but considering the variety of your abilities… you could easily defeat an average B-grade, maybe even an A-grade.”

It was a neat and confident analysis.

Thanks to that, I realized that this woman had watched all my matches.

‘Seems like she has a keen eye, too.’

The way she methodically broke things down—the way she pressed her points without hesitation—reminded me a little of Moon Bora’s assertive nature.

Casually.

I lowered my gaze.

What I was focusing on was Ju Yuri’s palm.

It was unexpected, to say the least.

‘…Surprisingly rough.’

She looked like someone who had never experienced hardship, yet her hands were marked with calluses, rough even by male standards.

Meanwhile, Ju Yuri’s words proceeded steadily.

“Say anything. I’ll do it all for you.”

Money? Power? Fame? Strength? Or perhaps… women?

“If it’s me, I can offer a reward beyond what Yu Seha imagines.”

She confidently claimed she could give me twice as much as whatever Ju Na-young had to offer.

“It doesn’t have to be now. Even after graduating from the Academy—”

“I’m sorry.”

“…Wh-What?“

I declined sharply.

Ju Yuri seemed bewildered, not expecting it to be cut off so abruptly.

Perhaps she thought I’d ponder over it a bit more.

Certainly, if I had ambitions, I might have been tempted.

‘I’m sorry.’

But my world was small.
Even protecting Meowi and my people was overwhelming.

That’s why I refused.
Because I was still afraid of getting entangled in something bigger.
And more than anything.
My instincts told me that I needed to end this clearly, right here and now.

“I really appreciate the offer, but I have absolutely no intention of doing so.”

---

“……”

Ju Yuri trembled.

She never expected to be rejected without even considering it.

This was both a complex of Ju Yuri herself and a manifestation of her family’s legacy within <Dragon Sword Mir>.

“Y-Yong-hu-hu… Wh-why not?”

A ridiculous tone.

But Ju Yuri was serious.

What was lacking?

“Just say it! If it were me, I would put you above anything—”

“No, no, that’s not what I meant.”

Yu Seha scratched his head in embarrassment.

“What I want is not something material.”
“Y-yong-hu?! Th-then?!”
“I…”

Soon, words came.

Ju Yuri’s eyes began to shake as if an earthquake had occurred.

“I… would rather be with people who make me feel at ease when I’m by their side. And those people… are my comrades and friends. I want to protect them with everything I have. Therefore, I have no intention to go elsewhere right now. So, I don’t think I can accept the offer. I’m sorry.”

“……”

Ju Yuri couldn’t say anything.

With a shocked face, she looked at Yu Seha in disbelief.

Soon, a bitter smile close to defeat lingered on her lips.

‘…Like master, like disciple, is that it…?’

She never thought she would hear the exact same words as the <Overlord Sword> again like this.

Ju Yuri bit her lips tightly.

She knew she was being childish, but she still pushed forward.

“…Is it Ju Na-young?”
“…What?”
“The precious people and comrades Yu Seha mentioned… It’s Ju Na-young, right?”
“……”

Yu Seha fell silent for a moment.

Ju Yuri’s eyes—filled with frustration and a strange hint of sorrow—bored into his.

He nodded slowly.

“Yes, that’s right. Ju Na-young, Yong-yong is…”

My person.

“…Ha.”

Ju Yuri let out a small sigh.
Yong-yong…
So they were close enough to proudly say such a ridiculous nickname?

Ju Yuri bowed her head.
She clenched her fist.

Why?

Why on earth…?

What am I lacking…?

―…Grandmother, what are you saying?

―It seems I must have been blind.

The former head, Ju Yami, looked at her with eyes clearly filled with disappointment.

The will of the woman who was Ju Yuri’s greatest supporter was waning.

―…Is it really okay for Ju Yuri to lead?
—That’s what I’m saying. Who cares if she awakened [Wings] at ten? She hasn’t proven anything since.
—No matter how many achievements <Reverse Scale> stacks up, she’ll never claim the successor’s seat.

Relatives who once supported her began to quietly back away.

Ju Yuri realized at some point.

Despite running so far…

There wasn’t a single person left beside her.

“…Why…?”
“…Hey.”
“Just because that girl was born with everything… Just what makes her so great…?!”

Why is it always her…?!

“Ju Yuri?”
“……”

Ju Yuri, who was trembling, lifted her head again.

She knew she was being pathetic.

But… she couldn’t let go.

A single thought echoed in her mind.

‘…If he’s there…’

I can rise again.

I have to catch Yu Seha here and now.

This was Ju Yuri’s instinctive feeling.

He wasn’t someone to think of as just a B-grade hunter.

He might be…

Ju Yuri’s last chance.

That was why, although it felt pathetic, she thought to try talking once more.

However, she was startled by a voice that soon came.

“Excuse me, you two.”

A woman had appeared suddenly.

As if apologizing for interrupting, the woman bowed her head.

She was a person in a suit with an ash-gray bob.

Both Ju Yuri and Yu Seha turned to her, equally surprised.

Yu Seha instantly recognized her.

‘Wait… This person is…?’

She had been present during Noh Kyung-wan’s guild dismissal.

She had attended as a representative of <Dragon Sword Mir>.

And…

‘Isn’t she the team leader Ju Na-young often mentioned?’