33 – Cafe Date

Ten days ago

“You can say that. Everyone except one is in the 6th class. Especially you, Jinhui, I made a spot for you, so don’t worry, just trust me. Okay?”

“Huh?… Thank you, Changhoon.”

A small cafe near the academy.

Jinhui, invited to the team of 6th-class students created by Changhoon, couldn’t be completely happy.

Jinhui is in the 8th class.

Even if she asks to team up with the 6th-class students, it seems inadequate. So, why isn’t she that happy?

“I… I want to ask Yoojung to be on the same team too, but… it’s a bit awkward. Maybe it’s because my class is lower…”

Looking at Changhoon sadly, Jinhui didn’t feel great.

“If it were before, I would have been so happy if Changhoon had approached me to team up, it would have felt like flying.”

No, it wasn’t a moment to suggest being on the same team, but just inviting him for a cup of coffee would have made me extremely happy.

However, Jini feels that something has changed in herself compared to before.

In front of her is Changhoon, whom she has had a crush on for several years.

He was the one who first suggested being on the same team.

But why, even at a moment like this, does Kang Jihoon keep coming to mind?

“Ar…are you alright with your leg?” Jini asks Changhoon while thinking of Jihoon.

With a twitch, Changhoon’s expression contorts for a moment, but quickly returns to normal as he speaks.

“Um…I’m fine. I can walk fine, and I’m not in pain anymore…”

Jini can see that Changhoon is biting his lips as he speaks.

“That bastard Kang Jihoon. I don’t know what nonsense he’s been up to, but I will definitely kill him.”

Changhoon spits out each and every word with all his might.

His fierce anger pierces through his voice.

However, Jini who is listening to him, somehow finds his anger amusing.

“If you’re so angry, why don’t you go find Jihoon? Why do you just keep cursing from behind?”

She is surprised by the words that almost came out of her mouth.

Changhoon, whom she has had a crush on since high school.

Her feelings for him didn’t change even when he hit and tormented Jihoon in front of her.

Jihoon was someone she could casually mistreat, just a toy for her own amusement.

Whenever Changhoon hit Jihoon, she would think that Changhoon was being manly rather than pity Jihoon.

“Why didn’t I stop him back then… Why couldn’t I even think of stopping him?”

It was Jini’s belated regret.

“You really think that bastard deserves to be hidden after what he did? It doesn’t make sense.”

Jini wakes up from her reverie at Changhoon’s harsh curse.

“Changhoon, but still, it’s not right to…verbally attack someone who’s not here…”

“What? What did you just say?”

“Huh? Ah, sorry, sorry, I was momentarily…crazy. Pretend you didn’t hear it.”

Jini surprisedly tries to take back her words.

Once again, her thoughts slip out and turn into words.

Without realizing it, I found myself standing in front of Chang-hoon, holding Ji-hoon’s side.

“Ha… I must be crazy, what should I do?”

Unable to do anything, Ji-nhee anxiously raised the coffee placed in front of her and looked out the window, clutching her throat.

Just Chang-hoon and Ji-nhee in the cafe.

Come to think of it, it could feel like a date they had been waiting for a long time.

However, Ji-nhee’s mind, looking out the window, was occupied by different thoughts.

“If I go to the hot dog food truck, would Ji-hoon be able to see me?”

***

7 days ago

Virtual gate simulation field

“This… this can’t be real.”

Ji-nhee barely managed to speak.

Ji-nhee was the only person who managed to speak out loud.

The rest of the people, truly everyone, couldn’t utter a single word.

It was right after Ji-hoon cleared the virtual gate in just 8 minutes and 51 seconds, showing off his ghost-like agility.

They knew something had changed, but what on earth was that supposed to mean?

“Who the hell is that girl?”

Ji-nhee’s gaze falls on Ji-hoon’s only teammate, Soo-yeong.

Scanning the field, Soo-yeong follows Ji-hoon and steps outside, catching Ji-nhee’s eye.

“Clever b*tch. How did she manage to team up with Ji-hoon alone? She didn’t do anything and yet takes all the credit.”

Ji-nhee silently curses Soo-yeong, whom she doesn’t even know.

She didn’t even realize how she was perceiving herself.

“What the hell is that guy…”

Only after Ji-hoon and Soo-yeong leave the field, Chang-hoon, who was standing next to Ji-nhee, barely manages to speak.

He utters a foolish question.

The more she looks at him, the more Ji-nhee feels the comparison with Ji-hoon.

Why did I have such a long unrequited love for this pathetic person?

Even while causing such severe wounds to Ji-hoon…

“Are they on the same team? Did Ji-nhee finally succeed?”

“Jihun!!! That’s not true!”

Jihun and Changhun’s teams faced each other before the second round of team competition.

Jihun alternated his gaze between Jinhee and Changhun with a bright expression.

“It’s not nothing. It’s quite something to be on the same team when our classes are different. Love brought together by my severed right leg!”

“Jihun!!”

Changhun’s expression distorted as he looked at Jinhee, denying her in terror.

“Cut it out. This dog…”

As Changhun instinctively tried to swear, he remembered Jihun’s movements from the first round test, along with sensation in his right leg.

“Dog… what? You have to finish your sentence.”

“Hmm… hmm.”

The team members and Jinhee watched Changhun swallow his swear words instead.

Anyone could tell that Changhun backed down.

“Changhun.”

Jihun’s voice calmly settled.

“…?”

“If you have anything to say, go ahead and say it.”

Why is that bastard acting like this? Changhun’s expression questioned.

“Whether you swear or not, you’re going to get beaten up by me for the rest of your life.”

Heh heh.

Changhun’s face turned pale, and his hands trembled.

“W-what is this…”

At that moment, a signal to return to their positions rang.

Changhun’s team and Jihun’s team separated and took their respective places.

Beep –

The sound of the horn announcing the start resounded, and the second round team competition began.

Kang Woohyun, Kim Sehyun.

Two tanks took the front.

And right behind them, Kim Yoonhee, Changhun’s healer, unfolded her arms and gathered magical power.

A yellow light extended through her hands, along her arms.

Utilizing the overflowing magical power from the buffs received by the two tanks, they unleashed their tanking skills.

In the back, there were Changhun and Jinhee.

“Jinhee, raise the wind pressure,” said Changhun.

In response to Changhun’s words, Jinhee cast a wind-based magic skill.

Thanks to Jinhee’s skill, a huge typhoon formed around Jihun and Soyoung.

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Shortly after, Changhun, drawing in magic power, cast his skill.

The ice magic skill he had demonstrated in the previous dispute with Jihun.

However, this time, with the tanks steadfastly guarding the front, he unleashed the skill solely for an all-out attack.

Outside the typhoon, trapping Jihun and Soyoung, the air froze, forming dozens of blades.

“Die, you jerk!!” Along with Changhun’s curse, the ice blades pierced through the typhoon.

The madly swirling typhoon met the ice blades.

The frenzied ice blades relentlessly surged toward Jihun and Soyoung trapped in the typhoon.

Clang.

Clang.

Clang.

Jihun’s training sword barely deflected the ice blades.

“Ji… Jihun,” Soyoung’s voice filled with worry.

Despite Jihun’s sword deflecting numerous ice blades, a few slipped through, grazing Jihun’s forearm, drawing blood.

“Heal!” Jihun’s request was the same as before.

Now, Soyoung, whose compatibility with Jihun had improved somewhat, unhesitatingly drew her magic to its maximum.

Soothing healing magic emanated from Soyoung’s hands, enveloping Jihun’s body and mending his wounds.

Drip.

Drip.

Jihun vigorously fended off the increasingly fast ice blades within the typhoon.

Once again, blood flowed from his forearm, even though this time he did not call for healing. Yet, Soyoung cast her skill.

Trapped in the typhoon, Jihun faced the unseen direction from which the ice blades relentlessly came.

Swimming focused on using Healing Skills in one hand, while lifting her other hand to help Jihoon fend off the ice blades.

Chirp

Chirp

Chirp

No matter how much Swimming pushed her hand forward, she couldn’t deflect any of the countless ice blades.

It was because Jihoon’s training sword, which was one step ahead of Swimming, hit them first.

And…

Once again, Soyoung used Healing Skills on Jihoon’s bleeding arm.

“Why is it only hitting that spot continuously? And why am I not hitting at all? Could it be… deliberately hitting me?”

Before Soyoung’s doubts could fully form, Jihoon’s sword swiftly deflected two ice blades, which flew through the storm and hit the two tanks on the Changhoon team outside.

Thud

Thud

The skills of the tanks, who were hit by the two bouncing ice blades, shattered.

Taking advantage of this opening, Jihoon pulled Swimming close and they both escaped out of the storm.

Jihoon, his arm bleeding profusely.

Soyoung used Healing Skills on him once again.

Anyone can see that they are in a desperate situation.

But Soyoung could see it. The corners of Jihoon’s mouth slightly lifted.

As if he was going to seize the one chance.

Through the broken tanks, Jihoon flew towards Changhoon at the back.

Just once. Jihoon’s sword swung down.

A very small amount of his inner energy contained in the sword.

“aaah!! aaah!! aaah!!”

Changhoon’s right leg, like a blade touching the sword, was smoothly cut off.

“hehehehe… hehehehe…”

Soyoung watches Jihoon, who is gasping for breath and touching the ground, unable to say anything, and thinks to herself.

‘Jihoon… acting like he’s struggling… it’s awkward… who breathes like that…’

“aaah!! aaah!!”

Blood pours out from the severed section of his right leg, and Changhoon rolls around on the practice floor like a maniac.

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