By risking his life to subjugate a Djinn, he has shown himself to be a model citizen... This commendation proves his excellent service for the good of society and his exemplary behaviour which would motivate others. Cadet Kim Suho."
« Why the favouritism again! » *Jonghak*
Yoo Yeonha sighs as the exasperation she felt only increased by the second when Nayun agreed with Jonghak. The two clearly made a good pair when It came to bully Hajin.
Suho and Rachel tried their best to resolve the issue between them and protect Hajin at the same time but they gave up seeing that it wouldn't affect the two if they complained or discussed.
Yoo Sihyuk handed Kim Suho the commendation certificate without adding any needless commentary. Kim Suho then took the certificate with honor and dignity.
« Unnecessary details! » Shouted Nayun at the sentence (Not that it's surprising or new in the first place). Yeonha leaned and whispered in her ear:
« If these descriptions were meant to you, you would have stayed as quiet as a mouse~ »
Nayun changed colours almost instantly at the teasing and incessant comments… I'm cringing at what I'm writing… It's 9pm for god's sake!!
"Chae Nayun, same as above."
Nayun pouts at the favouritism and stared at Suho. He tries to calm her down but Jonghak keeps adding more oil to the fire. Yeonha watches the scene before her with amusement while Rachel was trying to ignore them by not taking her eyes off the screen.
Next was Chae Nayun.
"Kim Hajin, same as above."
« GASP! »
Nayun makes an outraged face as she gasps because she received the same reaction as Hajin which was an insult since the boy was only an extra in this universe.
Then me.
« It's not like we didn't notice it and is it just me or the details are getting way too numerous and useless as more time passes? » *Jonghak*
"The conferment ceremony is now over."
At the surprise of Rachel, Yeonha and Jonghak, the ceremony ended rather quickly for their taste.
With the host's announcement, the conferment ceremony came to an end. One hour and thirty minutes of rehearsal and one hour of waiting had been reduced to just five minutes. It was so quick that I didn't even have time to feel wronged.
« He shouldn't act this way. It was already a miracle that he received such a recompense regarding his situation in this world. » *Jonghak*
« And you should stop being a kill joke for your own good. » *Nayun*
« What if I don't? » *Jonghak*
« You don't want to know. » *Nayun*
« Sure~ »
Jonghak shifted his attention to the screen.
"Oh, by the way..."
Yoo Sihyuk, who was about to leave the garden, suddenly stopped as though he remembered something.
« And what is it? » *Jonghak*
"The reward for the Djinn subjugation is 15 million won. I almost forgot to tell you."
« I called it! »
To everyone's surprise in the room, two persons said the same sentence in unison. It was none other than Jonghak and Yeonha that were as surprised as the others.
They looked at each other and quickly averted their eyes to another direction. The embarrassment was easily shown on their cheeks which reddened the same pinkish colour.
The moment I heard that, I felt grateful for everything. To the Cube associate who forced me out of bed this morning, the one-hour thirty-minute rehearsal, and even the man who was late by an hour.
Jonghak, Nayun and Yeonha were flabbergasted and couldn't believe their eyes. Their reaction was priceless in Rachel's opinion but obviously, she didn't let it slip her mouth and kept it to herself giggling at the scene.
« I didn't know Hajin was this kind of person… » *Jonghak*
« Seriously? After all we've read and watched about him? » *Rachel*
"Good luck. We'll meet again if chance allows it."
« If he says that, then there's definitely a next time. » *Yeonha*
After all, their world was supposed to be a non-finished novel and in this context, every person saying that ended up by reappearing sometimes after. You'd know that if you've read more than one hundred novels or manhwas~
Yoo Sihyuk then left with a bored smile.
« How can we smile when we're bored?? »
We saw him off with our eyes, then came down from the podium. Before we could even touch the ground, guild associates flocked towards us.
« This crowd was definitely reserved to Suho and Nayun. » Said Jonghak and Yeonha in unison. AGAIN.
At the shot remark, Suho started to get embarrassed. Considering his humble nature, it was normal for the blue haired boy to act this way. On the contrary, Nayun was acting all proud of it:
« I deserve the praise and the fame no surprise. » She said with a mocking smile plastered on her face.
However, they were only interested in Kim Suho and Chae Nayun. No one approached me. They most likely thought I was only lucky to have been with them at the time of the incident.
They are not wrong. Everyone would have thought that Hajin was only a lucky spectator if they hadn't had the proof of the contrary before their very own eyes. Knowing his secret also helped but anyway- They also made the same mistake which was to underestimate the quiet boy.
Maybe Suho too at one moment had doubt concerning Hajin. After all, who wouldn't doubt a boy who's using a gun as his main protection instead of real combat weapon? Especially if the said someone was a cube cadet formed to be a hero!
But that didn't mean I was disappointed. Such was the life of an extra.
« I love the fact that he's not delusional~ » *Jonghak*
« And I don't like the fact that you keep speaking for nothing. » *Nayun*
A small spark appeared between them while they were busy in their stare contest. The tension filled the room but Jonghak decided to retract back and abandoned the first because we all know why right?
Yeonha was not comfortable with the situation. Seeing the person, you had your eyes on for years, being soft for someone else was an upsetting sight to anyone.
But my face automatically reddened at the clear ostracization, and thus I quickly left the venue.
The cadets cooed at the scene. It was an unusual sight to witness Hajin reddening and they were here for that. Yeonha praised the scene as loud as she could to have a reaction from the girl sitting beside her but the concerned just ignored the temptation to bite back.
**
I ran away to a nearby coffee shop. After ordering a drink, I sat down and turned on my laptop.
« That's just useless information like the previous ones- » *Jonghak*
« Would you mind shutting this mouth of yours before I make you. » Nayun shot him a maniac smile that sent shivers running down his spine.
Maniac 나사 빠진 것처럼 미쳐 Maniac 핑핑 돌아버리겠지! Okay I'll stop it~
The reason was simple. I had not checked the laptop's new functionality yet. I didn't have the time. Yesterday, I fainted at the pain that came with the update's completion, and when I woke up, I was dragged to the conferment ceremony.
« Ouch- Poor him- » *Nayun*
Nayun and Jonghak were snickering and laughing at their lovely author for being such a drama queen. Yeonha rolled her eyes at the childish attitude of the two.
« It's not that bad of a deal if he can't see his new features the moment he receives it. » *Nayun*
« Please, do not mock Hajin. He's endured much and will likely have to suffer more… » *Suho*
Kim Suho's courageous protest stopped the snickering duo's fun as they were reminded how they watched Hajin enduring the pain of obtaining the Stigma, and Jonghak sort of finds the gunner he thought was trash wasn't doing that bad when he managed to hide it from them. Nayun had no thoughts on the matter as she's too proud of saying anything back to Suho.
« Oh~ Defending him aren't we~? » *Yeonha*
The future Queen of Seoul raises one of her eyebrows as a smirk formed its way on her face when she looked at Suho.
« W-what? I'm not sure what you mean Yeonha. Hajin is our friend after all. » *Suho*
Yeonha continues to tease him while Suho tries to justify his actions as the protagonist's face glowed red. Rachel on the other hand was next to them thinking of something else despite the argument going on.
« Hajin… » *Rachel*
The Princess of England frowns a little as she feels bad about Hajin's suffering and pain that would, in her opinion, affect his mental state later. She keeps a note to herself to check on him and seeing for herself whether he needed some company and help to not overwork himself to death.
[Updated Features]
▷ 'Book of Truth' has been added to the Gift, 「 Observation and Reading 」
▷ Internet has been added to the laptop.
▷ Stigma.
There were three new features. The first thing that caught my attention was the second addition.
'Internet has been added to the laptop.'
« Well, isn't it kind of useless if he can't access internet with his laptop? Isn't like really not worth it to have it in the first place if he can't do a simple thing like that? »
« Umm… Maybe the fact that he has access to his novel's script and settings like that and that he can see exactly what is going to happen in a near and far future at the same time is useful? Don't you think so? » *Yeonha*
Nayun shot her a disgusted look since she didn't want to admit her wrong in front of Yeonha.
It caught my attention because it was too ordinary. After all, I could use my smartwatch to access the internet.
Now that Hajin mentioned it, it was strange to have this option considering the fact that he can just check his smartwatch. The cadets were getting more and more curious about the new revelations. They were also excited to arrive at the present because it was a sign that they were reacting to the future soon.
Chae Nayun turned her head and lowered her eyes. She notices that Yeonha's notebook didn't budge from an inch of its original position when left. It probably was waiting since the tenth chapter…
But it was unlikely for the laptop's feature to be so ordinary.
Suho narrows his eyes at the screen as he's as impatient as ever to see the new update on Hajin's laptop.
Unlike my updates of this fanfiction… I'm relieving the stress with an idol novel right now. Quite efficient in my opinion. June my love *sniff* I am ready to take this Lin Zhi's life if he dares to pose a threat to your reputation again!!!
I opened the internet on my laptop.
"...Aha."
I immediately understood when I saw the 'internet'. The internet window had rows of dull texts, but they were all too familiar.
*side eye* from Chae Nayun as she thought he was mumbling too much for his own good. Suho tried to calm her language to make her less aggressive towards Hajin.
===
[List of Currently Accessible Websites]
▷ Righteous Mind
▷ Violet Banquet
...
...
▷ Sword of Jeremy
===
It seemed the laptop's internet also allowed me to access websites that I needed to pay to enter. It was a hacking tool in a way.
Suho was worried… That meant that Hajin had access to some features in this world using illegal methods. That would have been considered normal since we're talking about the author but Hajin was more than a simple companion in their eyes. Even though they each had different reasons to think so:
To begin with: Chae Nayun. If it wasn't clear enough, she had a crush on Hajin. I'm sorry but you have to be utterly blind (sorry if you are!! TT) to not notice such a tsundere in front of you Hajin.
Then for Yeonha, because the boy was a great ally for her future plans and a sort of friend in crisis situations. Maybe a little more than just that sometimes? Hint! I don't include side stories details here because it'd be a spoiler to be honest.J
Rachel was because Hajin represented a huge support in her eyes. In the physical or mental way and the fact that he always kind whereas his calm and composed face showed otherwise.
Jonghak was another story. He probably doesn't know he'd become the biggest addict to Hajin's cooking later.
And finally Suho because Hajin was a worthy ally and also a great friend. Exactly like Yeonha's situation and maybe adding more than just friends? Best friend forever- Nah I'm just kidding~
Among the numerous websites, a specific name caught my attention.
===
▷ Violet Banquet
*Website for trading undisclosed information, weapons, bounties, and commissions.
*SP needed for obtaining an ID: 200
===
« Is this organisation THAT important to take his attention? » *Nayun*
« Kind of logic if Hajin's interested no? » *Yeonha*
« Maybe yes or maybe no. Only the time we passed by supporting someone shewing popcorn will tell us. »
Yeonha shot a dirty look at Nayun.
« Seriously? What did I ever do to you? »
« Revenge for all the tease in the past 21 chapters. »
Omg… Is the fourth wall broken??
Violet Banquet.
It was the most famous website in the dark web. Still, it had over a million members. The real pearl of Violet Banquet wasn't the website, but its 'sellers'. Violet Banquet was only a place for them to gather.
« Hajin is a criminal… » *Nayun*
« Stop with your nonsense… » *Yeonha*
« You think that if he had a poster saying he was wanted I'd earn a lot of money after handing him to authorities? »
« Are you seriously mocking me right now or-? »
Jonghak burst out of laughter at the weird scene. Rachel and Suho were discussing the possibility and hesitated on whether they would try to beat Nayun and do it themselves. At this rhythm, Hajin truly risked to be labelled as wanted in a near future.
Plentiful sellers flocked at the anonymous information, weapons, bounties, and commission trading website, which didn't care for the law. While the government knew about this underground market, they had no choice but to stay silent as this black market was frequented by almost all Heroes. As a joke, a Hero wasn't called a true Hero unless one had a Violet Banquet membership.
« I still can't believe that THE Hajin made settings like that. »
« Me neither… I didn't think he was capable of adding a that stupid condition to become a hero. »
« In second plan… If « «Suho »; » Jonghak pressed on this name with arrogance gracing his voice « becomes a hero in this universe, he would also have an account on this site. ».
« He's actually spouting nonsense that has sense… » *Nayun*
They turned to Suho who didn't understand what was happening and looked at them with confusion still lingering on his face. This little innocent boy will become someone like that? Unbelievable…
Naturally, one needed to pay an enormous sum to become Violet Banquet's member, but I only needed 200 SP to obtain an ID.
« So cheap but I guess they took the fact that Hajin is poor. » Jonghak and Nayun scoffed as if to make fun of Hajin.
"These rich kids." thought Rachel. OOC!!
I'm sorry Rachel but you're also rich TT
Ah, there you are."
It was at that moment that a charming voice and scent flowed towards me. Just by hearing the voice, I could tell who it was. I immediately straightened my back and focused on the movement behind me.
« Is it a girl? If it is the case, Nayun has competition~ »
Nayun shot her one of her infamous glares but the pink on her cheeks revealed more embarrassment than rage unfortunately for her.
The owner of the voice then walked over and sat down on the seat in front of me in a smooth motion.
It was Yun Seung-Ah.
« Oh~ Is Suho's lover being snatched? »
Yeonha was interrupted by a slap on the back of her head and when she turned it to face the culprit, she found Nayun and Jonghak looking at her to have her mouth shut.
Suho only looked irritated at the screen. But who knows who Yeonha was hinting at? There were two people on the screen after all but they thought it was Yun Seung-Ah that he wanted to protect. However, Rachel stuck on her idea that it was the girl who Suho wanted to keep away from Hajin.
"You know me, right?"
« No he's just a useless extra- » started off Jonghak.
« Who's also the author of our world and knows the future of every single one of his characters. » Yeonha grinned widely at the frustrated face of the white haired boy.
« Stop meddling in my affairs! »
« You wish. » Simply replied the girl who still wore a huge grin on her face.
Her eyes formed an arc as she stared at me.
« Her smile reminds me of someone's… Do you have an idea of whom Kim Suho? » Nayun stared suspiciously at Suho from the corner of her eyes as the boy glanced at her flabbergasted.
« Why is my name brought again?? » Suho looked at the brunette indignantly.
« You're the main character and now that it's known, you deal with it. » Reasoned Yeonha. Suho sighed at the girl's argument. It still didn't make sense but he preferred to not waste time. It was better off reacting to future or past events from their author's point of view.
"You don't?"
« How can't he know your identity if he's the one who created you? » Asked Jonghak sarcastically. He was getting tired of reacting to the past. Maybe reacting to the future is a way better way to entertain them and give them more information at the same time.
« For the last time… We didn't even know that until now!! » Shouted Chae Nayun.
« No need to be this rude girl-»
« Who are you calling rude you _______?! » Retorted Nayun.
« You all calm down at once. » Said Suho in a warning tone. No fight was allowed from the rules given by the voice and they didn't know what could happen to them if they broke it.
Yun Seung-Ah asked again. I shook my head. There were few people in this world who didn't know 'vice-leader Yun Seung-Ah.'
« He can pretend to be one of them if he wants to. »
« I agree! He seriously can have any identity he wants in this world, even a prophet who sees the future! »
« Hell no- What are you spouting here Nayun? – » said Jonghak in disbelief. How far can run this woman's imagination in all seriousness.
« No one asked for your opinion you know? »
« As well as yours from what I know. »
Rachel could swear she saw some electricity forming between the two teenagers.
"No, I know."
« Blunt as always. »
« We're talking about Hajin here remember? »
« Right, that explains a lot… »
"That's a relief. I was surprised because you suddenly disappeared. There was something I wanted to give you."
« Her phone number? » *Yeonha*
« Stop saying random thing like that! She obviously won't give him her number like that! » *Nayun*
« You could though. »
« Why you- »
« Stop engaging in fights with everyone Nayun. » *Jonghak*
« Well YOU should stop interfering in my affairs then! »
« No way I'm doing that… »
« Yes-way you're doing that. » *Yeonha*
« No one asked you too! » Said Nayun fuming when she turned to face Jonghak. Seeing the state of hers, he decided to let the subject die down and keep reacting without engaging eye-contact with the girl.
Yun Seung-Ah handed me her business card, which was adorned with gold.
« Ha! Told ya! » Said Nayun proudly.
« Whatever- » responded Yeonha indifferently.
[Guild, Creator's Sacred Grace, vice-leader Yun Seung-Ah.]
While I sat speechless looking at the business card, Yun Seung-Ah continued.
« Why would he be speechless? »
« It's his first time talking to a girl. »
« That's not it! »
« Then don't ask questions like that in the future. » Yeonha smiled content at the thought of not listening to Nayun's complains and stupid questions in the near future.
"There's a lot I want to talk about, but unfortunately, I don't have enough time. I spent too long looking for you, Hajin cadet-nim."
« Nah- He just stole Kim Suho's first impression on his future lover. »
« I don't think I'd have ended up with her either way though. »
« Suuure~ I totally believe you~ »
Suho looked at Jonghak with disbelieving eyes. Was the second ranked cadet teasing him or just used sarcasm?
Yun Seung-Ah giving out her business card wasn't a simple matter. It was the first step of Yun Seung-Ah style recruiting I outlined in my novel.
« Ha! I told ya! » Yeonha tried to mimic Nayun's way of saying the previous sentence.
« Whatever- » tried to mimic Nayun at her turn.
"There's something I want to ask. Can I?"
I stared at Yun Seung-Ah's eyes. Her beautiful brown pupils were absolutely calm.
« What the- Please, refrain of showing us his thoughts about women… »
°No problem~°
« So odd… Why did you agree so easily? »
°Because you only said about women and he doesn't have these kind of thoughts for women only~°
« No way- »
°Yes way~°
« Is Hajin bi??? » Asked Nayun her mouth dropping at the realisation.
°Yes until proof of the opposite! °
« I can't believe that… »
« I don't think it was something meant to be known by us… »
« I agree with you on this one. »
"No."
« Straightforward as always I see. »
« Not so straight now, isn't he? »
« Stop with the jokes— »
« It might be for real— »
« I said shut up… »
« …Okay. »
« Thank goodness… » *Rachel*
Rachel was relieved that Hajin declined the offer to join Yun Seung-Ha's guild. This means that Hajin is still free for the taking. Well- not in this kind of way! It just meant that she had her chances if she tried to recruit him with legal actions.
Although she did get a little uncomfortable when she heard of the idea that Hajin could be into same sex relationships.
"Did you destroy the Djinns... Hm?"
« Haha, it seems like this woman was never rejected by someone. »
« Indeed. But she has to be used to it if Hajin is included in the matter. »
« Exactly. »
Yun Seung-Ah might look kind and graceful on media, but in truth, she was extremely cold-hearted. Even talents she eagerly brought in were thrown away if they didn't meet her expectations. Bringing in what's necessary and throwing away what isn't. Survival of the fittest was Yun Seung-Ah's true mindset, which wasn't known to the media. It was her belief that a lazy person would continue to be lazy and a person falling behind would continue to fall behind.
« That's rude. »
« But the truth of life. »
« Can't argue with that. »
"Don't ask."
I gave back her business card.
« How is she after the rejection? » *Yeonha*
« Why do you call it like that? » *Jonghak*
« He just refused her number! »
« She gave him her card! »
« Which has her number! »
« NO- Wait a minute- That's actually true… »
« Told ya~ »
"Eh? Um, Hajin cadet-nim? I think you're misunderstanding something. I'm interested in you, as the vice-leader of a rank 1 guild."
« There's 0% chance of him accepting your offer then girl. »
« Yep. He even wanted to avoid interaction with the main leads to back away from the attention. »
« What a closed person. »
« That's Hajin. »
« True. » Responded Jonghak like it was a perfectly logical and valuable argument in the situation.
"I'm thankful for your interest, but only if that's real interest."
« Yeah! You tell her Hajin! »
So loud… thought Rachel before looking away from Nayun.
With what I knew about Yun Seung-Ah's personality, she should be here because I used a light attribute bullet.
« How does he know that? »
« If you had a minimum of concentration, you'd actually remember that he was the one in charge of the settings… »
« Oh~ yes I forgot~ »
« I would like to do the same with your existence- »
« What was that? »
« Nothing. » Yeonha smiled to hide her cunning hate comments toward the light brunette.
The interest she had in me was only curiosity. With a single gust of wind, her interest could cool down, and she could even forget my name. So, for the sake of SP, playing hard to get would probably be more memorable.
« La- Always about benefits! »
« Can you blame him? He's literally surviving in this world and not living! »
« Not a reason to always bring money or "SP" in the conversation! »
Rachel looked at Suho to see if the boy was going to interfere for the third time in one chapter but the latter kept his mouth shut, not letting a word slip past his lips. He wanted to make the situation less tense but if he was just playing babysitter with his friends… It was way better to not react at this point.
« You're not going to stop them? » Whispered Rachel more like a fact than a question.
« I'm too tired to do that. » Suho sighed.
« Understandable. » The blonde British nodded her head at the good argument.
"I'll be off. There's a lot I need to do. It's almost time for midterm exams, you see."
« Excuses, excuses. He's not even going to look at his notes since he already has his laptop! »
« I hear jealousy speaking~ »
« WHO ARE YOU CALLING JEALOUS! »
« The overreacting isn't helping you to be honest. »
The gold eyed boy shut his mouth. He opened it a bit to speak but decided not to reply the provocation and just like that, no word was uttered from the other party.
I got up before Yun Seung-ah. Her surprised eyes chased after me.
I quickly left the coffee shop.
What Yun Seung-Ah was thinking now was none of my business.
« Yes, it is! If she was supposed to have a deep connection with Suho than she plays an important role in the story! » *Nayun*
« I agree with her for once! » *Jonghak*
« Shut it before I smack your head- »
« Try m- »
I do not want to describe the rest of the scene T^T1 P.M.
The reward money had arrived by the time I came back to the dorm. It was a clean 15 million won, unaffected by taxes. It was clear what I had to do with it. Without hesitation, I purchased Packhorse Master's stocks. With over 100,000 stocks, I was likely a majority shareholder.
« I beg you to not make us react to boring investment! He can do whatever he wants as long as it's not boring. »
°I'm not the one writing the plot! °
« I would have understood if it was Suho in this situation bit Hajin is not one of the main characters soooo… »
°He IS the main character in question! °
« Being the author doesn't count. » Yeonha shook her head.
°Hajin wrote a novel called "The returnee hero" but Hajin's also the main character of a novel. °
« You're telling us that Hajin is the author of a novel and the mc of another novel? »
°In sum, yes~ °
They had discovered that their world was only a mere novel so seeing that Hajin was also a character like them but from another scale was kind of relieving to hear.
They were at the same equality now.
« Mind me asking what's its name? »
°… °
« Why won't you answer? »
°It's a bit embarrassing… °
« C'mon! It can't be that bad! »
°The novel's extra- °
As the voice said the name of the novel in question, Jonghak burst out laughing. How perfectly fitting of a name was this one to the current situation of Kim Hajin.
"Huhu... Ah, right."
I suddenly remembered what I didn't finish in the coffee shop. The two other features of the update – Book of Truth and Stigma.
First, I looked at 'Stigma.'
« New skill? »
« That's what it seems like to me. »
[You can freely use the magic power stored inside Stigma, which will slowly regenerate over 24 hours even if depleted.]
« What does it mean? »
« Keep watching and you'll know. »
« Such a kill joy you are. »
« Proud of it. »
« Tsk- »
"...So how do I use it?"
« Even he doesn't know! »
« It's different! »
« How come ?! »
« Stop with your shouts! You're making my ears bleed. »
There was a tattoo-like Stigma on my left upper arm. But Stigma aside, I
« How useless to have it if he can't use it… »
« You tell him but I think he already knows that. »
Furthermore, it was likely that I would never be able to wield it, as I described magic power in my novel as an "ability in which innate talent and early education is most important."
« That was not the smartest decision I've seen in my life. »
« You can't judge him for that. He didn't know he would be stuck in his novel one day or another. »
« You're only protecting him but the question is why?? »
« Maybe YOU're the one that needs to confess after all. » Whispered Nayun sheepishly on Yeonha's ear. A faint blush appeared on the purple haired girl's cheeks but quickly fad away after she calmed from the petty comment.
« Tsk- Whatever. »
But this was likely the reason why the co-author gave me such an irregular magic power.
"I can freely use it...?"
« Duh! Then why would you have it? »
« Don't play smart when you know you're not. »
« I did not ask to be roasted y'know? »
« Don't worry it was free. » The girl smiled widely as to add more sarcasm in her reply.
Since it said I could 'freely' use it, I thought about using it.
« That's the point if it says ''free'' » *Nayun*
« I told you to not play smart when we all know your iq. » *Yeonha*
« You say it like I'm a total dumb_ss!! »
« Maybe because you are? » *Jonghak*
« No one asked you! »
That was all I did.
Immediately, Stigma's magic power became unleashed. Blue light erupted from the Stigma, enveloping my upper arm. The magic power then flowed down my veins, reaching my fingertips before shooting out and manifesting into shapes. First, it formed a triangle, then a circle, then a blade.
« That seems strangely beautiful to witness. » *Rachel*
« I agree, the way the light transfers and the shape of it is majestic. » *Suho*
« Quiet you two- » Nayun was interrupted by a dry smack on her back.
« And why should they? » *Yeonha*
Nayun did NOT respond to the question. The reason she complained was to avoid listening to philosophical descriptions at first but it'd just aggravate the discussion about her being dumb thus she stayed quiet not wanting to get humiliated for the umpteenth time.
Its mysteriousness multiplied when I thought about the Book of Truth.
« He still didn't show us how this ability of his works. »
« Patience is a great virtue Nayun. » *Suho*
« What a useless virtue tsk- »
The magic power branched together and formed a single book. The book's cover waved as though it was made of water. I glanced at my veins, which had turned blue, and the strange book that had formed in the air.
« It's… Umm how can I put that into words…? » *Yeonha*
« Weird, strange, horrific, ugly? » *Jonghak*
« I'll go with the bizarre. »
« Why the vocabulary?? »
« Let me keep some dignity… »
At that moment, a strange voice rang out in my ear.
[This book contains truth. Ask it anything. It will answer as long as you have enough magic power.]
« What the- » *Jonghak*
« Another cheat ability?! » *Nayun*
« It does seem like it. »
« When I get back, I'll to write a novel. »
« You'll catch Hajin's problem of Blank page after two sentences- » Yeonha started laughing at the thought of it. Knowing her "best friend's" personality, it was nearly impossible for her to write a book.
"...So that's how this works."
The words, "as long as you have enough magic power", hung on my mind, but it was undoubtedly a great Gift.
« You think so? » Asked Jonghak in gritted teeth.
« Quiet with the sarcasm. That's my job. » *Yeonha*
When I was about to ask it something as a test...
Wiing— Wiing— Wiing—
An emergency alarm rang out on my smartwatch.
« What a great timing. » *Nayun*
« What did I say about the sarcasm? » Yeonha massaged her temples after sighing; letting her frustration all out. « Anyway, maybe he's just unlucky. »
« He's more than unlucky though. I want to know what he did in his past life to have a karma like that. » *Jonghak*
The sound was similar to a phone's disaster alert, it couldn't be ignored. I put my magic power away and turned on my smartwatch.
[Looking for the last person who has last seen World class' novice cadet, 'Jin Hajung'.]
[Looking for the last person who has last seen World class' novice cadet, 'Jin Hajung'.]
« Ah… I think I know what's happening now… » *Suho*
I immediately knew what was happening.
The next arc had begun. The name of this arc was 'Cube's Serial Disappearance Incident'. As the word 'serial' suggested, there would be six victims during the course of this arc.
« He even knows how many victims there will be… » *Nayun*
« Wait if he knows the next victims then- » *Yeonha*
°Ouh~ Realisation time? °
« You have quiet the timing huh? » *Jonghak*
°What can I say~ It's a talent~ °
Jonghak rolled his eyes after letting a comment that was mostly ironic while Yeonha was debating on if she was trusting Hajin on this one or if she was seeing him in a darker light than before.
Suho frowned when he saw Yeonha's twisting expressions that withdrew every ten seconds. It was shown a various amplitude of emotions at once and he was wondering on what was the reason of such agitation in the girl's mind.
This arc played a fairly important role in the story.
« Isn't every arc supposed to play an important in stories? » *Nayun*
« Not necessary. There are arcs that only base on minor event. You can even take them out of the story and it won't affect the story. » *Yeonha*
« Why do authors add them then? »
« To fill the words compt. » *Jonghak*
The sole reason being that Yoo Yeonha was the final victim. This was the decisive trigger that would bring Kim Suho and Yoo Yeonha closer together.
« WAIT REALLY!? » *Nayun*
« Why? You jealous? » *Yeonha*
« It's not the time to joke around! »
« I think gun boy stole every single one of Kim Suho's interactions at this point. » said Jonghak in a displeased face.
« I think so too. » Rachel said that with a subtle tint of jealousy that Yeonha didn't let slip. Witnessing such interesting interactions was rare and made the purple haired girl giggle to herself.
[Hello.]
Speaking of the devil, Yoo Yeonha suddenly messaged me.
« Why add the 'devil' to qualify me? »
« Because you're one- OUCH! » Yeonha pinched Nayun on her arm to stop her from throwing other insults to her face.
« I preferred when you took revenge secretly and not showing it openly like that. »
« What good old times~ »
[What?]
[The text from just now, that isn't your doing, right?]
Was she insane?
Chae Nayun was tempted to add more fuel to the situation but kept quiet when she noticed the mark caused by the pinch from earlier. It left an unpleasant trace on her forearm…
[No, why?]
[Then nevermind.]
[Alright.]
[By the way, I heard you fought a Djinn last week.]
[...What are you trying to say?]
« He be looking at the message with a side eye pfft- » *Nayun*
« Not my fault. »
« Why were you so wary of him hah? »
« Well you're not in the right place to judge me since you hated him at first but like they say: Hatred turns slowly to lo- » Yeonha winced when she felt the sudden hand on her mouth with a red brunette shooting her a glare.
The sight was satisfactory so she ended up by giving up and decided to keep reacting.
Changing the topic over and over again until the other side brought up the topic she wanted to talk about, that was Yoo Yeonha's specialty.
« He knows you so well~ » *Nayun*
« Rule number two: sarcasm and teasing are MY job. »
« Come on~ Sharing is caring~! »
« That's the point. I don't care about you… »
« Harsh rejection from Yeonha ouch~ » *Jonghak*
[Do you know about the Giant Swamp Soldier?]
I couldn't help but laugh. It seemed she wanted me to tell her its vital point.
« I'm not in the wrong here! When you have a source, use it until nothing's left out of it. »
« You're so scary sometimes… » *Nayun*
« Thanks for the compliment~ »
« It was not a- Nevermind. » *Jonghak*
The Giant Swamp Soldier was a high-rank monster known for its 30m height. Just like its name suggested, it was rare sight in Korea, as Korea didn't have large swamps. By the looks of it, her guild must have gotten information about its location.
« Just say it was just a random thing you wrote to show-off. »
[I wouldn't tell you even if I knew.]
Jonghak and Nayun had the same look on their face that screamed 'shameless'. Yeonha looked rather amused by the reaction.
There shouldn't be many guilds in the country who knew about the Giant Swamp Soldier's vital point.
« It's that difficult to find its weak point? » *Jonghak*
« Yes, we still don't know about it unfortunately… » *Yeonha*
[I can buy the information.]
[No.]
« So he doesn't know? » *Rachel*
« Yes, it's written all over his face. » *Suho*
« Isn't his face actually- »
« You know what I mean Nayun… »
I cut her off resolutely. Mountain Tyrant was enough to serve as her 'accomplishment'.
« Asking for more isn't a crime though~ »
« Leave the emo alone… » *Jonghak*
« Since when did you actually care about whether I compliment or harass him?~ »
The question was left unanswered. He, himself, didn't know what came into him.
[Why not? I can offer a lot.]
« Not everything is about money my dear friend~ » Said Nayun wiping some imaginary tears on her cheeks.
« Stop it already ugh- » Yeonha was growing annoyed of Nayun's teasing. It was her job but now that the chapter only mentioned her, she didn't have anything to retort back.
It was true that Yoo Yeonha would become successful in the future, but her personality had yet to change. Currently, she didn't hesitate to mercilessly cut down her enemies. Before the right influence changed her temperament, it was dangerous to give her wings.
« He thinks of you as his child~ So cute! » *Nayun*
« … I'd rather not think that… » *Yeonha*
« Yep… It sounds even weirder when it's her talking. » *Jonghak*
Nayun looked at the two betrayed. They made an alliance against her?! It never happened before! Especially with Jonghak in the conversation because it always turned in her favour but now she was stuck against those two!
There was no way she could ask for help from Suho and Rachel too. Those two are pure saint and prefer to avoid getting involved in dispute or conflict.
[To be completely honest, I don't know. How would I know the vital point of a monster that doesn't appear in Korea?]
« Wow… Such a smooth not rude response. » *Jonghak*
« That's Hajin… » *Rachel*
« Right. »
And this was true. Although I was this world's author, there were things I didn't know. While I created the Giant Swamp Soldier, I only gave it a rough sketch. Since it was a golem type monster, I only thought that an attribute that countered swamps would work well against it. I never wrote any specific details down.
« It's kind of logic. » *Nayun*
« Come on! How could I know that? » *Yeonha*
« What did you think he was?? » *Jonghak*
« Some sort of expert on monsters. »
« I get your point. » *Suho*
After not replying for a long time, Yoo Yeonha ended the conversation with a single message.
[From now on, don't talk to me so casually.]
« Hey what? Just like that??? » *Jonghak*
« It's Yeonha. » *Nayun*
« Right? »
« Wait, what does it mean?- » *Yeonha*
« Nothing… Don't worry about it… »
"Pftt."
A smirk emerged inadvertently.
« And he found the audacity to laugh? » Asked Yeonha with disbelieved eyes.
« Pfft- » Rachel tried he best to hide her laugh but after some time, it slipped on its own.
That earned her a side eye from Yeonha as the blonde was giggling at her for Hajin's reaction. We will pretend that it has no relation with the fact that she found his laugh cute… No… Never… Haha I love the line~
As I thought, even if Yoo Yeonha acted adult-like...
"...Still a high schooler, huh."
She was still only 17.