Early morning and now I am back at Cube. Easy there, I don’t want myself earning more injuries than what I already have. I use my crutch masterfully on the elevated pavement.
My left arm is busted, and it looks like some of my leg muscles are torn. It is bad, but they are within the capabilities of the technology of the Hero Association. Hey, it is a fantasy world out there with magical and science-y stuff.
I turn right to a corner, hoping to get things done fast. Because of the incident, Kim Soohyuk prompts me to a report so that Cube can get the story straight. As a good student, it is only right to comply.
But then, I accidentally misplace my crutch at something… Just coming from another corner is a wheelchair. I slip hard and fall on my hurting left leg where the doctor says where my torn muscles are.
“Shit~ Son of a bitch…”
I wince at the pain of my leg feeling the force of gravity suddenly on it. I look at the perpetrator of my pain— it is Yoo Yoenha sitting elegantly in the wheelchair. Why do I keep on finding troubles with this gal? Every time I meet her, I always suffer.
“My bad…” She emotionlessly tells me.
“Why? Cannot even utter a sincere apology?” I complain.
I press my crutch on her leg with a cast. However, I did not even receive any reaction.
“Dumbass,” Yoenha adds. “It is in a cast. Of course, it is protected. What do you think? If poking the plaster on my cast should make me wail in pain, then the person who made the cast must be an even greater idiot.”
There is not a sense of camaraderie or even the smallest amount of sympathy. This confirms it. In my head, Yoenha is a bitch. Of course, I won’t tell her that so openly lest I endanger my life. I cannot offend the future Queen of Seoul.
“Riiight… It is in a cast…” I use my crutch to poke her other leg earning a cry from her.
“Ah— ouch!” She cries, and while I did warn myself from offending her, I cannot help but be petty about it.
Well, at least I am trying. “That’s for the friendly fire…”
“…”
***
Kim Suho is on his way to meet instructor Kim Soohyuk to discuss Museum Terrorism Incident once more. This time together with the addition of Yoo Yoenha and Hyon Hyung.
And speak of the devil, he just has to meet the two when he is conveniently just thinking of them.
“Yoenha, it is good that you are back.” He brightly greets the black-haired woman in a wheelchair.
Meanwhile, his gaze becomes tenser at the other guy. “Hyon Hyung, why do you always keep on picking fights? Moreover, you always pick fights with girls. Are you an anti-feminist or something?”
Hyon Hyung’s look of confusion is a delight to see. “W-what? I am not picking fights!”
Suho laughs it off as he offers his hand to the lying Hyon Hyung. “Grab my shoulder, Hyon Hyung. And Yoenha… You don’t mind me pushing this, don’t you?”
“Savior-nim, thanks for the save…” Hyung shakes his head in disapproval. “I’d rather use my crutch. And look. I have a cast on the other arm. I just cannot use my crutch and your shoulder at the same time, so I have to decline…”
Suho nods at Hyung’s words, realizing that sometimes the crazy kid can also be so reasonable. “Haha~”
“Let’s go,” Yoenha intervenes eager to get done with it already.
***
Kim Hajin is waiting in the classroom together with Kim Soohyuk, the instructor of Veritas Class. In the same classroom, there are also other characters— the most notable of them all is Yun Seung-Ah, the vice guild leader of Creator’s Sacred Grace Guild. There is silence, and a tense atmosphere, yet Hajin is not feeling anything at all.
“Ah~ what should I eat for dinner? I forgot to eat anything since breakfast, and even skipped lunch…”
As he is very busy with his training, research, and experimenting with SP, he doesn’t have much time for himself, let alone grab a quick meal. He is desperate on unhealthy levels.
They are waiting for the others to arrive, and finally, they did— Kim Suho, Yoo Yoenha, and Hyon Hyung.
The new arrivals find seats for themselves. Hyung besides Hajin. Suho besides Hyung. And Yoenha remains on her chair. The already tense atmosphere has become tenser.
“Hey man, are you doing fine? I heard you fought a Djinn…” Hyung softly whispers to him.
Hajin nods, not giving more of what he needs to be.
The unofficial meeting finally commence.
***
“Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, Yoo Yoenha, and Hyon Hyung. Do all of you testify that these names are yours? And that you are all not in effects of any demonic power?” Kim Soohyuk starts with a pair of mind-boggling questions. I simply nod to his inquiry.
Similarly, the others nod all the same affirming that these are indeed their names and that they are not under the influence of any demonic power.
Soohyuk gazes at a particular person from among the attendees and after receiving a nod, he then proceeds on hosting this off-the-books meeting. “You all know that for Guilds to meet Cadets privately is wrong and illegal. The government is allowing a lot of leeway for all of you to gather here. Unfortunately, we cannot have Essence of the Strait’s Guild Leader to attend…”
I observe Yoenha who is sporting a look of confusion. Yoenha intervenes in Soohyuk’s words with a commotion. “Instructor Kim Soohyuk, what is the meaning of this? Why are Guild Leaders of ranks fifty and above here? And where is my father? As rank 2, where is Essence of the Strait's representative?”
“Please be patient, Miss Yoo Yoenha…” Soohyuk calmly addresses Yoenha’s concern. “I am officiating this incident not as an instructor of Cube, but as a medium for the Hero Association. All of this is off the books.”
“Then where is Yoenha’s father?” Kim Hajin blurts out defensively.
I agree with his aggressiveness. I don’t like being put on a private trial. “If we abide by what you are saying, Mr. Kim Soohyuk, then where is her father? As Yoenha’s father, doesn’t he need to be here? Hey, Savior-nim, where are your parents? Shouldn’t they be here if you are going to be ostracized?”
Hajin adds further to the keg of gunpowder. “I am an orphan so I have no parents, but my dear classmates should have at least their parents, right?”
“Yeah, this is just unfair… Oh, so to add… I am also an orphan… maaan, the world is going to burn at this rate…” I playfully comment.
Kim Soohyuk nervously looks at the Guild Leaders asking for backup. In his own mind, he is blaming himself for bending his knee at the Association’s power.
Apparently, help did come, but from an annoying person.
Yun Seung-Ah pipes in with her advertisement. “Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, Hyonn Hyung… Come to the Creator’s Sacred Grace and I will immediately give you 10 billion won as Signing Bonus. Even if you got suddenly expelled, my guild will still take care of you and while at it, groom you to become the best!”
“Ah~ bollocks,” Kim Soohyuk takes center stage once more as he raises his voice an octave higher. “You know that is illegal, right? Anyways, this is not a public trial. All of you are young heroes who rose to the occasion. All of you should be commended.”
“Then what is the problem?” Kim Suho glares at Soohyuk with unprecedented sharpness in his eyes. “The last time I made my report, there wasn’t anything like this. So what is this?”
A bald middle-aged man quips in. “Forgive us Guild Leaders, young man. There is a reason for us to be tense. Three Djinns attacked, seemingly targeting Cube Cadets. The government tried to hide it with media manipulation to suppress the possibility of unrest, but despite such efforts, news of your feats has spread to the internet like wildfire.”
Yun Seung-Ah fakes a cough, taking the opportunity to add a word or two. “And the government for some reason instead of giving the job to the Hero Association has decided to drop it on the Guilds.”
“What is it?” Hajin tensely asks.
And Kim Soohyuk provides an answer. “We believe there might be strong Djinn activity within Cube. Among the Traveling Club members is a Djinn who helped on perpetrating the attack. I know it is not enough grounds to conduct a manhunt within Cube, but it is highly likely that the Hero Association has a hand in putting Djinns on Cube…”
Thus the reason for the tense atmosphere.
This confirms it.
The trajectory of the future has gone to shit, and I can only watch it happen helplessly.
***
After recounting the events and giving them a full picture, we little heroes can finally disperse. I bid Suho farewell while he kindly helps Yoenha back to her dorm. Then, I tail Hajin.
“That was nuts, man… I thought I was gonna die…” I place my hand on Hajin’s shoulder as a show of friendly affection, but he simply shoves my hand away.
“Tell me, Hyon Hyung… Who are you?” He sends me a glare.
“What do you mean?” I calmly answer him, not letting him know of the creeping fear in my heart that he might learn of my real identity.
Hajin with a jerk, points his gun at me. “It was you who told me to prepare more bullets in hand, right?”
Ah, fuck. You are cheating! Bringing your weapon unless for training and going outside, is grounds for suspension and at worse being expelled. I don’t have my dagger on me. "I don't understand..."
“It was you who tucked a piece of paper on my textbook, telling me to bring more light-attribute bullets, did you not?” He sharply tells me, his eyes never letting go of me.
What the hell is happening? I remember tucking a piece of paper on Yoenha, but you? I don’t know, man! Maybe, I am sleepwalking or something. But if it is not me, then who?
Is there someone else other than me who should know something like that will happen? That Hajin can make light-attribute bullets? Well, I know he will need light-attribute bullets, but what use will there be if I already know that he knows that he will need light-attribute bullets?
This is freaking trippy.
Then Chae Nayun enters my mind.
What are the chances of Nayun informing Hajin to bring more light-attribute bullets?
“Oh, fucking self-privileged regressor! You are not the only person who knows the future, and your tricks are causing me my ass! Agh~! I swear, she will hear an earful from me! That woman! AGH~! DAMN. IT... MY LUCK...”
I want to scold Nayun badly, but first, I have to get out of this situation.
"Uuhmmm... Parley?" I shyly request him while I raise my both hands in defense.
Early morning and now I am back at Cube. Easy there, I don’t want myself earning more injuries than what I already have. I use my crutch masterfully on the elevated pavement.
My left arm is busted, and it looks like some of my leg muscles are torn. It is bad, but they are within the capabilities of the technology of the Hero Association. Hey, it is a fantasy world out there with magical and science-y stuff.
I turn right to a corner, hoping to get things done fast. Because of the incident, Kim Soohyuk prompts me to a report so that Cube can get the story straight. As a good student, it is only right to comply.
But then, I accidentally misplace my crutch at something… Just coming from another corner is a wheelchair. I slip hard and fall on my hurting left leg where the doctor says where my torn muscles are.
“Shit~ Son of a bitch…”
I wince at the pain of my leg feeling the force of gravity suddenly on it. I look at the perpetrator of my pain— it is Yoo Yoenha sitting elegantly in the wheelchair. Why do I keep on finding troubles with this gal? Every time I meet her, I always suffer.
“My bad…” She emotionlessly tells me.
“Why? Cannot even utter a sincere apology?” I complain.
I press my crutch on her leg with a cast. However, I did not even receive any reaction.
“Dumbass,” Yoenha adds. “It is in a cast. Of course, it is protected. What do you think? If poking the plaster on my cast should make me wail in pain, then the person who made the cast must be an even greater idiot.”
There is not a sense of camaraderie or even the smallest amount of sympathy. This confirms it. In my head, Yoenha is a bitch. Of course, I won’t tell her that so openly lest I endanger my life. I cannot offend the future Queen of Seoul.
“Riiight… It is in a cast…” I use my crutch to poke her other leg earning a cry from her.
“Ah— ouch!” She cries, and while I did warn myself from offending her, I cannot help but be petty about it.
Well, at least I am trying. “That’s for the friendly fire…”
“…”
***
Kim Suho is on his way to meet instructor Kim Soohyuk to discuss Museum Terrorism Incident once more. This time together with the addition of Yoo Yoenha and Hyon Hyung.
And speak of the devil, he just has to meet the two when he is conveniently just thinking of them.
“Yoenha, it is good that you are back.” He brightly greets the black-haired woman in a wheelchair.
Meanwhile, his gaze becomes tenser at the other guy. “Hyon Hyung, why do you always keep on picking fights? Moreover, you always pick fights with girls. Are you an anti-feminist or something?”
Hyon Hyung’s look of confusion is a delight to see. “W-what? I am not picking fights!”
Suho laughs it off as he offers his hand to the lying Hyon Hyung. “Grab my shoulder, Hyon Hyung. And Yoenha… You don’t mind me pushing this, don’t you?”
“Savior-nim, thanks for the save…” Hyung shakes his head in disapproval. “I’d rather use my crutch. And look. I have a cast on the other arm. I just cannot use my crutch and your shoulder at the same time, so I have to decline…”
Suho nods at Hyung’s words, realizing that sometimes the crazy kid can also be so reasonable. “Haha~”
“Let’s go,” Yoenha intervenes eager to get done with it already.
***
Kim Hajin is waiting in the classroom together with Kim Soohyuk, the instructor of Veritas Class. In the same classroom, there are also other characters— the most notable of them all is Yun Seung-Ah, the vice guild leader of Creator’s Sacred Grace Guild. There is silence, and a tense atmosphere, yet Hajin is not feeling anything at all.
“Ah~ what should I eat for dinner? I forgot to eat anything since breakfast, and even skipped lunch…”
As he is very busy with his training, research, and experimenting with SP, he doesn’t have much time for himself, let alone grab a quick meal. He is desperate on unhealthy levels.
They are waiting for the others to arrive, and finally, they did— Kim Suho, Yoo Yoenha, and Hyon Hyung.
The new arrivals find seats for themselves. Hyung besides Hajin. Suho besides Hyung. And Yoenha remains on her chair. The already tense atmosphere has become tenser.
“Hey man, are you doing fine? I heard you fought a Djinn…” Hyung softly whispers to him.
Hajin nods, not giving more of what he needs to be.
The unofficial meeting finally commence.
***
“Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, Yoo Yoenha, and Hyon Hyung. Do all of you testify that these names are yours? And that you are all not in effects of any demonic power?” Kim Soohyuk starts with a pair of mind-boggling questions. I simply nod to his inquiry.
Similarly, the others nod all the same affirming that these are indeed their names and that they are not under the influence of any demonic power.
Soohyuk gazes at a particular person from among the attendees and after receiving a nod, he then proceeds on hosting this off-the-books meeting. “You all know that for Guilds to meet Cadets privately is wrong and illegal. The government is allowing a lot of leeway for all of you to gather here. Unfortunately, we cannot have Essence of the Strait’s Guild Leader to attend…”
I observe Yoenha who is sporting a look of confusion. Yoenha intervenes in Soohyuk’s words with a commotion. “Instructor Kim Soohyuk, what is the meaning of this? Why are Guild Leaders of ranks fifty and above here? And where is my father? As rank 2, where is Essence of the Strait's representative?”
“Please be patient, Miss Yoo Yoenha…” Soohyuk calmly addresses Yoenha’s concern. “I am officiating this incident not as an instructor of Cube, but as a medium for the Hero Association. All of this is off the books.”
“Then where is Yoenha’s father?” Kim Hajin blurts out defensively.
I agree with his aggressiveness. I don’t like being put on a private trial. “If we abide by what you are saying, Mr. Kim Soohyuk, then where is her father? As Yoenha’s father, doesn’t he need to be here? Hey, Savior-nim, where are your parents? Shouldn’t they be here if you are going to be ostracized?”
Hajin adds further to the keg of gunpowder. “I am an orphan so I have no parents, but my dear classmates should have at least their parents, right?”
“Yeah, this is just unfair… Oh, so to add… I am also an orphan… maaan, the world is going to burn at this rate…” I playfully comment.
Kim Soohyuk nervously looks at the Guild Leaders asking for backup. In his own mind, he is blaming himself for bending his knee at the Association’s power.
Apparently, help did come, but from an annoying person.
Yun Seung-Ah pipes in with her advertisement. “Kim Suho, Kim Hajin, Hyonn Hyung… Come to the Creator’s Sacred Grace and I will immediately give you 10 billion won as Signing Bonus. Even if you got suddenly expelled, my guild will still take care of you and while at it, groom you to become the best!”
“Ah~ bollocks,” Kim Soohyuk takes center stage once more as he raises his voice an octave higher. “You know that is illegal, right? Anyways, this is not a public trial. All of you are young heroes who rose to the occasion. All of you should be commended.”
“Then what is the problem?” Kim Suho glares at Soohyuk with unprecedented sharpness in his eyes. “The last time I made my report, there wasn’t anything like this. So what is this?”
A bald middle-aged man quips in. “Forgive us Guild Leaders, young man. There is a reason for us to be tense. Three Djinns attacked, seemingly targeting Cube Cadets. The government tried to hide it with media manipulation to suppress the possibility of unrest, but despite such efforts, news of your feats has spread to the internet like wildfire.”
Yun Seung-Ah fakes a cough, taking the opportunity to add a word or two. “And the government for some reason instead of giving the job to the Hero Association has decided to drop it on the Guilds.”
“What is it?” Hajin tensely asks.
And Kim Soohyuk provides an answer. “We believe there might be strong Djinn activity within Cube. Among the Traveling Club members is a Djinn who helped on perpetrating the attack. I know it is not enough grounds to conduct a manhunt within Cube, but it is highly likely that the Hero Association has a hand in putting Djinns on Cube…”
Thus the reason for the tense atmosphere.
This confirms it.
The trajectory of the future has gone to shit, and I can only watch it happen helplessly.
***
After recounting the events and giving them a full picture, we little heroes can finally disperse. I bid Suho farewell while he kindly helps Yoenha back to her dorm. Then, I tail Hajin.
“That was nuts, man… I thought I was gonna die…” I place my hand on Hajin’s shoulder as a show of friendly affection, but he simply shoves my hand away.
“Tell me, Hyon Hyung… Who are you?” He sends me a glare.
“What do you mean?” I calmly answer him, not letting him know of the creeping fear in my heart that he might learn of my real identity.
Hajin with a jerk, points his gun at me. “It was you who told me to prepare more bullets in hand, right?”
Ah, fuck. You are cheating! Bringing your weapon unless for training and going outside, is grounds for suspension and at worse being expelled. I don’t have my dagger on me. "I don't understand..."
“It was you who tucked a piece of paper on my textbook, telling me to bring more light-attribute bullets, did you not?” He sharply tells me, his eyes never letting go of me.
What the hell is happening? I remember tucking a piece of paper on Yoenha, but you? I don’t know, man! Maybe, I am sleepwalking or something. But if it is not me, then who?
Is there someone else other than me who should know something like that will happen? That Hajin can make light-attribute bullets? Well, I know he will need light-attribute bullets, but what use will there be if I already know that he knows that he will need light-attribute bullets?
This is freaking trippy.
Then Chae Nayun enters my mind.
What are the chances of Nayun informing Hajin to bring more light-attribute bullets?
“Oh, fucking self-privileged regressor! You are not the only person who knows the future, and your tricks are causing me my ass! Agh~! I swear, she will hear an earful from me! That woman! AGH~! DAMN. IT... MY LUCK...”
I want to scold Nayun badly, but first, I have to get out of this situation.
"Uuhmmm... Parley?" I shyly request him while I raise my both hands in defense.
