Chapter 21
“Hmm…”
One of the instructors groaned softly.
They had intended to let the matter slide quietly due to Shin Jooho’s powerful backing, but now that Sehyun had brought up the rules, they couldn’t ignore it.
If Sehyun made this issue public or caused a stir, it would be a headache for them.
Skill: Sound Blocking (Level 1)
Skill detected. Sensitivity increased by +1.
The instructors’ mouths moved, but no sound reached her ears.
A heavy silence fell over the room.
Jooho glared at Sehyun, his lips moving silently, but he didn’t dare utter a word. If he said anything, the instructors would hear him.
Sehyun ignored Jooho and stared straight ahead, lost in thought.
CCTV…
She had thought that turning off the sparring recording function in the sparring ring system would be enough.
But she hadn’t expected there to be separate CCTV cameras.
Anyway, it was a relief that they weren’t working. It would have been suspicious if they had captured her using the ‘Recoil’ skill.
I need to be more careful in the future.
Sehyun sighed softly and looked ahead.
The instructors’ discussion took longer than expected.
“I apologize for the wait.”
The lead instructor paused after speaking.
Shin Jooho.
His background was powerful. No, it was more than just powerful, it was excessive.
He was the son of Shin Jungseok, the head of the S Guard Club and a current member of the Guard Association board.
Jooho seemed to know that too. He had a confident look on his face, as if he was sure that nothing would happen to him.
The instructor looked at his face and spoke slowly.
“Guard trainee Shin Jooho will be confined to his dormitory for two days as punishment.”
“…!”
Jooho’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected those words. Sehyun also frowned.
Only two days?
The sparring center rules were considered the most important rules within the training center.
He had caused property damage and committed numerous violations, yet he was only getting two days of confinement?
It seemed like Jooho’s background had played a role. While Sehyun felt disappointed by the light punishment, Jooho’s lips moved as if he was still in shock.
“Punishment… you say?”
Punishment.
There was no way his father would accept this.
“Instructor, this was just a minor incident that could happen during sparring. It could happen during any other spar…”
Jooho spoke hurriedly.
“Sparring is an important and dangerous activity. The rules must be strictly adhered to.”
“…”
Jooho’s protests fell on deaf ears.
“This concludes the investigation.”
The instructor declared.
Jooho finally closed his mouth.
As they were leaving the main building, a gust of wind blew, and a searing pain shot through Sehyun’s shoulder. She was forcefully turned around, and Jooho’s face, contorted with rage, came into view.
“You crazy bitch…!”
Curses spilled from Jooho’s lips. Sehyun winced and swatted his hand away.
“You should have left me alone if you knew I was crazy.”
“You think I’ll let you get away with this?”
“No, you won’t.”
“…You know that, and you still…!”
“And I won’t let you get away with it either.”
As soon as Sehyun finished speaking, a cool breeze blew. Her hair fluttered lightly, but Sehyun didn’t even blink as she stared intently at Jooho.
“You said you wanted to kill me when I was locked in that room?”
“…”
“You should have done it then. When I really wanted to die.”
When surviving alone felt like hell, not a blessing.
When she couldn’t bring herself to end the life her parents had given her, and she desperately wished for someone to end it for her.
When she could have run and hid, but she didn’t.
She had held onto a faint hope, even in her pain, that Shin Jooho might be the one to kill her.
But the cowardly Shin Jooho couldn’t do it.
“It’s too late now.”
And now she wanted to live.
For her aunt and Jungwoo, who treated her like family.
“So I’m not going to let this slide anymore.”
Sehyun’s eyes gleamed fiercely.
Jooho glared at her.
The sight of her, bruised and battered from his beating, acting tough was laughable.
But he couldn’t laugh.
Sehyun’s face was calm.
As if she were speaking the truth, not bluffing.
Sehyun stared at Jooho’s hardened expression for a moment and then turned around. She walked towards her dormitory, checking her status window.
Skills: Pull, Dodge, Enhanced Vision, Fruit Knife Swing… Sound Blocking, Eye of Truth (Unavailable), Dazzling Dance, Miniaturization (Unavailable), Dynamic Vision Activation, The Listener, Divine Touch Upon You, Recoil
Skill: Recoil (Level 2)
She was quite satisfied with the result.
“Aaaargh!”
A pterodactyl-like shriek pierced her ears as soon as she entered the dormitory. Sehyun leaned against the wall, covering her ear with one hand, and turned her head. She saw Jieun, who had dropped her towel on the floor.
“Why, why, why, why…”
“Why am I like this?”
“Yes! Wh, wh, where…”
“Where did this happen?”
“Y, yes!”
Jieun nodded frantically.
Sehyun took a step forward but stumbled and grabbed the wall for support. But even that arm buckled, and her shoulder hit the wall.
She slid down the wall.
“Ah… I let my guard down.”
She had pretended to be fine, but she had been tense from head to toe.
She had almost been seriously injured. Shin Jooho had looked like a madman at the end.
She suddenly felt resentful.
Being called a crazy bitch by a crazy bastard.
Sehyun clicked her tongue and forced herself to stand up, dragging her feet as she walked.
She saw her reflection in the mirror and let out a hollow laugh.
No wonder Jieun had screamed.
Her clothes were covered in dust and footprints, her hair was a mess, and she had scratches all over her visible skin.
She had been too weak to even use the ‘Divine Touch’ skill at the end, which was why she was in this state.
Sehyun staggered towards her bed and collapsed onto the floor beside it.
I need to shower…
But she didn’t have the energy to even lift a finger.
It had been a long day.
Fatigue washed over her. She wanted to fall asleep right there, but it wasn’t easy. More than anything, if she fell asleep like this, Jieun, who was easily scared, would think she was dead.
She would probably let out another pterodactyl shriek and panic.
“Why, why, why are you l, like this?”
“I just got hurt during sparring.”
Sehyun replied vaguely, her eyes half-closed.
“Wh, wh, who d, did this…!”
“To me?”
“Y, yes! Yes!”
“Shin Jooho.”
“Sh, Sh, Shin Joo, Jooho?”
Jieun’s eyes widened in shock, and she exclaimed in disbelief. It seemed like she knew about Shin Jooho too.
Well, it would be strange if she didn’t.
The ten A-grades were the talk of the training center. Even Sehyun, who tried to avoid paying attention to them, knew about them from overhearing conversations.
“You, you, sparred with Sh, Shin Jooho?”
Jieun asked again, as if she couldn’t understand what had happened.
“Yes, I sparred with Shin Jooho.”
Sehyun nodded weakly. Jieun knelt in front of Sehyun, about to say something, but then closed her mouth tightly.
She wanted to ask if she should heal her, but she was suddenly afraid.
It was because of the dream she had just had.
‘Why are you acting so friendly?’
‘Ah, I feel sorry for her, so I played with her a little, and now she’s clinging to me.’
‘Sung Jieun? She’s my wallet. She buys me whatever I want if I act pitiful. She’s rich.’
‘Ah, she’s so annoying. I hate her voice.’
‘Hey, are you desperate for attention? Why are you clinging to me?’
Jieun flinched unconsciously at the sudden surge of painful memories and took a step back.
“Why are you still awake?”
Sehyun asked, her eyes closed.
“Ah… Just…”
She had been waiting for Sehyun, but she couldn’t bring herself to say that.
Sehyun might find her annoying if she acted too friendly.
She thought they had become closer after sparring and eating together for two days, but it might be just her wishful thinking.
“I see.”
“S, sorry. Am I b, bothering you by being awake?”
Jieun apologized quietly, shrinking her shoulders. She didn’t want to be a nuisance to Sehyun, of all people, and be hated by her.
To her, Sehyun was a shining, strong, and beautiful person.
Being hated by someone like that would hurt more than anything.
“I’ll, I’ll go to s, sleep now. You, you should rest too.”
“Jieun.”
Jieun, who was about to turn around awkwardly, looked back.
Sehyun, who had been leaning against the bed with her eyes closed, was now looking at her with clear eyes.
“Y, yes?”
“Were you bothered by my question about why you were still awake?”
“What? N, no! Not at all!”
Jieun shook her head vigorously, as if shaking her hands wasn’t enough.
Sehyun looked at Jieun, who was shaking her limbs as if she were in a competition, and said,
“Then why do you think I would be bothered?”
“…B, because you m, might be tired.”
“I’m not tired.”
“…”
Jieun’s eyes widened at Sehyun’s casual words.
“I was glad you asked.”
“…”
“It would have been lonely to lie in bed alone like this.”
“…”
“So I’m not saying you shouldn’t sleep if you’re tired, but you don’t have to force yourself to sleep because of me.”
“…”
“I thought you might have misunderstood my question.”
Sehyun finished speaking and leaned back, unable to fight her fatigue.
Jieun looked at Sehyun, who had closed her eyes again, and bit her lip.
It was a trivial thing, but it was something you wouldn’t say if you weren’t considerate of the other person.
Had there ever been anyone who had corrected her misunderstanding so directly like this?
Jieun cleared her throat, her heart touched by Sehyun’s thoughtfulness.
It was such a small thing, but she felt like crying.
She was being silly.
“Um… Sehyun.”
Hmm, a lot of people here have so many sad stories