Extra 8:
[Title: Did you all see the trial today???]
[I used to believe the government was trying to reduce discrimination between Awakened and non-Awakened people. Lol. Seeing the charges revealed during the trial, I feel disgusted with myself for believing such trash…
They deliberately deceived the entire nation for years… I teared up every time Firestarter and the other victims testified. They must have suffered so much…
I’m so glad Firestarter exposed everything. Honestly, the experiments were bad enough, but the attempted murder is just… evil. They used her and then tried to kill her when she was no longer useful? Are they psychopaths?
It’s chilling to think those people were the President and the Prime Minister… I hope they rot in jail.
And the ruling party who colluded with them too. Lol.]
[Comments]
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Seriously chilling… It’s shocking that a group of psychopaths were running the country.
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The opposition party is really tearing into them. The exposé is so entertaining. Well, it’s not actually funny… sigh…
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The ruling party is trying to shift the blame. Do they think that’ll be enough? Lol. Nope. We’ll keep protesting until your party is disbanded. Lol
└ Seconded. Restaurants near the protest sites are booming. They’re making bank.
└ Here are some restaurant recommendations~ and info on which ones have open restrooms!
└ Thank you! You’re a lifesaver. -
This might be a weird question, but… am I the only one who’s coveting Firestarter’s suit…?
└ What’s this about?
└ Look closely. She used to wear ordinary suits, but the one she wore at the trial looked like it was perfectly tailored. That fit… you can’t get that with off-the-rack suits. And Firestarter isn’t even tall, and yet, that fit? It’s 100% custom-made, and by a skilled tailor.
└ You… dare to mention Firestarter’s height… Do you want to get burned?
└ I’m sorry, Firestarter! I apologize! But as a suit enthusiast… it caught my eye. I’m so envious. Where did she get it made?
└ Is the suit the main issue here?? Did you guys not see the ring on Firestarter’s left ring finger?!
└ ??????
└ ??????????? Is she really wearing a ring?!
└ ???????????????
└ Am I the only one who saw it? You guys need to improve your observation skills. ㅠㅠ I screamed when I saw it; how did you miss it?!
└ Firestarter… a ring… a ring?! … What?!
└ This is more shocking than the trial itself…
The first trial after the impeachment had ended.
Kim Joon-pil and Jang Woo-seok had been utterly demolished. Every piece of evidence they presented was countered by the meticulously prepared evidence Seo Jae-yi and Kwon Yi-soo had compiled.
It had been incredibly satisfying, watching them glare at her, their faces pale with shock and anger.
And it was even more satisfying because they looked disheveled and defeated, unlike her, in her stylish suit.
“Getting a new suit was a good idea.”
She was wearing one of the two suits Baek Joo-won had ordered for her at the tailor shop.
Clothes make the man – or woman, in this case – she finally understood the saying. Wearing an expensive, well-tailored suit made her feel… powerful.
“Seo Jae-yi.”
Joo Seon-min, who had also attended the trial as a key witness, approached her.
She had been instrumental in silencing Kim Joon-pil and Jang Woo-seok, countering their every attempt to minimize their sentences with irrefutable logic and evidence.
Seo Jae-yi had never seen the usually taciturn Joo Seon-min speak so much.
It was as if she had been preparing for this day.
“Good work.”
Joo Seon-min patted her head.
Seo Jae-yi smiled and nodded, pleased by her praise, even though there were still many trials ahead, though the prison sentences were all but guaranteed.
“That’s a new suit. Where did you get it?”
Joo Seon-min’s gaze was on her suit. The tailored fit, accentuating Seo Jae-yi’s slender frame, looked good, even to her untrained eye.
“Ah, Baek Joo-won bought it for me. Doesn’t it look good?”
“It’s beautiful. But it seems like that’s not the only thing you received from Baek Joo-won.”
Joo Seon-min smiled, noticing the ring on Seo Jae-yi’s left hand.
Seo Jae-yi, reminded of the ring, raised her hand. It had felt strange at first, as she had never worn a ring before, but it had quickly become… natural.
As if she had been wearing it forever.
“How did you know Baek Joo-won gave it to me?”
“You’re not… sentimental enough to prepare something like this.”
“That’s true.”
Seo Jae-yi nodded. Joo Seon-min knew her too well.
“Baek Joo-won is more thoughtful than me. It’s made of lava stone, so it won’t melt even if I use my ability. He had Won-yeong make it. Isn’t that amazing?”
“A lava stone ring? Not even combat equipment, but… a couple’s ring? That’s… a unique idea.”
“It’s a ring made just for me. I was so happy when I received it.”
Seo Jae-yi smiled, tracing the ring with her fingertip, her face radiant with happiness.
“So you have no more regrets?”
Joo Seon-min asked, watching her.
Seo Jae-yi, who had been thinking about Baek Joo-won, looked up at her question.
She smiled, a somewhat feral grin, unlike her previous joyful expression.
“None. Not a single one. There’s nothing left… no more… resentment.”
It was true. There was nothing left.
She had captured Park Jung-soo, the thorn in her side, and imprisoned him in the most secure prison in existence: Baek Joo-won’s dungeon.
Every time Park Jung-soo suffered under Baek Joo-won and Airok’s watchful eyes, she felt a sense of… release.
It was all thanks to Joo Seon-min and Kwon Gyu-yeon.
“I’m glad.”
Joo Seon-min didn’t mention Park Jung-soo.
Like Kwon Yi-soo, she would bury this secret, pretend she didn’t know anything.
Seo Jae-yi felt a surge of gratitude for their silent support, realizing how lucky she was to have them in her life.
“I’ve been through hell, but… it wasn’t all bad.”
Joo Seon-min tilted her head at her sudden words.
Seo Jae-yi took her hand and squeezed it.
“I met so many good people, like you, Unnie. People who helped me without asking for anything in return, who pushed me forward when I wanted to give up, who pulled me back when I was about to fall.”
Joo Seon-min’s eyes widened slightly.
“It wasn’t all suffering because of them. They helped me endure. Thanks to them, I can honestly say… I’ve lived a good life.”
“Jae-yi.”
“So thank you, Unnie. Thank you, and thank you to everyone.”
Seo Jae-yi wasn’t one to hide her feelings, but this was the first time she had been so… open, so vulnerable.
Joo Seon-min felt a strange warmth in her chest, an unfamiliar shyness.
As always, Seo Jae-yi’s gaze, fixed on her, was unwavering, her sincerity shining through.
“I’m blessed with good people in my life. Kim Joon-pil, Jang Woo-seok, and Park Jung-soo… they were just… flies, drawn to my light, envious of my good fortune.”
Joo Seon-min chuckled at her blunt analogy.
She was right. They were nothing but insects.
Insects drawn to Seo Jae-yi’s brilliance, envious and spiteful, trying to drag her down.
“You’re a blessing to me too, Jae-yi. Thanks to you, I can finally… live outside the dungeons.”
Joo Seon-min had been practically living in dungeons because the outside world was filled with people she despised – insects, as Seo Jae-yi called them.
They wouldn’t dare enter a dirty, dangerous dungeon, so she had always sought refuge within them.
But now, with the “insects” gone, the outside world was… tolerable.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. Though I’ll still be spending about 200 days a year in dungeons. They’re… fun.”
It was a significant improvement compared to her previous 350 days a year.
“Speaking of which, I’ll be entering a dungeon soon. I’m getting restless after all these months of rest.”
Joo Seon-min hadn’t entered a dungeon since Seo Jae-yi’s exposé. She had been monitoring the situation, gathering evidence of the government’s crimes, and helping Seo Jae-yi deal with Park Jung-soo.
The trials were still ongoing, but she could leave the rest to others; it was time for her to return to what she did best.
There were still many dungeons threatening people.
She wouldn’t rest until they were all gone.
“Let Won-yeong know if you need any equipment. She’ll be happy to make them for you.”
“Having Korea’s best equipment crafter on standby… that’s reassuring.”
Joo Seon-min extended her hand. Seo Jae-yi, though not used to such formalities, took her hand and shook it.
“Take care. Well, I don’t think you’ll be unwell, not with Baek Joo-won, but… you’ll need to be mentally strong to endure the remaining trials. Do your best to make sure those bastards serve their full sentences.”
“Don’t worry. It would be worse for them if they were released early.”
Joo Seon-min nodded, understanding her implied threat.
“I trust you. Then, Jae-yi, take care until we meet again.”
Joo Seon-min waved goodbye and left.
They would soon hear about her entering another dungeon.
Everyone was returning to their places, their roles.
And it was time for her to return to hers as well.
To Haeil Guild, her unwavering support, and to Baek Joo-won, her constant ally.
It was a good feeling, knowing she had a place to return to.