Chapter 21

〈Episode 22〉 Yo, you not into fiery dragons or anything?

Soo-hyun’s “Jung-jeonbyeong” antics have a surprisingly serious edge to them.

“Hmm… the more you listen, the more it feels like there’s some kind of magical charm pulling you in, ya know?”

Probably because she overlays her delusions onto reality, making it sound all believable and stuff.

Anyway, if you listen to her, we need to save this world right now.

And we gotta fight hard to restore the original story of this 19+ NTR adult game.

“Not that I get what any of this has to do with saving the world…”

Sure, it was an impressive summary even our Korean teacher would applaud…

But man, the content is just so tragically messed up.

The world of Jung-jeonbyeong sure is deep.

Soo-hyun continued explaining with utmost seriousness.

“The biggest problem right now is that Chul-soo hasn’t come to school. We don’t know why. Maybe something happened?”

Yeah, uh… about that… It was kinda my fault for accidentally getting him arrested as a date rapist, which gave him some serious trauma.

But I couldn’t exactly say that.

You see, when it comes to admitting your mistakes, us socially awkward types tend to become even *more* awkward.

Especially since in her mind, Chul-soo and her are super close friends.

If I told her the truth, her whole delusional world would crumble from the ground up.

A Jung-jeonbyeong friend’s dream is fragile… You gotta be gentle with it…

“Because of that, Chul-soo couldn’t handle his duties.”

“Duties?”

“Didn’t I say this world is a game? And not only Black Heaven (Hwagcheon), but there are countless evil organizations plotting mischief.”

Whoa, now we’ve got evil organizations showing up.

What’s your name again? Rocket Squad?

They’re impossible to find these days at convenience stores, huh?

“With Chul-soo gone, the only ones who can stop them are us!”

Apparently, in Soo-hyun’s imagination, Chul-soo is like the righteous warrior protecting the school.

But since the warrior isn’t here, guess who steps up?

Come on, buddy! The fate of the world is in our hands! That kind of vibe.

I mean, I’m down with Power Rangers, but I’d rather not put on spandex and save the planet, y’know?

“But hey, this could pass the time nicely.”

Not like there’s much else to do at school anyway.

It’s fine to humor a friend’s hobby every now and then.

“So, what are these guys about?”

“There’s this kid in our class named Min-soo. Turns out he’s actually a demon infiltrating the school.”

“…Oh, really?”

Demon, huh?

Is that different from a devil?

Well, if we’re living in a world with monsters, I suppose demons could exist too…

Still, I decided to keep quiet. Digging deeper would probably just exhaust me.

But Soo-hyun seems to interpret my silence differently.

“Did you already know?”

“Nah, nothing like that…”

How could I? This is all part of your delusion, after all.

But this girl—whose mind seems stuck somewhere between a flower field and hell—just nodded confidently.

“This wasn’t mentioned in the game, but I guess you already knew. Truly worthy of being Black Heaven’s successor.”

Man, her immersion is on another level.

Doesn’t knowing something the game doesn’t cover just make it easier to process in her world?

What a convenient brain structure she has. Kinda envy-worthy, even.

“So, this should be simple. We’ll take care of this demon in Chul-soo’s place.”

Why?

Do we just straight-up kill Min-soo?

No chance for a friendship route?

‘Guess it’s fine since he’s not the main character like Chul-soo or me.’

Is this kid really doomed just because he’s a demon?

What a sad society that would be.

Wish people cared more about their classmates.

“A storm is coming. What’s his plan?”

I played along, throwing out a question that fits the Jung-jeonbyeong vibe.

Soo-hyun smiled approvingly and nodded.

“He plans to absorb the soul of the school to strengthen himself. In the original story, they failed to stop him, but we can prevent it before things escalate.”

“Hmm…”

So apparently, Min-soo is truly the bad guy in this setup.

If he’s messing with the souls of classmates, killing him might be unavoidable.

Or… am I wrong? Though, it’s not like we’d actually kill anyone, so it doesn’t matter much.

“Of course, I won’t act without evidence.”

“Then what?”

“If my knowledge is correct, his plan is approaching. If we catch him in the act, he won’t be able to make any excuses. Timing is key.”

Sure, that’d be ideal.

But realistically, how likely is it that an ordinary classmate like Min-soo would pull off something like that?

So… we’re supposed to wait around for something that probably won’t happen?

Though Soo-hyun seems thoroughly convinced Min-soo is some grand dark sorcerer.

“I’ll let you know the exact date and time later. And please don’t tell anyone else about meeting me.”

“Why?”

“We don’t know what butterfly effects might occur. Honestly, even meeting you is risky, but given the situation…”

So, according to this setup, we can’t talk unless we’re alone.

Kinda makes us sound like those loners who hang out after school but pretend to ignore each other in front of classmates.

Don’t ask why the examples are so specific—it just makes me sad.

“Alright, I’ll be going now. Take care.”

“Yeah.”

Yu-jin watched Soo-hyun’s retreating back silently.

“At least she doesn’t seem like a bad kid.”

Sure, her delusions run deep, but isn’t that something most kids go through at her age?

Besides, Soo-hyun takes her setup seriously.

Since we’re friends now, might as well make it a memorable one.

Unlike Chul-soo, I don’t wanna end up regretting anything.

With that thought, Yu-jin made a silent resolution.

****

Yu-jin then went to find Min-soo.

Min-soo visibly tensed up at Yu-jin’s sudden summons, trembling slightly.

“Damn it, how did the heir of Black Heaven find out about me?”

His grand plan was nearing completion.

Absorb the souls of Academy students to gain immense power!

He had full support from the organization and was operating covertly.

But now, at this crucial moment, he’s caught the attention of the heir of Black Heaven.

“Y-you called for me?”

“Yeah, no need to stress. It’s not that serious.”

Despite saying that, Yu-jin’s face looked pretty serious.

Min-soo swallowed hard.

Did he discover my plan? But how?

I’m confident I didn’t leave any evidence behind…

“Are you interested in playing the role of a demon?”

Min-soo’s heart sank.

Caught!

This guy must’ve figured out everything about me.

At this point, asking “how” is irrelevant.

He’s the heir of Black Heaven.

My plans, my organization—they’re meaningless now.

This person has the resources and power to crush me instantly.

Messing with him would be suicidal.

“But why approach me like this?”

If this were the Black Heaven I know, they’d already have crushed my head ten times over by now.

There must be a reason he’s speaking to me like this.

“First, I need to understand your intentions.”

“Ah…”

Yu-jin scratched his cheek, pretending to think deeply.

…

“This is actually a story from my friend. Or… is she really my friend? Anyway, it’s all based on her delusions. Got it? This is all fiction.”

Min-soo swallowed again.

By emphasizing it’s a “delusion,” he’s basically saying, “This is all true, but in your mind, it needs to stay a delusion.”

Otherwise, I might end up fish food in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

He nodded vigorously up and down.

“My friend wants you to play the role of a demon. Specifically, someone who absorbs the souls of students.”

Has he uncovered everything?!

Min-soo felt chills running down his spine.

“Our organization viewed Black Heaven as merely a caution-level threat.”

Underestimating Black Heaven was clearly a mistake.

From what I can tell, they’ve already gathered enough evidence.

If they reported this, the entire organization would vanish.

“And I’ll play the role of the righteous knight stopping you. That’s all. Plus, I’d like to be friends with you too. Do you understand?”

Min-soo bit his lip and nodded slowly.

“So, he’s offering me protection if I join his side?”

The organization’s darkness runs deep.

But against Black Heaven, things are different.

If they’ve exposed my weakness, joining them might be the best way to preserve the organization itself.

“Of course, this proposal is carefully calculated.”

Truly worthy of being Black Heaven’s heir.

Insightful information gathering, overwhelming strength, and absolute authority that commands respect.

If they absorb my organization, it’ll solidify their influence even further.

“They’ve approached us at the perfect stage where they’ve gathered all the necessary intel and secured their advantage.”

Clearly skilled in strategy.

If this is their heir, Black Heaven’s future looks bright indeed.

“Joining them might not be such a bad idea after all.”

After quickly calculating everything, Min-soo spoke up.

“I see. I understand my role.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, sir. To cooperate with the plan set by Mr. Yu-jin?”

“It wasn’t my plan, but sure, let’s go with that.”

“Understood. If I follow through, does that guarantee my safety?”

“Never had any intention of messing with you in the first place.”

Yu-jin chuckled nervously at the sheer audacity.

True, someone in Yu-jin’s position wouldn’t need to dirty their own hands.

“I get it. I accept your proposal.”

“Awesome, thanks man. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to repay you properly later.”

Min-soo sighed in relief internally.

Sure, the original plan failed, but avoiding an enemy like this is definitely worth it.

The next day, the homeroom teacher announced that Min-soo had suddenly transferred schools.

Yu-jin sighed in disappointment.

“Man… I finally worked up the courage to convince him…”

I mean, I was just trying to find someone willing to play along with Soo-hyun’s Jung-jeonbyeong delusions.

Maybe something came up at home? Guess there’s nothing we can do.

Yu-jin thought about telling Soo-hyun the news, feeling a little melancholy.

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