Chapter 44

<Episode 45> The moment you compare your ex and current partner, the game’s already over.

Chul-soo has finally returned to the academy.

No matter what happens, it’s still a school you miss, right?

It feels nice to see everyone again after so long.

“Not like this school has many friends or anything.”

Still, it’s fine.

Because here, there’s the childhood friend I truly love,

And the buddy who helps me without backing down even when threatened.

This isn’t some fleeting friendship that breaks over petty squabbles.

A small number, but we share a quality connection.

The strong bond is something Chul-soo can proudly boast about.

“It’s been a while. Let’s catch up.”

I haven’t seen Young-hee in a while because of hospital stays and training.

I missed her face and voice so much it was hard to bear.

When I opened the classroom door, I immediately spotted Young-hee.

Even among dozens of students, she stood out effortlessly.

Young-hee is always special—and radiant.

“…Long time no see.”

As Chul-soo approached and greeted her, Young-hee quietly turned her head.

Her eyes seemed to have lost their color somehow.

Is this what they mean by “dead eyes”?

She barely moved her lips to reply.

“…Oh, yeah.”

In that instant, Chul-soo felt his body shiver.

He sensed a strange déjà vu from Young-hee’s reaction.

It wasn’t because she didn’t insult him as usual.

“Something… feels different?”

Young-hee usually pretended to hate him.

But it was all an act—just to fool Yu-jin Kim.

Now though, it feels like…

“Like she *really* hates me?”

Cold eyes, dry expression.

Above all, an icy atmosphere that could freeze hell itself.

This is how someone reacts when they genuinely despise another.

Even knowing it’s fake, it stung deep in his chest.

“What happened?”

Chul-soo tried to brush off the nagging question.

He believed he knew Young-hee better than anyone.

He was confident that her feelings for him wouldn’t change no matter what.

Probably just her acting skills improving while he was gone.

“It’s okay. Once I take down Yu-jin Kim, everything will be resolved. Until then, whatever she says won’t matter.”

Appearance doesn’t matter as long as our bond remains unchanged.

Their decade-long connection isn’t easily erased.

With that thought, Chul-soo turned his gaze elsewhere.

There sat the Class President, as ever.

“She hasn’t changed either.”

The president had a book open, pen in hand, staring into space with a vacant look.

Seemed like she was daydreaming about something.

“Class President?”

“Huh? Oh! C-Chul-soo!”

Startled, the president jumped slightly at the sound of her name.

She forced a nervous smile, clearly caught off guard.

“Oh, you’re back from the hospital. Congratulations!”

“Thanks. I really owe it to you for letting me rest comfortably.”

“Huh?? What do you mean?”

Though she acted confused, Chul-soo chuckled inwardly.

“Didn’t she know I’m aware of her anonymous support—hospital fees, sponsorships, top-tier equipment?”

But the Class President preferred to help anonymously.

Pointing it out would be tacky.

So Chul-soo shook his head with a grateful smile.

“Nah, nothing. Anyway, can you help me train again starting today?”

“Huh… Train? You just got discharged… shouldn’t you rest?”

“Nah, I’m fine. No need to worry.”

He’d already fought several battles outside recently.

Against opponents capable of matching active heroes.

If anything, now was the perfect timing to train.

“Besides, I don’t have time to rest.”

Even after getting stronger, he realized the gap between him and Yu-jin Kim was still immense.

Every second mattered to Chul-soo.

He needed to get stronger—to free Young-hee from Yu-jin Kim as soon as possible.

“If it’s okay with you, Class President, I’d appreciate your help.”

“Ah, well…”

The president hesitated, fidgeting nervously.

Her face showed guilt and regret.

“Sorry… It might be tough today. Can we start tomorrow instead?”

“Hmm, sure.”

“Yeah, I’m not fully prepared yet…”

“No, no! I’m sorry—I rushed you. My bad for not considering your schedule.”

“Haha…”

Chul-soo gave her a reassuring smile filled with trust.

But it only made the Class President feel more uneasy.

“Let’s wrap things up here.”

Later, during their usual empty-room training session, the Class President spoke up.

She wore her casual outfit—a white t-shirt showing her belly and black dolphin shorts.

It was what she changed into after sweating too much during sessions with Yu-jin Kim.

“Today will be our last training session.”

“Huh, okay.”

“Yeah, we agreed it’d end when you came back, right?”

That was her hard-won decision.

Of course, she felt a tiny bit of regret.

The sensation she experienced every time she helped circulate Yu-jin Kim’s magic power…

She’d never feel that anywhere else.

But that made it all the more dangerous.

If she wasn’t careful, she might become addicted to that feeling.

“I really need to break free before I get completely hooked.”

The Class President had been wrestling with doubts in her heart.

Yu-jin Kim was the villain here.

The kind who attacked her friends and drove them apart.

Was it right to make him stronger?

More importantly, was it okay to genuinely fall for someone like him?

These thoughts plagued her constantly.

“But seeing Chul-soo again helped me decide.”

Chul-soo’s return reminded her of her guilt.

The guilt of betraying a close friend and siding with the enemy.

Using that guilt as motivation, she resolved to cut ties with this addictive stimulation.

“Starting tomorrow, I’ll help Chul-soo again. So I have no reason or time to help you.”

“Hmph, noted.”

The Class President waited silently for what would come next.

Truthfully, she expected Yu-jin Kim to try stopping her.

To ask her to stay, offer money, or something.

She had counterarguments ready for all those scenarios.

But strangely…

Yu-jin Kim said nothing.

He just stretched casually as if it were any other day.

How could he stay so calm knowing she might never see him again?

After all, they hardly interacted outside these training sessions.

“Got nothing else to say to me?”

“Huh?”

His indifferent demeanor made her stomach boil.

She was going back to his rival, Chul-soo!

That meant the chances of seeing each other again were slim.

And he could respond so dryly?

“Did my training not help enough?”

“No, it was excellent.”

Right, of course.

The Class President nodded.

Yu-jin Kim possessed tremendous magical power, which circulated rapidly.

Helping stabilize it must’ve significantly contributed to his growth.

She could confidently claim he’d reached a new level of strength.

But even knowing that, shouldn’t he try keeping her around?

Finally losing patience, she bluntly asked:

“Are you sure it’s okay to let me go like this? To Chul-soo?”

“Well, what can I do? It’s your choice.”

Her shoulders trembled at his words.

Could he possibly know every thought and decision she’d wrestled with?

Had he just played dumb all along?

“No, he probably thinks forcing someone unwilling holds no meaning.”

The Class President wasn’t the type to bow to money or power.

If she were, she wouldn’t have joined forces with Yu-jin Kim in the first place.

Instead, he waited for her to choose him willingly.

Observed patiently as she grappled with her desires until she accepted them.

That was likely the way of Kim Yu-jin, successor of Hwagcheon.

“And since I didn’t choose him… I’m irrelevant to him now. Whether I go to Chul-soo or not makes no difference.”

It was exactly what she wanted.

If he’d resorted to threats or coercion, things would’ve been far more complicated.

So why did she feel this lingering sadness deep inside?

Why was she upset that he didn’t try holding onto her?

“Alright, let’s begin.”

“Okay.”

—

She placed her hands on his back, connecting the flow.

For some reason, she couldn’t concentrate today.

“Why do I feel so bad?”

It was like watching a neighborhood dog you’d grown fond of suddenly running off to someone else.

Honestly, it pissed her off.

She’d given her best during his training.

He grew stronger thanks to her efforts.

Yet he could remain so eerily calm, devoid of any attachment?

“Geez, this is annoying.”

Even though this was her chosen path.

She’d wanted this all along.

Still, she couldn’t suppress the dark emotions bubbling up within.

“Anyway, thanks for everything.”

“Mm-hmm.”

With that awkward feeling, their final training session ended.

She headed to the shower room as usual, changing clothes afterward.

The sweat-soaked garments were stuffed into a plastic bag inside her backpack.

She probably wouldn’t need to bring these anymore.

Chul-soo’s magical power wasn’t nearly as stimulating as Yu-jin Kim’s.

“…No, I made the right choice.”

She tried calming herself as she left the shower room.

Maybe it was because her mind was restless.

The Class President failed to notice the shadowy figures trailing behind her.

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