Chapter 90

Aaaaaahhhhh…

Although it was still early afternoon, the sky, obscured by clouds, had darkened.

Fat raindrops began to fall, turning into a fierce downpour.

A villa deep in the mountains, far from the city, a place not easy to visit even with determination.

The usual sounds of many people living were so familiar, but their absence now made it unusually quiet.

The only sounds were the pitter-patter of raindrops tapping against the windows,

the soft hiss of gas being emitted from the burner,

and the gentle bubbling of water boiling in the pot.

Inside the dining room, where the heating had been deliberately kept low, there lingered a slightly cool atmosphere.

The burner at the center of the dining table cast a faint fire.

The slight warmth of the sake, subtly rising within, like a gentle heat.

Amidst this picturesque scene, reminiscent of a natural campfire, the most exquisite beauty of all was human.

A girl whose skin was almost translucent, thinly stretched, bearing vivid red hints of intoxication.

The way her smile danced drunkenly was so devout, so beautiful—it naturally evoked religious paintings from memory:

scenes like the Creation of Adam or The Last Supper.

Simultaneously, the thought surfaced—why not deface such great works with some graffiti out of spite?

Was it because the solemnity overwhelmed her, sparking a destructive impulse instead?

The lowly and vile human desire to damage something just because it’s perfect.

“Abandoning Magical Fight? You wretched traitors! This grudge will never be forgotten!”

…

Hmph.

If only she’d keep her mouth shut, everything would be perfect.

Without trying to understand the words, just hearing the sound was almost like the whisper of a fairy…

Impossible, right?

The nonsense she slurred dragged the mythical scenery back to reality.

“You were the first one to disappear, weren’t you?”

“I didn’t betray the Magical Fight. I couldn’t play anymore!”

“What happened? You were always fine even the night before the college entrance exam. What situation could you have been in that would stop you from gaming?”

“…”

A brief silence followed.

Even someone who wasn’t perceptive could tell that silence hinted at some unmentionable circumstance.

Still, Lee Jun couldn’t help but voice his concern anyway.

“Is it okay for you to drink?”

When his tone suddenly softened, Jeon Seol Ah grimaced as if repulsed.

“Ugh! Don’t act so sweet all of a sudden! It’s making me nauseous! Ugh!”

“Even among guys, we worry about each other to this degree. Haven’t you met any friends before?”

Though it was carelessly tossed out as a rhetorical remark, his statement unintentionally struck a nerve.

Critical hit, despite the seemingly offhand comment!

And the effect was excellent!

“Evil…man! Don’t attack with facts like that! Evil…man!”

Yet, her angry outburst didn’t seem genuinely angry.

If anything, looking closer, you could see her lips subtly tilted upward.

Even more closely, you’d notice her secretly smiling.

Yes, this was truly a rare social event.

A rare chance to enjoy drinks with friends.

Though not exactly adept at socializing in party atmospheres like extroverts, sharing drinks with close friends whose intimacy bordered on legendary was satisfying.

Even her exposed shoulders and collarbone bore traces of a deep red flush, likely drunk from the alcohol’s intoxicating magic.

Wait…

Aren’t the shoulders and collarbone something you’re not supposed to look at?

No, accurately speaking, those aren’t forbidden views.

But looking at them from this angle would classify as criminal behavior.

For someone tall like Lee Jun, he only had to glance down slightly…

Lee Jun hurriedly redirected his gaze to the ceiling.

The dining room ceiling featured mood lights, adjustable in three brightness settings.

Currently, a dim, moonlit ambiance perfect for a drinking session illuminated the room.

“Is there some kind of bug on the ceiling?”

“Yeah, something like a wasp.”

“What!?!”

Startled, Seol Ah frantically scanned the area, her expressions changing like an intricate platter of delicacies from a gourmet omakase.

Lee Jun, fully amused by her frightened reaction, finally clarified.

“There’s nothing. That was a joke.”

“Are you insane? You scared me!”

So, she’s afraid of bugs?

Like most girls?

That’s kind of fitting but strangely off.

Still, it was confusing.

The small girl in front of him was a notorious figure in the gaming world, a demon king spreading despair.

Her outside appearance just didn’t match.

He imagined going to a PC café with her.

If he sat next to her and asked something like, ‘Isn’t it more fun playing with me than doing this?’,

more realistically, it would probably go like this:

“Ah! So frustrating! Move aside! I’ll show you how it’s done!”

Musing to himself, Lee Jun chuckled, wiped his lips awkwardly, and averted his eyes.

“Uh, why is Victory so quiet all of a sudden?”

Lee Jun briefly checked on his friend.

Victory’s expression was incredibly serious,

as if he were taking some life-altering exam.

“Isn’t the universe so vast, and humans so small?”

Lee Jun, naturally, couldn’t decipher from just the facial expression how Victory’s thoughts had transitioned from pondering why he finds Jeon Seol Ah beautiful into deep cosmic insight.

Since he wasn’t a mind-reader.

Why had Victory’s thoughts gone that way?

Because he didn’t want to just space out staring at Seol Ah’s face, deciding that deeper contemplation was necessary.

Currently seated here, Victory felt more like a lone ascetic.

A seeker of truth.

Anyways, considering most people in the room were drunk,

the only person who was still relatively lucid was…

A chill crept up Lee Jun’s spine.

Seol Yun, who occasionally didn’t feel human but more like a strange entity—like a CCTV.

Though incredibly attractive, and the confidence was there that within three seconds of charm she’d fall for him, there was still an unsettling unease about her presence.

Lee Jun awkwardly smiled when their eyes accidentally met.

“I’m innocent. I was just staring at the ceiling.”

Seol Yun replied with a crescent-shaped smile though her mouth hadn’t budged, as if she was silently mocking him.

“People all have their own deficiencies and pain… The people I’ve met, they thought ‘Since you’re better off than I am, you don’t have the right to complain,’ and they kept competing in some sort of misery battle. The losers, the ones who couldn’t prove themselves to be more miserable, couldn’t even feign struggle.”

Fortunately, Seol Ah reopened the conversation, relieving Lee Jun of the peculiar tension.

“Hmm.”

This kind of person, though more extreme on the internet, hid in society everywhere.

Thinking of others’ pain as trivial and commenting carelessly.

People who believed their own pain was the world’s greatest tragedy.

“Where’d you meet such oddballs?”

“Just about everyone I’ve met over time.”

“Sounds like you don’t have much luck with people.”

“Maybe the people who didn’t like me because I thought they weren’t great, didn’t like me either.”

She looked like a little dog caught in the rain, seemingly so insecure that you couldn’t leave her alone.

At that moment, if it wasn’t through repeated inner reminders to refrain from acting solely on instinct,

he might’ve instinctively gone over and hugged her.

If it had been between two men, or two women, there would’ve been no hesitation in embracing her.

Because it was a man and woman, it would’ve led to misconceptions.

It was a lamentable situation.

“You’re just a misfit rock that doesn’t fit in.”

No, you’ve just been unlucky.

But uttering that kind of flippant comfort would’ve resulted in:

“What do you know about my life?”

With responses like that likely to come flying back.

Lee Jun remained silent, deciding to choose his words carefully.

“Just fragile enough to break upon collision is best.”

At last, Victory returned from his cosmic thoughts to the real world, speaking up.

“At that point, they deserve the title of my rival.”

Envious. That he can even mention rivals.

“Let’s not get lost in your own little world. Include me too. In the end, the one who’ll be laughing is me.”

Even without much confidence, Lee Jun bluffed with exaggerated boldness.

Thinking about it, this gathering.

Wasn’t it organized before becoming about camaraderie, due to tears shed by him?

There must have been something he needed to say.

“I’ll win this year. You’d better prepare yourself.”

First rank? Of course it’s good.

But professionally, tournaments come first.

“I’ll never let you win easily. Oh, and Seol Ah, aren’t you planning to go pro?”

Seizing the opportunity, Victory asked Seol Ah.

“That’s impossible. If I turn pro, every single person watching the matches will fall for me.”

Hmm. Convincing.

Since males are naturally susceptible to females who understand their hobbies.

And when those females not only understand but exceed them—ranking first in the world.

Imagine the spectacle of her carrying her team spectacularly in matches.

It would be too much like a cheat code.

That would be catastrophic.

“Apparently, if you hit first place, your broadcasting time will be doubled.”

Victory smirked.

“Will you be alright? It seems like your ‘double’ event will never end.”

Not even during teaser trailers of tournaments, and already the trash talking began.

“Actually, I’m shaking with fear because the almost pro-level ‘former legends’ are right behind me.”

“Are you ignoring the fish you’ve already caught? There’s not much difference in our scores, you and me. Always stay on guard.”

“Hmmph. Shall we toast?”

Unexpectedly, a toast.

And promptly, a chug.

It was clear—drinking with a friend after mostly drinking alone was incomparably better.

“I apologize, but due to the heavy rain, we might have to stay the night at the villa.”

Mr. Kim courteously informed Lee Jun and Victory with overly respectful language.

The mountain road being dangerous due to the excessive rain, staying overnight at the villa was advisable.

“And it’s not like we’re randomly stranded somewhere cut off like some island due to severed routes.”

Even so, this unexpected event?

Sharing the same roof with two super models-like sisters!?

Of course, nothing unusual would really happen.

This wasn’t some Otaku light novel.

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