Chapter 513

Professor Cheon seemed extremely tired today and fell asleep in the driver’s seat as soon as we entered the self-driving zone.

We had to endure Dad’s snoring on the way back to our accommodation.

“It’s 9 PM, and the sun is still out.”

Yuna, looking out the window, pointed to the sky and said.

“It seems the sun doesn’t want to leave because it wants to see you longer.”

Shin Si Hoo, turning his head the other way, muttered in a tiny voice.

Even though it was something he said, his face turned completely red.

I managed to suppress the urge to gag and calmly continued the exorcism ritual.

“Paris is at latitude 48 degrees, so the days are longer in the summer.”

“Aha! By the way, what did you say earlier, Si Hoo?”

“Oh, it was nothing.”

It seemed that Yuna hadn’t caught it at all.

“Pfft, what were you thinking to say something like that?”

“Why? What is it?”

“Yuna! What did Si Hoo say?!”

“Don’t you dare tell, No Name!”

“Hmph, what can you do against me? Are you going to fight? Do you have the confidence?”

“…”

As he fidgeted, Shin Si Hoo instantly complied.

He should’ve done that much earlier.

I leaned in and whispered softly to Yuna.

“Ahh! Are you crazy? You should say that when it’s just the two of us! Hehehe.”

“What’s with that… I shouldn’t have told you.”

If I had known she’d be this happy, I would have just kept quiet.

Yuna suddenly laid on my lap and stretched her legs towards the window.

She was giggling over something interesting on SNS.

“What are you looking at?”

“I’m looking at Name’s Instagram. Wow, this post has over 5 million likes! Si Hoo, take a look.”

Yuna stretched her arm towards Si Hoo to show him the SNS post.

It was a photo taken at the stadium when we first faced Hiroki Naita.

“Our Name-chan looks so cute!”

“No, she looks like a gorilla.”

“Whoa, that’s too harsh. No matter how I look at it, she’s totally a fairy.”

“I hope you’re only saying that because you know a gorilla’s grip strength is 350 kg, Shin Si Hoo.”

I grabbed his thigh and squeezed firmly with my fingers.

“Ahhh! Sorry! It hurts! It hurts!”

The boy writhed like a fish out of water, complaining of pain.

The car body shook.

“Is a man going to be this weak?”

“Have you ever thought that you might be too strong?”

“No, not even once.”

“It’s okay; Si Hoo can be weak. I’ll become strong like Name and protect you.”

“Oh? Then should we test how well Yuna can endure?”

“Yikes, hold on! I’m a girl, so be gentle…”

“There’s no such thing in this world!”

*Whack!*

“Ahhh!”

“What are you going to do when you meet someone like me who doesn’t discriminate between men and women? The world isn’t that easy.”

Today’s act of jealousy returned as retribution.

“Cough, cough… Si Hoo, Name’s massage hurts so much…”

“Just endure. That’s the answer…”

As we neared the hotel, I received a message from Saetbyeol.

At the same time, messages from Semaaru and Seonoel started pouring in too.

“It seems there’s been some urgent situation?”

“Uh?”

I was scrolling through the messages with a serious expression when I suddenly felt deflated.

“Hah, were you all secretly dating?”

My friends blinked in surprise.

“No? I’ve told my mom since the day we started dating.”

Right, Yuna’s mother knew.

“I told my dad too…”

Si Hoo trailed off mid-sentence.

“Didn’t you tell your mom?”

“Uh…”

“Is it supposed to be a secret?”

“She said dating is absolutely forbidden.”

“Hmm, what now? Well, now she knows.”

[Saetbyeol: It seems Si Hoo’s mom is really angryㅠㅠ Shouldn’t we let Yuna and Si Hoo go in separately?]

[Saetbyeol: And she was asking why Shin Si Hoo isn’t picking up his phone.]

[No Name: He said his battery was almost dead and turned it off.]

[Saetbyeol: Oh no, you’re in for it later.]

When Shin Si Hoo turned on his phone, he saw that he had received 20 missed calls.

The boy’s face turned pale.

He looked like the world was about to collapse.

To adults, this was really nothing at all.

I patted his back and reassured him it would be fine.

“In this world, there’s no parent who can defeat their child. Just sincerely apologize for hiding it for so long, and tell her that you dated without any issues so far, and she might think it over. Okay?”

“But my mom isn’t someone who communicates well.”

“That depends on how you handle it from now on. Just avoid situations where you both get angry. It’d be good to discuss why your mother opposes the relationship and your fundamental reasons for wanting to continue it.”

“Yeah, yeah. We only held hands at most anyway!”

The girlfriend next to him cheered him on, assuming a fighting position.

“My mom would absolutely hate me holding hands with someone. If I’m not careful, I might really get hit with a golf club today.”

“A golf club? No way, is it really that bad? Even kindergarten kids hold hands while lining up, right?”

So his family must be overbearing.

Frustrated, I decided to ignore Saetbyeol’s advice.

“Let’s just all hold hands when we go in. That should be okay, right?”

Only then did determination return to Si Hoo’s eyes.

“Ugh. Name, how many minutes until the hotel?”

“Did Dad sleep well? Maybe about 2 or 3 minutes? We’re almost there.”

“Ah, sorry for not being able to take care of you because I’m so tired.”

“It’s okay. Thanks to you, we had a really fun trip. You should go to bed early today.”

I massaged Professor Cheon’s tense shoulders.

Shin Si Hoo watched us with envy.

We soon arrived in front of the hotel and stood in line as planned.

I held Yuna’s and Si Hoo’s hands with both of mine.

This formed a sort of safety net.

Since I still had a public image, they wouldn’t say anything directly to me.

Si Hoo could argue with his mother that it was okay to hold hands while also holding mine.

“It feels like we’re playing house! I’m the mom, Si Hoo is the dad, and Name is the daughter.”

“Don’t say stuff like that in front of our parents!”

“Heh, sorry, sorry. I’ll be quiet.”

Professor Cheon turned the car around and went back to the accommodation first.

We got off halfway at the 4th-floor restaurant.

At the entrance, Saetbyeol greeted us.

“What on earth are you doing?”

“We’re just going to go in like this.”

“Hey, that’s a big deal…! I think it’s better for just Si Hoo to go up first.”

“What kind of big deal is this? You’re all overreacting.”

As we entered the restaurant, it wasn’t hard to find a table already creating a tense atmosphere.

Forcing Shin Si Hoo, who was hesitating, I walked him over.

“Hello.”

“Hi, Name! Did you enjoy your trip?”

“Wow, you look tired! Your eyes are a bit red.”

Yuna’s mother and Si Hoo’s father welcomed us warmly.

“…”

Si Hoo’s mother remained silent.

She pushed her chair back and walked straight up to Si Hoo.

Oh, that’s really intimidating.

Si Hoo’s expression froze completely.

I mean, I never spit at someone smiling, but she should smile now.

I resolved to greet her cheerfully for my friend’s sake.

Is there anything I wouldn’t do for my friend? I’ll endure this.

“Hello, Si Hoo’s mom! I had such a fun day meeting my best friends again. Did you have a nice time with Dad today? I heard you visited the Galleries Lafayette department store—”

*Slap!*

Suddenly, she slapped her son.

“What kind of shameless child are you? Did I raise you like this? Lying to the parents who gave you birth and raised you?”

Shin Si Hoo’s head snapped back sharply.

The mark of her red hand perfectly printed on his fair skin.

“No…”

Si Hoo couldn’t say anything and hung his head low.

He trembled with his shoulders shaking in a standing position, unable to even touch his swollen cheeks.

“Si Hoo’s mom! No matter what your reasons are, you shouldn’t…”

“This is how we educate our family.”

She clearly drew the line, indicating not to interfere with her conversation with Yuna’s mother.

In this serious situation, what was the father doing?

He seemed to be signaling to his son to apologize quickly.

‘This is complicated.’

I left the fidgeting Yuna with Saetbyeol and stepped forward.

“I understand you’re angry, but let’s talk, ma’am. You’re not going to be apart from your child for life. While Shin Si Hoo made a mistake by lying, it’s essential to talk openly about whether your disagreement with their relationship is due to academics or concerns about behavioral issues. Otherwise, the parent-child bond won’t strengthen—”

“Why are you holding hands with Name, Shin Si Hoo? Let go and come with your mom. Expect a reckoning today.”

She deliberately ignored my words and put the pressure solely on him.

As Si Hoo tried to let go of my hand, I held on even tighter.

“Si Hoo’s hand is mine to hold. I won’t let go until misunderstandings are resolved.”

“No Name. There’s no one here who is misunderstood, only one who has done wrong. If a child has erred, it is the parents’ duty to discipline them. What right do you have to interfere between us? This is your last warning; let go of that hand.”

“I believe that as his best friend, I have the right to interfere a bit. This is my last warning to you as well.”

“Hah, what a busybody. Did you learn nothing from the incident at the Academy last year?”

“I learned that if you’re going to regret it either way, it’s better to try and regret it than not try at all. Oh wait. You’re a mage too, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

This is where my patience runs out.

Her fibular nerve on the outside of her shin came into view.

I twisted my left foot to the limit and kicked her calf with my back leg.

*Smack!*

A sudden calf kick that sliced through the air.

She didn’t even have time to react, spinning in mid-air.

It was quick, seeming ridiculously weak, yet it hurt immensely upon impact.

“Ahhh! Ugh…!”

“Honey!”

Soon, her desperate scream followed.

She had enough breath to scream; maybe I had been too gentle.

Everyone in the restaurant looked shocked.

“Si Hoo, I’ll take on the villain role.”

“You crazy girl, that’s my mom…!”

It seems that whether it’s about dating Seoyuna or my relationship with Si Hoo, ‘me’ has become an even greater problem for Si Hoo’s parents.

* * *

We confirmed that we were in a blind spot and there were no cameras recording.

While her calves would swell for a while, there would be no aftereffects, and she wouldn’t be in a position to report me either.

In short, it was a thoroughly calculated action that left no aftermath.

“What’s the problem?”

“Tell the truth… Is it because my mom held a grudge against you for trying to forcefully transfer me a while ago?”

“Hey, you…”

How can he catch on so quickly?

Si Hoo’s mother had been the representative of the parents at Seviron Academy, who had taken the lead in excluding me.

I heard that Principal Gu On Yu also suffered considerable stress because of her.

“I’m the type that believes in returning whatever I’ve received.”

Reading my gaze, Shin Si Hoo grabbed my collar and shook me back and forth.

“No Name!”

“Ugh. Ugh. Hmph, but you’ve been more forgiving about the dating issue. There are people like me out there; Yuna is perfect as a bride, right?”

“Nobody should hit someone else’s mom like that! And it’s not a good thing! How will you meet moving forward?”

“Wow, you’re already thinking about meeting other girls when you have a girlfriend? Even though you’re my friend, you’re sneakier than I thought.”

“Hah…”

Si Hoo let out a deep sigh.

“Then why didn’t you cut me off sooner? This is a bit worse than a petty complaint.”

“Well…”

“You see? Deep down, you probably felt relieved. Just because someone is an adult doesn’t mean they must be obeyed. Generally speaking, it’s better to follow, but at the very least, it should be someone reasonable you’re communicating with, right?”

“…”

“Talk to your mom and ask her to have a conversation. She can say whatever she likes about me there. Don’t just passively take hits; express your claims.”

“Can I really…?”

“Do you know? If kids like you don’t resolve things here, they rebel even harder and act out more later? I’ve seen such cases more than once.”

“Shush, you haven’t even seen, yet you act like you know—well, thanks anyway. No, I’m not grateful. But the calf kick was…”

“I understand. I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. Come on, don’t cry and let’s hurry. It’ll feel better if you ice it, so I’ll put some heating magic on it.”

I concluded my consultation with Shin Si Hoo.

I joined Saetbyeol, who was shivering outside the restaurant.

“Did you wait long? Oh, I can’t go in without you. Let’s hurry.”

“I was so scared…”

“It seems there are many parents like that in the world.”

“What are you talking about? I meant my sister.”

“Oh.”