Chapter 53

<Episode 54> I Hate Chul-soo

“That girl Young-hee seems to be after you.”

Rime repeated her words as if she were exasperated.

But Yu-jin still looked utterly confused, only blinking his eyes.

He finally spoke after quite some time had passed.

“Young-hee’s after me? Is this my big moment finally here?”

“No, what the heck are you saying?! She’s trying to mess with you!”

Ah~ I thought for a second there…

I almost misunderstood things again, didn’t I?

Yeah, someone like Young-hee liking someone like me? No way that’d ever happen.

“But if Young-hee is messing with me…is this my big moment finally here?”

“Are you seriously this dumb? Huff… Actually, earlier when you ate that fruit, it had something weird on it.”

“Drugs?”

“!”

“…”

“……”

What does that even mean?

Putting drugs on fruit, what’s the point of that?

Does it mean I should eat more vitamins to get healthier?

“Like that would work! What makes you so special that Young-hee would bother making health tonic just for you?!”

“Why? We’re friends…”

Ugh, I’m about to die from frustration!!

Rime pounded her chest like she’d swallowed 100 sweet potatoes and got stuck halfway.

Why do I always have to deal with these awkward situations while everyone else gets romance and drama?!

That writer brat better watch out!

“So yeah, it wasn’t life-threatening or anything. But if a normal person ate it, they probably would’ve gotten food poisoning and had a nasty stomachache.”

“I ate it and felt fine though?”

“Well, I neutralized it right away.”

It was poison potent enough to affect even a hero.

No idea how Young-hee got her hands on it or how she managed to bring it in…

But there’s no doubt it could’ve been lethal to an ordinary person.

“Hmm…

“And that’s not all. Earlier during the battle, she subtly swung her whip towards you. If Chul-soo hadn’t dodged, you would’ve taken the hit instead.”

“Was that just a coincidence?”

“Nope. That was definitely a hostile attack.”

Yu-jin crossed his arms and fell silent in thought.

Honestly, we don’t have enough evidence to make any solid judgments yet.

But Rime isn’t one to spread baseless rumors either.

She must have some suspicious circumstances in mind to say all this.

“Of course, it’s not serious enough to be fatal or anything. At worst, it might be considered childish pranks. But during monster battles, that’s a different story, right?”

Even minor mistakes can decide victory or defeat in combat.

Especially against boss-level threats like the ‘Two-Headed Serpent,’ even someone as strong as Yu-jin can’t afford to let their guard down.

While it might not be enough to kill, causing some injuries is certainly possible.

If you think about it that way, it’s not something to take lightly.

“Hmm, I kind of understand what you’re saying, Rime.”

After pondering for a bit, Yu-jin opened his eyes.

His face still showed uncertainty.

“Why would Young-hee want to mess with me? There’s no reason for her to do that.”

“…”

For Yu-jin, this was the most fundamental question.

If Young-hee were a rival student, he could understand.

Lowering an opponent’s condition improves your own ranking.

But Young-hee and him are on the same team.

If he got hurt, it would only harm their score.

Most importantly, aren’t he and Young-hee supposed to be friends?

There’s no way a friend would do such a thing to him.

Though from Rime’s perspective, who has been objectively observing all situations, this was a difficult question to answer.

“Ahhh, damn it. How am I supposed to tell this naive kid that all your so-called friends actually hate you?”

Wouldn’t it be devastating for him to learn that?

Maybe he’d be shocked beyond recovery?

Rime knew well what school life meant to Yu-jin.

To him, friends are the goal of his current existence.

Even if it’s bound to shatter eventually, she still wants to preserve that illusion for now.

She absolutely refuses to be the one to break it herself.

She doesn’t have the courage to see the sadness in his face.

And anyway, it’s not like he’s being manipulated by some villain with mental powers or anything.”

“Would someone really go through all this trouble just to mess with me?”

“Or maybe she’s being bullied by other students.”

“Uh…uh…”

At that, Yu-jin nodded.

Indeed, nothing else comes to mind.

‘That sweet Young-hee would resort to doing something like that?’

Students ruining exams out of fear of bullying—it’s a surprisingly common story.

Besides, for other students, this is a great opportunity to lower 蝎조’s grades.

Given that everyone expects the elite-only 蝎조 to score high…

“Tch, calling it an academy for heroes, but look at this. Behind closed doors, they’re still pulling stunts over grades. So dirty, so disgusting.”

“…Eh, guess so.”

“Come to think of it, Young-hee seemed unusually weak earlier. Maybe she’s been dealing with these worries?”

“Yeah…probably.”

Rime thought Yu-jin was seriously misunderstanding something, but she kept quiet.

Well, ignorance is bliss, right?

Anyway, if Yu-jin starts keeping an eye on Young-hee, mission accomplished.

He’ll be cautious too.

With Yu-jin’s capabilities, just being aware should be enough to avoid most dangers.

And it’s not like this situation is life-threatening for him right now.

‘Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be careful.’

Honestly, Yu-jin is far too innocent in many ways.

Giving him this level of caution feels necessary for peace of mind.

“Or maybe I should just ask Young-hee directly? Like, ‘Is anyone bullying you?’ And maybe Chul-soo and I can help protect her?”

At that suggestion, Rime nearly jumped out of her skin.

What?! Are you crazy?!

Who asks someone if they’re being bullied?! And what “help” are you talking about?!

“T-That might not be such a good idea! From Young-hee’s perspective, getting asked something like that out of nowhere would be pretty stressful. As a friend, it’s better to wait for her to open up first!”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Rime breathed a sigh of relief internally.

Being accused of bullying by someone who’s secretly bullying both her AND her beloved boyfriend?

How awkward would that be for Young-hee?

Even cold-hearted Rime couldn’t condone that.

“Ugh, why do I have to deal with this crap…”

Anyway, that settles it.

This way, Yu-jin will probably start paying a bit more attention to Young-hee.

And who knows?

Maybe Yu-jin looking out for Young-hee will actually improve her mood.

‘The real issue is…who made Young-hee act like this?’

To Rime, Young-hee seems like the obedient type.

Someone like her suddenly targeting Yu-jin out of her own volition?

The chances of that are extremely low.

She would have had plenty of opportunities before now.

There must have been some external influence or instigation.

Someone else put ideas into Young-hee’s head.

That was Rime’s conclusion.

‘Well, there’s no way to figure that out right now.’

First priority is finishing the exam and getting off this island.

With that thought, Rime hoped the next few days would pass without incident…

Young-hee found herself thrown into a dark void.

Completely stripped down to her underwear, she trembled exposed to the cold air.

Though no wind blew, she could feel the chill.

Her body shook—not just from the cold.

But from the terror of what was to come.

“I don’t want this anymore…”

Young-hee hugged her knees, curling into a ball.

It did little to conceal her fragile form.

As expected, the voice came again.

“Hate.”

At the sound from somewhere unknown, Young-hee’s shoulders quivered.

Her headache returned, feeling like her skull would crack.

The voice pierced through her ears, seeping into her brain.

A sensation that dominated her emotions, caring nothing for her own feelings.

The more she resisted, the more the pain spread.

Trapped with no escape, Young-hee was left completely vulnerable to the agony.

“Hate. You hate Chul-soo so much, don’t you?”

“No! It’s not true!”

“You despise Chul-soo so much you can’t stand it, right? Isn’t that correct?”

“No! Chul-soo is my childhood friend! He’s someone very precious to me!”

Covering her ears with both hands, Young-hee collapsed face-down.

But even that wasn’t allowed.

Chains burst forth from the darkness, binding her limbs.

Now completely immobilized, Young-hee had no choice but to endure the voice.

“Hate him, don’t you? You hate how Kim Yu-jin acts all friendly with Chul-soo, right?”

“No…it’s not true! I did all that for Chul-soo! I never expected anything in return!”

“But then what happened? Didn’t Kim Yu-jin just start paying attention to the class president today? He’s already moved on to another girl, hasn’t he? Isn’t that betrayal?”

“Th-that…”

As if sensing a crack in her resolve…

A shadow emerged from the darkness.

In his hand, Dr. Jekyll held a black coin tied with string.

Seeing him, Young-hee began trembling even more violently than before.

“No! Please stop!”

Useless.

All her willpower seemed drained away, unable even to close her eyes.

Dr. Jekyll began gently swinging the coin before her eyes.

“Young-hee, don’t you hate Kim Chul-soo?”

“No…no I don’t…”

His voice was so sweet, so enticing.

Accept it, and this pain will disappear.

The cold will vanish, warmth will return.

Young-hee knew this from experience.

“No, you hate Kim Chul-soo.”

“Mm…”

“Isn’t it hateful how he’s abandoned you for the class president?”

At first, she resisted.

Denied it repeatedly.

But after dozens of repetitions…

Young-hee’s will was wearing thin.

“Let me ask you again—do you hate Chul-soo?”

“Yes…I hate him.”

Young-hee mumbled, bowing her head deeply.

Ah, there’s no stopping it.

No way to resist that voice penetrating her heart.

No matter how hard she tries, resistance is impossible.

“You hate Chul-soo.”

“Yes…”

“You’re going to hurt him somehow.”

“…Yes.”

“So, how do you feel about Chul-soo?”

“I…”

Young-hee realized unconsciously.

If she answers here, there’s no going back.

Her own heart will shatter, replaced by someone else’s desires.

Somehow, she has to endure this.

“No.”

Clearly. Yet—

As if negating her strong will,

Her mouth moved on its own.

What does she think of Chul-soo?

“I hate Chul-soo.”

Suddenly regaining awareness.

The first person Young-hee saw was Yu-jin.

“Y-young-hee?”

For a moment, Young-hee didn’t understand why she was standing.

The memory of the dream disappeared the instant she opened her eyes.

It was like sleepwalking—she’d just suddenly gotten up.

Which made Yu-jin’s surprised expression even more perplexing.

“What are you doing?”

At that question, Young-hee slowly lowered her head.

In her hand, she held a kitchen knife, poised as if to stab someone.

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