Chapter 219: Cute Revenge (4)
In a day, everything had changed. It might be a bit cliché, but I couldn’t think of any other words that could explain the situation right now.
The attention and gazes of people were uncomfortable, but I got used to it after some time.
Of course, I wasn’t enjoying their envious expression. I knew better than anyone else that this was just acting anyway, and I didn’t value it much.
What I was interested in was the effect of the reactions of people around me on Kim Ki-cheol.
‘That mean bastard…’
No matter how I try, the thought of him annoyed me. The disgusting scenes and voices I had witnessed kept coming back, and it was hard to bear. Just by imagining it, my eyes got teary, and tears threatened to pour out of me.
‘So annoying.’
I didn’t like the fact that I had to feel this way because of him. If I hadn’t pulled through with this plan, I would’ve been holed up in my room, crying. At first, I wondered how helpful making this kind of plan with Instructor Lee Kiyoung would be, but it certainly helped.
At least, the frustration in my chest was released, and that was enough to make put me in a good mood. This wasn’t an emotion that I couldn’t express, but what is important is that it relieved the frustration.
As I headed towards my room, a familiar voice called out to me.
“Ahyoung.”
“What?”
“What? I came because I wanted to see you.”
It was Kim Ki-cheol.
At first glance, he seemed relaxed, but his anxiety was evident. For a moment, tears threatened to come out.
However, I felt at ease for some reason, probably because I could read the anxiety contained in his expression.
“Aren’t you not supposed to be out at this time? I know that the trainees are not allowed to leave the accommodation after midnight.”
“It’s the same for you, too.”
“Don’t you know well that the situation is different between you and me? I was given the right to go out, and you came out without permission.”
“To be precise, it is not without permission. I had something to do, too.”
“Do what? Did you get an offer from a clan?”
“Well. It’s something similar.”
“Where?”
“It was a medium-sized guild. It’s not in Lindel, but a guild in the Castle Rock area, I don’t know if you know, but it’s called Giant Guild.”
I had heard of it. It was a guild that became successful after making an impressive performance in the Siege of Castle Rock. Originally, a guild called Little Rock had been the leading guild before them.
‘Didn’t he say that a person named Song Jungwook came up after giving his life for Castle Rock?’
I didn’t remember well, but from what I heard from Instructor Lee Kiyoung, this appeared to be the case. Though the Giant Guild was not in Lindel, it was still said to be one of the guilds that most trainees were aiming for.
Recently, the joining cut had also increased considerably, so if one were to think objectively, it was a guild that one could not get in easily, but Kim Ki-cheol’s performance seemed to make the cut.
Little by little, I began to feel frustrated, though I couldn’t figure out why.
Eventually, however, I began to realize that the reason why was because I didn’t want Kim Ki-cheol to be doing good.
‘So annoying…’
In the end, I couldn’t help myself from speaking harshly.
“It’s not a place where you can go to, considering your grades.”
I regretted my words at once, but I gradually felt better when I saw Kim Ki-cheol’s slightly distorted expression.
‘Ah…’
“With your grades, shouldn’t you be looking for a clan and not a guild?”
I knew I wasn’t supposed to say this, but my mouth, moving as if possessed by something, didn’t seem to want to stop.
“If you’re going without a down payment or an annual salary, you’d better quit, Oppa. I heard it from Instructor Lee Kiyoung. In that case, you will likely be used for things like transporting the corpses of monsters, not for an official guild member.”
“You…”
“I’m saying all of this for your own good. How much are the annual salary and down payment?”
“It’s pretty good.”
“Really?”
“Yes. When I told them I was going with Ahyoung…”
“I never agreed. Why’d you do that?”
I was so angered that I couldn’t even speak properly. I knew something about this was fishy, but I never imagined it would come out this way.
“You… Are you really going to Blue?”
“What about it? Kiyoung said he would treat both my down payment and annual salary as the best. Blue’s welfare issues are also higher than other large guilds.”
“When I asked to go in together…”
“I never said that I would go in together with you. Only you thought that way.”
“Don’t you know that the rumors about them are not very good, especially Lee Kiyoung?”
“What about the instructor? Wasn’t it Oppa who said that it would be good for me to get close to Instructor Lee Kiyoung in the first place? Oppa told me to do that. And he doesn’t look like a bad person. He is a much better person than you think.”
“I heard something, too… His relationship with women is also complicated… It’s what they say—a dawdler in one thing is a dawdler in all. The power gained by Instructor Lee Kiyoung… Do you think it could have been made in the right way? Do you think he is only an alchemist?”
I had no choice but to hold back so as not to say, ‘You’re just as complex as him.’
“This is not even Earth. Why is that a fault? Rather, it’s nice that he’s confident. It’s not that he does it secretly. It’s a story that everyone knows… Most people with ability do that, too.”
“So… You mean that looks good?”
“It doesn’t look good, but it’s not bad, either. That person… He is capable enough, so I think he can do that.”
“Don’t think that Instructor Lee Kiyoung’s interest in you is real, Ahyoung. You think you know his world because he’s so kind to you, but you don’t know it well… All that…”
“Is it important whether his interest is real or not? How much do you think that all of the clothes I’m wearing are? Even if you work your whole life, you won’t be able to buy anything I’m wearing. I thought it was just common, but this ring… It costs 20,000 gold.”
Kim Ki-cheol’s expression changed into something I knew very well.
‘Inferiority.’
“Did you… sleep… with him…”
“Well, they say that it takes one to know one… Do you think I sold my body?”
“Speak straightly. Yoo Ahyoung, you…”
“What if I did?”
Once again, his face wrinkled. My body had begun to tremble. I knew I shouldn’t do this, but it felt so addictive that I couldn’t stop.
“You!”
“It’s not just money and power that’s great about him.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t even compare him with someone like you in any way. Do I have to say it? It was the first time I thought I was happy to be born a woman.”
“Yoo Ahyoung!”
Kim Ki-cheol’s expression had begun to worsen. At this, Instructor Lee Kiyoung’s words came to mind.
‘Men foam at their mouth when the woman they thought they owned gets taken away by another man.’
When I first heard that, I didn’t know what exactly he was talking about, but now I could see what Instructor Lee Kiyoung, just by seeing Kim Ki-cheol.
Not only did I feel the tingling sensation behind my back, but I felt as if the frustration in my chest had exploded, all at once.
‘I feel good.’
Just seeing him feel so inferior was enough to make me feel better.
‘Can I end it like this?’
Normally, I wouldn’t have done it. However, I wanted to see this man suffer a little longer, and I wanted to see it for a long, long time.
I wanted to make him feel pain, over and over again. However…
‘I was also in pain.’
My heart seemed to be torn.
‘But I shouldn’t be the only one who suffers. He should also know how it feels to be betrayed.’
Once again, Instructor Lee KiYoung’s voice resonated in my head.
He might have said it without meaning, but for some reason, his words lingered in my head.
‘The best way is to exact revenge until you feel relieved. People who say they feel guilty or say it’s meaningless are people who have never properly taken revenge. If you do it correctly, it’ll feel so good that your heart will burst.’
I was definitely on a high right now. I wanted more.
“I said it because I was angry. I’ve never really done that.”
“You…”
For a moment, I could see an expression of relief on Ki-cheol’s face.
“…”
“…”
“Ahyoung.”
“What?”
“Do you know you’ve been weird these days?”
“…”
“Is that because I made you disappointed? Is it because I asked you to take some time away?”
“I don’t know…”
“It was all for you. I believed in the potential you had and thought that I might be blocking your way. However, looking at you now, it sure seems that I have been very negligent these days.”
Bullsh*t. Of course, I knew he was lying.
“I’m sorry, Ahyoung.”
“…”
However, I couldn’t hold back a smile.
“I don’t want to see your face now.”
“I’m sorry. Really… Still, I hope you at least know this. I love you.”
“I’ll be going now.”
“Ahyoung! Yoo Ahyoung!”
“And…”
“I will accept the apology, Oppa. Tomorrow… Let’s have a meal.”
At this, Kim Ki-cheol began to smile once more.
Once again, that familiar, thrilling feeling coursed through my spine.
* * *
As I was sitting on a sofa in Cha Hee-ra’s room and browsing the documents, Cha Hee-ra herself spoke to me.
“You still haven’t picked up the backline? Honey?”
“Yes. I have to make a second party… There are no kids that seem useful. I was going to pick up a freshman, but I guess I have to turn this into a job position.”
“Perhaps there will be a few wizards from the Magic Guild once their contract expires. I’m also trying to bring some people from there, but you should look out as well.”
“Rather than that, I want to grow them from the beginning, without any impurities.”
“Ah. I like that. So, that’s why you’re recruiting newcomers…”
Certainly, the job position was fine, but as two more new recruits grow together, I wanted to bring a new backliner as well.
It would be hard to bring in someone I personally liked this time around.
Since I understood that wizards had to have an understanding of magic, talent, and determination to work hard, I knew that fine wizards weren’t commonly found.
I would have accepted them if they were half of what Jung Hayan was.
“Phew…”
“You seem to be having fun joking like that even while you’re busy.”
“It’s kind of fun.”
“Well, that’s up to you… You told Hayan about Yoo Ahyoung, right?”
“Ah… Yes. Not much. Hayan is in Lindel now. I think it’s fine. Are you okay with that?”
“I always liked this kind of thing. It feels refreshing. There aren’t many things to enjoy here… I’m too successful to be treated like such a princess, so I can’t feel that kind of catharsis, right? It’s about being satisfied for others.”
“Why, do you want to be treated like a princess?”
“You’re walking all over me these days. Huh?”
I stopped smiling, guilt sparking up from within me. I knew Cha Hee-ra still had a scary aspect to her.
‘Because I saw that form…’
Her with red eyes, drooling and approaching me like a crazy bitch was still clear in my head, so it would be natural for me to show such a reaction.
“You just imagined about that day, right?”
“No… Hee-ra.”
“I know just by looking at your face. Didn’t I tell you to forget about that?”
“It’s not something I can forget just because you tell me to do so.”
I was just making excuses at this point.
The door opened, and the guild staff informed us of the new report.
The thought of being able to see Tol To-ri after some time made me feel better.
“Lee Kiyoung-nim. Er… A guest has come.”
“Please guide him to my room. Please tell him that I’ll be meeting him in a little while.”
“Uh… The door is too narrow for him to be able to enter…”
“Yes?”
“That… Excuse me, but I think you’ll have to go outside and check it yourself.”
“What? No need to… Isn’t Dialugia with him? I don’t understand what you’re talking about right now…”
“Kie-e-e-e-e-eeeeee-ee-eeeek!”
This voice was different from usual. As I headed to the window and looked down, an unfamiliar creature came into view.
‘Tol To-ri?’
It was like a large dog… no, it was a beast. My eyes widened.
‘Tol to-ri… How did you grow up this much?’