Chapter 75. Short Break (1) (1/2)
A huge forest was built on the outskirts of Clancy Islet. This forest served to protect the island from crashes without exterior damage to the island, so all the trees in the forest had strong and large trunks.
I picked a random tree to lean against.
“Auu….”
My heart, which stopped momentarily, trembled greatly and began to beat again.
Holding my thumping chest, I recalled what just happened… then stopped. I went back to focusing on the present. For the sake of my sanity, it was better to forget about what happened.
I looked around the dark forest. The overturned sedan that the Djinn rode was stuck in a ditch, and my bike was lying a little distance away.
The bike was fine. It had a 40% consolidation on top of being reinforced with Aether, so there was no way it could have been destroyed.
I slowly walked up and raised the bike. For some reason, I wanted to take it back with me. Was there a way I could?
While I was having a slightly illegal thought, I suddenly felt someone’s gaze.
“….”
Rachel was staring at me while sitting like a mermaid. Because Cheok Jungyeong gave me such a big shock, I had forgotten about Rachel’s existence for a moment.
“…Are you okay?”
She didn’t seem hurt at first glance, but I still asked. Rachel nodded silently. With a dazed face and her mouth half-open, I could see the front of her teeth.
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Why did you follow me?”
“….”
Then, Rachel closed her mouth and stared at me for a while. I didn’t avoid her eyes.
An exceptionally bright moonlight blanketed the dark forest of the floating island. Rachel shined silver from this light.
She looked into my eyes for a long time, then pulled something out of her pocket.
It was a bullet. To be exact, it was a bullet without the casing.
What was that? I tilted my head.
“Hajin-ssi.”
Suddenly, she called my name. I thought for a moment that my ears were acting up. However, I wasn’t mistaken. Rachel had certainly called my name.
“…Ah, yes.”
I replied hurriedly.
“This belongs to Hajin-ssi, right?”
“….”
I stared at the bullet. I didn’t have the ability to distinguish bullets just from their shapes, but it did look like a bullet for the Desert Eagle.
“Yes, I think so.”
I reached out to grab the bullet, but Rachel put the bullet back into her pocket, pretending not to have noticed.
“Um, where did you get…”
“I found it during the final exam.”
“…Huh?”
I finally understood the situation.
She must have found it when I helped her by sniping Lancaster Djinns.
“I thought something similar might happen again, so I followed you.”
Rachel scratched her cheek as she pulled out the sword hanging on her waist.
I knew what that weapon was. It wasn’t just a training rapier given by Cube.
Galatyn.
It was a legendary sword said to be used by one of the twelve Knights of the Round Table.
But no matter how good the weapon was, Rachel didn’t stand a chance against an overwhelming opponent like Cheok Jungyeong.
“…Aha.”
“By the way, Hajin-ssi…”
Suddenly, Rachel’s voice became firm. She stared at me fixedly and asked.
“Back then, why did you help me?”
I didn’t know what to say, so I just stared at her.
Rachel wasn’t finished yet.
“During the midterm exam and then the final exam. Thinking about it now, Hajin-ssi was there, uup!”
A chilly wind blew, and Rachel’s long hair curled into her mouth. I barely held myself back from laughing.
Rachel tied her hair back, then cleared her throat.
“Kuhum. I can see how what happened during the midterm exam was a coincidence, but for the final exam… no matter how much I think about it, the only explanation I can come up with is that you were watching me.”
I scratched the back of my neck.
Rachel was a pivotal character who was exposed to extreme danger. If she got hurt or was killed, the story progression would be distorted greatly. That was why I was watching her. Since only I could prevent it.
However, that wasn’t something I could explain to her.
As such, my answer was simple. It was simple enough to be acceptable and convincing.
“I’m your fan.”
“…?”
Rachel widened her eyes and tilted her head.
“I’m your fan. I’m even a member of your fan café.”
Rachel’s fan café did exist. England’s fan café had about 500,000 members, and even the Korean one had about 10,000. I checked it before when I didn’t have anything better to do.
…But it was perhaps too absurd of an excuse as Rachel shut her mouth tightly.
Whiish— The wind blew, shaking the leaves of the trees around us.
The awkward silence continued for about five minutes, then…
Rachel asked with a quivering voice.
“Does that mean… you like me?”
“…Yes?”
**
Cheok Jungyeong returned with the crystal to the hotel suite, where everyone else was waiting.
“Uhahaha, that’s right, I’m back.”
When four members of the Chameleon Troupe stared at him, Cheok Jungyeong burst into laughter.
“Haha, it’s almost like I’m the main character.”
He pushed his hair back as though he was embarrassed, then put down the suitcase.
Jain snatched up the suitcase.
“This better be the real thing.”
She swallowed her saliva and opened the suitcase slightly. A brilliant white light shone through the opening gap, letting her know that it was the genuine crystal.
“…It is.”
A smile emerged on Jain’s face. Satisfied, she closed the suitcase.
“Well done.”
“Haha, it was a piece of cake.”
“…Wait, why are you so happy? Don’t tell me you killed him?”
Boss’ eyes suddenly flickered coldly.
“No, I didn’t. Ah, I was planning to at first.”
Cheok Jungyeong smiled deeply.
At first, he wanted to blow up his head.
If his eyes trembled even a little bit, or if he tried to dodge or show any sign of fear, Cheok Jungyeong probably wouldn’t have stopped his fist.
However, the man continued to stare at his fist. Without being flustered, he observed Cheok Jungyeong’s movements, showing the fearlessness of a warrior.
Cheok Jungyeong liked his manliness.
“Are you sure he wasn’t frozen from being scared? Did you check his pants?”
“…Jain, if you underestimate him, you might regret it one day.”
“…Tsk.”
Jain furrowed her brows. Cheok Jungyeong shook his large head sideways as he murmured, ‘just kidding, just kidding.’