Chapter 1403: Side Story 12
Chapter 1403 - Side Story 12
There was a legend in the Single Since Birth Community.
[Screenshot.]
Someone sent a screenshot of Red Flame Fighter Ace.
[Ace. Who is he?]
[He was thirteen years old when he first started the game. He’s the same as us.]
[He’s someone who shouted the same lines in the party gathering place every single day.]
[‘I’m looking for an Athenae girlfriend! I’m thirteen years old, and I'm called the Flamefist Ace in our school. I really like the Naami-type of girl!’]
[We laughed at him back then.] [Yes. He’s thirteen years old, yet he calls himself the Flamefist. We truly laughed at Ace back then.]
[But a few years later…]
[Ace is now in a relationship.]
A heated discussion erupted in the community.
[After working hard every single day without missing a beat for three years, Ace finally got a girlfriend.]
[For the first time, he laughed at others.]
[‘So, are you guys dating?!’]
So, what was the legend of the Single Since Birth Community? It was none other than Ace, who had finally successfully gotten into a relationship after three years of looking for a girlfriend.
[Ace, now hailed as Dongsan Middle School’s Shankks, has declared that he is dating Pureun Middle School’s Nezko!]
The entire community site was filled with tears.
[Didn’t you say that you like the Naami-type?]
[Tbh, the manga completely changed, right? Lolololol.]
[A Demon Killer in One Diss? Lmao.]
[Nezko? Isn’t she the one with a bamboo in her mouth?]
[Yep, yep! Set your heart ablaaaaaaaaze!]
[Actually, she’s gorgeous.]
[...!]
[...!]
Everyone in the community site felt as if their hearts grew heavy and stuffy. At the same time, they felt as if something had started to well up in their eyes.
[What were you all doing while Ace was working hard for three years without fail?! Look at him now! He’s already dating!]
[Ah… aaaaaah…! We were the foolish ones!]
[So, have you guys started dating?]
[Oh. You must be in a relationship, huh? Is this the reason why you’re doing this to us?]
Everyone asked the person with the nickname SSBCaptain[1]. Alas, SSBCaptain hadn’t spoken since then. This person in the Single Since Birth Community was none other than Locke, also known as Jisoo.
Tears welled up in Jisoo’s eyes. ‘Even Ace got a girlfriend. So, why do I… I…’
That was why he decided to work hard and shout today in the place where they recruited members for hunting parties in the virtual reality game, Athenae.
“L-looking for a girlfriend! I’m twenty-two years old!” Locke felt embarrassed, but he still shouted.
“Hey, Locke! It seems like you’re looking for a girlfriend in Athenae, too, huh?”
“But if it’s a ranker like Locke, wouldn’t there be a lot of girls who wanted to go after him?”
Indeed. That was how it should be. Unfortunately, most of the women who approached Locke were there for his status, not for affection and love. Locke had learned this the hard way. After all, he had been burned and hurt once before.
A woman had approached him before, and she said that she was Locke’s fan. Locke thought that the woman approached him because she genuinely liked him. But when they met and stayed together for a night, he was shocked by what he saw in the contents of Katalk that flashed on the screen of her phone, which she left on the table.
[Locke is really f*cking ugly. Lololol. But I think this bastard will be able to help me pay my debts.]
Locke did not hesitate. He broke up with the girl and immediately decided not to date anyone who approached him and declared herself to be a fan of his. Of course, many women in the world were good and kind. But there were a few who were vicious and opportunistic. He could no longer take the risk.
“Looking for oneeeee!!!”
The community sites were once again brought into a heated discussion when they saw Locke shouting like that.
[Oh. lololololol.]
[The solitary male lion roars!]
[But it’s pretty difficult for him to date. Lmao. He can’t just meet and go out with people who approach him just because he’s a ranker.]
[Comedians are good at dating, you know?]
[He’s not funny.]
[Aaah…]
[Locke will never be able to date.]
[Why are you making conclusions on your own?]
[Because I’ve been single since birth and I’m almost thirty-seven now.]
[???]
[Anyway, Locke cannot! Never!]
Locke shouted for a very long time.
‘Ace did it after three years of hard work. I’ll have to work hard too! I’ll come back tomorrow!’
“Excuse me, do you want to form a party with me?”
At that moment, a woman approached Locke. She looked lovely with long straight hair.
Locke asked, “I-If I investigate, I’ll be able to find out everything. By any chance, do you know me?”
“Yes?”
If the woman did not know him, then she passed the first test. However, he still needed to find out more about this woman. So, he followed along and went with her to the hunting grounds.
“There are quite a lot of people here. Why did you go hunting with me?”
The woman smiled. “Because I have a good impression of you.”
Locke rubbed his cheeks. “Ha-Hahahaha. Is that so?”
“Yes. And…”
“And?”
“You have a lot of blessings from your ancestors.”
“DIEEEEEEEE!!!” Locke roared as he raised his axe.
***
“I took her head with a swing of my axe. But even at the moment when I forced her to log out, she still said…”
Ascar, or Im Da-Sol, smiled and asked, “What?”
“We have to perform a ritual.”
Da-Sol chuckled. The two met at a cafe somewhere in Apgujeong.
Jisoo took a sip of his sweet drink and said, “You really like to eat, huh?”
“Huh?” Da-Sol tilted her head in confusion.
“Well, because you always ask me out to eat every day.”
“That’s right. I love to eat.”
These days, Jisoo would always run and meet Da-Sol the moment she asked him out to eat.
“You’re quite busy, but you still take care of yourself and eat properly. I’m so proud of you!”
Indeed. Da-Sol was really busy. After all, she was a global top model and was even considered one of the top-recognized beauties in the world. She had a long line of men, including some of the world’s wealthiest individuals and even Hollywood stars, who wanted to date her. Of course, Da-Sol rejected them all in a heartbeat.
“I wonder if I’ll be able to be in a relationship? Will I live alone for the rest of my life?” Jisoo murmured, his face sullen.
Da-Sol rested her chin on her hand and stared at Jisoo with her big doe eyes. Then, she said, “You will. You will be in a relationship.”
‘With me.’
“You think so? Ah, I really hope that will happen. I hope they will be as nice and kind as you.”
A bitter smile appeared on Da-Sol’s face at Jisoo’s obliviousness. A long time had passed since Da-Sol had let go of her feelings for Minhyuk. Then, suddenly, this man named Jisoo took root in a corner of her heart. She did not know why or when. It was just… she found herself having fun and laughing happily when she was with him. And…
‘He’s dashing…’
She watched as Jisoo breathed softly after finishing his drink.
‘He, he’s cool…’
Then, he took a napkin and wiped his mouth before smiling brightly at her.
‘So cute…’
It did not matter what others said. For Da-Sol, the only thing that mattered was that the person looked good in her eyes.
“I should get going. I have a reunion to attend later.”
The only problem is that he was so dense and oblivious.
“Already? Can’t you stay a bit longer?”
“Hmmm… I have to go home and rest for a bit.”
As expected, he noticed nothing at all.
“Then, I’ll go with you to your reunion.”
“You too? Hey, why are you so tactless?”
“...” Da-Sol clenched her fists tightly.
‘Even if I like you, this is too…’
“Why would you join someone else’s reunion? Are you bored?”
“Oh. Yeaaaaaaaah.”
“Weren’t you busy until today? Eyy. Well, there’s no helping it if you’re bored. Then, just come to One-Pax Chicken Bar later after work,” Jisoo said as he went out chicly.
***
Tae-Goo was Jisoo’s elementary school classmate. He was a common back-alley thug leader back in elementary school and was the main leader who bullied Jisoo when they were children, just because the boy was introverted and ugly.
“It’s all in the past~” Tae-Goo said as he shrugged his shoulders. He was currently in a taxi heading to the reunion with his girlfriend Seon-Hwa.
Thanks to Tae-Goo’s father, a man who ran an SME (small and medium-sized enterprise), he was able to live arrogantly and comfortably.
Tae-Goo looked at Seon-Hwa’s wrist and smiled. “Oh. Rollex~ You really put your back into it today, huh?”
Seon-Hwa, who was wearing a watch worth ten million won, was an aspiring actress, which meant that her appearance was outstanding. As they said, birds of a feather always flocked together. That was the case for these two.
“Honey, is it really like you said? Will Locke really crawl flatteringly in front of you?”
A sense of superiority and entitlement, and a massive inferiority complex. This was what Tae-Goo felt when the boy whom he once trampled and shamed rose to a higher place than him. Jisoo no longer cared about him. But Tae-Goo was still entertaining this ‘rivalry’ on his own.
“He's been single since birth, you know~ He will be jealous if he sees us together. I even went to the salon today and spent a hundred thousand won to style myself.”
“But you look like you’re wearing clothes worth two thousand won today?”
“Anywaaaay~ Honey, you have to show off in front of my friends today,” Tae-Goo said, swallowing the words, ‘Especially to Jisoo.’ down.
‘Even if you’re doing well, you’re still single. That has not changed at all.’
He grinned.
***
Jisoo was widely thought to be hot-tempered and had a volatile personality. But that was not the truth. People just assumed that he was like that just because of his appearance. The only reason it spread like that was that some people would spread it whenever Jisoo got angry, solidifying this already preconceived notion about him.
The truth was, Jisoo was a kind person with a gentle personality, and he was very considerate of others.
“Hey guys!”
What about the bad things that happened in the past? Well, he had already put it behind him. After all, they hadn’t seen each other for a very long time. Besides, he was quite magnanimous.
His friends welcomed him warmly the moment he arrived at the reunion.
“Woaaaaah! Here comes our Locke!”
“It’s the pride of our Hanbit Elementary!”
“The guy who's been single for twenty-two years!”
“Wahahahahaha! I’m none other than SSBCaptain!”
Jisoo greeted his friends cheerfully as they welcomed him with joking words and laughter. Of course, there were quite a few among them who did not like Jisoo. However, they did not step forward and express their dislike.
At that moment, Tae-Goo and Seon-Hwa entered.
“Oh! SSBCaptain and outcast! It’s been a long time!”
Thwack!
Tae-Goo greeted Jisoo with a slap on the back of the head. A flash of annoyance appeared on Jisoo’s face. However, he saw his friends’ laughing and joyful faces and thought, ‘I can’t ruin the mood.’
“Oh. Yeah! Long time, no see, Tae-Goo!”
Tae-Goo plopped right next to Jisoo with his girlfriend Seon-Hwa. He said, “This is my girlfriend, Seon-Hwa. She’s pretty, right?”
Jisoo just nodded. Indeed. Seon-Hwa was quite pretty. The corners of her eyes lifted as she smiled and greeted them.
“Hello. I’ve heard a lot about you~”
The reunion proceeded with a friendly atmosphere. Alas, things changed after a few rounds of beer.
Tae-Goo grabbed Jisoo’s hands and said, “Jisoo. You didn’t keep in mind what I did back then, right? When I put worms in your underwear?”
“It’s such a long time ago, I don’t remember it anymore.”
“I know, right? It’s all in the past. Ah. How about that time when I splashed you with a bucket of water? It’s all in the past, right?”
‘F*cking immature and childish,’ Jisoo thought, unperturbed.
Jisoo found it quite ridiculous. There were always people who thought they were superior to others when they were young and would continue to believe they were superior when they were older. But that was not always the case.
At that moment, Seon-Hwa crossed the line by saying, “Oppa, I heard that there aren’t any women by your side? Why? What’s the matter? Hmmm. I see, it’s because you’re ugly… Ah, no. No.”
Jisoo’s expression grew ugly at Seon-Hwa’s words.
However, she kept on talking. “You have hundreds of billions in assets. You’re also a celebrity. There’s nothing that our dear Jisoo does not have… ah? You don’t have a girlfriend! That’s right! You’re the SSBCaptain and an outcast! I heard that you were the number one most unfavorable and unwanted public figure in the recent polls.”
Tae-Goo’s inferiority complex reared, and he supported his girlfriend, saying, “What’s the point of having a lot of money, Jisoo? You don’t have a girlfriend. You’ll live like that for the rest of your life~”
“You’re quite a bit pitiful. How about covering it up with your financial resources?”
“Pfft! I don’t think so.”
“Hey, you punks! Why are you targeting Jisoo? He’s just sitting there!”
Jisoo just smiled awkwardly. It was just a few people muddying the waters. He did not want to cause a stir and ruin the others’ experience in this reunion.
But then, Seon-Hwa said, “Then, you should just get plastic surgery. Ah. I wonder if plastic surgery will work on you… Then, what if you spend two billion won on it…”
If there was shit on the road, would people avoid it because they were afraid of it? Of course not. They would avoid it because they did not want to be dirtied. However, Jisoo thought that he shouldn’t torture himself just because some dirty bastards were in front of him. But before that…
“Excuse me for a bit. I’ll go to the restroom.”
Jisoo, who was hurt for no reason, went to the bathroom to call someone.
***
Da-Sol was very worried. She thought, ‘Since it’s a reunion, I should dress more comfortably, right?’
She was about to wear comfortable clothes and a hat. However, she then received a call from Jisoo.
–Da-Sol, I think you shouldn’t come to the reunion after all. It’s nothing but…
“What? You’re going to endure it?” Da-Sol asked, her blood boiling as anger flooded her brain.
Jisoo laughed.
–I’m not going to endure it. I’m going to knock them down if they cross my bottom line. That’s why I think you should come and meet me next time.
Then, she heard a sigh.
–Ha… I no longer care about them. However, they continued to dig up things, which made me upset. Anyway, I’ll see you next time.
The call ended there.
A vicious smile slowly curled at the corner of Da-Sol’s lips as she gripped her phone tightly.
‘How dare you do that to my cute Jisoo…?!’
Da-Sol, the Goddess of the Battlefield and the world’s most extraordinary beauty, stood up and made a phone call.
***
A few moments later…
Da-Sol entered a shop in Cheongdam-dong. This was a shop owned by the country’s top hair stylist. The moment she entered, fashion designers and stylists swarmed her.
How much would it cost to hire these world-class professionals to style her and apply her makeup? It was worth hundreds of millions of won. But this was a place where people of influence gathered. Besides, their craft and art were the best, so it was not a waste to pay that much for their services.
One of the designers stepped forward and recommended a watch to her. “This is a limited edition Patek Phillap. There are only two of these in the world. It’s worth around five billion won.”
Excellent armor and weapons were delivered in front of Da-Sol. Now fully armed, Da-Sol adjusted herself and stood up from her seat.
“An angel…” the designer and stylist admired her.
‘You dared to touch my dear and beloved Jisoo?!’
The world’s most beautiful woman of the era stepped out and headed toward One-Pax Chicken Bar.
1. Single Since Birth Captain ☜