Chapter 160 : Chapter 160
Chapter 160: A Gentleman’s Revenge Is Not Too Late Even After Ten Years (3)
Some time had passed since then.
I had not checked the time, but I was certain a long period had gone by.
And...
"With this, the misunderstanding has been cleared up to some extent."
If a long time had passed, countless conversations must have also been exchanged. Thanks to that, the misunderstanding Shin Yu-hwan had harbored for ten years was resolved enough that the murderous atmosphere no longer lingered. Of course, even so, a bright atmosphere was not created since the two were originally on bad terms.
In that somewhat stiff atmosphere, it was Cha Yu-na who spoke up once again.
"Yu-hwan?"
"...What."
"Since the misunderstanding is cleared, shouldn't you apologize as well? This big sister remembers everything you said—that I was disgusting, a piece of trash, and a damn woman."
"Ugh..."
It was exactly as Cha Yu-na said. Even if there had been a misunderstanding, it was true that his words were harsh. If the misunderstanding was resolved, it was only right for an apology to be exchanged.
"......"
However, it was certainly not an easy task. Was it because Shin Yu-hwan had a lot of pride? No, that was not it. He did have a lot of pride, but he was a man who would coolly admit it if he made a mistake.
However...
"Yu-hwan, what are you doing? You should hurry up and say you are sorry to Sera."
It was just that the person in question was Hong Sera, which kept his mouth shut. She was someone to whom he had never uttered a single kind word since the day they met. To use a metaphor, for Shin Yu-hwan, this situation was essentially the same as having to apologize to an enemy.
But that was only for a moment.
"...Damn it, I am sorry."
Shin Yu-hwan eventually yielded his pride and offered an apology. If he refused to admit his fault and kept his mouth shut, that would truly make him a bastard, just as Hong Sera had said earlier. Even if they were people with incompatible personalities, this was the right thing to do.
...Well, that heartwarming atmosphere did not last long, though.
"Is that so? You do not seem very sorry. Why don't you try saying it with a bit more sincerity?"
"......"
"Hmm? For example, saying something like, 'Big Sister Sera, I am truly sorry.'"
"Do you really want to die?"
She was certainly older than him, but he had never once called her that. Shin Yu-hwan ground his teeth again at Hong Sera, who was taking the opportunity to pounce on him aggressively. Fortunately, mediation came in before an atmosphere like the one earlier could form again.
"Sera and Yu-hwan, both of you stop."
Ryu Jin-seong intervened appropriately in their conversation. His appearance was similar to before, but this time, he was sending his words with a moderate amount of intimidation mixed in. Of course, it was not likely to work on experts of Hong Sera or Shin Yu-hwan's level, but the important thing was the fact that he had mixed in the intimidation itself. Fortunately, the two stopped their ongoing argument, as if they understood the meaning.
In the quiet atmosphere obtained once again, Ryu Jin-seong slowly continued speaking.
"When you were young, I left you alone to some extent, thinking of it as your youth, but aren't you both respectable adults now?"
"......"
"Your students should see you two bickering without discerning the time or place, shouldn't they?"
The students Ryu Jin-seong mentioned referred to Hong I-na, whom Hong Sera cherished and taught, and Choi Yu-seong, whom Shin Yu-hwan held dear. Of course, Choi Yu-seong was not exactly his student, but it was not something to be said in this atmosphere. And even if he was not a student, was it not true that he cherished him? Therefore, since showing such an ugly side was a bit much, both of them chose to remain silent.
At that sight, Ryu Jin-seong finally showed a faint smile.
"Fortunately, it seems you have become adults. In the past, you would not even have known to be ashamed."
"That old story is..."
"Haha, was it ten years ago? I still remember it vividly. The two of you were fighting to settle things and were dragged away by Yu-na, and surely..."
"T-that is enough!"
Does everyone naturally feel ashamed when talking about the past? Hong Sera’s face was dyed a color similar to her hair, and Shin Yu-hwan refused to listen altogether. Ryu Jin-seong laughed as if he found it amusing, but he soon spoke about the main point. It was his objective to refresh the atmosphere like this and continue the rest of the conversation.
"Now, let's slowly talk about the specifics of what is going to happen."
All that remained was to plan for what would happen on the last day of the October Grand Festival. I did not know how the plan would be formed or how things would flow, but I could tell one thing for certain. It seemed that Choi Yu-seong's wish for 'finishing without any trouble' would absolutely not come true.
***
Time passed, and it was now the third day of the October Grand Festival.
I was sitting quietly on a bench in the middle of the bustling Glory festival grounds, catching my breath.
"Everyone really is full of energy..."
Since they were players, saying they were exhausted just from a festival might sound strange. However, as I mentioned before, physical exhaustion and mental exhaustion were different. The reason I was sitting on the bench like this was because of mental fatigue.
"Why are there so many places to walk around?"
I had forgotten because I had always seen them in a restrained manner in the novel. The heroes I admired also lived with various worries, but in the end, they were seventeen-year-old cadets. It meant they were no different from high school students who liked to play and enjoy hanging out together.
"Thanks to that, I played without resting for three days..."
Among those times, there were many things that were particularly memorable. First, there was the Monster House on the first day. To think I would actually leave a photo together with guys dressed up as orcs and goblins. From the looks of it, Ju Ha-yeon also seemed to secretly like it, but I really do not understand the sentiment of this place.
"There were many memorable things on the second day too."
When the preparations for Ju Ha-yeon and Ha Eun-ha were delayed and they arrived late to our appointment, the other kids had coincidentally gone off to enjoy themselves. I ended up moving with the two of them alone and received resentment-filled glares from the other men. There was also the great achievement of Do Gang-ho winning the eating contest by finishing eighteen bowls. There was the sight of Ryu Jin-oh, who saw Kim Su-hyeok draw second place in a raffle and said he would show his own skill, only to demonstrate a money-powered victory until he got first place and wore a winner's smile. And even the time I was caught by Oh Jin-eon, whose eyes flipped when he saw a trial experience for a newly released training device while we were looking around the festival, and I was forced to participate in training for an hour.
"Hmm, now that I have said it, it does not look like the image of high school students normally enjoying a festival."
It seemed that while our hearts were normal, even our actions could not become normal. It was while I was slumped on the bench with those thoughts.
"What are you doing alone?"
A clear voice resonated from behind me. It might not have been calling me, but I could instinctively tell it was. After all, it was one of the voices I had heard the most recently.
"Baek Ha-ryeong?"
"Were you abandoned alone?"
"No, I asked to be abandoned."
"...Is that so?"
You might not understand, but keeping up with their pace is no easy task.
"By the way, why are you alone?"
"I do not have anyone I am close with."
"Is that so."
"Is this not the timing where you are supposed to ask me to play together?"
"I am exhausted. And it is not like you die just because you do not have anyone you are close with."
At my words, Baek Ha-ryeong let out a chuckle as if something was funny. Seeing that, I felt a bit of a sorry feeling for no reason.
'It feels like I have only been using her.'
Even though we had hung out closely and shared serious conversations recently, come to think of it, did I not approach her with an objective? Furthermore, I had not told her all of the plan for moving with Baek Ha-seong; I only told her the parts that I inevitably had to mention. She likely felt that I did not fully trust her. Even if I was doing it for the sake of the heroes, it was unavoidable that I felt sorry.
As if she understood the meaning of my gaze, Baek Ha-ryeong spoke with a bright smile.
"It is okay. That can happen."
"Huh?"
"In the first place, I received useful information, and thanks to that, I was able to give a safeguard to my brother."
A safeguard? What did she mean? I did not know the hidden meaning, but since she thought it was fine as long as it helped Baek Ha-seong, I suppose that was enough.
It was while I was sharing more talk about this and that with Baek Ha-ryeong.
"Yu-seong! You waited a long time, didn't you!!"
From far away, someone was approaching this way, perhaps having finished enjoying themselves. However...
"Hong I-na is here too?"
She was not with us when we started, so when did she join? Kim Su-hyeok, who had approached before I knew it, kindly answered my internal monologue.
"Ah, she was wandering around looking awkward all by herself, so I asked her to play with us!"
"...Is that so?"
"Yes, because playing together is more fun than playing alone."
At our conversation, Hong I-na hurriedly added an excuse, perhaps feeling that her situation had become strange.
"I was not originally planning to be alone!"
"Is that so? Being alone is not something to be particularly ashamed of."
"R-really! My big sister and the family members were originally supposed to come, but they could not come because something came up..."
Hmm? Certainly, come to think of it, Hong I-na was someone quite cherished in the Hong family. I had momentarily forgotten because the things she did were so strange.
'Thinking carefully, did Cha Yu-na and Shin Yu-hwan also say they could not come because something came up?'
Both Cha Yu-na and Shin Yu-hwan were people who liked these kinds of festivals. They say that during the October Grand Festival, most players play if possible, but I guess if you are in a position like those two or Hong Sera, that is not entirely true.
But that was one thing, and...
"But what did you bring so much of?"
Right now, my eyes were drawn to the items Kim Su-hyeok brought in a large bundle. It was a question I asked because it was a bit surprising that a guy who did not particularly enjoy overspending would buy so much of something. At my question, Kim Su-hyeok answered with a bright smile, as if I had asked a good question.
"Ah, this? I thought everyone would be tired from playing, so I bought some snacks."
"Is that so?"
"Yes! There are drinks too, so let's all eat here together!"
"If you say so."
I was not particularly hungry, but how could I ignore his sincerity?
...I had no choice but to regret that thought within just a few seconds.
"...Huh?"
He kept taking things out of the shopping bag... this one was green, that one was also green, and the next one was green too...
'Could this be...'
It could not be. Surely Su-hyeok would not do such a thing. Nevertheless, with a feeling of anxiety that would not disappear, I slowly opened my mouth while hoping it was not true...
"Su-hyeok, is this by any chance mint-choco...?"
"Oh? You like mint-choco too, Yu-seong! I tried it for the first time today, and it was more refreshing and mysterious than I expected, and it was delicious."
My anxiety immediately became reality. Mint-choco? Of all things, why mint-choco? I do not have a taste for eating toothpaste.
However...
"I bought a lot because I thought it might not be enough. Everyone, eat a lot!"
Looking at Kim Su-hyeok, who was smiling brightly while offering them, the words of refusal simply would not come out. How could I tell him I disliked what he bought when he had that smiling face...
Therefore, I picked up one mint-choco cookie and one mint-choco latte with my trembling hands and spoke to Kim Su-hyeok.
"...I will enjoy them. Thank you."
"Haha, I am glad you like them, Yu-seong."
"Haha... I am sure."
I do not know who that person is, but whoever sold mint-choco at this festival will surely fall into hell.
I prayed that way and quietly took a bite of the cookie.
The taste... yeah. It was exactly like the toothpaste I used this morning.