Chapter 66 : Chapter 66
Chapter 66: Test of Courage Explosion (2)
As the target and Jin-ho came into view, the corners of Lee Si-wang's mouth, hiding behind a rock, curled up.
Killing his magical power and presence as much as possible, he did not take his eyes off the prey to find the optimal timing while in stealth.
Managing even the sound of his breathing for a few seconds.
In Lee Si-wang's gaze, the image of Kang Tae-wook stopping his steps was captured.
And the sentence that floated in his head at the same time.
‘Now is the time.’
A-Rank No. 1, Genius.
Like the testimonies of witnesses who said it was like flying in the sky.
Lee Si-wang kicked off the ground and moved in an instant.
Moving quickly through the darkness, he arrived behind Kang Tae-wook's back in a flash.
Was it luck, or did he catch the timing well.
Just in time, saying something, Kang Tae-wook's body turned around.
Whatever happened, right now Lee Si-wang's head became filled with only one thought.
‘Nice timing.’
To him who was cheering inwardly, only two things remained.
The thorough professional spirit of a Virgin Ghost to surely startle them, and to leave a photo of the Ice Prince's surprised face that would never happen again.
Lee Si-wang, holding a mobile phone in one hand, opened his mouth while looking at Kang Tae-wook's shaking eyes visible through the disheveled hair.
“Hello, Sidney.”
The best timing and perfect makeup.
Even the confusion felt through the meeting pupils.
Lee Si-wang put strength into the finger resting on the capture button, enjoying his victory.
‘Farewell, kiddo…….’
Crack!
A new sound that rang out faster than the shutter sound.
Behind that sound.
Lee Si-wang's scream rang out through the entire cave.
***
“…….”
Jin-ho was standing with his mouth wide open, looking at Lee Si-wang who had become a Virgin Ghost.
To be exact, it wasn't just a Virgin Ghost, but because of the Virgin Ghost Lee Si-wang trapped inside ice.
“By the way, isn't this too severe?”
“…….”
Jin-ho asked towards Kang Tae-wook, but Kang Tae-wook only stood blankly and no answer returned.
“Tae-wook…….”
He called him one more time, but as expected, no answer returned.
Jin-ho, scratching his cheek, moved his body slowly while reading the room.
Jin-ho twisted his upper body and took a posture so that Kang Tae-wook's face could be seen.
Then it came into view.
Kang Tae-wook's expression.
Kang Tae-wook's expression that came into view didn't have even a microscopic movement.
As if what he just saw wasn't a Virgin Ghost from a clumsy test of courage, but just passing scenery that gave no inspiration.
‘He is amazing. This was worth being a little surprised at.’
Jin-ho saw the situation just now clearly.
Lee Si-wang, who turned into a Virgin Ghost, appeared in an instant, and immediately a chill was felt, then with a flash, the Virgin Ghost, no, Lee Si-wang froze in an instant.
Literally from Lee Si-wang's toes to the top of his head, his whole body froze pure white in an instant as if trapped in crystal.
Jin-ho's pupils moved.
Lee Si-wang frozen with the expression of the screaming Virgin Ghost.
Only his pupils were shaking minutely.
“He must have done it forcibly because of the teacher…….”
Jin-ho, who gathered his two hands to show condolences, took his hands off again and turned his head.
Only then did Kang Tae-wook lower his hand as if nothing had happened.
However, his fingertips were trembling minutely.
“Uh, Tae-wook, are you…… okay?”
Since there was definitely movement, he thought an answer would return this time.
However, this time too, no answer returned from Kang Tae-wook.
‘No, why isn't he answering? His expression was similar to usual…….’
Did his patience run out a little.
Jin-ho, who was watching, twisted his body more so that Tae-wook's face could be seen better.
Then, putting more strength into his eyes, he captured Kang Tae-wook's face.
Like a high-performance camera zooming in.
Then.
Jin-ho's pupils shook.
Because he finally knew for sure now.
The reason why Tae-wook couldn't answer…….
Sharp eyes.
A cold expression where emotions were not largely revealed, same as usual.
However.
The focus was out.
“Tae-wook…….”
Was it because he was genuinely surprised this time?
Or was it because he was caught that his focus was out?
Tae-wook's focus returned, and his pupils, having found their color, turned towards Jin-ho.
“…….”
Therefore it came in clearly, into Jin-ho's eyes.
“What are you looking at? Stop spacing out and let's go. We just wasted time!”
Kang Tae-wook, shouting unnecessarily loud, moved his legs quickly and left the spot.
Jin-ho looked at that spectacle with his mouth wide open.
“Don't tell me…… you…….”
Glare!
The laser shot from Kang Tae-wook's eyes blocked Jin-ho's mouth.
“Ahem.”
Kang Tae-wook coughed lightly and sent a signal with his eyes to Jin-ho.
Through the black pupils, Jin-ho saw it clearly.
One sentence.
‘If you speak, you die.’
Whoosh!
Kang Tae-wook, who was glaring at the frozen Virgin Ghost, moved his steps quickly.
Jin-ho nodded his head while looking alternately at the frozen Lee Si-wang and Kang Tae-wook stepping on the ground strongly like a child.
“Okay.”
A smile spread on the face of Jin-ho who muttered to himself as if he had decided something.
“I'll say I didn't see it.”
It was the moment when a secret was created between the two for the first time.
***
After they passed like that.
Crack.
Craaack!
The ice that had frozen Lee Si-wang's body little by little with hairline fractures began to crumble down.
Thud!
“T, these guys…… Daring to do this to the A-Rank No. 1…… to this body……!”
Unlike the angry murmuring, Lee Si-wang collapsed helplessly.
Whether he consumed a significant amount of stamina, he slumped on the floor like an amoeba.
Then.
Suddenly.
“Uh? But…….”
Lee Si-wang took off the wig and scratched his cheek.
“I froze?”
Blink.
Blink.
“That too, completely……?”
Making a sunken expression, he captured the broken ice in his eyes.
***
Jin-ho and Kang Tae-wook finally reached the end of the cave, the final section.
“F, finally the last one.”
Jin-ho, who discovered a desk and a stamp on top of it, shouted hurrah.
The inside of the cave rang loudly as if joy was jumping alive.
It couldn't be helped.
Completing the secret mission as much as possible while reading Kang Tae-wook's mood was not easy.
If someone heard, they would say he didn't really do anything, but just by Jin-ho speaking, Tae-wook's nerves are distracted, and a gap is created.
And attacking that gap was the mission of the ghosts.
Well, most of it ended in failure, but thinking about the incident with Hunter Lee Si-wang, it seemed it wasn't a complete failure.
Adding to that, the biggest reason Jin-ho was happy was because of himself getting surprised even though he knew it was ghost makeup.
Jin-ho learned for the first time after coming here that he hated things like ghosts.
Well, he should have visited a haunted house before.
“…….”
Thinking like that.
Grin.
A smile began to spread on Jin-ho's face.
“I lived without composure…….”
What he likes, what he dislikes, what he is afraid of.
They were past days he lived without knowing.
Because his nerves were entirely on his brother's death.
Focused on his bullying.
There was no gap for the word composure to squeeze in.
So.
He was thankful once again.
To Teacher Yoo jin.
“Uh, by the way.”
Jin-ho noticed one thing he had forgotten until now.
“Why isn't the teacher visible?”
Jin-ho's pupils, which were moving while stroking his chin, stopped.
Because of Kang Tae-wook's sharp gaze looking at him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Why do you think. While knowing everything.”
“Know what……?”
Stare―.
“You, too, were put here by the teacher like the kids or the assistant homeroom…… Ignis Vice Guild Master, weren't you?”
Flinch.
At Tae-wook's one word, Jin-ho rolled his eyes.
“……You knew everything?”
“You guys only gather among yourselves throughout the field trip, how could I not know. Everyone except you guys probably knows? Even kids from other classes.”
“Ha, ha…… I see…….”
Jin-ho laughed awkwardly as if broken and placed his gaze in the air.
Awkward time passed by.
Tae-wook, who was capturing that appearance in his eyes, shook his head.
“Well, forget it. Let's call it even.”
The incident with Hunter Lee Si-wang.
He thought of it as hush money for that.
Was it because Kang Tae-wook didn't ask anymore?
Or was it because they reached the end?
Jin-ho, whose tension was released, made a bright expression.
“Whew, now it's over.”
“What's over, it's over only when we stamp it.”
Kang Tae-wook maintained his unique cold expression and looked at the stamp on the desk.
“Right. Let's stamp it quickly and go out…….”
It was the moment Jin-ho took a step slowly in front of the desk.
Whoosh!
A ghost with its entire face stained with blood appeared from the darkness.
“To get out of here, you have to stamp…….”
Ye-na spoke in the most eerie voice possible, but Jin-ho and Kang Tae-wook were already looking at her with calm expressions.
“…….”
Such an awkward staring contest continued.
“What, you knew?”
Ye-na puffed up her cheeks as if disappointed.
“Rather than knew, it's obvious to anyone who looks.”
“If you, whose specialty is the stealth skill, didn't come out until the last moment, naturally…….”
Jin-ho and Tae-wook's gazes overlapped.
“We thought you would be here.”
The judgment was amazing too.
But more than that, Ye-na was surprised at something else.
The expressions of the two spitting out the same words.
“Your atmosphere has changed a lot. Is it the effect of the haunted house? It seems you two got very close.”
At that voice, cracks occurred on Tae-wook and Jin-ho's faces only then.
“D, don't say useless things.”
“W, what do you mean by that, Ye-na! W, we aren't like that…….”
At their appearance, Ye-na burst into laughter.
“Well, whatever. Go and stamp. Since it's all over.”
The flustered two moved their steps.
Kang Tae-wook walked to the desk while huffing.
Jin-ho also followed behind without any suspicion.
The excited Tae-wook picked up the stamp.
At that moment.
Grin!
A smile was built on Ye-na's face.
Ziiiing―!
Suddenly the floor began to shake.
“Uh?! What is it?”
“Wasn't it over if we just stamped?”
Kang Tae-wook and Jin-ho looked at Ye-na with flustered expressions, but she was already not there.
“You guys are exceptions. Because only you guys have a Round 2. Asking me won't help. Only Teacher Yoo jin knows what's after. Then…… Bye bye!”
As soon as Ye-na's voice ended, the floor suddenly disappeared.
Darkness that spread quickly and completely swallowed Jin-ho and Tae-wook.
What was heard after that was.
“Aaaack!”
Only the screams Jin-ho and Tae-wook spat out while falling into the trap.
Jin-ho and Kang Tae-wook disappeared into the bottomless pit in an instant.
Ye-na, who was watching that from afar, shook her head.
“Still, no matter how I look at it, is there a need to go this far? Teacher Yoo jin is really…….”
Ye-na, who was trying to go back to her spot to surprise the next turn again, crumpled her brow.
Fizz.
Crackle!
The color of the black hole turned into a dark red light, and it began to emit an ominous aura.
“This…… it isn't originally like this, is it?”
Ye-na's trembling voice.
A tense look was evident on her face too.
Dark red fog rose towards the ceiling rotating like a spiral, and a membrane like a transparent dome began to form.
The darkness she saw with Yoo jin wasn't like this.
It was as if a new barrier was being set up…….
So.
Even a student who was not well-versed in space magic and barriers could know for sure.
That something had happened.