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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Mod7
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‘What? What? How did this bitch know?’
[Are you sure you’ve never met her before?]
‘I’m positive. This is our first encounter.’
While everyone else in the classroom seemed relaxed…
My entire body was on high alert.
Professor Kim smiled faintly and stepped away from my ear.
Ignoring Hye-ji, who was staring at her with wide, disbelieving eyes, I feigned ignorance, my suspicion growing.
“Who is this person you’re talking about? I only know him as someone with questionable morals, from what the Heavenly Demon told me.”
“Don’t lie.”
Professor Kim’s expression turned cold.
“The Defensive Coat you possess…”
“I received it as a gift from an acquaintance.”
I delivered my prepared answer firmly.
But she casually ran her fingers through her hair, a knowing look on her face.
“Judging from what happened at the faculty meeting, you’re aware of its significance.”
“I have no idea who you’re talking about, or why you’re looking for him.”
She smiled seductively.
But her eyes were sharp and cold, like blades, devoid of any warmth.
“Stop lying.”
“…”
‘What should I do? There are too many people here to silence her.’
[Just keep talking. You can’t subdue her with your current condition, but she can’t harm you either with so many witnesses.]
I maintained my pretense of ignorance.
“How can I tell you about someone I don’t even know? And I can’t understand why you’re asking me this out of the blue.”
“Ah, you’re right. I apologize. My explanation was lacking.”
She suddenly looked dreamy, as if lost in thought.
“I’ve known him for a long time.”
“And?”
“I still think of him whenever I close my eyes.”
She closed her eyes, her hands clasped together, a wistful expression on her face.
“His indifferent gaze, his broad back, his rough but warm hands, his blunt yet kind words… I remember everything vividly, as if it happened yesterday.”
“So you’re saying… you really want to see this Ryu Kang-hyuk?”
“Yes! I want to see him again, even just once. That’s why I asked you for help.”
I had a hunch.
And so did the voice in my head.
[Dear, does this woman have romantic feelings for Ryu Kang-hyuk?]
‘That’s what I’m thinking too.’
But the old man and Sister Ye-rim were currently in a lovey-dovey, pure love relationship.
If she barged in now, it would shift the genre from pure love to harem.
[How dare she interfere with true love! Unforgivable!]
‘Forced pure love, trained pure love, imprisoned pure love, hypnotized pure love – these are all legitimate forms of pure love! But harem pure love is not!’
[Stop adding weird prefixes to pure love!!!!]
Not all pure love is acceptable.
There are some low-class, vulgar terms that don’t deserve to be called “pure love.”
‘Harem pure love, along with NTR pure love, netorare pure love, adultery pure love, and corruption pure love, are not true pure love!’
[Stop adding weird modifiers to pure love!!!]
Professor Kim was about to interfere with pure love.
This was unforgivable.
She must be eliminated.
[Dear! Today, you are the guardian of pure love!]
‘Cry, Pure Love Zanpakuto!’
I circulated my mana and enhanced my entire body.
I was ready to punish the intruder when she said,
“I want to find that bastard and rip him to shreds!”
“…What?”
[What?!]
She said those words fiercely.
My vigilance vanished.
The flow of mana was disrupted, and blood seeped from the wounds on my body.
Hye-ji, seeing my injuries, was shocked, but I didn’t have time for that.
“W-why?”
“That bastard borrowed money from me and invested it in some shady shitcoin!”
“Ah…”
“He assured me it was a sure thing, and then he dumped it all into something called ‘Elf’!!!”
That coin name sounded familiar.
[Is “Elf” synonymous with financial ruin?]
‘Wait, ‘Elf’ again?!’
I finally understood.
Professor Kim wanted to see Old Man Kang-hyuk for revenge and to collect her money.
“Ah… so…”
“It was three years’ worth of my salary!!! That’s how much I need to get back from that bastard!!!”
“So you’re a debt collector.”
“That’s right.”
She had returned to her initial composure.
But now, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
“So you don’t actually have anything against me?”
“Of course not! I should be thanking you instead.”
“…Why me?”
“Remember the midterm bets? I was so desperate back then that I bet my entire fortune on you.”
“Ah.”
‘So I “saved” her.’
[…Is that really considered salvation in the world of web novels?]
She smiled and thanked me profusely.
“I paid off all my debts thanks to you, and I even have some savings now.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“It’s all thanks to you! Let me buy you dinner sometime!”
“Okay.”
“And the girl next to you, Hye-ji, is it?”
She suddenly turned to Hye-ji.
Hye-ji was glaring at her, looking displeased.
Maybe because her expressions kept changing so rapidly.
Hye-ji replied curtly,
“Yes, that’s me.”
“I’ll invite you too when I buy Shinwoo dinner.”
“I’m not interested in being a research student.”
“Oh, it’s not like that.”
Professor Kim’s smile didn’t falter despite Hye-ji’s harsh tone.
“We’ll eat somewhere nice. And…”
“No thanks, I’m not going to be bribed with food.”
Hye-ji tried to decline her offer.
But…
“I’ll make sure you and Shinwoo can have dinner alone.”
“Yes, Master! Yes, Master! Yes, Master!”
Hye-ji immediately pledged her loyalty.
‘She took the bait.’
[…You really have no awareness, do you, dear?]
‘A clueless protagonist is frustrating, but a protagonist who’s too perceptive is just a trash human.’
You might be wondering what makes a perceptive protagonist “trashy.”
But just read any Terms and Conditions; you’ll understand what I mean.
Guan Xi Wu was a true asshole.
‘I’m pretty normal compared to him.’
[Didn’t you come into this world without a conscience?]
Professor Kim tried to calm down Hye-ji, who was now standing at attention, saluting.
Once Hye-ji had calmed down, I spoke to Professor Kim,
“I can give you his address. But he might have moved.”
“That’s more than enough! I can handle the rest.”
“How?”
“Ability users have to register their address whenever they move, right? I can find it through my connections.”
[Dear, is that even legal?]
‘Be quiet. She’s dangerous when she’s provoked.’
I gave her Old Man Kang-hyuk’s address.
“Okay. Good luck.”
“Thank you!”
She quickly left the classroom.
Class was suddenly over.
“Hye-ji, let’s go.”
“Hehehehehe.”
She didn’t seem to hear me.
Judging by the blissful look on her face, she must have really liked Professor Kim’s offer.
Jung Ah-yeon, on the other hand, was still wiping away tears, deeply moved by the movie.
[Let’s not disturb her.]
‘Right. Let’s go.’
Having no more reason to stay, we returned to our dorms.
Of course, I stopped by the convenience store to buy some snacks and a case of beer.
You’re all mine, beers.
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I was enjoying my last supper alone in my dorm.
I tried to invite Hye-ji and Jung Ah-yeon, but they both declined, saying they had to leave early tomorrow morning.
And Elsia…
“Just one drink! Please, just let me have one!”
“Are you insane?! You’re going to throw up at the representative inauguration ceremony?!”
“Don’t you trust me? I’m just having one.”
“Absolutely not! We have to open the Gate and leave soon!”
“Why are you being so petty?”
“You said you were just having one last time and ended up bringing out a washtub!!!”
Her bodyguard firmly rejected her request.
Elsia threw a tantrum and even started rolling on the floor.
But her bodyguard just chopped her in the neck, knocking her unconscious, and then carried her away.
[That looked familiar.]
‘A textbook example of trained discipline.’
I was on my last bottle of beer.
I was starting to feel a bit tipsy, so I figured it was a good time to ask the voice in my head some questions.
‘Why didn’t you help me earlier if you were watching through my eyes?’
[Because this one is very weak.]
‘You’re managing now, but if you were going to give me an ability, at least make it something useful.’
The ability to stop time, teleport, or at least an inventory or a status window would be nice.
[This one apologizes. The ability to control earth would have been helpful.]
‘What’s so great about earth magic? You can’t even cause earthquakes. It’s just creating dirt mounds! Fire or ice magic would be better.’
[Petrification.]
‘Oh, fuck.’
That hurt.
It was a sudden mental attack.
I felt my spirit crumbling.
To soothe my wounded soul, I went and bought another case of beer.
Each sip was like a painkiller, slowly mending my broken heart.
‘And I didn’t even ask for your name after 50 chapters.’
[This one has no name. This one is just a tiny fragment, a remnant of the one who created this world.]
‘Then what should I call you?’
[Call this one whatever you wish.]
Suddenly, a name came to mind.
Something to commemorate the dramatic moment of our encounter.
However…
[If you use a name with ‘HAL’ in it, I won’t let you die peacefully.]
‘You’re watching closely, aren’t you?’
[This novel can’t handle that name.]
She was one step ahead of me.
I had to give her a name.
I wracked my brain.
‘Fragment… Shard… I’ll call you Piece.’
[Piece… Not bad.]
Suddenly, I couldn’t resist saying it.
My drunken mouth blurted out the words,
‘Double Piece Ahegao!!!’
[You son of a bitch!!!!]
Piece cursed me just seconds after receiving her name.
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