Chapter 25: Complex Mind

When the meat arrived, Kim Noeul was alarmed to see Na Yuna picking up the tongs to grill.

“No, senior, just give it to me.”

“Huh? It’s okay. I’m good at grilling.”

“The junior should do it. It doesn’t look good.”

Kim Noeul took the tongs from Na Yuna and picked up the meat and put it on the grill.

The meat started to cook with a sizzling sound.

Kim Noeul stared at Na Yuna’s uncomfortable expression.

“Senior, you can make us do more. You’re the most senior in the counseling club. You act like you’re a freshman who just entered.”

“…It’s because I’ve received a lot of help from you guys. Just Maru alone helped me when I was being robbed.”

“Huh? Maru did?”

“Ah, yes. We went home together last time. After that, I wanted to repay you guys more.”

Kim Noeul listened to Na Yuna’s words and fell into thought.

Since it’s a story she doesn’t know, it seems like an incident that happened during the competition preparation period.

‘He went home with Senior Yuna…’

Until the competition, it was normal for Kim Maru to go home with Kim Noeul.

It was such a natural routine that it was quite annoying that Kim Maru went home with another girl.

However, that’s not Kim Maru’s fault.

Kim Maru and herself are just classmates.

‘Just friends…?’

She didn’t like the word friend.

Kim Noeul contemplated her heart.

What does she want from Kim Maru?

What kind of future does she want to draw with him?

“Um, Noeul? The meat is burning.”

“Ah.”

Kim Noeul was startled and quickly flipped the meat.

There were quite a few blackened parts.

Kim Noeul scratched her head awkwardly.

“Sorry, I was distracted for a moment.”

“You can cut off the burnt parts.”

While Na Yuna was cutting off the burnt parts with scissors, Kim Maru came.

He took off his school uniform jacket and sat down.

“What, it’s burnt?”

When Kim Maru clicked his tongue, Na Yuna hurriedly made an excuse.

“I should have watched it, but I couldn’t tell her to flip it.”

“Senior doesn’t need to cover for her. I’m the one who burned it.”

“Hey, Kim Noeul. Just give me the tongs. I don’t trust you.”

Kim Noeul stared blankly at Kim Maru, who was grilling the meat instead of her.

When we came out of the restaurant, the sun was already setting.

We enjoyed the get-together for a long time.

We had many conversations while eating.

The counseling club’s future course of action, the upcoming final exams, and how to deal with Ojakgyo.

It’s a plan that only has a basic framework, but it will be materialized someday.

I came to Hakdo to achieve that plan, so I have no intention of giving up.

“The sun is already setting.”

Perhaps the sensibility of the night stimulated me, I described the scenery of the sky with a complicated expression.

Na Yuna, who was listening next to me, was startled and asked.

“Noeul lost? T, to whom?”

“…….”

“Noeul is very good at fighting.”

“No, I mean the sunset.”

When I chided her, Na Yuna’s face turned red.

“Ah, that sunset…”

“Heh.”

Kim Noeul suppressed her laughter and turned her head.

Come to think of it, Kim Noeul was weak to dad jokes.

‘Is it mom jokes in this world?’

“Regardless of natural phenomena, Noeul, you must not lose.”

Kim Noeul, who was chuckling at my words, became quiet.

Actually, I don’t know the ending of the original.

I read through to the very end, but the final battle was not yet serialized.

No one knows the ending of this world.

That’s why I was anxious.

Was the ending of the original the ending I wanted?

Kim Noeul is irreplaceable.

There are no more than two people like her in Hakdo.

If she breaks, that’s it.

Hakdo will not change, and we will have to spend a gloomy youth.

It’s a cruel thing to say, but Kim Noeul has to move forward even while getting hurt.

After all, the only person who can reach Alice is Kim Noeul.

‘For that, I have to help with all my might.’

It was dark around, so I couldn’t see Kim Noeul’s expression well, but I could intuitively tell what expression she was making.

Kim Noeul smiled.

“Yes, I won’t lose.”

She answered in a confident tone.

Hearing that answer, my anxious heart was relieved to some extent.

“Sh, shall we hold hands?”

“…What?”

I was dumbfounded by Na Yuna’s sudden suggestion to hold hands.

She continued to speak with a somewhat excited look.

“Usually, after this, people hold hands and raise them up together…”

‘What kind of anime is that, Yuna.’

Unlike me, who was lukewarm, Kim Noeul reached out her hand without hesitation.

Na Yuna also slowly brought her hand over Kim Noeul’s hand.

“You’re really doing this.”

Even though I was dumbfounded, I obediently reached out my hand.

Well, this is a ‘school story’.

Kim Noeul shouted a slogan.

“Okay, counseling club, fighting~.”

“Down with Ojakgyo!”

“…Down with.”

After bracing ourselves, we finally parted ways.

I went to the men’s dormitory, and Kim Noeul and Na Yuna went to the women’s dormitory.

I stared blankly at the backs of the two girls walking away for a while.

Perhaps because they became much closer, Kim Noeul put her hand on Na Yuna’s shoulder.

I was looking at the Chinese word book while going home.

Originally, I was planning to memorize a few dozen words while going home, but I couldn’t concentrate today.

In the end, I sighed and closed the word book.

“If you’re going to tail, do it well.”

My words echoed in the air.

My voice was quickly buried in the sound of the roadside trees fluttering in the night wind.

But she must have heard it.

“Wow, you’re not an ordinary guy, senior.”

A female student who appeared stealthily from the roadside tree behind me approached with a grin.

Her bob, slightly past her shoulders, fluttered.

Overall, she has a fox-like face.

She immediately introduced herself.

“I’m Gu Miho, a 1st year at Haneul High School. Have you heard of Hakdo News Agency?”

Of course I’ve heard of it.

The largest school union club among the media clubs in Hakdo.

And there are several unit-type small clubs under the Hakdo News Agency, and she is probably a member of ‘Veritas’ among them. 

The reason I inferred her identity is because in the original, the first media member to approach after defeating Je Galwhalin was a member of Veritas.

‘Was her name Gu Yeonho?’

Here, her name has been changed to Gu Miho.

Of course, her gender has also changed.

“I’m a new member of Veritas, a unit under the Hakdo News Agency. Ah, Veritas is a name that contains our ambition to reveal the truth…”

“Just the point.”

“I delivered the news that Je Galwhalin lost to various parts of the club.”

I thought it was strange that Je Galyeonhwa found out about her sister’s defeat earlier than I expected, but it was because of her in front of me.

“So?”

“You were also at the scene, right? I’m curious about the circumstances in which you clashed with Je Galwhalin’s forces, so can I come to ask you questions for coverage in the future?”

‘There’s no reason not to.’

Veritas is a hipster club that, rarely, doesn’t care about Ojakgyo’s eyes.

If they widely publicize the news of Ojakgyo’s defeat, I’d be grateful.

When I stayed silent without saying anything, Gu Miho tilted her head.

“Are you uncomfortable? Of course, I’ll give you a small reward.”

“What reward?”

“From the looks of it, it’s already decided that you’ll be at odds with Ojakgyo… Then shall I write an article criticizing Ojakgyo? I’m a clickbait journalist, so I’m good at that.”

“Are you confident? It’ll be dangerous.”

“If I was afraid of that, I wouldn’t be a journalist.”

It was similar to the original personality.

A weirdo who doesn’t care about other people’s eyes and reveals the articles she wants to post without filtering.

In some ways, she was a clickbait journalist, but in some ways, she was also a true journalist.

‘That’s why she joined Veritas.’

The head of Veritas is as mentally ill as Gu Miho, so it was impressively etched in my mind when I read the original.

There will be no one else in all of Hakdo who closely covers the private lives of Ojakgyo executives.

Of course, even she didn’t include Alice in the article.

“Are all Veritas members from different schools?”

“Yes. I’m the only one at Haneul High School. Actually, the head told me to write an article that would make a big stir in Hakdo as a new member test.”

“You for your needs and test, and me to oppose Ojakgyo…”

“That’s right. It’s a win-win!”

It’s a good offer, but I didn’t give an immediate answer.

“I’ll consult with the members. I can’t give you a definite answer.”

“I thought you’d reject me outright, but you’re thinking more positively than I expected.”

“There’s nothing bad about it.”

Gu Miho gave me a Veritas business card.

It’s already the second business card I’ve received today.

“If you’re interested, please contact me. I’m always ready to listen to the complaints of aggrieved students.”

Gu Miho talked nonsense and passed me by.

I put the business card in my pocket and started walking.

Kim Noeul and Na Yuna arrived near Na Yuna’s dormitory.

“There was nothing special while coming here. I was worried that Ojakgyo might attack.”

Kim Noeul was busy looking around even while going home.

It was understandable that she was fed up with being attacked several times on the way home.

“Maybe they didn’t touch us because you were there, Noeul. If it was just me, I think they would have definitely shown up…”

It was a tone of speculation, but Na Yuna was inwardly convinced.

“…Maybe it’s better to learn how to fight?”

At Na Yuna’s cautious tone, Kim Noeul looked at her.

Na Yuna opened her mouth, overcoming the shame of asking a junior.

“C, can you teach me how to fight?”

“Senior…”

Na Yuna was scared when Kim Noeul’s expression hardened.

‘Maybe she’s disappointed in me… Because I’m too weak…’

But Kim Noeul’s words were different from Na Yuna’s expectations.

“Senior, you’re a 3rd year, right?”

“That’s right?”

“Isn’t it better to think about studying or getting a job instead of learning how to fight?”

Na Yuna was struck in the back of the head with a hammer.

It’s all true.

Kim Noeul gave a very realistic and poignant advice.

‘Noeul is right. I was acting too childish.’

“I was going to register for an academy to prepare for the upcoming final exams. If I lose to Kim Maru this time too, it’s really embarrassing. Do you want to find an academy together?”

“I, I’d love to.”

Na Yuna quickly smiled brightly at the thought of finding an academy with a popular junior, and she entered the dormitory entrance with light steps.

Kim Noeul saw Na Yuna off and said a word.

“Senior.”

“Huh?”

“Have you ever been to the dormitory with Maru?”

“H, how did you…”

“…….”

“At that time, I invited Maru because I was grateful that he saved me from the delinquents. I really didn’t have any thoughts!”

“Why are you so excited? I just asked because I was curious.”

“Y, your expression was scary.”

“…….”

“Uh, um…”

“Go in safely.”

Na Yuna staggered and took the elevator up.

Kim Noeul looked at the view of the dormitory and fell into thought.

‘That building I saw while preparing for the competition the other day…’

Kim Maru came out of this building.

He must have stopped by Na Yuna’s dormitory.

I heard similar words from Na Yuna when we were eating meat today.

Did nothing really happen between a man and a woman under one roof?

‘It really drives people crazy…’

With a bizarrely twisted mouth, Kim Noeul turned around and headed to her dormitory.