Chapter 41 Part 11: Connivance.

Honestly, the regular sparring sessions were still a bother.

From my perspective, it was even more tedious than fighting a child.

But I couldn’t just refuse, seeing how enthusiastic everyone was.

I guess I’m just weak to people who are passionate.

So, whenever someone requested a spar, I had no choice but to give it my all.

Of course, I didn’t forget to secure some snacks as compensation.

It was fine not receiving an allowance, but I couldn’t give up the new snacks that came into the store.

Anyway, time flew by.

It felt like just yesterday was Monday… but when I came to, I was already home.

And checking the calendar, I realized it was Friday.

So, the weekdays had passed in the blink of an eye.

“Wow… time really flies. Auntie, don’t you think?”

I said, turning my head.

I was hoping for agreement, but my aunt didn’t even answer, probably because she was busy.

Well, she was calculating something in her notebook even while preparing dinner, so it was understandable.

“Are you calculating the dosage of the medicine? If you’re busy, I can tell you later.”

“Oh, no. I’m all done now. If it’s important, you can tell me now, sweetie.”

My aunt closed her notebook and stared at me.

Usually, when she looked at me with those eyes, there was always a reason.

Thanks to that, I got goosebumps on my arms for the first time in a while.

Well, since it’s come to this, there’s no reason to hesitate.

I let out a sigh and said what I thought my aunt most wanted to hear.

“…You have a favor to ask, right?”

“Yes. I didn’t want to burden you, but it seems unavoidable.”

“Just tell me. It’s a request from you, so I can’t refuse.”

It was probably going to be something very petty and dirty.

The kind of thing that would make me feel bad just hearing it once.

So I wasn’t really looking forward to it, but it was better than I expected.

“Can you clean up the surroundings?”

“Clean up the surroundings… Really? I didn’t expect to hear that.”

“Then what did you expect to hear, sweetie?”

“…The usual.”

I sighed and forced a smile.

This meant I didn’t want to talk about that topic any further.

Honestly, it was inevitable.

She had already tried to persuade me dozens of times, saying that I had to break the law to live safely.

And of course, I thought today’s request would be something like that.

“…So, are the human traffickers running rampant again?”

“As you know, it’s the time when talented individuals start to stand out.”

“You’re talking about the tournament.”

“That’s right.”

I tried not to show it, but my expression instantly hardened.

It wasn’t strange, considering my life turned out this way because of those damn human traffickers.

I sighed once again.

Meanwhile, my aunt started explaining.

“With the tournament coming up, what do you think will happen to the promising prospects? Whether it’s before or after it starts, there will be attempts.”

“I thought so.”

“I don’t care about that, but you do, sweetie.”

“…”

I had to care.

I didn’t know who those prospects would be, but it was clear they were academy students.

“Normally, amazing heroes would step in and do it, but it wouldn’t hurt if you did it, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Good, I’ll let you know where those unwelcome guests are later.”

I nodded instead of answering.

And this time, I felt like I could fight without any hesitation.

In reality, it was true.

As soon as Saturday came, I went straight to the place my aunt told me and cleaned up the trash… I had no hesitation.

“H-Help…! You monster!”

“Shut up, will you?”

I said, stomping on the man who had fallen to the floor.

The man kept groaning in pain, but of course, I had no reason to go easy on him.

When I pressed down a little harder, he started screaming.

“Y-You think you’ll get away with this?! This is an act of making enemies…!”

“I know.”

I lightly tapped his head, and the man’s head dropped with a dull thud.

Well… he wasn’t dead.

He seemed to have fallen asleep soundly, probably because he was very tired.

I roughly laid the man on the floor so he could sleep more and counted the numbers.

“One, two, three… four, five, six…?”

I thought there were seven.

Probably one of them pretended to be subdued and ran away.

Well, it’s not like running away would improve the situation.

Still, he probably ran away because he didn’t want to get beaten up.

Just as I thought that, someone who had opened the door wide pointed a gun at me.

A heavily panting breath. A finger half-cocked, ready to pull the trigger at any moment.

And two eyes shining ominously, filled with hostility.

“Do you want a hole in your head? You’d better raise your hands…”

I raised my hands for a moment and examined the gun.

It wasn’t a rifle or a shotgun… just a pistol.

Since it had a silencer, it wouldn’t make much noise.

“Yeah, no matter who you are, you can’t do anything in front of a gun…!”

The man with the gun started babbling to himself.

Then he suddenly pulled the trigger.

It was clear he had some kind of plan, aiming for a spot that wouldn’t be life-threatening.

I could tell from his eyes, full of lust, that he would do something to do when I fall.

It was pretty obvious.

He probably thought he’d do something to me when I collapsed… but that’s only if I got hit by the bullet.

I momentarily maximized my physical abilities and dodged the bullet, and the man’s face was filled with astonishment.

I shook my aching hand and kicked off the ground.

A clean kick landed on his chin.

With a cracking sound, the man fell, bleeding from his mouth.

“…Ha.”

I was so dumbfounded that I couldn’t say anything.

The gunshot from a moment ago sounded quite loud, so the silencer’s performance didn’t seem very good.

If someone had good hearing, they would probably know something happened by now.

So, I had to leave before someone else came.

Of course, I wasn’t going to just leave.

When these idiots came to their senses, I wanted them to regret what happened today for the rest of their lives.

I gave them unforgettable gifts on their arms and legs and then quietly left the hideout.

Up to that point, it was good.

I cleaned up the trash, and someone else would take care of the aftermath, so all I had to do was move.

But just as I was about to leave the hideout, two familiar people appeared in front of me.

“Ah.”

“Oh.”

“Uh.”

An awkward silence fell.

For a moment, I wondered why Kim Aram and Gong Jinhoo were here at this time, and then I came to my senses.

The important thing wasn’t why these two were here, but that the situation could get complicated.

I didn’t hesitate for long.

“Why are you two here?”

“I heard… something like a gunshot.”

Gong Jinhoo smiled awkwardly and stepped back.

I read his expression for a moment and suddenly realized that blood was flowing from my hand.

The back of my hand was dented as if I had deflected a bullet.

And I realized that Gong Jinhoo would probably connect this wound to exactly what it was.

Again, I didn’t hesitate for long.

I reflexively struck Gong Jinhoo with the side of my hand, knocking him unconscious, and caught my breath.

Kim Aram didn’t seem to understand the situation yet, but well. It couldn’t be helped.

“Aram, listen carefully.”

I growled, baring my fangs.

“What happened today is a secret to the grave. Got it?”

“Y-Yes, I understand. But Jinhoo…”

“…He’ll wake up in a bit. Go do what you have to do.”

Kim Aram nodded, stepped back, and went outside.

I watched her for a moment and then carried Gong Jinhoo outside.

It seemed like a good idea to go outside, as the police raided the scene not long after.

For Gong Jinhoo… I couldn’t just leave him on the floor, so I offered my lap as a pillow.

I didn’t want to use violence, but since I did, I could offer this level of kindness.

As a result, the gazes of people passing by often fell on us.

It felt like they were saying, ‘Aren’t they too lovey-dovey as a couple?’

Some people seemed to realize that Gong Jinhoo’s condition wasn’t good, but fortunately, I could chase them away with a glare in time.

And how much time passed?

Gong Jinhoo, who woke up with a slight groan, chuckled and closed his eyes again.

Then he said, half-jokingly.

“…I think I know what it feels like to have my heart stop.”

I just sighed and warned him.

“If you talk about what happened today, your heart will really stop.”

“That’s scary. But could you let me get up now?”

I silently removed my hand from Gong Jinhoo, and he groaned as he sat up.

He looked a little stiff, but I controlled my strength well, so he seemed fine.

Of course, I couldn’t stop Gong Jinhoo from staring at me.

He seemed determined to keep the secret but at least hear a minimal explanation later.

So I ran away, well.

I ran home, thinking about when I could clean up this mess.

And after kicking my blanket in frustration for a while, I went outside again a few hours later.

Unfortunately, there were still too many trash to be cleaned up in the world.