Chapter 20
The training continued until sunrise.
After that, without any time to feel tired, the morning classes began, and when I came to my senses from my daze, it was 1 AM on Wednesday.
The next day as well.
And the day after that.
The days melted away in an instant.
“Ah……”
I started each day by chugging a potion at sunrise.
All I had gained from the training so far was the knowledge that constantly moving was about ten times better than just hiding.
What a fucking training.
My stats did not even increase.
Looking at the training method, it was clearly focused on awakening abilities rather than stats, but…….
Abilities my ass, all I got was a trauma of being startled like a coward by the surrounding noises all day long.
The most unsightly thing was when I dropped my own pen during class and was startled by the sound.
Then, when Do Minyeong from the next seat picked up the pen and handed it to me, I was startled again.
The sounds from the back seat, which were clearly mocking my state, were a bonus.
“Should I quit now……”
In the end, I had not found out anything about An Hwigom’s identity.
I could not even properly feel his mana, and it was impossible to even guess what attribute he had.
Just the fact that he was a ridiculously strong and insanely agile awakener.
“Haa……”
And so, it was Friday.
Early morning, after the training had ended as usual.
I chugged a potion and then stopped by a convenience store near the dormitory.
There, I picked up a sandwich, paid for it with my smartwatch, and then went outside, stuffing the sandwich into my mouth.
I had a lot of points thanks to the Mystery Club, but I did not want to leisurely arrange food on a plate and eat with refinement.
Most importantly, the knives and forks in that place made sharp, clattering noises.
Now that I was sensitive to even small sounds, the cafeteria was a very difficult place.
“Just imagining it is terrifying.”
On the bright side, I was getting used to it as the training continued.
I went to the dormitory, washed off the smell of sweat and blood, and put on my cadet uniform.
After enjoying the tranquility of the holiday, I belatedly headed to the main gate of the Hero Preparatory School.
Today was Friday, a school holiday.
A day to continue club activities.
As in the original work, the Mystery Club would visit an exhibition located in Seoul’s District 8.
There was no special reason for the visit itself.
It was nothing more or less than an external activity to fulfill the pretext of a camouflage club activity.
“You’re here?”
Lee Eunho was out early by himself.
I gave him a half-hearted reply and let out a big yawn from the overwhelming fatigue.
Yun Jeongseop, the advisor of the Mystery Club, would not be participating in this schedule.
In fact, he had ‘notified’ me by message yesterday with the word ‘bothersome.’
This was also as in the original work.
Because if an instructor was present at a scheduled incident, it would be difficult for the cadets to play an active role.
By the way, where was Cha Yeri…….
“Where’s Cha Yeri?”
“She said she just left.”
“How do you know that?”
“I just got a message.”
So they even send messages to each other.
What a desirable phenomenon.
But wasn’t I the president?
The feeling that Cha Yeri was thoroughly excluding me was prevalent.
A few minutes later, Cha Yeri’s figure could be seen in the distance.
Since we were watching from an open area, she could have run, but she maintained her characteristic elegant and leisurely pace.
She was not late, so there was nothing to worry about, but as someone who knew Cha Yeri’s personality, I thought, ‘she lives such a tiring life,’ and couldn’t help but let out a silent chuckle.
When Cha Yeri arrived, I sent a message to Yun Jeongseop that we were departing.
Just as we were about to leave the main gate, I suddenly turned to Cha Yeri and said.
“Ah, by the way, Cadet Cha Yeri.”
“……What is it?”
“Have you ever ridden a tram?”
***
Seoul was composed of a total of 30 districts and was largely divided into the inner and outer city.
The inner city was from District 2 to 10, and the outer city was from District 11 to 30.
The inner city was built as a planned city, while the outer city was indiscriminately developed to secure residential space, resulting in poor public security.
Even Dispel personnel considered being assigned to the outer city a demotion.
Among these, the unmentioned District 1 was located under the ground of District 2 and was commonly referred to as Underground District 1.
District 1 was the city where the ‘Labyrinth,’ created by the aftermath of the Great Rift, existed.
The place we headed to today was Seoul’s District 8.
District 8 was an island on the Han River, with a relatively smaller size than the other districts.
It might be hard to believe that a district-sized island was on the Han River, but the ground of Seoul had changed greatly due to the aftermath of the Great Rift.
“There are a lot of people even though it’s a weekday.”
“Yeah, there are.”
After taking the tram and arriving in District 8, Lee Eunho and I moved to the meeting place while people-watching.
At the meeting place, Cha Yeri was sitting on a bench, drinking coffee with her assistant.
With few people around to recognize her, she was enjoying her freedom without any constraints.
“She feels a little different from when I see her on campus.”
“Ah, really?”
“Yeah, she looks more free.”
I agreed with Lee Eunho’s words.
She was wearing a peaceful expression that could not be seen on campus.
“Well, I guess she’s excited because it’s a tourist spot.”
The heiress of Hyeonseong did not take the tram; she moved ahead separately in her assistant’s car.
Apparently, it was because she had never ridden a tram in her life.
I secretly thought about getting a ride in her car, but Cha Yeri, true to her original personality, drew a line first, saying she did not let men in her car.
As expected of someone with an uncanny sense of intuition.
As soon as we approached Cha Yeri, the assistant by her side disappeared into the crowd in an instant.
“I was waiting for you.”
Cha Yeri stood up from the bench with a suddenly calm face.
I looked at a nearby ticket machine and said.
“Then I’ll get the tickets first.”
***
The name of the exhibition was ‘Rifts, Art, and Coexistence.’
An exposition where the traces of interdimensional species that had crossed over from the rifts and various works of art were displayed.
Seoul’s District 8, like the 4th Scholastic District, was planned for a special purpose.
A cultural tourism special zone.
A place that utilized the advantage of being on the Han River to introduce the culture of superpowers to visitors.
An international film festival was held in District 8 every year, award ceremonies related to awakeners were hosted, and pretty much all prestigious cultural events were held there.
Perhaps because of that, there were far more non-awakener visitors than awakeners.
It was safe to say that everyone except for the guards deployed on the grounds, the exhibition-related awakeners, and the Dispel forces undercover in plain clothes were ordinary people.
“In other words, it’s a perfect place for an incident to occur.”
I deliberately separated myself and viewed the exhibition alone.
It was a decision made with the awareness that in the original work, Lee Eunho and Cha Yeri viewed it alone.
Also, having gauged the devoted reader’s tastes, it was clear that a main episode would unfold today, so being separated like this was more liberating in many ways.
The episode that would soon occur was simple.
A criminal group illegally occupies the exhibition hall building, steals the target item, and tries to escape with the people inside the exhibition hall as hostages, but Lee Eunho, who knows the future, cooperates with Cha Yeri to wipe out the criminal group.
“A cliché development.”
Actually, there was no need for me to move in today’s episode.
Because I had not used a single coin, there was no room for the devoted reader to forcibly intervene.
The episode itself was something that Lee Eunho could handle without any trouble even if he took the lead.
Of course, even if it was not a change due to coins, there would be differences from the original work, so…….
“I’ll have to watch just in case.”
I went into a convenience store located inside the exhibition hall building for an early lunch.
Normally, I should have eaten with the other two who were separated, but unfortunately, the time overlapped with the episode.
So, I planned to satisfy my hunger in advance.
I picked up various things from the display stand and headed to the counter.
But while I was looking at the display stand, a customer who had come in late had already taken the counter.
“……What did you say?”
“You’ve exceeded your limit……”
“Pardon?”
“Either there’s no balance in your account, or your credit limit has been exceeded.”
A woman who seemed a little flustered, but whose unique, clear voice was charming…….
“I mean, what on earth are you talking about……”
It was Cha Yeri.
I first wondered why she was separated from Lee Eunho, but that question was quickly buried.
Because she was unable to pay for a single triangle kimbap.
The heiress of Hyeonseong couldn’t even buy a triangle kimbap…….
Did her assistant buy the coffee she was drinking on the bench?
Except for the prize money from the marksmanship competition, she was in a position to receive an allowance, so she could not use as much cash as her chaebol name suggested.
It seemed she was scraping together every penny she had and using it for ‘something’…….
Was there any reason for the Cha Yeri of the early original work to be desperate for money?
“Just a moment……”
Cha Yeri calmly touched her smartwatch.
Her intention was to convert her Hero Preparatory School points into her bank account.
But the feeling she gave off was strange.
Looking back and forth between her smartwatch and the clerk, she was making an uncharacteristically flustered expression.
“…….”
Could it be that she had used up all her points too?
At this rate, given her personality, it meant that she was desperately pouring funds into ‘something.’
In the end, with a half-resigned heart, I placed my items on the counter.
“Please ring these up together.”
“Okay.”
BEEP-.
With the sound of the scanner, Cha Yeri turned her gaze to me.
“Ah……!”
The expression she had when she first faced a financial difficulty was nowhere to be seen.
She just pursed her lips and stared at me silently, then quickly turned her head to the monitor displaying the amount.
“I’ll pay you back for this.”
“Yes, as you wish.”
Paying together was a big decision on my part.
Because Cha Yeri hated having her weaknesses exposed.
Especially to people she looked down on like me.
If I were to act smug as if I had done her a favor, our relationship could change irrevocably.
Therefore, I tagged my smartphone to the terminal as coolly as possible.
With an expression that said this was not even a favor.
─Insufficient balance.
“…….”
“…….”
Oh no, the shopping last time…….
I was so preoccupied with An Hwigom’s training that I forgot to convert my points.
“Ah, I just need to convert some points.”
I operated my smartwatch with an awkward expression.
The clerk bagged the items as if this was a common occurrence, and by the time Cha Yeri awkwardly picked up her triangle kimbap, I had finished the conversion.
But at that moment…….
An alarm suddenly went off inside the building.
─A fire has broken out inside the building. All visitors, please calmly evacuate outside…….
“……!”
“What, what is it!”
Following that, a translucent window appeared before my eyes.
<Main Episode>
Title: Psychic Mafia
Characters: Lee Eunho, Cha Yeri
Reward: Remake Coins
The episode was starting much earlier than planned.
I cast my gaze outside the convenience store glass with a dazed expression.
Sprinklers were already pouring all over the building.
A crowd of people running outside.
And the power inside the building being cut off as described in the original work…….
“What are you doing, customer! There’s a fire!”
The clerk pushed me and Cha Yeri out of the convenience store, then quickly closed the door and joined the fleeing crowd.
Finally coming to my senses, I stared at the message that had appeared after the episode.
[The difficulty of the main episode will be adjusted in proportion to the amount of Remake Coins used.]
[Remake Coins used up to this episode: 0]
[Applied setting intervention rate: 50.000%]
An intervention rate of 50%.
A penalty for not using any coins…….
“Let’s go too!”
Cha Yeri urged me on as I stood there blankly.
I hurriedly opened my mouth.
“Lee Eunho! Where is Lee Eunho right now?”
“Pardon? He’s outside the building. Near the outdoor exhibition area……”
What?
“He went ahead first, and we moved separately. Since we have to submit a report anyway, it saves time if we look around the exhibition hall individually.”
At those words, I clenched my jaw.
Those who were close to the exit might have escaped, but the crowd around here would not be able to.
Because the exits would have started to be blocked as soon as the sprinklers were activated.
In other words, the protagonist, Lee Eunho, was outside the episode.
“Lee Eunho…… is not here……”
Soon, the sprinklers stopped, and several gunshots echoed throughout the building.
The activities of the criminal organization, the Psychic Mafia, had begun.
“Hey! It’s a terrorist attack! Hurry, get out of the building……!”
Despite Cha Yeri’s continuous urging, I stood rooted to the spot.
……The protagonist was not in the episode.
What the hell am I supposed to do?