Chapter 54: CHAPTER 50 – Reunion to catch the culprit (goes wrong)

“It’s getting late… When will this girl wake up…? *sigh…*”-I sighed while looking at Chae Nayun still sleeping on the floor and petting the sleeping leopard cat at my side.

“Yeah… It’s almost 10:00 PM… curfew is close… *sigh…*”-Answered Hajin. “By the way… At this rate you’ll get attached to that cat…”-He says while looking at the leopard cat.

“Yeah, so? Isn’t Shina cute?”-I asked him while scratching her stomach.

“You already named it!?”-He looked at me stupefied.

“Of course! She’s just so cute! Look at that face!!!”-I say while raising Shiva.

“*sigh…* Also… Why did you name it Shina? It’s a weird name for a Leopard Cat…”

“You ever played Bloody Roar?”-I ask him while putting Shina on the floor.

“… No…? What’s that?”-He asks.

{Mmm… Maybe his world didn’t have it… Or he’s just some uneducated guy…}-I thought while looking for the words to answer his question.

“It’s a fighting game. The characters there had the ability to transform into anthropomorphic animals. Each character had a different play style in both human form and animal form. Shina was a leopard. And her face reminds me of that character’s beast mode.”-I give a quick lecture to Hajin.

“… You know… Sometimes I just don’t know what to think about you…”-He said while blankly staring at me.

“Mmm…”-A sudden noise stopped our conversation.

We three turned to look towards Chae Nayun, who was slowly waking up.

“Arg…”-A muted sound escaped her mouth as she clutched her head. It seems that she had a headache

“Ha…”

After a few moments, she finally unclasped her head, as it seems like the pain had subsided. {Those sudden headaches could be really strong sometimes…}-I thought to myself while remembering the first headache I had when I got here.

I just looked at her while petting little Shina, Hajin was only looking at her while leaning on a tree. It was a weird silence. Both waiting to see when would she notices us.

“Was it a dream?”-She murmured to herself, only to stop to look at the coat that Hajin put over her. Recalling that everything was true. “… Oh, right.”-After that, she tried to straighten her back.

“AH!!!”-Only to be surprised by Hajin, Shina, and me looking at her. “Oh god! You scared me!!”-She shouted at us. “And what the hell are you doing here too!!!”-She pointed at me.

“Petting a leopard cat, can’t you see?”-I said while pointing at my hand petting Shina, who, by the way, was purring against it.

“That’s not what I meant!”-She shouted again.

“Now, now, calm down. You shouldn’t be screaming.”-Hajin intervened.

“*sigh…* What time is it?”-Chae Nayun asked him.

“It’s 10 at night.”

“What? It’s curfew soon!”-She screamed while grabbing her head.

“Don’t say. You idiot. Who was the one sleeping all day?”

“You!!!”-She points her finger at me. “Stop calling me idiot!!!”

“…”-I just shrugged and kept petting Shina.

“Calm down… And you, stop messing with her…”-Hajin said with a tired face.

Right then, Chae Nayun tried to stand up, but she couldn’t.

“Wh-what!? Wh-what’s ha-happening to me!? M-my l-legs… They do-don’t mo-”

“Magic power exhaustion. Is it your first time?”-Hajin interrupts her desperate crying.

 “A-ah? Magic power… Exhaustion?”-She asked back.

“Yep.”-He answered shortly while walking towards her and kneeled in front of her with his back pointing at him.

{That was smooth.}-I thought while standing up, Shina also following me.

“What?”-Not understanding what Hajin wanted her to do, Chae Nayun furrowed her brows while asking.

“Get on. You can't walk.”-He says while glancing sideways towards her.

“Do I look crazy?”-She retorts.

“… Then what? Do you want to stay here forever?”-He answers back.

“I’m going…”-Chae Nayun finally answered while putting both her hands around Hajin’s neck.

“Yeah.”-Said Hajin while standing up before looking at me. “Shall we go now?”

{Look at the guy raising flags so smoothly…}-I thought to myself while walking towards them. “Sure. Let’s move. Come on Shina.”

We started descending the mountain.

“By the way… I knew you were here… But what’s HE doing here? And why’s that leopard cat following us?”-Chae Nayun asked after a little bit of us walking.

“He heard the commotion and ran toward us, but it was all over when he got here. Still, he stayed in case something else happened…”-Kim Hajin skillfully answered. “Also… That leopard mountain just followed him here…”

“She has a name. It’s Shina.”-I answer while rubbing Shina’s head, who is walking alongside me.

“You know that’s not a pet… right?”-Chae Nayun asked me as if looking at some wacko.

“Her name’s Shina. And she’s just a little cat.”-I answer while frowning.

“…*sigh…* Whatever…”-She gives in to facts.

“Let’s move in silence. Can we?”-Hajin asks.

“Sure.”-I answer.

“He’s the one to always start messing with me!”-Nayun said while pointing at me.

{Time for evasion technique number 145. Codename ‘I hear shit.’}-I thought while putting on my headphones and putting some music on my smartwatch. Ignoring everything the spoiled brat had to say.

***

After we made it back to the Portal Station. Hajin put Chae Nayun on a nearby bench inside the place.

By the way. On the way here, I had to let Shina stay in the forest. I couldn’t bring her with me… She’s just too big to make her pass as a house cat…

“Stop looking like that… You can come and see her whenever you want, dude…”-Hajin told me.

“Shut up… I’m missing her already… You won’t understand the bond between a man and his little leopard cat until you have one of your own…”-I said to him while hunching down my back.

“It’s almost curfew… Can you stop bitching and move towards the portal already?”-Nayun said. To which Hajin just looked at her with disbelief on his face.

“I’m not bitching, you idiot. And you’re not coming. You stay there and call for someone to look for you.”-I answered while glaring at her.

“What? Are you crazy!?”-She shouted back.

“He’s right. Contact your father. You need to go to a hospital.”

“What? No! Take me with you!”-She tried to move, but soon fell. Her legs still not responding to her.

“Haha… Idiot.”-I smirked.

“*sigh…* Stop, dude… You’re making things worse…”-Hajin looked at me. “You… You have a servant, right? Call him and ask him to pick you up… You can give me my coat later. You should really go to a hospital…”-Hajin said to her.

“Yeah… You can go.”-She answered while glaring at us.

“Let’s go. Curfew is close.”-I said to Hajin while walking towards the portal. Still lamenting my separation with poor little Shina.

“See you.”-Hajin said.

We were walking for a bit. Until he suddenly stopped, and I stopped a little further away just to wait for him.

“Hey, are you still going to use a bow?”-He said.

{Oh, right… He’s starting to push things…}-I thought while hearing the question.

“What? What are you talking about?”-Chae Nayun asked back.

“You felt it today, didn’t you?”-He ask again while looking at her. “You should be using a sword. Not a bow.”

“Oh yeah? What do you know about me?”-She retorted back while glaring.

“… Nevermind then…”-Hajin merely shrugged and kept walking.

“Well, it’s a start.”-I whisper to him.

“Sure.”

We kept walking towards the portal, with Chae Nayun still glaring at us for leaving her inside the station.

***

The next day we finally had classes. Not like I needed to attend or something. I mean. I did need to attend them. But I can pass the exams without doing it. Curiously, everyone knew about Chae Nayun fighting a Djinn. Again, no one mentioned Kim Hajin on the news. So that’s less SP for him.

After we got out of classes, Kim Suho got close to us, he slightly glanced at me before putting his hand in Hajin’s shoulder, telling him to go to room 303 before 5:00 PM. And telling us that we wouldn’t regret it and that if things went well, we could even grab extra points.

It's not like I actually needed it. But still, I promised the guy to go with him. Thankfully, I won’t need to go to the Field today. As Hajin gave me some money yesterday. I invested almost everything of it in stocks and left a little bit for my own use just in case.

The rest of the day was uneventful. Olivia came to talk a bit with me, asking me why I didn’t go to train yesterday, to which I merely answered I was busy. And well, nothing much happened after that, other than she trying to take some answers out of me.

I also thought a lot about my little Shina… That must be alone and cold somewhere in Gangwondo. I was slowly planning how to get her. But that would have to wait for another day.

Right now. I was close to room 303, waiting for Hajin who should be coming anytime now, as it was almost 4:55 PM.

And right as I said that Hajin came out from the stairs.

“Hey!”-He said hi to me,

“‘Supp man. How are you?”-I also said hi to him.

“Good. I rested a little bit, what about you?”

“Good too. I was wasting a little bit of time before you came here.”-I answered while shrugging.

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“Great, shall we go inside?”-He asks me.

“You first. I don’t want to be the first to enter into that group of shitheads.”-I said to him while gesturing for him to go inside.

“Whew… They’re not that bad…”-He said with a weird face.

“Of course… You made them…”-I murmur for only to him to hear.

“Ha… Let’s go.”-He opens the door and goes inside, with me following and closing the door.

Once inside, it was quite the spectacle. First of all. On one side you had Shin Jonghak, Yoo Yeonha, and Kim Horak, who’s Jonghak’s lackey. While in the other side you had our class’ representative Yi Yeonghan and his friend and protagonist of Returner Hero, Kim Suho.

{What’s this? It’s more like two confronting sides than a group trying to resolve a problem… That’s why they can’t find anything.}-I thought while leaning myself at one side of the door.

Funny thing is, Yoo Yeonha was frowning at me, while Shin Jonghak was merely glancing at us.

“So, why did you call me?”-Hajin asked.

That’s when Shin Jonghak frowned.

“I haven’t told them why we’re meeting yet.”-Kim Suho stood up and spoke before Jonghak could say anything.

“So? What is it?”-Hajin asks again.

{I’ll let you do the talking. Won’t be interfering, or I’ll probably end up fighting against someone…}-I thought while glancing towards everyone.

“Hajin, Cristopher, you both have heard about the cadets going missing, right?”-Kim Suho asks us.

“…Yeah”-Hajin answers, while I only nod.

“It’s about that. Cube entrusted us to investigate the cause. Of course, they’re going to do their own investigation, but since the culprit is likely a student, they think it’ll be easier for students to investigate.”-Kim Suho says.

{So… Give a bunch of kids a job such as finding a Djinn that could be a potential danger to said students. Good work Cube. Hiding the Djinn, that is.}-I thought while glancing around the room, it was tidy.

“…But why me?”-He asked.

“You have good eyes. I heard you can see over a thousand miles away.”-Kim Suho answered.

“Well, yeah… I do have good eyes.”

“Would you help us? Would both of you help us?”-Kim Suho asked, this time while looking at both of us.

“I don’t know if I can, but…”-Said Hajin.

“Sure, this guy dragged me here already.”-I too answered this time. Winning a little frown from Shin Jonghak and company.

“Thanks, both of you.”-Kim Suho answered while smiling.

The conversation continued with Suho bringing up yesterday’s incident towards Chae Nayun.

“First, I don’t think the Djinn that attacked Nayun is this incident’s culprit. But…”

“Nayun?”-Shin Jonghak interrupted him, like a child making a small tantrum just because Kim Suho didn’t address her with her last name. {Such a brat…}

“… But I think there is a high chance that Chae Nayun is the real culprit’s next target. Djinns follow their contracted Devil’s orders, so, if Sven’s contracted Devil ordered him to attack Chae Nayun, it would make sense that another Djinn would go after her.”-Continued Kim Suho.

{While the theory is good enough, it still doesn’t take into account the Djinns nature, nor even the probability of the Devil being totally different. And that’s taking into account that there’re 80 different Devils. I would accept if humans didn’t know of all of them… But still…}

“So, I’m wondering, can you think of anyone suspicious? Someone you know who recently has been acting strangely…?”-Kim Suho asked everyone.

Curiously, Yoo Yeonha is looking at both Hajin and me, while Shin Jonghak and Kim Horak were focused only on Hajin.

“Yeah, I have someone in mind.”-Kim Hajin started.

“Who?”-Kim Suho asked

“Yun Hyun.”-Continued Hajin after thinking for a little bit and confronting everybody’s gaze.

The place got quiet. With everyone looking at him.

“Pfft”-That is, until Yoo Yeonha mocking laugh resounded. “That person has an alibi. We already looked into him because he was close to the first victim.”

“But what if the victim went to Yun Hyun on her own?”-Hajin asks her.

“A mental magic that could lure a cadet? Yeah, that makes sense.”-This time, Shin Jonghak intervened with a sarcastic retort.

“If it’s mental magic yeah. But…”-Hajin tried to continue with his explanation.

“Screw the useless talk.”-Interrupted Shin Jonghak again.

“As for me…”-Suddenly started Yoo Yeonha. “I’m more suspicious of you.”-She said while smiling and pointing towards Kim Hajin.

{You know… After basically helping her with her Guild’s thing… She’s just straightly sending him to the guillotine…}-I thought while looking at her.

“Yoo Yeonha, that’s not right either. Hajin also has an alibi.”-Kim Suho intervened.

 “His alibi is a record of him using the Portal. If he is a Djinn, tampering with something like that should be easy. Compared to senior Yun Hyun who was with others, that person is much more…”-Only to be rebutted by Yoo Yeonha.

“Why don’t we beat him up first?”-Suddenly the fatty known as Kim Horak, also known as Shin Jonghak lackey number 1 hastily stands up. “I’m sure he’ll sing or transform if he’s beaten. Hey, get up.”

I slowly stand straight. Every cadet here, except for Kim Suho, was looking towards Kim Hajin with suspicion. Yoo Yeonha also shot a glance at me, frowning slightly.

“Jonghak, I can break an arm or two, right?”-Asked Kim Horak.

“Yeah, come at me, you fat son of a bitch. I’ll drill a hole in your head.”-Hajin answered in anger.

“…What did you say? Look at this crazy motherfucker.”-Kim Horak retorted

Hajin just took out his gun and pointed at the fatty.

“Retard, you think that can make me flinch?”-The fatty answered while getting ready to charge ahead.

“Stop.”-Kim Suho cut between both of them. “Now’s not the time for this. Hajin, you calm down too.”

“You, if you’re doubtful, ask Chae Nayun.”-Said Hajin while pointing at Yoo Yeonha.

“What does Nayun have to do with this?”-A confused Shin Jonghak asked.

“When she was attacked by a Djinn, I was there too. We killed him together. She didn’t tell you yet?”- Hajin said while glaring at a calm Yoo Yeonha. “Anyways, I made myself clear, the culprit is that piece of shit Yun Hyun.”-He said while turning around. “Let’s go.”

“Sure.”-I said, preparing myself to stop a charging pig.

“Huk”-Hajin tripped and the charging boar known as Kim Horak went straight through the path that Kim Hajin was taking.

Now. You sure would be asking why I didn’t tell or advise Hajin to move. Well, first of all, I knew that he will trip and evade, and that’s actually something that would benefit him. And secondly, I was really getting tired of all of this. So, I chose the best way to do things. For me that is.

I reinforced my right leg with mana, stepped in front of the charging boar who opened his eyes wide while looking at me, and immediately after I kicked his chest, sending him flying away. Though, with only enough force to stop his charge and send him flying back.

*BOM!*

The guy crashed with a few things in the room all the way to the other wall. Everyone immediately stood up. Shin Jonghak even glaring at me.

“Now, now, why don’t we calm down? That was a bitch move. Attacking from behind.”-I said while glaring back at everyone.

“I thought you wouldn’t intervene.”-Hajin said to me with eyes wide open.

“Well, you see. I didn’t think about intervening while coming here. But man, these bitches sure know how to use those shitholes they call mouths.”-I said, this time glaring only at Yoo Yeonha. “Heck, one of them even tried to attack you from behind. And these are supposed to become heroes? Pfft… Such a society we live in…”-I said, while the fatty was slowly standing up and clutching his chest while frowning in pain.

“You…”-Shin Jonghak started to walk here with a glaring face. “You sure have balls, talking like that to me.”

Even Kim Suho was frowning, but he still stopped Shin Jonghak.

“What are you doing? Move out of the way!”-He shouted.

“Calm down. We’re not here to fight! Yoo Yeonha! Call Chae Nayun!”-Kim Suho told her.

“*tch…*”-She clicked her tongue, but still made the call while being looked at by Kim Suho’s glare. “Wait a minute…”

After calling her, she made the question, and Chae Nayun indeed confirmed that Kim Hajin actually saved her from the Djinn, saying that there’s no way he was the culprit. She even went as far as to say that I was there with them after everything ended.

“That may leave Hajin out of the radar. But what about you?”-Yoo Yeonha asked while pointing at me after hanging out.

“Pfft. What? Now you want to make me the culprit? Are you mad? Didn’t Chae Nayun told you right now that I was with them yesterday?”-I ask back.

“For what I know. You got there after everything ended. How do we know if you weren’t there to end the job?”-She asks.

“How? Easy. Both Hajin and Chae Nayun are alive. One cadet with magic power exhaustion, and one sharpshooter without power left to fight back. Easy job if I was going there to kill them.”-I answer while shrugging.

“…”-She just glares at me.

“Either way, we’re leaving. You have your culprit’s name. I think we made enough.”-I said while dragging Kim Hajin out of there. Just stopping for a little right at the door. "By the way. A quick class for idiots. While mental magic might be hard to pass to cadets, not impossible, mind you, there's still charms magic. Of course, not like idiots like you would know, and actually, if you were to look a little deep into it, you would notice all the damn clues, but again, that's asking too much of you, it seems."-I said, finally going out.

I’m pretty sure that Shin Jonghak tried to follow us, but was stopped by Kim Suho, while Yoo Yeonha went to see Kim Horak who was still panting in pain while clutching his chest.

***

“Whew… Man… I was almost about to go punch that shitty guy in the face…”-I said to Kim Hajin while walking out of the dorms. "Such a group of brainless idiots... At this point, I'm feeling better with my own intelligence."

“…Thanks, if you weren’t there. I think I would lose my calm and shoot that boar.”-He said.

“Don’t worry… Either way, are you sure this will move things up?”-I ask him.

“I hope so… Or a few more cadets will die before Yoo Yeonha is kidnapped…”-He says.

“Well, don’t worry too much. Let’s go. I’ll help you with training today for tomorrow.”

“What…?”

“Tomorrow we’re dungeon hunting, remember?”-I said while lifting my eyebrow.

“I know… But what training are you talking about?”

“I’m saying that I’m giving you an introduction to what we’re doing tomorrow. And also... Preparing yourself for it. It will probably be hard…”-I said to him while shrugging.

“*SIGH…* Fine… Let’s go…”-He said.

We then went towards a forest that’s inside of Cube to train for tomorrow. As there’re exams close, the training center is actually full of cadets all the time, so we better avoid that place, also, as we’re going towards a dungeon, it’s better to be secretive.