VNV Chapter 06

Chapter 06

 

After getting ready for school, I glanced toward the corner of my vision—the spot where the quest window had been firmly anchored. Even though I had cleared the second quest, the next one still hadn’t appeared. But it didn’t feel like I had completed all the quests either. Or maybe the system was just stunned by what I’d done. Min Yu-un had certainly seemed surprised that I’d managed to become friends with Lee Soo-hyeon.

‘I guess he didn’t expect me to make friends in such a bizarre way.’

It made sense. Even thinking back on it now, I still find it absurd.

[So, you’re friends with Lee Soo-hyeon now, right?]

Min Yu-un, who had maintained his silence since yesterday, finally spoke up.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

[Do you go to school together?]

Thrown off by the random question, I lightly shook my head.

“No.”

[But friends usually go to school together.]

“Min Yu-un, are you seriously asking because you don’t know?”

Only then did he seem to understand, as he fell silent again. The reason Lee Soo-hyeon had agreed to be my friend was obvious—faint pity. That was probably all it was. In other words, it was nothing more than a superficial friendship in name only. And that was exactly the kind of relationship I wanted.

Throwing my backpack over my shoulder, I opened the front door, glanced around for no reason, and let out a sigh. Maybe it was because of what Min Yu-un had said, but I found myself holding onto a sliver of hope without realizing it.

‘What was I expecting?’

As if yesterday’s conversation would suddenly lead to us walking to school together. The very thought was beyond foolish. Scolding myself, I forced my heavy steps forward.

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‘I feel so stiff.’

After sitting through classes with nothing to do, my whole body felt stiff. I rubbed my shoulder and stood up, thinking I’d take a short walk down the hallway.

I could feel eyes glancing at me from various directions, but they quickly lost interest. Stretching as I leaned against the windowsill, a cool breeze brushed the back of my neck. Enjoying the pleasant sensation, I shifted my gaze toward a corner of the hallway—where Han Tae-ryeong was walking.

Luckily, he didn’t seem to notice me, so I turned away. I had planned to return to the classroom before crossing paths with him. After all, it wasn’t Yoo Si-eon or Lee Soo-hyeon—it was Han Tae-ryeong. The same Han Tae-ryeong who had stomped on the cream bun I’d given him.

I didn’t hold any personal grudges against him. Min Yu-un had done wrong, so the punishment was only fair. But that didn’t mean the awkwardness could be easily ignored. I didn’t want to stir up trouble when things were finally peaceful.

But before I could leave, someone suddenly appeared in front of me.

“Min Yu-un.”

It was Yoo Si-eon, looking at me with a slight frown.

“Let’s talk for a bit.”

“…You and me?”

I asked, taken aback. I thought everything had been settled—what more was there to say?

[He already got your apology, so why can’t he just leave?!]

As usual, Min Yu-un’s voice echoed through my head, sharp and loud enough to give me a headache. The piercing noise made my temples throb, and I pressed my fingers against them.

“…Does your head hurt?”

Realizing my mistake, I quickly dropped my hand.

“No, I’m fine.”

Yoo Si-eon gazed at me with an unreadable expression. The heavy atmosphere made me choose my words carefully.

“Let’s talk, then. Or would you rather wait until lunch?”

“No, let’s go now—there’s an empty classroom we can—”

“Yoo Si-eon.”

A familiar voice cut through the air—harsh, rough, and cold.

“And Min Yu-un.”

Both Yoo Si-eon and I turned toward the same spot. Han Tae-ryeong stood there, eyes sharp as ice. With all three of us together, the pressure radiating from him felt heavy, amplified by his towering height.

“So, yesterday’s apology was just an act, huh? Seeing you approach Yoo Si-eon again like this.”

I clamped my mouth shut. Whether he misunderstood or not, I didn’t feel the need to explain. I had already apologized—what more did it matter?

But someone else spoke up in my defense.

“Min Yu-un did apologize sincerely. I’m the one who asked to talk this time.”

“…Yoo Si-eon, are you really that stupid?”

Han Tae-ryeong’s murderous gaze swept over me.

“Stupid enough to defend this piece of trash?”

“Han Tae-ryeong, watch your damn mouth—”

“Min Yu-un.”

Ignoring Yoo Si-eon, Han Tae-ryeong took a step toward me.

“Let me make this clear—don’t try any pathetic tricks. I’m not someone you can fool.”

[…Why is it always me?]

Min Yu-un’s voice was tinged with tears.

‘Chaos from both sides, huh?’

Suppressing a sigh, I rolled my eyes slightly, maintaining my usual impassive expression.

“…I’m sorry.”

In the end, the only thing I could say again was an apology. Han Tae-ryeong scoffed with a smirk that twisted one corner of his mouth into a sneer.

“Since when did you turn into a parrot that can only say sorry?”

“Hey, Han Tae-ryeong.”

“Yoo Si-eon, I don’t get you either. Do you really believe that bastard’s words?”

As Yoo Si-eon’s lips tightened into a firm line, Taeryeong let out a dry chuckle as if to say, See? I knew it.

“Still don’t know how to handle this? Should I teach you myself?”

“Cut it out. This is my problem, so butt out and get lost.”

“Get lost? Is that what you say to a friend of ten years?”

A friend of ten years? That was a plot twist I hadn’t expected. So, the main character and the main love interest were childhood friends? Well, the surprise was quickly overshadowed by sheer annoyance. If I stayed here any longer, I’d definitely get dragged into this mess even after the bell rang, signaling the start of class.

“…Should I just kneel?”

I muttered absentmindedly. It was barely more than a whisper, but Yoo Si-eon and Han Tae-ryeong’s gazes instantly snapped to me. After a moment, Taeryeong shoved his hands into his pockets with an arrogant shrug.

“Yeah, go ahead. Kneel.”

“….”

[What kind of nonsense is that?!]

Min Yu-un’s furious shout echoed in my mind, but my knees held no value anymore. After all, I’d knelt hundreds of times before. One more wouldn’t change anything. Lowering my body slowly, my gaze dropped toward the ground. Yoo Si-eon opened his mouth, eyes wide with shock.

“Min Yu-un!”

Just as my knee was about to touch the floor, someone grabbed my arm. A rough grip yanked me upright in an instant, leaving me momentarily frozen. The dull ache in my wrist was nothing compared to the unsettlingly familiar presence that now stood beside me.

“Is this your doing again, Yoo Si-eon?”

Bad premonitions never failed to come true. My teeth clenched as the urge to bolt from the scene surged within me. Standing there with an infuriatingly self-righteous expression was none other than Jin Ha-seong. I tried to hide my paling complexion, but my tightly clenched fists trembled despite my efforts.

Right now, what I needed most was an apology and peace. If I fought back and caused a scene, it could lead to the exact opposite of what Min Yu-un wanted. This whole ordeal could have ended quietly if I had just knelt down and finished it. So why did Jin Ha-seong—of all people, who nobody wanted here—have to interfere?

Dizziness swam through my vision. I went through all the trouble of apologizing to everyone and clearing Quest 2. I couldn’t afford to let all my hard work go to waste now. If I couldn’t deal with Jin Ha-seong here and now, he would only continue to be a thorn in my side. Worse, if things got too messy, the quest might reset—or worse, I might have to go through the whole apology process again.

“…Yoo Si-eon.”

Jin Ha-seong’s voice grated against my ears, as if he were issuing a warning. His cold tone was supposed to sound intimidating, but I found it laughable.

“Leave Min Yu-un alone already. How much longer are you going to bully him until you’re satisfied?”

My heart dropped into my stomach at the absurdity of his words.

“….What?”

Yoo Si-eon’s eyes visibly wavered as he repeated the word in disbelief. Han Tae-ryeong’s clenched jaw twitched, the veins in his neck standing out as if he were grinding his teeth hard enough to break them. This situation was driving me insane.

It was Han Tae-ryeong who had ordered me to kneel. Yoo Si-eon had actually been defending me. On top of that, I was the one who had offered to kneel first. Yet that idiot Jin Ha-seong was venting his anger at Yoo Si-eon instead of Han Tae-ryeong. Anyone with half a brain knew that Min Yu-un’s group had been tormenting Yoo Si-eon all this time. And yet, Jin Ha-seong had the audacity to twist the facts so blatantly.

“Ha!”

Han Tae-ryeong’s scoff, laced with incredulity, echoed the sheer absurdity of the moment. It was probably always like this. Compared to the terrifying Han Tae-ryeong and Lee Soo-hyeon, Yoo Si-eon was the easier target—someone they could bully under the guise of “teaching a lesson” while securing a scapegoat in case things went south. After all, what did it matter if Min Yu-un resented Yoo Si-eon? To his followers, the only thing that mattered was gaining power by tormenting someone—and having a convenient scapegoat to take the blame if they ever got caught.

How could I forget? I’d experienced that same cowardly and cruel culture firsthand during high school. Just thinking about how I had humored Jin Ha-seong’s nonsense yesterday made me want to punch myself.

So the cream bun incident—that was probably Jin Ha-seong’s doing too.

I hadn’t even ordered him to do it, yet he’d taken it upon himself to swap the bun for the expired one. I couldn’t tell whether he was being diligent or just arrogant.

“Yoo Si-eon, the more you act like this, the more Min Yu-un will—!”

Without thinking, I slapped my hand over Jin Ha-seong’s mouth to stop him from saying another word.

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Thank YOU for reading! ♡

Much ♡ to bloomin for helping with the editing. ( ੭ ˘ ³˘)੭‎°｡⋆♡‧₊˚