Chapter 219. Ambush (3)
After finishing the ice cream that came as dessert, I leaned back in my chair.
"This place is always delicious, no matter when I come."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it."
Moon Surin, sipping her Claire Rose Latte, smiled brightly at my words.
"Noona, are you having a hard time or anything?"
"Hm? Not really. Why do you keep asking if I'm struggling lately?"
"… Just. Just because. If you are, that would be sad, you know? Haha…"
Tsk.
Guess I'm making it too obvious. Not a good habit.
As I scraped the empty ice cream bowl for no reason, I felt Moon Surin's gaze.
Her eyes said she had something to say.
"Noona, is there something you want to say?"
"Mm. Hoyeon. Um, if the paparazzi are bothering you too much, tell me. I'll handle it all."
"… Huh?"
"You said it before, right? That it's been really tough."
The sudden mention of paparazzi made me pause in confusion, but I soon remembered.
Last time we met, I had said that kind of as an excuse.
'What the hell is going on here.'
I'm supposed to be the one seducing Moon Surin.
But she's the one seducing me instead.
Anyway… I can't let her waste energy on pointless things.
Honestly, maybe it's because I'm a guy, but I don't mind the attention.
"Well, I'm okay. Things were just hectic back then. It doesn't bother me now."
"R-Really…?"
As I continued, the corners of Moon Surin's lips gradually lifted.
"Yeah. I mean, it's a bit weird that strangers save my pictures… but I have to get used to it. I am a celebrity now."
Come to think of it, a lot of people use celebrity photos as their wallpaper, and I doubt they all asked permission.
I should just look at it that way.
"W-What if it's someone you know?"
Moon Surin leaned in a little closer.
"Huh?"
"Would it still be weird if someone you know saved them…?"
"?"
I frowned slightly, not immediately getting it. Then Moon Surin's eyes widened as she quickly waved her hands.
"Ah, no. Sorry. That's not the issue. I said it weird. Ahem, ahem!"
Moon Surin suddenly started coughing.
'What the hell is that supposed to mean?'
"Ahem! Ahem! So, since we're done eating, should we get going?"
… Wait a sec.
My beastly instincts are screaming at me.
Don't just let this go.
I've gotten burned before.
Ignoring what heroines say has gotten me in big trouble more than once.
Whether it's one who wants me to rape her, or another who got raped the moment I left her alone for a week, or a professor who expects me to fuck her as payment for research help—
Twins who want to do it together, a rich girl with voyeuristic fetishes, or a beautiful girl who swears to live for me because her sister's been taken hostage—
Assuming Moon Surin isn't twisted is naive. No—stupid.
★ Heroine Status Window
[Moon Surin]
- [ Affection: 88 ]
- [ Libido: 45 ]
- [ Appetite: 50 ]
- [ Fatigue: 43 ]
Current Status: Ugh, how could I say something so dumb and awkward? What if he gets suspicious?
From her reaction… seems like I was right.
Could she be collecting pictures of me or something?
"…."
"… Hoyeon, aren't you getting up?"
'Honestly, that wouldn't be so bad.'
Compared to the others, that's actually really normal.
It's not like she's hoarding nudes or anything.
If it's just regular pics, I can accept it like some fanclub thing.
I pretended to hesitate, then slowly opened my mouth.
"Well. If it's someone I know, I guess it'd be fine?"
"… Really?"
"Yeah, of course. If it's someone I know, they've already seen my face. I'd even give them a picture if they asked."
"… Then, a-ah, never mind."
Moon Surin shook her head quickly as if canceling something she was about to say.
I could guess what it was, but I didn't bring it up.
She's already acting suspicious. Pushing further would make it obvious.
"Noona. Shall we go now?"
"Y-Yeah?!"
Moon Surin quickly led the way out, holding back the twitch in her lips.
She's definitely trying not to laugh.
"… Well, compared to the others, she's a total angel."
Saving some pictures? I'll allow it.
It's not even a weird fetish.
"See you later, noona."
"Yeah. Let's hang out again soon."
"Of course. Make sure to text me when you get home."
"Hehe, I will."
I waved enthusiastically to see her off.
Moon Surin also gave a bright smile.
'What a cute noona.'
After seeing her off, I headed to the dorm.
Despite it being lunchtime, the streets were quiet.
'If I keep hanging out with her, it feels like we'd become a couple.'
How should I put it?
The atmosphere between us feels like we're in a romantic fling.
But if I go that route, the harem gets tricky.
"Hmm…"
What should I do?
Step, step.
My footsteps echoed on the street.
Step, step.
Lost in thought, I walked for quite a while.
How far had I gone?
I started to feel something off.
"…."
Even though this was a street I always walked, something felt strange.
A kind of silence that's hard to describe.
And soon, I realized the oddness.
"There's no one…"
Not a single person in sight.
As soon as I turned into the side road off the main street, all signs of life vanished.
It wasn't just the absence of people.
Even the background chatter, music from stores, and car noises had completely disappeared.
Sensing the strangeness, I felt something around me.
'Mana?'
It felt slightly off, but it was definitely mana.
To respond to the oppressive mana pressing on me, I immediately drew in my own mana.
'Ambush…? No, Combat Sense didn't react.'
As I channeled mana, the pressure from all sides slightly subsided.
But residual mana still lingered around.
"… Trouble already right after getting discharged."
I really don't get why I'm this popular.
If only the heroines were the only ones into me.
Preparing for whoever might show up, I surrounded myself with a rune barrier.
Good thing is, at least Noona Surin didn't get dragged into this.
And the moment I cast the barrier, I sensed it.
"This is a rune barrier."
The mana surrounding me was a rune barrier.
The layout and style were different from mine, but the core technique was unmistakable.
It was exactly like the one I felt during the Association party bombing.
'One of the Rune Clan…?'
A core executive of Pandemic who uses rune barriers.
I figured we'd meet eventually, but I didn't want it to be like this.
As I nervously scanned the area with Mana Sensitivity, watching for the unexpected foe—
"Haa, we finally meet."
Tap. Tap.
A woman in crimson red appeared from somewhere and walked straight toward me.
"…."
Her aura was beyond that of an S-rank demon.
Rebecca—the Rune Clan mage you can only defeat near the end of the original story.
Right now, she was far beyond my level.
Crackle—
Crrkk—
The closer the crimson woman—Rebecca—came, the more my rune barrier crumbled.
Like an ant being stepped on, I was helplessly swallowed up by her mana.
'What the hell is this…'
If we're using the same magic, there's no way I'd lose.
That's the strength of my mana control, backed by [Mana Sensitivity].
But that only applies against other humans.
Crackle—crack—
Against an irregular like Im Sol or Rebecca, it's meaningless.
Rebecca kept approaching, and I swallowed nervously.
But the more I did, the more confused I became.
Because my heart was still calm.
My special trait, Combat Sense, didn't trigger.
That meant she had no hostility toward me.
"Sorry for showing up suddenly. Must've startled you."
"…?"
Even if she's not hostile, we're not on friendly terms.
I squinted suspiciously at Rebecca, who was speaking gently with an apologetic look.
"You've had a rough time, haven't you? You don't need to hide it anymore. I'm one of the Rune Clan too."
"Huh?"
What kind of sudden plot twist is this?
I couldn't hide my shock.
A Pandemic executive was suddenly spouting nonsense.
Me, part of the Rune Clan?
"I've been looking for you all this time. To restore the Rune Clan…!"
Rebecca swept her crimson hair back with a moved expression.
"What the hell are you even saying…"
The Rebecca I remember isn't like this at all.
She's an annoying villain who always appears during terrorist attacks and blocks me from saving heroines with rune barriers. Why the hell is she looking at me like that?
"… Don't try to deny it. The blood in your veins is real."
Squeeze—
The closer Rebecca came, the heavier the pressure on my body grew.
There was such a massive difference in mana control, I couldn't even resist as it gradually constricted me.
"What do you mean, the blood in my veins…?!"
Is this one of those orphan protagonist clichés?
'… No, that's not it.'
Lee Hoyeon is just a normal orphan.
There's no hidden backstory like that.
Rebecca kept coming, tying me up with mana ropes.
"In 10 years, we can bring the number up to 10. In 20, it'll be 20. In 50, we can restore the Rune Village. It's not just a dream."
"Wait, wait. What the hell is going on here?!"
I kept trying to think of a way to escape this situation.
But what Rebecca did next completely threw me off.
Slide—
She started taking off my top.
Why the hell is she undressing me?
I couldn't make sense of what was happening.
It was all so sudden.