When I returned to the room, the broken glass was cleaned up, and bandages and medicine were on the table. I skillfully healed my injured arm and took out a piece of paper and a pen. I needed to objectively summarize my situation.
First of all, Cheon Sa-yeon’s order. This had to be accomplished. If I didn’t follow the progress in the novel, there may be some discrepancies, and now I was not in a position to openly defy Cheon Sa-yeon. I wanted to get rid of them all in my heart, but I couldn’t because my body felt pain. Cheon Sa-yeon was a villainous boss who had neither blood nor tears, so if I disobeyed his orders, he would punish him relentlessly.
I was right to keep an eye on him, at least until I found a place to hide. I moved the pen.
「1. Any pain or sensation in the body feels normal. Death seems possible.
2. Whatever it is, if I want to be comfortable, I have to buy now.
3. I need a way to break the relationship with Cheon Sa-yeon.」
I wrote this far and laid down as if tossing a pen, leaning my back on the sofa. I had to go to the ‘Empress of Red Flames’ tomorrow and kidnapped her, but there were so many things I didn’t know.
“…I don’t know how to use my abilities.”
I was confident that I could use a knife or a gun well. With just that, there was no way I could threaten and kidnap someone who could handle fire freely.
I looked down at my empty hands. It reminded me of my original hand, which was not very good looking, full of scars and bumpy bones. In comparison, Han Yi-gyeol’s hands were much smaller, white, and slender… They really did seem like ‘delicate hands’ (섬섬옥수).
However, this pretty hand showed no sign of Han Yi-gyeol’s ability to wind. In the novel, he was able to handle wind with one hand skillfully. I looked at my palms with my palms open for a while, until exhaustion crept up and I lay down on the bed. I didn’t do anything yet I was tired.
‘What the hell did I do to be under that guy’s (CSY) command.’
I clicked my tongue. I remembered my past life when I was growing up as an orphan and struggling to live. If I had the ability to control wind, I would have had a more comfortable and free life. In the first place, Han Yi-gyeol was forcibly tied because of his younger sister.
…in fact, even that I couldn’t understand because I’ve never had anything like a younger sister in my life.
I closed my eyes, leaving behind the unpleasant thoughts. In an instant, my consciousness clouded and darkness fell.
* * *
“Ugh… Ugh…”
His eyes were blurry. Hot tears were flowing down his face, and his hands on the grey rough cement floor were dirty. He barely raised his head and pleaded with a trembling voice.
“Please, stay… with me…”
“How persistent.”
The voice that cut off the words relentlessly was very cold. There was contempt as he looked down.
Beautiful lips opened. “Han Yi-gyeol.”
“I said it clearly. I used your sister as an excuse all this time, but that’s over now. Your little sister is dead and you are useless.”
“……”
“If you understand, don’t show up again. If I see you again…”
Without finishing his words, he turned his back. The back that had been stared at moved away as he grabbed his trembling chest.
“Oh, no… no, I…”
What if you leave too? How can I live alone?
It was painful as if his chest had been mutilated. Tears pouring from his eyes blurred his vision. He forced his trembling body to stretch out his hand, but even the hem of his robe could not be touched.
“No, please… Please, take me. I will do anything.”
“Take him away.”
“Yes.”
His two arms were caught by a strong force. He reflexively gathered the wind at his fingertips to shake them off, but in the end, he couldn’t do anything. He was afraid that he would be hated even more if he rebelled here—even though he knew it was already too late.
“Huh, huh, ah… please…”
Please, please.
Please…
* * *
My eyes shot open.
“Please…”
I muttered involuntarily and got up. As I lowered my head, tears fell on the blanket. My stomach was churning and my body was hot. Ugh, I moaned and ran my hand over my face. It was wet and I felt very dirty.
“Ha, Cheon Sa-yeon… asshole.”
To be shedding precious tears for an asshole. Angrily, I threw my clothes and went into the bathroom to turn on the water. After taking a cold shower, I felt a little better. I checked the time and saw it was just past 11 am.
I put on my bathrobe and drank water. I thought quietly.
‘Why did I suddenly have that dream?’
The part where Cheon Sa-yeon abandoned Han Yi-gyeol was in the middle of the novel. It was a dream that did not fit the current situation.
“I don’t know.”
I put down my glass of water and sighed. It was easier to just skip questions that you couldn’t find an answer to, even if you’d thought about it. But there were some things to check.
I raised my hand and flexed my fingers. For a brief moment, there was a moment in my dream where Han Yi-gyeol tried to use his powers. A strange sensation of something cold running through his body. I had to follow it.
As I closed my eyes and focused, I felt something cool in my heart, to my surprise—it was like smoke and water. The energy that had gathered in my heart began to move as I wanted it to. As energy flowed through my arms and into my hands, I heard the sound of the wind whistling like in the novel.
I opened my eyes and pointed to the glass of water with my hand. Then, the water in the cup floated in the air in the shape of a whirlpool. It was strange yet so easy.
‘If I hadn’t dreamed it, it would have been difficult to find out.’
Still, I was glad I knew how to use it. I wanted to test the magnitude of the force a little more. I couldn’t make a mess in the hotel room, so I thought I’d have to go outside. Besides, the ‘Empress of Red Flames’ must also be kidnapped.
* * *
I ordered room service for lunch. Since it was the room that Cheon Sa-yeon gave me, I deliberately ordered the expensive one. As a master of a well-known guild, the cost might have just been a drop in the sea to him (개미 더듬이만큼도안 되겠지만. Literally “ant’s antennae”).
While waiting for dinner, I turned on the TV and the news came out. News is the best way to find out what’s going on in the world. Watching with interest, I widened my eyes at the voice of the announcer that followed.
[The ‘Empress of Red Flames’ Cha Soo-yeon, who went out for reconnaissance in the G7 area, is returning today. Most of the G7 area is inhabited by B-rank monsters, but the area is so wide that it is not easy to understand. She is expected to come out of the gate around 3 pm, and the guild is currently…]
I carefully looked at the picture next to the announcer. A woman with red hair, dark eyes, and slightly raised lips. Who cares if it was a male-oriented novel. She was an amazing beauty.
Cha Soo-yeon. It was definitely a name I saw in the novel. She appeared a few times in the beginning, but she was one of the supporting actors who did not appear in the second half. I didn’t think she had a strong personality…
When the announcer’s explanation was finished, the screen changed and the reporter at the gate of the G7 area started the on-site broadcast. The gate was quite crowded with reporters and Cha Soo-yeon’s guild members. I had to take Cha Soo-yeon out of there and kidnap her? It was driving me crazy.
Room service arrived when the on-site broadcast was over and we moved on to the next news. After enjoying the expensive food, I changed into the clothes prepared by Cheon Sa-yeon and took my wallet. Regardless, I had to go to the G7 area gate.
I wondered if at least one guard would follow me, but there was no one in the hallway. I came out of the hotel by myself and brushed the back of my hair.
You thought that I wouldn’t be able to run away because I had a younger sister. Well, I’m fine.
This world I encountered for the first time was more ordinary than I thought. There were no flying cars or monsters roaming the streets or anything like that. Come to think of it, in the novel, it was said that there might be one in a thousand talented people. Even within those numbers, the abilities vary according to the rank, so there were very few people with the ability to enter the gate where monsters inhabited.
“It’s beyond me.”
I walked down the street, stroking my wrists. I wanted to check how strong my ability was, but the world was so peaceful. If you used your ability anywhere, you could be arrested by the police.
As I was contemplating what to do, I heard a sharp scream from the other side of the road.
“Fire! The building is on fire!”
“……”
Should I call this an opportunity?