Chapter 45

Chapter 2.

Most of the attendees at the reunion had come with the intention of teasing and enjoying themselves at my expense. However, when I appeared, having settled my debts and even succeeded, no one could tease me, and the reunion, having lost its main purpose, inevitably became an awkward affair.

Especially, Lee Jun-ho, who had been observing the situation, eventually left without saying a word, just drinking his glass of alcohol. From then on, the atmosphere began to change.

The guys who had been watching Lee Jun-ho, seeing him leave, started to approach me one by one, bombarding me with questions.

"Showing up with a 13-series car, what's the story? Did you win the lottery or something? The last time I saw you, you were struggling with debts, right?"

"Yeon-woo, did you become a top player in Satisfy? Did you earn a lot from recording broadcasts? Will we see you on TV soon?"

"More importantly, what's your relationship with Yura? Are you really dating?"

"Being with the dream of every man... I can't even imagine the sense of superiority you must feel..."

The eyes of the classmates were filled with curiosity, admiration, and envy.

Feeling the atmosphere, a few guys who had been somewhat close to me during school, whom I once trusted as friends, tried to ruin the mood.

"Hey, Yeon-woo, remember how we used to stick together when we were in school? Those times were really fun... Don't you miss them sometimes? Let's grab a day and go out together?"

"Wow! That's a great idea! We've been a bit distant since we all came back from the military and returned to college, but let's try to get along like old times!"

"Hehe, bring Yura when we go out. Since she's your girlfriend, we should at least exchange greetings, right? Hehehe."

"Hey, can I take a ride in your car? I've always wanted to ride in a 13-series... Just for 5 minutes, please? I beg you."

When I needed help, they turned their backs on me, and even joined others in tormenting me. Now, they were shamelessly trying to be friends again.

I made it clear to them.

"Did you think I came here to play pretend friends with the likes of you? Just shut up and stay out of my way. Just like the others, you can only watch me succeed and feel jealous. I'm here to mock your pathetic faces."

"What?"

"Ha! This punk's attitude is so disrespectful? Hey, just because you've had some success, do you think you're better than everyone else?"

We were all a bit tipsy.

The guys, angered by my blunt words, rolled up their sleeves and stood up.

I sneered at them.

"Just now, you and Lee Jun-ho, and all of you, how ridiculous do you look, getting so worked up over just a few words? You hate being ignored or insulted by others, yet you used to ignore and insult others so easily. What nerve do you have to look down on others when you're not even that great? Look, do I seem like someone who deserves to be looked down upon by the likes of you?"

"Ugh…!"

The faces of the classmates began to turn bright red. They were angry but couldn't really argue back and felt embarrassed.

"Instead of tormenting those who are worse off than you and feeling superior, take care of your own lives, you pathetic guys."

It feels good.

With this reunion, my ties with these people are severed, and there's not even a speck of obligation left.

I grabbed my coat and left without any hesitation.

Boom!!

Returning to the 13-series, I started the engine. I set the destination to my home on the navigation system and selected the automatic driving function.

Just as I was about to start, someone urgently knocked on the window.

It was Ah-young.

When I lowered the window, Ah-young, with a look full of regret and anxiety, asked,

"Are you leaving just like this?"

'Kim Ah-young…'

Just a few days ago, she was the object of my deep, unrequited love!

I had fantasized about dating her and even getting married at least 100 times.

But strangely, I couldn't feel even a hint of emotion for her now.

Realizing that we were never meant to be, the disappointment, betrayal, and even the lingering feelings disappeared.

"To those who used to ignore me, I'm now envied. The ones who abandoned me are now trying to stick together again. I've thoroughly enjoyed their pathetic and miserable faces, and my revenge is complete. If I stay any longer, I'll just end up in a fistfight, which would be a waste of time."

In the past, I couldn't even make eye contact with her. My heart would race, and I could only stammer and make meaningless sounds.

But now, it's different. With no emotions, I could look her straight in the eye and speak clearly.

"Take care, Ah-young. I used to like you."

As I was about to leave, Ah-young grabbed me.

"U-Used to like me? Why is it in the past tense? Does that mean you don't anymore? I…! I…!"

Even if Ah-young had trampled on my pure love, the fact that she was once my first love will never change.

I want to preserve the memory of her without further damaging my illusions.

So, I didn't give her any room to change my mind, as she desperately tried to hold onto me with her eyes on the 13-series.

"Didn't you see? I have Yura now. She's a being far above you. There's no need for me to have any lingering feelings for you. I don't have any feelings for you anymore."

"Yeon-woo, you…!"

I sneered at her as much as I could. I left her, with her face contorted in wounded pride, and walked away.

"That's it."

I have now completely severed all ties with my former self.

Now, it's time for a new beginning.

On the way home, I recalled the conversations I had with Yura in the car.

"After the Chedaka Guild successfully raided Malakith, the power of the Yatan Cult rapidly weakened. Now, the Chedaka Guild is the main enemy of the Yatan Cult. The Yatan Cult plans to take revenge on the Chedaka Guild. As you might have guessed, I am the eighth seed of Yatan. This means that a conflict between you and me is inevitable."

"So, you came to declare war? Or are you planning to kill me right now? Isn't it too much to kill someone in real life over something that happened in a game, no matter how angry you are?"

"…It's disrespectful to accuse a decent person of murder. I just want to repay the debt I owe to you before we fight."

"Debt?"

"During a quest in the Yatan Temple in the past… even though you could have defeated me, you logged out, allowing me to complete the quest. Thanks to that, I was able to solidify my position in the school and become the eighth seed. You are a great benefactor to me, and it feels awkward to raise a sword against you in this state."

"You mean you intentionally logged out to help me with my quest? That's ridiculous."

Yura was clearly misunderstanding something.

"I never intended to help you with your quest. You don't owe me anything."

I don't know what evidence led her to this misunderstanding, but I wanted her to clear it up. I didn't want to get entangled with her.

But she was already lost in her own fantasies.

"I don't understand why you deny the facts. Even if you didn't intend to help me, the fact that I felt helped by you remains unchanged. So, I will definitely repay the debt."

Yura was very stubborn. In the end, I had no choice but to nod.

"There's no point in talking to you. Fine, do as you please. Let's end this quickly. How do you plan to repay the debt?"

"End…?"

She frowned, clearly displeased. Even her frown was so beautiful that it could make one lose their mind.

'Her appearance is a complete scam…'

As I marveled, Yura explained her plan.

"When the war between the Yatan Cult and the Chedaka Guild breaks out, I won't kill you. I can't kill my benefactor. I might incapacitate you, but I won't kill you."

"…You're going to spare me? I'm so grateful I could cry."

My role in the Chedaka Guild is a blacksmith, not a soldier. Unless I am directly affected by an incident like the one with the Giant Guild, I have no plans to participate in any guild wars. It's 100 times more profitable to make one more item and earn money. The guild would also want me to stay as a blacksmith.

In short, Yura and I will never meet in battle.

Relieved, I nodded.

"Alright, I understand how you plan to repay the debt. So, is that it? We're done here? We're almost at our destination, so let's prepare to part ways. And for the sake of my heart, please don't show up in front of me again."

Yura has the power to destroy the entire Yatan Temple to kill Doran. Being with her is like torture. I wanted to part ways with her as soon as possible, but she didn't seem to have that intention.

"I'm not done. I will repay the debt to you in another way."

"Another way?"

"Without meaning to, I investigated your past. I learned that you suffered humiliation from your classmates for years during high school."

"What?"

Why is this woman investigating and misinterpreting someone's embarrassing past? Does she think I have no privacy?

'She's a complete stalker.'

I wanted to say something, but I was too scared to speak. As I tried to calm down, she made a suggestion.

"Are you on your way to the reunion? I will attend with you and pretend to be your girlfriend."

What nonsense?

"Why?"

Confused, I asked, and Yura kindly explained.

"If a famous, intelligent, and beautiful woman like me is known to be your girlfriend, your classmates won't look down on you anymore. Instead, they will admire you. You will be able to stand tall in front of them. How about it? Pretending to be your girlfriend is a good way to repay