Chapter 608: Making an Angel (2)
“Really?”
“I really didn’t think about anything. I didn’t think of that. Please believe in me. Please…”
‘Just stop…’
“I-It’ll start in ten minutes. Let’s go watch it quickly, quickly.”
“Then let’s take a break. Sora, you should come with us.”
“Huh? Ah… Yes, yes…”
That proved to be the only break for us three researchers, who had been buried in the workshop every day. I could say with certainty that the only leisurely pleasure we got was watching the broadcast while eating popcorn together.
In fact, I didn’t expect Jung Hayan to get addicted to that program.
I didn’t know if she was pretending to like it because I liked it, or if it was because she could stay with me for a relatively long time during that break, but she seemed to be interested, at least on the surface.
Han Sora was also waiting for that time. Since all she did was work in a dark and dull place, unable to breathe the outside air all day, that kind of rest time naturally became pleasing for her.
After receiving an order to take a break, I immediately clapped my hands and started to clean up.
Jung Hayan was also seen running into the break room, saying she was going to prepare things.
After I had prepared everything I needed to immediately start working again when I returned, we were ready to head out.
Han Sora was still moving cautiously, perhaps because of the small happening before, but… there was no way that something would happen.
‘Hayan cares a lot about you, so stop worrying.’
If Jung Hayan had been hostile to Han So-ra, she would’ve been found as a cold corpse a long time ago. From Hayan’s standpoint, she would’ve seen Han Sora as an uninvited visitor who was trespa.s.sing in the nest where two people lived together.
Such a change was surprising even for me. I wouldn’t have thought Sora was strongly engraved as a friend in her perception.
Of course, whenever Sora talked to me, or we were in the same s.p.a.ce, she used tools like Anemone’s Eye to threaten her, but she had become relatively at ease all in all.
Such was the effect of spending a lot of time together, and it was the results of the tactics that Han Sora executed. She seemed to think she was still walking on a tightrope, but…
“You can’t… come too close to me… Vice Guild Master.”
“What?”
“A few days ago, Jung Hayan asked me if I was sick… please… please…”
“…”
“Even when we’re doing research together, she only makes me do dangerous things. It’s like she wants me to get hurt…”
“…”
‘…’
I guessed she was still walking on a tightrope. However, at least it wasn’t life-threatening. There was still some progress.
I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, but I couldn’t easily just say that.
As I silently took a seat, as if I had nothing more to say, I saw an empty seat next to Jung Hayan, causing me to sit down beside her instinctively.
At that moment, I saw some popcorn lying in a seat a little farther from there.
I only sat where I was sitting every day but was it because of what Han Sora said that our position looked weird that day?
Han Sora, who was eating popcorn a bit farther from us, looked much like a pet.
“…”
‘Ah, I’ve gone too far.’
That thought was definitely over the top.
Jung Hayan definitely considered Han Sora as her dear friend. She would surely be thinking that.
I felt that my head would hurt if I thought about it, so for the time being, I forced myself to shake my head and focus on the G.o.ddess’s Mirror.
I would rather watch first, considering it was something I was really looking forward to.
‘Tamer, Alps.’
A talent who was ranked within the top 100 of Lee Kiyoung’s best picks.
She was ranked 14th, so no other words were needed. The reason why her ranking was relatively low was because of her cla.s.s limitations.
However, considering that her swordsmanship talent wasn’t that bad, that didn’t even make a downside. She probably would’ve gone up about ten ranks if her main cla.s.s was swordman.
There was also an additional point that the shepherd girl in the mountains hadn’t realized her talent.
She appeared with a shepherd dog in the pre-test, catching the attention of the public.
Without knowing anything, she easily wiped out the dark energy and showed an impressive figure in the team-specific tasks that began after that.
Above all, she was generously revealing her talent as a tamer.
‘The dog’s performance was awesome.’
She had brought the dog along to a.s.sist her with her poor sword skills.
Of course, it wasn’t without hardship. Since she hadn’t mastered the basics at all, Alps often showed many controversial features in the pre-test, and she was criticized a lot by public opinion about whether she could actually be a warrior.
I tried to shield her as much as possible because I was personally rooting for her, but she put herself down more and more as if she was too emotionally burdened.
What the special judge, our little Kim Ye-ri, said completely changed her after.
- Alps, do you want to be a warrior?
- Yes.
- Then do your d.a.m.n best. Put some strength to it.
- Yeah… sniff… Yes.
Just in time, the G.o.ddess’s Mirror was showing the best scene that made everyone cry again.
I almost burst into laughter when I saw Kim Ye-ri wearing heavy makeup, even though she was only a kid.
However, when I saw Park Deokgu, who was next to her, crying pa.s.sionately, my body instinctively moved to clap in approval. Despite being a scene I had already seen once, there was something about it that still made my chest tickle.
‘The three siblings of the revolution seem to be so talented in that kind of thing…’
I thought that it wouldn’t be all that bad to expose them to the media often.
-I’m… so sorry… and embarra.s.sed. I came because I thought I would do well… sniff… you must be so disappointed.
Even the interviews were touching.
When I looked next to me, I saw Han Sora nodding and Jung Hayan smiling.
The broadcast continued to show her past performances and interviews, gradually uplifting the atmosphere. It was honestly impressive, but no one wanted to see what had already happened in the past.
Soon after, she appeared with the shepherd dog and smiled quietly.
[Kiyoung, it’s starting now.]
As I took out the G.o.ddess’s Hand Mirror with a rumbling sound and a slight vibration, I saw that it was, as expected, a message that came from Kim Hyunsung.
“W-Who is it?”
“It’s Hyunsung. He sent a message saying that it’s starting now.”
[I am watching it right now. Have fun watching it. ^^]
As if trying to make sure that it was really Kim Hyunsung, Jung Hayan pulled her head out like a turtle, but I couldn’t show her history log listed above.
There was a list of stories about the first round amid our conversations, after all.
It was actually even in locked up mode.
I sneakily flipped the angle of the hand mirror and tucked it into my pants, and Jung Hayan’s expression became a little irritated, but she didn’t ask much.
That was when I heard a voice next to me.
“The Guild Master seemed to be enjoying it too.”
Han Sora, who reached the peak of savoir-faire, naturally tried to go with the flow.
As if she noticed that the atmosphere would worsen, she made a comment that confirmed my Benignore Talk’s recipient as Kim Hyunsung.
‘Wow… this one’s really amazing.’
It was so natural that I exclaimed it unknowingly. Her words were simple, but the timing was exquisite.
Her eyes, as if asking for me to talk after her, were also perfect. Honestly, I thought it wasn’t a problem to be elucidated that much, but in the killer pa.s.s that came in perfectly, I reached out my foot without knowing it.
Preventing it would be good for me too.
“Yes. Hyunsung was initially too busy to watch it… but since everyone said they were going to, it seems like he started doing the same thing.”
“Ah…”
Perhaps Kim Hyunsung didn’t know that such a show was on the air.
After being informed about it a little late, he would’ve been curious as well.
One thing I could be sure of was that he must’ve been more interested than me. All I had to do was put them on the battlefield, but from Kim Hyunsung’s point of view, the chosen one would be someone he had to fight side by side with.
I could tell just by knowing that the guy, who couldn’t handle continental cultures well, was eagerly monitoring the event.
In fact, he even sent messages such as ‘I wish it could be this person,’ and ‘I wish it could be this one,’ which was unlike him.
Personally, it was quite fun to see him being like that.
In fact, it might not be, but it seemed as if he was watching the show that all of his cla.s.smates were watching together in order not to fall behind.
Even in the Blue group chatroom, the way he popped up to speak about something was completely off-tempo with the ongoing conversation.
I wasn’t entirely sure if he was aware of it, but he was slowly yet surely changing.
‘It’s a good change.’
The academic community had established that he unconsciously distanced himself from fear of the shock of losing a colleague. At that point, it had been observed that he was trying to go one step further.
‘Yes, you should cherish your colleagues, Hyunsung. Among them, you have to value me the most.’
People like Kim Hyungsung needed something to protect in order to become stronger.
As I nodded satisfactorily alone and looked at the screen again, I saw Tamer Alps finishing the long interview.
-I will do my best to repay the support of everyone who believed in me. Although she has a cold mien, Kim Ye-ri supported me until the end, and Park Deokgu often told me that I could do it in secret. Lastly, I would like to express my grat.i.tude to Benignore, who gave me this opportunity, and the people of the continent who keeps rooting for me.
‘Yes, come on. It’s time to pick that one too.’
-I don’t know if I would be chosen by the holy sword or not, but… I will do my best to meet your expectations.
‘You have to do more than doing your best.’
She said, ‘I will try my best,’ but her eyes were burning with the strong determination to pull the feat off unconditionally.
The uplifting atmosphere and the voices of the people sending support were heard through the G.o.ddess’s Mirror.
-Cheer up, Alps!
-You are the only chosen warrior.
-You are so pretty!
When I saw her biting her lips tightly, clutching her hand, and walking boldly, I felt as if she was going to do well that day.
The sun reflected on her just in time. Her canine companion also barked and gave strength to the warrior candidate.
‘Go, f.u.c.k… let’s go!’
“I think she w-w-will do it. This time, for sure…”
“For some reason… I have a good feeling.”
“Is it going to be pulled out?”
Finally, Alps, closing in on the holy sword, walked heavily.
Most of the guys were decla.s.sified at that point. They couldn’t beat what Benignore prepared for the test. However. Alps had endured that. Although it was difficult, she was clearly moving one step at a time.
-Bark! Bark!
The moment she tried to stop, I heard the barking of a dog from somewhere. Of course, no one screamed to stop the dog’s barking.
Everyone was cheering, uniting as one. When she finally reached out to the holy sword, deafening silence began to circulate in the place.
‘I think she really… I think she will really do it!’
She didn’t immediately bounce back. Even though she was trembling, she was certainly enduring.
Her arms and hands were turning gray, enduring the repulsion as she evidently tried to talk with the Holy Sword.
‘Go! Let’s go!!’
But was my expectation too high?
-Blaaaargh!
With that sound, I watched Alps retching.
She looked like she was experiencing all the dirty things in the world at once. She, too, couldn’t overcome the ordeal of the holy sword.
‘Ah…’
Han Sora and Jung Hayan, who were cheering, soon became quiet at the same time.
“…”
“…”
‘f.u.c.k.’
“Let’s just go make an angel.”
“Okay.”
“Please tell Hee-young to prepare that one’s recruitment.”
“Ah… Yes, the Vice Guild Master.”
“Hayan, go do what you have to do.”
“Yes, o-oppa.”
If I said there was no regret, it would be a lie, of course.
However, I found that it was still okay since she was only ranked 14th. The 13th best pick still remained.
‘I just have to wait for a little longer, patiently. I didn’t think we would finish it quickly anyway.’
After that, the 13th and 12th ranks failed in succession, and that trend continued all the way to the 5th and 8th places. I wasn’t that nervous even when everyone failed.
This was because I knew there were still many challengers. The moment I felt nervous was the moment I lost.
‘f.u.c.k… someone will be able to do it. Holy Sword Coin… If you endure, you’ll succeed. You’re going to succeed one way or another…’