Chapter 159

Amidst the sweltering heat enveloping the streets, a boy with a gender-neutral appearance slowly walked along, a school bag slung over his shoulder.

Even though he considered the possibility that someone might be following him, he wasn’t in a hurry, walking slowly enough that such a person could easily catch up.

‘Do I wish for them to follow me, or am I simply not looking for any interruptions along the way?’

To tell the truth, it wasn’t necessary for him to summon her all the way to the corridor to confirm whatever was going on. Inna hadn’t come to school, and Erica seemed strangely uneasy.

Having gathered these two pieces of information, the simplest approach would have been to head silently to Inna’s house and knock on the door to inquire why she wasn’t at school.

If there was an opportunity to approach her, he would take it; if not, he could always say he came by out of friendly concern. There was really no urgent need to have a conversation with Erica.

Although he had deduced from his earlier conversation with Erica that there was a significant conflict between Inna and her, this realization could have been directly confirmed by going straight to Inna herself.

In fact, by not involving Erica, the chances of being interrupted would have been lower. So, why had he felt compelled to approach her, ask her directly, and even give her a warning?

Did he think she might meddle and bring trouble upon herself? Or was he, on some level, hoping she would defy his warning?

“Regarding that threat… I’ll accept it but under the condition that you do not touch Erica. …With this incident, our relationship will likely evolve into one where I can no longer freely interfere in Erica’s affairs. So, if Erica does not initiate any conflict, then I ask you to keep your distance as well.”

Had he subtly negotiated with Lee Seo-ra in such a way to allow himself some leeway in intervening on Erica’s behalf?

A faint but familiar piece of advice from the student council president suddenly echoed in his ears.

“…Do you like me? I know the answer is no. The person you truly care about isn’t me—”

At that very moment, the sound of someone sprinting approached. While it could have been just another passerby, Kim Ha-neul’s heightened senses immediately identified who it was from the soft footfalls alone.

What perfect timing. Or, from the other side’s perspective, perhaps a very poor one.

Regardless, Kim Ha-neul found himself smiling genuinely as he faced this person whom he had no intention of confronting at first, saying:

“I thought you might not show up, but here you are, after all.”

“Haa, haa.”

The girl before him, clearly exhausted, panted before even attempting to respond. It was evident she was different from her usual self, showing just how much this matter weighed heavily on her.

Kim Ha-neul took his time scanning the surroundings as he waited for her to catch her breath. Since Erica had likely been ensuring she didn’t lose sight of him, he had come this way, but it seemed there were still people about.

Neither he nor Erica were criminals. While instigators of trouble might belong to that category, people like them should aim to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to themselves. If their actions were noticed by higher-ups, even their usual cover might not be enough to protect them.

‘Perhaps we should have turned towards a less crowded area.’

Had they done so, by the time evening rolled around, they might have finally reached Inna’s house. Of course, since there was no certainty that Erica would follow, this might have indeed been the best course of action, though it left him with a lingering uneasiness.

While contemplating his own feelings, Kim Ha-neul alternately clenched and loosened his fist. Preparing himself for whatever confrontation might ensue, he watched as Erica finally caught her breath and stood upright.

“Of course I had to come. You guys casually disregarded my warning, so how could I possibly not?”

“The relationship between Inna and you isn’t so deeply intimate that someone’s threat would compel you to protect it, is it?”

“How would you know? Are you stalking me?”

“I doubt even stalking would be necessary for something as blatant as this.”

While bantering and pretending not to notice Erica’s clever tactics to recover her strength, Kim Ha-neul thoughtfully reflected.

He was well aware Erica was someone who valued relationships deeply and wouldn’t allow him to manipulate feelings. Furthermore, he knew she wasn’t innocent enough to risk everything because of an impending threat — even for someone like Inna.

In fact, if anything, because it was Inna, that might have given her even less motivation.

No matter how much he turned the situation over in his mind considering all the reasons, there really was no logical explanation for why Erica would feel the need to act on Inna’s behalf. However, since the situation had unfolded, he decided to acknowledge the fact and move past it by asking instead:

“So what are you planning to do?”

“What about what?”

“You didn’t think I’d simply stop just because you caught up to me, did you? Surely you must have thought of some way to stop me before coming.”

The hint of a smirk played on his lips as the expression on Erica’s face told him exactly what she had not anticipated. How naive to think catching up to him would be enough to stop him.

Unless, of course, she truly believed her words would sway him. Either that, or Erica believed in her own competence enough that all she needed was to reach him to make a difference.

“If you plan on using brute force, I won’t back down. But let me tell you, you’ll lose much more than I. Especially with an audience.”

Kim Ha-neul had observed Erica closely. He knew that she was somewhat naive about her own situation and, more importantly, that she was capable of reckless behavior under the mistaken belief in her own invincibility.

“Uh?”

“Do you think you can stop me by force?”

Erica wasn’t foolish enough to trust in her verbal skills when she knew they lacked efficacy. While confident in her powers, it’s one thing to know your abilities and another to realize they might not work against certain individuals. But a normal person might not have that foresight.

“Only that you seem to have come here unprepared, not realizing the gravity of the situation if we were to engage here.”

“I’ve never depended on favors to get away with anything, so don’t assume I do.”

“Really? Did your confrontation with the Busan girl go unnoticed by the media due to sheer luck? The same with the Doll Maker’s consistent surveillance of you — could the association’s lack of response truly be a coincidence?”

Some unseen hand had surely helped her get away with things before. A past Erica, aware of who those hands belonged to, would have become rigid upon hearing this. But Erica stood there undeterred, confirming what Kim Ha-neul now knew for certain.

She hadn’t come because she remembered something from her past but rather because of the kindness Inna had shown since then.

Moreover, she clearly didn’t recall the secret he had once shared with her. And although secrets could work on some girls, with someone like Erica, they might backfire, making her more hostile.

“Really, you…”

“I don’t think it’s all coincidences. Still, it’s none of my business right now. If that’s all you wanted to say…”

KUH-OONG.

Erica raised her left foot awkwardly and then planted it forcefully on the ground. A weak reverberation followed, not nearly impressive for someone boasting supernatural abilities, but the girl stood with confidence.

“After I’ve stopped you, I will do as I please regardless of any consequences.”

“…If that is your final decision, then I respect it.”

He had almost suggested moving to a more secluded place where they could handle matters without concern for spectators. After all, even if he caused trouble, he had a few get-out-of-jail-free cards tucked away.

Even if issues arose, it would be Erica starting the confrontation, which shielded him from being embroiled in serious trouble.

Why, then, did he suddenly decide not to help her, after all his talk of minimizing her losses?

Was it jealousy that Inna had somehow received favor while he had not?

The boy chuckled to himself.

Absolutely not.

‘Such naive romantic feelings are reserved solely for the true heroine.’

For the girl standing before him, he had decided to maintain a sense of mere sympathy.

If such sympathy was all he would grant her, and yet she chose to defy that…

The moment the thought crossed his mind, as if premeditated, Erica launched herself at him, but before she could fully commit to her attack, she was suddenly enveloped in Kim Ha-neul’s arms, who stood in her direct path.

“Did you suddenly feel the urge to embrace me?”

The boy’s voice was brimming with confidence, reflecting his conviction that he could hold his ground against her with no fear.

It wasn’t as much a matter of believing Erica to be the strongest supernatural ability user. That might have been true for the past version of her, not the present one.