This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 263

Dogun’s Perspective

‘People… have… died…?’

It was a moment of sheer horror, my eyes wide open in shock at the scene unfolding before me.

The blue-tinged figure of a woman, struck by a spear of lightning from afar, seemed to sway and then dissipate like fog meeting the sunlight.

“Aah, it hurts…”

Thanks to that, I felt an added strain on my already wide-open eyes as I heard a girl’s voice slightly distant from me.

And just then, Chae-rim, who should have been surrounded by people by now, appeared right in front of me.

“The ends of your hair got burnt.”

“Tsk, it should’ve been her whole body on fire instead.”

“We haven’t seen each other in ages, and you’re starting with an attack instead of a greeting? How cold-hearted.”

“I’ve told you countless times to fix your habits around that bastard.”

“Why? Everyone loves it when I touch them.”

This must be what true parallel lines look like.

I couldn’t help but think that as Chae-rim and the woman’s conversation seemed to be on completely different wavelengths.

“Ah, could it be… are you jealous? The Lightning Lady?”

“Wha-what…?”

“I never knew our Chae-rim was this possessive… Oh, could it be because it’s your first love?”

“…Shut up.”

“Hmm, but women who are too clingy aren’t attractive… Still, it would honestly feel bad if your boyfriend was all distracted by another woman.”

“That’s… not true… I told you…”

I thought I had seen many sides of Chae-rim up till now, but this was the first time I had heard her voice like that.

It was a sound that seemed to gnash her teeth in genuine frustration.

Could it be that it affected the atmosphere around us as well?

The air, chilled to a degree that it felt suffocating, pressed down on my shoulders.

Even those who had been watching from a distance, curious about what was happening, were not free from the tension.

As evidence, when I quickly glanced around, I saw several people wobbling as if they were about to fall in an empty space.

And what about the woman?

“Is that so? Really?”

Her expression showed that she couldn’t care less about any of this.

“You bring someone like this to a place when they’re not even your boyfriend?”

“…There’s no rule that says a partner has to be a boyfriend.”

“True, true. But… hmmm…”

Was she pondering some strange thought again?

With her eyes narrowed, the way she looked at me, obscured by Chae-rim, was unmistakably that of someone with motives.

“Are you saying he’s not your boyfriend?”

And how long passed after that?

As expected, she bluntly blurted out such remarks.

The problem came right after that.

The moment Chae-rim showed a face that seemed to ask just how many times she had to say the same thing—

“I told you. It’s not.”

“Really? Then… can you introduce us?”

Those words slipped out of the woman’s mouth.

“…What?”

“I mean, at first, I approached you wondering what your relationship was, but… looking closely, he’s exactly my type.”

“…You say that about anyone good-looking.”

Feeling a spark of irritation at her rudeness, she suddenly asked me to introduce her, making my mood drop even further.

Chae-rim’s voice in response was as cold as the tension I felt earlier.

“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I have my own standards, you know?”

Of course, the woman seemed completely unfazed.

In that moment, a certain suspicion that had been nestled in me turned into conviction.

Honestly, I had been uncertain since the moment she called Chae-rim’s real name rather casually.

At this point, there was no way I wouldn’t feel convinced, whether I liked it or not.

So… the woman I could see beyond Chae-rim’s shoulders, who respected her enough not to act carelessly, was surely someone significant.

And among the people I knew in South Korea, there were only three who fit that description.

First was the Association Chairman.

However, according to what Chae-rim had told me earlier, that person was currently on a business trip to the United States, so it couldn’t be the Chairman.

‘More importantly…’

The age didn’t match either.

As far as I knew, the Chairman was of middle age.

In comparison, the woman before me looked to be around Chae-rim’s age.

Someone who could treat Chae-rim that way while also being within her age range, there was only one person who fit both conditions that I knew.

One of the three special-class heroes, unlike Chae-rim, who held the title of “The Strongest,” this hero bore the title of “The Fastest.”

‘Sprinter.’

The hero, usually wrapped head to toe in a suit that covered her entire body, was now standing in front of me in a party dress.

No, she was more than just standing; she was giving me an unnerving amount of interest.

And from Chae-rim’s perspective, perhaps she didn’t quite welcome the Sprinter’s attention.

“…Why should I have to do that?”

“Of course—it’s because I’m interested in the guy behind you!”

“No, what are you even looking at…?”

“What do you mean what? Not finding him attractive is what would be weird, don’t you think?”

Then the ‘Sprinter’, Jain, started counting the reasons one by one while curling her fingers, clearly explaining why I couldn’t help but provoke her interest.

“First of all… with his looks, there are hardly any men who could compare.”

“…”

“Right?”

“…So?”

“Plus, just by looking at what he’s wearing, his style isn’t bad either.”

Given that I was dressed up with the help of a professional, that was only natural.

“More importantly, Chae-rim, for you to bring him along to this event means he’s someone you can trust.”

This was probably what they meant by ‘gambit.’

What if I denied it?

Not only would I hurt Chae-rim, who was listening from behind, but I’d also make her look foolish for bringing someone untrustworthy to such an event.

But if I said yes…

I would then be stuck with the following “So then, introduce me!” looming in my mind.

So maybe that was it.

Chae-rim, cornered in a sticky situation, was literally stuck and could do neither.

And as for the one who had pushed Chae-rim into such a position?

I was subtly curling my lips to avoid making it obvious that I was enjoying this, ensuring that Chae-rim wouldn’t catch on.

It was through that moment that I realized anew.

Perhaps… the relationship between the two, which I once thought was friendly, might not be at all what I imagined.

It felt less like ordinary friends and more like bitter rivals who were dying to outdo each other.

Thanks to that, I could no longer stay back in my observing position, and I decided I had to step in.

So as I was about to make my move, I caught a glimpse of Chae-rim’s profile and noticed her biting her lip—

“B-but she’s still a high school student…!”

Chae-rim finally exclaimed.

Yes, that was literally an ‘exclamation.’

The event was taking place in a hall-like structure, and due to the heat of the moment, her voice carried more volume than necessary, echoing throughout.

In any other situation, it would have simply sounded like a comment among us. But now, with the wall amplifying it, it started spreading further.

And as Chae-rim’s words reverberated, they were more than enough to invite misunderstandings.

Naturally, ‘Sprinter’ Jain, who was facing off against Chae-rim was equally taken aback by her sudden honesty.

It seemed she had been viewing me as Chae-rim’s boyfriend, and upon realizing my status as a high school student, it was no wonder she was flabbergasted.

Jain’s expression quickly soured as if she had just caught a bad whiff.

“As if late blessings weren’t scary enough, Chae-rim, you… how can you…”

“Wha-what are you talking about?!”

“Could it be that you’ve never dated anyone before…?”

“I said that’s not true!”

“Wait… if you’re still in high school, then that means the age difference…”

Was she trying to calculate the numbers or gauge something?

In just a moment, she seemed to be realizing that while she knew I was a high school student, she didn’t actually know my exact age.

Jain’s gaze, which had looked at Chae-rim in shock, soon shifted to me.

Her eyes seemed to ask what year I was in high school.

And it goes without saying, I had no obligation to answer that question.

So instead of replying to the question translated through her eyes—

“Why? What’s wrong with my sister?”

“…?!”

“At least she looks way better than you.”

“…!”

“Stop wasting your time here, just go. Sis.”

With that retort, I seized the moment of Jain’s flabbergasted pause to grab Chae-rim and make a hasty escape.