Chapter 83
After the entrance exam for Geumgang Academy was over, quite some time had passed.
The doppelgänger, created by splitting his own soul, had not returned.
If it were in this world, one should have been able to share sight, memory, sensation, and location through the paths inherent in the soul, but even that was impossible.
Unless the doppelgänger was inside the gate, by now, he had to be aware.
Lee Gahyeon had to accept reality.
“She’s dead.”
For some reason unknown, it seemed her doppelgänger had been exposed.
And faced death.
The reason she couldn’t detect the Soul Stone was likely due to someone concealing it from her detection.
Naturally, the probability was high that this someone was affiliated with Geumgang Academy.
“How did I get caught…?”
Somewhere in the academy city slum.
Sitting on the stairs with her buttocks, she gazed sadly at the night sky.
She touched the ground with her hand, and her red shoes seemed as if they were about to come off, shaking her legs as if about to kick them off.
Unlike the mainland, the night sky of the academy city was densely packed with stars.
“I shouldn’t have made a mistake…”
How on earth was she exposed?
Who noticed?
Above all, who killed her?
A test taker? The academy’s instructors?
Lee Gahyeon paid no attention to the gazes of those groping for her in the darkness, lost in thought.
However, in a situation where she couldn’t know how the Geumgang Academy entrance exam had proceeded, with limited information, she knew nothing.
In the end, her mind was in turmoil.
“Ugh….”
Lee Gahyeon embraced herself, hugging her legs tightly.
Burying her face between her knees, she sobbed, her shoulders trembling.
Tears flowed, smudging her makeup, knowing they made her look pitiful, yet she cried and laughed.
Beauty is perfection.
But having lost a part of her soul, she was now an imperfect being.
Therefore, she was not beautiful.
She couldn’t bear that fact.
From now on, there would forever be an irreplaceable void in her soul.
No matter how she beautified herself, even if she entered a beautiful doll, that fact wouldn’t change.
She harbored so much resentment towards whoever had made her like this.
In her heart, she wanted to find them and kill them.
But since she couldn’t identify the other party, and Geumgang Academy was keeping their lips sealed, it was an impossible task.
And she, too, had to remain silent.
Because she couldn’t let the world know that she was no longer beautiful.
If you want to keep it a secret, don’t tell anyone.
Especially those who are adored as gods of the flesh alongside you.
The moment your imperfections are exposed, they’ll sneer and mock you.
“Who are you? Who are you….”
Honestly, I feel like going crazy.
It’s maddening.
Unable to suppress the sadness and hatred, uncontrollable emotions are trying to surface.
Those emotions lead to self-harm.
Yi Gahyun realized she was pinching her own arm with her nails.
Nail marks appeared on her uncovered skin beneath the red dress fabric.
“No, this is not right.”
No matter how overwhelming emotions may be, they shouldn’t be allowed to harm oneself.
It’s an ugly thing to do.
She was on the brink of getting hurt.
Struggling to regain composure, Yi Gahyun touched the area where nail marks were left.
However, the emotions couldn’t be contained and were still bursting out.
“….”
Emotions burn through her body.
She wants to destroy, shatter, and kill something visible right now.
Yi Gahyun is consumed by impulsiveness.
It was then that the people who had been watching her from the darkness appeared.
“Pretty sister, why are you crying there? Did you get betrayed by a man?”
“To get betrayed by scum like that. If it were me, I wouldn’t do that.”
“The pain caused by meeting the wrong man should be healed by meeting a good man! How about it? Want to go there with us and have a fun change of mood?”
“….”
Emerging from a dim place, Yi Gahyun found herself surrounded by men who didn’t seem well-mannered, near the steps where she was sitting.
They looked down at her, each revealing sinister emotions.
She stared at them blankly, responding with a smile as if in agreement.
“Sure, maybe a change of mood is needed.”
“Oh, really? Feisty, huh? I knew it since I saw you in that outfit…”
There’s nothing more dreadful than being courted by those who are not beautiful.
Especially when makeup smears, revealing an unattractive face, it’s embarrassing, shameful, and makes you want to disappear.
Even without that, Yi Gahyun wanted to relieve an irresistible impulse.
Standing up with thoughts different from what they expected, she reached out to touch the man who approached her.
“…Huh?”
“….”
Even after his head was severed, the man remained alive for a brief moment.
His head, spinning round and round, let out a short sound as his eyes widened.
His head rolled down the stairs where Yi Gahyun stood, stepping on it.
Swoosh!
Blood gushed like a fountain from the side of the man’s neck where a head was belatedly attached.
In the extremely sudden situation, the stiffened men finally sensed the crisis.
“R-Run…!”
“…!”
“Where are you running off to, playing with me?”
They faced an opponent they couldn’t handle.
Realizing the gap in abilities, the men, unable even to mourn their fallen comrade, desperately tried to flee.
Yet, they could not escape death.
For the invisible thread had already encircled them.
Swoosh!
As the men touched the thread, they cleanly fell apart, meeting their demise.
Those who had just realized the thread’s existence saw Lee Gahyun herself manipulating it to end lives.
Their bodies either dropped to the ground or rolled down the stairs, decorating the area like a sea of blood.
“Tasteless, disappointing.”
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Lee Gahyun skimmed the blood splattered on her face with her fingers, then licked it with her tongue.
The source of the blood was unknown, but the mana contained within was meager.
She subtly furrowed her brow, observing the stairs where blood flowed like a red carpet.
“Still, I feel somewhat relieved.”
Tap-tap.
Descending the stairs, stepping on the dark red blood with crimson shoes, she murmured to herself.
“I wonder who killed me? Was it a disciple of the Tu’gui? An academy instructor? Or maybe…”
Another student.
She muttered to herself.
With the sound of her heels echoing, she vanished into the darkness of the slum.
—
Dogyeongwoo left for the Academy City to take the entrance practical exam.
He thought it would be fine since he would only be away for two weeks, but as time passed, his family felt his absence more keenly.
“I wonder how much I’ll miss him once he enters the academy.”
Dogyeongwoo’s father, Dosangjun, let out a bitter smile.
Though he had mentally prepared for the day his son would grow up and leave his embrace, it seemed he was still not fully ready.
Well, perhaps it was only natural.
He had watched that tiny clot grow for 17 years, even nurtured it with his own hands, so it was not easy to let him go so easily.
For him and his wife Han Jiae, those 17 years were a culmination of time, memories in themselves.
Now standing alone in the world, he felt proud and dignified yet also filled with a sense of loss.
While he felt this way, Han Jiae yearned for their son daily.
“Is he doing well on the exam… I can’t help worrying if he’s gotten hurt somewhere.”
“You know how skilled Gyenwoo is by now. Where would he possibly get hurt? He’s more likely to cause accidents than be involved in one. Plus, Haneul is by his side, so there’s no need to worry.”
“True… It’s somewhat reassuring having Haneul next to him. If Gyenwoo were alone…”
Starting from five years ago.
Han Jiae, who had stuck to short hair, often received swordsmanship lessons from him.
On that day, as she was learning swordsmanship from Doh Gyenwoo, she expressed her concerns about him.
As always, Do Sangjun tried to comfort her, who was worrying.
Yet, the hearts of parents worrying about their child could not be helped.
However, neither she nor he could completely let go of their worries about their son.
Fortunately, the fact that they didn’t have no contact with him at all was a relief.
They communicated with him through social media.
[Sonny]: Arrived at the academy city.
:
[Sonny]: Perfect score on the qualification exam!
[Sonny]: (Photo of a black exam ticket)
Since leaving for the academy city, Do Gyenwoo had been updating them once a day on how things were going.
He seemed to be taking the exams smoothly and making progress.
However, after sending a message that he was going to take the 3rd exam, the contact was cut off.
From the 3rd to the 5th practical exam, they were conducted consecutively at a gate where smartphones were not allowed.
“Hope nothing happens to Gyenwoo.”
“No news is good news.”
Hoping for the exams to end soon.
Han Jiae and Do Sangjun eagerly awaited the day their son would contact them.
Finally, a message arrived from their son.
[Sonny]: I did well on the exam. The results haven’t been announced yet, but I’m sure I passed. And the evaluators say I’ll be first in the 5th exam.
[Me]: Really? You must have worked hard taking the exam. Everything went smoothly, right?
[♥Our Lady♥]: You’re not hurt anywhere, right? You’re coming home on Sunday, right?
[Sonny]: Yes, everything’s been resolved.
[Son-nye-mi]: I still have some days left on my stay permit in the academy city, so I’ll rest a bit more here and go back on Sunday.
[Son-nye-mi]: I’m not injured!
[Daughter-nye-mi]: Oppa-bba!!! Bring something tasty on your way back!!! And well done on your exams!
After receiving a call from Do Gyun-woo after a few days, Do Sang-jun and Han Ji-ae could finally breathe a sigh of relief. They were reassured that he did well on his exams and, most importantly, that he was healthy. Meanwhile, he also sent them pictures of him having fun with friends he made during the exams.
[Son-nye-mi]: (After-party picture)
[Son-nye-mi]: Celebrating the end of exams with the kids
[Me]: Oh, are those people there the new friends you made this time?
[♥Our Lady♥]: They’re all pretty and handsome^^ But our son is the best!
[Son-nye-mi]: Not all of them… There’s Go Eun-bi, a friend who has a lot of friends. She brought them all.
Despite worrying that Do Gyun-woo might not make many friends due to not showing much interest in others apart from a few people, it seemed that their concerns were unfounded. Do Sang-jun and Han Ji-ae were pleased to see the friends their son made during the exams. They were preparing to welcome their son back from the academy city.
“Yes, hello?”
“Hello. Are you Do Gyun-woo’s father?”
“Yes, but who is this?”
Do Sang-jun received a call. He felt puzzled being addressed as Do Gyun-woo’s father by the person on the other end of the line.
Soon, puzzlement turned into astonishment.
“I am So Hye-ryul, the director of Geumgang Academy where Do Gyun-woo will be attending in the future.”
“….”
So Hye-ryul, the Witch of the Stars.
Why would she, who held significant influence not only in the academy city but globally, be calling? Do Sang-jun doubted his ears.
Yet, he couldn’t shake off the unease.
“Really… Are you the director?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“The Director for some reason….”
The accumulated experience of five years was strongly signaling to him.
It seemed like his son had been involved in something significant.
The prediction was unexpectedly accurate.
[In fact, during this exam, student Dogyeonwoo….]
“….”
In summary, So Hye-ryul’s phone call was roughly like this.
The infamous Lee Gahyun, also known as the Doll Ghost, took the examinee’s body and secretly sneaked into the exam.
His son Dogyeonwoo discovered her true identity during the 5th exam and took action against her.
Geumgang Academy decided to offer him a token of appreciation for his actions.
However, the fact that he had dealt with Lee Gahyun will not be disclosed to the public.
This is not only to prevent the academy’s reputation from being tarnished but also to ensure that his existence remains hidden from Lee Gahyun’s true self.
Nevertheless, it seemed necessary to explain the situation to his parents, his guardians, and seek their understanding, so he made the phone call.
“hahahaha…. Gyenwoo… did that….”
[Yes, your son is truly remarkable.]
“hahahahaha….”
Do Sang-jun was almost beside himself.
Even if Dogyeonwoo had caused an incident, he had handled it quite drastically.
To think he would commit an act that could make him a target of the Doll Ghost.
It was so astonishing and absurd that all he could do was laugh bitterly.
“Son, you didn’t say there was any problem….”
Was the message that everything had been resolved meant to be taken in this way?
Do Sang-jun shook his shoulders.
If this rascal of a son indeed entered the academy, what kind of trouble would he cause there? As the one who would have to deal with it, only sighs welled up in him.
“Do you have to make things so difficult for me?”
Truly, a troublemaker of a son.