38 – My Own Villain (10)
Arna was currently dreaming. And it was a very peculiar dream.
“Now, behind the door, the bride is waiting.”
It was a dream of a wedding ceremony. This place was a wedding hall, the same location as the previous large-scale combat training.
Right now, Arna stood at the very end of the virgin road, behind the door. Adorned in a beautiful white dress, she stood still, waiting for the host to proceed.
Yes. Arna was a bride. On this day, she became the happiest woman in the world.
─Before that, I asked the groom. What makes the bride so lovely?
I’ve never experienced anything like love before. I wonder when I’ll have another wedding.
In various ways, it was a bizarre dream.
─Then the groom replied like this. Our bride is stronger, more beautiful, and wiser than anyone else. He said, “I’m willing to dedicate my entire life to this person.”
Even though it was a dream, it felt good in its own way. It was like feeling loved.
Is this the feeling you get every day when you’re in love?
─For a happy future! For a new beginning! Now, let’s call the bride behind that door!
By the way, who on earth is the groom? It’s just a dream, but I was curious. When this door opens, I should be able to see that face.
─Bride, enter!
Click!
Following the host’s cue, the firmly closed door opened wide. Arna began to walk slowly down the virgin road.
Clap, clap, clap─!
Cheers and applause from the guests, the sound of cameras bursting everywhere, and fluttering flower petals. Everyone was blessing Arna.
Tick-tock. Tick-tock.
Receiving the congratulations all at once, Arna tried to see the face of the groom who would walk into the future together.
─Here she comes. The baby monster.
Groom Shin Yun-seong welcomed Arna.
“Scream!”
Arna woke up from the dream with a scream. The dream was so shocking that she had no choice but to sit up abruptly.
She was even panting for breath.
“hehehehe… What was that just now…?”
Unbelievable. Among the many men, it had to be Shin Yun-seong as the groom. And that out-of-place crew cut, what on earth was it? Even though it was just a dream, there is a limit.
Perhaps this dream will be unforgettable for a lifetime. It was that strange of a dream.
“Are you awake?”
At that moment, a voice calling Arna sounded. It was a woman’s voice. Arna quickly turned her head.
“Ah…”
Hair tied neatly into a bun, military blue hairband, and even a Red Cross emblem on the right arm. It was Choi So-eun, a medical corps member.
Arna could tell from Choi So-eun. This place was a military hospital.
“It must have been a pretty severe nightmare, huh? You’re sweating all over.”
Choi Soeun held out a towel. A pristine white towel untouched by any stains. Arna accepted the towel in astonishment.
“Yes… well….”
It was a nightmarish reality. Dreaming of a wedding with Shin Yoonsung. It sent shivers down her spine.
To think she had to share the same space, eat the same food, and sleep in the same bed with such a person. What could be more terrifying than that?
More frightening than an S-class monster was none other than Shin Yoonsung. At least, that’s how Arna felt.
“Oops…! I-I’m sorry…! I didn’t mean to…”
She had momentarily forgotten. Here, Choi Soeun was involved with Shin Yoonsung. It was incredibly impolite to criticize someone else’s boyfriend in front of their girlfriend.
“Huh? What are you apologizing for?”
“Oh, it’s nothing…”
It was truly fortunate that she didn’t voice her true feelings. Arna let out a sigh of relief.
“Anyway, how’s your body feeling?”
Choi Soeun got up and adjusted the humidifier lever. The humidifier, which was emitting a white mist, paused for a moment.
“My body seems fine. I slept well after a long time, so my head feels refreshed.”
“Really? That’s good.”
From Noble mtl dot com
Regardless of her physical condition, Arna was curious. Why was she lying in a hospital-like bed? She wasn’t even sick.
She thought about why she ended up in the hospital.
Certainly…
“Oh, right! The exam!”
Arna screamed. She remembered now. She had fallen into the trap set by Baek Juhee during the midterms and lost consciousness.
Arna grabbed Choi Soeun in a hurry and asked, “The exam! How did it go?”
“The exam? Why are you asking me about that?”
“Oh… right….”
Choi Soeun was an obligated soldier and a student. She wouldn’t know about exams conducted in the combat force. Arna quickly found her smartphone.
She needed to contact other combat force students.
“Hey.”
But there was no need to contact anyone. A message had just arrived. It was a message from Shin Yoonsung.
[Monster with Big Boobs – 07:11 PM]
[I passed, so no worries – 07:11 PM]
[ (Thumbs up emoji) – 07:12 PM]
Yes, that’s how it was. Right before losing consciousness for the last time, what appeared in front of Arna was none other than Shin Yoon-seong.
At that moment, Shin Yoon-seong had said, “Leave it to me here.” Upon hearing those words, Arna closed her eyes. That was her last memory.
In the end, she ended up receiving help from Shin Yoon-seong in an unexpected place. Whatever happens, she’ll have to express her gratitude later. Thanks to him, she was able to pass the exam.
“Huh…? Passed…?”
Wait a moment. What’s with this talk of passing? Arna checked the message again.
[You passed, so no worries – 07:11 PM]
By the way, when she lost consciousness, Arna didn’t have the brooch. If the exam had ended in that state, it would have been a natural failure.
However, Shin Yoon-seong left a message saying she passed. This means that Arna found the brooch too….
“….”
What on earth. What events unfolded while she was asleep, Arna couldn’t dare to guess.
She’ll have to ask Shin Yoon-seong about the truth later.
“I’m thinking of going. Is there anything else you need?”
Having just finished cleaning the hospital room, Choi Soeun asked if there was anything else needed. Arna quickly looked away from her smartphone.
“Oh! I’m okay….”
Rumble─
Suddenly, there was a growl from Arna’s stomach. Come to think of it, she hadn’t eaten anything today.
“Should I make something for you?”
“Huh? Oh, no! I can’t let you go through trouble because of me! I’ll go out and buy something to eat!”
“It’s okay. There are some leftover ingredients in the kitchen. I’ll make something simple and bring it.”
Choi Soeun headed towards the door, saying not to worry.
Arna was sincerely moved. Someone cooking for her on this night. There was no other angel. The community rumors were all lies.
It was truly unbelievable that she was Shin Yoon-seong’s girlfriend. Arna thought that she was a woman far too good for Shin Yoon-seong.
“Oh, but don’t expect too much.”
Before leaving the room for the last time, Choi Soeun gave Arna a slightly mischievous smile.
“I’m not good at cooking.”
***
At the same time, the outdoor training ground.
Today, Kang Tae-hoon was sitting on the bench, absorbed in his phone game.
Bing bing─!
As expected of the latest model, there was no lag at all. He should have changed it a while ago.
By the way, the phone I used before has been thrown in the trash for a long time. There’s no need to carry around a piece of junk that won’t even turn on.
*Bbong bbong─!*
“By the way, Baek Ju-hee seems unusually quiet today.”
She always appeared around this time. But today, for some reason, she didn’t show up. That probably means the operation failed.
“Well, I didn’t expect much in the first place.”
No matter how hard she tries, Baek Ju-hee is just a Class C Awakened. How could such a loser defeat a Class S Awakened? It’s like trying to break a rock with an egg.
“Yesterday, she was so confident.”
Looking back, it was like a comedy. She confidently spoke as if success was guaranteed. Where did that confident attitude disappear to?
I should make her do the same thing when we meet later. Just thinking about it makes me laugh.
“How could she shake that ego with confidence when she knew the result would be like this?”
I didn’t understand. She wasn’t asked to do anything specific; she took it upon herself to do the job. It was like willingly plunging into hell.
It’s not like she took the wrong medicine.
Certainly, Baek Ju-hee had something to ask for, and that’s why she did what she did.
What could she have wanted?
“Oh.”
I remembered. What Baek Ju-hee wanted. She mentioned it once. She asked someone to fix something.
Who was it again?
*Ddak─!*
“Ouch!”
At that moment, someone struck Kang Tae-hoon’s head. It felt like being hit with a stick.
Kang Tae-hoon turned his head to look behind.
“You…”
Behind Kang Tae-hoon, a male student stood. It was a familiar face. The guy who always followed Arna whenever she approached.
Coincidentally, the male student had a small spoon in his hand.
“What are you…?”
Kang Tae-hoon shot the guy a lively glare.
“…”
But the male student didn’t respond. He just swung the spoon expressionlessly.
*Ddak─!*
“Ouch! What, what’s wrong with you? Are you crazy?”
Dare to hit this Kang Taehoon? And with a spoon you use to eat, no less? What kind of person is this?
This was a first-time experience in my life. Kang Taehoon, whom I’ve never seen my dad hit, is being beaten by someone else.
I was so shocked that I couldn’t even speak properly.
“Kang Taehoon.”
That’s when it happened. The other person opened his mouth. It was an extremely calm and cool voice, showing no sign of fear even in front of Kang Taehoon.
“I warned you several times. The only person who can mess with Arna in this school is me.”
“What…?”
“So don’t provoke me any further if you don’t want more trouble.”
With the final warning, the male student swung the spoon with force.
Clang!