Escape from the Iljinhoe Project 34

# Chapter 34

It seems like Shinju High’s main gate is cursed.

“…Oh Eundo?”

No, there’s no way the Apexes would deliberately show up like this. I swear this must be the author’s manipulation.

“Gu Haejin.”

*Whoosh—*

As soon as I identified the figure standing in front of the main gate, a barricade of the trio quickly formed solidly around me. After Jang Seoldam’s sudden appearance this morning, the trio’s anxiety about protecting me must have intensified, as they immediately blocked Oh Eundo from approaching me. “What business does the Choigang Apex have with our Apex?” They seemed to be growling like that as I quietly watched the backs of the three. Hmm. Actually, I was annoyed because they were suddenly blocking my view.

Could you please remove yourselves from my blind spot?

“I’m not here to harm anyone, so you don’t need to be so defensive. I’ve come to meet the Devil Apex officially.”

Oh Eundo’s voice was unusually calm today. Previously, he would have immediately shown his hot temper at how they were treating him, the 3rd ranked Apex. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen either him or Kim Pyeonghwa since that time we had that match at the arcade. With all the commotion about Coup d’état and various gang issues… hmm, has it been almost a month?

Jung Ion must have also found Eundo’s different demeanor strange, as he turned to look at me with a glance that asked, “What should we do?” What do you mean, what should we do? I tilted my head in confusion. Then Ion suddenly stepped aside and moved behind me. Of course, Park Hanseo and Shin Amin followed suit.

Huh? What’s this? It’s almost like… as if I had given them an order? That can’t be, right? Yeah. It’s not. That’s dangerous. Dangerous. It’s risky to act like I’m getting used to being an Apex!

“Jang Seoldam. I heard he showed up?”

While I was swallowing some inexplicable discomfort, Oh Eundo stared at me and asked.

“Yeah. He came here this morning.”

“…That crazy bastard.”

“How did you know?”

“It’s all over HioIl in real-time. The fact that he reappeared at Devil Apex Gu Haejin’s sanctuary after disappearing for two months naturally caused a huge uproar.”

He yawned and stretched, seeming tired. His face looked a bit gaunt, as if he’d had a lot to worry about due to the recent damage to the Iljinhoe.

“Ah, shit. What the hell is Jang Seoldam up to anyway?”

“How would I know?”

“What did he say to you?”

“He just spouted nonsense and left.”

That August 1st would be “show time.”

When I calmly repeated the playful message Jang Seoldam had delivered, Oh Eundo’s expression quickly hardened. I had absolutely no idea what it meant, but he seemed to understand the implication right away.

“Don’t tell me that bastard…”

“Does that mean something to you?”

“Gu Haejin. Did you feel nothing when you heard those words?”

“What?”

“I’m asking if you didn’t get any feeling from it.”

…Was there supposed to be a feeling?

At the time, I was so busy being wary of Jang Seoldam himself that I didn’t properly focus on the meaning of his words. Oh Eundo had a flushed face, as if deep in thought. As I looked at him quietly, something suddenly occurred to me.

By the way, why did he come here?

“So, what’s your reason for meeting me?”

“I told you. I came to meet you officially.”

Yeah, but what’s the reason for that, dude?

When I frowned slightly, he briefly looked away as if stalling, then scratched his eyebrow.

“I have something important to talk to you about.”

“Something to talk about?”

“Yeah. It’s not really appropriate to discuss it here…”

Oh Eundo kept hesitating, which was unlike him, not saying what he wanted to say. I waited patiently. After glancing around cautiously for a while, he carefully asked:

“Want to… go to a café?”

“A café?”

“Yeah. There’s a dessert café I really recommend.”

“Sure.”

“Huh?”

“You said let’s go, right? Why not.”

“Uh…”

Oh Eundo answered with a dumbfounded face.

I thought he was going to say something major. I didn’t expect he’d have such difficulty just asking to go to a café. If Oh Eundo was recommending a café, it seemed safe to trust his judgment. I really liked the restaurant we went to last time. After that, I developed unlimited trust in places he recommended. Plus, a dessert café… I secretly have a sweet tooth and am crazy about desserts.

He seemed quite surprised that I agreed so easily, as if he hadn’t expected it. He hung his head low and covered his face with his hands. Then, as if he couldn’t bear it, he roughly messed up his own hair. Can someone tell me why he’s acting so weird today?

“It’s really… a delicious place.”

“What is?”

“I’m telling you it’s a really fucking delicious place. I guarantee it.”

Is it that good? I awkwardly nodded at his eyes that sparkled with confidence.

“I’ve been thinking… I really wanted to treat you there.”

For some reason, as if embarrassed to say it, Oh Eundo avoided my gaze but still articulated those words clearly. The redness of his ears was somewhat cute. He was embarrassed but still the most honest. That’s why I liked his personality the best among the three. This kid. His thoughtfulness toward his hyung is admirable.

He probably doesn’t know that Gu Haejin’s core is actually a 26-year-old older brother, right? I couldn’t help but smile a little.

“Hey, hey…!”

With a somehow warm feeling, I raised my hand and patted his head. Oh Eundo seemed considerably taken aback.

“You did this last time too, why do you keep touching my head…?! I’m not some dog…”

“Should I not?”

As I said that and slightly removed my hand, he stared at me intensely then grabbed my wrist and shook his head.

“No, it’s okay.”

Let’s go. Speaking softly and quietly, Oh Eundo led me away.

A dessert café… My heart raced at the thought of eating something delicious. Oh Eundo’s warm hand on my wrist felt familiar. Come to think of it, he always grabbed my wrist like this whenever he took me somewhere. Ah, right.

“Wait a second.”

When I suddenly stopped walking, Oh Eundo turned around with a “what’s up?” expression.

“Apex. Where are you going?”

“Oh Eundo. Why are you taking our Apex?”

The trio had pitiful expressions, as if something of theirs was being taken away. I felt a bit bad about just leaving them there, acting like abandoned dogs. Maybe it’s not right to go together? I don’t know what important thing Oh Eundo wants to talk about though.

While I was contemplating, Oh Eundo, who had been frowning slightly beside me, eventually spoke as if it didn’t matter.

“Well, you guys should know too, so follow us if you want.”

It didn’t take long to understand what he meant.

“Greetings, Devil Apex Gu Haejin. I’m On Wooju, first-year and Number Two of the Choigang faction.”

“I’m Kim Sara, second-year and staff member of the Choigang faction.”

The two bowed 90 degrees to me.

Uh, yeah. I had to awkwardly accept their formal greeting with a somewhat flat feeling. Their extreme politeness made it even more awkward.

“These are my right and left arms.”

Oh Eundo proudly introduced the two with a statement that made them sound like future gangster prospects. As soon as we entered the dessert café he recommended, we were faced with two Choigang faction executives standing at attention.

On Wooju, who greeted me first, wore rimless glasses and had a very calm and neat impression. However, through his glasses, his eyes conveyed a cold, calculated sharpness. He definitely had the aura befitting the Number Two position in Choigang, right below Oh Eundo. What surprised me was that he was a first-year. He was equivalent to Jung Ion in our system. Well, even Jang Seoldam is an Apex as a first-year, so I guess it’s not that surprising?

Kim Sara, who held the same position as Hanseo as a staff member, was a second-year with a small stature, but unlike Wooju, he had a wild cat-like image. With his casually swept bangs, he wore just a white T-shirt, unlike Oh Eundo and On Wooju who were in their school uniforms, giving him a free-spirited appearance. And it seemed he worked out quite a bit—he wasn’t particularly large, but he wasn’t skinny either, with visible lean muscles on his exposed arms.

“Hey, aren’t you going to introduce yourselves?”

And Kim Sara’s speech was just as unrestrained as his appearance. Seemingly displeased that only they had introduced themselves, he picked a fight with the trio standing guard behind me, giving them a crooked look. Jung Ion snorted.

“Who said we had to go first?”

“What the hell, you?!”

“Everyone in this field knows who we are without introductions, don’t they?”

“Hey. Who doesn’t know? I’m saying you should properly introduce yourselves to our Apex too. You’ve got no manners, asshole!”

“Calling our Number Two an asshole… Kim Sara. Watch your mouth, will you?”

“Hah! Park Hanseo, what’s your problem?”

“You don’t know me, the Devil staff member? Are you even thinking properly as a staff member?”

“Jung Ion, that bastard. Shit. I know who you are! Want to fight right now? Let’s throw down right here!”

“Senior Sara, please stop there. Do you really want to fight right now, with our Apex and the Devil Apex in the same place? And I’d also appreciate it if the Devil executives would stop making dismissive comments about our staff member. It’s not making me feel too good either.”

Naturally, with two rival gangs ranked 2nd and 3rd meeting, there was no way it could be peaceful. As soon as they met, they were barking at each other fiercely, creating sparks of hostility that turned the once calm café into chaos.

Shit. My head hurts… These damn school gang kids with their oversized egos.

The argument between Kim Sara and Jung Ion, which was about to turn from verbal to physical, was finally settled after On Wooju simply blocked the cat-like Kim Sara by raising his arm and methodically explaining the situation in a monotone voice. On Wooju pushed up his rimless glasses and then turned his gaze toward me. It seemed like an apology. Wow… in terms of aura, he had more of an Apex presence than Oh Eundo.

“Gu Haejin. What do you want to eat first?”

But of course, the most dominant one here was Oh Eundo.

Even with his executives on the verge of a bloody fight, this carefree guy was sitting in the seats that On Wooju and Kim Sara had reserved in advance, looking at the menu. Yeah. You’re the best. I flopped down across from Oh Eundo, inwardly amazed. As the executives also started to take their seats, they naturally divided into Devil and Choigang on either side of the table, with me and Oh Eundo as the Apexes in the center.

4:3.

It looked just like a blind date. …Just without any women.

Author: Hyacinthus B

Hyacinthus