After Ten Millennia in Hell-Chapter 51Epilogue - Back to School (2)

Oh Kang-Hyun walked with his little sisters to their classroom.

“Oppa, I’ll be... heading inside,” said Oh Kang-Hee tremblingly as her eyes teared up like some tragic heroine separated from her lover.

“Okay, okay. See you.”

Kang-Hyun nodded, having gotten used to her overdramatic reactions. Kang-Hee angrily approached him, dissatisfied with his response.

“What’s with that, oppa? Do you feel nothing when you have to be separated from me?”

“You say that but we’re separated for only an hour.”

“What do you mean, only?! An hour is a long time!”

Kang-Hyun shook his head as Kang-Hee threw a temper tantrum. Of course, even if Kang-Hee was overly attached to him, she would not act this way just because they weren’t together for one hour. They weren’t together twenty-four-seven even during summer vacation. There was only one reason why she would act so clingy today.

“Haaa. You’ve gotta make some friends soon...”

“Wh-Wh-What are you talking about, oppa? I-I have f-friends!”

Kang-Hee flinched and averted her gaze from Kang-Hyun, who smiled because of how easy she was to read.

“What’s their names?”

“O-Oh, uhhh...” Kang-Hee thought for a while and glanced at Lilia next to her. “L-Lia?”

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“...”

She had no choice but to designate her sister because she had no friends. Kang-Hyun turned to Lia, almost brought to tears.

“Lia. You guys are in the same class so try to look after her.”

“Do you think I’m doing absolutely nothing? Kang-Hee’s the one who avoids them even when I introduce people to her. What else am I supposed to do?”

Kang-Hyun turned to Kang-Hee. “You heard her... anything to say for yourself?”

“Th-That’s because the people Lia introduces to me are all weirdos—”

“Weirdos? My friends?”

Lia glared at Kang-Hee. Kang-Hee flinched and lowered her head as her lips quivered.

“I’m sorry...”

“Fufu, whatever. More importantly, we might get scolded by our homeroom teacher if we don’t head in, you know?”

“Oh, yeah. Go ahead. Message me when you’re done,” Kang-Hyun remarked.

“Okay~ Now, stop curling up into a ball, and let’s go, Kang-Hee.”

“Wh-Who’s curling up into a ball?!”

“Hmm. You were, as you said I’m sorry~”

“L-Lia!”

“Kyaah! Don’t pull my hair! Our beloved Father did it for me!”

Kang-Hyun smiled faintly as he watched his little sisters bickering as they headed to their classroom. He turned around toward the stairs that led to his classroom.

“...”

Just then, he felt a familiar gaze. He saw someone peeking at him from the corner that led to the stairs.

‘I feel like this happened before.’

Kang-Hyun slowly walked toward the person peeking at him from the corner.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Ngh...!”

Kim Si-Ah flinched like a cat whose fish they were hiding was discovered, and walked out from the corner.

“...”

“...”

They had not seen each other for a month since the resort incident. Kang-Hyun and Si-Ah did not know what to say to each other. They were comfortable around each other at the sunset beach but they felt like they were on a bed of thorns just from standing across from each other.

“...me?” asked Si-Ah quietly.

Kang-Hyun gestured that he couldn’t hear her, so Si-Ah came closer to him.

“Why didn’t you call me after that day?” she asked coldly.

Kang-Hyun could feel faint rage in her glaring eyes.

“...”

He flinched and his expression hardened. Si-Ah got one step closer to him.

“I asked you a question. We decided to meet up to train even during the break, didn’t we?”

“That’s...”

Kang-Hyun made as many excuses as he could make. He could say he was worried that Si-Ah had been shocked by that incident. He could also say that he needed to look after his little sisters because his father was busy, or that his mothers made sure he didn’t leave the house after that incident. He had so many reasons to give but not a single one he wanted to say. Si-Ah likely knew why he had not called.

“Is it because of what happened at the resort? Because of how you lost so one-sidedly?”

“...”

There was a saying that words hurt more than actions. Si-Ah’s words ached Kang-Hyun’s heart.

“Hah. What a joke.” Si-Ah crossed her arms and snorted. “What becomes of me when you act like that? I’m not proud of it but wasn’t I in a far worse state than you?”

Si-Ah collapsed in panic on the spot as soon as she saw maggots squirming in the attacker’s wounds. It was true that Kang-Hyun had been powerless against the attacker but so was Si-Ah.

“That’s... different,” Kang-Hyun replied.

“How so?”

“You were able to fight him evenly. You even landed a blow on him, but I... couldn’t do anything.”

Kang-Hyun had been overpowered by the attacker’s immense strength without being able to put up any resistance.

“So the best idea you came up with was to lock yourself up at home and be protected by your parents?”

“...”

“Yeah, what a bright idea that is~” Si-Ah mocked as she turned around.

Kang-Hyun clenched his fists as he watched her get further away. The suffocating sense of powerlessness weighed down on him.

“Haaa,” he sighed and climbed the stairs. “...”

The stairs he climbed every weekday felt like a massive trial for some reason today.

***

“Classes will begin tomorrow, so make sure to bring your textbooks.”

The children raced out the door as soon as the homeroom teacher finished talking. Laughter could be heard all around. Since school was over early, they were excited to hang out with friends they had not seen for a month.

Someone Kang-Hyun hung out with several times called, “Kang-Hyun! We’re all going to an arcade. Wanna come?”

“No, I have stuff to do today.”

“Eh? Are you gonna study tomorrow’s material in advance or something?”

“Are you crazy? Even I wouldn’t do that on the first day we’re back. Besides, studying in advance is only meaningful when there’s sufficient material to go through.”

“Urgh, damn honor student. So, what stuff do you have to do?”

“My mother told me to come home early.”

“Come on, even my mom told me that. Just ditch her and let’s go to the arcade.”

“No.”

Kang-Hyun’s friend shook his head as Kang-Hyun put his foot down.

“Sheesh, forget it. Alright. We’ll be going without you, then.”

“Okay.”

Kang-Hyun’s friends left the classroom.

“...”

Kang-Hyun, alone in the empty classroom, leaned on the backrest of his chair and sighed for the nth time today. His conversation with Si-Ah lingered in his mind.

“I’m such a loser,” he said in self-deprecation and lay on his desk.

He had practically said he was frustrated because Si-Ah fought well but he didn’t. He couldn’t have given a more pathetic answer.

“I should apologize...”

One month was more than enough time to have wallowed in self-deprecation. He needed to move past it and stand tall again. He sent a text to his sisters, saying he would be a little late, and stood up.

‘I wonder if she’s still in her classroom?’

He could have texted her but headed to her classroom just in case.

“Si-Ah...”

He knew where her seat was since he had come to see her many times to train with her after school. It was the one next to the window on the back row, the staple seat for the loner in manhwa.

‘And it just so happens she fits the bill.’

No one was in Si-Ah’s classroom except for a boy he had never seen before. He took out his smartphone to contact Si-Ah.

“Hm?”

Just then, he noticed the boy was slowly moving toward Si-Ah’s desk with a letter in his hand.

‘Could this be...?’

Kang-Hyun gulped and examined the boy’s actions. The boy looked around to check if anyone could see him but Kang-Hyun quickly ducked to hide. Kang-Hyun placed his hand over his pounding heart.

‘That’s... a l-love letter, isn’t it?’

It was nothing to be surprised about. Si-Ah was exceptionally beautiful among girls her age and many boys were into her elegant image. It was not strange for an innocent boy to leave a love letter in her desk drawer because he was too shy to speak to her.

‘Yeah.’

It was natural, but—

“...”

An unpleasant feeling stabbed his chest. The boy left the letter in Si-Ah’s desk drawer and ran out of the classroom as if running away and down the hallway. Kang-Hyun, hiding in a corner, entered the empty classroom. He walked straight to Si-Ah’s desk as if he were in a trance.

“No, I shouldn’t.”

It was unethical to read a love letter sent to Si-Ah. Such an act was next-level loser behavior that his remarks to Si-Ah earlier couldn’t even compare to.

“...”

He knew that but his feet were frozen in place. He was too curious about the love letter. The stabbing feeling in his chest grew stronger.

“Screw it.”

‘I’ll just take a look at who sent it.’

Kang-Hyun, controlled by an irresistible urge, grabbed the letter from Si-Ah’s desk. He took a deep breath and opened the envelope.

Kill yourself.

Do you think you’re special or something?

Just fucking die.

How is it to show off that you’re the Martial God’s daughter?

Everyone would be happier if you were gone LOL

Stop acting so elegant as if you’ve got it all.

Can’t you just transfer schools?

Inside the envelope was a letter filled with curses and squashed insects.

“...”

Kang-Hyun’s body moved before his mind.

SLAM—!

He kicked open the door and raced through the hallway.