I Have a Fiancee in a Parallel World

23 – Childhood Friend? Yoon Jin-hee

Several days had passed since returning from the Ares Guild, but Representative Yi Daepyo’s constant contact still bothered Ji-hoon.

“No…please stop calling…and stop sending people. Please…there’s still the car you sent before. No, no, I don’t need anything…”

Representative Lee Kang-cheon had lost three A-ranked hunters in an instant.

The once thriving Ares Guild had now fallen into internal strife and transformed into the Iryu Guild.

From Gate Raid Team 1 to Team 5, the guild was still formidable and could hold its own in terms of power, but its status had significantly changed from before.

Amidst this, the existence of Excal’s heart was revealed during the Hunter Management Bureau’s investigation.

The Ares Guild was currently in a state of chaos.

It was only expected for Representative Lee Kang-cheon to obsessively pursue Ji-hoon like a stalker.

A large guild without a single top-tier A-ranked hunter.

They possessed rare items that every hunter in the world would covet.

Fortunately, Ji-hoon’s existence had not been revealed in the news headlines and various broadcasts that had focused on this matter for three days.

Two A-ranked hunters had targeted Excal’s heart, betrayed the guild, and infiltrated it, but they were stopped by the guild members at headquarters. Many guild members were injured in the process.

Ji-hoon’s existence could not be found anywhere.

It was because Representative Lee Kang-cheon had gone to great lengths to protect Ji-hoon.

In truth, it was Ji-hoon who had captured the two A-ranked hunters and had caused injuries to other guild members, but he was able to avoid the attacks of the noisy media.

Ji-hoon couldn’t bring himself to hate Representative Lee even though he constantly nagged and bothered him.

One of the reasons might be because he sent dozens of precious teas after seeing Ji-hoon enjoying tea…

Im Han-young and Yoo So-young were officially arrested by the Hunter Management Bureau and would face trial. Hunter Yoo Sung-hyun, who had been waiting at the Seoul branch, had mysteriously disappeared.

And Director Do Won-hyuk, Do Young-hwan’s father…

He truly became a fallen man.

He had planned to instigate the betrayal of the Ares Guild by instigating the three A-ranked hunters and create a small elite guild, but now he was nothing more than a powerless criminal.

Since Director Do was not a hunter, he found himself being investigated by the prosecutor’s office instead of the Hunter Management Bureau.

“More cheese…please sprinkle more.”

“More than this?”

“Yes.”

In front of a food truck near the Academy.

Ji-hoon was ordering hot dogs again.

Thanks to the 2 million won support funds received from the Academy the day before, Ji-hoon’s bank account had grown significantly, allowing him to order two hot dogs without worry.

After deducting rent and various utilities, there wouldn’t be much money left, but there was enough to indulge in some hot dogs.

“I need to make money… Who would stick 200 on their nose…”

Jihoon, lost in thought while waiting for his hotdog.

“Here, start with one, young student.”

“Thank you.”

As soon as he received one of the hotdogs that came first, Jihoon put it in his mouth.

He expresses admiration for the taste that never gets old.

Even during his one-year academy life before crossing over to a parallel world, this food truck was a great source of strength for Jihoon.

He became a regular customer, enjoying the reasonably priced and delicious hotdogs as a meal.

He had missed this taste even in Murim.

“Did you order two? Who’s the other one for?”

Someone approaches Jihoon near the food truck and speaks to him. It’s none other than his childhood friend, Yoon Jinhee.

“I knew you were coming, so I didn’t order another one… Heh.”

Jinhee says with a playful tone.

Jinhee knew that Jihoon had been a regular customer at this food truck for over a year.

She walked in the direction of the food truck just in case while going to the academy.

Jihoon, her childhood friend who had recently changed so much.

He used to run errands for her and would come running whenever she called him, but now he had suddenly become strange.

Fighting with Changhoon from Class 6, not hanging out with female students from Class 2, and…

The most important thing was that he didn’t even pay any attention to her.

In recent weeks, she hadn’t been able to have a conversation with him at all.

Jihoon had suddenly become a completely different person overnight.

Jinhee felt unjustified that she was suddenly feeling this sense of loss because of the person who had ignored and looked down on her all her life.

“Huh? Of course, both of them are mine. Jinhee, are you a regular here too? Nice to see you often.”

Jihoon greets her casually while nibbling on his hotdog.

“Uh-uh?? Oh, right, I like the hotdogs here too. Mr. Owner, can I have one too? With lots of cheese.”

Jinhee placed an order similar to Jihoon’s, trying to get his attention.

“Oh! That’s right.”

Jinhee jumps in surprise because of Jihoon’s sudden loud voice.

“Mr. Owner, I had an outstanding balance before, didn’t I?”

“Hmm? Oh, right… But it’s okay, you don’t have to give it to me. After all, even the student had his hotdog stolen.”

“No, sir. This guy is the girlfriend of the one whose leg was cut off back then, remember? Just a moment. Hey, Jin-hee, pay Chang-hoon back for the hotdog he ate.”

“Hey, Kang Ji-hoon! I… I’m not… dating… Chang-hoon…”

Startled by Ji-hoon’s sudden words, Jin-hee stammers in response.

“What? Even after you’ve laid yourself out for him, you still haven’t managed to win him over?”

“What… What are you talking about?”

“Wow, he even brought him a leg and nursed him back to health, but he still won’t meet you? It seems like you’re not his type at all.”

Jin-hee’s face wavers.

“Do you… Do you want me to date Chang-hoon?”

“What?”

With her head lowered and her legs crossed, Jin-hee struggles to continue speaking.

“You keep saying weird things ever since then… I liked Chang-hoon when we were kids…”

“Huh? No, that’s not true… You liked Chang-hoon for a long time… Did I remember incorrectly because it was so long ago?”

Ji-hoon, thinking that a memory that was over 10 years old might be faulty, questions his own recollection.

“You only liked him when he was hitting me and tormenting me, right? And you stopped liking him after the academy?”

When Ji-hoon casually mentions his past wounds, Jin-hee inwardly feels guilty and looks at him.

“I… I didn’t know that Chang-hoon was bullying you…”

“What are you talking about? He hit you in front of me multiple times. Don’t you remember? It was a long time ago, and I still remember it.”

Taking another hotdog and putting it in his mouth, Ji-hoon speaks dully.

“I… didn’t know, that’s why…”

Determined to leave shamelessly, Jin-hee makes up her mind.

“Really? Well, anyway, I’m leaving. Enjoy your hotdog.”

As Ji-hoon gets up and leaves, leaving Jin-hee behind, she hurriedly calls out to him.

“Hey, hey! Kang Ji-hoon. Wait… Why aren’t you answering?”

“Huh? What answer?”

“You asked me if I would like to date Chang-hoon… haven’t you?”

“Why are you asking me that?”

Ji-hoon’s head tilts, and his expression changes to one of disbelief.

“I obviously don’t care, whoever you choose to be with.”

At Ji-hoon’s indifferent tone, Jin-hee finds it hard to contain her pounding and painful heart.

“That…that…we’re friends…childhood friends.”

“Friends?”

Jihun’s mind starts to wander for a moment.

Friends…

Was Jinhee ever really a friend, even for a moment?

Ah…when they were young, when they were both innocent, they would play pranks and have fun together.

But in high school…

From the time when it was terribly difficult for Jihun, she completely ignored him and used him, didn’t she?

Jihun couldn’t understand why she was saying this now.

“Friends…well, it’s been a long time since we knew each other…”

Jinhee’s heart feels like it’s being torn apart by Jihun’s indifferent words.

She is engulfed in deep regret to the point where she wants to throw away her entire past.

Why did I do that…

Why did I do that…

Rather than feeling sorry for Jihun, Jinhee is looking for excuses for herself.

She was too young back then.

She was going through adolescence, she had other friends, and because Jihun seemed to accept her, she thought it was okay…

Tears roll down her cheeks again.

“Hey? Why are you crying?”

“Sob…”

Jihun remains in front of Jinhee, unable to say anything, biting into the remaining hot dog.

“Can I have some tissue, please?”

Jihun asks the food truck owner for tissue and hands it to Jinhee.

In that moment, Jinhee feels deeply grateful for this small act of kindness and overwhelmed with emotions.

“Ah…sob…sob…sob”

Now she openly sheds tears.

Her tears continue to flow to the point where the tissue that Jihun gave her is not enough.

Will he maybe pay attention to her again?

Will he worry about her and offer her some comfort?

But as Jihun watches her crying loudly, he suddenly cannot understand her at all.

“Hey, Kang Jihoon!! Another hotdog? How about pasta for lunch later… huh?”

Yelling, Han Sojeong ran towards Jihoon, who was at the food truck.

“What’s going on? Why is she crying? Did you do something to her?”

Sojeong nudged Jihoon.

“No? She just started crying out of nowhere… Did I do something?”

Confused, Jihoon shrugged. Sojeong grabbed his arm and pulled him, talking to the owner.

“Boss! Don’t give him hotdogs every day! He’s not a child, what will happen if he keeps eating like this!!”

“Ha-ha… I’m in the business too, you know.”

The food truck owner looked at Sojeong and Jihoon with a friendly smile.

“Well… I don’t know what’s going on, but… let her cry a little, and enjoy your hotdog… I’ll take care of the bill~”

Jihoon gave a half-hearted comfort to Jinhee and left with Sojeong.

Jinhee, still with tears in her eyes, remained alone in her place.

“Student… here’s your hotdog…”

Ignoring the hotdog and leaving money behind, Jinhee ran away upon hearing the owner’s words.

“…Why isn’t she taking it…”

The owner looked at them as they moved away, putting the hotdog he made into his mouth.