I Have a Fiancee in a Parallel World

24 – Who Do You Think You Are?

“Even just looking at this incident, you can see how vulnerable the large guild system is, right? Isn’t that so?”

Near the academy, in a lively commercial area, Sojeong and Jihoon sat in a casual yet quite elegant pasta restaurant.

“You’re saying there’s nothing special about a large guild? If it were a small elite guild, would something like this happen? We care for each and every member, you know. Right? Isn’t that true?”

Jihoon scooped up a forkful of carbonara and put it in his mouth.

As the soft and chewy pasta entered his mouth, a rich, not salty but creamy taste spread in his mouth.

“Mmm~ It’s so creamy… so good.”

Jihoon exclaimed in admiration as he enthusiastically ate the pasta.

“If you don’t understand, remember it. Small elite guilds are better than large guilds! Right? Try to imitate us, be better than the large guilds-“

“It’s so delicious!”

“Hey!! Kang Jihoon, you’re not listening to a word I’m saying!”

Sojeong shouted, and the customers at the nearby tables turned their heads to look at them.

It had been a week since they returned from the Ares Guild.

Sojeong started following Jihoon even more intensely than before she went to Ares Guild.

Lately, she had been accompanying him to every place he ate.

In the modern world, Jihoon rarely had anyone to eat with after his parents passed away.

So he didn’t mind that Sojeong, his new friend, kept appearing whenever he had a meal.

Because Jihoon had learned from Yeonhwa that eating together is more enjoyable than eating alone…

However, Sojeong was a bit, no, quite talkative.

“Does your class not do anything?”

Chewing on a mouthful of pasta, Jihoon finally speaks.

“Hey!! I also finished the morning training and theory class!”

“Do you not do any self-improvement like going to the library or doing individual training?”

“Koreans care about food! They say that eating gives you strength to train and study~”

“We’re eating pasta right now…and I’m eating it alone. You just talk.”

Finally, Sojeong notices the pasta steaming from her plate.

She picks up her fork and finally takes a bite of the pasta.

“Mmm~ delicious…oh no, did they make it wrong? It’s too greasy.”

With an impressed expression, Sojeong bursts into laughter, as if finding Jihoon cute.

“How can you eat greasy food so well?”

“When you’re in a place where you can’t eat even if you want to, you realize how valuable greasy food is.”

“…Huh? What are you saying?”

Sojeong doesn’t understand Jihoon’s words.

Sometimes, Jihoon would say things that were hard to understand.

“By the way, who was the girl crying in front of the food truck this morning?”

Sojeong asks.

“Oh, someone I’ve known for a long time.”

“Really? …Is she your girlfriend?”

Sojeong slightly lowers her eyes and cautiously asks the question.

“Pfft…girlfriend? No way, she’s just someone I know.”

“Oh, someone you just know…”

Sojeong’s expression is hard to read, but it brightens slightly.

That’s when it happened.

“Ah, there are so many people… It’s fortunate that there’s still one seat left. Right, Yoojeong?”

Seo Yoojeong and her friend Kim Sunhee walk over to the table next to Jihoon and Sojung’s.

It’s lunchtime and it’s a popular place, so there was only one seat left.

“Huh?… Kang Jihoon?”

Seo Yoojeong sits down and looks beside her to see Jihoon.

Jihoon, who was diligently eating pasta, turns his head with pasta still in his mouth and sees Yoojeong.

“Yeah? Seo Yoojeong? And that friend… did you come to eat pasta too? You’ve come to the right place, it’s delicious here.”

“Hey, did you forget my name again?”

Sunhee, who came with Yoojeong, glares at Jihoon.

“…Quickly order the pasta.”

Since the last time, why can’t he remember that friend’s name.

Jihoon pretends not to know and turns his head on purpose.

Even without seeing Sunhee’s determined face, he could feel it.

“Who is that?”

Sojung asks.

“Oh, it’s someone I’ve known for a while and her friend.”

“Another person you know? Why do you know so many girls?”

Sojung’s words make Jihoon widen his eyes and look at her.

For some reason, it sounds like a slightly sharp and annoyed voice…

Just as he was about to wonder.

“Hey, hey… Yoojeong… isn’t she Han Sojung from Class 2? Why is she with Kang Jihoon again…”

Sunhee whispers to Yoojeong, but Jihoon and Sojung can’t help but hear it.

“She’s just some celebrity.”

When Jihoon teasingly says this to Sojung, she gets angry.

“Hey! If you’re going to whisper in front of people, don’t make it audible! Yes, I’m Han Sojung. What are you going to do?”

As Sojung suddenly starts making a fuss, Sunhee’s face turns pale.

“Ah… no… sorry… I was just…”

“Don’t mutter so quietly.”

Jihoon’s quietly spoken words make Sojung, who was about to get angry, change her posture and start eating pasta again.

Why does she listen to Kang Jihoon’s words so well?

Doubt is evident on the faces of Yoo Jeong and Sun Hee.

“Ah, Yoo Jeong is not just someone I knew. I liked her when I was young, so…”

Phew

Yoo Jeong, who was about to swallow the water on the table in one gulp, spits it out as she hears Ji Hoon’s words.

“What?…You liked her?…Why?”

Sun Hee, no longer displaying her anxious demeanor, stammers and asks Ji Hoon.

“Why? Because she’s pretty, that’s why I liked her. Look, she’s still pretty.”

Sun Hee turns her head and looks at Yoo Jeong.

Big pupils in her yellow hair, a perfect nose, and pink lips.

She definitely has a popular style.

As Sun Hee stares at her in astonishment, Yoo Jeong’s face, which had spit out water, blushes as if it is about to burst.

“Is she not embarrassed? How can she casually say something like that…huh? Casually?”

Amidst the confusion and various thoughts arising, Yoo Jeong couldn’t help but feel a strong sense of something.

To casually say such things could mean that she really has no feelings for herself now, right?

Yoo Jeong’s heart, which has been feeling an inexplicable emotion towards Ji Hoon recently, tingles for a moment.

“Hey! Why are you bragging so much about Yoo Jeong following you! And what? When we were young? Just last month, you were following her just to say hello-“

“Se…Sun Hee, wait a moment. Why are you acting like that, don’t!”

When Sun Hee shoots a disgusted look at Ji Hoon, Yoo Jeong startles and intervenes with a louder voice.

“These people don’t even understand the subject…”

A cold anger from Sun Hee envelops Yoo Jeong and Sun Hee in an instant.

“E…Eh? Wh…why? Ji…Ji Hoon is just…”

“Is Kang Ji Hoon your friend? It seems like he doesn’t even know your name, who are you?”

Upon hearing Sun Hee’s words, Ji Hoon instantly becomes speechless and lowers his head.

Just last month, he was blindly following Yoo Jeong without understanding anything. What could have happened to him during that month?

Why does Han So Jeong from Class 2 favor Kang Ji Hoon so much?

Yoo Jeong steps forward as Sun Hee lowers her head.

“I…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to upset you…just because Sun Hee thinks of me…”

“No, what’s wrong with you two? Are you acting like princesses?”

Unable to argue against Sun Hee’s sarcasm, Yoo Jeong also lowers her head like Sun Hee.

“Hey, we’re done here. Stop bothering the kids and let’s get up. Are you chickens or what?”

“Can’t believe they think they can install whatever they want and get away with it. Are you not angry?”

“What’s there to be angry about? Kids can be like that. Girls at that age are all like that. It’s just that you’re different.”

“What do you mean kids…we’re the same age. Anyway, you’re acting really strange, you know?”

“Let’s just go quickly and come back after paying. Yoojeong, Seonhwa, let’s go eat comfortably.”

With Jihun’s words, Sojeong obediently walked towards the counter, finally allowing Yoojeong and Seonhui to breathe.

The two of them left their seats, but Yoojeong and Seonhui still couldn’t utter a single word.

“Yoo…Yoojeong…”

“Just let’s eat quickly and go…”

“Uh…yeah, okay.”

They quietly ordered pasta and could only focus on eating.

***

“As you all know, this quarter’s evaluation will be a joint evaluation with other classes. In real situations, there are many tasks that require you to work with other hunters who have different abilities. Individual ability is important, but if teamwork is not established, you will always face dangerous situations. Does everyone understand?”

“…”

In front of Professor Jin Seokhyun, who was passionately explaining the quarterly evaluation, the 11th class students showed gloomy expressions.

Of course, it was inevitable, as the 11th class was the weakest class within the academy.

In the joint class evaluation, it was difficult for the 11th class students to find teammates, and even if they did, they were likely to be looked down upon and treated as inferior.

A student raised his hand to ask a question.

“Do we have to form a team with other classes?”

“It’s not necessarily a must. As long as you can fill various positions such as tankers, healers, magic users, you can form a team with students from the same class. However…”

Jin Seokhyun swallowed his next words, but everyone sitting could understand his meaning.

What would happen if the 11th class students formed a team among themselves? Who could they fight and win against?

In the gloomy atmosphere that enveloped the classroom, Jihun’s hand went up.

“…Umm…student Gang Jihun…Yeah, do you have a question?”

“That’s the idiot Gang Jihun again… What does he want now…”

Professor Jin Seokhyun’s face crumpled like a crushed soda can.