Chapter 178
Afterword: Let’s Date (3)
***
Inside Roxanne’s office in the Church of Noon.
“Phew…”
Roxanne, who had been deeply engrossed in her work for a long time, stretched out her body to relieve some of her stiffness.
She tilted her head slightly and looked out the window.
The darkening sky of dusk was already visible.
Ah, it’s already this late.
Should I take a little break?
As Roxanne idly stared outside, she slowly leaned back against her chair.
Closing her heavy eyelids, she quietly took a moment to rest, feeling the gentle night breeze coming through the window.
And then, unbidden, the image of Jin Soyeon smiling brightly as she announced her relationship with Lee Jinhyuk flashed in her mind.
– Can’t everyone congratulate us?
That vivid moment when Jin Soyeon clutched Lee Jinhyuk’s arm tightly and blushed, it replayed in her thoughts.
When she was busy working, her mind had been quiet, but now, taking a break, that image lingered vividly in her mind.
“…Congratulate you, huh.”
Of course, she could congratulate them.
Both Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon were dear friends of hers.
Although Roxanne had always been alone due to the interference of Seong Yura and her position as a candidate for Saintess, she had been liberated from Seong Yura’s shadow thanks to the help of both Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon.
They were the first friends she had ever made.
It was only natural to congratulate these two treasured people on their romantic relationship with a smiling face.
But why?
Why was a part of her chest aching?
Outwardly, Roxanne had kindly smiled and congratulated them, but an unknown feeling pressed heavily on her heart.
An odd sensation like something was tightening in her chest.
It felt somewhat uncomfortable.
She was sure she had experienced this feeling before…
“Roxanne! Roxanne!”
Thud!
Suddenly, the door to Roxanne’s office flew open.
There was only one person who would barge in at such a late hour without even knocking.
Roxanne sighed deeply and moved her lips.
“Sigh. Cynthia, how many times have I asked you to knock first?”
“That’s not the point!”
Cynthia, feigning an unnecessary fuss, thrust her phone towards Roxanne.
What’s going on with Cynthia this time?
Is something wrong?
Roxanne stared at the phone screen with a puzzled expression.
On the screen, multiple internet article headlines filled the display.
She skimmed through the titles and quickly realized.
– Hero of the Gwanghwamun Incident, Lee Jinhyuk’s Heart-Pounding Romance.
– “Is Lee Jinhyuk’s Girlfriend a Childhood Friend?” Another Hero of the Gwanghwamun Incident, Jin Soyeon!
– [Union’s Strongest Childhood Friend Couple Formed♡] Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon’s Love Line.
“What’s this? Is it true? That Lee Jinhyuk is dating Jin Soyeon?”
“Uh, yes.”
So, the dating news had already hit the articles.
Well, Lee Jinhyuk was one of the most famous hero trainees in Korea right now.
Reporters hungry for any scoop would never miss such news.
“Hey, Roxanne! How could you let Lee Jinhyuk get taken away so easily?”
“…Taken away? You’re saying strange things again.”
There wasn’t anything for him to be ‘taken away.’
Roxanne and Lee Jinhyuk were simply friends.
“And Cynthia, I think you’re misunderstanding something. I simply value Jinhyuk as a friend, nothing more. So please refrain from making any unnecessary assumptions.”
“Hah.”
Cynthia let out a heavy sigh, deep enough to sink into the ground, clearly exasperated by Roxanne’s response.
No matter how peculiar Roxanne’s upbringing was, and how oblivious she was to romance… How could she be this clueless about her own feelings?
This is so frustrating, Roxanne!
“Just friends? Ugh, watching you is driving me crazy.”
“Come on, Cynthia, you know my current situation and position.”
Roxanne was a candidate for Saintess.
She was one of the strongest contenders to eventually represent the Church of Noon as the Saintess.
And in such a situation, dating?
Roxanne wasn’t interested in romance to begin with, let alone in a position to pursue it.
“It’s only frustrating because it’s so frustrating. You’re still in your youth. You should be dating at your age, not locking yourself up in the church doing nothing but work.”
“Cynthia.”
“Mark my words, you’ll regret it later. With your personality, it’s obvious you’ll bottle up your feelings and end up agonizing over them.”
“…That won’t happen.”
Roxanne denied Cynthia’s words while subtly pressing down on the dull ache in her chest.
Regret? What for?
They’re already dating, so what is there for Roxanne to regret?
“And Cynthia, why are you so concerned about my relationship with Jinhyuk?”
“Well, of course.”
Cynthia snaped her fingers in the air.
“Because Lee Jinhyuk is a VIP!”
“Excuse me?”
A VIP?
What does that have to do with anything?
“After the Gwanghwamun incident, didn’t you see him donate billions in one go? Even with all the wealth in the world, hardly anyone donates that much to the church!”
“Well, that’s true…”
“And he’s one of the top hero trainees in all of Korea. If you think about his potential, fame, wealth, and future foresight…”
Was it just Roxanne, or did Cynthia’s eyes just turn into dollar signs? This was odd. Cynthia was never someone greedy for money.
If that were her motive, she wouldn’t have followed Roxanne to Korea to offer her protection in the first place.
“…All the more reason why we have to bring him over to our side!”
“That’s quite materialistic of you, Cynthia.”
“Hey! Say it’s for the sake of our church’s future, okay?”
“By the way, didn’t you already receive a reward from Jinhyuk? Oh, wasn’t it a relic?”
Roxanne cast a discreet glance at Cynthia’s waist.
A sword was hanging there.
It was a relic gifted to her by Lee Jinhyuk.
“That—yeah, that Jinhyuk guy is so generous, right? I never thought he’d give me a relic, hahaha.”
“That’s what this is all about, Cynthia.”
“I-It’s not entirely like that. Ahem, ahem!”
Cynthia awkwardly averted her gaze and cleared her throat.
“Anyway! There wouldn’t be any harm in getting closer to him, right? It’s a win-win!”
“…Your word choice is weird, Cynthia. And your motives are too impure.”
“Whatever. If things go this way, we might as well just snatch him away. Wouldn’t it be such a waste to let him go?”
“…Cynthia, you haven’t forgotten that the two of them are my friends, right?”
“Ha! In love, friends don’t matter. Love is war!”
“….”
Roxanne, seemingly too weary to continue the conversation, merely sighed in response.
There was no need to engage further with Cynthia’s ridiculous claims. This wasn’t the first time she spouted nonsense, after all.
“Well, if you wait long enough, an opportunity might come along anyway. Wasn’t their relationship broken off once before? Couples who get back together are more likely to break up again, you know.”
“Cynthia, please leave. I need to get back to work.”
“Anyway, remember what I said, Roxanne! When the chance comes, you should—Ah, ow!”
Roxanne silently closed the door.
Even though Cynthia kept chattering from outside, Roxanne deliberately ignored it and sat back in her chair.
And then, with another deep sigh, she muttered softly.
“Honestly… Cynthia, really. Always with such weird talk…”
Snatch him? What does she mean by snatching him away?
Roxanne is a devout believer, bound by ethical and moral standards.
How could she ever entertain the idea of coveting her friend’s lover and doing something so unethical?
Knowing that Cynthia was half-joking, she let it slide, but still, such talk wasn’t something a member of the Church of Noon should ever say.
And besides…
Roxanne didn’t think of Lee Jinhyuk in that way.
No matter how much Cynthia instigated her to do otherwise, it only made things more awkward.
“…”
Really.
***
“Yua.”
“…Hmm? Oh, what?”
“Judging by your expression, you’ve heard the news, huh.”
“…What’s up with my expression?”
The rumors about Lee Jinhyuk’s romance had already spread. Not just within the academy, but all across Korea at breakneck speed.
Ha Yua and Lee Cheong had heard them as well.
Though perhaps somewhat exaggerated, Ha Yua’s state didn’t seem to be very good.
“You look like a die-hard fan who’s just heard about their favorite celebrity’s dating scandal.”
“Oh, haha, funny phrase. But it’s not that.”
As always, Ha Yua tried to smile, but Lee Cheong noticed that her face looked slightly pale.
“Of course, a guy like him should have a girlfriend. It’s only right.”
There were a lot of girls who admired Lee Jinhyuk.
Strength, abilities, wealth, looks, fame.
In every aspect, he was the definition of an “alpha male.”
“It’s worth celebrating as a fan that he got a girlfriend. But…”
“But?”
Ha Yua tilted her head slightly and looked up at Lee Cheong.
Her gaze was oddly intense.
“I thought for sure he’d end up dating Yoo Seolhyun.”
“Ah, well…”
Lee Cheong scratched her cheek.
It made sense—they were close enough to secretly meet and go on dates, even on weekends.
“Yoo Seolhyun I could accept. She has abilities, looks, she comes from a good family, and her relationships with guys aren’t bad. It might be a bit of a waste, but someone like Yoo Seolhyun is understandable.”
Ha Yua then made a sullen face.
“But Jin Soyeon…”
“What’s wrong with her? She’s capable and pretty. Besides, they’ve known each other for a long time since childhood.”
Jin Soyeon was also one of the hero trainees who had made great contributions during the Gwanghwamun incident.
There were even rumors that she had fought toe-to-toe with Yoo Dahee.
Though some doubted the validity of that claim.
“She’s certainly pretty. Back when I worked in the entertainment industry, I rarely saw anyone as beautiful as her.”
Her looks had to be acknowledged.
At the very least, her beauty couldn’t be dismissed.
“But she’s also had quite the reputation with men.”
“Reputation with men?”
Lee Cheong tilted her head in confusion.
“Haven’t you heard the rumors? Jin Soyeon used to hang around with any guy she could. You could say she was pretty much living up to her looks.”
“Mm.”
Lee Cheong vaguely recalled hearing something to that effect before.
However, Ha Yua usually hated judging people based on rumors.
“And besides, she and Jinhyuk already broke up once. Sure, they’re childhood friends, but why would they get back together again? What if Soyeon hurts him this time?”
“…”
It seemed like overthinking, but then again, it wasn’t really a matter for a third party to be concerned about.
Even Ha Yua knew that much.
Still, the fact that she was making such comments…
“Yua, you…”
“Hmm? What?”
“…Nah, it’s nothing.”
Lee Cheong was about to confront her but decided not to after seeing her face.
She could tell, just from looking at Ha Yua, that it was pointless to argue.
Seriously, Ha Yua was completely hung up on Lee Jinhyuk.
What did she see in him that was so appealing?
‘Yua, you keep insisting this is just about being a fan, but can you still say that when you see your own expression?’
If only there was a mirror to show her face right now.
‘I bet even if Seolhyun had ended up dating him, you’d still make up excuses, claiming that she wasn’t right for him.’
“Is it really weird for me to feel this way? Isn’t it?”
‘It is weird.’
At this point, it was becoming a serious case.
Was she turning into the kind of obsessive fan she had always despised?
Lee Cheong, observing her best friend for a moment, shook her head slightly.
Well…
If Lee Jinhyuk and Jin Soyeon continued to date happily and openly, Ha Yua would probably lose interest on her own.
After all, someone as remarkable as Ha Yua didn’t need to cling so desperately to one guy.
But contrary to Lee Cheong’s expectations, watching Jin Soyeon and Lee Jinhyuk together only made Ha Yua’s obsession burn even stronger.
It seemed that Ha Yua was far more tenacious and stubborn than Lee Cheong had expected.
End of Chapter