The Tough Guy Hides the Villainess

“Hey! Nam-jin! Are you okay? You ate a monster!”

Geum Tae-sung ran up to me, checking my pupils and snapping his fingers to test my consciousness.

I was fine.

It felt a little tight in my solar plexus as if I had indigestion, but it was bearable.

Twitch, twitch-.

The problem was that Ying-ying wasn’t staying still in my stomach and kept moving around.

I felt like I was going to throw up, but I had to suppress it somehow.

“I… I’m fine, really!”

“Friend! You did well! The 2 million merit points are ours! Successfully hunting monsters twice in a row during practice! This is a first for Class D!”

While Chang-sik was rejoicing, Yoo Yeoreum and her team seemed reluctant to leave, disappointed that they had lost credit for the monster hunt.

Beep-beep-.

At that moment, an alarm from the smartwatches on our wrists announced the end of the practice.

Now, we just had to find the marked “Exit” on the map to complete the exercise.

“Next time, I won’t let you take it.”

Yoo Yeoreum muttered curtly before disappearing into the distance with her team.

I also thought it’d be best to leave this place quickly to calm my tumultuous stomach, so I started moving.

“The closest exit seems to be in the building we started from. Let’s head there.”

Since it was just a matter of retracing our steps, finding the exit wasn’t too difficult.

However, a small problem arose.

Unfortunately, we ran into some troublesome people right in front of the exit.

“You bastard! Han Nam-jin!”

It was a guy with thin features that gave him a particularly annoying look.

What was his name again?

“Sa Ma-gui, was it?”

“It’s Sa Ma-jun!”

Ah, that’s right.

That was his name.

The thug I met at Seo Ga-eul’s party.

Wang Ja-hyun’s minion?

Lackey?

Any of those terms would suit him.

Where was Wang Ja-hyun, anyway?

No, that didn’t matter right now.

Running into these guys while Ying-ying was rampaging in my stomach—was this Butt girl’s “Misfortune” at play?

I looked at the “Door” installed next to them.

If I went through that, I could return to school.

But Sa Ma-jun took this opportunity to cause trouble.

“This door is occupied by us! If you want to leave, find another door. Of course, the next one is at least 10 minutes away! If you’ve got a problem, then fight us!”

He was telling us to take a detour of 10 minutes with the exit right in front of us?

It was blatant provocation.

He was clearly still hung up on what happened last time.

What a spineless guy.

If I’d known, I should’ve crushed his pride completely last time and made him a joke.

No, maybe I should take this chance to solidify this praying mantis-like guy’s identity once and for all.

Just as I was thinking that, Baek Yeoul shouted.

“If… If you want to fight us, we won’t just stand still! I’ll curse you! With… with the Curse of Misfortune! I don’t even know what might happen! Consider this a warning!”

The Curse of Misfortune?

Could Butt girl actually do something like that?

Butt girl glanced at Deok-soon and then shouted.

“Deok-soon! Remember that strategy we talked about at Chang-sik’s house yesterday! It’s time to use it! When I give the signal, mute the surrounding sounds!”

“…Are you serious about this? Also, I’m not Deok-soon, I’m Deok-hee….”

I wasn’t sure what they had planned, but it seemed like Butt girl and Deok-soon had pre-arranged some kind of strategy.

As I grew more tense wondering what they were going to do, Butt girl suddenly dashed toward the students from Class F.

The Class F students burst out laughing.

“Baek Yeoul? What can someone like you, who can’t even control her ability properly, do? I’m Sa Ma-jun! The ‘Torch Lighter’ Sa Ma-jun! Just a blow from me can─.”

“Deok-soon, now!”

“Blargh!” Butt girl shouted.

Deok-soon immediately started dancing wildly, as if she’d decided to throw caution to the wind.

This dance created a perfect sound barrier around us.

Absolute silence.

From our perspective, we could see Baek Yeoul silently mouthing words, seemingly shouting something, while Sa Ma-jun and his teammates from Class F looked stunned.

About 20 seconds passed, and Deok-soon’s dancing stopped.

As Deok-soon panted heavily, trying to catch her breath, the Class F students yelled out.

“A letter that started in 20th-century England? Misfortune if you don’t pass it to seven people? What nonsense!”

“I thought they were planning something big!”

What on earth had happened?

Once she caught her breath, Deok-soon quietly explained.

“Yeoul recited a chain letter. One of those ‘send it to seven people or face a day of extreme bad luck’ letters. She said it directly to them.”

In other words, while Deok-soon set up a sound barrier, Baek Yeoul delivered an oral chain letter to only those guys.

Would that really work?

Even Deok-soon admitted, “Honestly, I’m not sure….” and shook her head.

But Butt girl was brimming with confidence.

“You’re going to have bad luck for the next few days! To avoid it, you’ll have to send that letter to others! I warned you!”

Now that I looked, Baek Yeoul’s eyes were half-crazed.

She looked like someone who’d gone completely off the rails.

Wasn’t the pink hair dye to blame?

“Screw this, I’m done playing along.”

Sa Ma-jun seemed to have had enough of this bizarre act.

Fwoosh-.

Flames flared up in his palm.

So Sa Ma-jun was a fire-wielder?

No wonder he was so irritating.

“…W-What should we do?”

“Friend! This is a crisis of crises!”

Deok-soon and Chang-sik were useless in a fight.

“You guys! I warned you! You’d better start writing those letters now!”

─And Butt girl was clearly out of her mind.

It seemed like I had to step up—just as I was thinking that, I heard.

“Nam-jin, you stay put. You’re not in good shape after fighting Yoo Yeoreum earlier.”

Step, step.

Geum Tae-sung stepped forward.

Sa Ma-jun, who had been relaxed until now, suddenly tensed up.

“Geum Tae-sung, I heard you quit fighting.”

“I don’t recall saying that.”

Geum Tae-sung lightly tripped Sa Ma-jun by his ankle.

“Ugh!”

Caught by Geum Tae-sung’s move, Sa Ma-jun fell to the ground.

Unfortunately, there was a protruding rock there, and his head hit it with a thud.

“Guaah!”

Sa Ma-jun rolled his eyes back, foaming at the mouth.

“Ma-jun!”

“You bastard!”

As his teammates lunged at Geum Tae-sung for revenge, the flames in Sa Ma-jun’s hand caused trouble.

Fwoosh-! Boom-!

“Gah!”

“Ahhh!”

Sa Ma-jun and his teammates were caught up in their own fire and were sent flying.

What unlucky guys.

“See! I told you! You’d have bad luck! Hiyahaaah!”

Did Butt girl’s chain letter actually work?

Even I was starting to have doubts.

# # #

“This practice’s first place goes to ‘No Leftovers Day.’ I never expected someone from Class D, the class I oversee, to successfully hunt monsters consecutively. Han Nam-jin, what kind of magic did you use?”

“It wasn’t magic, just skill. Honestly, it’s thanks to my outstanding leadership, but saying that wouldn’t sound very modest, so I’ll give credit to my entire team.”

Swipe, swipe, swipe-.

I awkwardly rubbed the bridge of my nose with my fingers.

As everyone clapped for us, who had taken first place, I felt truly delighted.

Is this what it feels like to be popular?

Now I understand why people dream of being celebrities.

Hmph-. At that moment, Teacher Nose, who had been watching me with a less-than-pleased expression, snorted.

“Probably just luck. Or maybe you had good teammates.”

Teacher Nose suddenly approached Geum Tae-sung, gently stroking his arm with a coy tone in her voice.

“Tae-sung, why don’t you transfer to Class F? With my recommendation and your grades, I think you’d adapt well there.”

Even though I was the team leader, Teacher Nose seemed more interested in Geum Tae-sung.

However, Tae-sung just shrugged indifferently, showing little interest.

“I like Class D.”

“You’re a good fighter too. Only four people have lasted more than a minute sparring with Yeoreum, and you’re one of them. Even if you’re a troublemaker, I value your skills enough to make an exception for you.”

Srrrk-.

Teacher Nose looked at Geum Tae-sung with narrowed eyes, like a predator seeking a suitable match in the marriage market.

But Geum Tae-sung wasn’t easy to deal with either.

“I don’t fight anymore. Besides, Teacher, don’t you have something to say to Nam-jin, not me?”

Right, Teacher Nose should’ve been here for me, not Tae-sung.

I approached the teacher and puckered my lips like a fish.

“What… what are you doing?”

“You promised me a kiss. A kiss.”

“…You smell! You just rolled around in a sewer! And you want to kiss me with a mouth that ate a monster? Not a chance! At least brush your teeth first!”

“Teacher, are you going to go back on your word? You’re an educator teaching awakened students! If you go back on your word, what will the students think?”

“Urgh!”

Teacher Nose’s face turned bright red, and she huffed, her breath heavy.

She was probably embarrassed because she liked the idea of kissing me so much.

Women can’t be honest, can they?

At times like this, it’s better for the younger man to take the lead.

I wrapped my hand around the teacher’s waist and gave her a quick kiss on the lips.

“Eek!”

It all happened so quickly that Teacher Nose seemed flustered.

She soon rubbed her lips with her hand, spitting and groaning in protest.

“That was my first kiss!”

I didn’t care and raised my hands high like a victor lifting a trophy.

“I’m number one! Hooray for Class D! Independence for Class D!”

“Waaah!”

“Woohoo! But what independence?”

“Hooray for Class D!”

The Class D kids began clapping enthusiastically.

Of course, some looked distraught.

Mostly the boys from Class F.

“Our Teacher Nose had her first kiss stolen by that guy….”

“Cheer up, Ma-jun. It was just a kiss, not a full-on makeout session.”

“Shut up!”

Nice, nice.

Once again, I was the star of the day.

Gurgle, gurgle-.

At that moment, my stomach churned violently.

“Excuse me, hold on. I need to use the bathroom.”

I quickly climbed down from the podium set up in the playground and headed behind a nearby auditorium.

I opened my mouth wide, ready to throw everything in my stomach up!

“Uweeegh!”

━Gyuuuing.

The only thing that came out of my stomach was Ying-ying.

The blue slime, Ying-ying.

Seeing it, the tightness in my solar plexus eased instantly, and I felt much better.

“Ying-ying! Good to see you! I really am lucky!”

Why was I lucky?

Because with Ying-ying, I could now use the “Nose” and “Eye” concept stones I’d obtained after defeating the monster earlier!

Since it came to mind, I might as well try it now!

Clink.

I pulled the concept stones from my pocket and offered them to Ying-ying.

Ying-ying, still wary of me after being eaten, seemed intrigued by the stones and cautiously climbed onto my palm.

━Gyuuuing.

Then it absorbed the concept stones into its body!

Wiggle, wiggle-.

How much did Ying-ying squirm on my hand?

Eventually, it spat out small, round beads as if expelling nutrients it didn’t need.

“So, the ‘Eye’ and ‘Nose’ didn’t suit you, huh? Well, slimes don’t really need eyes or noses, do they?”

━Gyuuuing.

When monsters consume concept stones, they only absorb concepts useful to them and expel the rest, extracting just the nutrients.

In this case, the expelled beads were purified concept stones with the toxins removed.

What I held now was a fusion concept stone combining “Eye” and “Nose”.

If sold on the market, it would fetch at least 1,000 bottle caps.

That kind of money could let someone live safely in a shelter for weeks, with clean water and uncontaminated food. It was a significant price.

But right now, there wasn’t a market to sell it.

So, what should I do?

Should I consume it myself?

Or give it to Seo Ga-eul to strengthen her?