Chapter 174

〈 Chapter 175 〉 Chapter 174 – How could you do this to me?!

*

The extra time has started again.

Hyeji teamed up with Elcia, who didn’t betray her this time, and they firmly subdued Jeong Ahyeon.

With Elcia’s thorny vine, they bound the weary Jeong Ahyeon.

In that state, Hyeji manifested a Taser Gun and knocked Jeong Ahyeon out cold.

It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Just in case, she fired another round at Jeong Ahyeon, but there was no further reaction, leaving her unsure if she was really out.

Hyeji rolled her eyes as she looked at the unconscious Jeong Ahyeon and thought.

“F*cking bastards!! It was mine in the first place!”

Hyeji was claiming ownership that no one would acknowledge.

At first, she thought she wouldn’t have much to worry about.

But then, there was Elcia who crashed in unexpectedly, and Jeong Ahyeon’s coin skyrocketing like crazy.

She couldn’t handle any more competitors.

“I should have just confessed from the start!”

Yet every crucial moment had been interrupted.

And when she tried to confess during normal times, she found herself unable to speak.

No matter how hard she tried to appeal, the clueless Shinwoo just didn’t catch on.

“I’m an idiot for liking that guy.”

This all boiled down to a bit of self-loathing.

And then she spotted the now-unconscious Jeong Ahyeon.

Just a few chapters ago, Jeong Ahyeon was blasting off like a rocket.

“That little brat!”

Without thinking, she zapped Jeong Ahyeon with another Taser Gun.

Half of it was to confirm the kill. Half of it was for venting.

That alone made her feel a bit more relieved.

Soon after, Hyeji made a decision.

“Hey, Ganp, wanna make an agreement?”

“Sure! Hyeji unnie!”

She decided to walk a somewhat dangerous path.

Teaming up with the one who betrayed her once, Elcia, didn’t sit right with her.

Plus, Elcia had dangerous assets that Hyeji could never have.

On the outside, she was a pretty risky competitor.

But.

“I can’t lose to that beastly woman.”

If she looked at it positively, she was just a simpleton on a pink brain level.

Total trash.

That’s why she planned a ceasefire with Elcia and cook up a plan to kidnap Shinwoo.

You might wonder why kidnapping all of a sudden.

But looking at the current situation, Hyeji felt that just confessing wouldn’t be enough.

To beat Jeong Ahyeon, she needed to make it a given first.

So, the only option left was to do something a bit rough.

Just then, from the side, Caressy, who had been eavesdropping on Hyeji and Elcia’s plan, started to approach.

Without missing a beat, Caressy whipped out a black card and handed it to Hyeji.

“This looks interesting! Go on and flip out!”

“Thank you! Cat bitch!”

“……Just call me Saintess for once, will you?”

Caressy’s expression looked a bit desperate.

Anyway, now they had some capital.

With a solemn expression, Hyeji handed the black card to Elcia, ready to start the plan.

“Go prepare something. I’ll bring him to the designated spot.”

“Don’t worry!”

Elcia shouted resolutely as she moved away.

“I’ll get some Elf Coins and prepare a little!!!”

“Haaaaaaargh!!!! I’m gonna die!!!!”

Caressy hissed and rushed after Elcia on all fours.

While Elcia, who was bipedal, put up a decent fight, she couldn’t possibly outrun a four-legged Cat Bitch.

“It hurts!!!!!!!”

“F*cking girl. If you touch that idiot thing, I’m really gonna kill you.”

Caressy tossed aside her concept and rained cat punches down on Elcia’s head.

After a brief execution time, Elcia finally started to calmly prepare.

What she was about to do was a little shady.

“Just doing it and then thinking about it.”

Like Rishin flying on Q, Hyeji was determined to get things started.

With that, Hyeji gathered her mind and approached Shinwoo.

How long had it been?

Finally.

“Shinwoo.”

“Ah. You came?”

Hyeji met Shinwoo.

His expression didn’t seem too happy, but it brightened up instantly when he spotted Hyeji.

Shinwoo seemed about to say something, but Hyeji struck first.

“Shinwoo, wanna come with me for a sec?”

“Where to?”

“You’ll find out if you follow.”

“Hey! Let’s go together!”

Hyeji confidently walked toward the alley.

Shinwoo followed right behind her.

The only sound between them was the sound of their footsteps.

Thus, they walked for quite some time in silence.

They soon arrived in a secluded alley with no signs of life.

It was the target location Hyeji had discussed with Elcia beforehand.

Meanwhile, Shinwoo who had been tailing Hyeji started to peek over, asking cautiously.

“There’s nothing here?”

“……”

“Hyeji?”

Instead of answering, Hyeji secretly manifested a weapon in her hand.

What she was about to manifest was an electric shock device.

Setting it to produce maximum output for definite results.

He wouldn’t die.

……Probably.

Just to be safe, she decided to experience the future her.

In an instant, she zapped the approaching Shinwoo with the stun gun.

But was one too little? He somehow forced Hyeji’s hand away despite the electric shock.

Realizing she needed more firepower, she regressed and manifested another stun gun in her other hand.

‘What the hell? Why is he so tough!’

At that moment, Shinwoo was right behind her.

Thinking it was the perfect chance, she pivoted and quickly fired both stun guns.

“Uh?”

Shinwoo was already beside Hyeji on her right side.

He naturally dodged the stun gun Hyeji held in her right hand.

In that state, he pulled on the inner elbow of Hyeji’s right hand with his left arm.

Then with his remaining right hand, he gently pushed Hyeji’s right wrist aside.

Thus, the stun gun’s target naturally shifted.

From Shinwoo to Hyeji’s frail chest.

­ Zapping!

Sudden electric shock spread throughout Hyeji’s entire body.

As the tingling sensation coursed through her, Hyeji remembered something she’d overlooked.

Shinwoo could read the future from someone who had regressed nearby.

‘I messed up!’

Unable to withstand the shock, Hyeji collapsed.

Had she overdone it with the output? She felt like she was about to lose consciousness.

‘F*ck! I should have made it a reasonable strength!’

But Hyeji’s body wouldn’t move despite her will.

Her consciousness gradually began to sink, independent of her desires.

As Hyeji lay there, Shinwoo glared at her with a hint of hostility.

“This isn’t Hyeji. Hyeji wouldn’t use toys like this.”

‘No, damn it! I’m me!’

She wanted to affirm that she was indeed her.

Was there a need to kidnap her? She started to regret it a bit as things unfolded.

However, all that came out was a small whimper that couldn’t form into words.

“Just throw her somewhere.”

Shinwoo slowly reached out to Hyeji.

Watching his outstretched hand, Hyeji silently prayed in her heart.

“Please move! It can’t end like this!”

But against that prayer, Hyeji’s arms showed no signs of moving.

*

Consciousness began to return.

She opened her eyes.

The first thing that came into view was an unfamiliar ceiling.

When she sat up, she saw an unfamiliar desk with a warm yellow mood light.

Finally, there was also an unfamiliar bed.

Judging by the surrounding items, she concluded that it was a hotel.

Then, the last moment flashed through her mind.

“F*ck.”

She had a decent guess who brought her here.

But now that she was aware, she tried to leave the room.

­ Creak.

“Damn.”

By now, she realized her hands and legs were cuffed.

Thick handcuffs that seemed unlikely to come off anytime soon.

But apparently, whoever cuffed her thought even that wasn’t enough.

As thick chains were tightly attached to the cuffs.

Like a dog’s leash.

So she wouldn’t run away.

Seeing that made a slight lament slip out of her lips.

“I messed up.”

Stuck in bed, she begrudgingly surveyed her surroundings.

Then, something familiar caught her eye.

A red-decorated mobile phone.

Fortunately, it was closer than she’d thought.

With trembling hands, she grabbed the phone and began to fiddle with it.

It was her only means of contacting the outside world.

But she couldn’t just randomly call the cops or reach out to her family.

‘It could either blow up or be trivialized.’

Instead, she manipulated her bound hands to quickly send a text.

The recipient had been determined from the start.

Me [Hey! How could you do this to me!］

Shinwoo [Understand. There’s no other answer but this.］

Me [At least say something! It’s only right to have a conversation!］

To understand?

Even with a hundred concessions, what was happening was over-the-top.

Yet, the responses from the other side were extremely harsh.

Shinwoo [Conversation? If you think about it, this is all your fault, right? Isn’t it?］

Me [Where’s my fault?］

Shinwoo [Everything! Do I need to point it out one by one for you to understand?］

He was being unreasonable.

Moreover, the messages reflected he was even angrier than before.

I had long given up on the idea that a proper conversation could happen.

Still, I couldn’t stop pleading about the current situation.

Me [Still, isn’t this an overreaction?］

Shinwoo [Overreaction? You should be grateful I ended it here!!］

It felt like gasoline was being poured on a fire, and the chat window began to blaze.

One wrong word, and the situation wouldn’t improve; it would only get worse.

In the moment of pondering what to send, another message arrived.

Shinwoo [I didn’t want to do this! But it’s out of my hands!］

Me [……I’m sorry. I messed up.］

I took the blame for everything.

The opposing party didn’t care much, so they could afford to act that way.

But I didn’t feel the same.

So I blindly apologized.

Just to gain a sliver of chance.

And then, a sudden wave of anxiety hit me.

‘When is he going to let me go? He isn’t planning on locking me up here for life, right?’

That absolutely couldn’t happen.

I had to get out.

Panicking, I hastily typed and sent another message.

Me [You aren’t really going to keep me here forever, right?］

Shinwoo [I’ll let you go later, so just wait quietly.］

Me [Okay. Hurry and come.］

Shinwoo [If you keep pushing, I’ll keep you locked up forever?］

Me [I’m sorry.］

At least there was some consolation.

The thought that he would let her go someday made her feel a bit relieved.

There was still a connection to the other party.

Finally, after some quick questioning, I asked one more thing.

Me [So when are you giving back my phone? Hyeji?］

Shinwoo [After I block all the contacts of the f*cking bitches messaging me right now.］

*