NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 236
“Blanca? I appreciate the explanation, but… this feels a bit too close for comfort.”
Seolhwa, sitting next to me, was throwing sharp glares at Blanca, but it seemed like Blanca wasn’t oblivious to it—more like she was intentionally ignoring it.
Worried that Seolhwa might blow up, I subtly suggested to Blanca to scoot a little away, but she definitely noticed and leaned in closer as if to tease me.
Luckily for Seolhwa, she didn’t launch a full-frontal attack using her size, but it was pretty obvious that the way she was poking at my back with her tail was all meant to provoke.
“This girl…”
Seolhwa was radiating cold vibes and staring daggers at Blanca, while Blanca just smirked back, clearly not going to back down.
“C’mon, c’mon, let’s not get too heated here, okay? We’re not alone… Don’t you see Rapis is shivering? Jinhyeon, sorry to make you feel like a heater, but could you warm her up a little?”
“I-It’s cold…”
I tried to mediate the tension by shifting slightly away from Blanca towards Seolhwa, while also checking on Rapis who was caught in Seolhwa’s icy glare.
She’s a heroine too, after all.
Yeonhwa grumbled about how she was being overlooked, but it seemed that being a floating will-o’-the-wisp was a lot less preferable than just being a plain old heater, so she reluctantly agreed.
“Don’t forget about me too, Minho. I feel like you’re favoring only Blanca.”
“I don’t think that’s the case, actually?”
Spotting Blanca subtly stirring the pot as she teased Ahgeha for complaining, I felt that if this kept up, things were about to get explosive, so I decided to step in.
Honestly, I wished everyone could just get along, but why did they always seem ready to tear one another apart?
“Blanca, that seems a bit unfair. I’d appreciate it if you could be a bit more equal about this. Just a little favor?”
“Sure, if you’re asking nicely. Ahgeha, you said math is hard, right? I’ll give you a pass. Minho asked me to after all.”
I’d meant that request to imply I needed her to tone it down a notch since she’s often the source of contention, but it seemed she just brushed off my hidden meaning and took it literally.
A heavy sigh escaped my lips. I couldn’t hold it back.
This study group was supposed to help bring us all together during midterms, but instead, it felt like tensions had only deepened.
What on earth had gone wrong?
Thinking back, it seemed like this mess had all started when I visited her house. Yeah, that’s when things seemed to spiral out of control.
Ever since that day, Blanca began to come on strong—her feelings for me spiking out of nowhere, and somehow, all the other girls who I’d been indifferent towards suddenly became aware of me.
What I meant was, they seemed to regard me as either a secret rival or an outright enemy.
I had no clue what had triggered this change in her mindset. Maybe something I said had hit her hard? Who knows?
Because logically, there was absolutely no reason for Blanca to act differently all of a sudden.
She had simply been acting normal, and then—bam!—feelings were spiking, and I was just stunned.
During that field trip, when she was almost attacked and I saved her, her affection jumped to level three, which I could get, because honestly, that was a pretty heroic moment on my part.
…Of course, even with that spike, the details were still heavily [censored], so I couldn’t figure anything out concretely.
Maybe if I got closer, I could uncover her secret, but then all the other heroines might get jealous.
It’s complicated, very complicated. How did I get tangled up with someone like her?
With a sigh, I looked at Blanca who was still entangled in some kind of power struggle with the other girls.
What are you up to, Blanca?
– – – –
I didn’t really have any solid reasons for staying close to Minho. It was just a twisted calculation in my head that if I kept him nearby, revenge was bound to happen eventually.
He pretended to be courageous and caring, yet always sidestepped any trouble involving him. A wise guy like him wouldn’t dare step into the quagmire of revenge.
So, I needed to drag him into it with me, making it impossible for him to say no, like threatening, “If we don’t get revenge together, it’s curtains for you!” or “If you don’t help, I’ll just end up head-first into a wall!”
Since I couldn’t bring myself to create that first scenario, I opted for the latter. I wanted him to fall in love with me, so I could have him help me on my path to hell.
To do that, I had to get closer. This was my best shot at getting him to notice me. That’s all I could do.
…
Honestly, whether it was the best plan or not was a secondary concern.
Shaking off my thoughts, I got off the bus, and there it was—a massive building that was difficult to capture in one glance.
I figured it was just too big for a single look, but the others seemed quite fine with that, each chiming in with their own thoughts.
“So, that’s the Hero Association… It’s my first time seeing it in person.”
“Is this what a palace for gods looks like? It’s magnificent!”
“Isn’t this so majestic?!”
“Looks a bit impractical though… Ouch. What’s up with you, Yeonhwa?”
“Oh, does practicality even matter…? It’s the headquarters of the heroes, so being… being cool is more important, right?”
“Blanca’s right. For heroes, it’s all about how we come off to others just as much as it is about being practical.”
“Exactly. We’re not just cops; we’re symbols of justice.”
Minho chimed in and joined the hype, but honestly, I thought it looked a bit different.
It seemed like they couldn’t even take pride in being who they were without all the fancy decorations.
Knowing full well how the Hero Association operated, that’s how it looked to me.
But I wasn’t so dense as to rain on their parade while they were all in such high spirits.
“Looks awe-inspiring, truly…”
Even though it was half-hearted, I chimed in to match their excitement.
While I passed the time casually driving up Minho’s interest, it was finally time to receive our suits.
Other girls excitedly grabbed their suitcases marked with their names and dashed off to the changing rooms.
What was so thrilling about that? I just didn’t get it. Weren’t those outfits exactly what made it easier for enemies to spot you?
I figured I should choose something functional but not conspicuous. As I looked for my name on a suitcase, it just wasn’t there.
“…Huh?”
It simply wasn’t there. Just as I was about to ask the attendant where it had gone, she spotted me first and beckoned me to follow.
Apparently, my requirements were too unique, so they made the suit but couldn’t fit it in a suitcase.
Anyway, I just had to go directly to the atelier to try it on, and the attendant apologized profusely along the way.
Sure, whatever.
When I finally reached the atelier, I uncovered what my suit was: it was a massive blob of slime.
The researcher said that this was the only option that met all the functions I’d requested, and honestly, it looked like the best choice by Hero Association standards.
If I had asked Heros Company directly, maybe something cooler might have turned up, but I didn’t want to stick my hand out like that.
“Ugh, it’s so slimy.”
I could imagine how this would feel like getting body painted with tar—both in appearance and texture. The only complaint I had was that this would actually make me stand out even more.
As I grumbled about it, the researcher remarked that with this body type, anything I wore was bound to be noticeable.
When it comes to a hero costume, anyway. I knew there were ways to make such a body less conspicuous.
Seems like the researcher didn’t know a thing or two.
But that wasn’t my reason for being there, so I just went through a few function tests before heading back to the others when I suddenly recalled what Minho had said long ago.
…He’d once worried that I wore outfits that revealed too much skin. If he saw me like this now, he’d surely say the same thing again, wouldn’t he?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, I didn’t want to strip down knowing he might pay attention.
At least I wasn’t ashamed. I had worn way worse. Honestly, this felt pretty modest.
And if wearing this got his attention, well, that’d be quite a steal of a deal.
So, I decided to head over to Minho just like this. Others may be around, but who cares?
Every step made a sloshing sound, and without any underwear, it was a bit wobbly, but maybe that’s what it took to get him to notice and worry about me.
“I never expected to get something like this from the suit… but it kind of looks good, doesn’t it? What do you think, Minho?”
I struck a pose to showcase my body, and as expected, he had a strong reaction, showing me eager interest.
Seems like I’m using him, but hey, what’s the harm?