Chapter 12. Top Record (1/2)

“Are you crazy?! Open the barrier right now!!”

“Why should I? This here is my doorway. I decide what to do with it.”

“Why are you acting like this? Do you have any idea just what we had to go through to get here?”

“Aigoo~. So, you had to go through so much, huh? But, what should I do? According to a certain someone, I'm an egocentric, petty son of a bitch.”

Shin Sang-Ah gritted her teeth while listening to Kang Seok's sarcastic remarks. She could more or less tell why this asshole was acting this way. Clearly, he was still holding a grudge against her for that verbal spat back in the assembly hall.

She held back her anger and spoke to him in a level voice.

“I apologize. I apologize for calling you names when we were in the assembly hall, so please open this barrier. It's not just me here, too. These people haven't done anything to you. You shouldn't treat people's lives as a joke.”

“Ooh… now that’s not what I expected to hear from you. Are you being honest?”

“…Of course.”

“Well, I guess I don't have much choice here then. Fine. Prove it to me.”

“Prove it?”

“The other four with you, I'll let them in. You stand back.”

Shin Sang-Ah's jaw dropped to the floor. Her expression screamed, ‘what kind of an asshole would act like this?’ Unfortunately for her, Kang Seok's expression showed how relaxed he was.

“You….. You…..”

“What are you going to do? That monster might show up soon, you know~.”

Shin Sang-Ah didn't expect Kang Seok to behave like this, and her face reddened up considerably as a result. However, with the exception of Yi Sungjin, the other three were looking at her with pleading eyes. Their stares were laden with a certain pressure. She gritted her teeth and took three, four steps back.

“Oh, wow, a martyr, aren’t you?”

Kang Seok exclaimed out loud as he pressed the release button. As soon as the barrier was lowered, the three rushed inside. Yi Sungjin stared at Shin Sang-Ah for a bit before belatedly trudging past the barrier as well. Only afterwards did the trio begin calling out to her, crying out her name out in a helpless manner. The barrier closed shut regardless.

However, Yi Sungjin suddenly reached out towards the button to press it. He'd been watching Kang Seok's hand quite intently just now.

Of course, nothing happened. Seeing this, Kang Seok broke out in laughter.

“Don’t waste your time. Didn't I tell you? Only I can open the barrier.”

Yi Sungjin suddenly pounced on Kang Seok. However, it couldn't even be called a fight from the get-go. The teen boy got easily subdued by Yi Hyungsik and Jeong Minwoo, and he could only glare at Kang Seok in rage.

“Bastard, do you have a death wish? What, did that bitch tell you she'll become your new sister or something?”

“Open… the barrier!”

“That's up to me, and I kept my end of the deal.”

“….”

“Good job. You can go look for another path or something now. Good luck.”

Shin Sang-Ah couldn't bring herself to leave just like that. She scanned the inside of the waiting room, hoping for something or someone to save her, but that turned out to be a waste of time. The people inside were either spectating or looking unconcerned.

In the end, she turned around helplessly.

“Should I let you in?”

Hearing this, Shin Sang-Ah's steps came to a halt. She abruptly spun her head and shot Kang Seok a murderous look.

“Do you actually enjoy toying with people?”

“Yup. When would I ever get to have fun like this if it's not today?”

Kang Seok nonchalantly replied and gestured her to come closer.

“Stop being difficult and come over here. You saw me letting people in just now, right? I'm the kind of guy who keeps his promises.”

Hearing his words of keeping promises, Shin Sang-Ah was gripped by an intense bout of doubt and uncertainty. But thinking about the hardships she suffered to get here, she couldn’t imagine looking for another path.

Plus, even if there was another path, she had to search for it alone. She figured it'd be better to get bitten by a rabid dog once.

She made up her mind and turned around to face him.

“….What do you want me to do?”

“I'm not asking for much. Just apologize for the things you said back in the assembly hall.”

“But I already did….”

“No, no, it was clear to anyone watching that you weren’t sincere. Besides, I'm not the type to believe in apologies coming out of a person's mouth.”

“Then what do you want me to do?”

Shin Sang-Ah raised her voice when Kang Seok remained sarcastic to the end. He rubbed his chin as his eyes scanned her lecherously. Shin Sang-Ah did not possess the same sort of ‘fresh’ appeal as Yi Seol-Ah, but her skin was pale smooth and her rack was commendably voluptuous.

A sinister smirk formed on Kang Seok's lips.“First, take them off.”

“….What?”

Shin Sang-Ah couldn't help but question her own hearing.

“Take your clothes off. Ah, I'm a nice guy, so I'll let you keep your panties. Cool?”

Hearing Kang Seok's 'benevolent' tone of voice, Shin Sang-Ah even forgot to close her wide-open mouth.

“I think I’ll feel a little better if you perform a little nude dance show…. How about you twerk for me?”

“You… you insane… son of a bitch!”

“Don't wanna do it? Fine. Fuck off, then.”

Kang Seok shrugged his shoulders.

Shin Sang-Ah bit her lower lip until one could clearly see the teeth mark on her flesh. She inwardly mumbled, ‘This crazy son of a bitch.’

Then, her body shook from the belated sense of humiliation. Tears welled up on her eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

Unfortunately for her, that moment when her group ran into the monster played heavily in her mind. What if, she went downstairs now and ended up encountering the monster again….?

“What are you waiting for? Like I said, you can fuck off if you don't wanna do it.”

“…I'll do it.”

“Then hurry the hell up. I'll give you ten seconds to take your pants off. Starting now.”

When Kang Seok really started counting down, Shin Sang-Ah had no choice but to hurriedly undo her buttons. She hesitated when it came to pulling her pants down, but after hearing the rapid countdown, she still forced her jeans down all the while shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Kang Seok made a catcalling whistle as Shin Sang-Ah’s bare thighs were revealed to the cold air.

“Hiyaa~, you’ve got a great figure. Your underwear's pretty cute too.”

Shin Sang-Ah squeezed her eyes shut, hoping this would lessen the humiliation she felt even by a tiny amount.

“What are you doing? Keep stripping, girl. I'm gonna count down again… Huh? Huuuuh?! It's the monster!! The monster!!”

Kang Seok suddenly cried out in alarm and pointed at the staircase behind her while hurriedly taking a step back. Shin Sang-Ah's eyes shot open in shock. She screamed in terror and tumbled forward in an ungainly fashion.

“Mommy!”

Out of reflex, she looked behind her, only to find nothing there. Rather than the monster, the staircase was as empty as it could possibly get. Sure enough, she could hear several loud and detestable chortles coming from beyond the barrier.

“Did you hear that? You heard that, right? She said Mommy! Mommy!! Hahahaha!!”

“Haha, that was fucking adorable. Kyak! Mommy!”

When Yi Hyungsik imitated Shin Sang-Ah’s cries, Kang Seok and Jeong Minwoo burst into laughter. Lost for words, all Shin Sang-Ah could do was to let tears accumulate around the edges of her eyes.

“Sorry, sorry. I was just teasing you a bit. You looked really cute just now.”

Too much.

“Well~ now. It's time to remove your top, right?”

This is too much.

In the end, she couldn't hold it any longer and broke down in tears.

“You're crying? Hey, now. You shouldn't cry, you know~. You gotta take your clothes off and dance for me before….”

Kang Seok clapped his hands boisterously and laughed before suddenly shutting his mouth. Unknowingly, a dark shadow was looming over him.

*

Seol wasn't angry from the beginning. He initially planned to ignore the matter.

He was neither a saint nor a man of justice. Like most people, he was disinclined to interfere in other people's business. Even if he saw something he considered unjust, he would only frown and think, ‘Isn’t that going too far?’

Unless it was someone he knew, Seol would never personally get up and do something for a total stranger.

However….

When his eyes landed on Yi Sungjin, or more specifically when he heard him whisper ‘help us’ as he was pinned down to the ground, he had a change of heart.

Perhaps it was a coincidence, but the scene happened to remind him of the time Yi Seol-Ah asked for help in the assembly hall.

Seol's emotions trembled. The small tremor soon spread out like some sort of a mutated butterfly effect and it violently quaked, eventually transforming into rage.

That was why he stood up.

…Just like the day he had that dream.…Just like the experience he had in the assembly hall.

[Innate Ability, Future Vision, has been activated.]

…Just like the way his emotions were leading him to.

“What? You also want to join in on the fun….?”

“That’s enough. Open the barrier please.”

Kang Seok dazedly stared up at Seol. He hadn't realized it until now, but Seol was taller than him.

“I'll open it. When I feel like it.”

“Open. The. Barrier.”

Kang Seok shut his mouth. Judging from his expression, it seemed he just couldn’t understand.

“Did you inhale something weird? Who the hell are you to order me around?”

“Open it.”

Kang Seok's complexion hardened.

For some strange reason, he found it difficult to meet Seol's gaze. Even his balls seemed to shrink a bit. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but Kang Seok was scared. It was as if he was staring at a choice of whether he should cross a line he should never even consider crossing in the first place.

His instincts forced him to press the button. However, just before that, Kang Seok's defiant streak reared its head. He couldn’t help but think, ‘Why should I listen to this son of a bitch? Because he had a Gold Mark? What a fucking joke.’

Kang Seok arrogantly leaned his head back.