Weak Class of Anti-Hero
Chapter 26: An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 26: An Unexpected Encounter

My bus finally arrived. I left the memory of Choi and his gang behind and got on board.

The bus was crowded, as usual. I made my way to the back, grabbing a bar to keep from falling.

As the bus drove on, I noticed something happening right next to me. A young high school girl, in her uniform, was standing with her back to a man in his forties. The man was pretending to look out the window, but his hand... his hand was inappropriately placed on her lower back, moving dangerously low.

The high school girl was clearly uncomfortable. She was trying to move away, but there was no room. She didn’t dare say anything. No one else seemed to notice, or worse, they were pretending not to see.

A cold anger washed over me.

I moved closer, as if I just wanted to pass by.

I grabbed the pervert’s wrist. And I squeezed. Very hard.

The man let out a small cry of pain, his face turning white. He tried to pull his hand away, but mine was like a steel trap.

I leaned in close to his ear.

"Touch her again," I whispered, my voice icy, "and I’ll break your hand into a thousand pieces. Got it?"

He nodded frantically, sweat beading on his forehead.

Just then, the bus stopped. It was my stop.

I released his wrist and headed for the exit. The young high school girl looked at me, her eyes full of relief and gratitude. She inclined her head. "Thank you..."

I nodded to her and got off the bus.

I found myself in front of a large apartment building, more modern than mine. It was Min-Soo’s residence.

I took out my terminal and called him.

"I’m downstairs," I said. "In front of the entrance."

Min-Soo came down a few moments later.

"Hey! Come on in!" he said, looking happy to see me.

We entered the building’s lobby, then took an elevator. His apartment was on a high floor.

As soon as he opened the door, a small dog, a pure white, energetic Pomeranian, came bounding out barking happily and started jumping on my legs.

"Kkul-ppang, calm down!" Min-Soo laughed.

A woman came out of the kitchen, smiling. It was Min-Soo’s mother. She looked a bit like him, with the same intelligent look.

"Oh, you must be Ji-Hoon!" she said, her voice warm. "My son tells me so much about you. Come in, don’t be afraid of the dog! I’ll get you some tea."

The apartment was big and spacious. And there were books everywhere. Shelves filled to bursting in the living room, piles of books on the coffee table, on the windowsills. It was clearly the home of a family of intellectuals.

Just after I sat down, Min-Soo’s father came home. A quiet man, with glasses, who shook my hand firmly.

They insisted I stay for a while. Min-Soo’s mother brought out rice cakes and fruit. We sat around the table, and they asked me about my studies, about my life. It was strange, but nice. A real family.

The front door opened again.

"I’m home!"

A young girl in a high school uniform came in.

It was the girl from the bus.

She stopped dead when she saw me. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"It’s... it’s you!"

She turned to her parents. "Mom, Dad! This is the boy I told you about! The one who helped me on the bus earlier!"

She told them the story of the pervert.

Min-Soo’s father frowned, his face turning grim. "That’s unbelievable. There really are too many creeps in this country these days. Ji-Hoon, thank you for looking out for my daughter."

"It was nothing," I replied, a little embarrassed by the thanks. "I just did what anyone should have done."

Min-Soo’s father looked at me with new respect. "Not just anyone would have had the courage to intervene. You’re a good young man."

He smiled, looking at his son. "Min-Soo has always been so proud to be joining Apex. Since he was little, he’s dreamed of being a ’hero’, even if his power isn’t made for combat. He wants to use his intelligence to help others."

He turned to me, his curiosity kind. "And you, Ji-Hoon? What were your motivations for joining such a demanding academy?"

The question was simple, but the answer was complicated.

I looked down at my teacup.

"At first..." I began, choosing my words carefully. "...I joined the academy for the money. My mother was very sick. The treatments were expensive. I thought becoming an Apex graduate was my only chance to save her."

Silence fell around the table. Min-Soo already knew, but his parents were listening to me intently.

"But... I didn’t make it in time. She passed away a few days ago."

I swallowed the ball of hate that threatened to rise up. I kept my face neutral, but Min-Soo’s mother put a hand on her heart, looking pained for me.

"I didn’t have a plan B," I continued, raising my head. "So now... I just want to move forward. Rebuild my life. I don’t have a job, no close family. The Apex Academy is all I have left. It will give me a chance to get back on my feet, to find my place."

It was a lie. An almost perfect lie.

I knew my place. And it was at the top of the food chain, after devouring all those who had hurt me. But I couldn’t tell them that.

After a moment, I looked at the time on my terminal. It was almost 6:30 PM.

"I have to go," I said, standing up. "I have an appointment."

"Already? Stay a little longer!" Min-Soo’s mother insisted.

"Another time, with pleasure," I replied with a polite smile.

Min-Soo walked me to the door. "I’ll see you tomorrow at the academy, then?"

"Tomorrow," I confirmed.

I went outside and looked for a taxi. It was almost time. I hailed one. The driver, seeing that I was in a hurry, took the longest route and ran up the meter. When we arrived, he asked me for an exorbitant sum.

"You’re a crook," I told him coldly, giving him just the normal fare. He started to protest, but just one look from me was enough to silence him.

The Maid Coffee was exactly as I imagined it. Full of frills, pastel colors, and waitresses dressed as maids. Ji-Soo was already there, sitting at a table by the window.

She was wearing a simple dress, but she looked stunning. The evening light highlighted her features.

"Wow," I said, sitting down. "You look really beautiful."

She blushed a little, surprised by the direct compliment. "Thank you. You look good too, in your new clothes."

We ordered. I got the cheapest coffee. She did the same. We started talking, getting to know each other better. About her art, about my "studies." It was easy. Pleasant. Almost normal.

Until it wasn’t.

"YOU!"

A hand slammed our table so hard that the cups jumped.

Yoo-Na was there. Hysterical. Her perfect face distorted by rage.

"Ji-Soo! What are you doing with this... this bastard?!" she shouted, attracting the attention of the entire café.

Ji-Soo looked at her, shocked. "Big sister? What’s wrong with you?"

Yoo-Na pointed at me. "He’s dangerous! He’s a monster!"

I remained perfectly calm. I looked at Yoo-Na with an expression of total confusion.

"Excuse me, miss," I said, in a polite tone. "But... do we know each other?"

Yoo-Na was taken aback by my calmness. She opened her mouth, then closed it. How could she explain our relationship without revealing her own actions? She was trapped.

"I... You..." she stammered, fury making her unable to form a coherent sentence.

She gave up. She grabbed Ji-Soo’s arm. "We’re leaving. Now."

"But, big sister..." Ji-Soo protested, completely lost.

"I said, we’re leaving!"

Yoo-Na dragged her sister towards the exit. Just before going through the door, she turned around and gave me a look full of hatred and warning.

I looked her straight in the eyes and took out my terminal. I opened my photo gallery, making sure she could see the screen. I clicked on the photos of her, humiliated in the forest.

Her face turned as white as a sheet. She understood the message.

If she got in my way, if she tried to turn her sister against me, her photos would end up on all the networks. Her perfect reputation as the Ice Queen would be destroyed forever.

She looked away, pulled her sister outside, and disappeared.

The date was over.

I walked out of the Maid Café, leaving some money on the table to pay for the coffees. The night air was cool.

The game had become even more interesting.

I went home to the empty apartment in Gwanak-gu. I no longer felt angry. I no longer felt sad.

I just felt... calm. Cold.

I lay down on the couch and closed my eyes, resting for the next day. For the return to the academy. For the next stage of the game.