“S-Save us, please!”
“We’re sorry! Please, spare us!”
Desperate screams echoed out from a Warehouse surrounded by forest.
This Warehouse was a hideout used by the Bloodfire gang members, and even if sounds leaked outside, there was no one to hear them—making it an ideal place to work.
After getting a call from Yeon Ha-yeon, the Bloodfire gang members had brought in some thugs, their faces set in fierce scowls.
“These punks hurt our Boss’s friend and now they’re begging for mercy?”
“Do you even know why you’ve been dragged here?”
“Don’t even think about walking out of here on your own two feet. This isn’t that kind of place, kid.”
At the thuggish threats from the obviously rough-looking gangsters, the thugs’ faces turned pale.
They desperately wanted to escape, but there was no way out.
Their arms and legs were tightly bound with ropes, and the place was crawling with gangsters.
Even if, by some stroke of luck, they managed to get free, escape would still be impossible.
Among them was a boy who used to be a pretty notorious Awakened, but he could no longer use his power.
So there really was no way out.
Just as the thugs were sinking into despair—
Creeeak—
With a chilling sound, the Warehouse door opened.
Lifting their heads, the thugs saw Yeon Ha-yeon enter, brandishing a club.
Behind her, the Four Heavenly Kings were also making their way inside.
We’re screwed…
The thugs finally realized.
They’d picked a fight with the wrong people.
Even before awakening, the Four Heavenly Kings were famous for their fighting skills—and after awakening, they were in a league of their own.
Then there was Yeon Ha-yeon, the Boss of the gangsters who’d brought them here.
They’d all gathered to avenge their friend.
It was terrifying enough just hearing the rumors, but to think their target of vengeance was them…
“Shall we start by breaking your arms?”
Yeon Ha-yeon swung her club with a sweet yet terrifying smile.
The Four Heavenly Kings followed her lead, joining in the revenge.
“Aaaargh!”
For a while, the Warehouse was filled with unending screams.
***
“So, you made sure they ended up as hurt as I was?”
“Yep, actually, we roughed them up a bit more than that.”
Early in the morning, Ban Eun-hyeol, who’d come to visit me at the Hospital, was feeding me breakfast as he spoke.
I doubt it was just “a bit more.”
I kept my thoughts to myself as I quietly accepted the food he offered.
Since my right arm was injured and unusable for a while, Ban Eun-hyeol was helping me with most things.
Having him by my side all day, taking care of everything, was honestly pretty convenient.
Having a broken arm was definitely inconvenient, but Ban Eun-hyeol made sure I felt that discomfort as little as possible.
‘Boyfriend perks, huh.’
I looked at Ban Eun-hyeol with loving eyes as he scooped up some side dishes onto a spoonful of rice.
We’d gone from friends to lovers, so until now, it still felt more like friendship.
But after being hospitalized like this, I couldn’t help but think: a boyfriend is a boyfriend, after all.
“Here, ah—”
Maybe it was because I was seriously injured, but Ban Eun-hyeol seemed gentler than before.
As he fed me, my heart fluttered in a strange way.
Ban Eun-hyeol brushed his thumb beside my lips, then smirked.
“Are you really that messy?”
That’s odd.
Normally, he’d have teased me with a sharper, more playful tone.
‘Why is his voice so soft?’
On top of that, it was almost as if he found me cute for eating so messily.
I could feel his gaze lingering on my lips.
Maybe because we were alone in the Private Room, I became acutely aware of it.
The atmosphere grew strangely tense. I didn’t know how to handle it, so I just rolled my eyes around.
Ban Eun-hyeol, sitting next to my bed, leaned in a little closer.
“We’re here!”
Suddenly, the door burst open and Yeon Ha-yeon, Eun Ba-da, Ji Kang-han, and Han Ji-bin entered.
Ban Eun-hyeol, who had been leaning toward me, quickly straightened up.
Then, with blazing eyes, he glared at the newcomers.
“Would it kill you to give some notice before barging in?”
I was grateful for my friends coming to visit me in the morning, but right now, not so much.
‘Couldn’t you have come just a little later?’
I tried to calm my flushed face, swallowing my disappointment.
Yeon Ha-yeon, her eyes narrowing, set down the snacks she’d brought on the table and spoke.
“Why? What were you two doing?”
“Nothing at all.”
As Ban Eun-hyeol responded with clear irritation, Yeon Ha-yeon snickered and looked at me.
I couldn’t help but avoid her gaze.
I hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was my heart pounding like this?
“I brought some yogurt.”
Finally, my attention shifted to what Yeon Ha-yeon was carrying.
She kept pulling yogurt bottles out of a big paper bag, so much that I worried whether it would all fit in the fridge.
“There’s no way you can finish all that before you’re discharged.”
Ban Eun-hyeol’s expression grew grave as he watched the scene.
At his comment, Yeon Ha-yeon tilted her head and said,
“This is just a three-day supply, though?”
She folded the paper bag and added confidently,
“If you drink this, your bones will heal faster.”
“Is that reliable information?”
Ban Eun-hyeol glanced suspiciously at the fridge.
I looked up at Yeon Ha-yeon with a similar expression.
Yeon Ha-yeon, smiling but with a vein popping on her forehead, was just about to say something when—
“Haha, as long as you eat well, your bones will heal quickly. You’ve almost finished breakfast, haven’t you? Eun-hyeol fed you, right?”
Eun Ba-da tactfully changed the subject.
“Well, what else could I do? Since my girlfriend can’t use her hand, her boyfriend has to feed her.”
“It’s not like I don’t have a hand.”
“Yeah, but you might as well not, right?”
He emphasized “boyfriend” as he beamed proudly and gestured to the sofa in the corner of the Hospital room.
On the sofa sat the bag he’d brought in when he arrived.
“At times like this, a boyfriend should take care of his girl, right? So I’m planning to sleep here tonight. I brought all my stuff.”
“You’re staying the night?!”
“There’s a folding bed down there, and if that’s uncomfortable, I’ll just sleep on the sofa.”
I’d never heard about this before.
Why was he telling me something so important only now?
When I shot him a bewildered look, he just shrugged.
“Oh, that’s great! Your right arm is broken, so you must be uncomfortable. Eun-hyeol can stay and take care of you all night!”
Everyone else gave Ban Eun-hyeol the same look as me, but Han Ji-bin clapped her hands and seemed genuinely pleased.
Watching her, Yeon Ha-yeon shook her head, glanced at my arm in a cast, and said,
“By the way, we half-killed all the guys who did that to you. Last I heard, they were all hospitalized together at the Hospital in the next neighborhood.”
At that, Ban Eun-hyeol—who had only said they’d “roughed them up a bit more”—nodded calmly.
Then, as if remembering something, he grinned at Eun Ba-da.
“Ba-da did most of the work. Her Rank 3 skills are no joke.”
Hearing that, I recalled a certain setting.
Eun Ba-da, Rank 3 in the area—despite her gentle image, she was actually a strong fighter.
It was one of those details I’d forgotten since it wasn’t really important.
‘The only reason Ji Kang-han had a higher rank was his grade, honestly.’
Ji Kang-han was Rank 4. It was never officially mentioned in the original work, but I guessed Rank 2 was probably Do I-hyeon.
…I’m starting to hate myself for remembering things like this.
At least it wasn’t the World Ranking, so that was a relief.
One question I always had when reading Internet Novels was, “How exactly is the World Ranking determined?”
It’s not like all the high schoolers in the world get together for an all-out brawl.
Reading Internet Novels with titles like World Rank 0, that question only got stronger.
***
Suddenly, I remembered all those News and Article Titles that used to pop up everywhere.
Better not to think about it anymore.
“Yeah, Ba-da fought really well! I almost forgot since she’s always killing monsters, but she’s great at fighting people, too.”
“Ji-bin, thanks, but you can stop with the compliments now.”
Eun Ba-da blushed and pleaded with Han Ji-bin.
It seemed she was embarrassed to be praised like that.
“Thank you, everyone, for getting back at them for me. So, just how badly were they hurt?”
Honestly, I hoped it was pretty bad.
The Four Heavenly Kings were still students, so I figured they didn’t go too far, but Yeon Ha-yeon was different.
“They probably can’t use their arms or legs for a while. Oh, and the uncles gave them a stern warning. Apparently, they said they’d behave and live straight from now on?”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
Seriously, what made them think kidnapping and taking hostages was a good idea?
If they’d wanted to sort things out with Do I-hyeon, they should’ve just fought him.
I clicked my tongue, thinking of those dumb thugs, but noticed the Four Heavenly Kings didn’t look so happy.
Puzzled, I glanced at Ban Eun-hyeol.
Avoiding my eyes, he looked toward the others and said,
“Uh… Yeah, we definitely gave them a warning.”
“Yeah, we made it pretty clear—so clear it’d be impossible for them to ignore.”
Just seeing them awkwardly laugh made it obvious how the “warning” went down.
‘As expected of Yeon Ha-yeon.’
After what they’d been through, they’d definitely reflect and start new lives.
I hoped this incident would spread among high schoolers, so nothing like this ever happened again.
Getting kidnapped, threatened, and now a traffic accident after transmigrating…
‘Is next amnesia?’
Just imagining myself losing my memories and facing everyone again made me feel frustrated.
Come to think of it, if I’d gotten hurt worse and died, some complete stranger might’ve received my cornea.
I was really glad it was just my arm and forehead that got hurt.
Just as I was feeling relieved, thinking it could’ve been worse—
My phone, left by my pillow, vibrated as a text message arrived.