Chapter 72: Betrayal and Resentment

– What Should I Do About This?

The convenience store owner who had stored the magical waste in his shop.

The reason he kept such dangerous items was revealed only after the police investigation.

‘Ahyoung must be feeling so sorry.’

A high school graduate and an orphan. Her dream was to become an Awakener.

The reason she worked part-time was to register for the Awakener academy and become an Awakener trainee.

The reason she believed the store owner was kind enough to hire such an unlikely part-timer was because of his good heart.

‘That all kindness was for an insurance scam.’

She had thought of him as a benefactor.

Hearing that he was after her life insurance money, who wouldn’t be shocked?

“Unni… how about we drink together today? No, let’s just drink. We’ve really worked hard, haven’t we? Huh?”

Ahyoung, who had experienced such a terrible betrayal, looked at her with teary eyes.

It was hard not to nod in response.

‘To put it in martial arts terms, she’s a child who hasn’t even gone through a martial arts trial.’

Such a child, who had been protected and taken care of by adults like her parents or the sect, had been betrayed by the one she trusted.

How could her emotional wounds not run deep?

As an adult, Hae Eung Eung couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

‘I hope she realizes that not all adults are such terrible people.’

With a heartfelt intention, Hae Eung Eung gently patted Ahyoung’s head.

Ahyoung, with tears filling her eyes, finally burst into sobs and embraced her.

Modern Bar in Myeongho-dong.

A place with daily sales ranging from two to three hundred thousand won.

Choi Joo Young, a bartender and the owner with five years of experience, was making a cocktail while thinking.

“Did such celebrities exist in our country?”

The two women, with extraordinary beauty, had completely opposite personalities and atmospheres.

One side was full of energy, whiny and playful, leaning on her companion’s knee, resting her chin on her shoulder, or clinging to her arm while bothering her companion.

“I can only trust you, unni!”

“Why don’t I sleep over at your place tonight?”

“Aah. I want to be your handbag. That way, I could hang on your arm and walk home with you.”

Her remarks, which could provoke anyone’s imagination, came from a beautiful fox-like woman who loved to flirt.

On the other side was someone who hadn’t spoken a word since entering the bar.

She listened attentively to her companion’s words, always gently sitting her companion back down when she clung to her, and savoring each cocktail like a tasting event.

“Ugh. I want to lie down. You want me to sit properly?”

“Nope, I’ll sit sideways!”

“At least sit properly, will you?”

“I get it… I’ll do it if you say so… ”

Her companion, slowly loosening up, was in the care of a cool, collected, and considerate woman with a calm demeanor and hidden charm.

‘But this must be really annoying.’

She could clearly tell that her companion, who seemed like she had been through painful experiences, was trying to drown her sorrows in alcohol.

It wasn’t easy to just go along with someone trying to solve everything with liquor.

However, the cool cat-like woman, who had a good personality and could hold her liquor, stayed by her side without any complaints.

“Should I bring a blanket for your younger sister?”

In the end, Ahyoung, who had her head resting on her shoulder, fell asleep.

Her sister, the cat-like woman Hae Eung Eung, who had been secretly impressed by the bartender, accepted his kindness and borrowed a blanket.

“It must be hard to cover her with one hand. I’ll do it instead.”

A beautiful scene unfolded where the words that couldn’t be fully spoken were swallowed back into her throat.

With one hand, she swiftly spun the blanket and, with a flick of her wrist, spread it wide to cover Ahyoung’s body in a natural motion.

It was a skill that could be seen in a “Strange Human Chronicles,” and the bartender couldn’t help but mutter a small, impressed “Wow.”

“Are you perhaps a bullfighter? I’ve never seen a customer handle a blanket like a cape.”

Despite the bartender’s attempt at humor, Hae Eung Eung shook her head without a single laugh.

Handling something with one hand had been a daily routine for her in the martial arts world for 15 years.

“…”

On usual days, Choi Joo Young, who could read the atmosphere, would silently refill drinks or guide customers to quieter tables.

However, today was an unusually quiet day, and he felt concerned for his unique customer.

‘Even gangsters and awakened ones come through here. A quiet customer isn’t too strange.’

Her lack of words and the lonely atmosphere she gave off made him want to strike up a conversation.

“Did you hear the news about a terrorist attack in this neighborhood?”

“?”

“It seems like the retired Awakener’s mansion in Myeongho Guild was attacked by villain organizations.”

The conversation started naturally with a piece of information likely to spark curiosity.

Seeing the sudden look of surprise on her face, Choi Joo Young realized he had successfully caught her interest.

“Many second-generation Awakeners are retiring, so the vibe in Seoul isn’t what it used to be.”

Not wanting to linger on an uncomfortable conversation that made her feel like a suspect, Hae Eung Eung quickly emptied her glass.

Clink.

Before heading to the bar with Ahyoung, Hae Eung Eung had used the laser pointer a gift from Ahyoung,

thinking it would help with her silent sister’s mood by pointing it at the menu board on the wall.

Choi Joo Young smiled warmly at the sight, and immediately began making the next cocktail.

“Is she your real sister?”

She shook her head.

“With the way you two are so close, it’s hard to believe you’re not biological siblings. Your bond is really strong.”

Hae Eung Eung thought the same.

In this day and age, it was either being an Awakener or a streamer in your twenties there was no room for much else.

She had no idea what most people in their twenties were doing, nor did she fully understand how Korea worked in 2050.

She only pieced together bits of shallow knowledge from what Ahyoung had told her, and based on what she had seen online.

In a world viewed through the tiny window of common sense, there was no room for things like kinship or friendship.

That was why this relationship felt so special and valuable to her.

[It’s not just that this child depends on me.]

With her smooth handwriting using a fountain pen and a notebook, Hae Eung Eung, who had been caught off guard by this unfamiliar situation,

wrote down her thoughts without hesitation.

[And I depend on her too.]

Choi Joo Young, surprised by the depth of the mature response, covered her mouth with her hand.

Hae Eung Eung couldn’t tear her gaze away from a single word she had written.

‘Depend… I’m not sure if I’m someone worthy of being relied upon by anyone…’

She had expected that time would heal the emotional scars she had from ‘that place,’

but an unintentional memory suddenly resurfaced and cut deep into her heart.

“Don’t stop me. She’s the enemy who killed my real mother! That woman is my enemy!”

“Get away, I told you to let go of my hand!”

“You’re not even my real mother!!!”

Bound by the past, unable to save a child, she had desperately tried to become an adult that could be relied upon this time, pouring all her sincerity into it.

But it was all rejected right before her, and her heart shattered like a broken mirror.

For her, reliance brought back painful memories, like a wound that could only remind her of the hurt.

She thought she had healed, but if she touched it, there were still lumps, a pain she didn’t want to recall.

‘But maybe with Ahyoung, it will be different. No, it will definitely be different.’

Unlike the prince who turned his back on his mother’s revenge, Ahyoung had relied on her and achieved the dream of becoming an Awakened one.

So…

[This child will not betray me.]

The heavy determination contained in a single line of writing made Choi Joo Young hesitate even more.

‘What do I do now? I really opened the wrong topic.’

The more dangerous the topic, the more it resembled a landmine. This topic was like a nuclear mine capable of causing an explosion.

She had made a huge mistake.

‘Mom, help me. I’m really struggling.’

In her desperate search for help, Choi Joo Young’s eyes spun.

She saw Hae Eung Eung slowly lifting her glass in front of her.

This was it.

As Hae Eung Eung slowly sipped the cocktail, savoring it in two sips before setting the empty glass down, Choi Joo Young quickly presented a new one.

“It’s on the house.”

Hae Eung Eung glanced at the glass indifferently and, pointing the laser pointer at the next item on the menu, looked back at Choi Joo Young.

“The menu is in order. The next one is Cassis Frappe, right?”

Winking playfully, Choi Joo Young hoped that Hae Eung Eung’s mood would lighten, and the heavy atmosphere would ease.

Her sharp attention and effort seemed to work, as Hae Eung Eung finally asked about the cocktail itself.

[Cassis Frappe. What does the name mean, and what’s its origin?]

Just like when she had comforted the prince with the meaning and origin of the word ‘reliance,’ Hae Eung Eung, who had rarely shown such vulnerability, wanted to be comforted by the bartender with the story behind the drink.

‘What do I do now…?’

Despite thinking Hae Eung Eung’s eyes were as beautiful as jewels, Choi Joo Young felt even more shy, and speaking became even harder.

With Hae Eung Eung’s calm gaze, waiting for an answer, Choi Joo Young pressed her chest with one hand to steady her pounding heart and said carefully.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m just explaining the meaning of the menu in order. There’s absolutely no personal interest involved.”

Hae Eung Eung’s eyes were steady, as if she were testing Choi Joo Young’s sincerity.

Trying to hold back her embarrassment, Choi Joo Young smoothed her collar and added,
“A cocktail that’s drunk before a kiss.”

“???”

“That’s what Cassis Frappe means.”

If it was a joke, Hae Eung Eung stared intently as though demanding the truth.

“It’s true…”

Choi Joo Young, her face red and unable to meet Hae Eung Eung’s eyes, fanned herself with her hand.

Her gaze shifted between Hae Eung Eung’s face and the glass, and finally, when she hesitated to lift the glass, Hae Eung Eung shot a sharp look at her, silently questioning.

Desperately, Choi Joo Young prayed inwardly,

‘I don’t care anymore, just please let her pay and leave quickly…’

The suffocatingly awkward silence stretched on, as if it would never end. The gaze felt like an endless interrogation.

“Drink it, or if it’s difficult, give it to me.”

“Eh?”

A bold woman, dressed in a daring coat, stepped forward, took the glass, and emptied it with ease, then ran her fingers across her lips.

“The cocktail drunk before a kiss… it always tastes great. The rich, sweet scent left in your mouth. It’s a romantic drink. Makes me want to try it myself.”

“Chaerin? You should’ve said something if you were coming.”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help but watch such an interesting scene. I have business with this person, too.”

She wore a sexy dress that revealed her cleavage and confidently approached Hae Eung Eung with her fingers snapping, guiding her attention to her eyes.

“I’m Chaerin Han, the head of Royal Club. My hobbies include making beautiful female Awakeners debut as stars, covering their bar bills, and taking care of well-behaved women.”

With a confident smile, Chaerin placed her black card on the bar with a sharp clink.

“Well, how about it? Will you give me a little of your time?”

With that bold and provocative offer, she extended her hand toward Hae Eung Eung.

Suddenly, Ahyoung, with a fierce glare, slapped her hand away.

“She’s mine. Don’t try anything.”