World Rank 0, Please Stop! - Chapter 83

“…What?”

I froze for a moment.

“What does that mean?”

Choi Yu Han snickered.

“It means exactly what I said. The Three Musketeers have abandoned a friend before.”

It was unbelievable. The Three Musketeers only had each other as friends, so how could they betray one another?

Then, I suddenly thought of a certain person.

Ah, could it be?

“Shall I tell you an old story?”

Choi Yu Han spoke up beside me. Instinctively, I knew that an important story was about to unfold. I nodded.

Choi Yu Han chuckled and began the story.

“Once upon a time, there was a child. That child had three friends.”

Three friends. A familiar phrase.

‘Could this be the story of Jin Hae Yul?’

I listened intently to Choi Yu Han’s words.

“The child was kind and cool, loved by everyone.”

The praise continued for the unknown child. Handsome appearance. Impeccable behavior. A popular figure adored by all. That was Jin Hae Yul, according to Choi Yu Han.

“The child’s dream was to become a pianist.”

Choi Yu Han smiled slightly as if recalling someone.

“Not only did the child love the piano, but also had talent for it.”

However, that smile soon vanished without a trace.

“But one day, an accident occurred… That accident took everything away from the child.”

Choi Yu Han’s grip on me tightened. The grabbed area hurt, making me frown slightly.

“When the child became useless, the friends abandoned the child.”

Choi Yu Han’s voice lowered.

“Left alone, the child waited for the friends. But the friends never came looking for the child again, and in the end, the child died alone and lonely.”

After freezing his expression in a frightening manner for a moment, Choi Yu Han soon grinned.

“The story ends here. How was it?”

“…What about it?”

“Don’t you have any thoughts or feelings about it?”

I was at a loss for words.

‘What does Choi Yu Han want from me?’

Let’s organize things from the beginning again. So, if the ‘child’ Choi Yu Han mentioned is indeed Jin Hae Yul, then those friends must be the Three Musketeers. And Jin Hae Yul got injured in an accident, becoming useless and abandoned by the Three Musketeers because of it.

‘It’s strange.’

It was a story hard to accept. I couldn’t imagine the Three Musketeers abandoning anyone.

But let’s assume it’s true for now. Let’s think about what Choi Yu Han wants to say to me.

‘So he’s saying that I will also be abandoned by the Three Musketeers like that child?’

In other words, an accusation or a warning.

The Three Musketeers are bad guys. So you should be careful too…

“…I understand what you’re saying.”

I slowly opened my mouth.

“Although I don’t know what you want by telling such a story.”

Choi Yu Han giggled.

“I don’t want anything. It’s not like you’ll move according to my wishes even if I do something anyway.”

Even if he says that, if he truly didn’t want anything, he wouldn’t have brought up such a story in the first place.

I became lost in thought.

‘What is the relationship between Choi Yu Han and Jin Hae Yul?’

Previously, I thought they had no relationship at all. I thought Choi Yu Han just wanted to provoke the Three Musketeers and was using Jin Hae Yul’s story that he heard from somewhere.

In fact, the Three Musketeers seemed to have no knowledge of Choi Yu Han at all.

But now, after hearing the story, it seemed like Choi Yu Han was close with Jin Hae Yul.

Then…

‘Could it be that he wants revenge?’

At that moment, Choi Yu Han’s words pulled me out of my thoughts.

“I only want to say one thing. Be careful. Because you never know when you’ll be abandoned too.”

It was a pointed remark.

After contemplating for a moment, I replied.

“…I won’t be abandoned.”

Because I’ll leave before that happens.

Even if the Three Musketeers are truly bad guys like Choi Yu Han says, it has nothing to do with me. I’ll probably return to my original world before such a thing happens. It may sound cold to say this, but…

“That’s quite the confidence.”

“It’s not confidence.”

Of course, it may sound that way to you.

I spoke, swallowing my true feelings.

“Anyway, Seon Woo Jin came to save me and is fighting for me over there right now. I can’t talk about being abandoned in front of someone like that. At least for now, I have to believe in him.”

“‘For now’ means you might not believe later?”

“You’re interpreting it that way again.”

I sighed.

“I don’t know what happened between you and the Three Musketeers, but don’t try to involve me. I’m not the ‘child’ you know.”

Choi Yu Han looked at me with intrigued eyes.

“Hmm. I see.”

And with that, the conversation ended. But my mind was more complex than ever.

‘So what happened to Jin Hae Yul?’

I understand that he was ‘abandoned’ by the Three Musketeers. Regardless of the truth, they must have grown apart. But what about after that?

‘Could he really have died?’

Then, what do the Three Musketeers think about Jin Hae Yul now?

What needs to happen for Jin Hae Yul to become ‘happy’?

It’s still just a guess, but it seems that the key point will be how to restore the relationship between the Three Musketeers and Jin Hae Yul.

‘Regardless of whether Jin Hae Yul is alive or not.’

To do that, I think I need to directly confront the Three Musketeers now. When I get out of here, I should ask them straightforwardly about Jin Hae Yul. I can’t keep avoiding this topic forever.

“Oh, looks like it’s almost over.”

At Choi Yu Han’s words, I turned my head. Indeed, as he said, the situation had been resolved.

The winner was, of course, Seon Woo Jin.

Amidst the people sprawled like corpses, only Seon Woo Jin was standing tall. Seon Woo Jin took heavy breaths and wiped the wound on his cheek with the back of his hand.

In the quiet abandoned building.

Occasionally, pained groans rang out from the fallen people.

Watching the scene, Choi Yu Han soon shrugged.

“Hmm. It ended faster than I thought.”

Seon Woo Jin glared at Choi Yu Han with fierce eyes. However, Choi Yu Han just grinned as if unaffected and spoke.

“As expected of you, Sick Boy. Oh my, how scary.”

His idle chatter seemed like mockery.

But it was certainly an amazing sight. Even if it was Seon Woo Jin, to think he faced so many people alone. Seeing Seon Woo Jin unharmed, I secretly let out a sigh of relief.

‘What does Choi Yu Han intend to do now?’

From what I’ve seen so far, it seemed like Choi Yu Han might try to fight Seon Woo Jin.

Then would Seon Woo Jin have a chance of winning? Seon Woo Jin probably isn’t in his best condition right now.

As if mocking my thoughts, Choi Yu Han said.

“Alright, we lost. I’ll let you go now.”

What?

‘What’s gotten into him all of a sudden?’

Seon Woo Jin also seemed to not understand, frowning.

“…What’s your scheme?”

Choi Yu Han shrugged.

“I have no schemes. It’s just a whim.”

It was hard to believe. If he was going to end it so easily, why did he make such a big fuss in the first place?

But Choi Yu Han spoke as if it was natural.

“Originally, I didn’t plan to do this… But I had a more interesting conversation than I thought.”

Then he whispered softly to me.

“Think carefully about the story I told you about the Three Musketeers.”

When I reflexively turned my head to look at Choi Yu Han, he grinned.

“Well then, take care.”

I couldn’t easily move my feet, hesitating. It felt somewhat unsettling.

“…Can we really go?”

“Yes.”

Still, when I didn’t go, Choi Yu Han said with a smile.

“If you get abandoned by the Three Musketeers, come to me. I’ll treat you well.”

No, I really don’t want that.

I turned away from Choi Yu Han with a rotten face.

Anyway, if he says this much, I guess we can go. He doesn’t seem like the type to backstab after this. I finally moved my feet towards Seon Woo Jin.

Seon Woo Jin quietly looked at me.

Fortunately or unfortunately, Seon Woo Jin no longer seemed to have the will to fight. As if I was his only purpose, he simply waited for me to approach him.

For some reason, my heart raced at that gaze. I had a vague idea of what emotion was in those eyes, but a corner of my heart warned me that I shouldn’t know.

I didn’t know the reason.

When there were only a few steps left.

‘That’s…’

I spotted a man rushing towards Seon Woo Jin from behind with a wooden stick.

At that moment, an alarm rang in my head.

“Seon Woo Jin!”

Before I could even think specifically about what to do, my body reacted.

‘No!’

I ran straight to Seon Woo Jin and pushed him away. And then.

Thud!

I took the hit from the wooden stick instead.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘Again…’

This is already the third time, isn’t it?

These damn Hae Sung High School bastards. They’re cowardly attacking again today.

‘I knew this would happen someday.’

Staggering, I glared at the man in front of me.

The man was visibly flustered and took steps back, clearly not having planned to hit me.

“Lee Ju Eun!”

I heard Seon Woo Jin calling my name belatedly. But my ears were ringing from the hard hit.

‘It hurts.’

I felt dizzy and my whole body went limp. I naturally fell forward. Seon Woo Jin urgently caught and held me.

Blood seemed to be flowing from my head. Was it torn?

I heard him saying something in my ear, but I couldn’t understand the meaning at once. He was probably asking if I was okay. I nodded. I was far from okay though.

From Seon Woo Jin’s arms, I slightly turned my head to look towards where Choi Yu Han was.

When our eyes met, Choi Yu Han spoke with a perplexed expression.

“Ah, I didn’t expect this.”

This bastard…

With those words, I completely lost consciousness.