The Law of Webnovels - Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Chapter 304

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While a moment of silence swept among us, I opened my eyes wide and decided to look at what the three people would do. Honestly, I was just an ordinary high school student, unlike the three, so even if they told me to stay here and move on without me, I would understand and accept their decision. In this regard, I didn’t hold a different view about splitting teams in this way. Lucas would have definitely organized it well.

However, Jooin seemed to have a different thought. He stared at Lucas doubtingly for quite a while.

Lucas flung a question with a swiveling smile, “Why? We don’t have time for this.”

“Do you have any specific reason why you want to go with mama?”

Raising his hand, Lucas simply replied, “That’s because I have both combat power and technical knowledge, whereas you have strong technical knowledge, and Yeo Ryung is a good fighter. However, this person here is…”

At that point, I intervened and said feebly, “Stop, just stop over there….”

‘I know how incompetent I am, so would you please not confirm that in front of me?’ While I added that, Lucas showed a delicate smile then turned his head to look at Jooin.

As if he got stabbed somewhere, Jooin became shocked for a second. He continued, “Here’s another question. Why are we going to the rooftop while you’re going to the basement?”

“The security team is in the basement; besides, the slowest runner is in my team, right?”

Lucas responded while directing his eyes on me, which made me grumble to myself, “Yeah, I suck at fighting, hacking, and running, but my running ability is in the upper half of my age. Besides, isn’t it obvious that I can’t fight and hack as a normal teenage girl? Geez, if it wasn’t about Ruda, I wouldn’t be involved in such a thing.’ I never felt my lack of abilities this much strongly.

After a moment of silence, Jooin blurted out like a murmur and turned around.

“Well, nothing’s wrong about what you said… What else can I do? Yeo Ryung, let’s go.”

“Yeah.”

“Cool. I’ll send the map to your phone.”

“Okay,” Replying shortly, Jooin turned around with Yeo Ryung; however, before they did so, I realized that Yeo Ryung was sending an outlandishly sharp gaze at me. Her black eyes twinkled as if she had something to tell me.

‘What was she trying to say, especially at this moment?’ While I wondered about her glance, Yeo Ryung hesitated for a while and just dashed toward Jooin wordlessly.

As I stared at the spot that she just left, Lucas also came closer to me and uttered, “Should we go too?”

“Oh… okay.”

He stretched his hand out to me, grabbed it before running down the gray hallway.

* * *

The way to the basement was strangely so quiet. Running along with Lucas, I wondered, ‘Is it supposed to be this quiet in security companies? Maybe because today is a weekend? Isn’t it usual for more events, which require security services, be held on weekends or holidays, though? If so, there must be a few employees wandering in the building…’

While I rambled those thoughts in my head, Lucas, who reached the end of the hallway, opened the door.

He led me inside, saying, “Come in.”

“Okay.”

Descending the floors in a hurry, I almost slipped and fell. Lucas, beside me, held my arm and raised me up.

‘Wow,’ hanging on his arms to keep my balance, I thought, ‘Lucas is also as strong as Ruda, unlike their fragile appearances.’

He then said, “You don’t have to hurry yet. The critical moment comes once we meet Ruda.”

Hesitating for a moment, I replied, “Still… it’s urgent in my mind…”

Lucas, who was staring at me, smiled gently. His sky-blue eyes glistened in the half-darkness. He then flung a question with a bit lower voice, “… You seem awfully close to Ruda.”

“Yeah.”

Once I nonchalantly affirmed his statement, Lucas, who was descending the stairs a step at a time, asked in a soft voice.

“How did you two get close? It’s a little odd to say this on our way to save him, but he isn’t a friendly kid?” With a grin, he added, “… Among us, he was called the Ice Princess.”

“Pfft!”

Hearing that without my guard up, I slightly reeled from shock. Barely recovering my balance, I rubbed my stinging forehead and replied, “Oh, yeah… true. He isn’t that affable, but he doesn’t show his feelings in front of other kids. Usually, Ruda is an ice breaker, always cheerful and bright, so all our classmates love him.”

“If he didn’t show his true color in front of other kids, then aren’t you the only one who knows his identity?”

Lucas’ question sounded like it came from an unexpected place. I rolled my eyes and responded, “Hmm, just me and a few who noticed that…?” Speaking in that way, I fell into thought.

I couldn’t say that the nickname Ice Princess didn’t belong to Ruda at all. I mean, even I thought about Yi Ruda first when Lucas repeatedly spoke about the ‘Ice Princess.’ Taking a step downstairs, I recalled the time when I first met Yi Ruda.

She held my hand without hesitance, leaned her head over my shoulders to look at the printout I received from the teachers’ room, and spoke exaggeratedly. I was so surprised to find out later that she was actually acting all of them, but on the other hand, I understood why she had to behave that way.

And the conversation we had in the hallway…

‘I’ve never seen someone like you before.’

Thinking to that extent, I squinted my eyes for a second.

This kid was making herself lonely. She behaved like she was made out of ice. Someone’s warmness would melt her in a flash. Ruda acted like being close to someone would pose a vital danger to her. Perhaps she was afraid of freezing others once they have achieved a certain level of intimacy.

While I was absorbed in those thoughts, Lucas took me back to reality with a question.

“What made you guys so close?”

“Um, that is…”

Well, Lucas also knew about Ruda’s complicated family circumstances, so it wouldn’t be a big deal for me to tell him about our relationship.

I began to talk about the encounter I had with Ruda and his father, Ian, in front of a Chinese restaurant. I also told him about the situation when suspicious men in black chased us on our way to the subway station. Ruda tried to explain the situation, but I advised her not to, and the next day, what Ruda told me about… I confessed almost everything that made us closer friends.

When I finished telling those stories, Lucas smiled aimlessly.

“You’re quite determined than you look. I’m surprised.”

“Oh, haha…” I smiled awkwardly.

I couldn’t tell him the truth that I had to behave like that to pull her out of my life once I noticed Ruda was the female protagonist in the novel. Well, but I was already here, so what else could I do? I heaved a sigh.

I tried to stay away from Ruda to avoid this kind of happening, but she had saved us once. I didn’t want to be ungrateful. I bent my steps with those thoughts in mind.

“I guess this was the answer.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

I wondered, “Is he mentioning the route? Not the direction where Yeo Ryung and Jooin are heading to, but this way is the right path… Is that what he’s implying?”

I stared at Lucas. Instead of responding, he flaunted a refreshing grin and beckoned at the iron door that suddenly appeared.

“Should we go? We’re almost there.”

Nodding, I walked after him.

* * *

Bending his steps quickly, Woo Jooin grumbled, “That Lucas guy seems very suspicious. Well, it’s too late, though, since we’re already here.”

Ban Yeo Ryung, walking beside him, replied shortly, “Yeah…”

Regarding her voice or attitude just now, she might be lost in different thoughts. Throwing her purple gaze at somewhere in the distance, Yeo Ryung frowned.

Woo Jooin quickly continued his words regardless, “My first question, if he would split teams anyway, why didn’t he do that in the first place? Dividing us makes sense, but he could have told us in advance when he knew the structure of this building and had a plan to split teams.”