51 Chapter 49: The Neutral Zone, Part 8

** Yun Seora (POV) **

My life hasn't been the best, but it hasn't been the worst either. If I had to say, it was actually leaned more towards good than bad. I was cared for by my mother until I was 12 years old, which was when she died in an accident. After that, my father took care of me—well, 'took care' is a strong term. Perhaps saying he took responsibility for me is more fitting. He paid for my living expenses, my education, and some people to look after me, but beyond that, he did not fulfill any role as a father.

I always envied my Unnie; she was daddy's girl, the perfect daughter, perfect in her studies, perfect in her role as a daughter, and perfect in everything she did, except for one thing: she was nothing remotely close to a good sister. The few times we spoke or interacted could be counted on the fingers of one hand, and during those times, I always felt strange, as if Unnie did not see me as a person but rather as an object. At that time, I did not really know what to think, nor did I understand what was really going on with Unnie or with dad.

It was a few years ago that Unnie began to change and interact more with me, and stopped looking at me in a terrifying way. But even then, our interactions were still infrequent. However, just over a year ago, that changed, and she began to approach me much more actively. At first, I did not like the idea. Unnie and I, despite being sisters, were only related through our father and not our mother, and we were never even remotely close. But due to her constant insistence and bribes with snacks and delicious food—whose source she never revealed, I accepted, and we began to interact more.

After a few months of getting along well and building friendship and trust between us, I decided to ask her why she had been so distant with me in the past and why she had changed now.

Her answer was one that completely changed the way I saw both Unnie and dad... or who I thought was my father but turned out to be a monster.

She told me that unlike me, who was raised by my mother until I was 12, she never knew her mother; her mother died shortly after Unnie was born. Dad didn't take care of her in the normal way one cares for a child. As long as she could remember, dad imposed challenges and tests on her that she had to overcome. If she made a mistake, she would be punished; if she passed the tests, she would be rewarded with toys or things she wanted. But the rewards didn't matter because dad wouldn't let her play with any of the things she won anyway. In the end, she overcame the tests more out of fear of punishment than for the rewards.

Throughout all her tests, she was taught that everything, including people, had a numerical value, and if one had enough resources, there was nothing and no one that could not be bought... at least that's why she said she looked at me strangely in the past.

Unnie told me that the reason she changed and began to see things differently was that she met someone and then their family, and thanks to them, she learned the true meaning of many things, such as how to treat people, what family should be like, what sisters should be like, and what parents should be like.

She said that because of this, she finally realized that dad was a bad person. I was about to reply, saying whilst he wasn't a good father, he took responsibility for us, and that at least made him a better person than others who abandon their children. But what she said next changed everything forever; she said that dad was responsible for the deaths of both our mothers.

When I heard her say that, I couldn't believe it; I could not and did not want to believe it. It sounded crazy. I thought maybe Unnie wanted to make me hate our father and that all this was a scheme of some sort. But when she showed me the evidence she had gathered over the years about our mothers' accidents, evidence that was hidden and omitted during the investigations because our father had bought off or bribed the investigators... all of Unnie's evidence was quite real, and I could no longer deny it to myself. And I had to believe her.

The reason for killing our mothers was because they had joint accounts or life insurance policies that our father collected afterward, and with which he started some of his businesses before founding Sinyoung. Businesses for which he would not have had funds without what he obtained from our mothers deaths.

When I found out about this, I was furious and wanted to hit Unnie. She knew all of this and apparently had for a long time, and not only that, she had evidence and did nothing to get that monster arrested. But I restrained myself and asked her why she had not done anything. She told me that at the time, she didn't care about any of those things; she did not understand what was right or wrong. According to her, it was just another challenge from which profits were obtained.

She realized that things were wrong only recently when she began to learn about people and that not everything is based on money. But anyway, she said it makes no sense to present this evidence and try to get that monster arrested. He has too much economic power and has bought most people in high government positions. These proofs and any accusation would be quickly dismissed, and instead, he would seek to ruin our lives or end them completely.

I could only clench my teeth in frustration. Seeing me like this, Unnie told me she has an alternative, a way to make him pay for his actions, and that way is not here on Earth, but on the other side. I had already heard quite a bit about that place; they call it 'heaven', but apparently, that's not the real name. It seems that those who go cannot say the real name, among other things about that place. I knew that the company was getting most of the flagship products from there, so I paid attention to Unnie's plan. She says we will attack that monster's things from that side, ruin what he built, and force him to go there to try to fix things, and when he goes, we will make him pay. But for that, we need to strengthen ourselves in that place, and in my case, I have to go there first. That is why I decided to join that place, and the date I would join would be in a few months, in March of next year.

Several months passed, during which time Unnie and I became closer, and I finally managed to make her tell me who were the people she met and who changed her so much.

When she told me, I couldn't believe it. The people she met were the Seol family, and the person who cooks the delicious snacks was none other than the famous social media Idol Seol Jihu Oppa. I couldn't believe it. It's not that I was a fanatic like many girls who even lose their heads over Idols, but even I have to admit that he is quite handsome and capable. At some point, he was even my platonic crush, but that crush didn't last long.

Any of my illusions were shattered when it became public that he is dating 2 girls, which makes it even worse is that they are sisters, and it is suspected that apart from them, he has more hidden girlfriends. For that and several other reasons, any favorable feelings I had broke, and I ended up thinking that he was really just a womanizer and a bad man.

But after knowing that he is the person who has been helping Unnie to become a better person and overcome the problems that the monster of our father caused her and knowing that he is the one who cooks so well, it made me reevaluate him as a person. Maybe he's really not a bad man.

Time kept moving forward, and finally, the day of the trial to go to that place arrived. A few days before, Unnie had told me that Seol Jihu Oppa was going to participate. I couldn't believe it; he is a person with a lot of money, fame, influence. There was no reason for him to go there, or so I thought. But when I met him in the Tutorial and saw him carrying his uncle during the tests in search of ways to cure him, I understood better the kind of person Seol Jihu Oppa is. He is not a bad person, and I finally understood why Unnie changed so much and for the better.

At first, I did not want to join his group. I thought he offered me to join to take care of me at Unnie's request, but he clarified that it was because of my ability and not at Unnie's request. When he said that, I felt embarrassed. It's true that I'm not his fan like other girls, but I do recognize that he is handsome, and at one point, he was my platonic crush. And having your former crush recognize you feels better than I thought. At that moment, I could not help but cover my embarrassed face with my hood.

After the Tutorial, we arrived at the Neutral Zone, and I can only say that everything I knew and thought about Seol Jihu Oppa changed completely. The words "amazing and incredible" fall short for him. He overcame the Tutorial with incredible ease. Unnie had told me that the Tutorial is difficult and that many people normally die.

But Seol Jihu Oppa overcame all the tests without help, and the group we formed was of no use; he did not need said group. When I realized this, I thought he lied to me and that the group was just to deceive me and secretly help me at Unnie's request. That was why I confronted him in the Neutral Zone, and he looked me in the eyes and told me once more that he chose me for my ability, that in the Tutorial, apart from him, I was the most capable person. I did not want to believe him, but looking directly into his eyes, I couldn't find lies in his words, and once again, I felt embarrassed. I couldn't help but think 'it's not fair that he's so handsome'.

The first days in the Neutral Zone passed quickly. Seol Jihu Oppa finally explained to us why he gathered us in the Tutorial. He says that the group he is forming is with the intention of cooperating and prospering in Paradise. He offered to train us, and in return, we would join his group. I could only refuse. Although I wish to strengthen myself as much as possible to be of help to Unnie and so that we can make the monster of our father pay, I cannot accept Seol Jihu Oppa's offer to train us because if I do, I would be renouncing Unnie. But he told me that I didn't need to join his group; he would help me just because Unnie is his friend. When he said that, I felt happy that I could strengthen myself, but I also felt jealous of Unnie. I know it's petty of me, but I couldn't help feeling that way.

As the days went by and we learned about using mana, I tried harder than anyone in the group. I want to strengthen myself, so I ignored the warnings to stop when we felt symptoms of overheating. I thought that at least ignoring the first symptoms would not cause problems.

I was foolish to think so; I damaged my mana circuits a bit. Luckily it wasn't serious, but according to the Priestesses of the Neutral Zone, I have to refrain from using mana for at least a couple of days. I must admit that the Priestesses were quite surprised that I could use mana before awakening and wanted to investigate. I couldn't tell them it was because of Seol Jihu Oppa. I could only tell them that I obtained a benefit during the Tutorial and thanks to that, I can use mana. Luckily, they believed it.

I left the temple or infirmary where I was treated and walked through the plaza on the first floor quite disheartened. Overexerting myself in my training was of no use if I was going to end up losing valuable days due to the strain.

I approached a nearby booth and chose one of the tables closest to the exit so I could watch the plaza. I ordered a coffee and bread, and as I sat there, I couldn't help but think about the two long days ahead needed for my recovery, and I sighed.

"May I sit?" I heard a voice I recognized—it was Seol Jihu Oppa's.

"Yes, you may, Mr. Seol Jihu," I replied.

"You know, it's really strange for you to call me that. You can call me Jihu or Oppa, but please don't call me 'Mr.' It feels odd, Miss Yun Seora," he said, seeming a bit uncomfortable. I guess he doesn't like being called that way, but I started doing it because calling him Oppa would make me seem like one of his fanatics, and calling him just Jihu feels too familiar. Now I'm not sure how to address him.

"You can freely call me Oppa. Even your Unnie calls me that, so there's nothing wrong if you do too. But if you're not comfortable, then I'll endure the awkwardness and let you keep calling me 'Mr.,'" he said, trying to ease the somewhat awkward situation.

I sighed and said, "No, it's fine. I'll call you Oppa. I just didn't want to seem like another one of your fanatics, but I suppose now that we know each other and with Unnie in between, it's not wrong to call you that. But in return, I'll also ask that you call me differently, just Seora is fine. I've heard you call Unnie by her name too, so it would be odd for you to call me 'Miss' when I'm younger than Unnie."

"Thank you, Seora. So, changing the subject, I heard from the guys that you came out vomiting from the room. I guess you overheated your circuit and kept using mana instead of resting. If that's the case, it's better that you stop using mana for several days or ask a Priest from the administrative staff for treatment. I don't know if they can heal an overheated circuit, but I assume they can," he said, accurately guessing everything that happened.

"Yes, I was reckless. I didn't think I could hurt myself just by pushing through the first symptoms of overheating. I've already been to the Priests. They told me that healing my ailment would cost 2500 Survival Points and that it wasn't worth spending them on that. It's better to wait a couple of days, and it will heal naturally because the damage is minimal. But I won't be able to use mana for these two days to let the mana circuit heal," I said, trying to hide my sadness.

He said nothing, and the coffee I ordered arrived. I like it hot, so there was no need to wait for it to cool down.

"Seora, I'd like to know a few things, but if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. After all, it's personal. But I'll ask anyway, and you decide whether to tell me or not. Why did you come to Paradise? And why do you try so hard?" Oppa asked.

It's true that these are my personal matters, and normally I wouldn't share them with strangers, but I suppose he's not a stranger at this point. He's a trusted friend of Unnie's and someone who has already helped me a lot. And the fact that he was my crush makes me feel that I can trust him.

I began to tell Oppa about my childhood, how I was happy when my mom was alive, how I felt my world crumble when she died, and how I did everything I could to gain the attention of dad and Unnie, but it was futile.

That I finally gave up on getting the attention of dad and Unnie and started to dedicate my efforts to being better and finding a place in the world where I belong. But then Unnie approached me and sought to fix our sisterly relationship, and then I learned the truth about our father. I didn't go into details, but it seems Oppa already knew what happened. I guess Unnie must have told him.

And finally, I ended my explanation by saying, "I came to this place because it's the only means Unnie and I have to make our father pay. That's why I came, and that's why I try so hard."

Oppa remained silent for several seconds. I wasn't sure what he was thinking, but he looked very serious. Normally, he's more laid-back and even playful at times, surprising me with his sense of humor, like when he swapped Mr. Salvatore Leorda's shampoo with hair removal cream. The next day, Mr. Salvatore Leorda arrived bald to Oppa's training room, and we all laughed a lot, even Miss Odelette nearly died of laughter.

It was only later that we realized it was all Oppa's doing, as part of a bet with the Neutral Zone's manager, Miss Cinzia.

That's why, after getting to know Oppa better and learning that he's quite relaxed, it seemed strange to see him so serious.

"It's good to know you have the motivation to strengthen yourself. Usually, what a talented person lacks most is motivation. They often waste their talent due to a lack of it, but your case is the opposite; you're about to ruin your talent by not knowing how to restrain yourself.

It's good that it didn't turn out to be serious damage and you can recover in a few days. Use this time to reflect. Also, don't get lost in vengeance. People who make revenge their life's purpose end up ruining their lives to achieve it, and in the end, after they get their revenge, they have nothing left.

They have no other dreams, goals, or people to enjoy their life with. So make sure your revenge is just one of the many goals in your life. You need to have different ones, so when you achieve your revenge, you still have your life to enjoy," Oppa said quite seriously.

"Oppa is right, but I can't be at peace knowing that monster is out there living happily and carefree after all the bad things he's done to Unnie, to me, and who knows how many more people. And what's worse, he thinks Unnie and I are just disposable objects. At any moment, he could seek to dispose of us, and we wouldn't be able to do anything to prevent it," I said, quite frustrated.

"I understand, but it's pointless if you destroy yourself or ruin your life trying to prevent him from doing it. In the end, the result would be the same. That's why you have to live your life and enjoy it while you prepare to take care of him," Oppa said. I couldn't deny his words; he was right.

"But I don't know what else to do," I said.

"That tends to happen when one is too focused on something and doesn't have the mind for other things. They often lose sight of the simplest and most obvious things in life. Come, follow me. I'll teach you to enjoy those things," he said, and he got up from his seat and left the store.

I wasn't sure what to do, but as if his words had some power, I couldn't help but do as he said and followed him.

Oppa headed to the second floor, where there are stores that sell cooking ingredients. He began to buy everything: vegetables, meat, fruits, eggs, and various types of condiments.

For a moment, I wondered why he was buying cooking ingredients, but then I remembered that Unnie told me he was the one who cooked the delicious snacks with which she used to bribe me.

Then we headed to his room, where everyone from the group was training: the siblings Yi Seol-Ah and Yi Sungjin, Mr. Hyun Sangmin, Miss Shin Sang-Ah, Mr. Hao Win, Mr. Salvatore Leorda, Miss Odelette Delphine, and Mr. Tong Chai.

When they saw us enter, they were surprised, especially to see Oppa carrying so many ingredients. I suppose that apart from me, none of them knew that Oppa could cook.

They did not stop their training to greet us since Oppa always scolds us for doing so. He just gave them a light greeting and said he was going to cook something for when they finished training.

Then, Oppa headed to the kitchen and asked me to help him cook. I followed him, although I don't know how to cook. Even when mom passed away, I didn't have to cook because we've always had a chef at home who takes care of the cooking and does it very well. That's why I was surprised when Unnie brought food that was even more delicious than what our chef makes.

Next, Oppa guided me on what to do. He didn't ask me to do anything difficult, just to clean and chop some vegetables or stir eggs. In a short time, he made a potato salad, fried chicken, banana slices, and French fries. He mentioned that it's a common dish in America and Europe. Then, he started cutting and seasoning other vegetables and prepared dishes I was more familiar with, like Kimchi. After that, he began to cut and prepare a piece of beef. It wasn't until he was almost finished that I realized he was making Bulgogi.

Finally, he made a sauce and then started to shape dough. It was quite a spectacle to watch him toss and shape the dough in the air. Soon, I realized he was making a pizza. He put it in the oven, and from start to finish, it took us about 2 hours. I didn't do much, but I certainly enjoyed watching Oppa cook.

By the time we finished, the rest of the group had stopped training. I don't think they reached their limits; I'm sure it was the smell of the food that stopped them. When Oppa and I came out carrying the food and preparing the table to eat, everyone quickly took their seats.

We all sat down, waiting for Oppa to tell us to eat. For my part, I enjoyed the whole experience, especially because Oppa told me there were simple things to do and enjoy. But when he said that, I thought he was referring to cooking and eating, since that's what he was showing me. However, to everyone's surprise, Oppa said something that even I didn't expect.

"Alright, everything is ready and prepared. You can serve yourselves and eat whatever suits your appetite, but you should know that one of the dishes, I won't say which, contains a laxative. The lucky person or persons who eat that dish will spend the whole day in the bathroom. So, you have the decision to eat this delicacy, which is surely the most delicious thing you'll taste at the risk of the laxative, or simply give up trying it and save yourself the suffering. I advise you to be careful with your choice and remember that it's not a good idea to just eat what I eat thinking I will only pick dishes that don't have the laxative since I've already drunk the antidote for the laxative," Oppa said, amused by the horrified expression we all had.

So, when he talked about enjoying the small things in life, he wasn't referring to cooking and eating, but to playing a terrible joke on everyone. I watched each member of the group react. The siblings were drooling but afraid to eat or not.

Miss Shin Sang-Ah did not hesitate and served herself some Kimchi. Mr. Hao Win shrugged and said, "If this food tastes half as good as it smells, the risk is worth it," and served himself a plate of Bulgogi. Then, Mr. Salvatore Leorda could only show a conflicted expression as he began to stroke his bald head and then resigned himself and took a portion of chicken and potato salad.

Mr. Hyun Sangmin said, "I've eaten things that look and smell much worse even knowing they would harm me. This looks and smells heavenly. Forget about a minor risk; in the worst case, at least there's a bathroom and toilet paper," and then he fearlessly served himself a bit of everything.

Miss Odelette Delphine just laughed at everyone's reaction, then said, "I didn't know Mr. Jihu could cook. I can't miss the opportunity to try his cooking," and grabbed some chicken, French fries, and pizza.

I helped him cook, but I have no idea which dish might contain the laxative; I don't even know if any of them actually do. I saw him use many spices and things, so I really couldn't tell when he might have added something to the food.

Mr. Tong Chai served himself a small portion of everything and began to smell and taste very, very little of each dish, trying to find the one with the laxative, or so it seemed.

"No matter how much you try, I've honed my culinary skills to such an extent that not even a trained dog with its superior sense of smell could detect the difference," Mr. Seol Jihu said to Mr. Tong Chai, and by Mr. Tong Chai's resigned reaction, it seemed to be true. So, in the end, just like Mr. Hyun Sangmin, he served himself a portion of all the dishes and ate without fear of the consequences.

The Yi siblings, seeing that everyone else had served themselves, also decided to do so and began to help themselves to everything.

Finally, it was just Seol Jihu Oppa and me left. I could only sigh resignedly. I've tasted his cooking before, and I know that with or without a laxative, I'm going to eat. So, I served myself some Kimchi and Bulgogi, but as I was about to serve myself some potato salad, I saw Seol Jihu Oppa wink at me, and I stopped serving myself the potato salad.

Then we ate peacefully. Throughout the meal, everyone was very happy and clearly satisfied with the taste. I even saw some, like the Yi siblings , shed a few tears of happiness.

Several minutes passed since we finished eating, and when everyone began to feel relieved because there was no apparent reaction from the laxative and believed it was just Oppa's joke, they started making jokes. That's when the Yi siblings, Mr. Hyun Sagnmin, Mr. Salvatore Leorda, and Mr. Tong Chai quickly got up and ran out of the room.

From a distance, we heard Yi Sungjin shout that he regretted nothing.

Suddenly, Oppa began to laugh, and then Miss Odelette Delphine did too. Miss Shin Sang-Ah soon joined in, and finally, Mr. Hao Win and I couldn't help it and began to laugh as well. I finally understood a bit of what Oppa was saying; it's good to enjoy the little things in life and not just focus on one thing. I also understood why Unnie had changed so much, and finally, the feelings I thought I had lost began to emerge again. As I laughed and looked at Oppa, I could not help but feel my heart start to beat faster.

But I know that Oppa already has two girlfriends and possibly others hidden away, Unnie might even be one of them. But even knowing that, I could not help feeling what I was feeling, and at this moment, I want to fully enjoy the experience. That's why I didn't care to think about what was right or wrong, or my problems. For this little moment that filled me with happiness, I just wanted to enjoy it without thinking about anything else.