I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 292: Alice is confused

Alice found herself staring blankly into space after returning to her room.

In her hands was the unusual weapon she'd been given, a hybrid between a spear and a sword known as an Echoun Moonblade. It wasn't quite a spear, nor was it exactly a sword, but a heavy metal construct resting in her grip.

“—Al-Alright, everyone, disperse! Alice, just keep using that for training for now, and I’ll get you a more suitable artifact soon. Go on, head back to your rooms!”

Shin Se-hee’s flustered voice echoed in Alice’s mind as she had hastily disbanded the group, but Alice was still haunted by the image burned into her retina.

What... was that?

Without warning, the light had cascaded from above Jin Yoo-ha’s head. His face contorted in discomfort as he grimaced, clearly in pain.

And then.

And then.

And then.

By the time it was over, Alice could hardly breathe.

For right in front of her was the sight of a real man’s body, exposed in all its raw glory.

His jet-black eyes seemed to draw her in. His skin, slick with sweat, gleamed in the dim light. His clothing—what little remained—barely covered more than it revealed, leaving his muscular physique fully on display.

The muscles she hadn’t even noticed when he was clothed were now visible, rippling with each labored breath.

Rip—

Jin Yoo-ha tore off the last remnants of his clothing, gripping a strip of it in his mouth. He swept his wet hair back with a single hand, tying it behind his head in one fluid motion.

Alice couldn’t tear her gaze away from him for even a second.

Gulp—

Her throat went dry as she swallowed hard. Her entire body tingled strangely.

Without even realizing it, Alice’s mind wandered back to the sight of Jin Yoo-ha earlier that day, and her face flushed red.

Having grown up in the mountains with no contact with men, other than through comics or anime, the sudden sight of Jin Yoo-ha’s bare body was overwhelming for her.

Despite it being the dead of winter, she felt her body heating up.

Why... why did he strip out of nowhere?! No, I need to think about something else! Something else!

She frantically shook her head and slapped her cheeks to refocus.

Yes, a lot had happened today. She’d met new people in a new place. She’d watched the abilities of others and demonstrated her own sword skills. She’d even received a weapon that was somewhere between a sword and a spear.

And I went all out against that guy... but he dodged everything so easily.

Of course, he wasn’t comparable to the Swordmaster. Her grandmother could crush anyone through sheer mana alone, while Jin Yoo-ha was a master of technique, a wall of a different kind.

But... if I can master this weapon... could I beat him?

Even though she tried to shift her thoughts, Jin Yoo-ha’s image kept resurfacing in her mind.

She imagined herself wielding the Echoun Moonblade against him, while he swung his sword, his torn clothes barely hanging on.

“Ahhh! Why can’t I stop thinking about him?!”

Alice buried her face in her hands and stomped her feet on the ground in frustration.

No matter how hard she tried to think of something else, her thoughts kept drifting back to him.

Suddenly, Alice stood up, her expression determined.

“I can’t keep doing this... I need to train.”

She had to familiarize herself with this new weapon, after all.

But... it’s nighttime. Is it okay to go out and train without permission?

Her naturally cautious nature made her hesitate. This wasn’t the familiar Taebaek Mountain, and she was in someone else’s home.

I should ask for permission... but from whom?

And then, Jin Yoo-ha’s face popped into her mind once more.

“No, no! Not him! Someone else!”

She had a strong feeling that if she saw him right now, she wouldn’t even be able to speak properly, let alone make eye contact.

“Come to think of it, wasn’t Shin Se-hee the second-in-command after Jin Yoo-ha...?”

From what she had heard, Shin Se-hee was the one managing the party’s operations and overall strategy. The others also seemed to follow her lead.

It made sense to ask her.

Gripping the Echoun Moonblade in one hand, Alice headed for the elevator.

Shin Se-hee’s room... was on the third floor, right?

She pressed the button for the third floor, feeling the slight lift of the elevator.

Ding!

Alice arrived shortly after. Through the slightly ajar door, she could hear murmurs of conversation.

Is she with someone...? Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m just here to ask if I can use the training room.

Knock, knock.

She rapped gently on the partially open door.

“It’s open. Come in.”

Shin Se-hee’s calm voice invited her in. As Alice pushed the door open, she was met with a surprising sight.

A long table covered with wine and snacks. Everyone in the party was there—except for Jin Yoo-ha and Ichika.

But what really caught Alice’s attention was what filled the wall across from the table.

A huge projection of Jin Yoo-ha in action.

What... what is this?!

Shin Se-hee turned her head and widened her eyes in surprise.

“Oh, it’s not Ichika...!? What are you doing here?”

The rest of the party members also looked just as shocked as Alice.

“I’m late.”

Ichika entered behind her, glancing at Alice before scanning her from top to bottom.

Then, in her usual emotionless tone, she asked, “Were you invited too?”

Shin Se-hee was flustered.

She hadn’t expected Alice to show up.

Why is she here...?

Tonight was supposed to be a private gathering for Utopia’s members, without Jin Yoo-ha.

It was a casual night of drinking and watching footage of Jin Yoo-ha.

The last time, they had only managed to capture a few photos, courtesy of Sophia.

This time, they had made sure not to repeat the mistake—they had filmed the entire thing!

I just assumed it was Ichika arriving late...

Alice stood there, glaring at the footage of Jin Yoo-ha with a stiff expression.

What if she runs to tell Jin Yoo-ha about this...?

He’d be disgusted, of course. There was no way anyone would take it kindly to knowing their trusted teammates were secretly watching footage of them while drinking.

But there was nothing they could do.

Watching his ascension to a higher rank... well, seeing him like that had a certain effect.

It was impossible to face him normally the next day after seeing that. Just standing in his presence required incredible self-control on a good day, but after watching something like that, Jin Yoo-ha would dominate their thoughts for the entire day, making it hard to focus on anything else.

Which was why they had to keep watching the footage repeatedly—to get used to it and act normal around him.

What do we do now...?

The damage was already done. Alice had seen it.

Shin Se-hee sighed deeply, accepting the inevitable.

“Come in.”

Alice hesitated, her pupils dilating, but she awkwardly stepped inside.

“H-Hey, shouldn’t she not be in here...?”

Lee Yu-ri’s voice was stiff with tension.

“I thought it was Ichika, but it turned out to be Alice.”

“How did she end up here?” Kang Do-hee asked sharply.

“I just wanted to ask if I could use the training room...”

“So, that’s what this is about.”

“Se-hee, what should we do?”

“Well, there’s nothing we can do. Either we silence her... or recruit her.”

Gulp.

Alice stepped back slightly under their hostile gazes. But Shin Se-hee just shrugged.

“We have no choice but to bring her in.”

“...Is that how it’s going to be?”

None of them were in a position to argue. Despite their displeasure, they couldn’t just cast Alice out.

In the end, Alice was reluctantly seated beside Shin Se-hee in the tense atmosphere.

Clap, clap—

“Alright, let’s start the screening from the top again.”

And with that, the footage of Jin Yoo-ha started playing once more.

“Wow, he’s gotten stronger again, hasn’t he?”

“Makes sense. He never spares any effort.”

“And that new skill he acquired—the bow and arrow—was a great addition. Definitely a solid gain.”

“Think this will stop him from jumping into dangerous situations as much?”

“...Probably not. Now that he’s got a safer weapon, he might take even more risks.”

“That’s just like him.”

Suddenly thrust into the conversation, Alice felt dizzy.

What in the world is going on with these women?

Watching a video of Jin Yoo-ha while drinking and chatting like this.

“...Why are they doing this?”

Summoning up her courage, Alice quietly asked Shin Se-hee beside her. Without looking away from the screen, Shin Se-hee answered.

“You came to find me because you wanted to use the training room, right?”

“...Yes.”

“I can guess why. After going back to your room, you probably couldn’t stop thinking about Jin Yoo-ha, right? A few hours might’ve passed without you even realizing it.”

“!”

Shin Se-hee took a sip of wine from her glass.

“No matter what you tried to think about, your thoughts kept drifting back to him, didn’t they? That’s why you’re here, hoping that moving your body might help you stop thinking about him. Am I wrong?”

“How did you...?”

Alice looked at Shin Se-hee in shock.

She was right about everything. It was like she’d cracked open Alice’s mind and looked inside.

Shin Se-hee sighed deeply.

“Because we’ve all been through it.”

“...All of you?”

Alice glanced around at the other women, all fixated on the footage of Jin Yoo-ha.

“Shall I tell you what’s going to happen from now on?”

“...What’s going to happen?”

“Yes. Starting today, you won’t be able to love any man other than Jin Yoo-ha.”

“What...?”

“No # Nоvеlight # other man will catch your eye, and your gaze will be drawn to him alone.”

Shin Se-hee’s voice was firm, like a curse.

“Every time you see him, your face will flush. You’ll start wanting more from him. His smallest gestures of attention will determine your mood for the day.”

“That’s impossible! I’ve only known him for a few days—”

But Shin Se-hee only gave her a sympathetic look.

“Time doesn’t matter. What matters is whether you’ve seen it.”

She gestured toward the screen with her chin.

On the screen, the dazzling light began to radiate from above Jin Yoo-ha’s head once more.

“Once you’ve seen that brilliant light, you have no choice but to fall for him.”

Shin Se-hee smiled bitterly as she spoke those words.