chapter 178 one friend

The Fall of Cute Mist – Abandoned and Forgotten

As Cute Mist stepped out of the grand council chamber, her heart pounded against her ribs, an erratic rhythm of emotions she couldn't quite name.

Rage.

Heartbreak.

Relief.

Maybe all three.

But beneath it all, there was something colder. A realization creeping into her bones like ice.

She was no longer part of Rainbow Solutions.

She had been cast aside.

Thrown away like trash.

For years, she had stood beside her sister, fighting for the guild's future, leading battles, making sacrifices. Yet, in the end, it hadn't mattered.

Not to them.

Not to her own sister.

And now, she was alone.

For the first time in her life, there was no guild title beneath her name. No ranks. No allies. Just a single, undeniable truth:

She had lost everything.

---

The Eyes of the Guild – From Vice Leader to a Nobody

The moment she stepped into the main hall, she felt it.

The stares.

A wall of silence greeted her, heavy and suffocating.

Guild members who once called her Vice Leader now watched her with vacant expressions.

No one rushed to her side.

No one asked what had happened.

No one even whispered in concern.

Instead, they simply… watched.

As if they were looking at a stranger.

Some sneered, their lips curling in amusement.

Some smirked, as if they had known this day would come.

Some looked away, pretending not to see her at all.

Indifference.

That was the worst part.

She had fought beside these people. Trained them. Bled for them.

She had trusted them.

And yet, the moment she lost her title, she had become invisible.

She scanned the room, hoping—praying—to see even one familiar face standing by her side.

But no one did.

Her fingers clenched into fists.

These people…

She had given them everything.

Her time.

Her loyalty.

Her love.

And in return?

All it took was a single moment for them to turn their backs on her.

---

The Last Wound – The Thorn in Her Heart

Then, she saw him.

A young warrior standing near the training grounds, his sword strapped to his back.

Someone she had personally trained. Someone she had protected in battle, time and time again.

A junior member she once called little brother.

He was looking at her.

For a brief moment, hope flickered in her chest.

Maybe he would say something. Maybe he would ask what had happened. Maybe he would stand up for her.

Maybe—

He turned away.

Didn't speak.

Didn't hesitate.

Just… turned his back on her.

As if she was a stranger.

As if she had never mattered.

And that—

That was the final blow.

Her throat tightened.

The pain of losing her rank, her status, even her sister—it had hurt.

But this?

This was worse.

Because this was the moment she finally understood—

She was nothing to them.

She had never been.

---

Walking Away – The First Step into the Unknown

Cute Mist forced herself to smile.

Not because she was okay.

Not because she had accepted it.

But because she refused to let them see her break.

She straightened her back, lifted her chin, and strode toward the exit.

The doors felt impossibly far away. Every step heavier than the last.

But she didn't stop.

She would not give them the satisfaction of seeing her hesitate.

She could feel their gazes following her.

Watching. Waiting.

Maybe some expected her to beg for her position back.

Maybe some wanted to see her crumble under the weight of her loss.

But she gave them nothing.

Without a single word—

Without a single glance back—

She left.

And the doors of Rainbow Solutions closed behind her.

For the first time in years, she was free.

But at what cost?

Just as the heavy doors of Rainbow Solutions shut behind her, sealing away everything she had once known—

A voice cut through the silence.

"Are you really leaving?"

Her breath caught.

She turned.

There, standing at the entrance, was someone she never expected to follow.

Her most loyal friend.

Unlike the others, he wasn't mocking her. He wasn't sneering. He wasn't looking at her like she was nothing.

He was simply… there.

And in his eyes, she saw something no one else had shown her today.

Loyalty.

She swallowed hard. "Why are you here?"

He stepped forward, his expression unwavering.

"Because I won't stay in a place that throws away the people who built it."

Her heart clenched.

And just like that—

He walked past the threshold, stepping out of the guild with her.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then the storm hit.

"Are you insane, Mack?!" One of the elders' voices boomed, dripping with disbelief. "You're throwing away your future for her?"

"Brainless fool," another elder spat, shaking his head in pure disdain. "You're one of the best in your rank, yet you waste it all on—on this?!" His glare toward Cute Mist was filled with nothing but contempt.

"Unbelievable," an officer sneered. "I always thought you had potential, Mack. Turns out, you're just a pathetic idiot."

Guild members joined in, their voices merging into a chorus of scorn.

"What a joke."

"He's actually leaving for her? Ha!"

"That's loyalty? No—that's stupidity."

"Go on, then! Go throw your life away with the guild's reject!"

A few even laughed cruelly. "They'll come crawling back within a week."

But Mack didn't even flinch.

He didn't turn. He didn't hesitate.

He kept walking.

And when Cute Mist glanced at him, expecting at least a flicker of regret—she found none.

Only determination.

Only unshakable resolve.

The voices faded behind them. The doors slammed shut, sealing Rainbow Solutions away.

And for the first time since losing everything—

Cute Mist wasn't alone.

The mocking voices of Rainbow Solutions faded behind them, but Cute Mist's mind still echoed with their disdain.

She turned to Mack, eyes sharp. "Why did you do that?"

Mack, who had just walked away from everything, looked completely unbothered. If anything, he seemed… amused.

Then, with a smirk, he said it.

"My eyes cannot take away from your flat lands, girl."

For a second, silence.

Then—

"YOU WHAT?!"

Before Mack could even blink, Cute Mist's foot shot out, slamming into his shin.

"AAARGH!" Mack yelped, hopping on one foot like a wounded dog. "WAIT—HOLD ON—"

"YOU—STUPID—MORON—" she screamed, kicking him again—this time in the thigh.

"WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS?!"

Another kick.

Mack tried to dodge but stumbled, looking absolutely pathetic as he clutched his leg. "HAVE MERCY!"

"MERCY?! MERCY?!" Cute Mist did not have mercy. She kicked him again. "YOU JUST THREW AWAY YOUR FUTURE AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY?!"

Mack dramatically collapsed onto the ground, rolling like he'd been mortally wounded. "I WAS JUST JOKING—WHY ARE YOU SO VIOLENT?!"

Cute Mist didn't stop. She was furious.

First, he leaves the guild for her. Then, he lets the elders roast him alive. And now—**NOW—**he's out here quoting Frost Eye?!

"I swear, Mack—" she kicked his back, sending him rolling like a bag of potatoes. "You sound EXACTLY like that Frost Eye bastard!"

Mack, who was now crawling for his life, wheezed. "I—I TAKE IT BACK! I SWEAR!"

Cute Mist did not believe him. She raised her foot.

Mack flinched. "OKAY, OKAY! I'LL BE SERIOUS!"

She narrowed her eyes but lowered her foot.

Still lying on the ground, Mack took a deep breath and tried to regain some dignity (he had none left).

Then, his voice softened.

"I left because I made my choice. Just like you did."

He met her gaze, all traces of teasing gone.

"And I don't regret it."

Cute Mist blinked.

The anger simmered, replaced by something else.

She didn't know what to say.

For the first time in a long time, someone had chosen her over power, over safety, over everything.

Even if he was a complete idiot.

She exhaled sharply, turning away. "…Whatever. Just don't say dumb stuff like that again."

Mack, who was still sprawled on the ground, weakly raised a finger. "…No promises, flat lands."

CUE MORE KICKING.