At last.
“Stop playing dumb.”
“….”
So Hyeyul had reached the truth that Gang Hanbyeol was the reincarnation of her dead younger brother.
I had somewhat guessed that she would interrogate me afterward.
So when I was summoned by her, I was able to maintain a calm attitude without panicking in the slightest.
Even though she had revealed her momentum to pressure me.
‘Still, this sense of intimidation is no joke….’
Not only So Hyeyul’s yellow eyes, but the air permeating the entire space felt like it was watching me from all directions.
It was hard to even breathe comfortably, and I couldn’t bring myself to reach for the refreshments.
My shoulders even felt heavy.
I was only holding up thanks to my courage skill; if I hadn’t had it, I would have suffered an even greater threat.
That must have been how serious she was.
In order to figure out my true intentions.
To be exact….
‘To check whether I’m trying to use Hanbyeol for my own gain.’
To the point where I stood on the boundary where my evasion instincts were about to trigger.
That must have been why So Hyeyul was revealing killing intent toward me.
In fact, she had confronted me directly.
“Surely you didn’t intend to threaten me or use that child in some way….”
“That’s not the case.”
“Then what exactly is it?”
Fearing that So Hyeyul might misunderstand on her own, I denied it flatly.
On the other hand, I could read a change in her feelings through her words.
She had referred to Gang Hanbyeol as ‘that child.’
It was evidence that she was unconsciously identifying Gang Hanbyeol as her dead younger brother.
Having reasoned that far, I caught my breath for a moment, then opened my mouth.
“It’s hard to speak my mind in this kind of atmosphere, so could you please tone it down a bit?”
“….”
“I feel like I’ve committed a crime. It’s very suffocating.”
“…Alright. I suppose I got too worked up. Sorry.”
So Hyeyul, who had been staring at me intently.
Soon she apologized and reined in her momentum.
Only then did I breathe comfortably and take a sip of my drink.
‘How should I put this….’
I organized my thoughts in my head.
I recalled my original goal of changing the game’s development where So Hyeyul would become an enemy, and drawing her in as a complete ally.
To do that….
‘I must not give her reason to distrust me. I have to be as honest as possible. Even if it means confessing that I know the future….’
It was something I felt sorry to Yeon Haneul about.
Because I had promised to tell her the truth about this world and my reincarnation first.
But to persuade So Hyeyul, it seemed unavoidable.
Still, to make excuses, I had no intention of telling So Hyeyul the whole truth.
“Now, speak quickly.”
“…Yes.”
I decided to process the truth moderately.
Having reached a conclusion, I began to speak.
“Five years, no, was it six years ago? One day, I had a dream.”
“If it was six years ago….”
“Yes, it was when I was mocked as a Rabbit, unlike now. When I first met Haneul. The dream I had that day was so vivid. As if I had really experienced it.”
“….”
“I realized later that it was… a precognitive dream I had while awakening to my Gift.”
“Precognition… you say? Wait, does this mean your Gift is related to precognition? Not a Gift that helps you dodge well…?”
“How else would I have dodged so well? I avoided things because I foresaw the future.”
“Ah….”
“Of course, even though I have a Gift related to precognition, I can’t see that far into the future. At most, it’s limited to my personal safety, seeing only a few seconds ahead. But the future I foresaw six years ago was different. It was the future that would unfold during my enrollment and graduation at this Academy.”
“…So your latent abilities exploded from the influence of first awakening your Gift. That does happen occasionally.”
“Yes, I think so too.”
“Then the fact that you saw through the Doll Ghost in the entrance exam…?”
“That’s right. I saw it in my dream.”
Gifts related to precognition were difficult to verify because they had no clear standard.
Because of that, there were some who deceived others and committed fraud with their Gifts.
But I had sufficient track records to prove my claims.
Even if So Hyeyul found it suspicious, she had no choice but to believe me.
And so, as her expression changed from moment to moment, I continued my story.
About the political situation after my enrollment at the Academy for the next three years.
About the incidents and accidents happening around Gang Hanbyeol.
About the fact that the world could be destroyed.
And finally….
“Your wish will fail. Because of Hanbyeol.”
“….”
“Because one soul cannot exist as two people at the same time. And there’s the intervention of the World Tree as well.”
I also conveyed So Hyeyul’s future, embellishing it appropriately.
After hearing my story, she closed her eyes for a while, as if organizing her thoughts.
A long silence ensued.
Time passed.
“I don’t believe everything you’ve said, Gyeonu. But I can see clearly that you’re working hard to prevent the world’s destruction.”
So Hyeyul opened her eyes.
She asked with a somewhat softer attitude than before.
“So what’s the reason you’re revealing these secrets to change my future? You must have business with me, Student Do Gyeonu. What do you want from me?”
What my true intentions were.
The question had returned to its starting point.
But unlike before, So Hyeyul was no longer on guard against me.
She was ready to talk.
I, who had been waiting for this moment, raised the corners of my mouth and made a proposal.
“Of course, I need your help. As you’ve probably already noticed, we can help each other.”
* * *
He knows the future.
He possesses a Gift related to precognition.
So Hyeyul could not readily believe the story Do Gyeonu was telling.
But there was no proper way to verify its truth, and it had its own credibility.
The path he had walked and the mysteries surrounding him were resolved precisely by his precognition.
‘Moreover, he knew not only my wish but also the fact that Hanbyeol is the reincarnation of Hyeseong.’
In a way,
she might as well have been indebted to Do Gyeonu.
Having thought that far, So Hyeyul found herself willing to believe him.
Only to a certain extent.
She did not trust him completely.
Because she hadn’t expected him to tell the whole truth from the beginning, and there were suspicious points.
That was why she wanted even more to know what his goal was.
If he intended to use her and Gang Hanbyeol as disposable tools simply for his goal, she would never let it slide.
She was inwardly steeling herself.
Before long.
“Mutual aid? So you’re not simply asking for my help; you’re saying you have something to give as well?”
So Hyeyul, having roughly grasped Do Gyeonu’s purpose, replied as if curious.
At that, he nodded.
“That’s right. Just as I gave you the Soul Compass.”
“….”
“If you help me, I’ll provide you with future information to the best of my knowledge as compensation. For example, about the hidden world in a certain artificial gate, about incidents that will happen at the Academy, about villains targeting the Academy, about the current political situation, and so on.”
It was certainly an enticing proposal.
So Hyeyul was momentarily tempted.
But she came to her senses and deliberately showed a lukewarm attitude.
“Hmm… It doesn’t really grab me. Even if you provide me with information, you’d obviously keep the best parts for yourself, wouldn’t you? I don’t think there would be much benefit for me. If that’s the case, I’d rather….”
“….”
“Wouldn’t it be better to imprison you somewhere and monopolize that future knowledge? Don’t you think? What do you think, Gyeonu?”
Letting out a snickering laugh, compounded by the fact that he had deceived her all this time,
So Hyeyul gauged Do Gyeonu’s reaction.
She intended to decide who held the initiative in their relationship based on his response.
‘Now, how will you respond?’
If his answer was unsatisfactory, she would use him like a slave.
To prevent the world’s destruction.
On the other hand, if he met her expectations….
Do Gyeonu answered then.
“Could you even do that?”
“Do you think I couldn’t?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you’re not shameless enough to treat me that way. Surely you wouldn’t do that to someone you’re indebted to?”
“One can never know what’s inside a person. Can you really guarantee that I won’t? You can’t.”
“Above all, you wouldn’t want to touch me and earn Hanbyeol’s hatred for no reason, would you? Would you?”
“….”
“See?”
Do Gyeonu snorted.
At the mention of Gang Hanbyeol out of nowhere, So Hyeyul couldn’t help but flinch.
In the end, she had to let go of her spite.
“Fine, I lose. So? What kind of help do you specifically want from me, Gyeonu?”
“Actually, I don’t want much. Two more years.”
“….”
“I hope you’ll remain in your position and back us up for the next two years. Just as you are now. And more actively than before. Now I can just come to you openly and ask, so that’ll be convenient.”
“So you’re openly asking me to clean up after you now? You’re really shameless.”
So Hyeyul scoffed.
But her heart was already leaning toward Do Gyeonu’s proposal.
Especially since she had been shaken by what he had said earlier.
―Because one soul cannot exist as two people at the same time. And there’s the intervention of the World Tree as well.
The Stake of Time had been completely destroyed and was irrecoverable.
Even if she were lucky enough to find a replacement, altering the past was impossible as long as the World Tree interfered.
If she revived her dead younger brother and altered the past from the beginning, she would inevitably end up denying Gang Hanbyeol’s existence.
‘To think I would have to kill Hanbyeol out of selfishness just to see that child… I could never do that.’
So Hyeyul could be cruel no longer.
At the same time, she felt guilty.
Because she had committed many wrongs to fulfill her wish.
Sometimes she had not hesitated in her means and methods, thinking that everything would be undone if she only changed the past.
‘The sins I have committed do not disappear.’
Thus, in truth, So Hyeyul had intended to resign from her position as chairwoman and live the rest of her life fulfilling a Hunter’s duty as atonement until her death.
And she had planned to watch Gang Hanbyeol’s happiness from afar without revealing the truth.
But Do Gyeonu had asked her to remain as chairwoman for just two more years.
‘Two more years… I do want to see Hanbyeol graduate. No, I really want to see it.’
She wanted to be a little—just a little—greedy.
After deliberation, So Hyeyul spoke.
“Very well. Let’s help each other.”
And so,
the two shook hands.
* * *
In between her work as student council president,
the Fairy of the Gwangmyeong Seong Clan, Seong Dasom, often volunteered at an orphanage sponsored by her clan.
Today was no different.
She stopped by the orphanage after buying a whole bundle of food the children would like.
“My little ones, have you been doing well since I last saw you!? You have to come let unnie stamp your faces quickly!? If you don’t come, I won’t give you any donuts!”
“Fairy unnie, I missed you!”
“Wow, donuts! Saintess noona, thank you for the food!”
“Again, again, again! I told you last time too, unnie is a fairy, not a saintess! Well, I guess being called a saintess isn’t so bad either.”
“Why do you always say unnie? To me, you’re noona!”
“Because I like being called unnie! It would be even better if you called me pretty unnie!”
“Fairy unnie! Saintess unnie! Pretty unnie! As expected, you’re like a fairy—a very pretty saintess unnie!”
“A thousand out of a thousand! I’ll give you my donut too, little one. Well done. That’s how you do it. It’s the secret to being loved wherever you go!”
Oh-ho-ho, ah-ha-ha!
Seong Dasom was generous with children, and thanks to her uniquely narcissistic personality, she was very popular at the orphanage.
When she covered her mouth with the back of her hand and burst into loud laughter, all the children followed suit.
Afterward, she spent a pleasant time with the children.
That was when the incident occurred.
“Hm?”
After putting the children down for their naps, she had been walking alone in the backyard to bask in the sun for a moment.
Feeling a presence suddenly, Seong Da-som turned her head toward the spot.
‘A child? Why is one over there…?’
The Special Gifted Education Center—a zone separated from the rest of the grounds by high walls and iron bars.
In that place where entry was forbidden to all but authorized personnel, some child was looking around as if lost.
Feeling puzzled, Seong Da-som approached the iron-barred gate.
It was then that their eyes met.
‘They’re coming this way.’
The child started running toward Seong Da-som.
Perhaps, driven by a spirit of adventure, the child had somehow snuck in and was now flustered, unable to find the way out.
They were certainly running hard.
She had been thinking of it lightly, ready to brush it off, but when she saw the child’s condition, she was startled.
“S-save me! Please!”
The child clinging to the iron bars was wrapped tightly in bandages all over.
Bloodstains could be seen on the bandages.
Even at a glance, the wounds were clearly no ordinary matter.
Seong Da-som grabbed the child’s hand poking through the bars and asked,
“How did you end up hurt like this? Goodness, your wounds… Wait. I’ll treat them….”
“More than that, get me out, quickly! If I stay here, I’ll get caught! Please save me!”
“What? What do you mean….”
About to finish her question, Seong Da-som stopped and spotted staff members walking over from the Special Gifted Education Center.
The child, turning their head following her gaze, also laid eyes on them.
The child froze like a block of ice.
Soon, the staff members approached.
“Found you. So this is where you were. How could you run off like that?”
“Ah….”
“It was… the fairy lady. Have you come to volunteer again today?”
“Yes, that’s right. But the child seems badly hurt, so why….”
The staff members had kind faces, scolding the child as if they were worried.
The child was surrounded by them, unable to say a word.
Feeling something off, Seong Da-som tried to ask them what had happened.
Then one quick-witted staff member bowed their head politely.
“We apologize. We failed to watch over the child properly and have caused inconvenience to the direct descendant of the Gwangmyeong Family. However, you need not worry about the child’s condition.”
“Need not worry? The child is hurt like this… Besides, the blood looks as if the wounds were just made….”
“Such things happen occasionally in gifted education.”
“What did you say?”
“Our facility is a Special Gifted Education Center that trains Hunters. Injuries sometimes occur during training to control mana. Surely the direct descendant of the Gwangmyeong Family experienced similar things as a child.”
“…I have never once been injured to that extent. I was taught in my family that rest is just as important as training.”
“Rest, you say? We, too, encourage the children to get plenty of rest.”
“Then why is the child….”
“This child is rather unusual. That is why we suffer as well. As we did today.”
“….”
“Allow us to say again: we are educating the children according to the Gwangmyeong Family’s guidelines. There is absolutely no abuse, so please do not misunderstand.”
Are you calling that an explanation?
Seong Da-som held back the words that had nearly left her mouth at the mention of the family name.
She bit her lip.
“Then we will take the child. We pray for the glory of the Gwangmyeong Family. Good day.”
The staff members bowed with crisp, practiced movements.
Then they took the child, who seemed to be terrified.
With the iron bars before her, there was nothing Seong Da-som could do but watch them helplessly.
“Something… something is strange….”
The more she thought about it, the less sense it made.
Above all,
—S-save me! Please!
She could not forget the voice of the child who had begged for help with such a desperate face.
Seong Da-som clenched her hand tightly.
Became the Mid-Boss’s Childhood Friend