5 Years
“Ha-neul summoned an elephant?”
“I suddenly heard something crying and wondered what it was, but later I found out it was an elephant. I was so shocked when I heard…. Fortunately, no one was hurt.”
Naturally, the topic of conversation at dinner that evening was Yeon Ha-neul summoning an elephant.
Father burst out laughing while eating, while Mother repeatedly shook her head, apparently still shaken by the experience.
Meanwhile, Ye-eun’s reaction was predictable.
“She did something fun again while I wasn’t there…. I want to summon an animal too!”
I gave a bitter smile as I looked at my younger sister’s sparkling eyes.
“When the Witch of Five Colors comes next time, I’ll ask her for you.”
“No. What if you summon a dangerous animal like an elephant? The Witch of Five Colors said that the animal that comes out of the hat has aspects similar to the summoner’s personality.”
“She did say that personality can have an influence, but not a major one….”
“I’m confident I can summon an animal that’s kind and gentle, just like me!”
“Mom hopes our daughter won’t lie.”
“But I really am kind….”
“Good children don’t become picky eaters.”
“Tch, it’s all because I take after Mom, you know?”
“Why are you suddenly dragging me into this? What did I do?”
“Mom got worse after cutting her hair! You weren’t like this before!”
“Mom didn’t get worse. I became stronger. And I was like this even before, you know?”
“Haha….”
This was probably proof that our family was harmonious.
Even today, there had been no shortage of arguments between Mother and Ye-eun.
At times like this, the best course of action was to quietly remove myself from the situation.
I decided to focus on eating dinner so as not to disturb the two of them.
Apparently, Father had the same idea.
Our eyes met across the dining table, and we felt a sense of solidarity.
‘Son, I actually prefer long hair.’
‘I do too, Fa—oh?’
‘But sometimes sacrifices are necessary to preserve the peace of the family.’
‘….’
‘Please understand my sacrifice for your sake.’
‘Ah, yes….’
Why did I feel there was another meaning in Father’s eyes?
Apparently, the exchange between Father and me had not gone as smoothly as intended.
I gave up on communicating with my eyes and spoke to him directly.
“Dad, speaking of which. You said Ha-neul had caught the Witch of Five Colors’ eye, right?”
“I didn’t see it myself, but it seems Ha-neul’s talent really is extraordinary. When I spoke with the Witch of Five Colors on the phone, she was so strict and difficult, yet she said she would teach Ha-neul for free—and even accept her as a formal disciple….”
“That means Ha-neul has a promising future, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then couldn’t the family sponsor her?”
In fact, I had been waiting for a chance to bring this up for some time.
Until now, Yeon Ha-neul had not shown enough talent to warrant sponsorship from the family, so the matter had been put on hold.
But by becoming the Witch of Five Colors’ disciple, she had proven her worth.
Now that there was a legitimate basis for sponsoring her, there was no reason to keep postponing it.
“Sponsorship…. You little rascal, so that’s what you were after.”
Father’s reaction was not bad.
He seemed to think for a moment before responding positively.
“She’s become the Witch of Five Colors’ disciple, and with my recommendation, she should be able to receive sponsorship from the Divine Sword Do Foundation. Even if that doesn’t work out, I heard the orphanage where she lives is in poor financial condition, so I’d been wondering if there was some way to help. This works out nicely. If we put Ha-neul forward, we should be able to arrange things so that both she and the orphanage can receive support from the foundation.”
“Really?”
“We won’t know until we try, but it’ll probably work.”
Not only Ha-neul, but also the orphanage where she lived, would be able to receive sponsorship.
She would be delighted when she found out.
Even I was feeling excited after hearing Father’s words.
Then Father spoke again.
“But we should hear what the Witch of Five Colors has to say, too.”
“The Witch of Five Colors? Why?”
“When a hunter formally takes on a disciple, it means they’re becoming that disciple’s guardian and intend to support them wholeheartedly. So before the family sponsors Ha-neul, we should ask the Witch of Five Colors how much she plans to provide.”
“Ah….”
“Given her personality, she might say she’ll cover everything herself because she doesn’t want to have anything to do with our family. If that happens, well… we’ll just have to sponsor the orphanage where Ha-neul lives.”
“If possible, please make sure Ha-neul won’t be financially strained.”
“Understood. Don’t worry. The Witch of Five Colors and I probably share the same desire to support that child wholeheartedly for the sake of her future.”
Hong Ye-na, the Witch of Five Colors.
I had not considered the possibility of her sponsoring Yeon Ha-neul.
But there was nothing wrong with her supporting Ha-neul, either.
Either way, I wanted Yeon Ha-neul to become a mage in a prosperous environment.
That way, my forces would grow stronger.
‘And Ha-neul won’t fall to the dark side.’
I could not allow Yeon Ha-neul to despair over her life.
I wanted to avoid the ending where Yeon Ha-neul split into countless copies, devoured the world, and brought about its destruction.
Once again, I vowed not to let her grow into a mid-boss.
“By the way, I heard you decided to learn magic, too?”
“Yes, that’s right. I’ll focus on magic that can support my swordsmanship….”
“That means you showed talent as well…. I’ve only heard that Ha-neul summoned an elephant. I never heard what you summoned.”
“….”
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. Gyeon-woo, what did you summon?”
“Right! What did Oppa summon!?”
“…A white lion.”
“Oh, not just an ordinary lion, but a white one? Did you summon an albino? I don’t know much about magic, but if you summoned an albino, it must have been something extraordinary. Maybe you’re even more talented than Ha-neul. Could the Divine Sword Do family end up producing a grand mage someday?”
“I told you I gave birth to one good son.”
“When you learn magic, teach me too!”
“Haha….”
I kept my words to a minimum.
* * *
And so, after I began learning magic from the Witch of Five Colors,
time passed busily.
At the tail end of my twelfth year,
Father called the family together and made a shocking announcement.
“The official announcement will be made a week from now, but it’s been confirmed that I’ll be appointed Sub-Lord of the Regulus Clan. I met the clan head at the main house today and received his final confirmation.”
“Congratulations. You’re finally becoming Sub-Lord.”
“It’s thanks to all the support you’ve given me. Without you, I would’ve grown exhausted and collapsed halfway through. Thank you so much. You’re the only one for me.”
“Huh? Sub-Lord? Dad, what does that mean?”
“I don’t know what it means, but congratulations, Dad!”
Come to think of it, after Father visited the main house during Family Month, he had started coming home late more and more often.
It turned out that he had been working himself to the bone to build up the achievements required to become Sub-Lord.
I couldn’t help but feel flustered.
It was something that had never happened in the game.
‘How did this happen?’
According to the few mentions of it in the game,
Father had been portrayed as someone who did not aspire to become clan head because he did not want to compete with his siblings. Instead, he remained a branch head and devoted himself to his family.
It was hard to believe that someone like him had become Sub-Lord.
‘Could it be because of me?’
Apparently, realizing my past life had changed Father’s state of mind.
Naturally, I was worried.
Father becoming Sub-Lord meant that he was willing to compete with his siblings for the position of clan head.
But contrary to my concerns, Father looked cheerful.
“You’ve all been unable to hold your heads high at the main house because of me, haven’t you? From now on, walk around with your shoulders back. You can even go around causing trouble like Gyeon-woo! I’ll be able to cover for all of you.”
“I’ve never caused trouble.”
“That’s what you think.”
It was unfair that Father considered me a problem child.
Still, if this was a decision he had made after careful thought, I had no intention of stopping him.
In a way, this was good news for me.
‘Now that Dad’s become Sub-Lord, I’ll be able to benefit considerably from it—both within the family and in the academy city.’
So I congratulated Father.
If he was aiming to become clan head, I was willing to help him.
* * *
The grand finale of my twelfth year was whale hunting.
In medical terms, it was called circumcision.
Circumcision was a surgical procedure in which the foreskin covering the penis was cut away to expose the glans….
‘…Do I really have to do this?’
Just imagining the details of the procedure made me shudder.
I resented and regretted being born a man for no reason.
Having already experienced whale hunting in my previous life, the thought of going through it once more made my vision swim.
‘Still, once I become a hunter, I won’t have to enlist in the army twice, so I suppose I should comfort myself with that….’
Of course, circumcision was not mandatory. It was optional.
You could do it, or you could choose not to.
In fact, Father did not force me when I expressed my discomfort.
―Circumcision? Well, it’s better to have it done than not.
Perhaps he sympathized with my feelings as a fellow man.
That was what Father said.
Mother, however, had a different opinion.
―No, you have to do it. You absolutely have to.
―Mom, I heard that most of the boys in my class haven’t had it done yet. These days….
―Just because your classmates aren’t doing it, does that mean you won’t either? Since when have you ever followed the other kids?
―….
―Mom understands how you feel perfectly. You don’t want to do it right now, and you’re scared. But when you grow up and become an adult, the day will come when you thank me. So let’s go to the hospital, okay?
―…You’re a woman. How could you understand?
―I’m someone who went through the pain of childbirth twice to give birth to you and Ye-eun. Do you really think I can’t understand?
―….
―Gyeon-woo, trust Mom. Later, um… it might be uncomfortable. They say hygiene isn’t really a problem these days, but… it’ll still be troublesome to keep clean if you don’t have it done.
―Okaaay….
―And… if you want to become a man popular with women, it’s better to have it done.
―Gyeon-woo, that’s a lie….
―You be quiet.
―Yes, ma’am.
―At least I prefer one over the other. You might think it’s clean, but women might not see it that way.
―…Okay, I understand. I’ll do it.
Mother’s resolve was firm.
I had hesitated over the decision, but in the end, I had no choice but to consent to the procedure.
It certainly wasn’t because I secretly wanted to become popular.
Having experienced whale hunting in my previous life, there was no way I would be deceived by Mother’s sweet talk.
It did, however, have the advantage of being easier to manage.
And Yeon Ha-neul had given her opinion as well.
[Me]: What do you think?
[Yeon Ha-neul]: So men do that sort of thing... I had no idea (@ㅡ@;)
[Yeon Ha-neul]: Wait! I’ll go ask the director!
(A little while later)….
[Yeon Ha-neul]: She said you don’t have to, but it’s still better to do it!
[Yeon Ha-neul]: It’ll hurt and you’ll be scared, but hang in there...
[Me]: Sigh... Okay...
And so,
that day, I rode in the car Mother was driving and went to a urology clinic.
“It’ll be okay, Gyeon-woo. They’ll anesthetize you, so it won’t hurt at all, and they say it’ll only take thirty minutes. When it’s over, let’s go eat something delicious together.”
“Okay….”
Despite magic and science having advanced in this world,
the level of circumcision technology was strangely similar to that of the world in my previous life.
I wondered whether that made any sense.
The only difference from my previous life was that circumcision in this world had a complication rate approaching zero percent.
That was why people tended to view it quite positively….
Having researched the information online beforehand, I let out a sigh.
“Patient Do Gyeon-woo, you may come in.”
But there was no backing out now.
After Mother saw me off, I walked confidently into the operating room.
Then I took off my pants, lay down on the bed, and waited for the operation to begin.
Eventually, the surgery started.
“Well, that’s quite a substantial one.”
…Doctor, that’s sexual harassment.
I had to undergo surgery while enduring the humiliation of baring my lower half to men I was meeting for the first time.
“I’ll make a man of you today.”
“Boy, become a legend.”
“When you leave this operating room, you’ll feel as if you’ve been reborn.”
“….”
The anesthesia had numbed the area below my waist.
I stared blankly up at the ceiling, simply wishing for this time to pass quickly.
And so.
Snip, snip….
Twelve years after being reincarnated into this world.
My dick finally got to see the outside world.
‘That sound is really eerie….’
* * *
Apparently, Do Gyeonu was going to catch a whale.
According to the director, he was going to become a man.
Yeon Haneul still didn’t understand what that meant, but she once again became aware of the difference between men and women.
‘So that’s what it means to be peeled….’
Living in the orphanage as she did.
Yeon Haneul often helped the orphanage teachers bathe the children younger than herself.
Every time, she naturally came into contact with ‘it.’
Unlike a woman’s, ‘it’ took on a protruding shape, and depending on how one looked at it, it could even seem cute.
She also thought it was fascinating.
But the fact that ‘it’ would become ‘like that’ was simply shocking.
‘Good heavens, they’re cutting it….’
Even though she was a woman, the mere thought of it gave her goosebumps.
She couldn’t help wondering how Do Gyeonu must feel, having to undergo circumcision himself.
Yeon Haneul couldn’t help but worry terribly about him while he was in surgery.
They said there was no chance of the surgery going wrong, but anxiety was anxiety.
So she set out a bowl of purified water and prayed.
“Please….”
Please let Gyeonu’s dick be safe.
Please let Gyeonu become a man.
* * *
Fortunately, the surgery was a success.
The turtle that had been hiding beneath its shell poked its head out into the world.
I… no longer had anything to fear.
Yeah….
‘It’ll hurt once the anesthesia wears off….’
I was afraid just thinking about it.
It seemed best not to engage in anything too strenuous until I had recovered sufficiently.
I should stop training for the time being and devote myself entirely to resting.
I gently touched my pants and checked the paper cup protecting my penis before slowly starting to walk.
Walking was incredibly uncomfortable.
My mother looked at me and giggled as if she found it amusing.
“My son, you endured it well without crying. Good job. Now, shall we go have a delicious lunch with Mom?”
“Yes….”
Today, I hated my mother.
I followed her to lunch as she kept an eye on the way I walked.
Afterward, we spent some time at a café drinking beverages.
When we returned home, Yaeun and Yeon Haneul were waiting for us.
“Oppa! Did your neutering go well!?”
“Gyeonu, are you all right?”
“It wasn’t neutering, it was circumcision. But Haneul, what brings you here?”
“I came to see how you were doing. So, how did the surgery go? What happened?”
“As you can see.”
So that Yaeun and Yeon Haneul could see easily, I pushed out the part of my pants that had risen like a mountain because of the paper cup.
Yaeun found it fascinating, while Yeon Haneul looked at me with pity.
“Oppa, that’s awesome! It looks like there’s a lion living in your pants! It even looks like laser beams might shoot out of there!”
“That’s right. I’m raising a lion. GaoGaiGar, the Lion King.”
“Huh?”
“Oh, was it not here….”
“What kind of absurd nonsense are you talking about? How long are you supposed to keep wearing that?”
“Until the wound heals. They said I should wear it for about two weeks.”
“That must be difficult and uncomfortable…. What about the pain? Are you okay? Did you take your medicine?”
“…I was already in a little pain, so I took some on the way home. It’s bearable for now.”
“Still, don’t push yourself too hard. Make sure you take your medicine regularly, too. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Then… support me while I walk.”
“Okay.”
“Oppa! I’ll help, too!”
Yeon Haneul obediently lent me her shoulder.
I draped an arm over her shoulder and staggered toward the house.
Meanwhile, Yaeun also hung onto my waist, saying she would help.
Because of the difference in our heights, she wasn’t much help, but I was still grateful for her consideration.
“My goodness…. Anyone watching would think he was a soldier who’d returned alive from a war.”
Hearing my mother mutter incredulously behind us.
I entered the house supported by the two girls.
And so.
“Roar.”
I became a man.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss
(36) [Illustration]
Time passed once again.
In the year I became thirteen, a sixth grader.
Yaeun became an elementary school student.
Starting this year, she could participate in the evaluation matches held by the direct descendants of the Divine Sword Do family.
And then.
“You should be grateful that you get to learn from someone like me, who has mastered six elements.”
Hong Yena became the Witch of Six Colors.
Having proved to the Hunter Association that she had mastered light-attribute magic, she acted extremely full of herself.
“You say that after using me as research material all this time?”
“…That’s why you’re learning for free, isn’t it? How can you still have no respect for your teacher despite getting older?”
“Haneul became your disciple, not me. I’m just someone paying for private lessons. Although I am receiving instruction free of charge.”
“That mouth of yours…. If you hadn’t had a talent for swordsmanship, you probably would have had a talent for irritating people with your eloquence.”
Meanwhile, I learned magic under her and achieved a certain level of progress.
Of course, I wasn’t anywhere near Yeon Haneul’s level.
“Master, is this how I do it?”
“I only gave you the basic trick, and I haven’t even finished explaining it…. You watched a demonstration once and copied it?”
Yeon Haneul’s growth was so rapid that Hong Yena was left speechless with astonishment.
Once she learned how to handle mana, she displayed remarkable growth.
Then, in just one year, she began to show noticeable results in dark-attribute magic.
And after two years, she had begun learning the other elemental magics as well.
“She’s really… incredible.”
Wasn’t this only to be expected of Yeon Haneul, who would eventually turn dark and become the Witch of Calamity in the game?
It seemed I wouldn’t be able to tease her so easily in the future.
I didn’t want to get hit by her magic, even as a joke.
* * *
Fourteen.
Yeon Haneul and I became middle school students.
Thanks to my father pulling some strings, we were able to enroll in the same middle school and the same class.
The three lackeys—Geum, Eun, and Dong—were assigned to the same middle school as well.
As a result, I naturally made use of the triplets from time to time.
“Lunch today looks rather questionable. Should we buy something from the school store?”
“Hmm… What’s on the menu today? Oh, there aren’t many meat dishes. The woman in charge should know that Yaeun isn’t the only picky eater. You’re one too.”
“So are we not going?”
“Sure, let’s go. But the store will probably be crowded… And it’s hot, too….”
“Isn’t that what they’re there for?”
“Huh?”
“I’ll give them a call. They’d better not fail to answer.”
“…You’re really merciless with them.”
“Ah, he picked up. Hey, Lackey Geum.”
[My name is U Geumdong, not Lackey Geum. Haa…. What is it?]
“Let’s have lunch together later.”
[Huh? What’s gotten into you? Sure, then we’ll come to your class…]
“So go buy us something to eat.”
[…You couldn’t possibly have called us for that.]
“Haneul, is there anything you want to eat? Something we can’t find at the school store is fine, too.”
[Hey! If you’re going to do that, just order delivery! Delivery!]
“Hmm… The castella we had last time was delicious. I’d like that and some strawberry milk.”
“Lackey Geum, you heard her, right?”
[I’m the beloved eldest son at home, so why am I being treated like this….]
“I’ll send you the menu over messenger. I’m hanging up.”
Even if the triplets never accepted my requests on the first try.
Since their sponsorship was on the line, they couldn’t disobey me.
In the end, they bought food from the school store for us.
“Hey! Let’s eat!”
“What took you so long?”
“We had gym class before lunch, so we snuck out in the middle of it.”
“While Hyung Eundong slipped away to the store, Geumdong and I pretended to be him. The teacher didn’t even notice that the student had changed.”
“Good work. Haneul, here.”
“Thanks, Gyeonu.”
“Damn…. We’re the ones who bought it, so why is she thanking him….”
“Lackey Geum. You’re not saying anything to Haneul right now, are you?”
“Who cares who bought it! We just need to enjoy the food! Right, Hyung Geumdong!?”
“That’s right, Hyung Geumdong!”
“Y-yeah, exactly! Haneul, enjoy your food! Is there anything else you want? I’ll go get it right away.”
“Haneul, if they say anything to you when I’m not around, tell me. I’ll teach them a lesson.”
“Ah… No, there’s no need for that. Thank you, all of you.”
As an aside, Yeon Haneul’s overall air changed noticeably after she entered middle school.
Her hair grew longer, and as her baby fat began to disappear, she showed signs of growing into an adult.
Perhaps because she trained her stamina and learned swordsmanship at the swordsmanship hall, the contours of her body stood out without any excess fat.
And perhaps because she learned magic and etiquette from Hong Yena, every one of her movements carried an elegant air.
Even people who held prejudice against demi-humans or had ignored her in elementary school would have their gazes stolen by Yeon Haneul for a moment.
She had simply… well… become prettier.
* * *
Another year passed, and I turned fifteen.
The second year of middle school.
It was the year seventeen-year-old Do Sieun entered the Academy City.
“When you enter the Academy City, I guess we won’t be able to see each other for a while.”
“I know. It was fun having evaluation matches with you. And crossing swords, too.”
At the family gathering held at the beginning of the year.
I congratulated Do Sieun, who was old enough to enroll in a high school academy.
I probably wouldn’t be able to see her for some time.
Life in the Academy City would be incredibly busy, after all.
That made me feel rather disappointed.
It seemed she felt the same way.
That was probably why she had brought it up.
“Gyeonu.”
“Yes, noona.”
“I’ll be waiting for you in the Academy City.”
Just as I was about to part ways with Do Sieun.
She suddenly held out her hand.
In response, I answered her feelings and clasped her hand.
“All right, wait for me. I’ll follow you in two years. I’m going to apply to the academy you attend, too.”
“Geumgang Academy? If that happens, we’ll be able to see each other often. I’ll wait for you.”
Two years remained until I entered the Academy City.
In other words, it also meant that two years remained until the story of the game began.
Two years. It seemed like a long time, yet in some ways, it also seemed short.
After sharing my ambitions with Do Sieun, I devoted myself even more to training from that day onward.
Then, one day.
“Why are you working so hard?”
Yeon Haneul asked me this as I swung my sword with weights attached to it, having increased the load.
There was only one thing I could say to her.
“Because I want to become stronger.”
“But you’re already strong. After Sieun unnie entered the Academy City, she said you were the strongest among your relatives who hadn’t enrolled in a high school academy. Isn’t that enough already?”
“It’s still not enough. I want to become stronger. Stronger, stronger, and stronger.”
With my current abilities, I would probably be able to deal with the incidents that occurred in the Academy City.
There would be nothing wrong with growing stronger by experiencing those incidents.
But my life wasn’t a game.
If I died, I couldn’t return to a save point or start over from the beginning.
Once I died, it would all be over.
That was why I couldn’t be satisfied with my current state.
I wanted to become stronger. Stronger, stronger, and stronger.
Even if training this way slowed my growth and there were limits to how far I could go.
Even so, I had no doubt that all this seemingly meaningless training would pile up and become meaningful to me in some way.
“I believed that without a doubt.”
“Then how strong do you want to become?”
“Well… strong enough to prevent the end of the world?”
“Are you going through a chuunibyou phase?”
“…Isn’t that a little harsh?”
“You’re the one who started joking around.”
“Hmm….”
I hadn’t been joking. I was serious.
But Yeon Haneul, who knew nothing about this world’s future, seemed to have mistaken my words for a chuunibyou statement.
There was nothing I could do. I decided to present a more realistic goal that she could understand.
‘Who’s the strongest person among the people I know?’
At that moment, only one person came to mind.
After thinking it over, I opened my mouth.
“I want to become stronger than Grandfather.”
“You mean your grandfather? The head of the Divine Sword Do family, who is called the Beast King.”
“Yes. I want to become strong enough to defeat my grandfather.”
“You want to become stronger than an existence from beyond the world? That’s an incredible goal.”
“You’re supposed to set your sights high. There’s no reason I can’t achieve it.”
“Well, that’s true.”
Beast King, Beast King, Beast King….
Yeon Haneul repeated my grandfather’s epithet over and over.
Then she smiled brightly and said,
“Then I’ll cheer you on from the sidelines. So you can become someone stronger than the Beast King.”
“What are you talking about? You have to train with me too.”
“But I’m a mage, you know?”
“Doesn’t physical strength matter for mages?”
“My master said I’m already fit enough.”
“No way. I can’t be the only one suffering.”
“Wow…. You really are….”
Trying to get out of it, are you?
I couldn’t save the world by myself.
I needed Gang Hanbyeol, I needed his companions, I needed various supporting characters, and I needed Yeon Haneul.
I had no intention of letting her go.
In the end, Yeon Haneul had to train with me that day as well.
And so time passed, and passed….
“Next year, we’ll be entering the academy.”
At sixteen, I reached the final stretch of middle school.
Hong Yena mastered dark-attribute magic and came to be called the Witch of Seven Colors.
And then.
“…Goodbye.”
Mongsil died.
* * *
Mongsil, born at the Divine Sword Do Clan for hunting, was fairly old.
Considering a rabbit’s lifespan, and the signs that his stamina had been declining with each passing year, Mongsil’s death had been scheduled to arrive before long.
I had been fully aware of that, and had prepared myself to accept it.
But that had merely been my illusion.
—I had a wonderful time….
When I woke up in the morning, Mongsil was dead, as though merely sleeping peacefully.
No matter how many times I called him, he didn’t respond. With his body stiff and his eyes closed, Mongsil seemed like a stranger to me.
Once I truly realized that Mongsil was dead, I felt a sense of loss.
Yes, a sense of loss.
I experienced the pain of feeling as though my heart had been torn out by a mere rabbit, a tiny creature.
—Mongsil must have gone somewhere nice because you took such good care of him.
—Oppa, don’t cry….
—Let’s bury him somewhere nice, where Mongsil can run around freely.
Five years had passed since I regained the memories of my past life.
For the first time, I burst into tears.
Returning to Do Gyeon-u, the person I had been before regaining the memories of my past life, I sobbed like a child.
After crying my heart out, I eventually calmed down, but the place Mongsil had left behind still felt unbearably empty.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine now.”
“…”
Yeon Haneul was worried about me.
I forced myself to put on a bright smile so that she wouldn’t worry.
But we had known each other for five years by then.
There was no way she could fail to see through my feelings.
She watched me anxiously, unable to settle herself.
Then, as if trying to cheer me up, she spoke.
“Do you want to touch my ears?”
“…”
Flap, flap.
Yeon Haneul folded and unfolded her ears with her hands.
I stared at her silently.
“Mountain hare, little rabbit, where are you going—”
“…”
Unlike her usual self, Yeon Haneul sang a children’s song while flapping her ears with her hands.
The sight was absurd, funny, and cute.
At the same time, a desire to touch her ears welled up inside me.
I wanted to touch them. I wanted to touch them. I wanted to, but….
“No, thanks. I appreciate the thought.”
“Ah….”
“If I touch your ears, I think I’ll remember Mongsil.”
“Yeah…. Then I can’t help it.”
I politely refused in order to preserve my memories of Mongsil.
Yeon Haneul looked dejected.
That was when it happened.
“I was even going to let you touch my tail….”
“…!”
She casually let those words slip out.
And I… lost to temptation.
I reacted before I could stop myself.
“Can I touch your tail?”
“Huh?”
“You just said you were going to let me touch your tail.”
“Uh, yeah… I was, because you looked down. But you said it would remind you of Mongsil….”
“Let me touch it once.”
“…You really have no principles.”
“It’s fine. Mongsil will understand.”
“Ah… I see….”
Yeon Haneul’s eyes went cold.
But I paid no attention to her reaction and waited for her answer.
At last.
“Good grief, you really are that kind of person. Fine, touch it. It’s not like it’ll wear out. You’ll feel better if I let you touch my tail, right?”
“Of course. Absolutely.”
As if she had no choice, Yeon Haneul let out a small laugh and gave me permission.
Soon, she turned her back to me and stuck out her rear so that her tail was visible.
“Wow….”
“Is this really something to marvel at?”
“Then is it something not to marvel at?”
“…I don’t really understand you. What’s so great about this?”
A tiny, adorable rabbit tail bulged out over her skirt.
I slowly reached my hand toward the white ball of fur.
“You probably know this too, but tails are more sensitive organs than ears. So don’t just handle it carelessly, okay? If you hurt me… I won’t let you touch it ever again.”
Did that mean she would let me touch it again later?
I decided not to ask.
If I asked for no reason, Yeon Haneul might take back her offer.
“When have I ever done that?”
“You do it sometimes when you touch my ears.”
Ignoring Yeon Haneul’s grumbling, my hand drew closer and closer to the white tail.
‘So I’m finally going to touch it.’
According to the Aein psychology I had read before,
Aein generally allowed people they were fond of to touch their ears.
And they allowed only those they completely trusted to touch their tails.
In other words, it was safe to assume that Yeon Haneul completely trusted me.
‘What a moving moment.’
My five years hadn’t been meaningless.
Overcome with emotion, I reached into an unexplored realm that I had yet to investigate.
A soft sensation met my fingertips.
“…”
At that moment, Yeon Haneul’s back shuddered, and she straightened up.
I gently cupped her tail in my hand, giving her time to adjust to my touch.
Then I began to softly stroke and knead it.
“Ah….”
“Wow, it’s really soft. Much softer than your ears.”
“W-wait…! Gyeon-u! Just a moment….”
“Why? Does it hurt?”
“Nooo, it doesn’t hurt, but….”
“Then I’ll keep touching it?”
“…”
Yeon Haneul had been about to say something, but then fell silent.
Standing behind her, I couldn’t see her face as she hung her head.
But since she hadn’t told me to stop, I decided to continue touching it.
“Oh, just as I thought.”
“W-what are you talking about?”
“I’ve been curious all this time. A rabbit’s tail looks round, but it’s actually just curled up.”
“…”
“So I wondered if your tail was the same, but it’s just like Mongsil’s. It was curled up after all. If you pull it, it stretches out like this….”
“Eek! Y-you, what are you….”
“Look, it stretches out straight.”
“D-don’t stretch it…. It’s, it’s embarrassing somehow….”
“Stretching it out makes it fairly long. And it’s extremely thin.”
“S-stop touching it….”
“It’s just like touching cotton fluff.”
Yeon Haneul’s voice gradually dwindled to a whisper.
I watched her tremble while touching her tail carefully so that I wouldn’t hurt her.
“P-please stop now….”
“Thank you, Haneul.”
“…Huh?”
“Thanks to you, I think my gloomy mood has gone away.”
“…If you say that, I can’t get angry.”
“Then can I touch it a little longer?”
“You really are…. I’ll, I’ll let you touch it next time. Stop here for today.”
It was a shame, but there was nothing I could do.
Still, I had received a promise that she would let me touch it again next time.
That was enough.
I released the tail I had been stroking.
Only then did Yeon Haneul collapse forward onto the desk, utterly exhausted.
“Because of you… What even was that….”
“Sorry. Did it hurt a lot?”
“…I don’t know! I’m not telling you.”
“You’ll let me touch it again next time, right?”
“…That depends on how you behave.”
* * *
Time continued to flow.
By the time winter came at age sixteen,
we had passed the entrance examination for Geumgang Academy.
It had been only the written examination, of course.
Even so, from that point onward, time passed in the blink of an eye….
“The day has finally come.”
The year changed, and I turned seventeen.
The Middle Boss’s Childhood Friend
(37) [Illustration]
Five years had passed since I regained the memories of my past life.
Those five years had brought many changes to my body.
I had grown taller, my shoulders had broadened, and the baby fat had left my youthful face, making its contours more pronounced.
The down around my mouth had grown thick enough that I had to shave every few days, while my Adam’s apple had emerged and my voice had become lower and deeper.
…I even caught a whale.
There had been various other changes as well.
‘I look similar to Do Gyeon-u from the game. No, am I a little different?’
I had the impression that I was taller.
My once-gentle-looking face had also become somewhat sharper.
I had worked myself to the bone for five years. I deserved at least that much to show for it.
I hoped I hadn’t grown up exactly like the game’s Do Gyeon-u because of some force compelling the game to follow its predetermined course.
‘My initial stats are better than Do Gyeon-u’s in the game, so I must have changed.’
Standing before the mirror and getting dressed,
I took in my changed appearance once more and felt proud.
Of course, it wasn’t as though I had no regrets.
“I wanted to tan my skin and become someone with bulging muscles….”
Although I had become different from the game’s Do Gyeon-u, there was nothing I could do about my constitution.
Since I was building my body anyway, I had wanted to make it attractive to women, the kind of body that would be popular with them. But my efforts had borne no fruit.
The saying that anything was possible if you worked hard must have been a lie after all.
To exaggerate a little, with a body like this, wouldn’t women see me as a man who needed to be protected?
That was how, for the first time since my reincarnation, I came to understand the cold and cruel reality of life.
‘Should I at least tan before entering the academy…? Since I’m doing it anyway, it might not be bad to dye my hair blond and get some piercings to set myself apart from the game’s Do Gyeon-u…. Maybe that would give me a slightly tougher image. No, if I did that with this face, wouldn’t people just call me a pretty boy?’
It was quite a dilemma.
I stared intently at the mirror, lost in thought.
That was when I heard a voice from downstairs.
“Gyeon-u! Haneul is here! Come down now!”
“Ah, has it already gotten so late? Yes! Just a moment!”
I hadn’t realized how much time had passed while looking in the mirror.
It was already time for Yeon Haneul to come to my house.
I hurriedly buttoned my shirt and grabbed the luggage I had packed the previous night.
Naturally, I didn’t forget to bring the Guncheong Sword either.
“I’m coming down now!”
To take the practical entrance examination for Geumgang Academy,
I was leaving for the Academy City today.
* * *
Academy entrance examinations were generally divided into written and practical tests.
The written examination was held at the metropolitan-city or special-city level, rather than at the academy in the Academy City itself.
This could be considered the Academy City’s consideration for applicants nationwide, so that they wouldn’t have to make the tedious journey to the Academy City and waste time and money.
At least, that was the surface explanation.
‘In reality, it means that if you’re not capable of passing even the written exam, don’t come crowding into the Academy City.’
The Academy City was located in a place where ambient mana and dimensional stability were unreliable.
As a result, gates, dungeons, and monsters appeared frequently, and various other mysterious phenomena occurred as well, making it impossible to guarantee the area’s safety.
Put another way, it was an appropriate place for training outstanding hunters and researching technology.
For that reason, the Academy City did not welcome being opened to outsiders, both to maintain security and to prevent confidential information from leaking out.
The reason the written examination was held outside the Academy City could be understood in that context.
To reduce the number of applicants as much as possible by filtering out those who applied impulsively, swept up in a longing to become hunters without making any preparations,
as well as those who lacked the basic knowledge and fundamental character required of a hunter.
‘After filtering out all those deadweight applicants, they hold the practical examination in the Academy City.’
Naturally, neither Yeon Haneul nor I were among that deadweight.
We had taken the written examination the previous autumn and received notice of our acceptance the previous winter.
Then the year changed, January arrived, and it was time for us to take the practical examination.
That was why we were leaving for the Academy City today.
“Are you sure you’ve packed everything? You’ll be spending two whole weeks in Academy City, so think carefully and make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.”
“I checked everything yesterday. Haneul kept hounding me about it, too, so I went over it several times.”
“When did I ever hound you?”
“And if I did forget something, I can just buy it in Academy City.”
“Whew… All right. Gyeonu, I know you wouldn’t do this, but don’t try to save money just because things are expensive in Academy City. Make sure you use the card your mother gave you.”
“That card is actually my card….”
“It’s not as if your father can’t earn money, you know? The same goes for you, Haneul. The Witch of Seven Colors probably told you this too, but don’t hesitate to spend the sponsorship money just because it isn’t technically yours. You should spend it when you need to. That’s what the money is for.”
“Yes, I will! Thank you.”
My mother followed us all the way to the front of the house and repeatedly urged Yeon Haneul and me to take care of ourselves as we prepared to leave for Academy City.
She looked worried that we were going somewhere far away, beyond her watchful eye.
I flashed her a bright smile to ease her worries.
“It’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry. Don’t you trust me? I can handle myself.”
“I’m saying this because I don’t trust you.”
“….”
My mother replied without hesitation.
I was left speechless by her betrayal.
“You should have shown yourself to be more trustworthy all this time. Put your hand over your heart and think about it.”
“Even if I put my hand over my heart and think about it, I’ve been a filial and good son….”
“That’s what you think.”
“….”
“Whenever I see what you get up to, I can’t relax. Good grief….”
Had I really lost that much credibility?
I shifted my gaze to my father, who was standing behind my mother.
I thought he, at least, would understand me.
My father gave me a bitter smile.
“You should’ve caused fewer incidents.”
“When have I ever caused an incident?”
“The fact that you don’t even realize it is what makes it more aggravating.”
“….”
“Even if I explain it like this, I doubt you’ll understand… Just don’t cause any trouble in Academy City. Don’t make your father, who has to cover for you, suffer.”
I couldn’t believe even my father wasn’t on my side.
“Oppa! I’m going to miss you! You have to bring me something delicious from Academy City, okay!?”
“That’s right, Ye-eun. You’re the best. We don’t need Mom and Dad.”
Still, my little sister Ye-eun was the only one I could count on.
Leaving my parents clicking their tongues behind me, I hugged Ye-eun, who was still in her pajamas.
Ye-eun patted me on the back.
At any rate, I said goodbye to my family.
“Then we’ll be off.”
“All right. Call us when you arrive.”
“If there’s anything you want to eat when you come back, tell us. Haneul, you too. We’ll prepare whatever you want.”
“Yes, we will! Leave Gyeonu to me!”
“Oppa! Unni! Do well on your exams!”
The morning air was chilly.
Yeon Haneul and I turned our backs on our family as the cold air brushed against us.
“We’ll come back after getting accepted for sure.”
“We’ll be back, Mother! Father!”
* * *
Meeting my husband had been fate.
Han Jia had never hesitated to think so.
―Are you all right? Ah….
―Yes, thank you for saving me….
When she was young.
While walking down the street, Han Jia had been caught up in a sudden dimensional distortion and attacked by monsters.
The person who saved her then had been her husband, Do Sangjun.
The two had fallen in love at first sight.
Before either of them knew it, they had grown close, longed for each other, and sworn themselves to one another for eternity.
But love was never smooth sailing.
―What did you do before you got married?
―Pardon? Ah… I was just an accounting clerk at a company….
―Oh my, really? That’s quite unexpected. I thought you’d worked at some bar or something.
―Sister-in-law, what are you saying…?
―So, how does it feel to have moved up in the world by catching a good man? In vulgar terms, are you thrilled? Excited? I wouldn’t know, since I was born into a prestigious family.
―….
―You must feel like Cinderella, don’t you? Honestly, she ought to know her place.
―She looks awfully cheap. What was the youngest brother-in-law thinking, marrying her…? He really must have had no eye for people.
Do Sangjun was a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan.
The Divine Sword Do Clan was one of the ten most influential families in the country and was known as the foremost clan of swordsmanship.
To Han Jia, who had been born into an ordinary family, it was a clan of impossibly lofty status.
After building a family with him and becoming a member of the Divine Sword Do Clan, she found it difficult to adapt to the clan’s atmosphere and was treated with disdain by its members.
Even so, in order to keep Do Sangjun from being placed in a difficult position, she had no choice but to belittle herself endlessly, bow her head, endure, and endure some more.
That had been her mistake.
―Got it, Gyeonu? Don’t fight with your cousins. You have to get along with them, okay?
―Yes, Mom!
Her attitude had ended up affecting Do Gyeonu as well.
When dealing with the members of the clan, Do Gyeonu became overly cautious in both word and deed. He tried to avoid conflict with them, even if it meant suffering humiliation himself.
Just as a sense of hierarchy fundamentally existed in the animal kingdom, it naturally existed—whether people realized it or not—among human beings, rational and social animals that they were.
That was especially true of the Divine Sword Do Clan, which sought to produce outstanding swordsmen through competition between generations.
Thus, Do Gyeonu’s attitude toward the clan members amounted to voluntarily lowering himself in the hierarchy.
Among children, who tended to be governed more by irrationality than reason, that had been extremely fatal.
―He understands ten things from being taught one, and he seems to know instinctively how to wield the Beast King Style.
―Thank you!
Fortunately, Do Gyeonu possessed enough talent to be called a prodigy by the clan head, Do Yeik.
That talent allowed him to walk a tightrope within the clan’s hierarchy.
Then, just as he had stumbled and slipped from the rope, disaster struck.
―S-Seungwoo!
During his first evaluation match.
In the middle of the spar, Do Gyeonu ended up injuring his cousin, Do Seungwoo.
―W-What do I do? He’s bleeding….
―You bastard!
Do Gyeonu panicked badly.
Do Seungwoo did not miss the opening and launched a counterattack.
As a result, Do Gyeonu was beaten black and blue by Do Seungwoo in front of every member of the clan, suffering a humiliating defeat.
At the time, Han Jia had wanted nothing more than to rush into the spar and stop Do Seungwoo.
But she could not interfere in an evaluation match.
All she could do was desperately pray for it to end.
And when the evaluation match was finally over—
―Gyeonu!
―Mom….
―Let me see. What happened to you…?
Han Jia didn’t know what to do when she saw him return with his face covered in tears.
Seeing her son sobbing so miserably brought tears to her own eyes.
That was when Do Seungwoo’s mother came to find her.
―Sister-in-law! Isn’t this going too far!?
―Pardon? What do you mean, ma’am…?
―What if your son’s sword had accidentally cut off Seungwoo’s arm or scarred his face? Tell your child to be more careful from now on! Understand!?
The audacity of blaming others for her own wrongdoing was unbelievable.
Do Gyeonu had cut Do Seungwoo, yes, but the wounds Do Seungwoo had inflicted on Do Gyeonu were no less serious.
It had been a legitimate spar between the two of them. There was no need to determine who was right or wrong.
That was why Han Jia had been swallowing her indignation.
But then Do Seungwoo’s mother had suddenly started saying such things.
Han Jia could only be dumbfounded and angry.
―Sister-in-law, then what about the wounds Seungwoo inflicted on Gyeonu…?
―Are you talking back to me?
But Han Jia could not stand up to her.
Do Seungwoo’s mother wielded a certain amount of influence within the clan, and Han Jia had no idea what kind of retaliation she might face if she recklessly opposed her.
―…I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to speak with him.
―Sister-in-law, you’d better watch yourself!
In the end, Han Jia apologized.
It was humiliating and degrading enough that she had been unable to raise her voice in defense of her child’s injustice. To apologize in front of that child was even worse.
Most of all, she felt terribly sorry for her son.
―Gyeonu, I’m sorry….
―No, it’s okay. Mom, please don’t cry.
Do Gyeonu had been an extraordinarily kindhearted child.
He had grown into exactly the sort of person she and Do Sangjun had hoped he would be—kind, upright, considerate of others, and capable of yielding. As a son, he had forgiven and comforted his pathetic mother.
Han Jia had ended up relying on her son’s kindness.
She should not have done so.
Even if it meant grabbing Do Seungwoo’s mother by the hair and fighting her, Han Jia should not have backed down.
―Why didn’t you tell me?
Because she had shown him such weakness.
Kindhearted as he was, Do Gyeonu had endured in silence even when his cousins bullied him, not wanting to worry her.
When she learned the truth—
Han Jia felt guilty as a mother.
It was her fault that she had made him that way.
And so….
―What about your rude little son? Maybe he’s like you, because every time I see him I feel like hitting him! It’s okay, Gyeonu! You hit him good!
When that child improved his situation on his own and defeated Do Seungwoo, Han Jia faced circumstances similar to those of the past and resolved not to repeat her mistake.
A mother—a parent—was a sword and shield meant to protect her child without asking for any reward.
Even if no one else in the world took the child’s side, the parents had to.
They had to believe in the child, support him, and cheer him on.
That time, regardless of who was right or wrong, Han Jia praised Do Gyeonu’s actions so that his spirit would not be crushed.
She grabbed Do Seungwoo’s mother by the hair and fought back.
Ironically, it was only then that she felt she had truly become a mother.
―I’m thinking of cutting my hair.
She vowed never to forget that feeling.
Even if the entire world turned against Do Gyeonu, she would take his side.
Of course, she believed her son would never truly do anything wrong.
Because her son was kind.
‘Even so… Just looking at that child makes me so anxious.’
Yet she could not shake the thought.
Whenever she saw what Do Gyeonu did, it was nothing short of perilous.
It was a wonder that nothing serious had happened so far.
Parents were naturally worried about their children, but even so, her son was particularly unusual.
In some ways, she worried about him more than the troublemaker Do Ye-eun.
And now that he was going to enter Academy City, beyond the reach of her hands, she couldn’t help but feel anxious.
‘It’s fortunate that Haneul is with him. If I had sent that child to Academy City alone, I would have spent every day worrying.’
Do Gyeonu’s childhood friend, Yeon Haneul.
At least she was by his side, which put Han Jia somewhat at ease.
‘So, Haneul.’
As she watched the children who were about to take their first steps into the wider world, Han Jia smiled gently.
‘Please look after Gyeonu while you’re by his side. I’m counting on you to take care of him.’
* * *
“By the way, there’s something I’ve been wondering about.”
“Yeah? What is it?”
“When did you start calling my mom and dad Mother and Father?”
“…Oh, that? Last time, Mother and Father said they were hurt that even after knowing them for five years, you still called them ma’am and sir so coldly.”
“And then?”
“They said I could think of them as my real parents and call them whatever I wanted, but how could I possibly call them that casually? So we compromised and I decided to call them Mother and Father.”
“Hmm, I see.”
“There’s no other meaning to it, so don’t misunderstand.”
“What kind of misunderstanding?”
“If you don’t know, never mind. More importantly, it’s getting late, so let’s hurry. The twins will be waiting at the station.”
“If we’re late, we’re late. Why should we hurry just because we feel bad making those lackeys wait for us?”
“Um… Then?”
“We have a lot of luggage, so let’s take our time. Let them wait. It’s fine if we’re late.”
“I’ve known you for five years, but you really are carefree.”
“Oh, right.”
“What is it?”
“I was thinking of changing my appearance when I enter High Academy. What do you think?”
“…Do you really need to? What’s gotten into you all of a sudden? Why? Are you planning to pick up girls in Academy City?”
“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re scaring me….”
“Hmph, I don’t know! So how are you planning to change it?”
“First, I’ll dye my hair blonde….”
“Black hair suits you better.”
“I haven’t finished talking yet. Hear me out.”
“Good grief…. And?”
“I’ll get piercings and tan my skin….”
“Gyeonu.”
“Yeah.”
“What if I dyed my hair blond, wore clothes that showed my cleavage and a lot of my legs, got piercings in my navel and all over the place, put on some strange tattoos, and even tanned my skin? Do you think it would suit me?”
“No, I absolutely don’t think it would suit you. You’re not actually planning to do that, are you?”
“That’s what I want to say to you.”
“…”
“I don’t know why you’re acting like this, but you’re perfect just the way you are now. And what would your mother think?”
“…Do you think she’d hate it?”
“Wouldn’t she kick you out of the house?”
“…”
“Just stay as you are. Don’t try to change yourself for no reason. You’re terrible at dressing yourself up, so just listen to me.”
“Phew… Fine. I’ll just live like this.”
“Good choice.”
And so, chatting away in low voices,
we ventured out into the world.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss