Chapter 59
Chapter 59
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Each One's Miracle
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"……."
"……."
The dark room was lit only by the blue glow of the monitor.
Kim Deokgu and Maria sat facing each other.
The police commotion had thankfully been resolved without issue, but now that they were alone, a heavy silence settled between them.
A scream blared from the speakers.
Deokgu's game character was under attack.
Startled, Deokgu rushed to the computer and plopped down in his chair.
"W-wait a sec. Kuheup! Hold on. I, I can't die here."
"Ah, sure!"
Tap tap tap.
Maria peeked at the screen curiously.
Her church roommate often watched videos on her phone and played games too, so it wasn't hard to figure out what was going on.
She even widened her eyes and grinned.
"You're using a sword here too! As expected of Holy Knight Ducarion!"
"Ku, kuheup! N-no—! I, I picked knight because it's the best value and efficiency-wise."
"Wow! Over there! That thing! It's a magic beast!"
"Ku, kuheup! Monster."
Maria stuck right by his side, offering tips. Flustered, Kim Deokgu cautiously made a request.
"Kuheup! B-back off a bit."
"S-sorry!"
Only after Maria took a few steps back did Deokgu finally relax and focus on the game.
But Maria glanced around and asked,
"Um... could I maybe clean up a little while you finish your game? It looks a bit messy—."
"Don't."
"Huh?"
"D-don't. Kuheup. This is how I live."
"B-but living like this will make you sick. You used to care a lot about cleaning—."
Tap!
A sharp burst of keyboard clacks.
Deokgu abandoned the game and strode over, looming down at her.
"I'm Kim Deokgu."
"……."
"Not Ducarion. Kim Deokgu."
"But—!"
"Everything's different!"
He shouted as if thrashing about.
It was a message to Maria—and to himself.
"Kim Deokgu lives like this. Ku, kuheup! No body care, no cleaning, no work. Just a game addict who only cares about himself."
This was his armor.
The "Kim Deokgu" armor he wore as Holy Knight Ducarion.
His final act of resistance to protect himself.
"Kuheup! So just stop and leave."
"Sir Ducarion! Please. Arhelac right now—."
"If I'd planned to listen to begging like that, I wouldn't have hidden away in the first place."
"……!"
"Ku, kuheup. Please go."
With that, Kim Deokgu returned to his computer.
Maria stared at his round back, signaling no more conversation, tears streaming down her face.
The Ducarion she knew was gone.
The hero she'd idolized and quietly loved since childhood.
Unable to watch his downfall any longer, Maria fled the room like she was escaping.
Bam!
The door slammed shut, bringing back the silence.
Deokgu's fingers slowed to a halt on the keyboard.
'I'm gonna be a Holy Knight? Come on, dude. Just hang with me. We should be playing around at our age!'
'Vulkar! Don't fill Duke's head with weird ideas!'
'Ugh, seriously. They say the 3rd Floor's packed with all kinds of fun stuff—.'
'You got money to go play?'
"Kuheup! Kuheup!"
His trembling hands fumbled for his headset. The soft embrace over both ears brought comfort.
Prism's final new song from their goodbye concert, End of the Smile, began to play.
Listening to Seo Hajin and the others' voices, Kim Deokgu closed his eyes, trying to calm himself.
That night.
Bang bang bang bang bang!
Rough knocking made him flinch awake.
He'd come home from Meracle, cracked open a beer, and was flipping through movie channels when this unexpected visitor showed up.
"……."
He quietly turned off the TV.
He knew exactly who it was.
"I heard the TV shut off! Open this door!"
"Ah, shit."
What the hell?
Did she bug the house or something?
With a sigh, he opened the door. His elderly elf neighbor stood there with a sullen expression.
"Why pretend to be asleep when you knew this lady had come?"
"Should I say it nicely? Or honestly?"
"……I'm old. Harsh words hurt my heart."
"Then I won't say anything."
No matter how he put it, it'd come off harsh anyway.
She might even demand medical bills later for her "heartache."
"So, what's up?"
"A drunkard's invaded my place right now."
"Pardon?"
She grabbed his collar and yanked him toward her apartment.
To his surprise, there was Maria—the one who'd gone searching for Ducarion—curled up sobbing, clutching a bottle of booze.
"Waaah! Idiot! Ducarion's an idiot!"
"……."
"Waaaaaah!"
He glanced at Reneah, who looked like she might burst into tears herself.
"H-help me, boss. She's taken over my house."
Ah, headache.
Running a marriage agency meant dealing with problem clients often. Some days, it felt like certain people existed just to test that.
But why did work follow him home?
"Maria. Hey, Maria."
"Waaaaah!"
No getting through to her.
"Ahem."
"Boss?"
He took a subtle step back, and Reneah's eyes snapped to him.
Then she bolted to his place first, yelling like she'd struck gold.
"Th-this lady could solve it by taking over a house too!"
"Hey—!"
In the end, he agreed to let Reneah crash at his place for just one night. Any longer, and he'd be the one evicted from his own home.
The dim room.
No bed in the house, so he slept on a futon on the floor.
Reneah lay on the small sofa.
"Boss."
"What."
"Don't pounce on this lady."
"Don't worry. I don't wanna get hooked by a 1,902-year-old either."
"……."
She huffed and kicked at her blanket.
Once the rustling quieted, she called out again.
"Boss."
"What now."
Don't old people usually fall asleep early?
"I'm thinking of heading to the 4th Floor tomorrow."
"……?"
An unexpected statement.
Caught off guard, he stayed silent, and Reneah continued.
"The church probably won't find a Holy Knight easily either. Most died in the inter-floor war, and the survivors hold high positions."
"If the demon revives, the whole continent falls into chaos. Even without you, another Holy Knight could—."
"It'd be nice if another person's holy power could restore the seal, but that's impossible."
"……."
"Maria didn't come to Seo Hajin for no reason."
Right.
Maria had said it from the start.
'Holy power just like Ducarion's.'
She hadn't sought out just any Holy Knight, or come to the 3rd Floor for an idol without cause.
"They're likely preparing for war assuming the demon's seal is broken. Blood will flow freely."
"……."
"This lady will go fix it. Even if the surroundings crumble, it's a cheap price compared to lives."
True enough.
So he didn't reply.
"Anyway, that's the plan. Hire me full-time if I get fired from the convenience store."
Reneah rolled over, turning her back.
Even breaths brought quiet.
Finally, time to sleep.
He relaxed and mulled over their talk.
"You don't wanna go, do you?"
He looked up at her.
Like tossing a stone into a still lake.
A small act, but the room's atmosphere shifted.
"Wh-what are you saying?"
"You don't want to go."
Reneah looked his way in panic, pulling the blanket to her chin. But her expression was clear even in the dark.
"Why wouldn't this lady want to? Back home, I just loose an arrow—."
"That's exactly what you hate."
Staring straight, her excuses trailed off.
Too familiar, always together lately—he'd forgotten.
Why she worked at the convenience store.
Why she didn't hunt despite her skills.
"It's just... on the Rajesta Continent, when this lady shoots an arrow—."
She thought she needed to explain but mumbled and fidgeted under the blanket.
"No need to explain."
"……."
"You're my client and employee, right?"
So just answer.
"You don't want to go?"
To his question,
Reneah bowed her head and whispered,
"Yeah."
That was enough.
"Got it. I'll handle it."
"C-can you? That Holy Knight seems like he won't budge no matter what."
"Yeah. Right now."
In the end, it always came back to this.
He wasn't the general's son racing across the snowfields anymore.
Nor the top trainee dashing through Hunter Academy.
Just a marriage agency president.
So he'd solve it like one.
"Miraculous encounters. That's our motto."
He smiled lightly, telling her not to worry. Reneah, who'd been staring, replied so faintly it was barely audible.
"Thank you."
"Ku, kuheup."
Walking down the street, Kim Deokgu checked his face in the reflection of a tinted car window.
Clothes bought on sale.
A scarf wrapped awkwardly around his neck, hair tied up clumsily. Stubble sprouting over his thick double chin.
He'd shaved this morning, but it was already growing back.
'Should I turn back?'
He wavered several times, but still strode forward.
He'd arrived at a café.
A place he had no reason to visit normally. The reason Kim Deokgu was here was a message from Meracle.
As compensation for leaking his home address without permission, the Meracle president offered one free matching session.
He'd planned to argue—what good was a free match for a non-member?
But since he'd come this far, it played right into the guy's hands.
"Kuheup, ku, kuheup."
His breath came short from nerves.
Or was it the double chin?
Anyway, Deokgu entered with heavy thuds. People glanced at his massive frame and averted their eyes.
Deokgu scanned around impatiently and quickly spotted his appointment.
In the corner of the café.
A woman in a hat sipping coffee alone.
Just days ago, an idol.
Now, a dreamer pondering her next step.
Seo Hajin was waiting.
His heart pounded.
Just as the marriage agency president had said.
'We'll find your miracle.'
His miracle sat right before him, so Kim Deokgu approached carefully and took a seat.
"Ku, kuheup. Hello. I-I'm Kim Deokgu."
At his greeting, Seo Hajin beamed and nodded.
"We've met at fansigns a lot, right?"
She remembered him!