Reunion with the Heroine
The stupid woman. The girl brushed back her flowing platinum hair and stared at him intently. The complex, poignant emotions in her eyes felt all too real.
...I wasn't particularly trying to hide it.
The owner of this shitty body, Choi Siwoo, and Erina knew each other. From the same hometown, huh. If that was their only connection, it wouldn't be anything special. But from what he'd heard, they had been quite close. She'd told him bits and pieces when they were alone in his previous life, so it had to be true.
...This is sudden.
Running into her without any mental preparation was truly disorienting. But thinking a bit more, he realized it wasn't that surprising.
It's right around this time.
This was when she had been scouring everywhere to find him. Whether sooner or later, meeting was inevitable.
He looked at her again. She seemed unchanged from twenty years ago, but her youthful, childish face made him hesitate for a moment. Realizing that only fueled his anger at himself.
...Get it together, Choi Siwoo.
How the hell did you end up like this? How many people died pointless deaths because of that bitch in front of you, and you're already forgetting?
He reminded himself of his hatred for her. The deaths of his comrades who had called him captain and followed him loyally crept up his shoulders.
▶ Master. This is turning into killing intent.
...I know.
He turned away, intending to leave it at that. But as expected, she grabbed him.
"Wait, Siwoo. What the hell was that about?"
"What're you talking about, popping up out of nowhere?"
"...I saw the fight just now. Even if they started it, that was way over the line. And smoking something as harmful as cigarettes? What the hell happened while we were apart?"
A ridiculous laugh escaped him. What, should he have just stood there and taken it?
He realized anew. This is the kind of woman she is.
The type to spout moralistic crap until it made your skin crawl. The kind who threw everything away for immediate sacrifices and injustices rather than grand causes, progress, or duty. A hero wielding a holy sword to vanquish evil, yet so kind and idiotic. That was Erina Yulis, the protagonist of this world.
"So what, I should've let them beat me senseless and take everything?"
"You know that's not what I mean. You could've run away without violence, or called the cops. Hell, even asked bystanders for help. The Siwoo I know would've done that."
He was momentarily speechless. How flowery did her head have to be to say shit like that?
No, wait... she wouldn't get it.
From what he gathered, the original Choi Siwoo had been a pathetic loser surrounded by women, crying in skirts. He shook off her hand with a sigh.
"Don't be a pain in the ass. I can handle my own shit."
"S-Siwoo, wait! Where are you staying? You got living expenses?"
"I make enough not to need handouts from you, so butt out."
"Come stay with me until enrollment. I just rented a place nearby."
A chuckle slipped out at the idea of her inviting a grown man over. Facing her, he saw desperation in her expression. Back then, he hadn't understood. Why she kept fussing over him. What that occasional look meant. They were just childhood friends at best, but she clung too hard for that.
Now he knew. It wasn't sweet affection or love—it was bitter guilt.
Even her clinging was for atonement, huh.
She really was an unpleasant woman. He felt it again.
"Cut the bullshit. You think the Yulis family would let that slide? You'd get expelled before classes even start."
"That's... but..."
"Think about our positions. This ain't the days of playing in the dirt back home. I'm a lowly cadet, you're the Hero. Worry about powering up instead of me."
"......"
As he turned away from her bowed head—
"Th-then at least take this."
"...?"
Erina pulled a small box from the pouch at her waist. A clear, pure energy leaked from the seams. He instinctively knew.
Elixir. A top-grade one, judging by the aura.
Erina noticed his stare and pushed the box forward.
"It's a prototype from Olympus Pharma. The Yulis family sponsored it."
"...That shit's worth tens of millions, and you're giving it to me?"
"Yeah. You need it more than I do."
"......"
No hidden meaning there. Just her pure, surface-level logic: it'd help him more.
"Nah. You think I'm some beggar? I don't just take handouts."
He waved it off, refusing—
"...Siwoo?"
"What."
"...You already took it?"
"?!"
The box was suddenly in his grip. Damn, my greed sensor... He'd clutched it so hard his fingerprints were imprinted on it.
▶...Master. Pathetic.
Ahem, couldn't help it.
He couldn't resist an elixir. Embarrassed, he cleared his throat, soothing his flushed face internally before speaking.
"Whatever, thanks. I'll put it to good use."
"!"
Erina's eyes widened like a rabbit's.
"Siwoo... thanked me..."
"? What'd you say? Didn't hear."
"N-nothing!"
An awkward silence lingered. Feeling the cringe, he took the initiative since they couldn't stand there forever.
"Anyway, I'm out. Good luck on your exam."
"Y-yeah... you too, Siwoo."
He brushed past without looking back, feeling her stare on his nape as he hit the roadside.
Whew, kicked off the regression with quite the ceremony.
His leisurely plan to smoke and maybe pour kimchi juice into his soup vanished.
Mouth's all dried up...
▶...Master. No plans to shake off your hatred for Erina?
What kinda nonsense question is that? Who do you think got Ohana, Song Junho, and the rest killed like dogs?
▶...That wasn't entirely Erina's fault, was it?
She had the biggest impact, that's a fact.
▶......
He recalled his first encounter with her in his previous life. Honestly, he'd been thrilled at first. The protagonist of the original story, a beauty like that, fussing over him? Plus, he figured he could tag along, follow the plot, and snag some scraps.
Naive.
Novels and reality differed. She was the Hero, heir to the mighty Yulis family by setting. A nobody like him, with no status or power, didn't belong by her side.
And it wasn't just him—throughout school, he'd faced endless headaches because of it.
Just for being close to Erina, I went through every shitty thing imaginable.
Open bullying, beatings disguised as sparring. He'd been hit everywhere at least once.
But begging a younger girl for help? Pride wouldn't allow it, even if he died.
Eventually, after a year, they naturally drifted apart. Partly fear of being exposed: that he wasn't the real Choi Siwoo, just some stranger soul-possessed; the original childhood friend boy no longer existed.
She looks so naive, but she's a Hero—sharp instincts.
If it'd ended vaguely like that, it'd just be a painful memory. He wouldn't hate her this much.
At least... if she'd made decisions for those fighting alongside her, it might've been different.
Ten years from now. The sealed Six Demonic Heavenly Calamities fully unleashed, the Demon God descends to drag the world to nothingness. Countless died; even powerful Awakeners and groups were swept into mountains of corpses and seas of blood for years.
As humanity's extinction loomed, forces naturally rallied around Hero Erina.
Simple reason. By the author's setting, only the Hero and holy sword could sever the Demon God's lifeline.
Her judgments shaped their future. But with her personality? Could she decide right?
No chance.
To protect powerless civilians, she threw comrades into the meat grinder. Protecting wasn't bad. It was her inability to prioritize, repeating mistakes, that sickened him. Most of his old buddies died pointless deaths then.
"......"
He shook his head, clearing stray thoughts.
It's different now.
With past-life experience and regression's miracle, he wouldn't let that future repeat. No more relying on that snot-nosed girl unworthy of "Hero."
▶...Saying that after already taking the elixir?
Tch, you gotta let some things slide.
Anyway, priority one: regain his past-life prowess.
Further, ultimately crush No-Face and the Demon God's skulls.
Seven days until Prunel Academy enrollment. No second to waste.
Kay. Search nearby training halls. Price no object—latest facilities. Must have virtual sim combat gear.
▶Understood. Command received. Search complete. Guiding now.
He followed the blue arrow appearing before his eyes. And so, seven days passed, bringing the long-awaited entrance ceremony.