Agapanthus
Agapanthus
After that day.
Whenever the sun began to set, Neriel would slip into the house and look after Lee Ha-yul without his knowledge.
'Please, just eat something...'
Because Lee Ha-yul was so utterly neglectful of his own body.
Left alone, he would skip meals as naturally as breathing. Had he not been a spirit body, he would have starved to death long ago.
This was the reason the stockpile of canned goods and milk in Neriel's house kept growing.
So she would trespass in the dead of night, tend to his mind and body with word commands, and press a baby bottle to his lips to feed him.
...After a brief hesitation, she would hold Lee Ha-yul in her arms to lull him to sleep, then dash away the moment he showed any sign of waking.
Coming and going, she would also check the refrigerator for spoiled food and inspect the barrier she had laid over the house.
All of it, the work of the nighttime.
When morning came, she would become a companion for the bored Lee Ha-yul through the messenger program.
It was a schedule of caring for Lee Ha-yul around the clock. The strain piled onto the frail body of her Incarnation, but Neriel's devotion did begin to show results.
[Username: No. 1 Shut-In Idiot▷Lee Ha-yul]
▶Lee Ha-yul: Knock knock
▶Lee Ha-yul: (photo of omurice)
▶Lee Ha-yul: I tried making it at home
▶Lee Ha-yul: Looks tasty, right?
Lee Ha-yul's exhausted spirit had begun to brighten, little by little.
As if to demonstrate, his self-deprecating username had changed. Now he even sent photos of food he had cooked himself, like this one.
▶Me: You made that really well
▶Me: It looks delicious
▶Lee Ha-yul: (photo of omurice with a bite taken)
▶Me: You're eating alone?
▶Lee Ha-yul: (emoticon of a puppy wolfing down food and chewing)
▶Lee Ha-yul: Nom nom nom
▶Me: You little cheat
▶Lee Ha-yul: (emoticon of a puppy sticking its tongue out)
A soft laugh escaped her at the colorful emoticon replies.
Compared to the precarious atmosphere of the past, it was an immensely positive change.
▶Lee Ha-yul: Kkonnim
▶Lee Ha-yul: Kkot-ni-mu
▶Lee Ha-yul: Kkot-ni-mu-mu-mu
▶Me: ...(typing)
He had finished eating and was starting a conversation.
Neriel's face, about to reply immediately, briefly clouded with uncertainty.
Kkonnim. Was that flowery title really meant for her?
Her face felt as if it were burning up with embarrassment.
Likening a beautiful being to a flower was common, but she could not remain composed when she was the subject.
Her fumbling fingers slowly typed out a reply.
▶Me: It's not Kkonnim, it's Agapanthus, I told you.
▶Lee Ha-yul: Agapanthus is way too long
▶Lee Ha-yul: So it's Kkonnim
▶Me: (exasperated emoticon)
▶Lee Ha-yul: Kkot-ni-mu-mu-mu-mu
It seemed he had really taken a liking to the nickname 'Kkonnim.' Fanning her flushed face with her hand, a helpless Neriel answered.
▶Me: What? Finished eating?
▶Lee Ha-yul: Yepyepyep
▶Lee Ha-yul: Look at this
▶Lee Ha-yul: (photo)[Hidden]
"......"
Why send it hidden?
Neriel checked the content without much thought, and her mouth closed.
What he sent was a photograph.
Unlike before, the desk was tidy. A vase had been placed to one side.
And in that vase, of course, were flowers.
Clusters of pale violet blossoms bloomed at the ends of slender stems. The funnel-like shape was familiar.
▶Lee Ha-yul: (photo of Agapanthus in a vase)
▶Lee Ha-yul: Ta-da
It was Agapanthus. Though the number of varieties might differ, this world had Agapanthus, too.
▶Lee Ha-yul: I got curious when I saw the nickname Kkonnim and looked it up, and I got one
▶Lee Ha-yul: I saw that not all Agapanthus are the same and the petal colors are different, so I ordered the first one I saw
▶Lee Ha-yul: I don't really know how to grow flowers
▶Lee Ha-yul: So I'm going to try growing just this one for now, and if it goes well, I'll try growing more
- Hehehe
Though they were not face to face, it was easy to imagine Lee Ha-yul's faintly smiling face.
Neriel stared blankly at the photo.
It was a familiar flower, yet the sensation that made her heart flutter was unfamiliar.
Her fingers, having lost their way, twisted together. This confusion was of a different order from before.
▶Me: It's pretty
Managing to send the reply, Neriel belatedly flinched, her shoulders trembling.
The reply seemed far too lacking in sincerity. As she hurriedly tried to leave a more proper impression, Lee Ha-yul spoke first.
▶Lee Ha-yul: Right
▶Lee Ha-yul: Agapanthus is pretty
▶Me: Huh?
▶Me: Uh
▶Me: What's that supposed to mean
▶Me: You don't know what I look like
▶Lee Ha-yul: I meant the flower
'Ah.'
- Thud!
Neriel's mouth fell open and she dropped her head onto the desk.
.
.
.
After that day.
Lee Ha-yul began growing flowers at home.
It started as a gardening hobby with a single small vase, but as time passed, vases and pots multiplied throughout the house, one by one.
By now, the veranda was neatly filled with flowerpots.
▶Lee Ha-yul: (photo of blue-petaled Agapanthus)
▶Lee Ha-yul: Tada-dum
▶Lee Ha-yul: The blue one is growing well too
All the flowers were Agapanthus. She knew this because he sent regular updates, even though she no longer needed to stop by the house.
Neriel's expression grew complicated at yet another Agapanthus photo posted today.
▶Me: You've taken good care of it, it's pretty
▶Me: Is it getting enough sunlight?
▶Lee Ha-yul: Ungungungung
▶Lee Ha-yul: Is Kkonnim getting plenty of sunlight too?
▶Me: I'm not a flower, you idiot
▶Lee Ha-yul: Gasp
▶Lee Ha-yul: (emoticon of a shocked puppy collapsing limply)
▶Lee Ha-yul: I'm going to go water the Kkonnims
▶Me: Hey
With those words, the replies ceased.
Letting out a hollow laugh, Neriel leaned back into her chair and covered her mouth with her hand.
"...Kgh, cough cough..."
Soon, her shoulders shook as a dry cough she had been suppressing burst out.
Neriel looked down at her palm and frowned.
Her vision was blurry. Even so, she could see the blood that coated her palm thickly. Droplets trickled down her forearm.
The blood seeped into the cracks that split her skin like a drought-stricken paddy field.
'It's about time.'
The lifespan of the Incarnation was reaching its limit.
In truth, it had passed its limit long ago.
From the very beginning, she had consumed far too much power through this clumsily woven Incarnation.
Now, she was unable even to move freely and could not leave her chair. She could not look after Lee Ha-yul in the night.
'Even so, he's doing much better now...'
Fortunately, the current Lee Ha-yul was leading a normal life.
He still never went outside, but he ate three square meals a day and slept deeply at regular hours.
His lost legs had also regenerated during the night, triggered by the word commands she had stockpiled over a long period.
Lately, he whined about his sleeping arrangements being unsatisfactory, but the fact that he could sleep without Neriel's help was a blessing.
"Hoo..."
That task, too, was now over.
Exhaling with difficulty, Neriel gazed out the dark window before turning back to the monitor.
▶Lee Ha-yul: (Savior 12th Iteration completion log)
▶Lee Ha-yul: aodfpajdapodm
▶Lee Ha-yul: qweqwerqwerzxczvxcv
▶Me: The 12th one is finished too
▶Me: But what the hell is that human kill count
▶Lee Ha-yul: Gwaaaaaah
▶Me: You've lost the power of language, I see.
Savior.
A bundle of information from that other world, perceived as a game here.
'I don't know what those iteration markers mean...'
This Incarnation's connection to her true body was too faint to share thoughts.
The data must have been revised after she dispatched the Incarnation. Such a game was not part of the original plan, after all.
From the look of it, Lee Ha-yul seemed to be experiencing the process of directly growing his physical body.
'The direction did get a bit twisted starting from the 9th...'
Neriel's face paled as she recalled the completion logs Lee Ha-yul had sent.
No matter that it was a game, they were possibilities that could be fully realized.
'Hoo...'
Neriel quietly checked the time and pulled herself up.
Vitality energy leaked through her cracked skin, but she paid it no mind and moved her legs.
Her destination was the place she always went: Lee Ha-yul's home.
.
.
.
She habitually opened the door and entered through the front hall.
Just as she was about to pass the living room, her legs stopped at the sight of the flowers blooming profusely beyond the glass door.
White, pale violet, deep purple, blue, yellow, and more.
All varieties of Agapanthus bloomed freshly in their pots.
Even without a close inspection, it was clear how diligently the owner had cared for them.
"......."
She wanted to stay and admire them forever, but she had little time left.
Neriel entered the inner room where the bed was.
- ...Creeak...
A faint vanilla fragrance filled the room. It was a diffuser Neriel had made and secretly swapped with a commercial product.
"Zzz..."
Lee Ha-yul did not wake, even at the sound of the door, or at her footsteps thudding in.
Though Lee Ha-yul was sharp of sense and a light sleeper, he did not react heavily to certain presences.
A familiar and trusted existence.
Even though Lee Ha-yul didn't even know Neriel existed.
He had grown so accustomed to Neriel's embrace and touch that his instincts trusted her.
First, Neriel approached the desk and tapped the keyboard.
Soon, light filled the black screen. Neriel checked the content of the Savior game on the monitor.
Lee Ha-yul was currently on standby for summoning. At the point where the connection grew stronger, the outer world Tower Masters who had designated him would have placed their curses.
Savior would recognize those curses and then suggest the closest matching curses to Lee Ha-yul.
The Tower Masters, bound by dense constraints, could not divulge information directly in the early stages, so this indirect method was the only way.
[ Creating Character (13th Iteration) ]
[ Player: Lee Ha-yul ]
▶Constraint(Ⅰ): 「Curse of Sensory Sealing」
▶Constraint(Ⅱ): 「Curse of Short Life」
▶Constraint(Ⅲ): 「Curse of Silence」
▷Ability(Ⅰ): 「Spatial Perception」
▷Ability(Ⅱ): 「Mana Affinity」
▷Ability(Ⅲ): 「All-Rounder」
'...Three curses?'
Neriel frowned.
AbilityⅠ was a combined notation of the restricted Authorities of Space and Observation.
AbilityⅡ was the Innate Talent held by Lee Ha-yul's soul, as grasped by Neriel's Incarnation.
AbilityⅢ was... probably the Innate Talent held by Lee Ha-yul's physical body, as grasped by the Tower Master of Observation.
The problem was the curses.
Curse Ⅱ. It was likely the one chosen to match, as closely as possible, the curse Lee Ha-yul's physical body was born with.
Meaning, CurseⅠ and CurseⅢ were the ones placed by the Tower Masters...
One was missing.
It meant one of the three Tower Masters had not placed a curse.
'I don't know why, but it's no harm.'
Even if it were a harm, the Incarnation had no leisure to worry about it right now.
"Zzz..."
"......."
Neriel held her breath and looked down at Lee Ha-yul.
Compared to the past, his complexion had improved greatly. His skin was smooth and glowing with a milky flush, and the shadows under his eyes had nearly vanished.
It was thanks to Lee Ha-yul recently taking care of his own meals, as well as the milk Neriel had been feeding him, which was packed with nutrients.
'...No.'
In truth, she knew the main reason was different.
Lee Ha-yul was a Spirit Body. More than a superhuman, his mental state and mindset were projected blatantly onto his appearance.
No matter how well you fed him, if his heart festered, the projected physical body would fester too.
The improvement in Lee Ha-yul's appearance meant that the wounds on his mind and heart were being covered over.
Neriel.
Was forcing such a Lee Ha-yul back onto the battlefield.
- Grind...
She clenched her teeth. She suppressed the sound as much as possible, but she could not stop her body from trembling.
With a shaking hand, Neriel brushed back Lee Ha-yul's bangs.
"...I pray you..."
A memory flickered past. From their utterly pathetic and foolish first meeting, to the days where she had, in her own way, done her best to care for Lee Ha-yul.
▶No. 1 Shut-In Idiot: Yes, Agapanthus
▶No. 1 Shut-In Idiot: Yep, Agapanthus
▶Lee Ha-yul: Kkonnim?
"May you realize the truth, and justly punish me..."
She had weighed the greater cause and pushed sacrifice onto him, so she would have to pay the price befitting that.
Murmuring bitterly, Neriel knelt and pressed her lips to Lee Ha-yul's forehead.
- A soft kiss sound
『I dare only wish, may you be happy for all eternity』
An abstract feeling was laden into language.
The Incarnation crumbled away. The mana and vitality energy that comprised the Incarnation became imbued with the word command, and most of it seeped into Lee Ha-yul.
- Whooosh...
Soon, Lee Ha-yul, enveloped in light, also vanished from sight.
The remnants of the word command that could not be fully contained wandered the surroundings before dispersing finely and soaking into every corner of the house.
The word command passed through the bedroom door and the glass door to reach the veranda.
It settled upon the petals of the profusely blooming Agapanthus.
- Woooong...
The Agapanthus flowers, infused with vitality energy, shimmered brightly.
* * *
In the now empty room, left vacant by the departure of both.
Two people watched this scene, having appeared like hazy ghosts.
"Ehehe..."
"......."
Lee Ha-yul grinned foolishly. As Neriel lowered her head, hiding her face flushed bright red, Lee Ha-yul slipped right into her arms.
It was a comfortable and familiar posture for them both.
"Kkonnim, I'm so happy to see you again."
Lee Ha-yul, who had been pressing his face firmly into her chest, lifted his head.
As Neriel, quietly suppressing her shame, glanced down through her fingers, she indeed saw a smile of pure, world-encompassing happiness.
Who could have imagined it? At the very least, the Incarnation she had just witnessed could never have dreamed of such an outcome.
Far beyond the Tower Masters' expectations, Lee Ha-yul was dizzyingly outstanding, far purer and kinder, and a child who clung to affection.
"...I am relieved."
In the end, Neriel smiled and gently embraced the Lee Ha-yul who had burrowed into her arms.
Agapanthus comes from the combination of agape (love) and anthos (flower), and is commonly considered a flower of love.
One of its flower meanings is the visitation of love.