Chapter 84
Chapter 84
Park Na-yeon - 5
****
When Tae-jin fainted, Na-yeon was in disbelief.
She didn’t know exactly why he had fainted, but all the strange feelings she'd had about him coalesced, forming a faint but growing conviction.
And trailing behind that conviction was a surge of hope.
A smile crept onto her face unconsciously.
As she watched Tae-jin collapse, her eyes widened in shock, but the corners of her lips curved upwards.
It was an expression of shock and joy, a whirlwind of emotions that no portrait, no matter how skillfully painted, could ever capture.
She quickly composed herself and helped lay Tae-jin on the hospital bed.
‘Could he… Could he really be Elroden…?’
Na-yeon stared at Tae-jin, the question echoing in her mind.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl.
She kept glancing at the clock, the slow movement of the hands mocking her impatience.
‘How could this be…?’
Until Tae-jin woke up and spoke, she couldn’t be certain.
All she had to go on were her instincts and intuition.
Which told her that Han Tae-jin was Elroden.
-Tap, tap, tap, tap.
Na-yeon sat beside the bed, nervously bouncing her leg.
She never fidgeted like this.
Her parents had drilled it into her as a child—“Shaking your leg brings bad luck!”—and she had long since broken the habit.
But now, in her extreme anxiety, it had returned.
She couldn't help it.
This moment was more crucial to her than any other she had experienced.
Not even her first S-rank dungeon raid, the time she was trapped and facing death, or not even when she met a man with mana flow almost identical to Elroden's had made her this nervous.
That’s how strong her conviction about Tae-jin was.
And how much it was tormenting her.
‘Please, please wake up.’
She prayed to gods she had never believed in, vowing to dedicate her life to him if he truly was Elroden.
But three hours passed, the time the doctor had estimated, and Tae-jin still hadn't woken up.
Na-yeon’s leg bounced so fast it looked like it could hit 200 shakes a minute, her eyes filled with anxiety.
She hadn’t even taken a sip of water, just waiting.
Then, she noticed Renia.
Sitting across from her, stroking Tae-jin’s hair.
A strange feeling of jealousy(?) washed over her.
Of course, Na-yeon still dismissed it as mere curiosity.
“…Renia? May I ask you something?”
And that curiosity manifested as a question directed at Renia.
“Well… It seems like your relationship goes beyond that of a bodyguard and employer.”
But as the questions continued, Na-yeon became increasingly confused about her own feelings towards Renia.
Curiosity?
Concern?
Interest?
Jealousy?
Discomfort?
Driven by these undefined emotions, she continued her questioning.
“Oh… No particular reason. You just seem quite close.”
And as she questioned Renia, some of those fragmented feelings started to become clearer.
“…Is that so? But isn’t it a basic rule for bodyguards to avoid personal attachments with their clients? That's what I've always heard.”
As the fragments coalesced, a strange sense of wariness emerged.
It wasn’t the wariness of a master, but of a woman.
It was strange.
She had never felt wary of another woman before, and Tae-jin wasn't even awake yet, but her emotions were in turmoil.
What if Tae-jin wasn't Elroden?
“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m just… curious.”
But her emotions, once stirred, wouldn't settle down, and intertwined with the anxiety and tension of waiting for Tae-jin to wake up, they finally led her to ask the irreversible question.
“…Are you two… dating?”
And with that single question, Na-yeon identified one of the many fragmented feelings within her.
[Jealousy.]
A childish, almost petty jealousy.
If Renia and Tae-jin were in a serious relationship, she wouldn't interfere.
She had desperately searched for Elroden to share the memories and experiences they’d had together, but just as her love was precious, so was theirs.
If Elroden had safely returned to Earth, and her long search hadn’t been in vain, she could bury her feelings and cherish the memories.
"....”
A sudden silence fell.
Na-yeon realized she had spoken without thinking, driven by her emotions, and she was about to apologize to Renia.
She had been incredibly rude, especially since she wasn't even sure if Tae-jin was Elroden.
So,
“I’m s…”
She started to apologize, but Renia spoke first.
“W-why do you ask?”
A counter-question that implied they weren’t in a relationship.
Na-yeon closed her mouth, swallowing her apology.
“Well, as his master, it would put my mind at ease to know that my student has a strong and reliable partner like you.”
Instead, she forced out words she didn’t mean.
And she waited.
For Tae-jin to wake up.
The man who had risked his life for her countless times, the dependable man she could always rely on, the man who had comforted her in her loneliness.
And,
The only man she had ever loved, Elroden.
Na-yeon waited, her lip caught between her teeth.
She was so nervous she forgot to blink, forgot to breathe.
If Tae-jin hadn’t fainted because of a memory conflict related to Elroden, she would be devastated, perhaps even lose her purpose in life.
This moment was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
And finally,
“Ugh…”
A groan escaped Tae-jin’s lips, and Na-yeon’s heart leaped.
Even before hearing anything from him, tears welled up in her eyes, and her legs trembled so much she could barely stand.
“…I fainted again…”
Tae-jin mumbled, staring blankly at the ceiling.
‘Please… please…’
Na-yeon covered her mouth with both hands, desperately trying to suppress a cry.
She no longer saw him as her student.
And she hoped Tae-jin no longer saw her as his master.
She longed for the warm gaze he had given her in Pangaea, not the respectful gaze of a student, but the gaze of a man looking at a woman, the gaze she remembered.
Tae-jin sat up.
Her heart skipped a beat with each breath he took, each movement he made.
And finally, when his gaze met hers,
Na-yeon’s breath caught in her throat.
“I remember.”
It was the same gaze Elroden had given her every day in Pangaea.
A warm, affectionate gaze.
And with that gaze, Tae-jin said he remembered.
That the memories of those days had returned.
That he was the Elroden she had been desperately searching for.
Tears streamed down Na-yeon’s face.
She didn’t care if it was uncharacteristic, if it was too much.
The frustration of fragmented memories, the agony of her fruitless search, the sorrow of his fading image… It all flashed before her eyes.
Six years had passed since their return to Earth.
For six long years, she’d poured her heart and soul into finding him, keeping a part of her heart reserved just for him.
But the endless search, the repeated failures, the overwhelming despair had slowly worn her down.
It had been a difficult, lonely battle.
The foolish thought that she might never find him, that her search was futile, had threatened to break her spirit, but she hadn't given up.
Because she had promised.
They had linked pinkies and promised to find each other.
For Na-yeon, who valued promises above all else, the promise they had made that day wasn’t a childish vow or a sentimental declaration.
But… six years was a long time.
She hated herself for becoming numb to the loss, for the cynicism that crept into her heart, but six years was enough time to dull even cynicism.
The fading memory of Elroden.
The disappearing Raphia.
Na-yeon had clung to that thread, desperately trying to hold on, but the fruitless tug-of-war had finally exhausted her.
She couldn't help it.
Humans were creatures of adaptation.
But even amidst the loss and cynicism, Na-yeon had held onto a sliver of hope.
And finally,
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting.”
That sliver of hope had blossomed into a seed.
“Raphia.”
And that seed had sprouted.
-Thud.
Her legs, unable to support the weight of that sprout, gave way, and Na-yeon burst into tears.
The heartbroken sobs of a child, of a young girl.
“Sob… Waaah…!”
She had been right.
Her hope, her belief that she could find him, had been right.
And with those tears, Na-yeon released all the pent-up despair and frustration, filling the empty space in her heart with hope and joy.
“Raphia…”
She heard her name again.
The name she had longed to hear.
Like a reward for her years of searching, the sweet sound of “Raphia” made Na-yeon lift her tear-streaked face.
She didn’t care how she looked.
She wanted to look her best for their reunion after six long years, but she couldn’t contain her joy.
So,
“Elroden…!”
She cried out the name she had yearned to speak, and threw herself into his arms.
Tae-jin gently stroked her back.
Thinking that this was probably what Elroden would have done.
He could only offer her a comforting embrace.
“I’m sorry… Raphia.”
He apologized, as Elroden.
And as the transmigrator.
A double apology, carrying the weight of both their pasts.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
‘Whew.’
After Na-yeon stopped crying, she bombarded me with questions, and I, still stuck in bed, had to answer them.
Most of my answers were along the lines of, “I don’t remember because of memory loss…,” but I answered sincerely and truthfully about what I had seen in the flashback, and Na-yeon smiled, her eyes still glistening with tears.
“I can’t believe you were really Elroden… I have so much to tell you.”
I couldn't tell her I was a transmigrator.
I didn’t want to shatter her happiness.
Of course, I knew it was a deception, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell her the truth, not now.
Six years.
I wanted her six years of waiting to be rewarded.
Her tears had shown me how difficult those years had been, and I couldn’t bring myself to say, “The Elroden you knew is gone.”
If it meant Na-yeon, my Master, could be happy, a little white lie was a small price to pay.
Besides,
‘Renia comes first.’
If I had to reveal the truth about being a transmigrator, Renia deserved to know first.
So, I played along with Na-yeon’s joy and continued the conversation, then I asked about the sweet kiss I’d experienced in the flashback.
“Um, what kind of relationship did we have? I remember we were very close, but I can’t quite recall the specifics…”
I carefully phrased my question.
But,
The answer bypassed all filters and went straight to Renia’s and my ears.
“Us? We were lovers. And not just lovers—we were deeply in love.”
“…!”
Renia, who had been sitting right next to me, flinched hard in shock.
Uh… um…
S-So that’s the kind of relationship we had…?
Is that why we shared that steamy, soul-devouring kiss right after slaying the black dragon…?
“Oh, really?”
“Of course. You were the one who confessed, remember?”
“…!!!!!!!!!”
Ah. M-Maybe I shouldn’t have asked…
This was why they said loose lips sink ships.
-Squeeze.
Ugh.
Punishment for my loose lips came in the form of a sharp jab to my side, and I winced, looking at Renia.
It wasn’t my fault!
Forced to bear the karmic burden of Elroden’s past, I could only offer Renia a pained smile.
And then,
💘 System Notification 💘
[Congratulations.]
[Affection Level for ‘Bersha Galinis Eprontia’ has reached 100%.]
[You can now register a new heroine in the directory and receive a reward.]
[Reward: Permanent 100% increase to all stats excluding Luck.]
[The reward remains even if the heroine whose Affection Level reached 100% undergoes a change in status.]
Huh?
The 1% that wouldn’t budge, even after our kiss at the amusement park, had finally increased…?
But she was glaring at me like she wanted to eat me alive!
What had triggered the increase?
Could it be… jealousy from a rival’s appearance?
“Shall I tell you just how deep our love was? I still remember how passionate it was. How hot it got? I remember it vividly.”
Excuse me?
What did she say?
I was still a virgin!
-Squeeze!!
Ugh!
I was going to have a wasp waist by the end of the night.
But what could I do?
If this is the karmic price of being a possessor, I guess I’ll just have to accept it.
-Squeeze!
…Still, karma kinda hurts, Tae-jin.
Just how passionate were you?