Chapter 85
Chapter 85
Well… Except for the fact that Renia had become rather quiet and withdrawn, making things incredibly awkward. -Click. As Na-yeon closed the door behind her, a heavy silence descended upon the room. “….” “….” How should I start this conversation? I had no idea. The sudden appearance of my ex-girlfriend(?), coupled with the revelation that I, a seemingly ordinary cadet, was actually a dragon slayer from Pangaea, must have been quite a shock for Renia. But… I hadn’t known any of this either, and the fact that I had been deeply in love with Na-yeon was a complete surprise
I felt a little wronged, but what could I do? If I reaped the benefits of transmigration, I had to pay the price. At least Na-yeon hadn't gone into too much detail about our “passionate love.” She must have been mindful of Renia’s presence, which prevented the awkwardness from escalating further. The biggest problem was… ‘…That I was the one who confessed.’ That was when her pinch had been the hardest. But suddenly confessing, “I still like you more than her, please go out with me,” would just sound like a desperate attempt to salvage the situation
Right now, I needed to understand Renia’s feelings. ‘Speaking of which…’ How was I supposed to sort out this mess? This tangled web of relationships… I had no idea how to untangle it. “…Renia.” I couldn’t just sit here and do nothing, so I called out to her. “Yes.” Ouch. Her cold response pierced my heart like a dagger. Was she that angry? Well… it would be understandable if she was upset about the sudden reappearance of my past lover. Especially since that past relationship was now a current one
But I was just as bewildered. I hadn’t anticipated this situation in the slightest. How could I have guessed that a side character destined to turn into a villain had an S-rank ex-girlfriend? There hadn’t been any hints or foreshadowing. Looking back, the unusually easy conversations and the sense of familiarity we shared might have been clues, but at the time, they were too vague to suggest a past relationship. But what could I do? I had to explain myself, even if it sounded like a pathetic excuse
“Um… well, I really didn’t know…” “It’s okay.” But before I could even start my explanation, Renia cut me off. It’s okay…? Had she already given up? “Huh? No, I’m sorry…” “It’s okay.” She repeated, cutting me off again. My throat tightened, but strangely, Renia was wearing a gentle smile. “Are you… really okay?” “Yes. I thought about it while you were talking with Professor Park Na-yeon.” “Thought about what?” Renia looked at me, the corners of her lips turning up. But I could tell. That smile wasn’t genuine
It was a smile I had never seen on her face before. “You two look good together.” “W-what?” My eyes widened. So, that’s why she’d looked so troubled while I was talking with Na-yeon… “You two look good together.” Renia repeated, smiling again, then turned away. She tucked her hands under her thighs and swung her crossed legs in the air. She looked like a heartbroken heroine giving up on her unrequited love, and it made me uneasy. “W-what are you talking about, Renia? Look good together?” “I just… I had that thought
You know I’m a summon, and I have to leave someday.” “….” “So… I thought you’d be better off with Professor Park Na-yeon, someone you can be with forever.” “….” I couldn’t answer. I felt terrible for the sense of loss and helplessness Renia must have felt listening to my conversation with Na-yeon. That’s why she was saying this. She had given up. She had accepted that Raphia and Elroden, reunited across dimensions, were meant to be together. They had at least traveled to that other dimension together, but Renia was destined to leave alone
But, “No.” I firmly denied it. “Huh…?” I didn’t need words to understand the sense of loss and helplessness she was feeling. She must be blaming herself, cursing her fate, bound by an unbreakable contract. It was too much for one person to bear. So, “Just because you have to leave someday doesn’t mean we don’t belong together.” “Huh…?” I decided to share her burden. A weight of ten, carried alone, could be reduced to one if shared. “I don’t think so.” “B-but.” “No. In fact, I’m incredibly happy.” “What…?” “We were transported to different dimensions, and we still met again
Even with my lost memories. And you’ll be returning with your memories intact.” “But…” It was a miracle. The miracle of Na-yeon finding me, becoming my master despite not knowing who I was, using only a faint mana signature as a clue. So, I was filled with hope. I had always been a bit of a dreamer. I believed there were no absolutes. That what people called absolutes were simply things that time hadn’t yet solved. Could a prehistoric caveman have imagined a fluorescent light turning night into day? Could a Joseon-era slave have imagined a self-operating robot? Could people just fifty years ago have foreseen dungeons, mana, and Awakenings? At the time, these things were considered absolutely impossible, but history had proven that absolutes were, in fact, relative
Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Just as Raphia, who hadn’t given up on Elroden, had finally found him, I believed that if I didn’t give up on Renia, a way would eventually appear. Of course, before meeting Raphia, it had been a vague hope. But meeting her had turned that vague hope into a conviction. I shared my thoughts and feelings with Renia. That the impossible was relative, that just as I had been reunited with Raphia after six years and lost memories, we too could find each other again
“T-Tae-jin…” A glimmer of hope appeared on Renia’s sorrowful face. Her shoulders, freed from their heavy burden, seemed to straighten. I held out my pinky finger. Not in jest, but with sincerity. “I promise. I won’t give up until you return, until I find you. Whether it takes ten years, fifty years, I won’t forget.” “….” Renia stared at my pinky finger, her expression unreadable. It was a bold proposal, a challenge to an absolute law. It was a difficult promise to accept, but Renia didn’t hesitate for long
She grinned and linked her pinky with mine. “Okay!” And Renia knew that this wasn’t an empty promise. “Good. You promised. So, no more being gloomy, okay?” “Hee…” Renia looked embarrassed as she stuck out her tongue and bit it playfully. “Sorry.” Then, she apologized. I knew why she was apologizing, so instead of replying, I pressed my thumb against hers, sealing the promise. She was apologizing for giving up so easily. “We’ve sealed it. No take-backs.” “Hee… Y-you too, no take-backs.” “Of course.” I suddenly turned my head
I saw our reflection in the large full-length mirror on the left side of the bedroom. Our pinkies linked together. Renia followed my gaze and looked at the mirror too. Our eyes met through the reflection. I couldn't help but grin. And, “Look.” I said to Renia. “We look good together.” Even though she was in Renia’s form, appearances didn’t matter to us. And then, a beautiful, fully bloomed rose appeared on Renia’s reflected face. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Renia, her smile returned, went back to her own room. Thanks to several training sessions and overnight stays, we each had our own rooms at Na-yeon’s mansion
I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. So much had happened in the past two days. Han Chang-ho’s true identity and his inheritance, Park Na-yeon’s past and our connection, and the completion of the Affection Level achievement, resulting in a 100% stat boost. It was a lot to process in just two days. Honestly, fainting for a few hours was a small price to pay. If I still had the Frail trait, I would probably have been unconscious for three days. Anyway, ‘Status window.’ I opened my status window to register another heroine
And, “Oh.” I couldn’t help but gasp.
💘 System Notification 💘
[Hidden Information: Level Up as a Harem! directory opened.] [Heroine List▼] [Park Na-yeon – 100%] [Kim Hye-seo – 42%] [Yoo Su-ah – 40%] … … My Master had already reached 100% affection even before I registered her.
💘 System Notification 💘
[Hidden Information: Level Up as a Harem! directory opened.] [Registering ‘Park Na-yeon’ in the directory.] [Affection Level for heroine Park Na-yeon has reached 100%
Reward acquired.] [All base stats excluding Luck increased by 100%.] In just two days, all my stats had increased by 200%.