Trying to Recover My Memories While Passing the Time (1)
"Sorry~ I meant to come right away, but I waited a bit in case those weird kids started pestering me. Didn't I do well?"
The mysterious woman tilted her head slightly as she spoke.
"......"
For the moment... the woman standing before me appeared to be the final person Choi Ina had mentioned. The owner of the fifth collar.
What followed was a brief five minutes.
"Hmm-hmm~"
The mysterious woman kept humming a tune, watching me with eyes that revealed nothing. She tilted her head this way and that like a cat observing an intriguing toy, then finally spoke.
"My name is Yeon Harang. I'm the successor of Amwol, the assassin guild that sweeps up every VVIP protection detail and legal assassination request across South Korea and the entire world. And I'm your true employer."
"Yeon Harang... ma'am?"
"Skip the 'ma'am.' We're the same age, aren't we?"
"Same age... I see."
Assassin? Assassin guild?
The words felt far more direct than terms like Academy or Hunter that had been swirling in my head moments earlier. They carried an instinctive dread.
While I rolled my eyes, unsure how to respond, Yeon Harang hopped onto my bed and thrust her face right up to mine.
Her sky-blue hair tickled my cheek.
"But you really forgot everything? How fascinating... Even my name? All the things we used to do together? Come on, roll those eyes a little more."
She bombarded me with questions in her languid voice, never pausing for breath.
My head already felt ready to burst from everything I'd endured that day. Now this woman from an assassin guild was glued to me, interrogating me, and my mind began to drift. Part of me wanted to yell that I was a patient, to please let me rest and get away from me.
But the other party was an assassin.
One from a world-class guild that legally killed people, no less.
The fear that upsetting her might lead to harm kept me forcing a smile, nodding along, and offering short answers to match her rhythm.
Yet the growing headache and exhaustion eventually won out. Before I knew it, I winced slightly.
"Ah..."
Yeon Harang caught the shift in my expression instantly, her eyes widening into perfect circles.
She pulled back a little and scratched her cheek, looking sheepish.
"Ahaha... Right. You're not exactly in normal condition right now, are you? Sorry. I got a little too excited. Your dazed, idiot face is pretty cute, so I couldn't help myself."
She wore a smile that showed zero actual remorse. From within her clothes she produced a crumpled document envelope and tossed it onto my lap.
"Anyway, what I wanted to say is... I'm not going to do anything tacky like those noisy girls earlier and stake some loud claim of ownership."
"Huh?"
"Pulling on a collar won't change anything. In time, your body will realize first who you truly need to protect, and that it's me. No need to strain yourself over it."
Her words were so utterly confident that I couldn't find the right moment to reply. Yeon Harang tapped the envelope on my lap with her index finger.
"It's already been three months since your accident and you've been lying here."
"Three months...?"
"Yep. Your second-year first semester nearly got marked as suspension for insufficient attendance, but our family handled it quietly, so don't worry about that."
She hopped lightly off my bed and walked toward the dormitory window.
"You can return to the Academy starting with the second semester. Official classes begin in ten days, so until then, rest up, meet those crazy girls from earlier or your other friends, and gather whatever information you can."
Yeon Harang cracked the window open. Her sky-blue hair danced in the night breeze as she glanced back.
"Oh, and you don't have to push yourself too hard trying to recover your memories. I actually like this blank-slate version of Sihyeok quite a bit."
Her voice trailed off with a bright smile. Then, as if by magic, her body began to melt into thin air.
"See you at school, my knight."
It was a flawless exit, just like her arrival—no trace, no presence left behind. A slightly chilly night breeze slipped through the fluttering curtains.
"Haa..."
I stared blankly at the document envelope on my lap and let out a deep sigh. I couldn't even count how many times I'd done that today.
I remember falling asleep almost immediately after Yeon Harang left.
"Ugh... How many hours did I sleep?"
It had been right when the moon was just becoming visible before I closed my eyes, yet when I opened them the sun was high overhead.
I rolled around for a moment, savoring the warm sunlight peeking through the curtains, then forced myself upright with a groan.
"Whew... I don't have time to lounge around like this."
I had ten days. No—having wasted last night, I had exactly nine days left. In that time I needed to find clues to recover my memories. Or, at the very least, figure out who my real employer was so I could stop the women from fighting viciously over ownership like they had at the hospital.
And to do that, I had to start moving immediately.
'Sitting still isn't going to make anyone hand me the answers.'
Once I'd made up my mind, I headed straight to the bathroom, washed up quickly with cold water, and came out. Next I rummaged through the shopping bag in the corner of the dorm—the only luggage I'd received from the hospital—and pulled out the smartphone.
The contact list still contained every number of the women I'd encountered at the hospital yesterday. I tapped Choi Ina's, figuring she seemed the most reasonable to talk with and could offer a proper medical perspective on my condition.
The call connected before the ringtone could sound twice. When I suggested meeting briefly at a café near the dormitory, she let out an excited cheer and said she'd rush over right away.
It hadn't even been five minutes since I'd arrived at the café and taken a seat when the bell above the door jingled. Choi Ina burst inside, white coat flapping behind her.
"Sihyeok!"
She bounced on the spot with genuine delight, then plopped down right beside me as naturally as if the seat had been reserved for her from the start.
"I knew it! You were unconsciously remembering your true owner after all, Sihyeok! Coming to find me first thing in the morning—you really are my one and only escort knight!"
She rested her chin on both hands and dove headfirst into a massive bowl of kimchi soup—metaphorically drowning in her own delusions.
I shook my head, meeting that burdensome gaze straight on.
"No, that's not why I called."
"Eek! So mean..."
At my blunt reply she puffed her cheeks and whined. I deliberately ignored her adorable pout and got straight to the point.
"I want to try recovering my memories. You seem like the expert here, so I was hoping you might recommend a good method."
"A recommendation? Hmm..."
Choi Ina deflated her puffed cheeks at my serious question and began thinking hard. After a long moment of genuine contemplation, she suddenly smacked the table and grabbed my hand.
"Since you'll be returning to the Academy anyway, you need to sharpen your combat instincts and relearn how to use your traits and skills... Let's clear a gate first!"
"What? A gate all of a sudden..."
"I just happen to own a C-class field-type gate on my private land that I bought for research!"
"Wait, hold on—!!"
She didn't give me time to protest. Still gripping my hand tightly, she stood and began dragging me out of the café. Her steps showed zero hesitation.
Even so, the way her fingers wrapped around mine felt strangely familiar. The angle of our intertwined fingers, the exact pressure she used—it didn't feel like a first-time grip. It was as if she'd held my hand many times before.
Hmm... Could this woman really have been my owner... no, my employer? What an odd sensation...
The questions multiplied, but I kept my mouth shut and let her lead me. Instinct told me that pointless protests would only make things worse.
Still, she really did seem excited. The way she skipped ahead like a child who'd just received a present was proof enough.
"Okay, see that orc tied up over there? Start by using one of your traits—Cheonsu!"
Choi Ina's voice rang out brightly.
Inside the gate, where lush forest stretched in every direction, my gaze landed on a massive green-skinned monster wrapped tightly in iron chains and snarling furiously.
"Cheonsu is, as the name implies, an S-class trait that lets you wield a thousand hands!"
Choi Ina planted her hands on her hips and continued her explanation with the passion of a dedicated instructor.
"You can summon as many hands as you want, all obeying your will! And those hands can freely wield any weapon—guns, swords, bows, staves, shields, spears—without distance limits!"
"Oh... I see."
The ability to create hands at will and swing weapons from any range. In theory, it was an absurdly overpowered skill.
She must have been truly thrilled; even her glasses sparkled as she shouted.
"Come on, try it on that orc! Just imagine a hand forming in your head, strongly!"
"All right... I'll give it a shot. Safety is guaranteed, right?"
"Of course! Those chains won't break no matter how hard it pulls, so don't worry!"
"Understood."
I swallowed once and stared at the orc thrashing against its chains.
Following Choi Ina's instructions, I pictured my right hand appearing right beside the monster's thick neck.
Cheonsu — Semi-transparent hand summoned at will. Capable of wielding weapons without distance restriction.
Ziiing—!
With a faint vibrating sound, the space beside the orc's thick neck rippled. A single semi-transparent right hand emerged from thin air.
This actually works?
My heart raced. I sharpened the mental image. The moment my will reached it, a silver dagger formed inside the floating semi-transparent hand.
Without hesitation, I flicked my finger.
Squelch—!
"Uwaaaaaargh!!"
The dagger plunged into the orc's thick neck, killing it instantly. Dark blood sprayed in every direction as the creature let out one short scream and collapsed dead.
One movement had ended the life of a giant monster.
I stared at my semi-transparent hand still gripping the dagger in midair and let out an involuntary exclamation.
"Whoa...! I don't know what this is, but it's really fun!"
"See!? You have no idea how much my escort knight helped me with that ability!"