Chapter 451
Chapter 451
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 452
Chapter Title: Reunion After Two Years
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At that moment, a surprised voice came from beside me.
“……What the heck. Didn’t that guy just appear out of nowhere?”
“What are you talking about? Are you feeling okay?”
I turned my head toward the voice and saw a woman staring at me with a startled expression.
She soon whispered to the person next to her.
“……Wow. For a second, I thought it was Kim Sun-woo.”
“He does look similar. Heh heh. Come on, let’s go. You’re bothering people.”
The two women laughed as they walked away.
I stared blankly at their retreating figures before pulling the hat down over my eyes.
[The twelve special operations team agents who left for Antarctica for an investigation have returned home after a year. They are believed to have come for the second anniversary of the late Kim Sun-woo……]
The news flowed from the massive electronic billboard on the Gochoong Building.
Among them, I saw familiar faces moving with grim expressions.
Lee Seo-jun, Choi Seo-yoon, Yoon Ha-young, Shin Young-jun, Yoo Ah-ra……
It had been two years since I last saw those dear faces.
Only then did I truly realize that I had returned to my original world.
“They’ve all changed a little.”
Two years wasn’t that long, but I could sense subtle shifts.
It was like they had a more mature air about them.
Of course, their youthful appearances remained, but their vibes had changed slightly.
“Second anniversary.”
I gazed at them dazedly before starting to walk.
Seoul National Cemetery.
A small group had gathered for Kim Sun-woo’s second anniversary.
Lee Seo-jun, Shin Young-jun, and Yoo Ah-ra stared down at the grave with hardened faces, while Yoon Ha-young bit her lip with a sorrowful expression.
Standing at the front, Choi Seo-yoon quietly placed a single flower in front of the tombstone and softly said, gazing at the grave.
“Sunbae-nim, we’re here.”
Her voice was calm, but it carried deep sadness.
At those brief words, Yoon Ha-young bowed her head deeply.
“I’m sorry. I wanted to visit more often, but I’ve been so busy with work.”
Choi Seo-yoon swallowed dryly and continued.
“We’re really working hard. The regret you couldn’t resolve—we want to take care of it for you—”
Choi Seo-yoon couldn’t finish her sentence.
The emotions she had tightly suppressed deep in her chest felt like they would burst out at any moment.
Even though two years had passed, his voice calling her and his face were still vivid.
Yoo Ah-ra looked at her back, then gently placed a hand on her shoulder with sad eyes.
Lee Seo-jun let out a small sigh and glanced around.
Association members and a few classmates from the Magic Academy.
About twenty people had gathered.
Compared to the nearly fifty at the first anniversary, the number had dwindled significantly.
Lee Seo-jun felt a pang of bitterness but thought it was inevitable with the passage of time.
The living must live on, and one can’t mourn the dead forever.
Next year’s third anniversary would probably see even fewer.
“……By the way, she didn’t come today.”
Lee Seo-jun looked at Shin Young-jun at his mutter.
“Who?”
“You know, from Hanseong Group—”
“Oh.”
At Shin Young-jun’s words, Lee Seo-jun scanned the surroundings.
Sure enough, Han Se-yeon was nowhere to be seen, just as he said.
She had shown the deepest grief of anyone at the first anniversary, and rumors said she visited the grave regularly, so he had expected her to attend.
Lee Seo-jun pondered for a moment before saying.
“She must be busy with company work these days.”
The evening sky glowed with a red sunset.
I arrived at Seoul National Cemetery, the site of the “Kim Sun-woo second anniversary” from the news.
Actually, there was something else I wanted to do first, but hearing I had a grave made me curiously want to check it out—and maybe I’d catch a glimpse of the main characters’ faces.
Perhaps because it was late evening, the cemetery felt devoid of any human presence.
Feeling relieved, I slowly moved my steps.
I saw countless graves and names engraved on tombstones.
There were wizards from the book, and tombs of Association wizards with records of their great achievements.
It was a bit ridiculous—and amusing—that I was laid to rest in the same place as them.
“……It should be around here.”
I checked the cemetery map.
My grave had to be somewhere nearby.
Then.
“Found it.”
[Kim Sun-woo’s Grave]
The grave site was covered in numerous flowers.
It was my second anniversary today, so it seemed quite a few people had visited to commemorate it.
“Feels kinda weird.”
I crouched down and stared at my name on the tombstone.
Just before battling Kruas, they were making a fuss about me being humanity’s enemy or whatever, but being interred here in the national cemetery meant I’d done pretty well.
“Hmm.”
I looked around.
I half-hoped someone might be here, but no one was in sight.
I didn’t plan to go say hi, but I wanted to see the main characters’ faces after so long.
Guess it couldn’t be helped at this late hour.
According to the news, they’d head back to Antarctica for the investigation after the anniversary, so if I didn’t see them today, it’d be a while.
“……Well, we’ll meet again someday.”
I wasn’t sure when, but chasing the main story would probably bring that day eventually.
As I thought that and rose to leave.
Thud.
Something light, like a bag, dropped from somewhere.
……And then I sensed a familiar presence.
Feeling puzzled, I slowly turned my head.
At the same time, my eyes trembled for a moment.
At the edge of my vision, a black-haired woman stood staring at me, both hands covering her mouth.
It was a face I knew well.
And she said to me.
“……Jin-woo-ssi?”
Gazing at her, who had appeared at this unexpected moment, I felt my heart tremble.
A reunion after two years.
Even after so much time apart, she looked exactly as she did the first day we met.
“……Han Se-yeon-ssi.”
At my short call, tears welled up in Han Se-yeon’s eyes.
As if she couldn’t believe the situation, her legs seemed to give way for a moment, then she approached me step by cautious step.
As I watched her draw near, countless thoughts flashed through my mind.
I wasn’t prepared for this reunion yet.
What should I say first? An apology? A greeting?
“……Is that really you, Jin-woo-ssi?”
She reached me before I knew it and spoke in a trembling voice.
Confirming my face up close, she finally burst into tears.
The woman who always showed such strength was crumbling before me.
The emotions piled up from two years of heartache were pouring out in an instant.
Watching her, I felt deep remorse and guilt.
“I’m sorry. I was a bit late coming back.”
At those words, Han Se-yeon threw her arms around my neck tightly.
Her shoulders trembled faintly, and her falling tears soaked my clothes.
“……How on earth? How could you be alive after two years…… You should’ve said something if you were…… Do you know how hard it’s been for me?”
I held her trembling body close.
I hadn’t realized her feelings for me had grown this much, making my guilt swell even more.
And so we held each other for a time.
……How much time passed, I wondered.
Han Se-yeon, who had been in my arms the whole time, finally stopped crying.
The trembling in her shoulders faded, and she seemed fully calm now, regaining her previous serenity.
To be precise, she had calmed down about five minutes ago.
But she remained quietly in my embrace.
Without a word or movement, just like that.
She hadn’t fallen asleep from exhaustion.
The wave of emotions that had crashed over her had receded, restoring her reason—and now she was reflecting on her actions, feeling embarrassed.
She’d probably missed the right moment to pull away and was agonizing over what to do.
At her endearing behavior, I smiled softly and said.
“Feeling better now?”
Han Se-yeon silently pulled away from my arms.
When she lifted her deeply bowed head, I saw her weary eyes.
She stared at me intently, then nodded slightly with an embarrassed face.
“......Yes.”
After reuniting with Han Se-yeon, I went with her to her house.
Beep beep beep.
The front door opened, and I cautiously stepped inside.
Her house after so long……
As I entered the living room, a massive wave of emotion surged in my chest.
Han Se-yeon glanced at me, seemingly feeling something similar.
The reason for my tension.
It was because.
“......Ngah?”
A small tree was looking up at me with wide, quivering eyes.
Seeing it, emotion welled up in me.
“Gretel……”
“Ngahhh.”
Gretel flailed its short legs and toddled toward me.
According to Han Se-yeon, Gretel had lost its memories, but fortunately, it seemed to remember me clearly.
I scooped Gretel into my arms and felt the familiar woody texture.
Gretel burst into loud sobs in my embrace, and Han Se-yeon watched our touching(?) reunion with a warm smile.
“Did you stay well, Gretel?”
“Ngahhh……”
Afterward, I entered the living room still holding Gretel.
I glanced around the neatly tidied space before carefully sitting on the sofa.
Han Se-yeon stared at me cradling Gretel and said.
“Have you eaten?”
“No.”
After crossing over from the Boundary World, one thing after another had happened, leaving no time for a meal.
Considering I’d arrived in the morning, it had been quite a while without food.
“Ah. Then I’ll prepare something. Is that okay?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
Han Se-yeon then busily checked the fridge.
I watched her dazedly.
She must have so many questions, yet she hadn’t asked a single one about me so far.
Then she set a bottle of liquor down on the table with a clunk.
……She plans to ask bit by bit.
“Nga.”
Gretel let out a short cry.
I set Gretel down in front of me and stroked my chin.
The summoning contract between Gretel and me was currently severed.
It had been broken when I experienced death.
But it wasn’t completely gone, as I could faintly sense Gretel’s emotions.
“Gretel, let’s recontract.”
“Nga!”
I smiled faintly and drew up my mana. Over the past two years of learning auxiliary magic, I could now easily form the necessary rituals for a contract.
Normally, a contract document would be needed, but since it wasn’t fully severed, I could adjust it simply.
Whummm.