Chapter 3: Gaon (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 3: Gaon (3)
The moment the weapon selection ended, the day’s schedule was officially over.
Perhaps because it was the first day, the students began to gather in small groups, getting to know each other and enjoying the start of their new school life.
I wanted to join them, but the problem was, I didn't have the luxury of making small talk.
“Sixth floor… Room 605…” I muttered on my way to the dormitory. My original plan had been to approach the protagonist and take some additional actions, but my priority now was to sort through the complicated thoughts that had piled up in my head throughout the day.
The dormitory building was exactly as I remembered it from the game. A grand, orderly exterior, and a structure that strictly separated the men's and women's dorms.
Without even a moment to look around, I headed straight for my room.
Shffk.
After I was isekai'd ten years ago, the very first thing I did upon realizing this was the world of a game was to create a setting book.
Human memory isn't infinite. It was essential to organize the major events of this world, its characters, and everything that was to come.
And now, I was scouring that very setting book I had compiled.
“Found it.”
‘Easter Egg Collection.’
Hidden features left by the game developers.
Special events that occur once in tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of times, when specific conditions are met. Those were Easter eggs.
This had to explain my current, god-awful situation—completely ignoring the protagonist and getting repeatedly entangled with a side character I’d never seen before.
“Forget it.”
My hand, which had been flipping through the pages, stopped.
Nowhere in the setting book was there anything that could explain my current circumstances.
I was supposed to know every element of the story. But this was something I didn't know.
A sigh escaped me as I closed the book.
With Regression Evaporation and now some unknown Easter egg, the word ‘plan’ had become meaningless.
I was really screwing this up spectacularly.
But wait a minute.
Isn't this actually a good thing?
To make the main characters grow, I had to approach them first anyway.
I didn't know why, but if they kept approaching me first like they did today, it would actually make things easier.
All I had to do was build a bridge between the protagonist and the heroines to get them naturally involved with each other, and my role would be over.
It was a little unsettling not knowing how this new flow of events came to be, but what’s good is good.
I needed this mental win to keep going.
Just then, an alarm from my watch shattered my thoughts.
I slowly glanced down at it.
[Ha Sion]
: Hae-in! I have to give you what Grandpa gave meㅠㅠ Where are you? Call me quick!
It was Sion.
The granddaughter of the old man who had taken me in for the past ten years.
Though we were the same age, she had lost her parents when she was young and had always treated me like her own older brother.
We weren't family, but we were just as close.
She wasn't a major character in the story, but she was quite skilled.
But what was this uneasy feeling? There was no way that old man would've given me something for my own good…
With a deeply suspicious expression, I pressed the call button on my watch.
Ring, ring, click.
-Hello~
“Where are you?”
*
We were in a cafe on the first floor of a school building, bustling with students full of first-semester excitement.
“Be careful, it’s hot~”
I had intended to just get the item and leave, but somehow, a cup of coffee was now in my hand.
The rich aroma tickled my nose. It seemed I wouldn't be leaving this spot for a while.
Coffee was nice, though…
“So, what is it you had to give me?”
“I’ll tell you in a bit. You’re just going to run off as soon as you get it, aren’t you?”
“…Of course not.”
How did she know? Like grandfather, like granddaughter, I guess.
Sion, who had fallen silent for a moment, tilted her head as she fiddled with her coffee cup.
“But, Hae-in.”
Her gaze lowered slightly.
“You don’t look so good. Are you sick?”
Sion placed her hand on my forehead. I flinched involuntarily at the warmth that brushed against me as she gently pushed my hair aside.
I leaned my head back and made a vague excuse.
“No, I’m just a little tired.”
“Ah, yeah. You do look it. I was watching from a distance.”
It seemed Sion had witnessed that whole spectacle, too.
She continued to chatter on, seemingly without a care in the world.
“Who were those people from before?”
“Just some kids from my class. First time I’ve met them.”
“They were clinging to you like that even though you just met? They’re a little weird.”
I nodded without thinking.
Well, she wasn't wrong. They were weird.
At that moment, she lowered her head slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips.
The corners of her eyes curved faintly, and she looked somewhat satisfied.
“Right? That’s what I thought, too.”
As I nodded slightly, about to reply, the soft touch I’d been feeling on the back of my hand suddenly drew my attention.
She’s been doing this for a while now—.
Her hand, which had been lightly stroking the back of mine.
She would knead it, then tickle it, and for some reason, it kept distracting me.
She’d always been affectionate and enjoyed physical contact, but never to this extent.
“…Do you have to keep holding my hand?”
“Yep. I have to.”
I see.
She answered matter-of-factly with a smile.
The slight upward lilt in her voice somehow drained me of the will to argue.
“It’s because it’s been a while~”
A while? I distinctly remembered the three of us—her, me, and the old man—having lunch together just yesterday.
“We had lunch together yesterday.”
“Did we? Hehe.”
Sion laughed playfully and drained her coffee cup. Every one of her actions felt familiar, yet strangely alien.
I stared at her face for a moment before shaking my head.
“So, what did the old man ask you to give me?”
Sion took a small box out of her bag and pushed it toward me.
The box, wrapped in black silk, felt heavy, as if it were tightly sealed.
“Open it~”
I opened the box, feeling a little tense. Frankly, he was the kind of guy where it wouldn't have been strange for a snake to pop out.
But to my genuine surprise, inside was a bracelet made of obsidian.
Its black luster, the engraved patterns, and the intricate craftsmanship immediately caught my eye.
“What is this?”
“An artifact. It’s supposed to help with vitality enhancement.”
Sion leaned back in her chair, glancing at my face before a mischievous smile spread across her lips.
‘Vitality…?’
Could it be that kind of vitality? No way. He wouldn't send something like that through his granddaughter.
What on earth was the intention behind this gift? Wasn't he the type to be more into snake wine than artifacts?
She wore a playful smile. Sion took my wrist and held up the bracelet.
“I’ll put it on for you. Give me your hand.”
“It’s fine. I can do it.”
“Aw, come on! Just stay still.”
Sion laughed playfully and held my wrist firmly. Then, she carefully fastened the obsidian bracelet.
Her touch was gentle and delicate, but I felt a strange energy from it.
As the bracelet clicked into place, a subtle warmth spread from my wrist. A sense of life began to flow through me, as if energy were spreading through my veins.
…I felt like my whole body was getting hotter.
“…How does it feel?” she asked, her eyes full of anticipation.
“Um… It feels kind of warm.”
“Right?! I—I mean, Grandpa really put a lot of thought into it, you know?”
Sion stared at the bracelet for a long moment before nodding in satisfaction.
“But you have to be careful. He said this is pretty valuable. I’ll be really mad if you lose it.”
I glanced at the bracelet and nodded.
“Got it.”
Sion smiled playfully and stood up from her seat.
"Don't just enjoy the effects by yourself later, make sure you tell me all about it~"
She waved and left the cafe.
“She’s in high spirits.”
It seemed the other students weren't the only ones excited about the new semester.
I watched her retreating figure for a moment, then slowly stood up, thinking it was time for me to head back as well.
*
After leaving the cafe, Sion walked down a dark corridor on one side of the building.
The lovely, smiling face was gone without a trace, leaving only a cold glint in her eyes.
She lifted the smartwatch from her wrist and turned on the screen.
A few messages were already waiting for her.
[From: OnE]
[You really gave it to him? haha Crazy bitch.]
[From: Rin]
[But it’s not a bad thing, is it?]
Sion stared down at the messages and let out a short sigh.
Then, her fingers moved, typing out a concise reply.
[Fuck off]
A moment later, a new message popped up, and her lips curved into a faint smile.
[From: Jung Hae-in]
[Thanks for delivering it. Sorry, you probably wanted to hang out with your friends.]
This time, it was the same cute, playful smile from before.
[Nope hehe. You worked hard today!!]
Sion closed the message and stroked a bracelet on her own wrist, identical in design to the obsidian one.
Lost in thought for a moment, she lowered her head and muttered under her breath.
“This time, you…”
Her voice was quiet, but the determination within it was anything but.
*
The warm stream of water flowed down my neck, slowly relaxing my tired body.
It had been a long day. From the weapon selection to the strange incidents, my mind was a mess, but for this one moment, I wanted to let it all go.
I stepped out of the bathroom after my shower.
Droplets of water fell one by one from my damp hair.
The obsidian bracelet on my wrist still exuded a heavy presence.
‘I should at least thank him.’
It was an artifact that seemed extraordinary in many ways. I had no idea what had possessed the old man, who used to beat me with a club if I relied on equipment, to give me this.
I picked up my watch and looked for his contact.
[Old Geezer]
Ring, ring… ring, ring…
-What.
As soon as the call connected, a dry, stern voice came through.
I already wanted to hang up, but I barely managed to hold back.
“It’s me. Sir, I received what you sent. Thank you.”
A moment of silence followed.
Then, finally, he spoke in a low, heavy voice.
-What are you talking about?
“Pardon?”
-What did I give you? Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep.
The moment I heard that, my stomach twisted strangely.
What?
“The bracelet. You said it was an artifact.”
-An artifact? Why would I give you something like that?
The old man’s voice grew sharp.
I was taken aback for a second, but then I almost burst out laughing.
Ah, so the old geezer has a cute side.
He was always talking big, so he was probably too embarrassed to admit he gave it to me himself.
Is this what they call a tsundere?
“Ah, yes, yes. I must have been mistaken. Anyway, are you doing well?”
-We saw each other yesterday… Just go the hell to sleep.
“Yes, sir. Good night.”
Hanging up, I sat on the edge of the bed and pressed my palm against the mattress. The soft yet firm mattress yielded to my touch.
‘Is this a hotel?’
I immediately threw back the covers and dove into bed.
The school was clearly top-notch, so it was no surprise the dorm facilities were amazing too.
My mind, which had been a chaotic mess from the day's events, slowly began to clear.
Looking back on the day, there had been many strange things… no, it had been nothing but strange things, but my exhausted body wouldn't allow any more deep thought.
I slowly closed my eyes and surrendered myself to the encroaching wave of sleep.
