Chapter 24. Han Se-ra (3)

'How have you been?'

Han Se-ra asked after me, and as I gazed at her silently, a strangely bittersweet feeling washed over me. It had been a full two years since we'd last seen each other. Just a handful of messages, brief calls—that was the extent of our rare contacts.

Yet here we were, meeting again, and it felt as comfortable as if we'd parted yesterday. At the same time, I wanted to turn on my heel and head straight home. My eyes, my ears, all my senses welcomed this moment, but it still felt burdensome. Or maybe... it was too comfortable, and that's precisely why the weight pressed down harder.

Hiding those complicated emotions with effort, I greeted her in return.

"Yeah, I've been good. Long time no see. I thought you were gonna dye your hair?"

"Oh, that?"

A faint smile tugged at Se-ra's lips. Then, in her usual graceful tone, she replied,

"I thought about it and figured there's no real need. With features like mine, dyeing my hair black and popping in lenses might just look weirder, you know? You said it wouldn't suit me anyway."

"Did I?"

"You said you couldn't picture it. Doesn't that mean, in your book, something like 'Why bother with something pointless'?"

Her words hit the nail on the head, so I answered honestly.

"Well... yeah, it'd probably look a bit off."

"See? It'd be as awkward as if you dyed your hair blond and wore colored lenses."

"You've never seen that."

"Neither have you."

"......"

"......"

A brief silence. Then we both burst out laughing, and Se-ra stepped closer to me. We walked side by side down a familiar street I hadn't visited much lately, and I asked,

"Anywhere you wanna go? I've got the car, so it doesn't have to be around here."

"Really? Then..."

Her tone dipped lower, more subdued as she started to suggest something—

"Huh?"

Three girls coming from the opposite direction froze at the sight of me, their steps halting in surprise.

"Whoa..."

One let out an admiring sigh, glancing back and forth between me and Se-ra. Another stood rigid, staring blankly. The least flustered one managed a greeting.

"Uh... Professor, hello!"

"Hey, hello. Out for fun?"

"Oh, no. We were studying at the library and just stepped out for a quick bite..."

Then she, too, gawked at us with the same shocked expression as her friends. Feeling a bit awkward, I gave them a light smile.

"The next exam's gonna be tough, so study hard. See you at school next week."

"Y-yes. Goodbye, Professor..."

I waved and passed them by. Se-ra gave a casual nod with her eyes and kept pace beside me. Only after about ten seconds did she ask,

"Jeil High kids?"

"Yeah, students in my class."

"Guess that makes them my juniors then. But... it felt kinda weird."

"Why?"

"You're a professor, but I'm a senior. Professor Lee Dojin... it doesn't clash that badly, but it's still a little off for me. The girls seemed to really look up to you, though."

"You think?"

"Yeah, one was pretty shocked. You were like that even as a student, and now as a teacher—"

"So, where were we gonna go?"

Sensing a tricky topic brewing, I swiftly changed the subject. Se-ra, who seemed satisfied having seen my reaction, made an unexpected proposal with a pleased expression.

"Since you've got the car... mind going a bit farther? There are two places I wanna visit."

"Where?"

"It's been two years. How about we pay our respects?"

"......Yeah, let's."

I responded to her words with a heavy heart.

Childhood friends we'd known forever. Se-ra and I shared one unwanted commonality. After the Great Rift, we'd both lost our beloved families.

There was a hero named Olivia Wynn. Her epithet: Bangbyeok, or "Barrier." She was the same age as my parents, with blond hair and blue eyes, but as a Korean-American born and raised in Korea from birth. She appeared as a supporting character from the entrance ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ceremony at Jeil Middle School in the opening of World Guardian.

As her epithet suggested, she primarily defended against enemy attacks using her overwhelming mana reserves. Two other standout traits: first, her charm stat, which soared well past 8—surpassing even Lee Si-hyeok and Jeong Se-bin, making her the most beautiful human of her era by looks alone. Second, she fell for Han Tae-gang at first sight during that very entrance ceremony, forming the series' most popular supporting couple.

"Dad and I came right after I got back to Korea, and she looked just the same. If they'd left her as is, she'd probably still be here."

Standing before Olivia Wynn's columbarium niche, Se-ra spoke with longing. Then, as if reminiscing, she murmured to herself,

"It's been almost six years already... Hard to believe time flew like that."

As Se-ra said, Olivia Wynn had passed six years ago, in the winter of our senior year of high school. Cause of death: illness. More precisely, bodily decline from excessive mana use, leading to full-body paralysis and ultimately failure to sustain life.

She'd been in fine form before the Great Rift, but afterward, her condition deteriorated steadily. Her superhuman will kept her going for years, but the final six months confined her to bed. Then, on a cold night six ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠years ago, with Se-ra and Han Tae-gang at her side, the hero Olivia Wynn breathed her last.

"Dad mentioned it once. That if he'd done better, maybe this wouldn't have happened. What do you think, Dojin?"

"......Could she have done better?"

"Yeah, that's what I think too."

Se-ra nodded at my excuse-like response, laced with aching guilt. Among the demon king's fourteen archlords, Kardin's name rang especially loud for his martial prowess. In the final battle, Olivia Wynn and Han Tae-gang faced him alone. Their odds were under 20% by raw power. Han Tae-gang needed three breaths to recover; Kardin gave him none.

Olivia Wynn bought time staking her life, and Han Tae-gang's all-out punch pierced Kardin's heart. A miraculous victory, forged by unyielding will. Olivia was ready to die to fell Kardin and save Han Tae-gang. Han Tae-gang pushed beyond his limits to keep her alive.

And... the one who wrote their story was me. I, the author of World Guardian, penned that scene—hoping they'd be happy.

Reincarnated into this world, I awakened to my past life as a child and was overjoyed. The war ended; Han Tae-gang and Olivia survived, had a beautiful daughter, and would live happily ever after. I had no inkling of the Great Rift.

So Han Tae-gang wasn't at fault. Olivia Wynn even less so. The blame lay with the traitors who birthed the Great Rift.

But... was that truly all? Shouldn't the original sin rest with me, the author, rather than the Rift? This unspoken guilt had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠crushed me for a decade, something I couldn't confess to anyone. It had influenced my growing distance from Se-ra—I couldn't deny that.

Se-ra stared quietly ahead at her mother's photo—Olivia Wynn's.

Then she asked me,

"Remember that?"

"What?"

"When we were kids, we never really fought, but there was that one time our opinions just wouldn't budge?"

I knew exactly what she meant. Before I awakened to my past life, we'd argued—each insisting our own mom was prettier. A rare clash, etched sharply in memory for its uniqueness.

"Your mom and mine told us then, 'When you grow up, you'll be prettier than both of us, so don't fight over it.'"

"I still don't get that."

We'd called a truce at their urging, but what did Se-ra getting prettier have to do with stopping the fight? Still, looking back now, it wasn't wrong, so I muttered absently,

"They had real foresight."

"Huh?"

Se-ra turned to me. Her jewel-blue eyes fixed on mine, followed by a calm question.

"Was that a compliment?"

"......Just the facts."

"Well, if it's your subjective opinion, fine—but as fact? Doubt it."

She chuckled, voicing her take, then said,

"If you have anything to say to Mom before we go, say it in your heart. I already did on Thursday."

"......Okay."

I bowed my head in silent prayer and spoke to Olivia Wynn.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

"Done."

"What'd you say?"

"Just that I'd visit again."

I brushed it off and left the columbarium with Se-ra. Next stop: my parents' memorial at Namsan Memorial Plaza.

We arrived past five p.m., chatting sporadically or walking in silence until we reached the statues of my parents. Around six, I told Se-ra,

"Your turn now. Say what you want."

"Okay."

She dipped her head slightly and closed her eyes. A long silence stretched on. When she opened them, I asked without thinking,

"What'd you say?"

But I soon realized it wasn't the moment for casual questions. Her gaze, fixed straight on me, brimmed with tangled emotions.

Se-ra answered.

"I told her I was really sorry."

"......Why?"

Se-ra paused, lips pressed. Ding—dong— The bell tolled six. Summer evenings lingered light; a gentle breeze stirred, not too hot.

And... Se-ra spoke. Words she'd ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠likely wanted to say to me since we met today—or far earlier.

"Back then, ten years ago at the funeral, bowing to your parents' portraits, I thought: 'Don't worry. I'll be by his side. Dojin, Sea—don't worry.'"

"......"

"But... I might not live up to that, so I apologized."

I knew the reason. Only one.

"We're... probably gonna break off the engagement."

Se-ra said it calmly. The exact same expression she'd worn that summer two years ago, right before her study abroad—when she'd blamed me.

"......"

Amid her hectic exam prep, Jin Yu-ri had snuck a peek into the National Academy 1 anonymous community. Her eyes grew gloomy as she stared at the deeply unsettling post.