Chapter 404
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 404
“Everyone, have a Merry Christmas!!”
“Happy Christmas~!!”
As the chorus of the project song Snowflake came to an end and only the melody lingered, the MCs delivered their closing remarks to the camera.
I walked out to the protruding stage with the members to wave at the Noeuls, who were stomping their feet in excitement. Jeong Da-jun clung to me, practically hanging off my shoulder.
“Ho-yun-hyung, hyung! Your singing earlier was seriously amazing!”
Since the microphones were off, I reached out and ruffled the hair of our youngest member, who was bouncing around with excitement. However, my attention remained fixed on the system window I had pushed into the corner of my vision.
Following the cues from the Gayo Star Festival staff, we headed backstage. Even though everyone seemed busy preparing to head home, a warm atmosphere filled the dressing room. Despite being people who saw each other more often than their own families due to the packed year-end schedule, they seemed fully immersed in the lingering emotions of the finale and the Christmas spirit.
“Seo Ho-yun-ssi, great job today!!”
“Yes, thank you for your hard work.”
“The stage was wonderful!”
After changing out of my costume and roughly wiping off the heavy makeup, I packed my things and stepped out of the building with the members. Thick snowflakes were tumbling down amidst the flashing lights of cameras surrounding us.
“It’s snowing!”
I stared at the scene for a moment before climbing into the van.
My honest opinion was that year-ends accompanied by heavy snow were always garbage. At that moment, I was more worried about how the fans who came to see us would manage to get home.
Soon, the van headed toward the dorm.
Through the window, I caught sight of kids walking by, clutching slogans and lightsticks. I felt the car slow down and eventually come to a halt. Looking ahead, I saw the crosswalk light blinking, about to turn green for the road again.
I hurriedly rolled down the window and shouted.
“It’s snowing, so be careful on your way home!”
Screams of delight erupted, but the car had already pulled away. Jeong Da-jun, who had leaned in beside me to wave energetically, sat back and fastened his seatbelt.
“Hyungs! Yi-chae-hyung and I are going to watch a Christmas movie. Do you want to join us?”
“No thanks. I’m tired.”
“Hmph, Ho-yun-hyung, aren't you going to regret it? We’re planning to have an absolutely killer night?!”
“Oh, I’m so jealous.”
The other members, also seemingly drunk on the atmosphere, were more high-spirited and talkative than usual.
“Ji-won-hyung, you’re watching it with us, right?”
“Hmm~, should I?”
Seong Ji-won answered lightheartedly, his mood clearly lifted. The mole on the bridge of his slightly scrunched nose stood out more than usual.
“Um, Ho-yun… is something wrong?”
When I looked up and met his eyes, Seong Ji-won scratched his cheek with an awkward expression.
“……Just because?”
“Just… because?”
As Seong Ji-won tilted his head with an awkward smile, the van came to a stop at the dorm. Kang Yi-chae, who had quickly moved to the front to beat the others, was the first to bolt out.
“Last one into the elevator has to do the dishes tomorrow!!”
“Hey!!”
“You’re the one on duty anyway, Hyung!!!”
While the others grumbled and chased after Kang Yi-chae, I was the only one who got out at a leisurely pace.
With every step, the ground emitted a crisp crunching sound. I was the last to board the elevator, giving a brief retort to the guys teasing me about being on dish duty.
“Don’t overdo it and just go to sleep.”
“Hyung, you should stop bullying me and go to sleep if you’re tired!! …Of course, you can come back out if you’re bored!”
“You’re the one who needs to stop bullying me.”
I gave the maknae’s cheek a firm tug with my thumb and forefinger, then opened the door and went straight to my room.
I sat on the bed without even taking off my clothes to gather my thoughts. At some point, the sound of laughter leaked in from the living room.
Seong Ji-won’s voice was among them.
Suddenly, I remembered an interview he had done at a pop-up store.
—"But, did you know there’s a sentence that follows ‘Oblivion is a blessing from God’?"
At the time, standing before the camera, Seong Ji-won had spoken calmly, though a smile lingered on his lips as always.
—"It’s ‘Remembering is human will.’"
The younger members had teased him, saying things like, "Ji-won-hyung is dropping pearls of wisdom today," or "Seong Ji-won isn't a practice machine, he's a quote machine," but he had just chuckled, seemingly unaffected.
—"Of course, you might want to forget bad memories. But isn't it because we know and cherish those things that we can become people who are more grateful when we encounter good things later?"
By then, even the snickering kids had fallen silent.
—"So, yes. I don't want to lose even a single one of my precious memories. Even if they are truly bad ones. Because that is my will."
“Sigh…….”
I brushed back my bangs that were hanging bothersomely over my eyes and looked up at the ceiling.
Lately, my head had been so full of thoughts about the reset that I was even losing sleep.
I still hadn't reached a conclusion.
That’s right, still.
This in itself was an exception.
My brother, Seo Ho-jin, was someone who always fell outside the rules I set.
If it had been anyone else, I wouldn't have cared in the first place. I would have let them forget me forever.
But the person in question was Seo Ho-jin.
A sigh escaped my lips involuntarily.
‘It’s not like he wanted to forget.’
He had lost his memories due to the overload of this world, and that was entirely my responsibility.
I had an obligation to return a complete life to my brother.
‘And he has the right to his memories.’
I rubbed my face vigorously with my hands before burying my face in my palms to steady my breathing.
Slowly, I looked up and glared into the empty air as I spoke.
“……Open the Reset window.”
*
Partial RESET
An opportunity to initialize a specific portion.
Required Points: 300,000
*
As if it had been waiting, the window floated into the center of my vision once again.
Seeing it, the resolve I had built up countless times threatened to crumble as easily as a sandcastle before a wave.
I bit my lower lip before letting go and speaking.
“…Designate Seo Ho-jin’s memories as the specific portion….”
[Designating ‘Seo Ho-jin’s memories’.]
[You can reset the designated portion by using 300,000 points.]
[Would you like to reset?]
Subsequently, the options “Yes” and “No” appeared and began to blink.
Faced with a mere fork in the road rather than an essay question, I hesitated, unable to choose.
‘I mustn't waver.’
This is his right.
Memories of his that even I don't know about might have vanished, and I’m just a blood-related stranger—I have no right to interfere with anything.
[Would you like to reset?]
No, would it be the right path to just shut up and let Seo Ho-jin live in ignorant bliss? There’s no way I, who am not a god, have the authority to strip someone of their free will.
[YES / NO]
Maybe, my brother might be happy to regain his memories—….
[Would you like to reset?]
…Fuck, am I self-rationalizing right now?
Biased by my own hopes, my thoughts kept circling the same track.
I felt my judgment wasn't rational; I even began to think that if I was going to be like this, it might be safer to do nothing at all.
[YES / NO]
Right, for all I know, after the restoration, Seo Ho-jin might confess that things were better before.
[Would you like to reset?]
Or he might pour out his resentment toward me.
Since he’s a good kid, he might just remain silent.
Then I would probably want to kill myself for making such a decision.
Because I wouldn't have acted truly for Seo Ho-jin’s sake, but purely for my own.
[YES / NO]
I looked up at the blue light sparkling as if to announce its presence.
However, if he, too, truly wants to know the truth.
“I really wanted to know what happened to you, Hyung……”
The kid I saw with swollen eyes on the day I was rushed to the emergency room after a quest failure.
“It was a bit hard finding these photos, Hyung.”
The guy who handed me a lumpy family photo he had carefully taped back together.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you~.”
My brother, who bought a whipped cream cake with his tiny hands and even sang the birthday song for me.
Just as I live on through those memories—
“……Re….”
—If Seo Ho-jin needs these memories too.
“…The… reset…….”
[YES.]
The system window snatched up the words that had escaped like a mumble.
[You have selected Reset.]
[Resetting the designated portion: ‘Seo Ho-jin’s memories’.]
[Using 300,000 points.]
[Current Points: 4,000]
The reset proceeded rapidly, leaving no room to turn back.
Watching it, I slowly lowered the hand I had raised to stop it.
[Applying…….]
[Applying…….]
[Applying…….]
[Applying…….]
[Applying…….]
[…….]
[…….]
[…….]
[…….]
[…….]
.
.
.
[…….]
[…….]
[…….]
[Adjusting…….]
[The designated portion has been reset.]