[What I Made]
Lee Ha-yul tilted his head and projected a hologram. It was as if he was asking what the problem was with what he had written.
Does he really not know what the issue is? Or is he just oblivious to which part is shocking?
Hong Yeon-hwa blinked in confusion, then lowered her head.
A long scarf came into view. The soft texture was vividly transmitted to her fingertips.
It was a red scarf. She casually lifted it to see how it looked against her neck.
‘This is…’
There are various shades of red in the world. They might look similar, but each one is distinctly different.
The color of the scarf was similar to the color of her hair that brushed into her vision.
It wasn’t just red; when put together, they gave off an impression of similarity.
At first, she thought it might just be a coincidence, but as she examined it closely, she realized the colors were indeed quite similar.
As she absentmindedly stared at the scarf, Hong Yeon-hwa shifted her gaze.
The moment she saw Lee Ha-yul’s smile while sitting by the bed, she felt as if the world had suddenly brightened.
The brightness was almost dismissive of the morning sunlight peeking through the window.
‘So cute.’
How can a smile look so pure? What could possibly make him so happy that he was grinning like that?
Hong Yeon-hwa forced her racing heart to calm down and asked, “Thank you… Did you make this yourself?”
[Yes]
“When did you make it?”
[I made it yesterday]
“Yesterday…? You mean the day when there was an after-party, right?”
[Yes]
Hong Yeon-hwa fell into thought.
When Lee Ha-yul had asked if he could visit her, it was during the height of the after-party. In other words, he would have asked after the sun had long set.
So then, when did he prepare this gift?
Could he have prepared it in the morning without knowing she couldn’t attend the after-party?
Or was it before he got permission to visit her?
No, perhaps—
After he got permission and the after-party ended that late night?
Hong Yeon-hwa discreetly glanced at Lee Ha-yul’s face. That carefree smile. So cute…
‘No, that’s not it.’
The shadows under his eyes caught her attention, particularly drawing her gaze. If she looked closely, he seemed more fatigued overall than before.
She shifted her gaze downward to examine his hands. His arms were marked with injuries from various training. His hands showed signs of being torn and healing countless times in that short period.
Then, her eyes caught remnants of fresher scars that seemed like they had barely healed.
As someone who had fought numerous battles, Hong Yeon-hwa could recognize them.
These were not wounds caused by swinging swords or spears.
They weren’t fistfighting scars either, but seemed more akin to wounds made by small needles or scissors.
‘……’
The scarf draped over her hands felt noticeably heavy.
Seeing Lee Ha-yul’s joyful smile made it even heavier. He had personally hand-knitted this scarf for her.
And now, with her thanking him for it, he displayed that blissful smile.
He didn’t even receive a gift but looked as if he possessed the whole world in his grasp.
Suddenly, her heart stirred. It was a different pulse from usual. Her weary body couldn’t handle such a stirring.
That was guilt.
The Gop-hwa that Hong Yeon-hwa possessed was an incredibly troublesome ability.
If you were to list Gop-hwa’s advantages, the output would be the top characteristic.
They had multi-functional abilities through blooming, evolving, and purifying—however, the defining advantage of Gop-hwa was always its output.
The problem was that such a high output could harm its owner, which was exceedingly troublesome.
If one mistakes their control, it’s a crazy ability that might burn the owner alive.
But that’s not all.
This troublesome side effect of Gop-hwa would occasionally impose trials on its owner.
One might think, “What kind of trials could a mere ability invoke?”, but it’s a process that all Gop-hwa owners must go through as they grow.
The types of trials vary, but the very first trial is always the same.
It triggers the owner’s guilt.
It shows memories that shouldn’t be shown at will.
Moments of mistakes, instances of hurting others, disasters caused by one’s own errors, and everything in between.
From trivial to significant.
It even shows illusions that torment the user. A grotesque trial, to say the least.
Hong Yeon-hwa was no exception.
Numerous memories flashed through her mind. From her early years when she couldn’t even walk properly, one by one.
Hong Yeon-hwa was hasty and had a sharp tongue, but she was inherently kind-hearted.
Though she had swung her fists many times, there were reasons behind those moments worth extending her arm. In simpler terms, those were parasites who deserved to get hit.
Had she occasionally broken things? Those were simple accidents, likely justifiable with her private funds.
Beyond that, the only memories of guilt she felt would be the horrors witnessed while accompanying the clan elders around the cursed areas.
This was all Hong Yeon-hwa had done.
Her own resilience and patience were astounding, so she could easily overcome this kind of trial within days.
– Ah, aahhh─!
Until just a month ago, she would have thought so.
Lee Ha-yul, smiling as if he was happy to receive a gift, overlapped with the image of him screaming in agony.
Hong Yeon-hwa’s complexion darkened like charred ash as flames flickered.
– Ugh, aahhh…!
His face contorted in pain. His right arm ablaze. Desperately rolling on the ground attempting to extinguish the flames, but they only surged more ferociously in retaliation.
That was a memory she had never seen before. So, it must be an illusion.
…Or is it?
Reality lurked just beyond the illusion.
“…! …?!”
Lee Ha-yul waved his hands, bewildered. He seemed to be at a loss upon sensing Hong Yeon-hwa’s condition.
His right arm, cloaked in a protective wrap, was trembling now. She could see what looked like scars within it.
Ever since she had seen those scars in the infirmary, she was convinced that Lee Ha-yul was a victim of Gop-hwa.
Such scars could only be left by Gop-hwa. After hearing that the orphanage he belonged to burned down, that belief was solidified.
Since then, he had carried that guilt.
One day, he would become an open victim of the clan she would lead. There might have even been an impact on his physical disabilities due to Gop-hwa.
Recently, another possibility had arisen.
Lee Ha-yul used Gop-hwa.
It manifested only on his right arm, be it a problem of control or some other issue, but it was surely Gop-hwa.
She began to consider the possibility of him being a descendant of the Gop-hwa clan.
Yet, that couldn’t justify the guilt.
Gop-hwa was a unique ability passed down through bloodlines.
Thus, even distant relatives of the clan are recorded in the main house.
However, they could not trace instances that did not belong to the formal bloodline.
The hallucinations shifted. It became a scene Hong Yeon-hwa had never encountered.
An interior of a building, hardly qualifying as a slum—more akin to a filthy structure.
In his childhood, Lee Ha-yul was being repeatedly beaten by punks who weren’t even human.
Kids seeking affection were treated like emotional trash cans, and swears from parents to their children followed in torrents.
Revolting. She wanted to come down hard and crush that head, rip to shreds those hands.
Raging impulses surged up. Emotions surged like kindling for Gop-hwa.
Just when he started facing things impossible to put into words, someone shook him gently by the shoulder.
The soft feeling of a bed against his back. A sweet scent wafting close by.
Realizing that brought him crashing back to reality.
“…! …!? …!!”
The Lee Ha-yul who had been dying with his belly split open now clambered onto the bed and was gently shaking her awake.
Her throat felt tight. It was as if a weight was smashed on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
Hong Yeon-hwa looked at Lee Ha-yul with trembling eyes.
She couldn’t distinguish whether that scene was an illusion or a real memory. All she knew was that instinct whispered that it was closer to reality.
Beyond that, her thoughts couldn’t form.
Normally, Hong Yeon-hwa might have regained her composure.
But.
The emotional amplification due to Gop-hwa, amplified again by the side effects, and the intuition whispering that it was reality—all of that clouded her vision and muddled her judgment.
Guilt pressed down on her. She couldn’t breathe properly.
– Whoosh!
The inner Gop-hwa ignited. Flames that had been curled up grew massive. The emotions she was feeling were feeding the Gop-hwa’s fervor.
The raging flames spread out in all directions. Just as the fire threatened to engulf the mountains of guilt.
“…!”
In that moment of turmoil, Lee Ha-yul abruptly hugged Hong Yeon-hwa.
With the warmth enveloping her, her trembling body stiffened. The Gop-hwa that had been spreading suddenly halted.
The visions that had flickered away were pulled back. It felt as if waking from a dream.
Then a gentle hand settled on her head, awkwardly stroking her hair.
As warmth and emotion radiated through her through the touch, her body felt like it was melting away.
“Ah…”
A sigh escaped her lips. The guilt subsided slightly, and the emotions that had been bloating began to wash away alongside it.
Her focus returned. The fog that had clouded her mind gradually dissipated.
Regaining her composure, she found herself tightly embracing Lee Ha-yul, panting.
At the sensation of his breath on her body, she shivered. As she relaxed her arms, Lee Ha-yul cautiously raised his head from the embrace.
[Are you okay? Should I call Ariel?]
The hologram popped up urgently. Worry emanated palpably from him.
“Um…”
So much had happened in such a short time. Hong Yeon-hwa calmly recollected the recent events.
In short, she had almost had a really bad time.
She had nearly been engulfed by Gop-hwa.
She could have been devoured by the illusions presented by Gop-hwa, nearly losing control.
What would the aftermath have been? It was an obvious guess.
Realizing that made her fingertips tingle with fear. She could have easily been burned to death.
Hong Yeon-hwa swallowed hard, and for the sake of her mental stability, embraced Lee Ha-yul again.
As he struggled in her arms, his previously cooling body began to warm up once more.
“Phew…”
After holding him for a while, the frightening aftertaste gradually evaporated.
Hong Yeon-hwa glanced down at her embrace. Lee Ha-yul, who had given up squirming, now nestled comfortably.
As she stroked his hair, she fell deep into thought.
“……”
The Gop-hwa settled down once more. The illusion was gone, and the surging Gop-hwa receded.
But the fundamental cause wasn’t eliminated.
The sensation she brushed off as a trial was still present, and the guilt that almost triggered an outburst still lingered.
If she left this unresolved, it would only be a ticking time bomb waiting to explode someday.
She must somehow resolve this guilt.
As she made that vow, fear surged again. She pictured Lee Ha-yul’s disappointed face upon hearing her story and felt dread.
But she couldn’t leave it be. She had a hunch that this was an important moment.
If she hid this problem from him just out of fear, the outcome wouldn’t be good.
“Ha-yul, I need to tell you something.”
She decided to speak the truth.
The truth that both possibilities fall on her clan’s responsibility.
While she comforted Lee Ha-yul, she conveyed the truth.
“?”
Lee Ha-yul tilted his head, looking perplexed.
*
“…So that’s how it is.”
What in the world does that even mean?
Hong Yeon-hwa’s lengthy tale had him scratching his head in confusion.
After finishing, he looked at her with a nervous expression, utterly baffled.
He had just been happily receiving a scarf as a gift and was feeling all fluffy and fuzzy, and then suddenly she became lost in thought, her complexion turned bleak, and when he asked what was wrong, she suddenly started sputtering and collapsed.
It felt as if he was about to lose his mind. It was all too much.
Just before he could call for Ariel outside, he rushed up to hug her to check on her condition, and for some reason, she returned to a normal state.
Thank goodness it worked, just like when he had done it before, wrapping her in his arms like that.
Just as he felt relieved and was about to call for Ariel, suddenly she hugged him tight, stroking his hair, and then began her serious, lengthy story.
‘What does this even mean?’
He tilted his head at what she was saying.
What? My scars are a mark of Gop-hwa? Or that I might be a member of the Gop-hwa clan?
From where he stood, remembering his previous world, that made no sense at all. But thinking of Lee Ha-yul in this world, it could be something he didn’t even know.
What on earth is going on?
All because of a single scarf gift, and now he’s tangled up in this mess.
Still, there was one thing that began to make sense.
Why she had looked so crushed under guilt, which hadn’t clicked beforehand.
It seemed she believed that these scars were left by Gop-hwa, thinking that he had been abandoned by the clan and had struggled since childhood.
His head felt scrambled. He felt dizzy too.
But that wasn’t the issue for now. First, it was more important to soothe Hong Yeon-hwa, who looked like she was about to die from tension.
‘Hmm…’
The reason Hong Yeon-hwa was so tense and burdened by guilt…
Was it because she assumed that these scars were due to Gop-hwa and thought he was a bloodline member abandoned to the orphanage…
‘Ugh. I don’t get it.’
Throwing up his hands, he clicked on his smartwatch.
[Even though I don’t fully understand, can I ask just a few questions?]
“Sure. Ask anything.”
Hong Yeon-hwa gulped nervously as she replied.
He nodded in agreement and projected a hologram again.
[Is the scar on my arm from Gop-hwa?]
“…Yes, it’s definitely Gop-hwa. I can assure you of that.”
[Did Hong Yeon-hwa injure me?]
“…No.”
[Did Hong Yeon-hwa intend to harm me maliciously?]
“Of course not…! Absolutely not…!”
[Then it’s all good.]
“…Huh?”
The questioning came to an end.
The moment the questions paused, Hong Yeon-hwa’s previously tense expression turned into one of pure confusion. It was a rare sight that made him chuckle.
“…No, it’s not that simple. This is…”
As she stammered, trying to continue her explanation.
He found it a bit bothersome. So, he took the liberty of hugging her tightly. Her body instantly tensed in response.
‘…Eek.’
This was possibly the first time he was hugging her while being completely sane, and it felt incredibly embarrassing.
But it seemed like this was the only way to quiet her now.
Suppressing his embarrassment, he buried his face in her embrace.
Warmth wrapped around him, triggering a fuzzy sensation.
“Ugh…”
The feeling Hong Yeon-hwa radiated felt incomprehensible.
Even as she hugged him, her expression was bewildered, her mind trying to understand why.
Her face still bore an aura of guilt.
‘Hmm…’
Pulling back from the cozy embrace, he tapped on his smartwatch again.
[You didn’t do anything wrong, so it’s alright.]
The story about his arm being burned by Gop-hwa? It had nothing to do with Hong Yeon-hwa herself.
A matter that belonged to the clan? He didn’t want to dwell too deeply on that.
[If you still feel guilty, could you do me one favor?]
“Sure. Just tell me what it is.”
While idly staring at the hologram, Hong Yeon-hwa swallowed nervously, nodding seriously at his final query.
[Please don’t be in pain.]
“…Huh?!”
At the sincere request, she became slack-jawed once more.
This was heartfelt.
The heaviness in his chest all stemmed from realizing that Hong Yeon-hwa thought he was suffering throughout the after-party.
And just moments before, that cold dread washed over him when he saw her complexion drain and her breath hitch.
Feeling the guilt reflected on her face also made his heart ache in turn.
He shook his head decisively.
[No arguments. I won’t accept them. As a victim, I’m asking, so the perpetrator must comply.]
He buried his face in her embrace again, refusing to entertain any rebuttals.
Fortunately, as if she finally comprehended, Hong Yeon-hwa started tenderly stroking his head with a complicated expression. In her hand, she clutched the red scarf.
Good. He steadied his rolling mind through her gentle caresses.
Though he wanted to run away out of embarrassment, the excuse that Hong Yeon-hwa needed him to keep her emotionally stable was enough for him not to flee.
‘…Hong Yeon-hwa did nothing wrong…’
Silently enjoying her touch, he recalled the two related questions he had posed earlier.
Did Hong Yeon-hwa injure him? Did she have malicious intent?
‘It really doesn’t matter.’
It was a trivial query in the grand scheme of things.
Even if past Hong Yeon-hwa had injured him. Even if she was the one who left the scars on his arm.
Even if she had done so with malicious intent, it wouldn’t matter if her feelings at this moment felt genuine.
He could completely forgive that. The past just didn’t mean that much.
What truly mattered was whether she was showing love to him in this moment.
Nothing else carried significant weight.
The current warmth of her embrace felt far too precious to him.
He had yearned for this ever since he was a child.
To achieve that, he could forgive any number of past misdeeds.
As long as it was related to him and not the suffering of others, even more so.
With those thoughts, he buried himself deeper into her embrace.
Maybe he hadn’t slept well because of the scarf, but he felt his consciousness gradually dimming.
‘I’m so sleepy…’
Between looking forward to the response from the scarf and calming Hong Yeon-hwa down from her sudden outburst, listening to the shocking birth secrets had drained his mental and physical state.
He offered no resistance and let his consciousness fade away.
*
[Player Adjustment System: Measurement]
▶Stats
…
▶Unique Abilities
…
▶Mental State
｢Deficiency of Affection｣ : Extremely thirsty for affection. The degree is exceptionally high.
…
[Player Adjustment System: Affection Level]
Lee Ha-yul → Hong Yeon-hwa
●●●●●●●●○○(83▷84/100)
｢?｣｢Sense of Obligation｣｢Guilt｣｢Gratitude｣｢Worry｣
[Failed to meet the conditions for the curse of “Silence” to be lifted.]
[Failed to meet the conditions for the curse of “Loneliness” to be lifted.]
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