I’ve felt warmth many times.
Since I started living alone, I’ve always fallen asleep under a thick blanket.
Even if it meant starving for a few days, during the cold winter, I turned the heater on full blast.
I bought a nice blanket for the coziness. It may have been extravagant, but I had no regrets.
I also used good fabric softener and always kept diffusers ready.
So, I always caught some Z’s in a nice bed.
However, I had never felt this kind of warmth.
My face buried in Hong Yeon-hwa’s chest. The warm heat and soft touch transmitted clearly through her clothes. For the first time in my life, I had someone to hold me.
The hand that gently patted my head conveyed an indescribable feeling. This was a first too. I couldn’t remember ever being patted on the head.
‘……’
My mind was hazy.
As I blankly felt the warmth and the touch, I patted Hong Yeon-hwa’s back lightly, signaling that I was okay.
With a dazed look, Hong Yeon-hwa moved her hand, revealing her confusion.
“Uh…? Ah, ah!”
Only then did she seem to notice her posture, and startled, she carefully let me down before plopping herself onto the chair.
Upon closer inspection, her eyes, hair, and face were all spread out in indistinguishable hues.
‘…What’s going on.’
While Hong Yeon-hwa fanned herself to cool down, I checked my own condition.
This was not a pretty sight. I was soaked in sweat. Not just my clothes, but the bed was drenched too.
As I tried to tidy my sweaty bangs, I couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
“I’m glad you’re okay…”
Thanks to fanning herself, Hong Yeon-hwa had somewhat returned to her normal face and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
“While you were sleeping, you were groaning, so I stayed by your side… At the end, when you suddenly held your breath, I was really shocked.”
“……”
“Did you… have a bad dream?”
She asked cautiously about my dream, her face filled with concern, and I just stared blankly.
‘Groaning? Really?’
I hadn’t thought about that in the dream. Was it so painful that I groaned? It didn’t feel like it. Even if I accepted those childhood memories weirdly, they weren’t shocking enough to make me hold my breath.
A dream is just a dream.
It’s merely a recreation of the past, not the present situation. The past can’t harm me now.
Just that past, I overcame long ago. My parents, helpless as they were, have died and gone away, so they couldn’t do anything to me now. Even the loan sharks could no longer find me.
What’s more, the world has changed now. There’s no way that they could find or interfere with me, no matter how rare it might be.
So, why should I be scared?
They absolutely cannot do anything to me.
“Do you remember what happened before you fainted?”
While I was calming myself, a voice came from beside me, reflexively making me turn my head. Hong Yeon-hwa was looking at me with a gloomy expression.
I nodded, and her aura became even gloomier as she hung her head low.
“…I’m really sorry. It’s all my fault.”
More apologies followed.
“I… got too excited and didn’t pay attention to my surroundings… No, that’s not it. I’m sorry, that was an excuse.”
Gone was her usual assertive demeanor, and she seemed to be rambling, indicating that she wasn’t in a normal state either.
I shook my head wordlessly… when my smartwatch popped into my mind and projected a hologram.
[It’s okay. You’ve already apologized.]
Thanks to my spatial perception returning to normal, I was able to see the hologram projected by the smartwatch.
“…I’m sorry.”
After staring blankly at the hologram, I felt a sense of confusion from Hong Yeon-hwa’s mood as she apologized again.
Right before the welcome party, did she purposely bump into me and knock me over? I didn’t know. But according to her saying, it had been a mistake, and she had apologized.
During the latter part of the welcome party, she had flung her opponent, sending them crashing into me? That too was a mistake, and she was apologizing about it now.
But why this attitude? She looked as if she had committed an irreparable mistake, as if I had rejected her apology.
Dark thoughts surged up repeatedly. My thinking was tilting too negatively.
[Why are you sorry?]
“Uh…?”
More than anything, I didn’t understand why she was apologizing.
[With your background, can’t you disregard such trivial matters?]
It was a mistake? Isn’t it enough just to apologize and move on? What if I didn’t accept the apology? So what… could I really do anything to Hong Yeon-hwa?
It was intentional. It was intentional bullying… but could I even dare to fight back?
The heir of the Gop-hwa Clan.
Not just some minor group of superhumans, but one of the top clans that essentially controls the powerful nations of this world.
The heir of that clan. Someone who would later become one of the world’s top powers.
Moreover, it was practically guaranteed that, with just the potential I’ve already confirmed, I would become a world-class powerhouse… so why must she show me such an attitude?
‘Special Enrollment.’
The first student directly selected by the head of Shio-ram.
Thinking back, maybe it was because of that title.
The title of special enrollment comes with a tag of envy and jealousy, as well as a shield, as it marks someone chosen by the head.
While petty bullying might not be something they could manage, perhaps outright trying to kill me would spark the anger of the head, so they wouldn’t go that far?
“……”
Staring absentmindedly at the hologram I projected, Hong Yeon-hwa suddenly grabbed my cheeks with both hands. The warmth transferred to my cheeks brought me back to reality.
“?”
“Ha-yul.”
As she pressed her palms against my cheeks, my lips puckered out like a fish. Seeing my reflection through spatial perception, I looked utterly ridiculous.
As I blankly pouted, Hong Yeon-hwa spoke in a sympathetic yet determined expression.
“Apologizing for something wrong is just the right thing to do.”
“……”
“I don’t… know exactly what situation you’re in. I don’t know what you’ve been through or how you’ve lived.”
For some reason, biting her lips, she continued.
“What’s certain is that I did wrong to you. I… pushed you over initially and said hurtful things… and now, I’ve caused you trouble like this.”
“……”
“I’m really sorry.”
Admitting wrongdoing and apologizing is simply what one should do.
Hearing that made my hazy mind awaken in an instant. It felt like a fog covering my front had been lifted.
The tangled thoughts began to operate properly.
‘Oh, huh…’
At the same time, I realized what ridiculous thing I had been doing.
Unbearable embarrassment washed over me.
Having woken up from the dream, I had made no resistance to Hong Yeon-hwa holding me. In fact, I had burrowed deeper into her embrace to find warmth…
Why was I questioning her apologies and expressing my confusion, all while receiving her obvious lesson…
My face heated up. Just a moment ago, my body had felt as cold as a frozen fish, but now it was warm all the way up to my neck. It felt almost like a hot pack.
“Ah, did it hurt?”
As Hong Yeon-hwa repeatedly pressed my cheeks, she cautiously asked if it hurt, which made me even more embarrassed.
Startled, she loosened her grip and began to gently stroke my cheeks, which was both comforting and embarrassing…
[No, it’s just sudden heat. I’m not hurt, really.]
“Not hurt? That’s a relief…”
She placed a hand on her chest, exhaling a sigh of relief, and watching Hong Yeon-hwa, I was swept up in a strange resonance.
The Hong Yeon-hwa from the original story had never shown such a side.
The association’s most prolific villain killer.
The Gop-hwa, who burned everything without a care, and the mad flame.
A warrior who charged fearlessly even against monsters of the second tier.
From the player’s perspective, Hong Yeon-hwa was such a character. While there were sub-stories showing her goodness or positive evaluations from others, they never really resonated with me.
To players, Hong Yeon-hwa was just a tedious enemy when you took the dark route.
I opened my mouth to express my thanks. But just as I was about to speak, the curse of silence gripped me, so I shut up again.
[Thank you.]
“I keep saying, it’s my fault. So you don’t have to thank me.”
Hong Yeon-hwa shook her head and looked at her smartwatch.
“Wow, it’s already this late. How’s your condition? Should I walk you to the dorm? If you want, you can even sleep here. I don’t have any plans tomorrow.”
[Then I’ll just sleep here. I don’t have the energy to go to the dorm.]
In fact, I was still feeling hazy. Maybe due to the change in spatial awareness, my head was throbbing.
It might also be because of the many new pieces of information brought by the added color and contrast. It seemed I’d take some time to adapt.
I buried my face deep into the pillow. The soft texture embraced my face.
But it felt a bit rougher than before.
…The sensation of having just buried my face here made my face heat up. I turned completely to hide my face from view and buried it deeper.
My mind quickly slipped away. I was more exhausted than I realized… I… than…
*
“Looks like I fell asleep.”
Through the window, the orange glow of the sunset lit up the infirmary.
Inside the infirmary, a heavy silence lingered. The occasional breeze was the only noise, tapping against the window.
On the bed,
There lay Lee Ha-yul, breathing comfortably as he slept.
With half of his face tucked into the pillow, he seemed to be sleeping soundly.
“Phew…”
Hong Yeon-hwa stared at him blankly, then suddenly shook herself back to reality and sighed heavily. She had been worried he might have a nightmare again, but there were no signs of it.
‘Is that a relief…?’
Hong Yeon-hwa, recalling a few hours back, held her forehead.
She had been overwhelmed by the duel.
She had pushed Lee Ha-yul over and spat out hurtful words. The sin was clear.
Lee Ha-yul was the one-sided victim, while Hong Yeon-hwa was the perpetrator. She certainly understood that, but still, the stress built up was unavoidable.
She had apologized, but it probably wasn’t enough, right? When should she apologize again? Should she give him something as a token of her apology?
What a silly worry. During the welcome party, such thoughts had been circling her mind. Then, she was told to have a friendly duel.
The opponent was a promising talent from Japan. Not only was their skill decent, but they also used the same sword style, so she went out quickly to blow off some steam.
Did she think she would lose? Not a chance. And it went just as she expected. She had fun to lighten her mood and never lost control during the duel.
In the end, after pushing the opponent right up until the last moment, she secured a clean victory.
…The problem was that the opponent had slammed into Lee Ha-yul.
While she was relishing the thrill of victory, Lee Ha-yul had collided with that opponent and lost consciousness.
Even now, thinking back made her head cloud over as if crumpling up a blank sheet of paper.
Try to put yourself in Lee Ha-yul’s shoes.
In the morning, she had shoved him down, yelling about not being able to see after that.
Then, right after, she apologized and said she would make amends if he needed anything.
Just from this, she couldn’t deny that she had crossed a normal line.
And yet… not even a few hours later, she had sent her duel opponent crashing into him, knocking him unconscious again.
The very person who had pushed him and caused such commotion earlier! Just a few hours later! Again!
“Gahh…”
While she had boldly proclaimed, “Apologizing for wrongdoing is just right,” she was sweating through her palms in nervousness on the inside.
From Lee Ha-yul’s perspective, it could easily be perceived as malicious bullying.
Resentment clearly.
Gratitude and grudge equally abundant.
A family motto that had been passed down since their ancestors.
For anyone of the Gop-hwa Clan, it was a creed carved deep within. Despite her prickly nature, Hong Yeon-hwa was striving to adhere to that motto.
She had made a mistake in the morning. Before she could make amends, she had made another! The exact same mistake! Again! To the same person!
Fortunately, the kind-hearted Ha-yul accepted her apology calmly…
But what if he had rejected it and shut her off from his heart?
“Ugh…”
Shaking her head, Hong Yeon-hwa brushed her disheveled hair behind her ear.
Of course, there was no way she’d go about her apology like this. She had already spoken hurtful words alongside the inconvenience she’d caused, and thus, her atonement would be multiplied.
As she pledged to herself, she lifted her body. Having confirmed there were no nightmares, she thought about slowly heading back.
“……”
Last checking on him, her gaze inadvertently lifted up.
The scene of the sunset draped across the sleeping Lee Ha-yul was so picturesque it could easily be a painting.
His round eyes, delicate facial features, and gentle expression gave off an air of fragility that naturally invoked a protective instinct.
It was no wonder the female students gravitated towards him during the welcome party.
Again, the touch of his hair felt almost drug-like, and without realizing it, she was gently stroking it.
Moreover, his petite frame made him perfect for hugging, topped off with an amazing scent…
‘What on earth…’
Before her thoughts could spiral, she slapped her own cheek.
The flush of her cheek was a stark contrast to her brain churning with shame.
…Before she realized it, she had pushed him, spat words, and utterly knocked him out, and now her heart felt pierced by a knife of guilt.
“Ugh.”
After a cough, she tried to turn away, but noticed the blanket had been disheveled during her moment of contemplation. She had merely turned slightly, yet it was messy as a result.
Let’s just tidy this up before leaving.
With that thought in mind, she lifted the blanket.
In that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa’s body froze.
“……”
The cozy infirmary was suddenly shrouded in icy silence. Her eyes wandered yet fixated on one point.
For a warrior, the eyes are life itself. Losing sight means you can’t follow the opponent’s attacks, nor can you land your own.
As a warrior, Hong Yeon-hwa doubted her own eyes. It was as if her brain was refusing to accept what it was processing.
Her body stiffened like a statue. Her breath grew rough and erratic. It felt like her chest would choke her.
All she wanted was to take a step back. But something inside screamed that she couldn’t do that.
Hong Yeon-hwa, trembling as if an earthquake were striking, reached out.
The glove that had been on Lee Ha-yul’s hand. She didn’t think much of it. Thought it was just fashion, maybe?
Underneath, a scar peeked out from under the disheveled glove.
The ugly remnants of burns. Up to this point… it hurt her heart, but she understood it. Maybe it would be okay to heal that scar as a form of apology.
“…Ah, ugh…”
Gop-hwa.
The unique power passed down from her ancestors.
Flames that consume both oneself and the world, leaving no trace of those it hates.
It enhances the body of its owner through the fire it holds and, if it seeks to burn an opponent, it clings on stubbornly until the very end, never letting go.
Normally, it burns until the end, but sometimes it can’t help but die out. Even then, the Gop-hwa does not vanish cleanly.
Eventually, if extinguished, it leaves behind horrific scars on the target. This is an indelible mark of a wound that can’t be properly healed, a kind of stigma.
An ugly mark that covers from her fingertips to halfway up her forearm.
Hong Yeon-hwa knew all too well of such a mark. She had seen it while facing monsters, and also while dealing with villains.
Moreover, she had carved it herself, ironically.
“…Gop-hwa.”
That was the trace of Gop-hwa.
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