"......"
"......"
An awkward silence filled the air.
It wasn’t the pleasant kind of quiet but an uneasy, uncomfortable stillness.
Just a moment ago, I had reflexively blinked my eyes, which couldn’t even see.
Lately, I had been opening and closing them more often, but keeping them shut was still more comfortable.
That’s how shocking Lee Jiyeon’s current appearance was to me.
Her brown hair was so messy it resembled a bird’s nest.
Dark circles hung under her eyes, as if she were a panda, and her skin was an unnaturally pale blue, as though she might collapse at any moment.
Ask anyone, and they’d unanimously agree—she looked like someone on the verge of fainting.
Across from me, Lee Jiyeon glanced around nervously, as if she had committed some great wrong against me.
Her reaction was bewildering.
After all, our only meeting had been during that chaotic incident in China—just a brief encounter in an emergency. What could she have done wrong?
As I searched my memory, I couldn’t recall any incidents that would warrant embarrassment.
We had both acted rationally and appropriately for the situation.
“How’s your...”
Lee Jiyeon’s tightly sealed lips finally opened.
She hesitated for a moment, stumbling over her words as if struggling to get them out.
“Your condition... Are you all—no, I’m sorry. That’s not what I meant...”
Her words trailed off.
Muttering to herself, she suddenly flailed her arms in panic.
[My condition is fine.]
[Ah.]
[Now that I think about it, your injuries seem to have healed too.]
[It’s a relief that you’re safe... uh, yes.]
I thought I was steering the conversation toward a reasonable topic, but Lee Jiyeon’s expression darkened in an instant.
A moment ago, it was like a gray sky heavy with clouds, but now it had turned into a full-blown storm, with thunder and lightning crashing down.
‘Huh.’
Did I say something wrong?
Had I made a mistake?
Just as the thought crossed my mind, Lee Jiyeon slowly began to speak again.
“...I’m truly sorry.”
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[Sorry?]
Suddenly?
As I reacted with confusion, Lee Jiyeon raised her gaze from the floor, where she had been staring to avoid looking at me.
Her dark green eyes settled on me, trembling as if shaken by an earthquake.
...Was it because of my appearance?
‘Ah.’
I unconsciously swung my legs. My short, stunted legs didn’t even reach the floor.
Come to think of it, I looked quite different from when Lee Jiyeon last saw me.
Back then, my hair had been a bizarre mix of white and black, like an animal shedding fur. Now, it was completely white.
And my body had regressed to this childlike state.
I wasn’t exactly in a normal condition myself.
“That time... that time... I ran away and left you behind. I turned my back on you, terrified, just to save myself...”
Lee Jiyeon rambled incoherently, her voice trembling uncontrollably.
It seemed she felt guilty about fleeing during the incident in China, leaving me behind.
“I shouldn’t have run away... I should’ve stayed, even if it meant dying together... But instead, I... because of me, you...”
Her haggard appearance now seemed to reflect the toll of her guilt. She couldn’t stop apologizing and berating herself.
Suddenly, fragments of the original story surfaced in my mind.
Lee Jiyeon.
The eldest daughter among two sons and a daughter under Lee Jia, the 11th head of the Taesan Clan.
The designated heir of the Taesan family and an Awakened of Taesan.
A future head of the Taesan Clan, which mass-produces the ingredients for artificial elixirs.
From a young age, she had been showered with elixirs and provided with top-notch early education through the family’s accumulated knowledge.
Her talent was extraordinary, and her skills had grown rapidly, earning her the top spot at Siyoram Academy.
Even now, she was on a steep growth curve, hailed as a future rising star.
Her background was impeccable.
If humanity were lined up, she’d undoubtedly be at the very top, a rare gem.
“Sorry... I’m so sorry... because of me...”
But contrary to her privileged background, Lee Jiyeon’s mental state was fragile, plagued by insecurities and inferiority complexes.
In the original story, whenever the affection meter with Lee Jiyeon increased, her psychological state consistently displayed traits like "Strong on the outside, weak on the inside," "Inferiority complex," and "Jealousy."
Considering Taesan Awakened are known for their emotional balance, her case was particularly unusual.
It might seem absurd, but given her environment, it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.
And it wasn’t an insurmountable flaw either.
If she could overcome her deflated self-esteem, Lee Jiyeon could become a reliable and devoted ally.
She had proven as much in the first playthrough.
During that time, I had formed a strong bond with Lee Jiyeon, pursuing various side stories and significantly increasing her affection level.
In the end, she had stayed by my side, one of the comrades who stood with me until the moment of my death.
[It’s fine.]
[Really, it’s okay...]
But right now, I had no skill to help her overcome her inferiority complex.
Lee Jiyeon seemed so consumed by guilt that her very surroundings felt oppressive and gloomy.
It was fortunate we were in a private room on the upper floor of the café. If this had happened on the open first floor, it would’ve sparked some annoying rumors...
[I hope you won’t torment yourself so much.]
[I don’t regret the decision made back then.]
[Thanks to you, a lot of people survived, didn’t they?]
[I owe you as well.]
I tried to comfort her as coherently as I could.
It might be an improper thought, but Lee Jiyeon’s current state seemed very precarious...
[In the end, I survived, and you’re safe too...]
[So please don’t worry about my current state.]
[I’ll return to normal soon.]
Perhaps my efforts worked, as a faint light returned to her once lifeless, fish-like eyes.
‘...Exhausting...’
I silently breathed a sigh of relief.
For someone like me, not great with words, this had been an overwhelming ordeal...
.
.
.
A little while later.
Lee Jiyeon seemed to have finally calmed down, sipping her coffee through a straw.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, likely from the realization of her earlier outburst.
She gingerly opened the clasp of her confession necklace.
[...How about you?]
[Are you okay, senior?]
‘Uh...’
The confession necklace clicked into place.
Her curt voice filled the room, and it wasn’t until after she spoke that I realized how strange the question was.
She was asking if I was okay, but even a casual glance at Lee Jiyeon made it obvious she was absolutely not okay...
“Ah... Thank you for worrying about me. But I’m fine. My injuries healed a long time ago... It’s just that I haven’t been sleeping well lately...”
She let out an awkward laugh, her lips curving into a forced smile.
"Your perceptive ability is amazing. It’s not usually this precise..."
The contrast between her reassuring smile and her clearly unwell appearance only emphasized her fatigue.
Unaware of this, Lee Jiyeon continued sipping her coffee through the straw.
‘She says she can’t sleep, yet she’s drinking coffee...?’
I couldn’t help but hold back the expression threatening to creep onto my face.
On the table in front of her were several empty plastic cups, all drained of their contents.
Even for someone with the body of a superhuman, especially a Taesan Awakened, the amount of coffee she had consumed was staggering.
It was far more than someone who claimed to be sleepless should be drinking...
I decided not to comment on it and took a sip from my own straw.
A cool liquid filled my mouth.
It wasn’t coffee—it was orange juice. I wanted to ask why I didn’t get coffee, but I swallowed the question along with the juice.
Instead, I brought up the reason we were meeting.
[Did you see the application email I sent?]
[I just sent it earlier...]
“Oh! Yes, yes, I checked it. That’s actually part of why I wanted to meet...”
Lee Jiyeon’s voice trailed off.
Her peculiar response made me tilt my head.
[Do you already have someone else in mind?]
“No, I was considering you, Lee Hayul.”
Her words instantly brightened my mood. I’d been worried she might reject me, but it seemed she had also been planning to choose me.
“It’s just... I’m a little concerned...”
[Concerned? About what?]
“Well... To be honest, I don’t think I have anything to teach you...”
Lee Jiyeon averted her gaze, rolling her eyes before taking another sip of her coffee.
“From what I saw in China, it’s clear you’re far superior to me...”
‘Hmm...’
Her words made me pull a strange expression.
Superior to her...
There were many areas where that might be true, but when it came to combat, I doubted I’d lose.
That wasn’t arrogance—it was a cold, rational judgment.
When I had been lacking in fundamentals, it might not have been obvious. But once I built a solid foundation, the breadth of techniques and abilities at my disposal began to shine.
My inherent traits of Versatile Genius and Magic Affinity.
The magical manipulation, strengthening techniques, combat skills, magic, and spirit magic I had learned and mastered through them...
The ever-expanding capabilities gained from my powers of Replication and Assimilation, which allowed me to copy both techniques and special abilities...
The Authority of Observation and the Authority of Space.
The durability boost and protective capabilities granted by the Proof of Protection prosthetic on my left arm.
The advanced applications of the Sky Wings, which had grown significantly more powerful...
I had so many tools at my disposal. It was easy to exploit weaknesses or nullify an opponent’s attacks.
During the battle with the Two-Headed Venom Dragon, I had to hurriedly pull in a poison-resistant ability to survive.
While teaching isn’t limited to combat, in Siyoram—where the primary goal is becoming a hero—most instruction revolves around combat.
Given what Lee Jiyeon had witnessed during the dragon fight, it wasn’t surprising she thought this way.
[Thank you for the compliment, but please don’t say that.]
[There’s so much I can learn from you, senior.]
“...Really? Like what, for example?”
[There’s too much to list.]
[But if I had to pick one... experiencing your unique ability would be incredible.]
“Taesan, huh... I see...”
I managed to scrape together a response.
Lee Jiyeon nodded as if understanding, but at the mention of experiencing her Taesan ability, she flinched slightly.
‘?’
After a brief pause, as if in thought, Lee Jiyeon hesitantly asked, watching me closely.
“You’ve encountered Taesan before, right? What was it like?”
[Yes.]
[It’s an incredible unique ability.]
[Thanks to your help back then, I was able to conserve my strength.]
This wasn’t mere flattery.
At the time, while preparing for Spirit Transformation to escape the Two-Headed Venom Dragon, Lee Jiyeon had bought me the crucial time I needed.
Without her... the preparation process would’ve been far more complicated.
[Thank you.]
“No, really... I should be the one thanking you, a thousand times over...”
[I received a lot of help too.]
[Did you see it?]
[The pit where the Two-Headed Venom Dragon fell.]
“Yes... I visited it myself...”
[It was your quick judgment that made success possible.]
[If anyone had been nearby, even self-destruction wouldn’t—]
“Wait, what? Self-destruction...?”
Lee Jiyeon’s eyes widened in shock.
‘Oh.’
Her reaction, filled with disbelief, froze my mind for a moment.
In hindsight, my choice of words had been too hasty.
Self-destruction. While it wasn’t far from the truth... it didn’t mean I wanted to die.
My stuttering mind scrambled to recover.
[...No? Self-destruction? What are you talking about...]
“S-Self-destruction...”
I failed to smooth it over.
Lee Jiyeon’s mouth hung open, her exclamation heavy with despair and guilt.
The faint light that had just returned to her eyes darkened again.
‘Damn it.’
[...Damn it.]
The confession necklace clicked.