Among the two, Hyunwoo Choi was the first to speak.
“… You’re not of this world, what do you mean?”
Contrary to expectations, he was surprisingly calm.
I returned the answer to him with a small sigh.
“Literally.”
“Literally… .”
He looked at me with an unwavering gaze and asked me quietly.
“There are three assumptions that come to my mind right now… May I tell you one more time?”
I nodded.
Hyeonu Choi slowly spread his fingers and opened his mouth.
“First, when we met another us in Margo’s dungeon… At that time, Ji-hyeok as we know it was replaced with Yoo Ji-hyeok from another world instead.”
Second.
“A person who was originally dead, future, or past, but is with us now.”
Finally the third.
“If you are literally from another world, not this world.”
“… It’s the last case. This world is not the world I used to live in.”
Hyunwoo Choi quietly nodded at my words.
Han Soo-young was still looking at me without saying a word.
I had no idea what her dark red eyes were thinking.
“To continue the story, I don’t know why I fell into this world. I literally fell asleep and woke up and the world had changed.”
“Then how did you know this was a different world?”
I immediately answered Hyunwoo Choi’s question.
“I knew when I saw Aegis. Because in the world I used to live in, there was no such thing as a piece of land floating in the air.”
“… … .”
He nodded.
“When I first woke up, I was very confused. No one knows, the world has been turned upside down… .”
I took a small breath and continued speaking.
“The world I used to live in was a world where magic, hunters, heroes, and monsters didn’t exist.”
“… really?”
“yes.”
Choi Hyun-woo muttered as if he couldn’t believe it.
“There is such a world… ?”
“It’s hard to believe, but anyway.”
I sighed a little and muttered.
“Besides, in the original world, I was just a factory worker. Swords or bows, I’ve never held anything like that before.”
“Wait, you’ve never held a weapon before?”
As I nodded my head, Hyun-woo Choi looked at me with a question-filled gaze.
“But how… Is that possible?”
He didn’t think I was lying.
He was simply expressing his doubts purely.
“No, aside from the ability to simply handle weapons. It’s hard to think that Jihyuk is someone who doesn’t know anything about the things you’ve shown me. Perhaps… What else is there?”
“that… .”
I couldn’t help but hesitate at his question.
The fact that I came from another world and that this world is actually a world in a game.
The weight of these two was completely different.
‘… no.’
I couldn’t even get it out.
It was when I was about to open my mouth to cover up somehow.
[???’s hidden restrictions are revealed.]
[Your ??? becomes ???.]
[The above records will be deleted.]
“… As I fell into this world, I was able to get a rough idea of what the English language was about this world. Maybe that’s why.”
Hyunwoo Choi quietly nodded his head.
Something went wrong in my head, but now talking to these two was more important than anything else.
“Can I ask you just one question?”
Han Soo-young, who had been silent until now, quietly opened her mouth.
I nodded silently and looked at her as if to ask anything.
“You want to go back? back to the original world.”
“… … .”
But, despite my previous determination, I couldn’t answer.
And that alone seemed to be enough of an answer for her.
“Did the way you return have anything to do with the Seven Devils?”
“… okay.”
“It is, too.”
Han Soo-young closed her eyes as if to organize her thoughts for a moment.
She looked at me with eyes unsure of what she was thinking, just like when we first met.
“Then maybe that was the reason why you didn’t want to come closer to us in the first place? Are you from another world?”
“okay.”
“Do I have to go back someday? That’s why you didn’t want to settle for nothing?”
“… okay.”
“Why do you think you’re going to hurt us?”
Han Soo-young slowly folded her arms as if that was enough.
Then he mumbled quietly, making a face that he didn’t really like.
“You know I’m really mad at you right now?”
Saying so, she exhaled quietly.
“I will tell you this first. Hyeonu and I trust you unconditionally. I really believe you come from another world.”
… It’s really unbelievable, but believe it anyway.
Choi Hyun-woo, who was sitting next to him, nodded and agreed with her.
“Because you can’t lie about something like this. Because I believe in the years spent with you. I’m well aware that you can’t fool us by lying like this. We will always trust you.”
However.
“The reason I’m really upset is the fact that you’d probably keep this secret in your heart if it hadn’t been found out by anyone.”
She looked at me quietly.
“That day, Yeeun Lee, do you know what he heard from that person? He said to me, does Jihyeok know how much secret you are holding in your arms alone? Knowing that, would you be able to trust and support the child? I wonder if I’m just putting a burden on you on a topic you don’t know anything about.”
“ttt,” Han Soo-young clicked his tongue slightly.
“At first, I thought he was saying something like that just because we were of the same blood… .”
She muttered angrily and shook her head.
“… The fact that they are distant descendants of the World Tree would be a lie then?”
“right.”
I nodded and opened my mouth quietly.
“The one we fought that day was also the same Seven Devils as Margo. He had the power to penetrate people’s minds and manipulate memories. My senior and I had a fight with him.”
“Then it turns out that he saw your memories.”
“okay.”
“… And you told him the truth because you couldn’t hide it anymore in that situation. That person knew everything and even announced that he was his blood relative to help you. Am I right?”
I nodded.
Han Su-young hesitated for a moment and then asked in a cautious voice.
“Then what is it… Can you tell me when you came to this world?”
“About a month before I met you. Maybe then.”
“okay.”
Han Soo-young breathed a sigh of relief as if she was genuinely happy.
“Then maybe a red case or a thorn cross… Have you ever had anything to do with those guys? So I mean after I came to the academy.”
“There was nothing particularly big about it. It was just something they got caught up in when they raided.”
“I see… .”
Suddenly, Han Soo-young bowed her head and covered her face with both hands.
And then he kept saying, ‘I’m glad, I’m so glad… ‘ he started muttering.
After a while, she muttered in a wet voice, wiping the slightly reddened corners of her eyes.
“Anyway, I can’t forgive you.”
She looked at me with a look that seemed to burst into tears again at any moment.
“Did you really think we would cut ties with you that much?”
“No, I just… Since I was hiding something from you… .”
“Everyone has a secret!”
Han Soo-young said so and slammed the table with her palms violently.
Then he jumped up from his seat and cried out to me.
“Shall I tell you first? In fact, there was a time when I almost fell while staring at your back in your mock dungeon class!”
“What?”
What are you talking about?
It was when my eyes met with Han Soo-young, who was staring at me with her face dyed red.
“I have a few similar ones.”
Choi Hyun-woo gently raised his hand.
“Actually, I really like cartoons. So, there were times when I secretly imitated cool techniques and names from manga.”
Sooyoung and Master probably don’t know either.
He smiled and added.
“There were times when I wrote a romance novel in which I was the main character. I still have it.”
“I didn’t even tell you, but I sneaked out of the academy a few times. And every time that happened, I came back from the convenience store frantically inhaling food.”
The two continued to divulge their secrets.
Some of them were quite unfamiliar, but the two did not show any hesitation at all.
Han Soo-young, who had been telling secrets for a long time like a confession, suddenly looked at me.
“Of course, these must be such insignificant secrets that they cannot even be compared with the worries and secrets you would have had. But just, I mean… .”
“What Sooyoung wants to say is that if the relationship was going to be shaken to the extent that you had a secret, it would have been shaken sooner.”
Choi Hyun-woo listened to Han Soo-young’s words and looked at me.
With a strangely sad expression on his face, he said quietly to me.
“If the relationship was so shaky, didn’t you ever think that when you got involved in Margo’s dungeon in the first place, I wouldn’t have come to rescue you then?”
“right. Hyeonu, you spoke well.”
Han Soo-young nodded her head.
Then he suddenly reached out and grabbed me and began to force me to stand up.
Facing me, she said in a clear voice, as if not to forget.
“Now do you understand? You’ve been suffering like an idiot until now.”
“… … .”
“We will never leave you. I will always be your friend, and I will be with you for you.”
She squeezed and grabbed my hand.
Next to me, Hyunwoo Choi put his hand on my shoulder.
I just looked at them both.
“And now that the word has come out, I will tell you.”
Han Soo-young said so and raised her feet.
Then he groaned, pounding my forearm with his fist.
“Oh, I really don’t care! In times like these, you should bow down quickly!”
Suddenly, I bent down a little as she told me to, and her face came right next to my ear.
With her braids on, she whispered quietly into my ear.
“I don’t want to give up on you just because you come from another world.”
So don’t even think about making excuses for that.
Her voice was low and groaned.
“There now you are with us.”
you are not alone
So don’t push yourself too hard.
I closed my eyes at her words.
It was because they were shining so bright that I couldn’t even look at them.
It was a light that I couldn’t have.
* * *
“… So that’s how it happened.”
When I returned to the dormitory, I finished talking to Mandragora in the tank.
When the story was over, the guy started clapping violently in the tank.
“Somehow, I had a lot of trouble today, so I was given consideration to go in and rest first.”
“… … .”
Mandragora nodded as if it was right.
Staring at him for a moment, I picked up the presents from Choi Hyun-woo and Han Soo-young.
“Do you know what this is?”
“… … ?!”
Mandragora saw it and made a gesture of surprise.
The gift was none other than a fish.
It was the first time I saw it, but it seemed to be a fairly famous breed in this world.
Did they say that in this world, fish is a symbol of trust and friendship?
It is said that it is famous enough to appear in old stories to children, and it is also popular for ornamental purposes.
It is said that the blood of monsters is mixed there, and it is said that it has a strong body and emits a unique wave that calms the mind and body to those who see it, befitting the myth of a fragment of a spirit.
The two of them, on the way home, found this too, and said it was a gift for me, and they saved up money and bought it on the spot.
I couldn’t refuse the favor, so I had to accept it.
“I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you and brought your new housemate, but you won’t be very lonely on your own.”
“… … .”
Mandragora nodded slightly at my words.
As he was very interested in the spirit stone, he seemed to be quite interested in this fish that exudes the energy of the spirit.
“Come on, new friend. We get along well.”
I carefully released it, the size of the palm of my hand, into the tank.
Making a fish that swims in a large tank just looked at me with wonder.
“Ouch.”
I almost forgot, so I shook my head a little and pounded the tank.
Mandragora looked at me, and I coughed a little and looked at him.
“By the way, the date you were given your name was until today.”
“… !”
“I have a name in mind, but… .”
He wiggled his roots as if to tell me right away.
I thought it would be nice if they liked it, so I spit out the name I had been thinking about quietly.
“Raune.”
“… … .”
“How about Laune?”
The boy stared blankly at me.
Then he procrastinated, half-baked into the tank, and poked out the roots.
It was a sign of liking.
I smiled and grabbed his roots.
“I wish you all the best in the future, Laune.”
“… … !”
The boy moved his roots vigorously as if not to worry.
I couldn’t help but smile again at that sight.
I’m glad I came to this world.
For the first time on the other side of my mind, I was thinking that way without realizing it.