“eww… … .”
It seems that I forgot to sleep.
When he woke up, he was asleep, leaning against a tree, almost collapsing.
“Ahhh… .”
When I got up from my seat and relaxed my aching body, a yawn leaked out.
I checked the time and it was 4 in the morning.
Half a day had already passed since I waited.
I was camping in an unknown mountain right now.
No, the term homelessness might be more appropriate than camping.
Jin Ye-seul and I did not go back to the academy immediately after leaving the mansion, but after finishing preparations, we stopped at the mountain.
The reason was none other than the Shadow Walker’s legacy, ‘Scorpion’s Hoof’.
The place where you can get the scorpion’s hoof is a puzzle-type dungeon, where only one person can enter.
So, after making sure that Jin Ye-seul went into the dungeon, I was going to wait outside until she came out… .
It was as if I had fallen asleep without realizing it.
“Are you tired of walking around?”
Mumbling like that, he began to spin his still sore shoulders round and round.
If you think about it, it means that you haven’t slept properly for nearly two days.
He spent almost all the money he had saved up to buy the necessary ingredients.
If only the gems obtained through Cass Lyle were intact, half of the money could have been saved.
“Whoa.”
I sat back down in my seat and took a deep breath.
Maybe it was because it was early morning, the more I thought about it without realizing it, the more troubles came to my head.
… Now, I had to prepare for another Seven Evil species, Minerva.
And to catch Minerva, Jin Ye-seul was inevitably needed.
“… … .”
It was because only Jin Ye-seul was able to injure him with the only characteristic possessed.
So, on a festival day when all the conditions for waking up are met, he asks for a wound… That was the original plan.
However, it was none other than Margot and Sbangali that changed their plans in the middle.
They woke up in a different way than I knew.
There was no guarantee that Minerva wouldn’t either.
So, just in case, it was decided to give Jin Ye-seul all possible inheritance for now.
‘Come to think of it… .’
Like Margot, before Sbangali died, they shouted Ariman’s name and struggled.
… Perhaps Ariman was involved in their abnormal behavior.
That’s what I thought when I tried to ask him.
“Jihyuk, here is coffee.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Naturally, after receiving the coffee handed to me, I sip it and drank it.
I immediately looked to the side, wanting to do something, and Jin Ye-seul was sitting next to me, smiling heh heh.
There was coffee in her hand.
“… what?”
“yes?”
Jin Ye-seul looked at me as if something was wrong.
Then, startled and surprised, he asked me.
“Oh, maybe it’s because I haven’t been drinking all the time… ? At this time, there are no places other than convenience stores open… Even so, I added syrup and sugar as much as Jihyuk was drinking.”
Would you go back and buy it?
At her words, I glanced at the coffee she was holding.
Coming up here, all we had to prepare was a simple windshield, blanket, and a mat.
“Did you go down to the bottom of the mountain to buy this?”
“yes.”
“… why?”
Jin Ye-seul replied to that.
“Do you think Jihyuk wants you to drink? I was just going to wake him up, but he looked so tired, so I left him alone.”
“Oh yeah… .”
I just nodded my head at her words and sip my coffee.
Coffee surprisingly suited my taste.
As I continued to sip my coffee, Jin Ye-seul smiled a little.
Then he drank his share of coffee and could see his expression slightly distorted.
“what’s the matter?”
“… Oh, it’s too sweet.”
Jin Ye-seul muttered that her tongue was numb and propped it out of her mouth.
“Jihyuk did the same thing as you… Jihyuk really liked you sweet.”
She was a little embarrassed by her words and spit out an excuse as if she was giggling.
“What is that… I was told that I had to eat something sweet to relieve my fatigue. Maybe it’s because I didn’t eat a lot of sweets when I was young.”
“… … .”
At my words, Jin Ye-seul sighed and drank coffee without a word.
Then he rummaged through his arms and pulled something out and held it out to me.
“Oh, would you like to eat this? It’s chocolate.”
“yes? no. it’s okay.”
“… This is very sweet.”
She murmured as if something didn’t like my reaction.
Then he said to me as if he almost forgot.
“Oh. Ji-hyuk. Take this too.”
In her hand was a ring the size of a fist.
I knew it as soon as I saw it.
scorpion hooves.
It was the legacy of Shadow Walker.
“It’s an inheritance from the dungeon. It must be something special to eat.”
While saying that, Jin Ye-seul secretly took out the gauntlet and ring and handed it to me.
It was all the legacy of the Shadowwalker I passed on to her.
“Oh, and these too.”
“Why are you giving this to me?”
“uh?”
Jin Ye-seul looked at me as if he was asking me why.
Then he answered with a bright smile.
“Hey, now that Jihyeok is more ‘important’ to you than her inheritance?”
“… … .”
“All of these things are thanks to you, so it’s correct that Jihyuk gives you. I don’t like it anymore… It’s not up to now, but if Jihyuk needs you, I’ll return it to you anytime.”
For a moment, my heart was pounding, but fortunately I was able to not show anything.
It was because she had no idea that there was something more important than a miscarriage coming out of her mouth.
“No, just Yeseul, you use everything.”
“Uh, though… .”
“Because I’m really fine.”
“Ugh… .”
Even to my words, Jin Ye-seul showed a somewhat lukewarm response.
With that in mind, I added a word just in case.
“if not… Yesul, are you ignoring my heart now?”
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OK.
Jin Ye-seul’s complexion faded from blood in an instant and turned pale.
“Ahh… ! No, I’m like that… !”
She panicked and started to struggle.
Then, when the things he was holding fell, he hurriedly bent down to pick them up.
Then she staggered and her body tilted in an instant.
“Ah, ah!”
Soon, with a loud bang, Jin Ye-seul fell and hit her face on the ground.
The coffee cup also flew away and overturned, and she looked at me with an urgent expression instead of covering her nose and mouth with her hands as if in pain.
“Ji, Jihyuk… I’m really like that… .”
“No, I am sorry. I said something strange.”
He said that as he sat down in front of her shaking and trembling.
Then he picked up the estates that were rolling on the ground and put them in her hands.
Jin Ye-seul trembled, but accepted the legacy I gave her, and soon grabbed my collar with trembling hands.
“Let’s rest here for a while and go down when it calms down.”
“… yes.”
Jin Ye-seul nodded her head.
I hugged her gently.
As I looked down at her silently digging into my arms, I had no choice but to apologize.
* * *
[In a way, that is natural. You don’t have to worry too much though.]
Hearing my story, Sbangali muttered like that.
I asked the guy while rubbing the mop with a squeaking sound.
“Of course? Where? Is it natural for you to be scared by my words like a child and run after you?”
He flinched at my sharp reaction.
[Hey, calm down. I’ll explain, so don’t press me down for nothing.]
The guy let out a sigh as he continued mopping without a word.
[Isn’t this the point where your mind has just returned to normal? But before that, there have already been two or three incidents that will shake me mentally… On the contrary, it’s even weirder if you’re sane.]
“… … .”
[Not to mention, when I saw it from the side… It was because of you that miraculously escaped the almost mental breakdown. the only one there… No, should I say Yu? Anyway, the only people she trusted and relied on were you and her sister, but you know that she is dead, don’t you? Of course, you are overreacting to your words and actions and have no choice but to be more obsessed than usual.]
“So I’m not saying it’s my fault after all.”
[No, this… Ha, how do I convince this idiot?]
Hearing his words, a terrifying sound came from the mop sack.
“What?”
[No, uhm. So, I will explain it one more time so that even an idiot can understand it, so listen carefully.]
Sbangali opened her mouth quickly.
[Simply put, she was in a very vulnerable state mentally after her mental restrictions were lifted. Do you understand this far?]
“okay.”
[From my point of view, right after the restrictions were lifted, it was not unusual for her to take her own life at any time. But the reason she was able to endure and regain her self in such a situation, ironically, was because you were there by her side. And she was vaguely aware of that fact.]
[Did she say there were only two people I could count on? One of the people I could rely on in a situation where even my parents abandoned me has died.]
[But the one remaining… It’s a little cramped, but you literally stretched out a helping hand.]
In such a situation, do you think you will learn without becoming obsessive?
Hearing his question as if it was ridiculous, I just shut my mouth and continued mopping.
Sbangali murmured a crackling sound as if it wasn’t interesting to see it.
[By the way, do people think cleaning the toilet is corporal punishment? I think cleaning the place where they are staying is something they should rather be happy about.]
“If you won’t help, keep your mouth shut.”
[I want to help, but I don’t have the body… If you make a body, I can help you!]
Hearing Sbangali’s screams, I silently continued cleaning the bathroom.
… As the guy said, this was corporal punishment given to me.
Was it corporal punishment for not returning within the deadline set by the academy without permission?
Although there were documents from the student council president before, it was true that he hadn’t returned for a very long time, so there was no excuse whatsoever.
Thankfully, that was the end of the bathroom cleaning.
Leaving the academy without permission was a matter that could even lead to expulsion.
Fortunately, there was no damage to Jin Ye-seul.
In one way or another, her family was quite famous, so it could be seen that there were very few people who did not know about Jin-jeong’s death.
Thanks to this, she was able to return to the academy without being questioned, and instead I had to clean the bathroom in the name of a penalty.
… In fact, I thought I was lucky that it ended like this.
but… .
“Ugh, Mr. No matter what kind of cleaning you do, there is no end… .”
After mopping and cleaning with water for over three hours, the dust was almost gone.
Cleaning the bathroom on holidays when everyone else goes to play.
It was time to spit inside and grab the mop again.
“Oh, I was here!”
“… yes?”
I wondered if I could hear the clattering of shoes, and then Jin Ye-seul was standing right next to me.
In her arms were drinks and wrapped sandwiches and hamburgers.
“I brought you something to eat and drink, let’s eat this together.”
“no. Yeseul. This is the men’s restroom.”
“… Why?”
She tilted her head and then nodded her head as if understanding.
“Oh, you want me to clean together? I was just here to help.”
“No, first, let’s get out of here and talk. Because no one else can see it.”
With those words, I grabbed Jin Ye-seul’s wrist and walked out of the bathroom.
For now, I should give her a few words of caution, when I was thinking about it.
“… Why are you coming out with me?”
A cold voice came from the side.
“ah.”
… finished.
* * *
“No, Sooyoung. Where are we going for a walk now?”
“Be quiet and listen to this.”
Han Soo-young handed a thermos bottle of coffee to Choi Hyun-woo, who was grumbling.
It was filled with sweet coffee that Yoo Ji-hyuk always drinks.
In addition, Han Soo-young nodded slightly as she grabbed a bag of snacks that could be easily eaten.
“Coffee is ready… I added a lot of syrup to the sugar. Snacks are complete… .”
If she had to pick just two things that Yoo Ji-hyuk had a hard time sympathizing with, it was her liking for a strange old-fashioned gag and her taste in coffee.
First of all, it was the things he liked, so he bought the book, studied the old man’s gags, and knew everything about how to make coffee.
“I’m bored with cleaning on the weekend, and I’m not going to go out there.”
“I know that… .”
“We also had a lot of stress while solving Master’s assignments for a while. So, this time, let’s take a break together and relieve some stress.”
“No, Jihyuk needs to clean, so he can’t take a break?”
Han Soo-young immediately responded to Choi Hyun-woo’s natural question.
“You can help. Of course I will help too.”
At her words, Hyun-woo Choi was at a loss for words.
“Master, I’m having a hard time… .”
“… If you don’t like it, I’ll do it myself. Give me what you are holding.”
Han Soo-young muttered helplessly, as if she had lost her spirit for a moment at Choi Hyeon-woo’s complaint.
When this wasn’t the reaction I expected, Hyunwoo Choi said, ‘What?’ looked like that.
“no. swimming. I was just joking. What will I be if you react like that?”
“But when I think about it, I feel like I’m being too selfish just like you said… .”
“no… .”
Choi Hyun-woo let out a small sigh at the look on her face that seemed to be really dead.
How can a person be so upset because I haven’t talked to him for a few days?
With that in mind, Choi Hyun-woo began to appease Han Soo-young.
“Of course it was just a joke. Come to think of it, Jihyuk must have been cleaning up until today, right? So this time we… It’s too much, let’s go out for lunch together next week. I found a shop that looks really good.”
“Is that so… ?”
The two moved on and continued their conversation.
Choi Hyun-woo began to comfort her by speaking skillfully so that she would not feel burdened.
“… Yes, and, as Sooyoung said, sometimes it is necessary to take a break and recharge. Let’s go ahead and make an appointment with Jihyuk. Also, starting next week, I have to take a class on magic, so if possible, hold a meeting after school and study separately… .”
“for a moment.”
Choi Hyun-woo, who continued to talk to relieve Han Soo-young’s feelings, immediately wondered why she was like this.
When he was almost at the place where Yoo Ji-hyeok was, Han Soo-young suddenly started walking at a fast pace.
Choi Hyun-woo followed her without knowing English.
and… .
“ah.”
He could see Yoo Ji-hyuk and Jin Ye-seul coming out of the bathroom together.
In fact, anyone looking at it would have known that Yoo Ji-hyuk was taking Jin Ye-seul out of the bathroom, who had just entered the bathroom.
but… .
“… Why are you coming out with me?”
However, it was not Han Soo-young.
Choi Hyun-woo could feel the sudden rush of fatigue.