Gaiden ― Later story (5)
When we returned to the student council room, the only person left there waiting for us was Yeeun Lee.
No, there was a bit of embarrassment in saying that she was the only one.
Because Nam Hyeon-hwa, Horie Yuzuki, and Lydia had left, there was someone else at the table.
“Come.”
“… … !!!”
Yeeun Lee said as she pulled out her long, slender fingers that were sticking out as if tickling Laune.
It looked like he was playing with Laune while we were away.
Laune, who found me, flashed and lifted the roots that were hanging like hands, and immediately started running towards me.
“Raune.”
I quickly reached out my hands and accepted the body of the guy who jumped up to me without hesitation.
Laune rubbed her body, then immediately climbed onto my body and sat on her shoulder as if she was used to it.
“It’s been a while, Master.”
When Lee Yu-na smiled and waved her hand, Laune also wobbled and shook her roots.
And the guy floundered, grabbed my hair, climbed up and settled on the top of my head.
“… You always look so friendly. I am now the one shaking hands as we greet each other.”
Yeeun Lee looked at me and Laune like that and muttered as if it was strange.
It was Laune, whom everyone was reluctant to except me, so she seemed unaware of the fact that even that much was a huge improvement.
By the way, the people that Laune opened up to are Yeeun Lee and Yuna Lee.
Was it like these two?
“Laune, are you doing well?”
“… … !”
As if Raune answered yes to my question, she tapped my head.
Lee Yu-na, who was staring at him, muttered in a low voice.
“It’s like that chef-loving mouse from a cartoon.”
Lee Yu-na once again spoke in a voice so low that even me, who was right next to her, could not understand.
“… I wish I could manipulate it like in the cartoon so that I don’t sell my other eyes anymore. Don’t let anyone else be attracted to you. There are still four more, but I’m afraid I’m going to die… .”
“… … ?”
“Oh, no. it’s nothing. Master.”
After muttering like that, Yoo Na was startled and waved her hand as if it was nothing.
Yeeun Lee stared at Laune and me with her chin clenched and straightened her posture and said,
“How are you feeling?”
After thinking for a moment, I nodded slowly.
“Yes. Now I can feel it in my body.”
To that, Yeeun Lee responded with a smile.
“I’m glad.”
There was good reason for her to react like that.
In fact, it was because Laune was not playing pranks on me right now, but was giving me the energy purified from her body.
Laune.
A mandragolaisa spirit artificially created by Sbangali of the Seven Evils.
It was a relationship that came to be with me accidentally, but he was also a guy who was always by my side when it was dangerous or needed.
When I think of waiting for 300 years, starting with taking away my body generously, I naturally had no choice but to save the guy.
“… … .”
Also, while with me, Laune suddenly became a being with a unique history that mixed with the energy of the Seven Evils, spirits, world trees, and even my energy.
And Yeeun Lee did not miss that point.
Now, Raune would leave like this several times and follow Yeeun Lee to the territory of the World Tree.
What the guy who went there did was very simple and clear.
It was about accepting the power and energy that radiated from the world tree just below it and refining it within oneself.
There were two reasons for that.
The first was the issue of Laune’s lifespan.
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Originally, Raune was destined to not live long, and Sbangali, the creator and parent who created it, had asserted.
It was also because the reason Laune was created was to kill someone, and he himself admitted that he had designed it so that he would die if he uttered a single shout.
In fact, when I first met him, he was very interested in seeing Laune who was still alive.
Even that wasn’t enough, sometimes he cut off a part of his body and gave it to me or handed over his own fruit… .
Now that I think about it, it was a terrifying memory.
When I found out that the fact that he was so obsessed with the Spirit Stone was actually to replenish his depleted energy, and even in the midst of that, he was obsessed with complexity for a while because of the guy who never showed a sign of regret to me.
Fortunately, however, we were able to find a way to solve all the problems.
It was the world tree.
By accepting the power and energy of the World Tree, Raune was able to nurture her own strength and existence, not just by replenishing her depleted energy.
It was to find a way to adapt to the World Tree and to receive its energy by being parasitic on the World Tree with Sbangali for over 300 years.
The second reason was none other than me.
It’s not that serious, but compared to the past, my strength was definitely weakened.
And everyone, including Yeeun Lee, took that fact seriously.
I still don’t know what Yeeun Lee was talking about with Laune.
However, after talking with her, Laune voluntarily followed her to the realm of the World Tree on a regular basis, sharing with me the energy that had been refined there.
“Oh. Ji-hyuk. This is the suggestion that Yuzuki Horie and Hyunhwa Nam made a while ago… .”
“Oh, yes.”
“Have you already made a decision?”
I shook my head at Yeeun Lee’s question.
“Not yet. It’s not a matter to draw a simple conclusion on, so I’m still thinking about it. Horie-san also said that it was okay to take your time and return the answer.”
“okay… .”
Yeeun Lee nodded her head.
“That’s right, it’s not a light proposal, so take your time and think about it slowly. After thinking carefully, for a long time… .”
Amber eyes stared at me.
“Ji-hyuk wants you to turn down the offer.”
“Well.”
I sat down and looked at Yeeun Lee as if to explain.
Then she smiled slightly and opened her mouth.
“Yeah, I had my own position, so I couldn’t immediately refuse. More than anything else, I didn’t want to give you the feeling that I was going to go out and buy you, or that Jihyuk was hiding behind me.”
With a fresh and beautiful smile, she smiled playfully at me.
“And above all else, didn’t you have a reason? Besides, I can’t be rude to the person who even brought a wedding invitation, and Sooyoung and Choi’s master came with me, so of course I have to save face here.”
Saying that, she had the face of the Lee Ye-eun I had known before, the cool, rational, and well-disciplined head of the World Tree.
“Lee Myung-jun, that person didn’t seem like the real thing, but he was weak. I purposely made it so that the intention of this person can be clearly understood so that I can’t even get angry… Umm, I guess that’s why I was able to weave those ten strong personalities into one and lead them.”
Saying so, she slowly placed her hands on the table.
Then he tapped the table with his fingers and gave me a smile.
“hand.”
I quietly held out my hand.
She clasped her hands tightly as if weaving mine and her own.
Then, a branch of the world tree pierced out of her arm and began to get entangled in my arm.
“where… Let’s take a look at our patient’s condition. If you feel sick or uncomfortable, please let us know at any time. Don’t worry, I’ll give you an injection so it won’t hurt.”
I let out a small sigh at the sight of her growling and whispering in a soft voice.
“Lord.”
“Ike, it’s not the older sister, but the head of the family. I’ll stop joking around now.”
Ye-eun Lee slightly pulled out her tongue, then wiped the playfulness from her face.
She quietly closed her eyes and started concentrating on just breathing evenly, and then I felt a strange feeling as if something was ripping through every nook and cranny of my body.
“eww.”
It was a feeling I never got used to.
There is no one who can recognize my physical condition better than her, but even with this sensation, I could not welcome this time.
“… Yes, it’s over.”
With those words, Yeeun Lee slowly opened her eyes.
His hand was still holding.
“Tell me honestly.”
She nodded slowly.
Lee Yu-na, who was sitting next to me, was also looking at us with a nervous expression.
“… First of all, Jihyuk, you are definitely weak. You know that too, right?”
I nodded.
“However, it means that Jihyuk is weak by your standards. To be honest, there are only a handful of people in the world who can deal with you at your level. … No, I may have misunderstood what you just said. It doesn’t mean that you can win, just how far you can face it. okay… Jihyuk, you are still strong.”
She added quietly.
“Are you going to be extreme? Ji-hyeok, even now, if you put your mind to it, it will be enough to destroy any country.”
Ye-eun let out a small laugh.
“But it was stronger in the past.”
“… It was.”
I meekly agreed to her words.
Yeeun Lee continued speaking without wiping her smile as if she was happy.
“Still, I don’t know if it’s because of Liune, or if it’s because of something else, but my inner energy has been greatly shaken, and I have recovered a lot of stability. If you keep recuperating like this for a few more days, you’ll be fine.”
“Then I’m glad… .”
As I answered, I was stunned for a moment and stopped talking.
It was because Yeeun Lee’s fingers were slowly moving and playing with her hands, such as scratching the back of my hand or tickling her palm.
It was a very clever hand play performed from an invisible angle to Yuuna.
“… … .”
“Yeah, let’s keep an eye on the status quo.”
As if she didn’t know anything, she was smiling with a benevolent smile.
Her fingers were still twitching.
But I couldn’t get out of her grip.
It was because the World Tree took the form of top-down clothes, and if you were to follow the ranking as a World Tree, she was clearly above me.
Unless she allowed me, while her world tree and mine were connected, I couldn’t wiggle.
how to get out
Just like when I took the form of a child in front of her in the old days, I was thinking of closing my eyes and saying, ‘No, I don’t like it.’
“… … !!!”
“Aww!”
Laune, who jumped out of my head, slapped Yeeun Lee’s hand on the back of her hand until it made a clicking sound.
Enraged, Raune continued to point her fingers at Lee Ye-eun, who grabbed the hand that had been beaten in a furious manner.
“… … ! … … !!!”
[Oh my God, where else did you learn such swearing?]
Every time Raune uttered a silent cry, Sbangalli continued to add chumsae as if it were absurd.
Meanwhile, a hand protruding from under the table grabbed my arm tightly.
“Hey!”
“Minerva?”
Lee Yu-na stepped back, as if she had seen a ghost, and I, too, was startled.
Minerva spoke to me with only one arm outstretched.
[…] You.]
“uh. uh.”
[Why did you stay still?]
Minerva said in a hoarse voice as if shooting at me.
[The blonde girl today, the previous one, and just before… !]
[Isn’t it okay if you don’t get involved with a woman for even a day? Do I have to cut off her love for her so that her personality can be released? The real woman is staying right next to me like this in order to avoid overdoing you!]
“Minerva. Calm down for a second.”
[How can a real woman calm down, day by day! Daily! While doing such a thing in front of the real woman who endures for you!]
After a while she muttered in a trembling voice.
[…] Could it be that you hate your real woman now?]
“What?”
[Is that so? It’s the fact that I didn’t want to see my mother-in-law… ? So, are you doing this to harass your real woman? ?]
She now began to mumble in a muffled voice.
[Now the real woman is Gero behind the scenes… Who said that, if you dedicate yourself, you will become a devoted partner. That’s just how it is. She is now nothing more than a devoted partner to you.]
It’s crazy, really.
It was the first time Minerva had died like this.
After contemplating what to do, I exhaled briefly and raised my head.
Looking at Lee Ye-eun, who was still listening to Lee Yu-na and Laune, who were still in embarrassment, I exhaled briefly.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
With those words, he went straight into the shadows.
“Hey, darling?! How is it here… .”
Minerva was startled that he didn’t know if I would come into the shadows, and then let go of the hand that was holding my arm.
Seeing that the corners of her eyes were slightly wet, I quietly called out her name.
“Minerva.”
“Ugh… uh, what Now, if the real woman knows how to go beyond such useless words with just a few words, it would be a big mistake!”
I took one more step towards her, who waved her hand as if to go away.
Then she took a step back as far as I came.
“Uh, what is it? Don’t come close to your wife.”
“Minerva, look here.”
“I don’t like it… I didn’t tell you to go away, whoops!”
She tried to get away from me, but before I knew it, my hand grabbed her wrist.
It was the exact opposite of what it was before.
“Put this down… !?”
I pulled her up and hugged her in my arms.
And immediately bow your head… .
* * *
“I’m so sorry, Minerva.”
“… … .”
“I must have been fooling you without knowing it. Because you always understood me well… I was so indifferent Will you accept my apology?”
Minerva nodded without a word.
She was sullen and her head bowed, her face glowing red with a glimpse.
“Where shall we go to play together later? Or even fight together… .”
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Even if you don’t care… .”
She answered with a blank face.
“Oh, no. No, I want to go play with you after all… .”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing at the sight of her hesitating.
At the sound of my laughter, she let out a small pained sound.
“Then where do you want to go, what do you want to do, Minerva? I will do whatever you want.”
“… Is it true?”
“then. Why would I lie to you, Minerva?”
At that, she nodded and shook her head.
I whispered to her who was still in my arms.
“Can I just go? The story isn’t over yet.”
“Hey, let it be… My wife, I want to rest for a while.”
With those words, I carefully let her go.
Minerva staggered slightly and fell off me.
“I’ll go then, Minerva.”
“Yes… .”
Minerva still nodded her head blankly and saw me off.
Her hands were endlessly fiddling with her curled tail.
“Hi oppa.”
When I came out of the shadows like that, the first thing that greeted me was none other than Gina.
Next to him was Jessul.
“It’s sudden, but I have a request.”
With those words, she lifted something with her fingers and showed it to me.
It was none other than a car key.
“Could you please drive me?”
“okay.”
That’s about it.
Thinking if there was something he wanted to say, Jina whispered to me with a slightly reddened face as he held out his head together.
“… At least do that at night, brother. I got scolded for being shy, really.”
“What?”
As soon as she asked what she meant, Gina bit her lip and said.
“… I’ve seen it all. Like my brother, no. Have you already forgotten that I said you have a stronger insight than your brother?”
“… … .”
I want to die.
That was the only thought that came to mind.