26 – Graduation Ceremony (1)
“Please sign here.”
He handed her the paper, and Yeoul scrabbled her name onto it.
“Yes, all done. Please note that Song Yeoul is determined to be in the lowest rank of returnees due to the unique case of having no magic ability.”
“I understand.”
She didn’t really care about the classification of returnees, so it didn’t matter to her.
“The ID card and returnee certificate will be delivered to your home within a few days. Please make sure to receive them in person.”
“Yes.”
“And here, don’t forget to take the smartphone.”
Yeoul took the smartphone. It was one of the welfare benefits she could receive as part of the settlement support policy for returnees.
Finally, Yeoul had a means of communication with others.
After completing the procedures for resuming her identity and registering as a returnee.
Yeoul left the building with Ryeowoon by her side.
“Oppa, give me the phone quickly.”
Yeoul handed her the smartphone. Ryeowoon familiarly registered her phone number and handed it back to her.
“This is my number. Got it?”
A contact saved simply as ‘Dongseng’ (sister).
It was the first time someone else’s contact was registered in Yeoul’s address book.
“Now I can truly say that I’ve returned, Oppa.”
A lot has happened during the past week. I wonder if other returnees also go through such a difficult return process. Maybe, I could be certain that it won’t be so.
“Since we’ve come this far, let’s do everything we can before going in.”
Le Ryun held Oppa’s hand.
At first, it was embarrassing, but after they shared a drink together, it became awkward for her not to hold his hand.
Oppa’s rough hand. Feeling its touch, Le Ryun led the way.
* * *
Opened a bank account. Bought plenty of clothes. Anyway, after finishing everything we could do, the siblings returned home with their hands full of baggage.
“Ugh, it was tough.”
Yeo Ul looked at his younger sister who was massaging her own shoulders and couldn’t help but be impressed with how fragile she seemed despite being 16.
Compared to her, he had spent ten years in this alternate world and was in a state where he had no common sense or even social skills.
He thought that he would need his sister’s help a lot in the future.
“The days have already become like this….”
Le Ryun said while looking at the calendar.
In no time, it was the end of the year, and Christmas was just around the corner.
And tomorrow, which was marked with a big red circle on the calendar.
It was Le Ryun’s graduation ceremony.
Naturally, he planned to attend as her older brother.
But suddenly, one thought occurred to him.
Most of the other children’s parents would also participate.
If he, as her older brother, went to the graduation ceremony alone and got ignored by her friends, it would be incredibly embarrassing.
It seems like Yeo Ul thought that he should find someone to go with him.
After finishing packing, and having a meal, it was almost time to sleep.
As always since that day.
Le Ryun, with her hesitant attitude, asked her brother.
“Oppa…. tonight, will we also sleep together…?”
While wondering about her younger sister, who always asked if they would sleep together, every day.
Yeo Ul nodded as if it was natural.
That night, once again, Yeo Ul had to become Le Ryun’s temporary husband until she fell asleep.
* * *
The next day.
Ryowoon, who had finished preparing early, left for school first.
After she left, Yeoul knocked on the door of the next house.
Soon, Soyoung opened the door and greeted him.
“Um… what’s going on, Miss Yeoul…?”
Her golden hair, swollen like a lion’s mane in the morning, seemed to have eaten something and swollen her face slightly, as she blinked her eyes and asked Yeoul.
“It’s nothing special. I was asking if you could come with me to my younger sister’s graduation ceremony today.”
“… ?”
A graduation ceremony on a morning when the cold wind blows. And today of all days?
It was a very sudden statement, but for some reason, she thought it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that Yeoul had asked her to accompany him.
It felt somewhat like family.
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As she tried to recall if she had any plans for today, she realized that she was planning to rest at home all day, so she nodded her head to Yeoul, conveying her acceptance.
Her ears twitched in response to her movement.
“Then could you come to the front of my house in about an hour?”
“Yes, sure…”
Soyoung went inside to prepare for going out.
As Yeoul wondered if there was anyone else he could call…
He took out the tele-orb from his pocket and activated it with the magic power that Ryowoon had previously stored.
But for some reason, it didn’t connect.
If she couldn’t reach him for three more calls, Yeoul decided that he would go see her right away.
Three.
Two.
One.
Just as Yeoul was about to swing his sword and cut through space…
“Ye, Yeoul-nim…?”
Yeoul received the call from Ulrike, her face worn out.
“I’ll recite the address, so be here within an hour.”
Regardless of what she was doing, Yeoul recited her home address. Since he was calling her anyway, he thought of using her as a knight to accompany him to school.
“Yes, yes…? What’s all this about….?”
Startled like a lightning bolt striking a dry sky while she was still half asleep, Ulrike asked in confusion…
“Come with me.”
-Ah, I understand…
Her face, shining through the mist, had a smile on it, tinged with fear.
* * *
“Am I really okay to go…?”
She fumbled with her clothes awkwardly as she murmured, neither family nor close friends.
A little while ago, she had been happy to go with Yeoul, but upon reflection, she realized that she and his brother, Ryowoon, were only acquaintances.
But thinking that she was going to his graduation ceremony, something…
“It’s okay.”
Yeoul had called her, thinking that it would be better to go with more people rather than alone.
“If Yeoul thinks so, then I suppose it’s alright.”
She smiled faintly as if she had been silently acknowledged. The tail of her coat fluttered. One could guess that it was wagging vigorously.
“But how are you planning to go to school? You’ve just been waiting…”
“It’s about time for me to come.”
“Come? What…?”
In her questioning eyes, she saw a long limousine.
Oh, there’s a car like that. She found it fascinating, but somehow, the limousine seemed to be getting closer to her and Yeoul.
“Uh, uh…?”
The limousine stopped in front of them. Soon, a man who seemed to be the driver got out of the front seat.
“Are you the companions of Ms. Ullicke? She has been waiting for you.”
The elderly man opened the door to the long backseat. Inside sat a female elf dressed in a suit, Ullicke.
“You’re late.”
Yeoul said to Ullicke. When she heard his voice, her legs gave out in fear.
She was grateful that she was sitting in her seat right now, so she didn’t show her embarrassment.
“Ah, hahahaha… Please come in first.”
Although the words “I’m sorry” were on the tip of her tongue, she couldn’t bring herself to show a humble attitude in front of the driver. She tried to smile as she guided Yeoul into the car.
“Beside me…”
She almost blurted out the word “beast” when she saw Soyeong standing next to him, but she managed to swallow it just in time.
“…Is that person also a companion?”
“Yes.”
I almost caused a big problem… If I had committed the disrespect of insulting our companion, I could only imagine what would happen… The thought made the scene before me blur.
“W, w-what? You know Miss Yeoul…?”
Meanwhile, Soyeong was in a state of confusion. She had never imagined that the limousine, which she believed she could never come into contact with, belonged to an elf who seemed to be acquainted with Yeoul.
It even seemed like it was meant to be used like a taxi.
“Yes. I know her. Please get in.”
Yeoul casually boarded the car.
Soyeong still couldn’t understand the situation.
W-what? She got into the car without even knowing English?
The seats that gently enveloped her back were on a completely different level of comfort than the cars she had ridden in until now.
Indeed, this is luxury….
Leaving her, who was immersed in the unexpected feeling of happiness, behind, Ulrike asked Yeoul a question.
“By the way, may I ask why you asked me to come out…?”
Since they were now separated by the driver’s seat and the back seat, she knew that her words wouldn’t reach the driver, so she asked him defiantly with all her might.
When the young and beautiful woman humbled herself before Yeoul, Soyeong was surprised once again, but Yeoul replied to Ulrike without hesitation.
“My younger sister is having her graduation ceremony, and she invited you to come along.”
“Really…?”
“Let’s head this way.”
Yeoul mentioned the name of the middle school. Ulrike’s expression seemed to turn into a desperate one.
Why am I, the CEO of a large company, in such a position….
“Hurry.”
But she didn’t have the courage to rebel against him.
She pressed the button to communicate with the driver and told him to go this way.
The old driver seemed curious as to why she was going to a middle school since the morning.
And so, the limousine departed towards Ryeoun Middle School in a hodgepodge manner.