Chapter 55 (Continued)

 

Not that I expected a passionate response in the first place.

 

This world was full of mysterious forces like The Hole, magical beasts, and magic power.

 

It wouldn’t be too hard to accept an unknown entity like Geumyang.
But still.

 

“We’ll have to learn more about it.”

 

Those words carried a lot of meaning.

 

It wasn’t something easily believable, so she must have had many questions and doubts.

 

She was probably just reacting calmly out of consideration for me.

 

But really.

 

“…By the way, why are you smiling?”

 

“Aside from the story, it was funny watching you desperately trying to explain.”

 

Baek-seo tilted her head to the side, responding with a warm, sincere smile. It was far from her usual fake smile.

 

“You really didn’t want me to misunderstand you, did you?”

 

She looked somewhat relieved.

 

“Of course. You’re my closest ally. I don’t want to hide anything from you.”

 

A precious close ally and someone I wanted to be with in the future.

 

I was willing to share everything with Baek-seo, except for my game knowledge and the contents of the Jipbakguri folder.

 

“That’s a sweet thing to say.”

 

Baek-seo lowered her gaze and closed her lips for a moment. What was she thinking?

 

After a moment, as if she had made up her mind, Baek-seo looked into my eyes again.

 

“Leader.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“I still have something I haven’t told you.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I’ll tell you someday when I’m ready.”

 

“…”

 

‘I didn’t expect her to say that.’

 

I thought about it while finishing the remaining lime mojito.

 

‘It must be about the engraving.’

 

What came to mind was the magic engraving on Baek-seo’s shoulder.

 

The symbol of the elite unit, Spartaoi, which performed black ops.

 

A magical engraving naturally formed through a contract, which remained even after leaving Spartaoi.

 

However, it would naturally disappear if one expressed their intention to erase the Spartaoi engraving.

 

Seeing that the engraving was still on Baek-seo’s shoulder, she must have seen some value in keeping it.

 

‘She must think I don’t know what it means.’

 

Therefore, Baek-seo had a past she was hiding from me and a purpose she was aiming for.

 

So, the secret she mentioned she would tell me later was surely about her past as a Spartaoi.

 

“Take your time. It’s fine with me.”

 

“Yes… Thank you.”

 

I would have to wait for Baek-seo to feel comfortable enough to tell me.

 

As the atmosphere started to feel a bit awkward, I stood up.

 

“Let’s go back. It’s getting cold.”

 

“Right. It still doesn’t feel like summer.”

 

After finishing our light chat, we started heading home.

 

“But Leader.”

 

“Yes?”

 

“Are you going to sleep with that girl, Geumyang, today?”

 

“No, I told you, I’m not.”

 

***

 

“Hey, kid.”

 

It was dawn.

 

I was studying at my desk.

 

Geumyang, who had been lying on the bed reading a manga, spoke to me. She had returned from her labyrinth after Baek-seo left.

 

“We can’t talk now. I have exams soon.”

 

“I think I should tell you why I avoided the girl next door. If you’re not interested, then forget it.”

 

Screeech.

 

I turned my chair to look at Geumyang.

 

I had to hear this.

 

“You respond so quickly. I like that.”

 

“Go ahead. Why did you avoid her?”

 

The reason for the delay in introducing Geumyang was that from the start, Geumyang didn’t seem to like Baek-seo very much.

 

Over time, I realized it wasn’t just because she was shy.

 

Geumyang closed her manga after putting a bookmark in it and looked at the ceiling.

 

“Oh Baek-seo, that girl… she smells too much like human blood. She must have had a lot of blood on her hands.”

 

Geumyang’s mysterious golden eyes glanced at me.

 

“…Aren’t you surprised? It feels like a sudden twist in a youth comedy turning into a suspense thriller.”

 

“I’m surprised your nose is that good.”

 

If she had been a Spartaoi, she would have ‘cleaned up’ many heinous criminals.

 

It was easy to predict that her hands had been stained with a lot of blood.

 

It wasn’t a trivial issue, but it wasn’t shocking enough to cause me any real surprise.

 

“Boring guy. Well, whatever… Anyway.”

 

Geumyang sat up and looked at me seriously.

 

“That girl could be on the verge of breaking.”

 

“What?”

 

That sudden statement was enough to startle me.

 

Geumyang raised her right index finger and placed her left palm on top of it.

 

“She’s like a cheesecake precariously perched on a single chopstick. Right now, she’s holding on because you’re supporting her. If anything happens to you, she’ll undoubtedly resort to rough actions. That’s how desperate she is.”

 

“Why do you think so?”

 

“There’s something I can see in people who are on the verge of breaking. What’s the point of explaining metaphysical stuff?”

 

“…”

 

Given that Geumyang was a mysterious being who could sense Baek-seo’s bloodstained past, her words didn’t seem out of place.

 

I suddenly remembered Baek-seo from the game.

 

Outwardly kind and friendly, but underneath, she seemed like a dark and brooding person. She also had a resolute and ruthless side.

 

Of course, having a different exterior and interior was a common trait among modern people. However, Baek-seo’s facade was particularly severe, and her true nature seemed as dark as an abyss.

 

The memories from then and Geumyang’s words overlapped in my mind.

 

If I weren’t here, in other words, if there weren’t someone to support her.

 

Would Baek-seo have broken down?

 

“For some reason, she’s a pitiable girl.”

 

Geumyang said casually, as if talking about an acquaintance, while lightly shrugging her shoulders.

 

“That’s why I didn’t really want to see her. She’s bound to be obsessively attached to you.”

 

Thinking about the original Baek-seo from the game, I fell into deep thought.

 

“…Did I say something unnecessary?”

 

Geumyang turned her gaze towards me.

 

“…Ah.”

 

Realizing I had taken too long to respond, I shook my head.

 

“No… It was helpful. Thanks for telling me.”

 

“I’m glad. I’ll take my payment in the form of a cheesecake.”

 

Was that why she used cheesecake as a metaphor?

 

“I’ll buy it in the evening, so eat it.”

 

“Yay.”

 

Geumyang lay back down on the bed and resumed reading her manga.

 

I decided to keep in mind the information she had given me.

 

It seemed crucial to remember.

 

And about 30 minutes later,

 

“Yaaawn…”

 

Geumyang let out a long yawn.

 

“Kid, I’m going to sleep…”

 

“Aren’t you going back today?”

 

“These days, I like sleeping on this bed… I’ll leave space for you… Good night…”

 

Geumyang naturally covered herself with the blanket, leaving space for me, and fell asleep.

 

“…”

 

Silence fell.

 

As I returned to studying, Geumyang kicked the blanket away, so I pulled it back up to cover her properly.

 

Watching her sleep soundly, her words filled my mind again.

 

This year or next, for some reason, Oh Baek-seo would go missing.

 

The information I had gathered so far and what Geumyang had told me seemed to be related to Baek-seo’s disappearance.

 

I had a strong feeling that some unknown events, which I couldn’t know from the protagonist Lee Taesung’s perspective in the game, would soon unfold around me.

 

I needed to be prepared for that time.

 

My eyes darkened.

 

Memories of when Dalbi left my side surfaced.

 

I never wanted to repeat such an experience.

 

“….”

 

I would protect Baek-seo no matter what.

 

And I would crush anything that got in the way.