[I made it myself.]

Lee Hayul cocked his head and displayed the hologram, as if questioning what could possibly be wrong with what he had written.

Did Hong Yeon-hwa truly not understand what was wrong? Or more precisely, was she unaware of which part was shocking?

Hong Yeon-hwa blinked blankly for a moment before looking down.

The long, stretched-out scarf caught her eye. The soft texture firmly grasped in her hand was palpable.

It was a red scarf. She lifted it slightly and held it up against her nape.

‘This is…’

There are many kinds of red in the world. They may seem similar, but each red is distinctly different.

The red of the scarf was a shade similar to the glimpse of her hair in her peripheral vision.

Not just simply red but similar enough to feel a resemblance when placed alongside.

At first, it seemed coincidental, but upon closer inspection, the colors were strikingly alike.

Hong Yeon-hwa turned her gaze away from the scarf and looked up.

The moment she caught sight of Lee Hayul’s smiling face, it felt as if the world lit up like the morning sun pouring in through the window.

‘So cute.’

How could his smile be so blissfully pure? He was grinning foolishly, seemingly overjoyed.

Hong Yeon-hwa tried to calm her fluttering heart and asked,

“Thank you… You really made this yourself?”

[Yes.]

“When did you make it?”

[I made it yesterday.]

“Yesterday…? Are you talking about the day of the after-party?”

[Yes.]

Hong Yeon-hwa was lost in thought.

The time when Lee Hayul had asked if he could visit her was during the after-party. In other words, it was late at night when he had inquired.

Then when did he prepare this sick visit gift?

Before he knew she had missed the after-party that morning?

Before he even knew if she would allow a sick visit?

Or,

After getting her permission, did he start making it during the late hours following the after-party?

Hong Yeon-hwa subtly scanned Lee Hayul’s face. His foolishly beaming face. Cute…

‘No, that’s not the point.’

The shadows under his eyes caught her attention more than anything. Upon closer inspection, his entire face seemed more tired than before.

She glanced down at his hands. Both arms bore the marks of numerous trainings. The hands were telling, scarred countless times from ripping and healing.

And then she noticed the fresh scars, likely not long healed.

As someone who had undergone countless battles, she could recognize them.

They were not the wounds from swinging a sword or spear.

Not the kind from repeated punches. They looked more like injuries from needles or tiny scissors.

‘……’

The scarf laying in her hand felt incredibly heavy.

Seeing Lee Hayul’s joyous smile only intensified that feeling. He had given her a scarf he personally, painstakingly knitted.

And when she thanked him, he beamed with such happiness.

He looked as if he owned the world, not having received a gift but having given one.

Suddenly, her heart resonated with a different kind of pulse. The sensation was foreign to her weakened state.

It was guilt.

Hong Yeon-hwa possessed Gop-hwa, a truly troublesome ability.

The primary advantage of Gop-hwa was always its output.

Whether it was through the expansion abilities like Blooming, Evolution, and Holy Fire, the defining strength of Gop-hwa was its unparalleled output.

The problem was that this very output could harm its user so grievously.

Malfunctioning output could burn the owner alive, a maddening trait.

And it didn’t end there.

This exasperating Gop-hwa, with its side effects, would occasionally impose trials upon its owner.

It seems ludicrous for an ability to bring about a trial, but it’s a rite of passage for those growing with Gop-hwa.

The nature of these trials varied, but the first one was always the same.

It provoked the owner’s guilt.

It would unceremoniously dredge up memories from the past.

Mistakes made, pain inflicted on others, calamities caused by their own blunders.

From trivial to monumental.

It also tormented the user with illusions, an utterly dismal trial.

Hong Yeon-hwa was no exception.

Memories flickered past her. From her early steps as a toddler, each memory proceeded in turn.

Hong Yeon-hwa was impulsive and harsh with her words, but inherently, she leaned towards good nature.

She often threw punches, but there were always reasons behind those situations. In simple terms, those on the receiving end had it coming.

Sometimes she destroyed facilities? Those were minor mishaps that could be settled with personal funds.

Beyond that, memories that instilled guilt in her were limited to the horrors she witnessed while roaming the edges of the wilderness with family elders.

These were the extents of her mishaps.

With her inherent mental strength and resilience, she could easily overcome such trifling trials within days.

– Ah, ah, aah─!

That would have been the case up until a month ago.

Lee Hayul’s face, beaming with gratitude for receiving the gift, overlaid with his face screaming in agony amidst the flames.

The flames surged, and Hong Yeon-hwa’s complexion turned ashen.

– Ah, agh…!

Contorted with pain. His right arm engulfed in flames. Rolling on the ground to smother the fire, yet the flames raged on, opposing his efforts.

She had no memory of witnessing such a scene. It must be an illusion then.

…Is it an illusion?

Reality overlapped with the illusion.

“…! …?!”

Lee Hayul flapped his hands in dismay, sensing Hong Yeon-hwa’s distress, not knowing what to do.

His right arm, covered in a sleeve, flailed. The scars likely beneath were almost visible.

After seeing those scars in the infirmary, Hong Yeon-hwa was convinced that he was a victim of Gop-hwa.

Such scars could only be left by Gop-hwa. She had heard of the orphanage he belonged to being consumed by fire.

Since then, she harbored guilt.

At one time, he was an overt victim of her family’s actions. His physical disabilities might even be the result of Gop-hwa’s influence.

Recently, another possibility came to mind.

Lee Hayul had used Gop-hwa.

Whether due to control issues or a different problem, the manifestation was limited to his right arm, but it was unmistakably Gop-hwa.

The possibility that he was a blood relative from her family emerged.

But that didn’t exempt him from the guilt.

Gop-hwa is an ability passed through bloodlines.

Thus, even distant relatives with a drop of the founder’s blood are recorded in the family registry.

However, tracking does not extend to those who are not formally part of the family.

The illusion shifted. Once again, it was a scene Hong Yeon-hwa had never encountered.

The interiors of a building so dilapidated, calling it a slum would be generous.

A young Lee Hayul was repeatedly beaten by less-than-human brutes.

An affection-starved child treated like an emotional trash can, subjected to parental curses and abuse.

Revulsion surged within her. She wanted to shatter those heads on the spot, tear those hands to shreds.

The violent urge grew. It was the perfect kindling for Gop-hwa’s flames.

Just as the unthinkable was about to happen, someone’s grip on her shoulders gently rocked her body.

The soft touch of the bed against her back. The sweet scent that hovered close.

Waking up, the illusion faded and reality came into focus.

“…! …!? …!!”

In the illusion, Lee Hayul, who was dying with his stomach slit open, now cautiously climbed onto the bed and gently shook her awake.

Her throat constricted. It was difficult to breathe, as if a weight sat upon her chest.

Hong Yeon-hwa looked at Lee Hayul with trembling eyes.

She couldn’t discern if what she just witnessed was a mere hallucination or a real memory. Her instincts whispered it was closer to reality.

She couldn’t think beyond that.

Under normal circumstances, Hong Yeon-hwa might have regained her composure.

But.

Amplified emotions due to Gop-hwa, side effects, the replay of hallucinations, intuition whispering it was reality.

All of it narrowed her vision and clouded her judgment.

Crushed by guilt, she struggled to breathe.

– Whoosh!

Her inner Gop-hwa flared up. The flames, long suppressed, swelled in size. Feeding on her current emotions, Gop-hwa ebbed ferociously.

The wild flames spread in all directions. Just as they threatened to engulf the mountains of guilt.

“…!”

Lee Hayul, who had been restless, suddenly wrapped his arms around Hong Yeon-hwa.

The warmth stilled Hong Yeon-hwa’s trembling body. The spreading Gop-hwa ceased along with her.

The flickering illusion vanished instantly, as if waking from a dream.

Then, a gentle hand landed on her head, awkwardly yet tenderly stroking her hair.

The warmth and emotion in the touch seeped from her head into her body, making her feel as if she would melt.

“Ah…”

A gasp escaped her. The overwhelming guilt began to dissipate, and the exaggerated emotions washed away.

Her focus steadied. The fog clouding her mind slowly lifted, returning to its rightful place.

When she came to her senses, she found herself holding Lee Hayul close, breathing heavily.

The breath she felt against her body made her shudder. Relaxed, the person nestled in her arms carefully lifted his head.

[Are you alright? Should I call Ariel?]

The hologram popped up in a rush, dripping with concern.

“Uh…”

So much had happened in a brief moment. Hong Yeon-hwa paused to reflect on the recent events.

To put it simply, she had nearly met her demise.

She was on the verge of being consumed by Gop-hwa.

The illusion Gop-hwa conjured nearly devoured her, and she almost lost control.

The resultant outcome? It was obviously dreadful.

The realization sent a chill down her spine. She could have burned to death right then and there.

Swallowing hard, Hong Yeon-hwa repeatedly embraced Lee Hayul for both physical and mental stability.

As he settled into her arms, the chill that had been creeping over her warmed once again.

“Whew…”

After holding him for a while, the dizzying sensations gradually subsided.

Hong Yeon-hwa peeked down at her embrace. Lee Hayul had ceased struggling and surrendered his body willingly.

As she stroked his hair, she became lost in thought.

“……”

Gop-hwa simmered down. The hallucinations dissipated, and the flames flickering in all directions subsided.

Yet the fundamental cause remained unresolved.

The sensation she dismissively called a trial was still there, and the guilt that nearly triggered her outburst was still present.

If left unaddressed, it was merely delaying a ticking time bomb.

That recent surge of guilt needed to be resolved somehow.

With that resolve, fear rippled through her. The thought of him being disappointed after hearing her story was terrifying.

Yet it couldn’t be ignored. She had an inkling that this was a pivotal moment.

Hiding this issue from him again out of fear would not yield a favorable outcome.

“Hayul. I have something to say.”

And so, she revealed the truth.

The truth that, regardless of which hypothesis was correct, her family was responsible.

She confided the truth while gently patting the person in her embrace.

“?”

Lee Hayul tilted his head, puzzled.

* * *

“…So that’s what happened.”

What’s he talking about?

Lee Hayul’s head tilted involuntarily at Hong Yeon-hwa’s lengthy explanation.

He didn’t understand why she was looking at him with such tense anticipation after finishing her story.

Nor did he understand the previous situation.

He felt fluffy and happy when she accepted the scarf with joy at first.

Then, suddenly, she seemed to be deep in thought before her complexion turned deathly pale, and when he asked what was wrong, she broke down in sobs and collapsed.

He nearly lost his mind. The patient who was supposed to be resting just showed such a reaction that he honestly thought he was going crazy.

Before calling Ariel, who was outside, he embraced her to check her condition, and for some reason, she returned to normal.

It seemed to have the same effect when he was held and petted before.

Grateful for the apparent success, he was about to call Ariel when…

Suddenly, he was embraced and petted, then heard a long, serious story.

‘What is he saying?’

The story made his head tilt.

What? The scars on my arm are from Gop-hwa? Or that I might be a member of the Gop-hwa family?

From the standpoint of someone who remembered the previous world, it was nonsense, but when thinking of this world’s Lee Hayul, it was a story he didn’t fully know.

What on earth is going on?

He just handed over a scarf and now faced this unexpected predicament.

But at least one thing became clear from the recent story.

He didn’t quite understand why she felt so crushed by guilt.

She seemed to view the scar as an injury from Gop-hwa, thinking he had been abandoned by her family and struggled to live.

His mind was cluttered. He, too, felt dizzy.

That issue would have to wait. For now, the priority was to comfort Hong Yeon-hwa, who seemed almost dead with anxiety.

‘Um…’

The reason Hong Yeon-hwa was so anxious and crushed by guilt…

Because she thought the scar was made by Gop-hwa, that I was a blood relative abandoned in an orphanage…

‘Ah. I don’t know.’

Casting all thoughts aside, he tapped on the smartwatch.

[I don’t fully understand, but may I ask a few questions?]

“Yes. Ask me anything.”

Hong Yeon-hwa swallowed and replied.

He nodded and displayed the hologram again.

[Is the scar on my arm from Gop-hwa?]

“…Yes, it’s definitely from Gop-hwa. I’m certain of that.”

[Did you inflict this wound on me, Hong Yeon-hwa?]

“No.”

[Did you intentionally torment me, Hong Yeon-hwa?]

“No…! Absolutely not…!”

[Then it’s alright.]

“…Huh?”

End of questions.

After he stopped the questioning, Hong Yeon-hwa’s tense expression blanked out. The rare sight made him chuckle softly.

“…No, that’s not the whole story. This is…”

Hong Yeon-hwa stammered, attempting to continue.

It was bothersome. He deliberately embraced himself in Hong Yeon-hwa’s arms. Her body tensed.

‘…Wow.’

This was nearly the first time he deliberately sought comfort, and it was embarrassingly intense.

But it seemed the only way to stop her from talking now was to hold her like this.

He endured the embarrassment and buried his face in her embrace.

The cozy sensation enveloped him, and he felt an airy lightness.

“Uh-oh…”

Through spatial perception, Hong Yeon-hwa seemed perplexed.

As she held him, she seemed lost, muttering why softly to herself.

Her guilt seemed to persist, her complexion not improving.

‘Um…’

He extracted himself from the soft embrace and tapped the smartwatch again.

[You’ve done nothing wrong, Hong Yeon-hwa, so it’s alright.]

The story about her scarring my arm with Gop-hwa? It wasn’t Hong Yeon-hwa herself, nor was she involved in that incident.

Her family’s issue? He didn’t want to delve too deeply into that.

[If you still feel sorry, could you do me just one favor?]

“Yes. Just tell me.”

Staring blankly at the hologram, Hong Yeon-hwa stiffened but nodded at the last question mentioned.

[Please don’t get hurt.]

“…What?”

The request left her with a dumbfounded expression once again.

The request was sincere.

His heart had felt heavy all the way through the after-party, thinking that Hong Yeon-hwa was in pain.

And just a moment ago, when her complexion turned ashen and her breath choked, his mind went blank with worry.

Feeling her guilt-ridden face made his own heart ache.

He shook his head firmly.

[I won’t accept any arguments. Since I’m the victim asking, the offender must comply with the request.]

Refusing to listen to any further arguments, he buried his face deeply into her embrace.

Fortunately, she seemed to accept it at last, her complicated expression giving way to stroking his hair. In one of her hands, she clutched the red scarf.

Good. He gathered himself from the dazed expression.

He wanted to run away from the embarrassment, but he had the excuse that Hong Yeon-hwa needed to hold him to maintain her mental stability, so he didn’t flee.

‘…Hong Yeon-hwa is not at fault…’

He quietly enjoyed the comforting strokes, recalling the answers he had just made.

The questions about whether Hong Yeon-hwa had injured him or tormented him with malice.

‘It doesn’t really matter.’

The answers weren’t that important.

Even if Hong Yeon-hwa had caused him harm in the past. Even if she was the one who scarred his hand.

Even if she had bullied and oppressed him with malice.

If the affection she was showing him now was genuine, it was alright.

He could forgive her many times over for any wrongdoings in the past.

If the harm was not inflicted on others but only on him, even more so.

With that thought, he nestled further into her embrace.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t slept properly due to the scarf, but his consciousness started to wane.

‘I’m sleepy…’

The anticipation of the scarf’s reception, calming Hong Yeon-hwa’s sudden seizure, and hearing the sudden revelation of his birth (theory) had exhausted him physically and mentally.

He didn’t resist, and his consciousness faded.

* * *

[Player Correction System: Measurement]

▶Attributes
…
▶Unique Abilities
…
▶Mental State
｢Affection Deficiency｣: Desperately yearns for affection. The degree is exceptionally severe.
…

[Player Correction System: Favorability]
Lee Hayul→Hong Yeon-hwa
●●●●●●●●○○(83▷84/100)
｢?｣ ｢Debt of Gratitude｣ ｢Regret｣ ｢Thankfulness｣ ｢Concern｣

[The condition to resolve the ‘Curse of Silence’ has not been met.]
[The condition to resolve the ‘Curse of Solitude’ has not been met.]