Jin Ye-Seul, who called me by text, was standing on a sparsely populated promenade waiting for me.
The sky was gradually becoming cloudy, as Jin Ye-Jeong said.
I stopped for a moment at the sound of a harsh wind coming from somewhere and quickly moved my feet.
I thought there would be a shower soon.
Why on earth is the weather like this at a time like this?
"Hi."
As I approached her and greeted her, Jin Ye-Seul turned her head without saying a word and looked at me.
She looked quite unfamiliar, just like the first time I saw her acting naively in the beginning.
“…….”
Only a few days passed at most, but Jin Ye-Seul looked quite haggard.
When I thought that the cause was solely because of me, my taste buds just got bitter.
The dark circles that settled around her eyes were clearly visible from a distance.
They, strangely enough, stood out in contrast to her dark hair and especially her pure white skin, giving her a somewhat decadent look.
Interestingly, I thought it really suited her.
“You came on time.”
Jin Ye-Seul looked at her watch and muttered that.
Wait, honorifics?
“I contacted you this way because I thought it would be better to discuss simple matters and then move on.”
Jin Ye-Seul stared at me, speaking in clear pronunciation as if she were a stiff clerk.
“…uh, um. Okay."
I didn't hear it wrong.
I couldn't help but smile bitterly.
“Before that, could I have a brief explanation of the three remaining legacies?”
Jin Ye-Seul still stared at me, using honorifics.
Interestingly, that appearance reminded me of Jin Ye-Jeong, whom I met a while ago.
"Explain what?"
“Well, for example, the names of those legacies… .”
I recalled my memory for a moment.
Because, although I remembered the abilities of the remaining legacies, the names were a bit vague.
At that sight, Jin Ye-Seul frowned slightly, but didn't say anything.
“Henir's shadow, Mirror Twins, and Scorpion's Hoof. These three are left.”
The Mirror Twins is a technique that creates an intangible foothold in the empty air that only the person casting the skill can recognize.
Because of this skill, in the original story, Jin Ye-Seul was able to attack from various directions along with three-dimensional movement without being restricted by space.
The Scorpion's Hoof was a slightly unusual attack-type skill.
When using this, once at a slightly faster timing and once at a slightly slower timing.
In this way, two extra hits follow.
In other words, it means that you can inflict three hits with one attack with a time difference to the opponent.
If used mixed with Flowing Snake, it was such a simple and powerful skill that pretty much any enemy would not even be able to resist and would fall helplessly.
“Certainly, the names are as they appear in the literature.”
"Yes."
Jin Ye-Seul nodded slowly.
That look seemed like she was testing me.
"So, where do you want to start looking?"
“… you're already going to go look for them?”
She looked at me with squinted eyes at my question.
“I want to make sure that we exchange things with each other as soon as possible, so that we can get things straightened out and cleared up. If you really don't believe me, just tell me one and give me the other two when you're done."
I nodded slightly at the sharp response.
In my inner pocket, the bracelet Jin Ye-Jeong had given me was making a rattling sound.
Yeah, just a little more....
"Yeah. Well. You should have a insurance, too.”
I thought it would be best to start with the most versatile one.
… of course, the most threatening Henir's shadow should be found at the end.
‘It'll probably be still there.’
Henir's shadow is probably still sealed in the book inserted in the archives.
Of course, since I brought most of it, returning to Jin Ye-Seul would be quite weakened, but....
I clearly remember that there was still some shadow in the sealed book.
“The Mirror Twins. Let's go find this."
She nodded at my words.
"Then should we go out this week? Can we find it in two days?”
“Yeah, there’s plenty of time. But the two of us alone won't be enough.”
Jin Ye-Seul stared at me with eyes demanding an explanation.
“We have to break through a dungeon, but we need at least three people. We need to take one more.”
At those words, Jin Ye-Seul looked troubled for a moment.
“… then I'll take Lee Yu-Na."
“Choose your companion as you like. Lee Yu-Na, she's reliable enough, so it doesn't matter."
“Then we are going out this weekend. I'll talk to Lee Yu-Na and ask her to come with us... .”
Gruuuh.
The moment I heard the sound, I reflexively grabbed my stomach.
Jin Ye-Seul stared at me, frowning slightly.
"Oh sorry. I didn't have lunch."
I told Han Soo-Young not to starve and take care of her meals, but I was actually starving.
It was ridiculous, but I couldn't help it.
Strangely, there were a lot of people visiting at lunchtime today.
There were only 10 minutes left for lunch, so I had no choice but to buy snacks and eat on the way.
“… what are you doing that you can’t even eat?”
Jin Ye-Seul muttered grumblingly in a small voice.
She then stared at me and tried to say something, but stopped and shut her mouth.
“Anyway, I know that Lee Yu-Na will accompany us on the weekend. I'll take care of the small preparation from this side.”
At my words, she looked at me for a moment and nodded.
"Yes."
After a while, she said, shaking her head slightly.
“If so, then I'll remember it. I'll get back to you then."
Excuse me.
With those words, Jin Ye-Seul walked past me and started walking.
Looking at her back, I sighed inaudibly.
Thinking that I was a really stupid person who thought there was a slight possibility of reconciling at Jin Ye-Jeong's words.
* * *
“Hey, Ji-Hyuk… .”
It was when I was just mindlessly swinging my spear and sword in both hands during the advisor's class.
Lee Yu-Na, who was standing next to me before I knew it, glanced around and asked me in a cautious voice.
“That, well, did you fight with Ye-Seul?”
"Huh?"
As I looked at her questioningly, she scratched her neck as if embarrassed.
She was also wearing a turtleneck like me that completely covered her neck.
“No, even at a glance, Ye-Seul's expression is completely downcast, and she looks upset and… I can see that you're also feeling very complicated right now."
she muttered in a low voice.
"And if you don't notice that suddenly Ye-Seul is using honorifics as if she were drawing a line at you, then you're an idiot."
"Well… you're right.”
I nodded meekly.
As she said, it was rather strange not to notice that the relationship between me and Jin Ye-Seul was creaking.
“I’m sorry, I made you uncomfortable for nothing.”
“No, well… these things happened before. It’s always like this during mock dungeon classes.”
At my apology, she somehow made an expression as if she had achieved nirvana and waved her hand as if it was okay.
The appearance of her bursting into hollow laughter was not a lie, but as she said, she seemed quite used to it.
Come to think of it, her team member were definitely the ones who didn't look back while turning their tails during the last practice.
Seeing her appearance like that, it seemed that her condition had worsened instead of getting any better.
“And rather than fighting… I made a mistake, and she justly got angry.”
“…… .”
In response, Lee Yu-Na stared at me without saying a word.
Then she hesitated for a moment, then raised her hand, and patted me on the shoulder.
"What?"
“No, just be strong.”
She nodded her head slowly with an all-knowing expression.
It seemed there was another strange misunderstanding.
"Then would you like to have a spar with me? I don't know if you're fighting holding one at a time, but wouldn't it be better if you fight holding two at the same time?"
"I'd appreciate it if you'd… .”
Gruuuh.
“… ahh, sh*t.”
I uttered a small swear word at the loud grumbling sound.
Lee Yu-Na, who was next to me, opened her eyes wide and soon let out a poof and burst into laughter.
“Kekk… th, this time you're making that sound? Ji-Hyuk, did you not have enough for lunch?”
"Yeah. I didn’t have enough.”
I didn't think of saying, I couldn't eat.
… because it was obvious that she would probably react very hyper-sensitively to the idea of starving like me.
Meanwhile, Lee Yu-Na rummaged through her pocket.
“Wait a minute, I have something good for you… Tada!”
There was candy in her hand.
It was scorched rice flavored.
She nodded, forcing it into my hand.
“It tastes a bit like scorched rice, so it's good for satisfying hunger. Older sister is giving it to you with kindness, so eat it treasuring-ly."
“We have different last names, and we're the same age, so what kind of older sister are you?”
As I smirked, she gave me a huffish expression.
"Ji-Hyuk, when's your birthday?"
“March 22nd.”
“…….”
Lee Yu-Na was silent for a moment.
Then she quickly nodded.
“Well, there’s no point in arguing about birthdays if we have different last names."
And then she pulled some more candy out of her pocket.
Fortunately, this time it was just plain ones, like grapes and strawberries.
“Want some more candy?”
"It's okay. This is enough.”
I put the scorched rice-flavored candy she gave me in my mouth.
As I rolled it in my mouth with a clattering sound, Lee Yu-Na also tore up the candy packet and put the candy into her mouth.
It was in the meantime.
For a moment, a snapping sound came from somewhere.
I thought I heard it wrong, but seeing that Lee Yu-Na in front of me was looking around with a surprised look, I didn't seem to have heard it wrong.
“Yu-Na.”
Jin Ye-Seul, who suddenly came out of the next classroom, called her in a quiet voice.
After confirming that Lee Yu-Na had turned and was looking at her, Jin Ye-Seul smiled slightly.
“The professor is calling.”
"Oh, really?"
Lee Yu-Na nodded as if she knew right away and walked away.
She might not have seen it, but I could see Jin Ye-Seul moving only her eyes to quickly scan Lee Yu-Na from head to toe.
Jin Ye-Seul sighed quietly when she saw Lee Yu-Na enter the next classroom.
She then walked over to me and offered me something.
"Take it."
"Huh?"
What she handed me was a chocolate bar.
It was a fairly high-calorie one with things like almond and caramel inside.
I remembered Lee Hyun-Seung eating it while saying, one of these will make you hungry in no time.
“Because it bothers me more when you keep making a hungry sound."
"Uh… yes, thank you. I'll eat it well.”
For a moment, while receiving the chocolate bar from her, I resented myself for doubting that she might have put some kind of strange poison inside.
I quickly took off the wrapping paper at Jin Ye-Seul's staring gaze.
“…….”
"Umm."
I hesitated for a moment and then took a big bite.
Yes, it'll be fine, Nidhogg's fang has poison resistance as well as immunity to poison, so it won't work too much.
"Huh?"
Meanwhile, I noticed that the chocolate bar was broken in the middle.
Was the snapping sound from here?
"What's wrong? Does it taste weird by any chance? Or are you allergic to peanuts?”
"No, it's nothing."
I waved my hand and kept moving my mouth.
As she watched me munch on the big chocolate bar, Jin Ye-Seul loosened her very little but hardened face.
She stood still without moving as if she needed to check until I ate the entire chocolate bar on the spot.
In the end, in a strange atmosphere, I had no choice but to eat it all.
"I ate it well."
It wasn't empty words, I meant it.
As I was about to put the trash in my pocket, she held out her hand as if saying, give it to me.
When I hesitated, she waved her hand once, as if saying, it's okay, and hurry up.
It was when I finally reached out to give her the trash.
"I knew it."
Her hand moved quickly and grabbed my wrist.
At the moment, several ways to shake off her hand came to my mind, but I was barely able to quit.
Meanwhile, before I knew it, she had grabbed my hand, wrapped my shoulder with the other hand, and put that hand on my back.
Her breath came closer and tickled the nape of my neck.
We became like hugging each other.
Jin Ye-Seul, who was clinging to me, put her nose between my neck and collarbone and sniffed me.
"Why."
She looked up at me, muttering quietly.
“Do you smell like Sister?”
I definitely told you not to meet her.
She was asking me this, her eyes looking at me as if they were interrogating me.
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