17 – Redefining human relationships (4)

A boring class as usual continued.

“There is a fundamental difference between the first-class Awakening Stone and other Awakening Stones. Any students who can answer what that is?”

By the time you want to feel a little stretched.

The question time for the purpose of arousing the class atmosphere has returned.

“Is there anyone here? Then today is Monday…”

Professor Choo Min-guk skillfully looks around the students.

And as expected, the destination of the gaze was me.

“Student Lee Hyun-seong will try to answer.”

What the hell does Monday have to do with me?

At first, he had pointed to me with a plausible reason, but now he was just making nonsense.

I can’t follow this…

Once I figured out what I knew, I came up with an answer.

“Yes. Unlike other Awakening Stones in which the second heart of some monsters is in the form, the only Awakening Stone is a jewel guarded by a unique entity called a Guardian in the Hidden Boss Room.”

“you’re right. Is that the end of the answer?”

I think this is a pretty specific answer.

I added detailed information because I thought it was lacking.

“It is not a by-product left by the death of monsters, but a substance that existed in the dungeon from the beginning, but it is not classified as belonging to the dungeon and does not disappear even if the guardian is destroyed.”

“…that’s right too.”

Professor Choo Min-guk shook his head, but his expression was not very good.

Wasn’t that the answer you wanted?

The other day, if he was trying to help restore his image, he only asked me a simple question, not an in-depth question… Since everyone answered without hesitation, it seemed that the expected value had risen a lot.

I squeezed out the last thing I knew and replied.

“And since other Awakening Stones are the second heart of the monster, the hypothesis that the only Awakening Stone is the second core of the dungeon is currently being accepted most strongly. There are other hypotheses.”

“Good answer. Do you know of any other hypotheses?”

“There is a hypothesis that it is the heart left by the monsters of the beginning. It is a hypothesis built on the basis that the descendents of the monsters are guardians and protect the legacy of their ancestors.”

Professor Choo Min-guk’s face brightened.

It must have been a satisfactory answer.

“Student Lee Hyun-seong knows a lot. I didn’t expect such an answer. hahahaha!”

You are shameless.

The professor kept looking at me with an expectant face.

If I had finished with the second answer, I would have been disappointed.

‘What can I do? You should look good when the professor pays attention like this. Networking is important to explorers.’

The compulsion to come up with increasingly high-level answers made my head dizzy.

Even after that, Professor Choo Min-guk constantly asked me questions.

please do it in moderation

*

*

*

Morning classes are over.

“Didn’t you sleep once throughout class?”

“You have to listen carefully.”

Putting the textbook into the bag, I stood up with Baek So-ah.

“Let’s go to a restaurant. I’ll buy it for you.”

“I’m sorry if you continue to eat.”

“Don’t worry, just come. I have a lot of money.”

Is this the rich class?

A halo seems to shine behind her.

Even his formidable impression made him look like an angel.

A one-time refusal out of politeness was enough, so he accepted without hesitation.

The moment I was about to leave the principal with Baek So-ah, Baek Chi-yeol naturally joined and started talking to me.

“Can I go too?”

“What are you? Where are you going to put it?”

“Baek So-ah, I didn’t ask you…”

Looking at the group of students who were on the move, the group Baek Chi-yeol often hung out with had already gone far away.

Rajeyoung was also with the group.

Instead of Baek Chi-yeol, it seems that Ra Je-young joined that group.

‘Looks like he’s living in a duck egg in the Nakdonggang River.’

It seems that he was ostracized by his friends because he lost to me in Dalian and even threw a pad lip.

For some reason, I wondered why he sat next to me.

“It’s good to eat rice with a lot of people. Come with me.”

“He’s the guy who pad-lipped on you, so why take him away because he’s pretty?”

“It’s the past, how are you? And I apologized in the morning.”

“That would be an apology… Ha, that’s it. Do whatever you feel like.”

Baek So-ah didn’t like it, but still respected my opinion.

It’s good to have a lot of friends. Why?

Of course, you should avoid and go out with people with poor quality, but it’s not like you’re a bad kid by nature if you’re at least idiotic.

“But what are you two doing? They’ve been hanging out a lot lately.”

“What do you know?”

“Just curious. Are you dating?”

“Do you want to be a whole roast?”

Listening to their conversation, it didn’t seem like they had a bad relationship. It was to the point that Baek So-ah didn’t swear at all.

‘Are you doing an image change?’

Upon closer inspection, it appears to be more mellow than last time.

Have you been impressed by my changed appearance?

Whatever the reason, it was a good change.

If you keep your mouth shut and open your eyes wide, your beautiful appearance will shine more.

“Hyunseong-ah. Don’t you think they keep looking at us?”

On my way to the restaurant.

Suddenly, Baek Chi-yeol looked around and asked.

“Our union is amazing. Don’t worry about it.”

The eyes of the other students had already noticed.

When you see the combination of the three of us who don’t match at all, you can’t help but get caught.

“Are you telling me not to look at you?”

“Baek So-ah, you too, be still… It’s personal freedom to stare at something.”

“You feel bad.”

I really wanted to go, so I barely held back.

He has a fiery personality.

*

*

*

They were having a meal at a restaurant with Baek Chi-yeol on the front and Baek So-ah on the right while chatting.

‘But did Baek Chi-yeol die too?’

Suddenly, when I saw Baek Chi-yeol’s face, I was curious.

‘I can’t remember because it’s not a main character.’

It’s not certain, but the odds of dying are high.

As the story progresses, the academy students die one by one.

To put it bluntly, the heroine was no exception.

At the end of the story, only one heroine survived.

In a way, it could be seen as a scapegoat for Kim Soo-han’s development of cider.

‘It’s embarrassing.’

I was disturbed to think that the person who was talking like this in front of me might one day die.

If he was a stranger, he would have tried hard to avoid it, but Baek Chi-yeol can no longer be seen as a stranger.

In a way, it’s like we’ve become friends from today, right?

‘If only I knew when I was going to die, I might be able to help as much as possible.’

When I get home, I’ll have to revisit the contents of the novel properly.

***

after school.

A shabby mansion that arrived after an hour’s jump.

“Whoa. It will freeze.”

I washed my body, soaked with sweat, with cold water.

“I’m sure there was hot water when I came to look at the house…”

Coming out to the living room, I brushed my wet hair with a towel and checked the phone book with my cell phone.

[Lee Hyun-ji.]

Twin sister Lee Hyun-ji.

Like his father, his memories with her were clearer than others.

‘It’s probably because they’re simply related by blood.’

Is it because he assimilated with Lee Hyun-seong as the days went by? I really had the illusion that she was my sister.

In addition, the new emotions I felt as Lee Hyun-sung, which I hadn’t felt before, even bloomed.

guilt or regret.

Those similar feelings make my heart ache.

‘Why do I have to feel these feelings even though I didn’t do anything…’

The past, where I lived like trash, held my heart tight, and all I could feel was infinitely sorry for my family.

I really feel like I’ve become Lee Hyun-sung.

The assumption that he was in another country reappeared in his head, but he quickly denied it.

Of course, no matter how much I deny it now, the fact that Lee Hyeon-seong and Lee Young-woong are all me remains unchanged. However, I was afraid that if I acknowledged Lee Hyun-seong, my personality would change like that one day.

I am Hyunsung Lee, but I am not Hyunsung Lee.

I know it’s an oxymoron.

I decided to think so though.

‘Lee Hyeon-seong is now dead.’

Even though I received my memories and emotions and accepted the fact that he was also a part of me, I was reminded once again that the subject of this body was not Lee Hyun-seong, but Lee Young-woong.

I had to erase the past Lee Hyeon-seong from this life as soon as possible without losing the existing me and re-color it as a human named Lee Young-woong.

Furthermore, the goal was to cleanly wash off the remnants of Lee Hyun-seong, and to bloom into a completely new human being without being greatly entangled in his previous life. Not Lee Hyun-seong or Lee Hero, but a complete human being.

get rid of all the past

to accept a new life.

Reestablishing human relationships was part of it.

“Will you pick up the phone at this time?”

I clicked on the number of my younger sister who was staring blankly at me.

For a while, the default classical music leaked out.

[Yes. This is Sergeant Lee Hyun-ji.]

A young girl’s voice was heard mixed with the static.

“It’s local. You’re doing well right?”

[who are you?]

“I am Lee Hyun-seong. your brother.”

I guess he didn’t save my number either.

This is what siblings are like.

When I revealed my identity, there was a brief silence, and then my sister broke the silence first.

[How did you know my number?]

“I asked my father.”

[why.]

“Why… Since we are family, we should know the number.”

The younger sister was consistent in her toneless voice, as if it contained no emotion.

It was like talking to an AI.

[The family is a piece of shit. So what’s the point of calling? I’m busy talking quickly.]

“You didn’t seem to have my number either, so I called to let you know.”

[Is that the end?]

“yes.”

Still, since we are family, I thought that my younger sister’s ill feelings towards me would be relatively light… I guess it was an illusion.

[I’m calling about something trivial. Hang up.]

“You must save the number?”

[no. I know that because I’m going to block it. I have to change my number sooner or later.]

pop.

The call was disconnected unilaterally.

You’re so damn picky

I didn’t know you would hate it this much.

Even if other relationships were severed, they tried to continue as much as the family ties, but it was not easy to resew the thread of a relationship that had already been cut off.

“I will have to call again tomorrow. I bet he didn’t really block it.”

It seemed like it would be a long and difficult journey.

***

The front yard of the academy dormitory.

“miss. All luggage has been moved.”

An employee of the Explorers Association said to Baek So-ah while sweating profusely.

“Thanks for your work. Did you ask me to find out more than that?”

“Are you talking about student Lee Hyun-seong’s room? Team Leader Seo went to ask the dormitory superintendent earlier… Oh, he’s coming over there.”

The association employee, who ran in a hurry, stopped in front of Baek So-ah, put his hands on his knees, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his head.

“I… Soa. Student Hyunseong Lee left the room as of yesterday.”

“···I beg your pardon?”

It feels like being hit in the head with a hammer.

Didn’t you say anything like that in our conversation today?

Baek So-ah’s expression darkened.

The association staff just gulped their saliva while watching her, but couldn’t say anything.

While carrying Baek So-ah’s numerous luggage to the dormitory, the sweat of the association’s staff was cooling off by the suddenly chilled air.

“I’m not going to use that dormitory. Unload everything again.”

Baek So-ah sighed and left without saying that.