Chapter 161 – A Needed Conversation (1)

– Ddu-ru-ru. Ddu-ru-ru.

The continuous ringing tone.

Soon enough, a familiar voice came through.

[…What is it?]

A bit rough around the edges, making it easy to mistake, but the voice concealed a warmth within. It was Heaven. I closed my mouth and stayed silent for a moment, then chuckled and spoke playfully.

“No, I was just wondering how our esteemed teacher is doing.”
[Suddenly?]
“Well, I can call whenever I think of you, can’t I? It’s not like I’ve been crying for the past few days because you’ve been gone, or anything. Saying I miss you.”
[…Did you hurt your head while on vacation? There’s no way that’s true.]
“Hehehe. How is Shiba? Can I talk to Shiba?”
[What? Shiba is at kindergarten.]
“Ah, right… It’s kindergarten time now. I got confused.”

My sense of time had become quite blurred. The time I spent in the past seemed long, but here, it had only been a few days.

No matter how much one is kicked and rolled like a soccer ball during that time, no one recognizes it.

I dropped the hand holding the phone.

Taking a deep breath, I calmed my trembling hands. These people, who had experienced something in the past, didn’t know about my situation.

“…It’s nice to hear your voice after a long time. Then I’ll hang up.”

“[…Huh? Okay, I got it.]”

Click.

The line went dead. I wiped the sweat from my forehead.

“Have you seen everything?”

Beside the blanket I was sitting on, a woman dressed in a shaman’s uniform gently knelt down and asked.

“Yes.”
“May I tell you the story of your absence as soon as possible?”
“Go ahead.”

The shaman took a breath and began to talk.

“When you disappeared, and a day later, a woman came here. She had green hair.”

“Yes.”

“Per the World Tree’s command, I’m unable to participate in the academy’s events for some time due to certain duties. That’s how it’s been handled.”

Is that the acceptance and agreement I’m supposed to have?

An alibi, though I’m unsure if that’s the right term; at least I have an excuse now. Saying I visited the past would be too far-fetched. It’s easier this way.

“…Again, you may return to your daily life.”

A single word sprouted from the priestess’s lips. I averted my hollow gaze downward.

“Daily life.”

A phrase that doesn’t resonate.

It’s been like this since I arrived in this world. The priestess scratched her sweat-soaked nape and, after moistening her parched mouth, offered a cup of tea.

Icy green tea with floating tea leaves.

-Gulp.

I wetted my throat and sighed.

“And this… it seems important to you.”

The priestess placed a ring case on the floor and slid it toward me. The ring given to me by 천도 in her childhood.

Upon seeing it, a satisfied laugh escaped me.

I placed the ring case in my pocket.

“Thank you.”

With that, I took a deep breath.

“Huff, hoo.”

My magical power doubled. Thanks to learning how to conceal my strength from the elder, I could hide my abnormal growth. How feeble I once was. While adjusting the flow of energy, I controlled the amount of magical power that leaked out of my body.

It didn’t take long to return to the state I was in a few days prior.

“Will you be going back right away?”

“I suppose I should…”

I inadvertently spoke informally, but I would only see them today, so it didn’t matter. As I got up, the priestess brought me modern clothing.

“Please wear this.”

As the priestess instructed, I changed into the clean attire.

It was a lightweight early summer outfit, not much different from when I attended the training retreat. It had been a bit chilly in the past. The weather changes so quickly.

-Creak.

I stepped out of the temple and took in the surrounding landscape.

Although there were countless tasks awaiting me, I felt incredibly invigorated at that very moment. As I extended one foot forward, the shaman who had followed me spoke up.

“May the blessings of the World Tree be with you.”

The blessings of the World Tree… What a load of nonsense. Nonetheless, I considered it a kind gesture and nodded politely in response.

I set foot on the stairs leading down from the temple.

There was someone I needed to meet first.

* * * * * * *

“Hasn’t he shown up today either?”
“… No.”
“Seriously, where could he have gone?”

32 missed calls.

“He’s not answering your calls either?”

Azalea nodded solemnly. Although the retreat was supposed to be an enjoyable time, she somehow seemed to be filled with regret.

“… Alright, go ahead. What’s on the schedule for the retreat?”
“It’s finished for today. Good luck with everything.”

*Thud.*

In just a few days, Lee Si-heon had vanished, ignoring any attempts at contact. Perhaps he had gone to Heaven or White Peach… Se-Young considered reaching out to them, but it seemed far too presumptuous to ask about him.

‘…Did what I say burden him too much?’

In the end, the night was filled with deepening worry, as no action could be taken. Azalea regretted her confession, wondering if it was all in vain. And Se-Young felt a similar sense of regret.

Lee Se-Young sat on her lodgings’ bed, hugging her knees. Her silver ring, snug on her ring finger, glinted in the light.

‘I can’t continue like this. I need to change my words.
I like men with many women.’

She had said those words when she was feeling particularly indecisive.
Why did she say that?

“Ugh, Lee Se-Young, you idiot… No wonder you’re losing it.”

A slip of the tongue.
In retrospect, it was an incredibly selfish remark.

Although he tends to be reserved with his words… even taking that into account, those words must have been a burden to Lee Si-heon. It was pleasing to know that he was liked to such an extent. However, the lack of communication thus far seemed to indicate that he was genuinely upset.

‘He said something came up…’

A message had come from the temple’s priestess. Lee Si-heon would likely be unable to attend the training retreat for a while due to personal circumstances. The academy had also been informed, making his absence practically indistinguishable from not participating at all.

The matter itself was not a concern. Wasn’t it characteristic of him to suddenly be pulled away or to charge into a dungeon? The issue was that he had rejected Azalea’s confession and vanished shortly after their conversation.

‘He would even answer my calls while half-asleep…’

Worry and heartache mingled, accompanied by a spoonful of disappointment. Lee Se-young pursed her lips in a manner unbecoming of her age.

A thought bubbled up from a corner of her heart.

‘Perhaps this is for the best?’

Despite it all, her plan continued to unfold smoothly.

Gradually resolving the matter of stepping on the flower’s tail was progressing smoothly. If Lee Si-heon were to let go of his affection for her during this opportunity, she would be able to wholeheartedly focus on saving him. It meant bringing down the flower with her own power.

‘Sigh…’

Her thoughts reached that point, and she shook her head to dispel them.

When did I become like this?

‘I’ve turned into a woman madly in love.’

She could easily risk her life. In fact, she had devised a plan considering the possibility of sacrificing her life. She would crush the flower that targeted Lee Si-heon.

It sounded good in theory. However, objectively speaking, she was clinging to a man she had known for only a few months.

Lee Se-Young buried her face in her knees and closed her eyes. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and made a beeline for the refrigerator.

She pulled out a bottle of soju and took a sip.

-Gulp, gulp.

The soju was slightly frozen, making it refreshingly cold.

As the tipsiness subsided, the dizziness began to fade. Anxiety swelled over not being able to make contact for several days.

This won’t do.

Soju bottles were taken out and lined up on the table, and dry snack bags were torn open and spread out. Time to get thoroughly drunk and sleep.

It was at that moment, with anxiety weighing heavy, that the glass was raised.

– Knock, knock, knock

The sound of knocking echoed. Had Azalea left something behind?

Lee Se-Young and Azalea had grown somewhat close since Lee Si-heon’s recent disappearance.

Without a second thought, she went to the front door and opened it.

– Startled.

“What did you leave-“

Through the gap in the door, she locked eyes with Lee Si-heon.

“-Oh.”

A now calm face. The atmosphere had changed in just a few days.

Lee Si-heon looked at Lee Se-Young, speechless for a moment. The corners of his mouth quivered, seemingly turning back time and filled with remorse. Occasionally, his gaze wandered from place to place.

It was as though there were a corpse hidden somewhere within the room.

*Thud*

Lee Se-young’s heart plummeted. Should she let out a cool curse, or apologize?

Her words back then had been too harsh. True, the idea of increasing the number of women had crossed her mind, but it seemed excessive. It was best to go at their own pace. People’s values did not change so easily.

She was about to say just that when she forced a bright tone into her voice.

“…Have you just arrived? Why are you so late?”

At Se-young’s words, Si-heon’s expression shifted.

Before she could ask what was wrong, his face settled back into its usual sly smile. He entered the room and stretched out his arms.

“Hey, hold on a moment. Uh-“

A light kiss ensued.

As his strong arms encircled her body, a wave of happiness washed over her. Although only a few days had passed, it felt like months had gone by.

Se-young broke the kiss and narrowed her eyes.

“What, were you drinking? By yourself?”

“Hey, who am I drinking for… Why haven’t you been in touch, you jerk?”
“We used to go to the barbecue place and drink quite often.”
“Don’t dodge the question!”

Like newly acquainted lovers at the entrance of the house, they embraced each other.

Joking around playfully, Lee Si-heon casually entered the room.

Se-Young sighed as she released Lee Si-heon, who had essentially invited himself in.

“So… what was going on with you?”
“I just went to take care of some business. It wasn’t like this before.”
“What business?”
“I helped with the World Tree. If it needs tending, it has to be done. I couldn’t use my phone.”

Se-Young found his explanation convincing.
No matter how much he had struggled with the World Tree before, now Lee Si-heon didn’t have the ability to face it.

“…So, you just leave without saying anything?”

Hearing Lee Se-Young’s rebuke, Si-heon laughed and sat down on the sofa.
He naturally joined the drinking session.

“It was urgent.”
“Still, you should have left a message… Hey, I seriously… I thought you were mad at me.”

“To me, as the teacher?”

A single smile appeared on Si-heon’s face, and Se-Young’s anger seemed to dissipate once more. She let out a deep sigh and sat down across from Si-heon.

Under normal circumstances, she would have clung to him and shared a drink. But not sitting next to him now was a petty act of revenge.

“…So, you weren’t hurt? Let’s have a drink. I came from work, but we should still drink something.”
“I’m fine.”

Se-Young filled her soju glass to the brim, placed it back on the table, and then took her turn with the drink. Though they had luxurious wine and Jamón available, cheap soju was a better fit for their situation.

“…Azalea?”
“Not yet.”

Gulp.

Se-Young downed a glass of soju.

“I was planning to leave right after seeing the teacher.”
“…How did you decide to confess?”

Si-heon’s eyes met Se-Young’s.

Indecisive. He was a progressive person who valued monogamy. Se-Young sipped her drink while waiting for an answer.

It had been a long time since Si-heon had let go of his anger for ignoring the contact.
There was a reason for it.
And he didn’t seem angry either.

Si-heon took another sip of his drink. Now, they no longer poured for each other; each held their own bottle.

“You have to accept it,” he said.
“…Really?”

His tone seemed to brush it off easily. The resolution didn’t appear to be painful at all, as if it had been made long ago.

He had followed his request.
Yet, he couldn’t hide his internal disappointment.

Se-young laughed exaggeratedly.

“Hehe, you’ve grown a lot. When did you say you wanted to like only me?”
“I like you too, sir.”

Se-young was taken aback by his direct tone, and her face flushed.

“Hey… Why are you saying that all of a sudden?”
“There are many things to be grateful for… If it weren’t for you, I probably couldn’t have survived. That’s why I like you.”
“…Me too. Yeah. Oh, but it’s a bit hot. Should we turn on the air conditioner?”

Had he always been so candid in expressing himself?

My heart fluttered for a moment upon seeing his now matured face.

Lee Se-Young hastily turned on the air conditioner and returned to her seat. The sweltering heat seemed to subside slightly.

Lee Si-heon smiled and set down his glass.

“But, teacher.”
“Uh, yes?”

At his earnest gaze, Se-Young unconsciously held her breath, waiting for what he would say next.

The deep voice of the man resonated softly within the room.

“You’re not, by any chance, scheming something strange, are you?”

Lee Se-Young swallowed nervously.
The man looked at her, unflinching and unwavering.

His dark eyes were filled with affection, yet a sharp edge lingered somewhere within them.