Chapter 140 – I Had a Hard Time

“Sit down…”

When it was just the two of them, a moment of discomfort passed through the instructor’s eyes.
Among the students, I am a hero and a mysterious existence, but the current me who is stronger than necessary.
It must be all the more so since she is wearing the Chunghwa Academy uniform and has a child underneath her protruding breasts.

“What are you going to do next?”

I thought for a moment about the instructor’s question.
Because it was the law in this country that an Awakener must unconditionally become a Guardian and clear at least a certain number of hidden worlds for a certain period of time.

“Maybe I’ll stop.”

However, there was an exception here too.
It was a virtue of the law that if a special performance was made, the remaining service was exempted as a courtesy.
How did I know I was going to worry, this was amazing again.

In fact, my unconscious may have worked without me knowing.
Because this world was created based on my imagination in the first place.
When I had to go to the military in the past, I always thought it would be nice if there was such a thing as being exempt from military service if I did something big.

“I see.”

I heard the instructor’s sad voice.
In front of Lee Seo-ha’s overwhelming ability that I and Kim Joo-won thought we could stop in Korea, protecting Cheonghwa Academy was protecting the cradle of domestic guardian training.
I heard that the Guardian Committee made a special case for me and Kim Joo-won.

“It’s a pity. If it’s the ability of the two, it will be of great help to strengthen the Korean Guardian force.”

In fact, no matter how many rules there were, this time I had to say I was lucky.
Her original plan was to increase her abilities, visit her with her dimensional eyes, and then settle her in an isolated place.
Whatever the idea was, she rolled into her academy, and thanks to her, it seemed like she was terrorizing the academy and making this happen.

“Actually, I wanted to, but I think it will be difficult.”
“It’s because of the child.”
“Yes. Neither I nor him want to give this child here a life without parents.”

Guardians are dangerous.
The guardian who entered the underworld is actually like putting his head on a guillotine that he doesn’t know when it will fall.
If it’s a little twisted, if it goes wrong, you’ll lose your life in it.
Or maybe it’s because I couldn’t return to reality.

“So I think it will be difficult.”

Maybe it’s because Kim Joo-won is an orphan and Yi Seo-ha’s mother isn’t there.
The instructor nodded her head as if he could.

“However, the time to leave the academy will be delayed a little longer.”
“It’s because of student Kim Joo-won.”
“Yes.”

The instructor let out a small sigh.
It must be a pity.
The fact that she has strong allies means that she has a high chance of surviving.

“My baby’s father is here, but I can’t just leave him alone. When I go, even if I go, I have to go with him.”

Saying that, she remembered Kim Joo-won.
Because of the choice I made, my heart broke a little at the sight of him fighting the wounds he had hidden.
If I hadn’t done that, Kim Joo-won wouldn’t have to fight with her painful memories like that.

But she doesn’t regret that choice.
In my subconscious, I did not speak with the innocent Lee Seo-ha through her mouth.
Because I promised to finish Kim Joo-won’s story.

And in order to keep that promise, his return is an existence that must inevitably be cut off.
Because of that, maybe I won’t make the same choice even if I go back to that time.

“That makes me a bit jealous as a woman before the instructor and student.”
“Yes?”
“That’s right. Those who are still in their early twenties are mothers and fathers…”

She chuckled and smiled, wondering if her own joke was funny to herself.
I was dumbfounded and laughed along.
But did Sae-ah like my absurd smile?
She came out with her bright eyes and looked at the instructor, then suddenly she started laughing.

“The baby laughs.”
“Yes? Ah.”
“I said bird. So cute.”

She gave an awkward smile at the instructor’s words.
In her eyes, a moment of envy passed.

Is it because I look happy now?
Or is it because she is envious of having a cute child?

Originally, in the guardian society, the state does not intervene in pregnancy and childbirth until female guardians have completed their mandatory service.
Conversely, this means that female guardians are limited in their options to give birth to children, which every human being should enjoy, during their mandatory military service.
Perhaps, they might be envious of having such strong power that they could safely ignore such regulations.

Of course, if you graduate from the academy, you won’t apply it strongly, but if it’s discrimination, it’s discrimination.
There is no such restriction for male guardians, just for the reason that the number of guardians is insufficient.
There are still such ridiculous rules in existence.

“Instructor…”
“I’m not done yet, well, even if it’s over, there’s no guy I’d be okay with.”

Then, after confirming my intention, the instructor stood up first, saying, “Then should I stop getting up?”
He probably won’t say anything even if future lectures don’t come out.
‘Cause I’m the one to go anyway
Thinking so, it was the moment I was about to take a light step.

“You worked hard. Honorary Guardian Lee Seo-ha.”

My body froze for a moment at the voice I heard from the instructor, who had just stood up without tidying up the file folders on the table.
As is the title of honorary guardian, it is the law of the academy that instructors should have only the bare minimum for students.

By the way, such an instructor set an example for a student named Seo Seo.
Not as a student, but as a guardian.

“Uh…”
“As an instructor at the academy, as well as a guardian, I pay respect to your achievements.”

The instructor put his hand on his chest and gave a light bow.
That would be an example of an abbreviated expression.
However, the meaning behind it cannot be ignored.

“Thank you, Guardian Kang Mi-jung.”

With a title that I thought would never be called again in the future, I also expressed my respect.
I was holding the bird, but I couldn’t bend forward.

“I’ll go in first.”

However, after expressing his own example accordingly, he disappeared on the spot with a dimensional transfer.
In the past, it would have been difficult to use because it was inside the space where the original skill interruption technology was installed.
His remarkably improved control ability made it possible for him to easily move to Kim Joo-won’s side.

But my movement couldn’t stop there.
The moment he put it down on the crib and sat on the bed to rest, Kim Joo-won’s hand flinched.
Soon after, he slowly opened his eyes.

*

Return.
It’s a curse that seems impossible to escape.
However, the chain was able to escape with the power of Seoha.

How much did you suffer from regression?
Even though he saved the world, he was not satisfied with that, and after returning to save Lee Seo-ha, the time that felt like a curse passed by in front of his eyes.

But, I don’t know where it started.
And the guy called regression, who doesn’t know how it works, did he want to torment me to the end?
I thought Seoha would be there when I opened my eyes.

‘Where is this…’

Looking around, I see a space filled with golden gears that I have never seen before.
When I look down, I see myself in a translucent school uniform.

Where are you?
Why am I here
I thought I would wake up, but did I die then?

‘I can’t.’

I shouldn’t die now
I still have to do it for Seoha, but there are so many things I couldn’t do.

‘I have to wake up.’

I had no other thoughts.
There was no other reason.

Only Seoha Lee
Didn’t she decide to dedicate her life this time only for herself?

However, contrary to my desire to wake up, the gears are scattered and the world begins to open.
Through countless recurrences, he grits his teeth as he sees the opening of the other side world he must have awakened countless times.
I wonder if this is the inside of another hidden world.

However, we do not give up here.
If he were to die here, he would be committing a grave crime against Seoha, who told him to rest in peace.

And that was the start.
At some point, I couldn’t recall it because it was erased from my memory, but those moments that seemed like I shouldn’t have thought of it started flooding me.
As if they were trying to tear me apart, the memories of tearing through my flesh and tearing my heart overwhelm me.
How ignorant I fight against him.

If you repeat this, you will wake up someday.
With just that one thought.
Even in order to atone for Seoha, who will wait for me after defeating Seoha Lee, whom I could not defeat.
Whatever happens to me, I will destroy everything.

It must have been an unfathomably long time.
My relapses were too many to count, and the time I’ve been through has also been far too long.
Hidden moments.
And there must have been as many memories that were erased by repeating regression.

However, there was no way that all things that had already passed could stop me.
Because what I do best is to remember the past and live with those wounds.
Just reflecting on the moments that were erased in the past wasn’t enough to break me down.

“Joo Won.”

So I could see
The moment I opened my eyes, I saw Seo Ha calling me with tears in my eyes as if she had waited by my side, holding my hand.

“Great job.”

She gave her her smile.
Then he stretched out his arms and hugged her.

In the process of reflecting on the past, there were things I didn’t want to know.
At that moment, I was the one who decided to bury it.
From now on, I didn’t want to cause trouble to Seoha’s heart.

“You also.”

She responded with a single word to her words.