Chapter 145

“I Know It’S Hard To Believe, But It’S True. It’S Been So Long, My Memories Are Hazy, But…”
“They’re not hazy. I remember everything. Do you think I’m stupid?”
“Of course not. I know how smart and studious you are, why would I ever think you’re stupid?”

She snorted with a sullen expression, but it seemed her excitement had calmed down a bit, enough that I wasn’t worried she’d jump up and run off.

The way Cha Hyewon was glancing at me, still breathing roughly, was unfamiliar yet stirred a strange sense of longing.

‘She was like this when she was little too. A little kid who would grumble but secretly watch my reactions.’

Maybe it’s because I realized she’s the same person, but I’m feeling a sense of familiarity in ways I hadn’t noticed before. …Or maybe it’s just wishful thinking.

“Yurian. So, um… you’re saying that you and that woman lived next door to each other in your hometown, or rather, in your original dimension? Like, you were childhood friends?”
“Huh? Oh, childhood friends… not really. There’s a big age difference.”

I wondered what was up when I saw her waving her arm on my right, but it was Diana looking up at me with puppy-dog eyes. Was she that bothered by the story of my past with Cha Hyewon?

“Then what are you two? Childhood friends with a big age gap?”
“…How big of an age gap do you think there is for us to be friends? We were just neighbors. A slightly close older brother and younger sister?”
“Ah. I see. A close older brother and younger sister who lived next door. I see. I don’t see what the difference is between that and childhood friends.”

Irian, who was poking my arm on the left, was starting to hurt my elbow. ……Wait a minute. This is too painful. It hurts to the bone?

“Cough, cough. No… I’m saying she was just a younger sister who lived next door. We weren’t even that close.”
“…You weren’t close?”

The sound of teeth grinding. I wondered what that ominous sound was, and then I saw Cha Hyewon sending me a fiery glare. What’s with you now?

“Okay. I, who wasn’t close to you, will be going now. I rushed over here because you said it was urgent, but what? Turns out you were just the older brother next door? Yeah, the older brother next door who wasn’t even close must be really eager to get involved in a lovers’ quarrel.”

I was dumbfounded at Cha Hyewon’s retreating figure as she stormed out of the room.

“…No. You said he wasn’t the older brother next door.”

My bewildered feelings were fleeting. I pulled my arms out of their grasps and looked at the two of them, who were giving me awkward smiles.

“Diana. Irian. You know this isn’t the time to be playing around, right? You wanna try following me?”
“……Okay.”
“Whatever.”

Diana, who had been pouting, answered reluctantly, while Irian answered curtly.

I could understand Diana, who had disliked Cha Hyewon from the start, but I thought Irian was getting along with her quite well. They seemed to have a good rapport, so I thought they had become friends.

“……Because. You’re going to try to seduce her too, aren’t you?”
“Huh?”
“Do you think I’m not a woman? How would I feel if my, my, my man was trying to seduce another woman!?”

Her face was flushed red as she shouted, then hid behind Diana. I wondered if that was really Irian.

“I said I’d only allow Irian. …But if Yurian wants it, I can’t help it.”

Diana, who was hiding Irian behind her, was huffing and puffing with her arms crossed, looking displeased.

“Wait… are you saying I’m going to seduce Cha Hyewon?”
“Well, aren’t you?”
“Yeah! Aren’t you?”

…Irian’s repetitive answer from behind Diana. I’m so dumbfounded I could lose my mind.

“I said she was just a close younger sister. And there’s a big age gap. Why are you thinking like that?”
“…If you put it that way, there’s a big age gap between me and Irian too.”
“……Huh?”
“Yurian. What’s your standard for age? Is it the current Yurian, or the previous Yurian?”

If I go by my previous self, the age gap between me and Cha Hyewon would be smaller than the gap between me and the two of them. If that’s the case, then it’s not Cha Hyewon, but rather Diana and Irian who have a bigger age gap with me. Naturally, my actions of scoffing at the idea of me and Cha Hyewon being together because of the age gap are contradictory.

If I go by my current self? Then of course, there would be almost no age gap between me and Diana, Irian, and even Cha Hyewon. Enough to group us as peers.

And more than anything… am I the ‘me’ from Earth right now? Can I, a copied personality, even call myself the me from Earth, to begin with?

The AI also said it deleted some of my personal information. If that’s the case, even if I have memories of Earth, isn’t my identity ‘Yurian’?

A flurry of complex thoughts flashed through my mind.

“…Yurian?”
“Huh, huh? Ah, sorry. What did you say?”
“……Go after her.”
“What?”
“Administrator. It’s not too late, so go after her.”
“…Diana?”

Diana, who was slightly frowning and making a reluctant expression, was saying the opposite of what she was feeling. I never thought Diana, who was particularly jealous and possessive, would say something like this.

It would be strange if Irian said something like this, but for Diana to say it? Why?

“Well….”

Diana, who had been looking at Irian, who was hiding her face behind her, gave a bitter smile and said,

“Because I know that woman… Cha Hyewon’s heart well.”
“What are you talking about? What do you know about Hyewon’s heart?”
“How much she must have been agonizing, watching from the sidelines. I understand how much she must have agonized for so long… I had a hard time waiting even for that short time. But if I told you not to meet that woman, would you not meet her?”
“…That would be hard.”
“See? But I’m your first priority. Irian is second. Got it?”
“Uh… I don’t know about that.”
“……What?”
“No, to begin with, Hyewon and I aren’t even like that… Ah, whatever. I’m going to go comfort her, okay? Diana gave me permission?”
“Yurian? Yurian! Hey! Hey, you bastard!!”

I can’t hear you, I can’t hear you.
I quickly ran out of the room, feeling the terrifying murderous intent from behind me.

Where is she? Where did she go?
It hasn’t been long since I talked to Diana and Irian, but for a capable person like Cha Hyewon, it’s enough time for her to get far away.

If she decided to run, it’s already too late to chase her. But I had a strange certainty.

‘If it’s her… she’d probably be hiding in a place like this… Found her.’

I expected it. If it’s the ‘Cha Hyewon’ I know, she’d be hiding in a place like this. The pretty girl next door always used to huddle in the narrow gap behind the building and sob whenever she was having a hard time.

“Found you.”
“……What? How did you know?”
“How did I know? You always used to hide in the gap behind the apartment and cry whenever you got scolded. But you’re not crying now?”
“I never cried. I was just cooling my head when I was feeling down.”
“Oh my~ Is that so? Let’s see… was it in the first year of middle school? Who was the girl who cried because she failed a test? And in the second year, I think you cried because you were annoyed that a boy confessed to you publicly during the school assembly?”
“……I didn’t cry.”
“You’re not crying now.”

Cha Hyewon, who was squatting with a sulky expression and resting her chin on her hand, glanced at me with an annoyed look. I squatted down next to her, and as I was drawing meaningless doodles on the dirt with a twig, a white hand suddenly snatched the twig and started scribbling something on the dirt.

“Oh. You can draw a little now?”
“……I was always good at drawing.”
“Good at drawing? You always drew squiggly hearts.”
“T-That’s because my hand was shaking…!”

She shouted and then lowered her head. And then she started scribbling again with the twig, drawing something.

“Do you have tremors? Why would your hand be shaking? You’re still young.”
“……Because.”
“What?”

A voice so faint that even I, with my superhuman physical abilities, could barely hear it. I asked again, looking at her, but Cha Hyewon had buried her face between her knees and was pursing her lips.

I turned my head, and then I heard the faint voice again.

“You were next to me.”

This is awkward. Diana and Irian are treating me like I’m some kind of womanizer who hits on every woman around… That’s absolutely not true.

And now, the cute little girl next door is my target? Even though she was pretty, the Cha Hyewon in my memories was always a fresh-faced girl who looked good in her school uniform.

“……Is that so. I think you drew them properly sometimes.”
“I never drew them properly.”
“Hey. That can’t be true.”
“I remember all the hearts I drew when I was with you. …I couldn’t draw them properly because my hand was shaking.”

An awkward silence. I was speechless at her blatant words that I couldn’t ignore. Was she always this forward? She was an introverted kid… I guess that’s how much time has passed. Enough to change her from the way I remember her.

“You knew, didn’t you? That I liked you.”
“Um… well, I kind of… had a hunch.”
“Why did you pretend not to know?”

Cha Hyewon’s muffled voice, still with her face hidden between her knees. I never thought I’d be having this kind of conversation with her. I felt awkward and my whole body was itching.

“Well, what’s the age difference between you and me? It’s normal for guys who look mature to seem cool at that age. You know. I was an ugly old man.”
“You weren’t ugly.”
“Really?”
“…My friends said you were cool.”
“Oh. So my face was surprisingly popular with teenagers?”
“……You just had a handsome face.”
“Thanks. But I’m better looking now, right?”

I made a joke and poked her to change the mood. I hate this kind of awkward atmosphere. Especially with the girl who used to live next door.

“…I like you.”
“Huh?”
“I like you even now.”
“…Oh, th-thank you. Haha, yeah, my face has gotten a lot better, right?”
“I’ve always liked you. …Even now.”

I’m going crazy. What should I say?
As I was just pursing my lips, Cha Hyewon, who had her face buried in her knees, suddenly lifted her head.

Then, she glared at me with fiery eyes, and a nice scent brushed past my nose in an instant.

“……Huh?”
“Th-That was my first kiss.”
“……Huh, huh?”

The warm sensation on my lips again.

“Th-This is the second one.”
“……Huh, huh, huh?”
“My first kiss, my second kiss… I’m going to have my last kiss with you too.”
“Huh, huh… um… what? What’s going on?”
“Ah~ That was refreshing. Okay, let’s go.”
“…Uh, where to?”
“Where else? We have to go back and finish things. Those women… well, I don’t like them. But you know I’m the first, right?”
“……Huh??”

“Did you come? …Hmm?”

The expressionless face of the AI tilted its head cutely.

“That is our god…!”
“To think there’s a space like this in the basement of the temple… Is that woman really….”

Diana, Irian, and Cha Hyewon’s faces hardened as they looked at the AI.
Well, it’s understandable since Diana and Irian, who are a saintess and a paladin, are seeing the subject of their faith. And Cha Hyewon is seeing the person who caused this whole situation.

…However, that wasn’t the reason why the three women’s gazes were as hard as stone.

“What is it? Why are you looking like that?”
“……That woman. Why is she naked?”
“Yurian? That white stuff all over that woman’s body… Don’t tell me, no way?”
“……You beast. Don’t tell me you did it with the AI too?”

……Why is she still naked, and not even washed up?

“Huh? Why are you like that?”

Don’t tilt your head so cutely.