Chapter 300 – Someone Who Really Loves Ian

A night that never seemed to end passed.
In the meantime, my heart was going back and forth between the cold bath and the warm bath.

Even though I thought of the relationship so far and comforted that it would be okay, I suffered from anxiety due to the fact that I had to reveal all the secrets.

Wouldn’t they understand if I explained that I was on the verge of death?

It’s not like I didn’t even think about it.
However, once I learned what I had done, I was afraid that anything I would say would sound like lame excuses.

Hyejin came back less than an hour after I fell asleep waiting for her after she had stayed up all night.

The time is five o’clock in the afternoon.

She wanted to ask me where I had been, but before I could, she pushed my back first, and I knew that I had little time, so I washed up and left the hotel right away.

“Honey, are you here? Are you okay?”

As soon as she entered her mansion, she met Angela with a worried face.
But far from reassuring her, I had no choice but to reply with her dark face.

“Could you call Verita and the kids? I have something to tell you. The others will come in a little while.”
“Anyone else?”
“…Yes. I called.”
“Ah, okay. I’ll bring it right away.”

Angela, feeling that it is not serious, leaves her seat without asking further questions.

Being alone again, I was overcome with anxiety again.

—

A large space that can be seen as soon as you open the large door of the mansion.
There was a path leading to several corridors or stairs leading to the upper floors, where I and six women stood.

Angela and Verita, Selena and Dania.
And it was Michelle and Anna who called on the phone on the way here.

Angela and Michelle were acquainted.
As parents and teachers, it seems that they met through Selena-related counseling.

However, this place was not crowded.

None of the six women gathered at my call did not feel the serious atmosphere I exuded, and thanks to this the mansion was as quiet as no one else.

“…”

Even though they waited for my mouth to drop, my voice hardly came out.
I was afraid to face the unknown future and my lips were glued together.

In the meantime, an empty gauge bar floating in the lower right corner of my field of vision.

From now on, I have to confess my secret, confirm their unchanging affection, and fill that gauge bar.

If I don’t do that, I won’t be able to be with the people I love anymore, and in the worst case, I might die.

However, rather than having my existence erased by the system, being hated by those who know my true self is more frightening.

It’s been a long time since each and every one of them has become the reason I live, but seeing them change made me unbearable.

… Let’s believe it though.

Yes, let’s believe it.
Even though the things I’ve done can’t be easily forgiven, let’s believe in the time we’ve been together.

With that thought in mind, he parted his lips with difficulty.

“…I called everyone here because I have something to confess.”
“Confession…?”

Following Michelle’s question, doubts arise from the expressions on other people’s faces.
However, thanks to my subdued voice, the anxiety outweighed the positive emotions of anticipation.

“Yes. I have something to confess to everyone and ask for forgiveness…”

Concern that came with silence.
Out of so many, which one should I take out first?

Even at this moment, I couldn’t shake off the fear, so I brought up the lightest story first.

“Actually… I was dating everyone here…”

Their reactions varied.

Selena and Dania, who already knew each other, lowered their eyes to avoid those around them, while Angela, Michelle, and Anna opened their eyes wide in amazement.

Verita had the same calm expression as usual, but as expected, she seemed to be agitated in her heart.

In the chaotic atmosphere, Angela was the first to speak out.

“Is that really true?”
“…I’m sorry. I should have revealed it instead of hiding it, but I couldn’t because I was afraid of what people would think.”
“Ah….”
“Selena and Dania knew…. It must have been hard for them both to pretend they didn’t know because of me, but I’m really sorry.”

Selena and Dania can’t open their mouths at my apology.

My heart started beating even more crazy, but I couldn’t stop there.

“I love everyone here with all my heart. But I know this is abnormal. It’s not just one or two, it’s six… That’s why I want to ask forgiveness. I’m very sorry for hiding it all this time.”

I lower my head to ask for forgiveness, and because I can’t possibly look them in the eye.

As the heavy stillness weighed on her shoulders, Angela spoke again.

“I’m… I’m fine. I can understand.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes… I don’t know what other people will think, but I…”

Angela, who lost her words for a moment, looked at my raised eyes and continued.

“I said I love everyone with all my heart, right? Then I’m fine… I’ve never felt that I lacked the affection I received from you.”
“…”
“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t embarrassed, but I knew from consulting about Selena that Miss Michelle was a good person…. And if Anna is someone Ian loves, then she must be a good person, right?”

At Angela’s words, Verita, who had been silent, also helped.

“I was surprised too, but now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem strange that there are more women than Ian-nim.”
“Me, I’m fine too. I believe in Ian. And I’ll be happy if more people talk about Ian! How about Anna…?”

Michelle said with a bright expression, as if she was paying attention to me, and Anna cautiously raised her voice.

“Well, if I can live like I am now, it’s okay… Like the teacher, I also believe in Ian, so I think that’s the case…”
“We… Don’t need to talk about it, right? Because we already knew.”

After Anna, Selena said so, and Dania followed her lady and nodded her head.

“I feel the same way. If I hadn’t understood Ian, we wouldn’t have been together until now.”

There is not the slightest wavering in everyone’s eyes toward me.
I didn’t know that he would completely trust me and understand me this far, so it felt like water droplets would form in my eyes any moment.

“Thank you so much everyone…”
“Thank you. We’ll need a lot of conversation in the future to understand each other, but we’ll be fine as Ian chose them, so we’ll do well. Don’t worry too much.”
“Mr. Angela is right, Ahn Lee. So you don’t have to look like that, huh?”

Angela and Michelle’s kind words soothe their trembling hearts.
However, I was moved for a while, and my expression was still dark.

Because the gauge bar on one side of the field of vision was not filled at all.

… It should also be revealed

How far should I reveal?
When they fill up the affinity gauge and reveal everything, will their feelings be the same as they are now?

While trembling with such anxiety, all I could do was believe in them.

“…I really appreciate all of you. But I have more to confess.”
“Yes?”

The air froze at the same time as Angela asked back.
Still, she said she had to do it, and she moved her lips.

“Michelle… I approached you at the beginning of the semester because I thought that making the teacher my own would make my school life easier. Now I truly love you, but back then I acted according to my calculations… I’m sorry.”

Every time I spit out each letter, it feels like my heart is being stabbed by a huge thorn.

I would like to express my regret by revealing the eyes and system that sees death, but talking about elements outside this world may adversely affect the quest.

I felt like trying to make an excuse out of a lie, but it was clear that it would mean nothing if I told the truth and was not forgiven.

“Angela…”

Having told the truth, I continued talking right away before Michelle’s answer came back.
Because she was afraid to hear her answer from her.

“Actually, I approached Angela because I had other thoughts… I approached you in order to get revenge on Selena and to prevent further damage to me…”

My heart beats so fast it feels like it’s about to explode.
But it shouldn’t have stopped here.

“I’ve been harassing Selena for a while without Angela’s knowledge. Really nasty things… I’m sorry. I’ll also apologize to Verita. I’m really sorry for hiding it.”

Again, before Angela and Verita’s lips parted, I continued talking as if running away.

“Dania. I’m sorry I took Selena hostage and harassed her when we just knew each other. And when Selena found out about our relationship. Even then, I had the heart to get revenge on Selena… I’m sorry I lied to you.”

The more confessions I make, the smaller I feel.
But, unfortunately, it shouldn’t end like this.

“I’m sorry, Selena. The things I did to you… And the things I did to Dania. I tried to forget everything, but I still feel sorry when I think of that time…”
“…”
“Anna. I’m sorry I hid that I was this kind of person… I didn’t tell you because I was afraid that if I told you the truth, I’d change my mind. It’s the same for everyone. I’m sorry, really…”
“…”
“But for now, I love everyone with all my heart. I swear I’ll never do that again. So… So…”

Please forgive.

This one word gets stuck in my throat and won’t come out.

Wouldn’t it seem cowardly to them that they had been hiding it until now and revealing it belatedly?

I couldn’t take my lips off the thought, and it was the same for other people who heard me.

At that time.

“It’s okay!”
“…Selena?”
“I’m fine! Me and you both decided to forget everything that happened. And I was wrong in the first place. If you want to apologize, I have to do it. You don’t have to.”

It was Dania who opened her mouth next.

“Me, I have the same thoughts as the young lady. It’s already a story from the past, and I don’t think you were the real you back then. And I’m happy right now with you. I don’t have to be like a sinner like that.”
“Dania…”

The voice following Dania is Angela.
However, the destination of her voice was her own daughter, not me.

“…Selena. Are you happy now, too?”
“Of course! I’m fine, so mom doesn’t have to worry at all. Neither does everyone else!”

It was only after Selena made a statement that Angela’s gaze turned to me.

“If Selena and Dania are okay, I think I’m okay too… It’s surprising that there was a different purpose for getting close to me… But right now, I truly love you. Believe.”
“Angela, thank you so much… So much.”

I forcibly held back my tears so that they wouldn’t fall, but something entered my blurry vision.

Thanks to Selena, Dania, and Angela, the likability gauge bar is half full.

After confirming the affection of the three people, it is half full, so if I can be forgiven by the remaining three people, I will be able to fill all of my liking.

However, my gratitude to the people who understood me was much greater than the fact that I had a chance to survive.

“The president’s words touch my heart. I also only believe in the image of Ian I saw.”

Following Verita’s words, the liking gauge fills up.

It was Michelle who spoke to me next.

“I’m fine too, Ahn Lee. It’s not like people have feelings for each other from the beginning. In the end, it’s important that we fell in love with each other. As for the other stories… I was surprised, but wouldn’t it be okay if the people involved solved them…?”
“I-I like Ian too… I can forgive anything.”

At the end of Anna’s words, the gauge bar is filled with pink.
When I saw that, my legs gave out and collapsed.

“Thank you…! Thank you so much!”

Tears running down your cheeks and a sobbing voice.
It’s a clumsy figure that I don’t want to see either of them, but now I can’t control my overwhelming emotions.

“Ugh, heh… Thank you…”

You don’t have to die. I can be with them in the future.
Feeling as if they were saved, they shed tears while crouching down as if they were bowing down.

People I love, who love me, come to comfort me, and some even shed tears.

And it wasn’t until I burst into tears that I realized something was wrong.

“…Uh, what happened?”

The gauge bar is the same.

The pink gauge is obviously full, but nothing happens and the phone in my pocket doesn’t ring.

I thought it was strange, but as I hastily wiped away my tears, my eyes became clearer, and my face was stained with despair.

… Not enough

The affinity gauge is insufficient.
At first glance, it appears full, but there is a very small space left empty at the end.

Looking at the filling ratio, I thought it would be perfect for six people, but very little.
It really lacked a little bit.

… Crazy cubs!

The world seems to be turned upside down.

No matter how much I didn’t care about the balance, I just made it, but I made it so vicious?

I barely told all my secrets, but they accepted me.
Do I have to disappear like this?

The rest is until tomorrow.
Time is too short to make a new person who will understand everything about me.

That fact again tightened my throat and started to choke me.

… Nonsense!

I’m sick of resentment.
It feels like my heart is on fire, and I feel the fire consuming my entire body.

“I-Ian…”

Someone’s hand is on my shoulder.
It was Anna who comforted me when I was crying.

“It’s okay?”

She wondered at my despairing expression and asked, but I couldn’t say anything.
It was because I felt that if I continued to reveal the system to them, even the goodwill gauge I had barely gained would disappear.

The time when I was suffering without asking someone for help or thinking of a way on my own.

Anna’s voice was heard again.

“…Are there not enough people?”
“What?”

Words she never expected to come out of her mouth.
Anna spoke again, as if to let her know that she hadn’t heard it wrong.

“A person who truly loves Ian…”
“Yeah, how did you…”

My voice trembles dangerously when I ask that.
However, Anna’s voice continued.

“…There is one more. The one who loves Ian.”