CHAPTER 90: ANCIENT CONSTELLATIONS (1)

A sharp pain throbbed in Kwon Oh-Jin’s head.

What the hell? Why is Ha-Eun... there?

In the remnant memories of the first timeline, Song Ha-Eun was traveling with Lee Shin-Hyuk, and they seemed close enough that they were speaking casually.

“Kheeeee!” a vampire screeched.

“Damn it! These freaks just won't let up!” Song Ha-Eun untied the eyepatch covering her left eye, revealing a grotesque reptilian eye that clashed unnaturally with her ethereal beauty.

“Ugh.”

She extended her arms forward, and a fiery storm engulfed the swarm of vampires chasing after the boat.

Fwoosh!

“Kheeee!”

The vampires shrieked as they plunged into the ocean, but the flames clinging to them roared even hotter, burning like oil-fed fire despite being submerged.

Song Ha-Eun slumped down onto the deck. “Haa, haa!”

Lee Shin-Hyuk picked the eyepatch off the floor and handed it to her.

“Here.”

“Thanks.”

“Is your eye... okay? You used it a fair bit today.”

“Yeah. Hurts a little, but I can manage.” Song Ha-Eun secured the eyepatch back in place. “Still, this is a pricey eye you bought for me, Shin-Hyuk. I need to make sure I put it to good use.”

He met her gaze and muttered, “That’s not why I got it for you, though.”

“Huh? Why did you, then?”

“Well, um...” He blushed, hesitating for a moment before shaking his head. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”

Song Ha-Eun chuckled softly.

“You’re no fun,” she teased before flicking his forehead.

Thwack!

The sound echoed with unexpected weight.

“Ouch! What the heck was that for?”

“Regardless of why you got the eye for me, I’ll repay the debt someday, though not right now.”

She gazed bitterly at the ocean and continued, “Right now... there’s someone I need to take care of.”

Her voice faded away, carried by the sea breeze, and she bit her lip in quiet melancholy.

Ring!

[All the lost memories have been successfully restored.]

As Lee Shin-Hyuk's memory ended, Kwon Oh-Jin stood frozen, staring into empty space.

He bought Ha-Eun the Demonic Dragon Eye? Then, what about me? What was I doing back then? What the hell happened in the first timeline? She mentioned someone she needed to take care of... Was that me?And if she was alive... why did I end up destroying the world?

He shook his head in frustration.

Damn it. I don’t have enough information.

Fragmented memories weren’t enough to draw any conclusions.

“I guess I’ll just have to raise my enlightenment stage. This isn't even something I can ask anyone else about. Tsk.”

The memory of Lee Shin-Hyuk beside Song Ha-Eun lingered like a stubborn stain. The sight of him smiling brightly as he affectionately called her name made Kwon Oh-Jin feel sick to his stomach.

What a load of bullshit.The only person who has the right to lovingly call her Ha-Eun is me. It’s a privilege that belongs to me alone. Because she's... my...

He pressed his lips together tightly and began walking, a lingering discomfort clinging to him like sticky liquid.

As soon as he opened the front door of his house, he was greeted by hurried footsteps and a familiar voice.

“Kwon Oh-Jin, you asshole! Why didn’t you contact me?! I told you to call more often!”

“I’m home, Ha-Eun.” He pulled her into a rough embrace as she neared.

The warmth in his arms felt like he was cradling a baby bird.

Ah. That’s it. This warmth is always the same.

“U-Uh, huh?” she mumbled, blushing as his fingers brushed along her left eye. “W-What are you doing?"

A teasing, mischievous grin played on her face. "Hehe, d-did you really miss me that much?”

“Yeah,” he replied, tightening his embrace. “I thought I was about to lose my mind from missing you.”

The sticky, clinging discomfort melted away, and happiness filled the space left behind.

“W-What? O-Oh, ummm," she stammered, disoriented. "W-What I meant was...”

He smiled, quietly satisfied. In this world, he was the only one who could glimpse this lovely, adorable side of her.

“W-What’s gotten into you?" she asked, her eyes a mix of concern and excitement. "Did you eat something bad? Did you not like the food in Italy?”

“No, it’s nothing like that. I’m just happy to see you since it’s been a while.”

She nervously cleared her throat. “Geez, really... how will you get by without me?”

Right. Just as she said...

“I wouldn’t be able to,” he mumbled.

If he were to lose her—if someone were to take her from him—he would fall to unimaginable depths.

I don’t care what happened in the first timeline. What matters is that she's by my side now.

She seemed to sense something was off and worriedly asked, “Are you sure you’re okay? Did something happen?”

“Ha-Eun.”

“Y-Yeah?”

He reached out carefully and caressed her cheek. “Can you smile?”

“... You want me to smile?”

“Yeah.”

“The fuck?” She let out an exaggerated sigh and pulled the corners of her mouth into a smile. “Like this?”

Her smile was anything but natural, yet it wasn’t the sorrowful smile he had seen in Lee Shin-Hyuk’s memories.

“Yeah. That’s good,” he replied. This alone was enough to keep him going.

Song Ha-Eun looked at him with a touch of pity.

“Ugh, damn it.” She scratched her red hair, which was tied up in a ponytail. “I was going to scold you when you got back, but I can’t even do that now.”

I don't know what happened, but he's far from his usual self.

“Hehe, sorry. I’ve just been so busy with work that I couldn’t call,” he said. Bringing up the incident with Isabella would only make her worry.

It’s not like I'm going to see her anytime soon, anyway.

Isabella played the role of a saintess in Italy, managing dozens of charity organizations and participating in volunteer work.

On top of that, she’s in charge of the Black Star Society, too.Unless she's got multiple clones of herself, her grueling schedule will make it impossible for her to leave Italy. That’s probably why she asked me when I’d be able to return.

If she were free to visit Korea whenever she wanted, there was no reason for her to ask that. In other words, unless he actively sought her out, the chances of them meeting were slim to none.

And of course, there's no way I'm going back to Italy—at least not until I'm sure I can protect myself. Anyway, it’ll be better to explain about her to Ha-Eun later.

“Hmph. Sounds like a husband's excuses after cheating on his wife on a business trip.”

“Pfftt! Do you think I'm your husband, Ha-Eun?”

“Oh? You’re acting up again.” She chuckled softly and pinched his side. “Well, I suppose you’re a contender for it.”

“What an honor.”

“Hmph, now that you know, you should pay more attention to me.”

She smiled and hugged him back. Resting her head on his shoulder, she glanced at the bag in his hand. “What’s this?”

“I brought some burgers.”

“Whoa, burgers? How long has it been?”

“Hehe. I bet you've missed them, haven't you?”

“I was actually just craving one. You know me so well.”

Together, they sat on the living room couch and unwrapped the burgers.

She took a big bite of the burger and shivered a little with delight. “Ah, this Jiness or whatever is the best!”

After they finished their Woppah meals, they leaned back on the couch.

“Alright, get your lap ready so I can watch TV,” Song Ha-Eun demanded.

“I don’t want to.”

“Why not? I dealt with all your outrageous shit!”

“That’s...”

True.

He continued, “Since you’re letting me act like this anyway, I’ll lie down on your lap today.”

Today, he was going into full-on baby mode.

“Oh-Jin, do you want to torture my only leg?”

“W-What...?”

That’s so unfair.

“Ugh, fine, whatever. You win,” he mumbled.

She giggled as she placed her head on his lap. “Yay~! Wow, your thighs have gotten a lot firmer.”

He gently stroked her hair as she watched TV. He could no longer remember the uneasy feeling he'd experienced earlier.

In order to keep feeling this warmth, I need to get stronger. Stronger than anyone who'd dare to touch me or even think about challenging me. For now, I’ll focus on clearing my quest.

He didn't plan on just sitting around after asking the Valhalla Guild for Starstones. Since he didn’t know how many Starstones he'd need for the quest, it was wise to secure as many as possible.

Suddenly, Song Ha-Eun asked, “Oh-Jin, are you doing anything tomorrow?”

“Why?”

“I need to go to the association. Want to come with me?”

“The association?”

Why does she need to go there?

She added, “That guy named Jun-Man? He asked me if I’d be interested in joining the association without having to actually show up for work like you do.”

When did he even contact her? he wondered.

In all fairness, Song Ha-Eun had just become an eight-star Awakener; it would have been odd if they didn’t try to recruit her.

“They’re offering me a salary for doing nothing, so why not? Plus... you're in the association too,” she said.

“Really? Shall we go tomorrow, then?”

He'd planned on checking on the internal faction issues anyway.

“Hehe. Now we even work at the same place,” she muttered, smiling happily as she lay on his lap.

“You sure are something,” he said, chuckling softly. Just then, he became curious about something. “Ha-Eun.”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think... you’re indebted to me?”

“Indebted? Hmmm.” She puckered her lips as she considered his question. “Well, I used to think so, but now... not really.”

Turning around while still lying on his lap, she looked up at him with a playful smile. “I think having this pretty and sexy girl here with you is enough to settle any debt. Haha!”

“Hmm. Is that so?”

“Ehh? Don't just brush it off like that, you're making it embarrassing for me!”

“It’s okay.”

“What’s okay?”

“Just... everything.”

With a soft smile, he gently caressed her hair, as though tending to a priceless treasure.