episode_0134

“Thank you, Chaewon.”

“You’re welcome.”

After releasing the pent-up emotions, Yoon Jiyu came straight to me.

Late at night. Small insects fluttered aimlessly under the streetlights illuminating the dark city.

“To be honest, I’m not sure what I should be thankful for. I don’t even know how you got involved in this.”

“It was a coincidence.”

“It’s hard to believe it was just a coincidence… You helped me so much. I know everything.”

After a long conversation with family members, she probably heard about what happened in the early morning.

But our connection started from the early morning. I helped her past self in need, and that’s how I ended up helping her to this point.

Yoon Jiyu and Yoon Jichang each played their roles. With the help of Professor Baek Jung-eon and Senior Jo Jin-yeol from the hidden camera in Larquisimocamera.

I just raised the flag and led the way, and more people volunteered. Everything unfolded as if everyone had hoped for this situation.

“No, I didn’t plan to get involved this deeply.”

“I just acted selfishly for my own sake. Whatever you imagine, there’s no room for that.”

“You haven’t forgotten, have you? I deceived your sister for quite a long time.”

It was a buildup that took months. In fact, the tip of the blade was aimed at Yoon Jiyu.

Since I couldn’t mention that, I had to explain that I didn’t approach her with good intentions.

“I’m nothing like your sister, really. I lied to get her attention.”

I shrugged my shoulders and turned away.

There’s no reason for her to like me or keep in touch with me.

With those few words, I made it clear, so she won’t bother me anymore.

“Have a good night. We probably won’t see each other again.”

As I stepped out of the house and approached Relka, wagging her tail, it happened.

An embrace from above. The heavy pressure on my back and neck made it clear what it was.

“Is this really the end?”

“Yes. It’s the end.”

“Lies.”

“Why? I just used you for my own benefit.”

Since I forcibly created a nonexistent connection in the parallel world, the deeper the connection, the more problems it would cause.

Rather than getting entangled in the future, we should each go our separate ways.

Once I start serving Professor Baek Jung-eon, I won’t have much time to spend with anyone other than Siwoo.

There’s no reason for me to divide that time to meet Yoon Jiyu.

I just approached her to use her for Siwoo’s sake.

“I approached you to use you. Even if I didn’t expect things to turn out like this, it doesn’t matter. Can’t we just continue as knowing each other as older sister and younger brother? I really like you as a person.”

“…..”

Feeling her warmth through my back and neck, I closed my eyes.

“Even if I approached you with the intention of seeking revenge?”

A sinner who is unaware of their own sin is not human, but a monster disguised as a human.

Humans either try to hide their sins or face them and atone for them.

“Seek revenge. You’ll receive it sweetly. If it’s revenge from the person who helped us find our family, then it’s fine.”

“You might not be able to participate in the contest you’re preparing for.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

The hot water trickled down my cheek where it touched.

“It doesn’t matter… The contest isn’t that important….”

To me, who knows the parallel world’s Yoon Jiyu, her words were shocking beyond belief.

The contest isn’t important. Even though she valued it more than any other goal in life.

…Oh, could that be because of that man?

“The reason you want revenge. I know… There must have been someone you knew among the friends I used and discarded, right?”

“It’s because of the competition. The people I made suffer, they all sacrificed because of my competition. I… I know that.”

“But the competition. I did it all because of my father. I didn’t want my life to be controlled and shaken by my father. So, I wanted to become someone greater than my father, to cut ties with him…”

The sincerity of Yoon Jiyoo’s words, which I heard for the first time.

She wasn’t a villain who sucked people dry like a mosquito and discarded them when she was done. She wasn’t mechanical in her actions.

“Do you remember, unnie?”

However, if she wanted to admit her mistakes and stay by my side, she shouldn’t have caused pain to others by wanting to escape from her father.

“How many people have you hurt, unnie?”

The perpetrator doesn’t consider the perspective of the victim. Naturally, they don’t know how many people they have given bad memories to.

Yoon Jiyoo would be the same.

Even if there is a story, her wrongdoings cannot be erased.

“Thirty-three people.”

“….”

“I remember all their names.”

“You… remember?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Jiyoo was human.

Not a mechanical villain, but a human who could face her sins and seek atonement.

“I’ve kept records of everything. I plan to personally apologize to them later.”

Taking out a small notebook from her handbag, Yoon Jiyoo showed me the names and contacts of the people she had used so far.

There were new contacts written under the canceled ones, indicating she regularly checked the list.

“Don’t lie.”

“I’m serious. I swear on my violinist life.”

“After winning the competition, did you plan to contact them right away?”

“Yes.”

“Even though you were busy with the winners’ concert, you planned to contact them?”

“I can. Do you think I can’t make a call just because I’m busy?”

I vaguely remembered receiving three calls from abroad.

It must have been Yoon Jiyoo. I didn’t answer because I thought it might be a phishing call from overseas.

‘There’s a point.’

It seemed that Yoon Jiyoo had contacted everyone she had a connection with, big or small, to apologize for her mistakes.

Even if she didn’t resolve things amicably with the victims, there must have been some agreement.

If she hadn’t made even a small apology, no matter how much Yoon Gwancheol used the media, he wouldn’t have been able to stop all the bad things said about her. She might have been dragged into a bigger controversy than I remembered.

The victims could have joined forces to expose Yoon Jiyoo’s past and tear her down to the ground.

“If the competition isn’t important, there’s no need to delay the apology until then.”

I didn’t particularly want to continue being friends with Yoon Jiyoo, but I couldn’t easily refuse someone who was pleading with me.

As she had spread malicious rumors about me in the past, I was just a fool of a human.

“Fine.”

“After the apology, come back then.”

“Okay.”

I didn’t promise to be friends again.

The time to make a judgment would be after Yoon Jiyoo had fulfilled her duty.

“I’ll be waiting.”

However, I did promise to wait until she completed her mission.

This was the privilege given to me to prevent Yoon Jiyoo from completely falling into corruption.

***

That night, I was underwater.

I was used to it now and didn’t panic or struggle.

As I waited quietly, my body floated up. The dark view gradually brightened into a clear sky of spring.

Floating around on fluffy cumulus clouds, the owner of this place soon revealed themselves.

“Long time no see, No. 26.”

Swinging her sword through the clouds, Lady was playing around.

“Long time no see.”

“Have you given up on dating?”

“Given up? No. I had dinner with Siwoo again today.”

“What’s the point of eating together? That’s the end of it.”

Lady expressed dissatisfaction with the progress of my relationship while sticking out her tongue. I laughed and reassured her.

“It’s August. Just wait a few more months.”

“And if I wait a few months, what good news will there be?”

“There will be. You’ll see.”

“You’re very optimistic. Love doesn’t suddenly progress one day out of the blue. You have to be good to each other every day. Love doesn’t happen just because you plan it.”

She’s being so critical even though I didn’t play with Siwoo because I was busy with Yoon Ji-yu’s work.

I swam over to her side, stopping next to her as she swung her sword.

“Siwoo is patient. Just wait and see.”

“He’s patient?”

“Yes. I’m still young.”

“….”

Aclert let out a deep sigh.

“You’re still young? Do you know how many years we’ve been together?”

“How many years have we been together?”

“You’ve lived for so long that you can’t even count. The Siwoo that Min Chaewon sees is like a newborn baby.”

“… Is that so?”

It might not be a wrong statement. If Siwoo has lived 23 years out of 750 years, he might look like a newborn baby.

“Well… the standards change with time…”

“In 10 years, will the age of adulthood decrease?”

“The criteria for adulthood become more ambiguous as time goes on.”

“You’ve lived longer than I thought.”

“That’s right.”

As we exchanged trivial conversations, I talked about our future plans as if seeking approval from Chaewon’s parents.

“We’ll support Siwoo’s national concours until October. And when the new year comes, we’ll make a hundred-year pact. There’s nothing but happiness in our future.”

Listening to this, Aclert smiled subtly.

“… Alright. I hope you’ll be happy.”