Chapter 36 : Cola Cider [Part 1]

Time passed quickly, and it was already summer vacation.

The midday sun relentlessly pressed down on the world.

Even the wind brushing against my cheek carried hot air, and every time I breathed in, it felt like summer was soaking deep into my lungs.

The whole world shone brightly and flickered, and in the midst of it, Lee Jian’s face came to mind.

Even though a lot of time had passed, it was still vivid.

So vivid that it would suddenly come to mind when I walked quietly down the road.

A short distance.

The fingertips lightly wrapping around my wrist.

And the eyes looking up at me.

The sunlight pouring in through the window was intense, but the light surrounding her seemed to spread in a gentle, kind way.

Her long eyelashes gently swayed, and the strands of hair that fell over her forehead were dyed with a transparent golden hue.

Every time I swallowed, her gaze, which trembled slightly, seemed to spread deeply in my chest like it was grabbing my heart.

At the moment she held onto me, it felt like the whole world had become still.

Her body temperature, closer than the sunlight, and the subtle tremor passing through her fingertips.

A small contact seemed to hold all the heat of the summer, and even the smallest touch was clearly etched in my memory.

Her touch was light, but strangely, it remained vividly in my mind.

The hot summer air seemed to flow from Lee Jian’s fingertips to my wrist.

“I like you.”

And then-

“It’s a joke.”

It was a line I had said myself, but it was really a cruel thing to say.

A line that could be taken back at any time.

I don’t know whether it was sincere or a joke.

I already knew, but still, I didn’t know.

But deep down, I was hoping it was sincere.

I moved my steps to the shade to escape the hot sun.

The air felt lighter, and the breeze that brushed against my skin carried a coolness.

The sweat on my forehead started to cool down, and my body seemed to calm, but that cold sensation felt strangely unfamiliar.

I looked up and saw the branches touching the sky, tightly intertwined.

Sunlight filtered through them, creating a flickering shadow, and every time the wind blew, the leaves trembled quietly.

In the shadow spreading like ripples, I felt like I was shaking too.

Until just a moment ago, I had been with Lee Jian under the scorching heat, but as soon as I entered here, it felt like the temperature had changed.

It was too easy to feel cool, and too easy for those traces to fade away.

Even the warmth that had brushed against my wrist seemed to scatter in the wind, so I unconsciously clenched my fingers.

I hadn’t disappeared.

Yet, the sensation that had covered me seemed to slip away somewhere.

Things that had certainly existed under the sunlight seemed to easily fade in the shade.

What if, like back then, no one comes looking for me?

The wind blew again.

In the swaying shadows between the leaves, I felt a small yet heavy sense of unease.

As I entered the shade, it felt like the colors of the world had changed.

The harsh sunlight broke into pieces through the leaves, creating a quiet shadow, and the hot air quickly cooled in the cool breeze.

The surroundings were quiet, but the pieces of light flickering through the trees seemed to waver uncertainly.

It was like the moment I entered here, I too was fading away.

Then, from the shadows, someone walked in.

Slow steps. The traveler’s clothing fluttered lightly in the wind.

Under the deep-brimmed hat, her face was hidden in the shadow.

But even in that state, she appeared to be a strangely unreal figure.

She quietly stopped walking and then spoke in a calm voice.

“Wandering traveler, why are you lost?”

For a moment, I froze.

Then I slowly nodded.

It seemed like something that could happen in a love story.

One day, a mysterious transfer student comes to school and says something meaningful,

or an unidentified girl suddenly appears in front of the protagonist and talks about fate.

Isn’t it the same with Yoon Jihoo and Park Nayul? 

High school students living together.

In reality, it’s a difficult story, right?

But in a world where that kind of development isn’t strange,

so—

In the rules of this world, such a thing could happen.

I realized again.

I wasn’t in reality, but in a novel.

“…What?”

She was still looking at me.

In the shadow under the hat, light and darkness swayed subtly.

“Wanderer, where do you wish to go?”

Her tone was unfamiliar, yet familiar.

I had heard these words somewhere before.

“What are you saying…”

“Since you haven’t decided where to go, it’s natural to be lost.”

At that moment, I suddenly realized.

These were iconic lines from “Pro Cutie.”

Words that the magical girl, Lumina, would say to the people she met on her journey.

Lines full of meaning about destiny, choices, and finding one’s path.

I shut my mouth in an instant.

Even though the lines were familiar, in this moment, they strangely overlapped with reality.

I silently looked at her.

She was still staring at me. Her face, hidden under the hat, seemed somewhat vague.

The mix of light and shadow made her presence appear blurry.

But beneath the hat, her jawline, lips, and the ends of her softly flowing hair formed a clear shape. 

For a moment, silence. 

The wind blowing made the silhouette hidden beneath the hat waver. 

The leaves gently shook, and even the shadow cast on the ground scattered. 

Then she spoke indifferently. 

“…So, can I get a meal?” 

I didn’t say anything. 

The atmosphere from just a moment ago completely collapsed. 

Amidst the mystery scattered by the wind, what remained was just a girl who wanted to get a meal. 

“Are you cosplaying or something?” 

She tilted her head slightly and answered. 

“I’m hungry.” 

She took off her hat and quietly looked at me. 

Her face revealed after removing the hat had a mysterious aura. 

Her long silver hair shimmered faintly, and a few strands tinged with blue stood out strikingly. 

Like the tail of a comet cutting through the midnight sky, it swayed, leaving a quiet yet intense presence.Her pale skin glowed softly, as if it filtered out the light of the world, and her eyes, hidden beneath fine lashes, were deep and mysterious. 

Her gaze resembled that of a cat observing the world. 

The revealed eyes only enhanced that feline-like feeling. 

Calm blue eyes and golden eyes filled with warmth. 

It felt as though she was quietly looking down on everything from above, disconnected from the noise of the world. 

A person whose presence was clear even without moving. 

Visible, yet at a distance that felt like I could never reach if I stretched my hand out. 

She embodied an unusual beauty and quiet authority, and for a moment, she seemed to be a being that slightly transcended human boundaries. 

Had such a character appeared in the original? 

If there had been a character like this in the original, I would have definitely remembered.

 But no, she wasn’t in the original. 

A being who hadn’t existed here, standing in front of me so casually. 

For a moment, I felt a sense of unease. 

The system rejects me. 

It’s been that way from the beginning. 

This world is pushing me away. 

The reason is simple. 

I am an outsider. 

I am not a part of this world. 

Because I am an alien presence, the system must be rejecting me. 

I thought so. 

But… 

Is that really the case? 

For a moment, my mind became tangled. 

Had I been trying to accept this world? 

Maybe this world isn’t rejecting me, but rather… 

Am I pushing this world away? 

I was still drawing lines between “this is part of the original, this is not part of the original.”

Creating my own boundaries, interpreting this world within that frame. 

Had I really tried to belong here? 

What efforts had I made to leave something behind? 

“I’m hungry.” 

Just those words. 

And all the mystery crumbled.