Chapter 83 A Childhood Friend’s Regret

Lee Na-ri.

In Na-ri’s eyes, she could see Si-woo and her sister Narin leaving.
The sight of the two like a master and his affectionate cat.

It was a sight that posed no problems for either Si-woo or her sister Narin.

Si-woo looked extremely happy.

As if without any worries.

Since Na-ri had become stronger to save Si-woo in the first place.

Regarding that aspect, though she felt empty, she couldn’t have any complaints.

‘Is this a happy ending…?’

It was undoubtedly a happy ending where everyone was happy.

Narin who had been the Demon King had become good.

Si-woo who had been the prince needing saving didn’t need to be saved.

And she who had been the hero had achieved her goal.

It was clearly a happy ending where no one suffered losses and everyone could be satisfied.

But…

‘No… I still need to confess about what happened that day…’

Na-ri’s story wasn’t over yet.

Na-ri still had something she needed to do.

That was confessing the truth of that day to Si-woo and receiving forgiveness.

So she still needed to talk more with Si-woo.

“Si-woo. Could you listen to me for a moment?”

Looking at Si-woo’s back as he was leaving, Na-ri continued speaking.

As if feeling the weight of what she was about to say herself.

She swallowed hard and called out to stop him.

“What is it now?”

And hearing those words, Si-woo.

Turned around looking slightly annoyed as if bothered.

It seemed he was annoyed at being continuously called to stop.

“It’s because it’s a really important story…”

But even so, because it was such an important story for Na-ri…

She carefully continued speaking slowly.

The truth of that day…

To receive forgiveness from Si-woo.

Na-ri did her best.

“Haah…”

I couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed right now.

My childhood friend who had come to find me.

Such a childhood friend keeps stopping me, trying to say something again.

Because of that, my annoyance was reaching its limit now.

Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn’t irritated.

Right now I had been called by the Hunter Association President and didn’t have time to leisurely have conversations like this.

One way or another, I could be said to be quite busy right now, and needed to head to the Hunter Association quickly.

In such a situation, being called out like this couldn’t help but be annoying.

Even if it was my childhood friend…

‘She wasn’t like this before… just why is she acting like this…?’

I glanced at Na-ri.

A figure that seemed somewhat restless.

Though she usually has somewhat gloomy and grave aspects, it was slightly different from the confident and energetic Na-ri I knew.

While feeling slightly uncomfortable at such an appearance, I could slightly sense Na-ri’s essence trying to say something important.

So in the end I inevitably decided to just listen to what she had to say.

‘Well… can’t be helped.’

There’s also the fact that Na-ri is my childhood friend, and since she’s trying to say something important, it wouldn’t be polite to ignore her here.

And I’m the one who turned Na-ri’s sister Narin into a cat.

Though I didn’t feel guilty about making Na-ri’s sister, Narin, like this, I did feel some responsibility to at least listen to what she had to say.

So, I’m planning to listen quickly and go.

“What is it now?”

I asked Na-ri.

There’s still time for now.

About 5 minutes? Though I’ll have to leave after that passes, it should be enough time to listen to what she has to say.

“Actually… well…”

Hearing my words, Na-ri.

Na-ri slowly continued the conversation.

And.

As if resolved, she closed her eyes tightly and said to me.

“Your… parents actually died because of me…”

As if apologizing profusely…

Na-ri’s body trembled.

“I’m sorry… I’m really sorry… Actually… they died because of me…”

And as if apologizing to me… bowing her head.

My childhood friend Na-ri was shedding tears.

“What…? That’s what this was about?”

I couldn’t help but smirk seeing such a Na-ri.

Because it was such an absurd thing to say.

“Huh…? You’re not angry?”

“What’s there to be angry about. I’ve known about it since before.”

Though Na-ri made a surprised expression at my attitude.

I had already known about that fact for a long time.

Rather, I had thought Na-ri was going to say something very serious.

I was more bewildered by how it was such an insignificant matter.

Lee Na-ri and Lee Si-woo.

The two were childhood friends and had always been together.

They were closest to each other, and cultivated their friendship since childhood.

But that friendship was one from childhood.

That friendship gradually changed over time, going through a process of maturation.

And finally changed into the emotion called love.

Affection for a childhood friend who was always by one’s side.

The kind of affection that could absolutely not be replaced by any other person of the opposite sex.

Though it absolutely wasn’t a passionate love, like an ember that survived quietly and subtly until the end.

This was the kind of love that absolutely couldn’t be simply extinguished.

Too heavy and warm… such an irreplaceable love.

And it was the same for Si-woo too.

Si-woo also liked Na-ri very much.

Just like Na-ri, because they had simply been together, he couldn’t help but like her.

The two truly loved each other.

They never doubted that they would become each other’s lovers.

But…

The story was too tragic.

‘Si-woo’s parents died because of me…’

The accident that Si-woo’s parents met with.

That accident caused by a gate took the lives of Si-woo’s parents.

And in that process, Na-ri’s life was saved.

But Na-ri wasn’t particularly happy about surviving.

What remained in her heart was only endless guilt.

‘Because of me…’

The guilt of causing the death of her beloved childhood friend Si-woo’s parents.

Because of that guilt, Na-ri had no choice but to distance herself from Si-woo.

Because she had no right to be by Si-woo’s side, she distanced herself from Si-woo on her own.

‘Therefore, I can’t accept your love…’

That’s why she had rejected Si-woo’s confession to her.

She who was the enemy who killed his parents…

Because she didn’t even have the right to be by Si-woo’s side.

Na-ri had no choice but to reject.

‘I’m sorry…’

It was too gloomy a story for Na-ri.

A story where the love between a boy and girl in love couldn’t continue.

Such a sad story of a girl who couldn’t comfort a boy who had lost his parents.

Na-ri could only think about the past, regret and reflect.

She could only shed tears.

‘I couldn’t even tell you that. Because I was afraid you would hate me.’

And she couldn’t even receive forgiveness.

Afraid of receiving Si-woo’s hatred…

Afraid of receiving hatred from her beloved childhood friend, Na-ri had hidden this fact.

She could only just live on like that.

Na-ri didn’t have courage.

She could only accept it.

‘But… now… what do you mean?’

However, after Na-ri finally mustered courage and became stronger.

She told this fact to Si-woo.

After 7 years had passed, she finally confessed to Si-woo.

Words she had mustered courage to say to apologize even if Si-woo would hate her.

Words she absolutely had to say someday.

Yet words she couldn’t easily say.

Such words they were…

Na-ri had thought she would humbly accept however Si-woo reacted.

Even if he got angry.

Even if he became sad.

Even if he tried to hit her.

Na-ri had intended to just accept everything.

“What do you mean you knew about it…? You knew?”

But she hadn’t expected this kind of reaction at all.

To Na-ri’s courageous confession that she had killed his parents, Si-woo didn’t show any reaction.

Rather, he just tilted his head as if wondering why she was talking about such things.

Just why was he acting like this…

Though Na-ri couldn’t understand, she soon learned the reason.

“Yeah. I couldn’t not know from the beginning. It comes up with just a little investigation, and they were my parents so of course I knew how they died…”

“Since when did you know…?”

“Hmm… from the day after my parents died…?”

It was because Si-woo had known about this matter from the start.

Now after 7 years had passed, Si-woo had an expression as if such things didn’t matter at all.

“…”

Seeing such a Si-woo, Na-ri could only maintain silence.

Because it was too unexpected.

It meant the worries Na-ri had for 7 years had never been something to worry about from the beginning.

“Then… don’t you hate me…?”

Na-ri asked Si-woo.

What he thought about her who had killed his parents…

“Why would I hate you. My parents were going to die anyway, at least they died saving you.”

To Na-ri full of guilt.

Si-woo responded as if it was fine.

“Anyway it’s getting late. I’ll be going now.”

And then Si-woo left as if really busy.

He seemed quite pressed for time.

“…”

Looking at such a Si-woo…

Na-ri couldn’t help but hold many emotions.

‘Si-woo… confessed to me while knowing everything…’

The day Si-woo confessed to her.

Na-ri rejected him for that reason, but Si-woo didn’t care about such things at all.

Watching Si-woo leave, the memory of that day was clearly etched in Na-ri’s heart.

“Why didn’t I accept his confession back then…”

A situation of missed connections…

But Na-ri couldn’t blame anyone.

Looking at it closely, she who had lacked courage was the most at fault.