Episode 447. End of Vacation (4)

Soft. Sleep is pouring down.

… What happened after that?

After meeting the God of Betting, I don’t remember what happened next.

Lee Hoyeon surrendered his body to the softness of the bed and the warm touch stroking his chest.

“Hoyeon-ah. Are you okay?”

“… Daeun-i?”

“… Mhm. You woke up?”

A voice could be heard right beside him.

Lee Hoyeon, only then overcoming the pouring sleep, opened his eyes.

A familiar room.

Not his small rented room, but the house Lee Hoyeon bought after possessing the body.

Beside him, Nam Daeun was peering in with a worried expression.

“… How much time has passed?”

“About a day has passed. We decided to take turns watching over you, and you woke up during my shift. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Nam Daeun seemed happy for this and smiled.

That I woke up during her shift seemed to make her feel good.

‘… But only a day passed?’

Last time, not that much time had passed, but this time, quite a bit of time had passed.

Although I wasn’t fully conscious yet, I knew what I had to do.

Lee Hoyeon looked at Nam Daeun’s face and opened the status window.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Nam Daeun]

• [ Affection : 100 ] ( + 1.4 )

• [ Lust : 75 ]

• [ Appetite : 30 ]

• [ Fatigue : 35 ]

Current State: Is she perhaps sick? Should I ask Rebecca-ssi?

[Upon reaching 100 Affection, love for Lee Hoyeon becomes very strong.]

Lee Hoyeon looked at the status window and nodded.

For some reason, I felt like I needed to check the status window, and it turns out I was right.

The status window had information I didn’t know written on it.

It seemed like information that appeared when Affection reached 100.

‘Very strong…’

It sounds good on the surface, but it’s vague.

Whether that strengthened love can understand the other 11 women is another matter.

“Hoyeon-ah. But… what’s that on your hand?”

“My hand?”

Lee Hoyeon only then realized the foreign object on his right hand.

A silver ring with a dark red gem, worn on the ring finger of his right hand.

Secretly thanking his lucky stars it wasn’t his left ring finger, Lee Hoyeon checked the ring’s abilities.

────────────

[Hell Assimilation Ring]

▶ Legendary Grade

▶ A ring containing an unknown sense of dread.

▶ When used, it summons a black pillar that progresses assimilation with Hell. The black pillar emits the aura of Hell and drains the magic from Earth. Humans near the pillar will be unable to use magic properly.

────────────

“… It’s a ring.”

“Mhm. Was it always there? It doesn’t seem like it…”

Watching Nam Daeun tilt her head, Lee Hoyeon placed his hand on his chest.

If there’s a ring, the gift from the God of Betting must be here too.

“…”

However, he felt nothing special from his chest.

Is it not time yet?

It’ll probably appear when it’s needed. Since it was called a gift, it probably won’t be anything bad.

“Mhm? The baby’s daddy woke up?”

“Ah, Rebecca-ssi. It’s already time for the shift change.”

“Yeah. But since the baby’s daddy woke up, we don’t need to switch.”

Just then, Rebecca entered the room.

Judging by the talk about a shift change, it must have been time.

Rebecca approached Lee Hoyeon and placed her hand on his forehead.

“By the way, baby’s daddy, are you okay? When Scarlet-yang and I saw you, you didn’t seem to be in critical condition, so we just let you rest.”

“Yes. I gained enlightenment and lost consciousness for a moment.”

Lee Hoyeon looked at Rebecca and gave a rough excuse.

I couldn’t exactly say I met the God of Betting, so the easiest excuse at times like this is to say I gained some kind of enlightenment only I could understand.

It’s the privilege of a genius mage.

“As expected, geniuses are different. I’ve never entered such a state of hyper-focus while researching magic.”

“Hyper-focus… Yes. Well, something like that.”

Actually, Lee Hoyeon didn’t know what his own condition looked like from the outside.

Perhaps it was a situation like astral projection, wasn’t it?

“You wouldn’t even wake up if someone touched your dick.”

“What?”

“Ah, I said that by mistake…”

Rebecca covered her mouth and giggled.

… I didn’t mishear that, did I?

Thinking about it, she said I was asleep all day, and that they took turns watching over me.

Could that order possibly be…

“Oops… Now that I think about it, I left the kimchi jjigae on the stove. I’ll be right back~.”

“You don’t cook, Rebecca-ssi. Hey!”

Rebecca reopened the door she had just closed and ran off.

Wait a second.

If Rebecca did that, then maybe?

Startled, I looked at Nam Daeun’s face, and Nam Daeun was blinking with an innocent expression.

Right. It wasn’t Daeun-i.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. Come here, Daeun-ah.”

Lee Hoyeon stroked Nam Daeun’s head and pulled her close.

Nam Daeun, who hugged him without resistance, wrapped her arms tightly around Lee Hoyeon’s waist.

Although Rebecca and Scarlet had said he was fine, she was secretly worried about Lee Hoyeon.

Lee Hoyeon, stroking Nam Daeun’s back, checked the time on his smartwatch.

“I didn’t expect to be lying down for a whole day… I need to leave right away.”

“You’re leaving right after waking up?”

“I have someone to visit.”

Lee Hoyeon checked the messages on his smartwatch and stretched.

If a day has passed, I should probably be able to talk to Moon Sungmin soon.

• Surin noona: [He/She] is hospitalized in Victoria Academy VIP room 103. You can come here for a visit.

There were numerous messages, but Lee Hoyeon purposefully ignored them and only checked the room number.

I need to go see my father-in-law and Surin noona.

*

An strangely warm atmosphere enveloped my body.

‘It’s a dream.’

Moon Surin quickly realized that this was a dream.

Lately, it was a dream she often had.

It wasn’t a nightmare. It was a happy dream where all her loved ones appeared.

For Moon Surin, who finished her difficult work, it was like a reward.

My father, the head of the family, who always gave me good guidance.

My mother, who always gave me a loving smile.

My grandfather, who sometimes spoke sternly but always sent his love.

A dream of living happily with them all.

She was in the middle of it all, wearing a wedding dress.

Beside her was her beloved man, Lee Hoyeon.

He always looked at her and smiled.

Together, they received everyone’s blessings and lived happily ever after.

The end of the dream she had every day was always the same.

This dream wasn’t a nightmare.

However, because it was something that couldn’t happen, it was painful.

Missing them and feeling sad, every morning tear tracks would be on her cheeks.

“… Ah.”

Moon Surin blankly opened her eyes.

When the dream ended, a sense of regret washed over her.

After wiping the moisture from her face, she realized she was in a hospital room.

There was no time to dwell on the lingering feelings of the dream.

In the hospital bed lay her father, Moon Sungmin.

It was absurd to hospitalize a Mine in an academy room, but it was possible for Moon Surin and Baek Ahyoung.

Moon Sungmin was being treated exclusively by Baek Ahyoung.

Although Baek Ahyoung had work in the emergency room, since it was vacation, it was okay for her to be away briefly.

Baek Ahyoung made time whenever she could to check on Moon Sungmin’s condition.

Knock knock knock.

“Yes. Come in.”

Moon Surin carefully opened the door.

Standing outside the door was Baek Ahyoung.

This was a VIP room, and other nurses were prohibited from entering, so the only one who could knock was Baek Ahyoung.

“He’s still sleeping.”

“… Yes.”

Baek Ahyoung, entering the room, familiarilty infused magic throughout Moon Sungmin’s body.

His life was confirmed to be stable, but her work was stabilization.

Stabilizing a Mine’s body is like turning an overcooked steak back into raw meat.

She was forcing the impossible to happen with the power of a Saintess.

Seeing Baek Ahyoung exhausted after each session always filled Moon Surin with guilt.

“This should be enough. I’ll come back in a few hours to check on him again.”

“Thank you, Saintess-nim. … For hiding information about my father and even treating him like this…”

“It’s nothing. It’s because Lee Hoyeon student… Hoyeon asked me to.”

“Yes. I’m truly grateful to Hoyeon too.”

Moon Surin smiled at the mention of Lee Hoyeon’s name.

Moon Surin knew that Baek Ahyoung and Lee Hoyeon were close.

Before the break, they visited the infirmary every day, so they might have a deep relationship.

Moon Surin, who collected photos of Lee Hoyeon, was also fairly aware of the women around him.

‘… But who were those women that day?’

Moon Surin recalled the women she saw in the cafeteria.

Some faces were familiar, but there were also women she saw for the first time.

A beauty with red hair and a blonde beauty.

And a beauty with a vacant expression.

Nam Daeun and her younger sister, Nam Dahee.

She didn’t know who the red-haired and blonde beauties were, but she could tell who the beauty with the vacant expression was.

The sexy Succubus.

A female student who used to broadcast from the Victoria Academy dormitories.

She was dining with Lee Hoyeon.

She was already suspicious.

She had found her underwear in Lee Hoyeon’s dorm before.

Now that she had seen the evidence, perhaps she could ask him directly.

As Moon Surin was seriously contemplating this, Baek Ahyoung spoke up.

“The treatment is finished… but may I ask one thing before I go?”

“Yes. Of course, Saintess-nim.”

She felt she could answer anything.

Moon Surin was truly grateful to the Saintess.

“How does the Student Council President feel about Hoyeon?”

“Huh? What?”

“I’m curious about the Student Council President’s honest feelings. How is it?”

Moon Surin tried to read Baek Ahyoung’s intentions by looking into her eyes, but couldn’t decipher her expression.

It was natural, really.

Baek Ahyoung was simply curious.

Whether Moon Surin was a rival or not.

And she thought now, after owing her a favor, was the perfect time to ask.

“Ho-Hoyeon… I-I like him.”

“… As I thought?”

“Yes… I like him a lot.”

Moon Surin blushed and lowered her head.

Unlike Baek Ahyoung, it was Moon Surin’s first time talking about this in front of others.

It was only natural to feel embarrassed.

“Ugh…”

“Saintess-nim…?”

Hearing Moon Surin’s words, Baek Ahyoung also lowered her head.

It wasn’t out of embarrassment.

I hoped it wasn’t true, but it seems I was right.

There are just too many.

Baek Ahyoung unconsciously sighed regretfully and muttered.

“I need to tell Sol that the twins and Rebecca-ssi are rivals… If the Student Council President is included too…”

“… What? Who?”

“Ugh, ugh. What should I do…”

Baek Ahyoung stumbled out of the room.

I have to go to Sol right now and figure out a plan….

Left alone, Moon Surin blinked and clenched her fists.

“… The twins? Rebecca? Sol? Who are all these people? No, the twins are Lucy and Lumi… Could Sol be Professor Im Sol?”

Moon Surin unconsciously opened her mouth.

She was already wary of Baek Ahyoung and the Lucy-Lumi twins, but just how many more are there?

Knock knock.

Just then, a knock sounded at the room door.

Baek Ahyoung had just left, so if it wasn’t her, no one else should know about this room….

“Surin noona. I’m here.”

“… Come in.”

Lee Hoyeon, who had come straight to visit after meeting the God of Betting, checked Moon Surin’s expression.

Her face looked somewhat displeased.

Why was she like this? Had I come too late after all?

As he wondered if he should try acting cute,

Moon Surin’s cold voice reached Lee Hoyeon.

“… Hoyeon-ah. Sit here.”

“…”

Lee Hoyeon unconsciously shut his mouth and meekly sat down in the chair.