episode_0031

“Now then, answer my question. How do you have the power of a god? No matter how I look at it, you’re just a normal human, aren’t you?”

Yustia narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she pressed him. Yunyoung, feeling that a hasty lie might lead to unnecessary misunderstandings, decided to explain the situation honestly.

That his ancestors, resolved to face extinction, had killed a god, stolen its power, and passed it on to him.

At first, Yustia seemed unable to easily believe it, but seeing Yunyoung’s serious expression, she realized it was the truth and gasped in astonishment.

“Your ancestors did something incredibly preposterous… It seems they held a high position even in the Celestial Realm to throw everything away and think of killing a god.”

“I agree with that thought, but isn’t that a strange thing for you, who challenged a god, to say?”

Hearing that, Yustia giggled.

“What’s so funny?”

“Don’t you think we suit each other quite well?”

“What?”

“It means we’re both rebels who defied a god. Being with you, I don’t think I’ll be bored for a while…”

Yustia lightly swept her hair back. Yunyoung seemed indifferent to her attitude.

He first began to look around. This place, familiar yet feeling alien due to his long absence──.

“…This is Earth, right?”

“Yep. The spacetime leap succeeded without a hitch, so there’s no mistake. The probability was less than 0.1%, so we were lucky.”

“It was 0.1%?”

Yunyoung retorted, his eyes wide. Yustia replied as if it were no big deal.

“Yeah. Did you think a spacetime leap was that simple?”

“But I have the power of a god…”

“I know. You have a god’s power? But that’s just one of many conditions. Spacetime leaps are an absolute taboo that defies the laws. Normally, it’s almost impossible. You’d need at least a god’s power just to open up a possibility. Even then, the world’s will resists, so it’s incredibly difficult.”

Yustia was humming cheerfully. No worry or anxiety about the failure of the spacetime leap seemed to be detectable from her.

Yunyoung’s head swam with dizziness, wondering what would have happened if it had ended in failure. He was also displeased that Yustia hadn’t mentioned such an important thing beforehand—but what could be done now?

“It’s probably fortunate I didn’t hear that in the tunnel. If I had heard it there, I definitely would have panicked.”

Yunyoung decided to look on the bright side and move on. Regretting the past was just a waste of time.

It was then──!

A growl.

A rumbling sound came from Yustia’s small body.

“Hmm… I’m hungry, isn’t there anything to eat?”

“What are you even…”

“Hungry.”

Yunyoung lightly sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead. Although he hadn’t known Yustia for long, he had a hunch that dealing with her personality would be quite difficult.

‘If I respond to every single thing, it’ll never end. I should ignore her for now.’

Yunyoung pretended not to hear Yustia and thought about what he needed to check first.

‘Fortunately, it seems I’ve come to Korea, but the next most important thing is the time. I need to figure out what day it is today.’

Once a goal was set, there was no reason to delay.

Yunyoung began to walk with brisk strides. Yustia, who had been lingering beside him, quickly followed with small steps as soon as Yunyoung moved.

“Where are you going?”

“Don’t follow me on your own accord.”

“Huh? We’re partners who broke through spacetime together. Aren’t you being too heartless? You were able to come to Earth because of me! That’s so mean~ So mean~.”

“Are you always this frivolous?”

“I’m a delicate girl!”

“……”

Yunyoung found a convenience store nearby, went inside, and asked the part-timer for the date. After hearing the answer, Yunyoung bowed his head and left the store.

“I’m not late…”

All sorts of emotions crossed Yunyoung’s face as he muttered quietly.

Because today was the day Yunyoung had been hit by a car and died. Moreover, the current time was also before his appointment time on that day.

Yustia, who had heard the answer with him at the convenience store, smiled brightly and boasted about herself.

“Kyaa~, isn’t my spacetime leap amazing? To arrive exactly at the desired time. I’m a genius! But why aren’t you buying me anything? I’m hungry! Buy me some bread or something!”

“I don’t have money.”

“Hungry…”

With big tears welling up, Yustia placed a hand on her stomach. Yunyoung called out to her.

“Hey─.”

“Call me by my proper name. I have the name Yustia!”

Yustia pouted and puffed out her cheeks. While her appearance was unexpectedly cute, he had no time to appreciate it now.

“Yustia.”

“What is it~?”

“Can you transform into a motorcycle?”

“I’m hungry, so it’s hard right now~.”

“Just this once, please. After this, I’ll let you eat to your heart’s content.”

“You said you didn’t have money earlier.”

“I just don’t have money on hand.”

“Aren’t you overworking me too much? You’re going to cast me aside if I’m not useful, aren’t you?”

“Please. There’s no time.”

“You dodged the question again. You can’t run away like that.”

“Yustia─.”

“Ah, fine, I get it. If you’re going to be that serious, then I have no choice.”

Yustia grumbled and complained, but still transformed into a motorcycle. Yunyoung rode the motorcycle to the meeting place of that day.

It was a remarkably good motorcycle, gliding smoothly over the ground. Yunyoung weaved in and out through the complex, tangled roads filled with cars.

“That crazy bastard, look at how he’s driving.”

“You son of a bitch! Drive that motorcycle properly!”

“Is he crazy, trying to get hit by a car and die?”

Drivers opened their windows and shouted, but Yunyoung didn’t hear them. Or rather, he wasn’t interested. If he reacted to each and every one of them, he would be late for his appointment.

Naturally, the motorcycle had no license plate, but he didn’t care about such things.

Because the most important thing for him right now was to go and meet her—the person he loved── before their appointed time.

Yunyoung sped through the city, which had a speed limit of 60 km/h, at over 300 km/h.

A loud whirring sound─!

Naturally, he didn’t bother to obey traffic signals. He forged ahead boldly through red lights, weaving in an S-shape between cars driving straight through intersections, speeding like the wind.

But soon he hit a wall. He arrived at the bridge he needed to cross, but cars were jammed, causing immense traffic congestion.

“Damn it. At this rate, I’ll be late.”

The cars were so densely packed that it was impossible to break through by changing lanes.

Just then, Yustia, who had transformed into a motorcycle, asked.

“Do we *have* to cross the bridge?”

Yunyoung, unable to understand what she was talking about, retorted in a dumbfounded voice.

“What? What do you mean, ‘cross the bridge’?”

“Let’s cross the river. I can ride on water, you know.”

“What…?”

“This body isn’t an ordinary motorcycle.”

“You’re amazing.”

Yunyoung turned the motorcycle’s handlebars and went down under the bridge. He hesitated with the river right in front of him. Could the motorcycle really run on water?

As if reading his mind, Yustia spoke.

“Don’t hesitate. Trust me.”

“Right, in this situation, common sense is meaningless now.”

“Yes, that’s the mindset. Throw your fear away and ride!”

Yunyoung twisted the motorcycle’s throttle to the maximum. A powerful engine roar echoed deeply as it shot forward like an arrow.

Surprisingly, the motorcycle began to race across the water. Unlike the road, there were no obstacles, and it was wide open, making it extremely comfortable. Spray constantly flew up from the water’s surface.

“Just wait a little longer!”

Yunyoung accelerated, pulling the motorcycle’s throttle. He raced like the wind towards the place he had promised his beloved.

-1-

The majority of major accidents and incidents begin with small mistakes and carelessness.

Yunyoung was able to return to that place, the one he had yearned for and regretted so many times.

It was that winter, and snow was falling. For a moment, he couldn’t speak and trembled.

“I’ve returned…”

Since his beloved was not yet visible, it seemed he had arrived safely before their appointment time.

“Yustia…”

“What?”

Yustia, who had been the motorcycle, was now by Yunyoung’s side, transformed into her human form. Yunyoung asked Yustia.

“Can you also create fire?”

Since she could transform into a motorcycle and ride on water, it wouldn’t be strange if she also had the ability to create fire.

“A little bit, maybe?”

Yustia extended her thumb from her fist, and a small flame flickered from it.

“That’s enough.”

“What are you going to do?”

Yustia tilted her head, her eyes wide.

Yunyoung didn’t specifically answer. He squatted down and picked up a cigarette butt lying on the ground.

“Light this for me.”

“I’m not a lighter! What are you making a delicate girl do?!”

Yustia stretched her arm straight down and leaned her upper body forward as if bursting with complaints.