episode_0037

Hong Yeon-hwa awkwardly smiled as she leaned her upper body through the gap in the door. Her gaze, swinging back and forth with a bag in hand, landed on my face.

Simultaneously, her face stiffened. Her pupils trembled as if experiencing an earthquake, scanning my face meticulously. Soon, the corners of her mouth began to quiver.

“What’s… wrong with your face?”

‘?’

With a soft thud, the bag fell to the floor. Hong Yeon-hwa swiftly approached me and pressed my cheeks with both hands. Her lips parted, forming a foolish expression.

Her face was a mix of surprise and concern. With a trembling voice, she continued, “No… What’s wrong with your face? It’s like half of it is gone…”

– Sigh… Sigh…

Tears welled up in Hong Yeon-hwa’s eyes, and she repeatedly tapped her cheeks. The warmth from her palm touched my skin.

Before I could react, Hong Yeon-hwa exclaimed, then abruptly stood up. After rummaging through the bag she had just dropped, she unexpectedly handed me something.

“Here, some fatigue recovery pills and nutrient tonics… They’re easy to take. I brought them as a get-well gift, so make sure to have them.”

In a world where magic and alchemy exist, dietary supplements advertised excessively in the real world actually exist here. These pills enhance focus, eliminate fatigue, and aid in vitality recovery, all produced through alchemy.

While not at the level of elixirs, there are quite a few helpful concoctions made by blending various ingredients.

Perhaps basic alchemy is included in some hours of free study periods.

The items Hong Yeon-hwa offered belonged to this category of remedies. I accepted one of the vials absentmindedly while listening to her explanation.

As I examined the brand while spatially perceiving the label, a familiar brand caught my eye, causing a shiver down my spine.

Animo Vigoránimovígor.

These products, crafted meticulously by top alchemists, were scarce in supply, and one thing was certain—they were outrageously expensive.

At this point, I remembered the price range that players found difficult to touch. With trembling hands, I tapped on my smartwatch.

“Aren’t these expensive?”

“Huh? Oh no, I brought only what seemed appropriate so you wouldn’t feel burdened. It’s fine, just take them all.”

…Really? It still seems like the right brand to me.

Is it different from the original? I tilted my head in confusion. Hong Yeon-hwa, who had placed the supplements in a bag next to the bed, glanced in my direction.

“Sigh…”

She checked my face again. After exhaling deeply, she reached out and gently cupped my cheeks.

“What happened to your face… Why does it look like this? Huh?”

I wondered why she kept reacting that way. Upon closer inspection through spatial perception, everything seemed fine.

Although my condition hadn’t been great lately, it wasn’t worrisome enough to cause such concern.

Having heard a brief explanation, Hong Yeon-hwa squeezed my cheeks even more sorrowfully.

‘Hmm…’

She continued to gently squeeze my cheeks for a while.

It was a feeling that was hard to explain, but one thing was certain—it wasn’t a bad feeling.

Due to her setting, Hong Yeon-hwa naturally had a higher body temperature due to her innate ability, Geophysics. With a magical energy akin to fire coursing through her, her body had adapted accordingly.

Thanks to this, the warmth emanating from her palm was incredibly comforting. The sensation of her warm, gentle touch on my cheeks felt pleasant.

As I quietly enjoyed her gentle squeezes, a sense of tranquility seemed to envelop me. I wished I could stay like this forever.

“…Ah!”

Her touch suddenly vanished. With a vacant expression, Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been gently squeezing my cheeks with both hands, let out a sigh before hastily retracting her hands.

The warmth and touch disappeared. The hands that had cradled my cheeks were gone, replaced by a rush of relatively cool air.

His mouth fell open in disappointment. He was savoring it so well, why withdraw his hand now? It felt like having something given to him and then snatched away.

However, lacking the nerve to demand it back, he shut his mouth instead.

“Kkeum kkeum.”

Hong Yeonhwa, after a few discreet coughs, glanced at the time. Lunchtime had long passed.

After a moment of contemplation, she spoke up.

“…Would you mind staying with me for a bit?”

[It’s okay. I’m feeling better now, so I was about to leave soon too.]

It wasn’t a lie. Being around Hong Yeonhwa had significantly improved his condition.

She scrutinized my face for a moment, as if trying to determine if it was a lie, then nodded.

…

After being discharged, I walked to the library with Hong Yeonhwa.

“You seem fine ahead. I’m okay with not guiding you.”

“Well, that too, but I just wanted to take a walk, so it’s fine.”

If it had been about guidance, I would have declined as a nuisance, but since it was about a walk, there was no reason to refuse.

It was still early for the sun to set, and the sunlight was shining down fairly strongly.

It was about time for other groups to finish their dungeon practice. Some students returning looked disheveled, which felt like a spatial perception.

“…I tried it, and it was okay. Most of the other menu items are good too. Let’s go together later.”

[Sure, I’ll look forward to it.]

“Arin ordered something called Choco Delux or something, but it was too sweet for me. I wonder how she can eat such a sweet thing.”

“……”

We chatted about trivial everyday matters as we walked. Hong Yeonhwa seemed to have chatted with friends, including Baek Arin, at a cafe.

Responding to Hong Yeonhwa’s description of the best dessert at the cafe, I inwardly sighed at the mention of a certain name.

‘Baek Arin.’

The successor of the Changhae Clan and a close friend of Hong Yeonhwa.

Having met during their childhood interactions between their families, they were close despite having almost opposite personalities.

Also widely known as the epitome of literary and martial arts prowess.

Ranked first in the 122nd Siyolam examination.

Achieved a perfect score in the theoretical section before Hong Yeonhwa. In the combat section, she closely followed behind Hong Yeonhwa.

Baek Arin, unlike the rumored eccentric Hong Yeonhwa, had a good reputation.

Her constant smile, round figure, and soft tone captivated people’s attention.

Utilizing her understanding and empathy to the fullest, she maintained excellent relationships with those around her, making her highly popular even in social circles.

While Hong Yeonhwa’s bold and refreshing personality could be appealing in some cases but divisive in others, Baek Arin was the type to generally win favor with everyone.

‘……’

The rumors were true for the most part. The evaluations from those around her were similar.

I thought so even after the first round.

In the first round, Baek Arin was just as rumored. She had some unexpectedly harsh aspects, but fundamentally, she was a character building her foundation in a deteriorating world.

That perception changed slightly by the eighth round.

“Ah.”

Yeonhwa exclaimed. Time had flown by as we talked, and we had already arrived at the library. Yeonhwa had mentioned earlier that she would study magic.

“Thank you for guiding me.”

“……”

As I nodded in appreciation, Yeonhwa seemed lost in thought. She appeared to have something to say.

Curious, I tilted my head.

After hesitating for a moment, Yeonhwa spoke up.

“If… you’re okay with it, I could also─”

– Ring!

Yeonhwa’s words were cut off. A clear alarm rang out. It emanated from the smartwatch on Yeonhwa’s wrist.

“- Oh, this is…! Wait, just a moment.”

With a dignified expression, Hong Yeonhwa hesitated and shivered. Glancing around discreetly, she turned her body in a circle.

…Even if I look good like this. No, why can’t everyone understand spatial perception explanations? Even when I turn my body, everything is visible…

Tapping her smartwatch to check the alarm, Hong Yeonhwa narrowed her eyes. Due to privacy concerns, she disregarded the hologram information.

For a moment, Hong Yeonhwa gazed at the hologram before turning towards this direction. In that brief turn, her somewhat soft expression changed.

“…It’s nothing. I’ll be going now. See you tomorrow morning.”

[Yes, thank you for the guidance.]

She held back the truth. It seemed unnecessary to elaborate further.

* * *

With eyes full of regret, Hong Yeonhwa watched Yi Hayul’s retreating figure.

As if sensing her gaze, Yi Hayul casually tilted his head and, scratching the back of his head, briskly entered the library.

“Sigh…”

A sigh escaped involuntarily. Just thinking about it was so regretful. If only it wasn’t for the alarm just now, she could have asked him to stay for a while…

Hong Yeonhwa glared at her stubborn smartwatch. Filled with unnecessary resentment, she pressed the hologram keyboard firmly.

[Connecting communication to contact ‘Madam Choi Jiyeon’]

– Ring… Ring… Click

The connection tone ended shortly. Soon after, a mature and confident voice echoed in Hong Yeonhwa’s ear.

[What’s wrong with my daughter who never contacts me?]

Similar to Hong Yeonhwa yet exuding maturity and confidence, it was Choi Jiyeon.

Her mother, greeted her with a hint of joy.

[I thought I’d have to wait until you’re in your second year to hear from you.]

“What, how little do you think I contact you?”

[You don’t consider how a mother feels having to hear about her daughter’s well-being from others these days?]

“Well, leaving that aside. I called because I have something to ask.”

[You ungrateful girl.]

After some playful banter, Hong Yeonhwa got to the point.

“You remember the potion I took last time. There’s only one left, right? Send me the remaining one.”

Potions are broadly divided into two categories.

Natural potions made naturally from nature and processed natural potions made from a mixture of various ingredients.

The potion Hong Yeonhwa mentioned was a processed natural potion. To be precise, it was a processed natural potion.

Natural potions are generally hard to come by but show significant effects. There’s even a saying that true high-quality natural potions don’t even cast a shadow after taking three doses.

However, the problem is that their effectiveness is too good, and if taken indiscriminately, it can lead to dire consequences.

Therefore, they are processed to be consumed ‘safely.’ It’s not an easy task. There are few skilled individuals who dare to tamper with potions formed according to the laws of nature.

The alchemist hired by the Geophwa family was one of the few highly skilled individuals in the world. Thanks to him, Hong Yeonhwa could often access processed natural potions.

Nevertheless, simply consuming them burdens the body, and while it’s good for skill improvement, it’s not ideal. Hence, there were quite a few potions accumulating in the warehouse.

Ultimately, whether to consume or sell them lies with Hong Yeonhwa.

In that sense, silence followed through the communication network.

‘Huh?’

Questioning, Hong Yeonhwa checked the communication. It was properly connected. Was there a momentary disconnection? She was about to speak again when a trembling voice came through the communication.

[Th-that… You’ve built a relationship strong enough to offer our family pillar to a potential suitor…?]

“What the hell are you talking about, Mom…!”

Startled, Hong Yeonhwa shouted in shock.