episode_0077

It was after almost 10 days that I returned home to Suwon.

“Oppa!”

“Yoochan… !”

Shin Yuna and Hallyeowon, who were anxiously waiting for me, welcomed me very warmly.

“Why are you here now?! Do you know how long we’ve been waiting?!”

“That’s right… ! You should have at least called me… !”

… I think this is a warm welcome.

“Sorry. I’m out of my mind… . My phone is broken… .”

“Really… ! Do you know how anxious I was watching the news?”

“Are you hurt anywhere? Is there any pain?”

“Yes. It’s okay.”

As I was unpacking my thoughts with the two of them, the thought of finally returning home made me relax, and fatigue began to pour over my whole body.

Thanks to this, I passed out for ten hours without even being able to talk properly.

“… Ryeo Won.”

“Ah. Are you awake?”

“Yes… .”

Eventually, I woke up late at night and took a seat next to Hallyeowon, who was sitting in the living room.

however.

“Why… ?”

“… … .”

As I was looking at her quietly, I felt something strange.

As Shin Yuna said, the threat targeting the stone was real.

The threat has now begun to face me.

Something bad could happen to Hallyeowon someday.

Just like Ma Yeon-seo did.

‘I need to become stronger.’

Something heavy, born of responsibility, is weighing on my shoulders.

Needing comfort from the unfamiliar pressure, I opened my arms and asked her for a hug.

“… Hug me just once.”

“… … .”

She looked at me for a moment, then opened her arms and accepted my look without saying anything.

“Come here.”

I bury my face in the soft chest that can be felt through the soft pajamas.

The unique soft feel of pajamas rubbing against your skin and the soft sensation beyond that.

As I took a deep breath, I felt my agitated heart gradually calming down due to the sweet smell of my body.

‘As expected, I feel at ease when I’m with Ryeo-won.’

I was comforted for a while and made up my mind for the future.

*

“I have something to show you.”

Early moning. After gathering Hallyeowon and Shin Yuna together, I showed them one of the loot I had brought with me from Argentina.

“This, this… .”

“!”

It is a stone with a beautifully shaped purple gem encrusted in it.

“It is the stone of the beginning.”

It was a primordial stone that I found by chance.

“How is this…? .”

The two people, startled, opened their eyes wide and demanded an explanation.

“Uh, how did you get it?”

The full story of the incident was like this.

-What is this?

While trying to escape the tower with the survivors. I noticed something sparkling in the sunlight on the ground.

Normally, I would have passed right by without even paying attention.

I was moved by a strange attraction and was able to find a stone that was shining brightly in the blood.

I could vaguely sense that the stone was the stone of the beginning.

“I brought it with me, but I don’t know what to do with it.”

“Oh my god… .”

“No, how did I not catch this… ?”

Shin Yu-na seemed very surprised that she had not caught me taking the stone.

“I was lucky.”

I can only express that I am lucky.

At that time, next to me was Ma Yeon-seo, who was overcoming the crisis of life and death.

When Korea heard the news, an emergency portal was sent by presidential decree to bring us to Seoul.

Thanks to this, the stones were able to be brought to Korea without any problems.

“This is… . This is a future I couldn’t even see.”

“This is my first time seeing it in person… .’

The two people still looked surprised and played with the stone.

I was skeptical at first, so I understood their reaction.

“Anyway. I want you to take care of the stone until I return.”

Since I have delivered everything I had to deliver, I was planning to be away for a while.

“Until you come back… ?”

“Where… . Ah.”

Han Ryeo-won seemed to know what I was trying to say.

“Did you have a good rest?”

“Yes. Thanks to you, I feel completely better.”

A large hospital in Seoul.

I met with my future father-in-law, Ma Jang-hwan, and briefly exchanged greetings.

“Then, I guess I should just get up.”

He seemed to have stayed up all night and woke up looking a little haggard.

“I will contact you before I come.”

“Yes.”

“Please take care of me while I am away.”

Even though he had a strong physique, I felt somewhat small when I saw him leaving the hospital room.

How does it feel to leave the hospital room, leaving your sick daughter behind?

… It was a feeling I could never understand.

[ Ma Yeon-seo, an S-class awakened survivor of the Argentina Incident, fell into unconsciousness. ]

[China, which caused the incident, is still silent… . ]

While in Ma Yeon-seo’s hospital room, there was a chaotic atmosphere in Korea.

Should I say that the entire country has literally woken up?

It is inevitable that this incident will not simply end with the death of the awakened person.

The association responsible for the expedition was on the verge of collapse because three S-class awakened people, a valuable asset to the nation, had died.

The approval rating of the government, which had supported the association, also plummeted to the bottom.

Then, naturally, the opposing party should benefit… .

The reality is that they have been severely beaten for showing a friendly stance toward China.

Companies that were doing business with China have also stopped or reduced their business.

Otherwise, there will be a boycott from all over the world.

“Yeonseo. Everyone is waiting for you.”

In this situation, the only hope was Ma Yeon-seo, who was lying in a hospital bed.

The only S-class left in Korea.

A great hero who prevented China’s violence.

To be exact, I was the one who forced the Chinese group to retreat, but externally it is known that Ma Yeon-seo did it.

Kang Yu-chan is Ma Yeon-seo’s summoned animal.

“… So wake up… .”

I hold onto her limp hand.

Her skin, which was always smooth, was a little rougher than usual.

‘… shit… .’

My heart was heavy.

“Umm… . There is definitely consciousness.”

“Ah… . Is that so?”

Even the hospital, where life and death were at stake, did not just wait for her to wake up.

They willingly helped Ma Yeon-seo through various tests, both materially and spiritually, to help her wake up.

“If you look here, the brain waves are just moving, right? Is this a reaction to Yu-chan’s voice?”

The doctor in charge points to the area with slightly calmer waves.

“This is the part I spoke to.”

“Silence… It does.”

“Yes. Does this mean there is no response to my voice?”

He pushed up his glasses and compared various other parts and told them about Ma Yeon-seo’s condition.

“If you look, there is no particular reaction to other people’s voices. Originally, I thought there would have been a hearing problem.”

In short, it means that it is conscious, but is only responding to one person.

“I’m only reacting to Yuchan.”

It’s her favorite thing.

“Then… What should I do?”

“Just continue talking as if you were having a normal conversation. It’s good to touch your hands or provide some tactile stimulation.”

With such an important task on my shoulders, I began to have various conversations with Ma Yeon-seo.

‘What should I say?’

… And from the beginning, we ran into difficulties.

‘… ‘What are you really saying?’

When I tried to talk to Ma Yeon-seo, something didn’t come out naturally.

What would you say to an unconscious woman?

No matter how much I tried to shake my head, my mouth couldn’t fall off easily.

So I asked for help from people I could rely on.

[ hmm… . well… . ]

[ … It’s a bit daunting. ]

The voices of two women seriously contemplating can be heard through the speaker.

[Wouldn’t it be nice to confess your love? ]

[It’s a bit too reckless to say I love you… . ]

Shin Yu-na and Hall Ryeo-won seriously worked out a method as if it were the best.

Honestly, from their point of view, it would be better without Ma Yeon-seo, who is an obstacle.

Seeing them try to help so sincerely made me feel reassured.

[ Uhm. How about starting with an old story? ]

“An old story?”

[The time we first met… . Something like that? ]

“… !”

Meanwhile, I got a hint from Hallyeowon’s advice and left the hospital room right away.

and.

“… Where is it… .”

At Ma Yeon-seo’s house, I started looking for the treasure chest she had collected.

It’s none other than a box filled with memories from when we were dating.

‘I definitely wouldn’t have thrown it away.’

Back when I was still trapped in the United States.

I once heard from her that she carefully organized all of her old photos, gifts I gave her, letters, etc.

There was no doubt that it was stored somewhere.

but… .

“Box? I’m not sure.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like that.”

Among the managers in charge of the house, they knew nothing about such items.

The same was true for the manager who worked in the United States.

[He says he doesn’t know much. ]

Through Yena Lee, I sought information from managers who had worked in the U.S., but I couldn’t get any help.

I felt like something was at a loss.

‘Should I just give up?’

In the end, he was about to go back to the hospital without finding the box containing his memories.

“Ah. Wait a minute!”

A manager clapped his hands and spoke.

“Have you looked in the study room?”

“… Study?”

“You often spent time in the study.”

“Huh? that’s right. When Yu-chan was away, he was always in the study.”

It was unprecedented information.

‘… ‘It was always there in the study?’

I turned around again and found the study.

Then, I calmly searched the room based on the information provided by the managers.

‘There aren’t too many books for a study.’

However, as I glanced at earlier, the spacious study room contained only furniture such as a sofa or desk, except for one bookcase.

“… … ?”

Except for the bookshelf with strangely familiar books.

‘… This… .’

Suddenly, my eyes fell on a certain part of the bookshelf, and I carefully reached out my hand and pulled out a book.

[Road of the Tower]

A long time ago, when I was in elementary school. It was a book that gave me an opportunity to become familiar with Ma Yeonseo.

“… Huh?”

That wasn’t all.

‘This too… . Well, that too… !’

Looking closely, most of the books on the bookshelf looked familiar.

They were all books related to us.

“… !”

Feeling quite a shock, I took a step away from the bookshelf and looked around the room blankly.

Now that I think about it, all the furniture, like the sofa and desk, looked familiar.

Literally, the entire room is a space filled with Ma Yeonseo’s memories.

“… her… .”

I carefully put down the book I was carrying and slowly looked around the room, feeling an indescribable emotion.

I couldn’t even guess what emotions went into creating a room like this.

It was a feeling I would never understand.

“… … .”

While looking for the treasure chest, I was looking around the room blankly.

‘huh… ?’

I was able to discover that something was hidden behind the bookshelf where the book was missing.

It was a small safe with an electronic lock.

‘… password… .’

After staring at the keypad for a while, I carefully moved my hand and pressed four numbers.

From the birthday of the most formidable woman.

Beep beep beep.

my birthday.

Beep beep beep.

I was scratching my head thinking everything was wrong and then I even clicked on the date we first started dating.

Beep. Crash.

It was correct.

“… … .”

At a loss for words, I carefully opened the safe and checked the items inside.

and.

“… under… .”

The moment I discovered the stack of letters and photos piled up inside the safe, a sigh poured out.

I got a lump in my throat.