Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Severed Traces (8)

Yesterday or today, at a late hour that could be called the space between night and dawn, Yoon Seol-hwa received a call.

The caller was none other than Han Jae-jung.

An ex-lover, but also someone she still loves today, and someone she could never forget no matter what happens tomorrow.

She received a call from him. Yoon Seol-hwa was startled and tensed up like a girl receiving a letter from her crush.

She couldn’t help it. It was him, whom she hadn’t seen or even heard his voice or read his writing since their last meeting at the hospital.

The one who fled like he was running away while Yoon Seol-hwa was lying down after being attacked by the villain of Turtle Constellation.

Even though her wounds probably hadn’t fully healed yet, seeing him run away like that, Yoon Seol-hwa was certain.

‘He’s feeling uncomfortable around me.’

It was all too obvious. She knew the reason for his discomfort. This too was obvious.

‘Because of me, he got insulted... He must be sick of it. It’s because I’m the bad one, it’s me...’

Just for being her boyfriend, he received insults that he couldn’t even dare to think about. Not only that, he took all the insults that were thrown at her as his own and went into seclusion.

Along with the words to never look for him.

The promise to return was gone like a soap bubble, left unkept, and the search efforts that even employed illegal methods failed.

Even in their chance encounters, he consistently maintained his uncomfortable reaction.

Yoon Seol-hwa couldn’t help but be certain that Han Jae-jung didn’t want to see her.

This night’s call came amid all of this.

“...Seol-hwa, can we meet tomorrow?”

“Yes! Yes! Of course! I can even meet you right now! Where should we go?”

Han Jae-jung wants to meet Yoon Seol-hwa!

“No, it’s too late now... Tomorrow....”

“Tomorrow, you said? Oh, I got it! I’ll go! I’ll definitely go!”

“Uh, uhh...”

“Whether the villain comes or my house catches fire, I’ll definitely go!”

“Well, then you don’t have to come if that happens. Huh, no. Okay, if that’s what you want, who am I to stop you.”

Han Jae-jung let out a small laugh as usual. It was just like the old times. There was no hint of him avoiding her in his voice.

No, it wasn’t that he disliked me!

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it was shaking her eardrums. Fôll0w current novÊls on n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(co/m)

Even after the call ended, it didn’t change.

Lying on the bed with her fluttering heart, Yoon Seol-hwa looked forward to tomorrow.

‘He doesn’t dislike me...!’

She waited a long time for the night to pass.

Before she knew it, the sun had risen in the world.

“...Huh?”

On the promised day, Yoon Seol-hwa stayed up all night!

***

Ippotransaltion

***

Yoon Seol-hwa, who wore a hat pulled down low, had puffy eyes. Even her haggard gaze transformed into a kind of decadent beauty fitting for such a beautiful woman as herself. However, it was not a look that Han Jae-jung could welcome wholeheartedly.

‘...She must have been through so much hardship.’

He felt guilty for neglecting someone who now looked like that.

‘Jae-jung seems relieved to see my face... He’s happy.’

He could not have imagined that she might have stayed up all night, too excited about their promised meeting to sleep, like a child before a picnic.

For that childish reason before a picnic, Yoon Seol-hwa had spent the night awake. She had worried that if she felt sleepy when meeting Han Jae-jung, she might not be able to listen to him properly, but fortunately, that did not seem to be a concern.

‘Look at those eyes and that nose bridge... Sharp and pretty. Too beautiful. Might she be prettier than me? No, could she be the prettiest in the world?’

Seeing Han Jae-jung’s healthy face after so long instantly drove away Yoon Seol-hwa’s sleepiness. Of course, that was only mentally, as her body still craved sleep, but....

‘This is bliss, this is happiness! Jae-jung you’re so handsome!!! The best!!! I love you!!!!’

No obstacle could hinder the internal roar erupting from Yoon Seol-hwa.

“Um... Seol-hwa.”

“Yes? Oh, no. Uh, yes! Why?”

Busy managing her expression, Yoon Seol-hwa unintentionally took on a cold and gloomy air.

‘Maybe he didn’t want to see me after all? Is that why he’s come to see me now, wondering how he can face me? Or is he consumed by some weird sense of guilt again...? Even though he did nothing wrong, he’s being silly and nice...’

Seeing this, Han Jae-jung guessed that Yoon Seol-hwa’s suffering was showing on her face.

“Have you... been going through a really hard time?”

“Ah yes... It was hard, but... I’m okay now. Really!”

It was the truth.

‘That’s right, what does it matter about me, as long as Jae-jung is happy and pretty, it’s all good.’

The joy of their reunion combined with the peculiarly heightened tension from staying up all night, creating a synergy that oddly made her feel extremely positive.

“Well, Seol-hwa, the reason I came to see you today is... to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

What is he apologizing for? The crime of being too great? The crime of stealing my heart? Yes, being so great that it provokes jealousy could perhaps be called a crime.

To the seriously infatuated Yoon Seol-hwa, he was an utterly captivating being. No matter how many painful memories from the past piled up, she could not think of them now.

She was in a hurry to taste the present happiness.

He was light. A dazzlingly bright light that blinded her eyes. A beautiful and sublime radiance that covered everything in whiteness, making her unable to see her surroundings.

‘She probably doesn’t know to what extent I was harassed after the exposure...’

As he watched Yoon Seol-hwa leaning on his shoulder and happily smiling, Han Jae-jung smiled bitterly.

Love is highly paradoxical. While it contributes to creating peace, it also manufactures discord at the same time.

Jealousy, hatred, and anger always accompany the tail of that emotion. It cannot be cut off.

Love is the most beautiful and the most disruptive emotion among human emotions.

He knew of cases in the original work where people turned into villains due to love. To be precise, it was due to hatred from losing love.

If any distortion is inflicted on this love of Yoon Seol-hwa’s,

‘If I die or something...’

He recalled her death in the original work. Just before she died, she showed signs of awakening multiple stars due to Virgo’s mockery. It was terrifying just to imagine.

What must he decide for her sake?

‘Slowly putting distance between us. No, I don’t like that.’

Of course, Yoon Seol-hwa would probably dislike it even more.

What path leads to respect? It was complicated.

Not just Yoon Seol-hwa, but Jo Ahyun was like that too.

‘What is the right thing between what one desires and what is socially and conceptually right?’

It was a complex problem.

He turned his gaze back to Yoon Seol-hwa. As she happily closed her eyes and pressed her body against him, leaned her head on his shoulder and rubbed it to leave her scent on him.

Her unique sweet perfume scent was impressive.

“Jae-jung, what do you want to eat for lunch?”

Seeing Yoon Seol-hwa already thinking about the next plan and smiling brightly, the worries he had been thinking about washed away.

“Whatever you like.”

“Then how about alcohol?”

“That’s fine too.”

“Ah, wait. No, no alcohol! Not alcohol... How about tteokbokki? You used to make it often back then and it was delicious...”

“I’m sorry, but I’ve forgotten that recipe. We’ll have to settle for the ones sold at stores.”

“Eiii~”

“What’s with the eiii?”

“Beee~ seee~”

“See~ dummy. The kid has learned something strange. Have you reached the age for old man jokes?”

“Uh, see, bringing up age? If I’m old, then you’re the same, right Jae-jung?”

“Haha, then it’s an advantage for me? If it’s the same as you, it’s a good thing for me. Go outside and see, I’ll look much older.”

“...? No you don’t? Jae-jung, have you been called old...? Can you tell me the name of that person later?”

“Haha.”

“Jae-jung? I’m being serious?”

Han Jae-jung chuckled at the unpleasant conversation.

‘Yeah, the important thing is for her to be happy.’

Keeping the magical girls happy, that’s what the guardian of guardians should do.

After regaining his composure, Han Jae-jung chatted with Yoon Seol-hwa for a few more minutes before getting up to have lunch.

It was an added bonus to receive sharp glares for engaging in amorous antics without even getting a medical examination.

***

Ippotranslation

***

In the end, the place they chose for lunch was a pasta restaurant with a good atmosphere.

It may have been an obvious choice, but it meant there was a reason for making such a casual selection.

“Hehe, it’s been a while since we did something like this. Jae-jung, what will you have...?”

“Oh? This is quite a coincidence as well.”

A gentleman approached them as they sat down and looked at the menu.

The gentleman was dressed neatly in a suit.

The suit, which was half white and half black, made him look more like an artist with an artistic temperament rather than an intellectual.

“A date, I presume? Haha, it seems I’m interrupting. My apologies. I couldn’t just pass by a familiar face.”

He politely removed his hat and bowed his head slightly.

Yoon Seol-hwa’s gaze turned fierce, and Han Jae-jung broke out in a cold sweat.

“Long time no see.”

As he said, it had indeed been a long time.

“Have you been well? I’ve been having a pleasant time.”

In the place where a human head should be, there sat a potted cactus.

It was a contradiction.

The one who had chosen seclusion had returned.

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