Chapter 300

Upon regaining consciousness and closely examining the Aura Heart, I realized that Astarte was invading the realm of Shardenfroide.

Up until this moment, I thought I must have seen it incorrectly.

To put it metaphorically, it was like coming back after work to find a private in the sergeant’s bed, taking a nap. In the case of the Demon Lord’s army, it would be a death sentence without question.

It seems that during the battle, Aura Heart experienced a slight shock, causing the seal to loosen.

To make matters worse, when fighting Odukjae, I had even loosened the hair tie that controls the flow of mana, essentially bringing disaster upon myself.

“Alright Iharu, you need to hold on tight, okay?”

Materialists, who view the origin of all things as matter, argue that even the human mental world is a product of the interaction between metaphysics and electrical signals.

While I personally do not prefer their theory due to their rigid and unromantic view of the world, it often proves quite useful in handling erosion.

“Ah… no… are you really going to stab that into your belly? Seriously? By yourself without a doctor? What if something goes wrong?”

In Iharu’s hand was a massive needle measuring 15 cm in length and 1.65 mm in diameter.

By pulling out the aura like thread and rubbing it with her hands, she could form it into a long, hard syringe needle.

If this is plunged sharply into Aura Heart, I could return to a normal life. I emphasize again, it’s true.

“If anything goes wrong, it’s only death, right?”

“Y-you mean… I’ll die?”

“Just kidding. Nothing will happen.”

“Phew…”

“As long as you don’t drop it, that is.”

“Eep!”

“It’s okay; even if you do drop it, we can start all over again.”

“Phew…”

“But if you stab it in wrong, it really will be a big problem—”

“Hey, noname, stop joking! I’m serious! Waaaah…”

Iharu protested loudly, trembling hands.

While at the orphanage, Arin had helped with seven, yet here I was whining over one.

Still, brave Iharu didn’t close her eyes like Baek Arin would.

She kept her eyes wide open with complete focus until the needle pierced my abdomen.

The iron core that protruded from my stomach and back was hastily snipped off with my fingernail.

If adults witnessed my primitive surgery, they would surely roll their eyes in disbelief, so with the help of an excellent little assistant, I managed to complete the emergency treatment safely.

Iharu dashed outside to call for the adults.

The sound of feet pounding like a buffalo herd echoed through the hospital room.

Clunk-!

“Namya!”

“Noname!”

Starting with the dreadful clan members Yusiah, Myunjoon, and Imyr,

Baek Hoochan, the CEO, and Baek Minwoo, Baek Arin,

Dan Ni El, Shin Yeonho, Ban So Wol from Korea University,

And Principal Gu Onyu and Teacher Jacqueline Carroll,

At the very end were Professor Cheon and Yoonseul.

I heard that our broadcast managers and Yuna’s family had just set off as well.

… As Seol-a said, they really have all come.

“Hello.”

With their gaze solely focused on me, I felt a bit shy.

I pulled the bedcover toward me and greeted them.

“It’s been a while. I’m called Noname. Do you all remember me?”

With just that one casual remark,

People began to well up with tears.

The grown-ups, in their exaggerated manner, tightly embraced me.

Fortunately, having snuck away to cry earlier, I managed to respond quite calmly, like a real adult.

“Of course we remember…! We worried so much…”

“Yoonseul Unnie…”

“Don’t ever lose your memories again… That’s forbidden, understand?”

“Sure. I promise.”

Memories are wondrous.

If both people have memories, then it becomes a memory.

If neither person has memories, then it becomes as if it never happened.

But if only one side has memories, it would be the greatest tragedy there could be.

As I patted Yoonseul’s back, I internally apologized to all the erosions and their connections, or even to the lovers.

Surely it was for those ‘me’s’ who wanted to live ordinarily and happily.

* * *

“Hey, you! I suspected you’d get into trouble since the day you loosened that hair tie during the battle! How could you pull it off like that?”

“You never said I had to keep it on!”

“Is that how you’re going to talk back to me, an elder? When an elder speaks, you should say, ‘I’ll remember that,’ and accept it! Got it?”

“Okay then.”

I personally thought it wasn’t necessary to address Baek Bong Gon, but being that he traveled a long way from Gunsan, I remained silent and let his scolding pass through one ear and out the other.

“Your body isn’t all healed yet, so let your old man scold you just this much.”

“You’ve already ranted plenty, though. What time is it now…”

“Hmm, what?”

“Haha… Grandfather, let’s stop here, okay? Namya, you should accommodate him a bit…”

“Anyway, take good care of that. And Cheon Byeong Ho, you too! Until this kid becomes an adult, make sure to check whether his hair tie is tied well! Got it?”

As Baek Bong Gon prepared to leave, his grandson stepped forward and asked.

“Grandpa, are you really leaving already?”

“Yeah. If he’s fine, what more is there to see? Just confirming that he’s alive is enough.”

It was clear from his bluntness that he was trying to act cold.

“Mr. Baek.”

“What?”

“I will definitely remember this. Thank you for making me a good item.”

“Ha. What’s with the thanks now… You should be saying that to your father instead.”

Still, with a chuckle, Baek Hoon left the hospital room without looking back.

I had such a short time here that it felt like I had talked to an incredible number of people.

I realized that I could be someone who speaks so much.

Could it be that the self from the erosion still remains…? No, that wasn’t the case.

It amazed me that all the people who cared for me and those who scolded me were relationships I had chosen and created myself.

And at the very beginning and the very end, there was Professor Cheon.

After everyone departed to their respective homes,

We sat side by side on the bed at the very top floor of the hospital, watching the setting sun.

“I’m sorry for worrying you. You must have been very surprised.”

When did I become the one to offer an apology first?

Mumbling unfamiliar words, I twisted my hair around my fingers.

“Do you know how to clean a bottle filled with muddy water?”

Suddenly, Professor Cheon asked.

“Muddy water?”

“Yeah, without pouring out its contents.”

Is this a sudden science quiz?

If it’s a nonsensical riddle, I might be a little unsure.

“Is it possible to use a filter? Or perhaps using coagulants or chlorine or other purification methods…”

I trailed off, glancing at Professor Cheon.

“The simplest way is to keep pouring clean water into the bottle. Then the muddy water will overflow on its own and the inside will gradually clear up.”

“Then what’s the point? If there was clean water from the beginning, there would be no need to cling to the bottle.”

“For someone, the bottle may be more valuable than the water.”

Ah… this wasn’t just a simple science conversation.

I placed my hands demurely on my thighs and gently grasped my hospital gown.

“I thought that without bringing up bad memories, we could keep pouring happy and good memories into our Namya. Then someday, perhaps the nightmares you dream every night would settle down deep below in your memory too…”

“You’ve known that I always have nightmares for a while now?”

“I first realized it when you were hospitalized because of the Aura Heart surgery. It continued even after you returned home.”

My nightmares are illusions created by the self of the erosions, so it was really something I couldn’t control.

“I’m really okay. I just talk in my sleep a bit too much but I also have plenty of good dreams. Just recently, I dreamt of going to an amusement park.”

“How long should I worry about you?”

“What?”

“Namya, seeing you getting hurt, suffering, is something I can’t bear to witness any longer.”

“I’m sorry…”

“I’m not blaming you. How long has it been since Namya entered the gaming competition?”

Flipping through the calendar in my mind.

“About four months… roughly 20 weeks now.”

“Yeah, 20 weeks… It seems many things have happened in that short time. Wasn’t it really tough getting here?”

Frankly, I could confidently say I had been living quite diligently.

Since I was living for Seol-a and my name,

and having been blessed to live in such a good environment,

I had always done my best without regrets.

“You always listen attentively to others’ troubles, huh?”

“Do other people say that to you? What do they say?”

“They all express their gratitude. They say their lives have changed thanks to Namya.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

“But what I’m most curious about is Namya’s true feelings.”

“Well, I don’t have anything special… Honestly, I sometimes feel a bit anxious about how long my luck can last. There are so many people with abilities who can’t pursue their dreams… The fact that I met Professor Cheon is a huge stroke of luck for me, you know? If I don’t live well, I feel guilty for that.”

“But Namya, how you choose to live is your freedom. If it’s tough, you can take a break, and at times, it’s okay to turn back. No one is forcing you to lead your life.”

“I’m just scared that I might regret it later.”

Regret.

If only I had done better back then, if only I had lived properly then.

The anxiety of possibly feeling that way makes me continue to whip myself.

I despised the thought of being labeled a loser, of my name being tainted more than death itself.

However, just the fact that someone is worrying about me made me feel light and good.

“Can I say something hard again?”

“Of course.”

“When I was preparing for the competition, I couldn’t sleep well, and it was tough.”

“Really?”

“Yes. The preparation time was too short… There were limits to teaching. Actually, if we look strictly at the results, Seviron Academy lost too. It was disappointing, feeling that all our effort went to waste in various ways.”

Considering that Seviron’s victory was nearly a mental victory, next year, we would definitely crush them.

“You were really upset. But surely, there were kids who benefited from what Namya taught them, right?”

“Yes. Not as much as I did, but they were smart enough, so it was fulfilling to teach them.”

“Haha. Yes, you worked hard. Now, you need to sleep well, okay? You’ve been sleeping too late, and you know that it affects your height, right?”

“Oh, they say most of your height is determined by genetics anyway. If you were my father, I wouldn’t have to worry about it all my life.”

“Huh?”

“…? I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to say that.”

“No, no, no! Really, it’s okay! It’s fine for you to call me ‘Dad’…”

An awkward atmosphere enveloped us after a smooth conversation.

We exchanged sidelong glances, turning our heads away from each other.

In awkward moments, our phones are the best.

I pulled out my phone from my pocket and waited until the awkward tension passed.

Then by chance, I saw an article featuring Professor Cheon.

“What’s this? Child abuse…?”

“It’s nothing. They’re just stirring up issues among themselves.”

“Why is that nothing?! They’re completely framing an innocent person! Aren’t you angry?”

This person really has a frustrating style, doesn’t he?

He seems to only regard the matters of the heart as unimportant, as long as he’s fine, everything else must be fine too.

I put my phone back into my pocket and continued our previous conversation.

“Anyway. It’s a fact that there are many hardships, but so far, everything I’ve been doing is because I like it. It’s nice to become famous, to gain people’s attention. I want to live as hard as I can while I can. However, for the time being, I think I need a bit of rest… I shouldn’t end up burned out.”

“I believe you will do well.”

“Thank you for listening… Father… no, Dad…”

My grip tightened.

The fabric at my thighs began to crinkle in my hand.

Oh, how embarrassing.

I couldn’t bring myself to look up.

I couldn’t even tell where Professor Cheon’s gaze was directed.

My life’s end has always been set at twenty-five, but ironically, his age was similar to that of my father.

Thinking back, it didn’t feel as awkward as I had expected.

“The reason I called you ‘Dad’… I thought that since there’s no need to endure this embarrassment twice while transitioning from ‘Father’ to ‘Dad’… wouldn’t it be better to just finish it in one go? Isn’t it, a… D… D… Dad?”

This was my best attempt at a babbling explanation.

I really mean it, Dad.