Chapter 418

In November, the cold was sharp enough to chill the bones, but in December, an unusual warm weather phenomenon occurred again.

Amidst the fluctuating weather, Saetbyeol and I set out for a walk with no particular destination.

“Sister, are we just going to walk like this? Aren’t we going to go into a karaoke or a cafe or something?”

I answered instead by singing a line from a song.

“When I’m feeling down, I walk the streets.”

“Oh, that’s a nice song. What’s the title?”

“It’s just a song that doesn’t exist.”

“Come on, were you making that up?”

It was a song from a first life that does not exist here.

The perfect memory ability acquired from the second life paradoxically began to erase the episodic memories of the first life quickly.

If the previous life was a vast library, the life before that was a small poetry book.

The density of life in perceiving, gaining, and remembering the world was different, so the first life felt like a midsummer night’s dream.

Therefore, remembering the first playthrough now was just mulling over what I had recalled a few times in my childhood during the second playthrough.

My mother, who abandoned me, an individual with a disability, in a semi-basement single room; the cruel children who pushed my wheelchair down the stairs; the Serviston, Harrison, Lippincott, Grant, and a nameless red book that I had to cover with tears.

I don’t remember all these memories directly, but I remember the past me who remembered them.

The song derived from that strange schema suited a day like today perfectly.

“Try getting drunk on a fragrant cocktail.”

“Hmm hmm hmm.”

“Oh, suddenly I’m craving a cocktail.”

“Well, we shouldn’t! Sister, let’s go in there.”

“A strawberry cafe?”

“It’s not just a strawberry cafe; it’s a strawberry princess cafe.”

Saetbyeol thought proper leisure could only be achieved if money was paid.

The interior, covered in pink wallpaper and doll decorations, welcomed us.

We stopped by the strawberry cafe and took pictures at the photo zone.

The pink atmosphere didn’t seem like it would serve cocktails.

While waiting for the drinks we ordered that looked somewhat tasty, a brilliant idea popped into my head, and I immediately told Saetbyeol about it.

“I think it’s too excessive for healers to wear Swordstopper after level 14. It’s not like they’re patients with a risk of safety negligence. Rather, if they wear a life necklace and a malicious robe with that gold, their defense might only differ by 150, but they can maintain mana during objective team fights. What do you think—”

I hadn’t even finished my sentence.

Thunk—

A fork was plunged into the strawberry chiffon cake.

Saetbyeol looked at me, appalled.

“Don’t talk about work while we’re having fun!”

“Well, it was work for you.”

“I’m going to convey my opinion, but… Why is it that you come to a strawberry cafe and talk about dull game stuff? I feel like that’s a bit too much.”

“Aren’t you being overly critical? What should I say in this situation?”

“Alright, I’ll give you an example, so try to follow it closely. Wow, look at those strawberries! Aren’t they so delicious? Our princess should try them, here, aahhhh.”

Ugh, I felt like throwing up.

She probably doesn’t realize how ridiculous that sounds.

And the princess is not in a position to act whimsically like she is.

Dining etiquette and social manners had to be taught rigorously from a young age, and on days when hosting foreign VIPs, it was necessary to act like a mannequin to maintain one’s appearance.

Maintaining tension under a tight schedule and strict customs while coordinating the flow of high society was their job.

Whether she knew that struggle or not.

I shoved the strawberry that Saetbyeol handed me haphazardly in my mouth and chewed on it awkwardly.

“How’s that strawberry? Is it delicious?!”

With her body twisting like a snake while trying to act cute, Saetbyeol moved.

For mirror therapy, I tilted my head slightly like her.

And I exaggeratedly squeaked in a short, high-pitched voice.

“Om nom nom. Hoooaah, I want to eat more because it was so good… Saetbyeol, can you give me just one more? Just one…!”

“Wow, you scared me!”

“Then how should I react? To me, it all looks like the same cafe, so we can talk about everything here.”

“Please turn on your signals when you come in. Oh, I’m so flustered that my heart is racing.”

“Um…”

“…?”

“Your strawberry lemon sparkling and strawberry chocolate pranobe are here.”

I turned around in shock.

Wasn’t there a robot serving earlier?

The female staff who appeared out of nowhere noticeably shook her shoulders as she maintained her expression.

The sensation of my face burning made my head spin.

I began to flow down like a slime, collapsing beneath the chair.

Suddenly, Saetbyeol burst into laughter, clutching her belly, and kept pounding the table with her fist.

I shouldn’t have let my guard down since there were no separate doors or curtains in the room; it was my mistake.

I kept avoiding eye contact until the staff left, but for some reason, a woman’s shadow lingered on the floor.

I raised my eyebrows and signaled to Saetbyeol for help.

“Are you here to see NaeMe?”

“Oh, yes. Before you go, could you please sign a picture for our shop? We won’t charge for the drinks and cake you had today.”

“Isn’t that something you need permission from the owner for?”

“I’m the owner here, so it’s okay!”

“Oh, you’re the owner. NaeMe asked for your signature. You’ll do it, right?”

Nod nod—

“They’re also saying they’ll take a picture together.”

“I never said that.”

“They’re offering for free! Are you going to refuse their kindness?”

How petty to complain about being owed kindness.

I straightened my body and turned my gaze to the young owner.

“It’s delicious.”

“Hehe, thank you! That compliment will surely be unforgettable.”

“I wish you’d forget it.”

Please.

* * *

A post titled “NaeMe’s Self-Reflection Update” appeared in one community.

It contained several pictures of NaeMe diligently signing autographs for fans at a charming cafe.

[NaeMe’s Self-Reflection Update]

It seems she went to a strawberry cafe with her sister (?). I could hear both of them being cute behind the wall, and I thought my cheeks were going to split from smiling, haha.

But the girl had lost a lot of weight since she came. T.T (I doubt she even weighs 20 kilograms.)

I got worried and asked her a little, and she said that today was almost her first outing since her self-reflection.

I had a lot of questions, but it felt rude to ask further, so I just got her autograph and hurried out.

Who would call such a girl a bad person? Please don’t torment kind and gentle NaeMe. T.T T.T

[Comments]

– That video was a bit shocking.

– Just because she’s self-reflecting doesn’t mean she has to stay home; why did she do that?

– Just writing one paper drains your energy, let alone eight; it’s godly.

– A life exchanged, wow.

– How was her sister? I’ve only seen rumors in other communities.

└ (Author): I caught a quick glimpse, and she was an oriental + western blend beauty with cat-like features. Definitely gives off a mixed-race vibe. Even though she hardly wears makeup, her skin glows from within.

– So this is the original post, huh? LOL, all kinds of media have been spreading it.

└ The whole world is all about NaeMe…

└ Call out the address right now!

Additionally, there were quite a few posts about NaeMe’s sister steadily coming up.

Normally, revealing a private individual’s information was illegal, so it often got buried, but Saetbyeol’s case was unique.

[If Adella from the game came to reality, I think she’d look exactly like that.][42]

I’ve seen so many Adella cosplays or lookalikes on Instagram and TikTok, but I can guarantee that no one resembles her more than this person.

It’s not that she has an immediate beauty that takes your breath away like that Chae Na, but her uniquely attractive appearance keeps swirling in my mind.

If viewed as a cold beauty, she is endlessly a cold beauty, and if viewed as a warm beauty, she is endlessly a warm beauty.

Above all, her proportions are ridiculously top-notch.

Honestly, she could have been scouted by an entertainment company, but I wonder why she isn’t in showbiz.

[Comments]

– NaeMe’s sister is also described as a delicate beauty. Wow.

└ What kind of trait is that? LOL.

└ Now, they’re slapping any label on anything.

– Wasn’t NaeMe’s stepfather single? Then is her sister an adopted child too?

└ Yes, that’s plausible.

– So is she prettier than NaeMe?

└ That sounds a bit creepy…

└ How can you evaluate a nine-year-old’s appearance? LOL.

[I think the sibling theory between NaeMe and her sister holds the most credibility.][36]

Is it a coincidence that she resembles a weak sister who is bound to die in the game?

The trauma switch must have clicked right away, making her lose it.

Honestly, Adella has done a lot of wrongdoing in the story, and I could never understand why NaeMe was so obsessed with her.

It’s like the desire to save her sister was revealed in the gameplay…

[Comments]

– I cried T.T T.T.

– I wonder if her sister had a similar incurable illness like multiple sclerosis?

└ Oh…

└ Saving her in the game and in reality too, wow.

└ Da Na Me.

– I wonder if I thought of her mother, who sacrificed herself instead of NaeMe in the capsule. If her sister was seriously ill, it makes sense.

└ It’s all just speculation. I’m not even sure if her sister really exists.

While NaeMe had gone into hiding, baseless rumors and speculations circulated, intricately mixing truth and falsehood.

Some netizens claimed that she hadn’t self-reflected properly, gallivanting around expensive cafes, but they could no longer become mainstream.

Just as the inflated gossip began to slowly deflate.

A huge storm swept over the land of South Korea, where calm days were non-existent.

[Middle Eastern War Hero ‘Ulysses Murphy’ visits Seoul Asan Hospital for ocular reconstruction treatment]

In the 2020s, the American war hero Ulysses Murphy, known as the world’s strongest militarized mage, boarded a flight to Korea.

To regain the one eye he lost in war.