NOVEL WEB Chapter 102 - How to Face Unexpected Situations (7)
Oops,
I said that without thinking.
To think that it’s a sudden question like this. While saying something like this.
I’m clearly showing that I’m not kind or affectionate!
But whether I was flustered or not, the question had already been uttered.
After hearing what I said, Na Yuri paused for a moment and then laughed.
“Do you think you’re bad?”
“…”
More than that, I kept thinking of you, who had asked me to trust you in a sad tone.
I’m afraid that you’ll leave because I’m a coward, but I was even more afraid that you’ll keep getting hurt by my side.
Yes. This was an impulse.
An impulse that comes from being a coward.
“Then…”
Our eyes met.
At that moment, I realized that you had already caught me.
I realized that it was no different from telling you that I was acting.
Crimson eyes that resembled burning flames. In front of those eyes that were looking straight at me, I was ashamed and just avoided her gaze.
I lowered my head like a criminal awaiting punishment, then her affectionate voice came to my ear.
“…I wish you would tell me about the real you.”
I couldn’t believe her words, so I raised my head and looked at her.
She was smiling gently, her eyes wide open.
She was still praising me with her affectionate tone and eyes filled with gentle warmth.
I bit my lips tightly as something surged up inside me.
“…You’ll be disappointed. I’m such a worthless person. I approached you to use you.”
“Well. At least I can’t think badly of someone who has the courage to confess that fact.”
She hugged me tightly.
Was it because she used her fire magic? Or was it because she was such an affectionate person? Her embrace was warm.
“Thank you for trusting me. With just that little bit of courage, I could give you everything.”
“…You’re such an idiot. You wouldn’t even know if you got scammed.”
I placed my hand that had been wandering in the air for a moment on her back.
I buried my face in her arms, feeling like crying because of the warmth of her complete trust that supported me instead of relying on me.
“…The truth is, I have a strange power.”
“I know.”
“Yeah. Thank you for not asking until now.”
“…Actually, I did some background checks.”
I smiled slightly at Na Yuri’s expression as if her conscience was pricking her.
“It’s okay. Did you find out anything?”
“No. Not at all.”
“Then I’ll tell you about my power.”
I began to explain the meta system to Na Yuri in a soft voice.
Of course, it was hard to reveal the fact that I had been reincarnated into this world and the fact that I had read about this world in a novel. However, I at least revealed everything I could reveal.
…I wanted to do that to Na Yuri.
When I explained the meta system, Na Yuri made an expression as if she had finally realized something.
“So that’s why you were so attached to Na Yuhan!”
“Yeah. I don’t like him.”
“Thank goodness! That piece of trash… Ah, anyway, I was so anxious because I thought you liked a guy who didn’t suit your eyes!”
I awkwardly laughed at Na Yuri, who was genuinely happy.
…It seemed that she thought that the now Na Yuhan didn’t suit me either.
After I finished explaining everything, I gently grabbed Na Yuri’s hand.
“These are all the secrets I can reveal right now. But please believe that it doesn’t mean I don’t trust you.”
Na Yuri looked blank for a moment as she looked at the hand I was holding, then smiled faintly.
“Of course.”
“…Thanks.”
“Instead! Answer one question!”
“What?”
Question? Is there anything else she wants to talk about?
At my puzzled expression, she smiled triumphantly and asked straight away.
“Am I Miss Nahyun’s most precious friend?”
“…”
As soon as I heard that question, I burst into laughter as if crying.
“Of course. My bestest friend in the world.”
“Then that’s enough. I will definitely protect you.”
I looked into those determined eyes and blurted out.
I’m embarrassed. But I really want to tell you this.
“…I will protect you too.”
She widened her eyes at my words and soon smiled shyly.
“I’m happy. It’s such a happy thing to be able to connect with a friend.”
“Me too, I’m happy.”
My face flushed, perhaps because it was my first time pouring out such deep affectionate words to someone other than my family.
Yet for some reason, my heart felt warm as if it were wrapped in cotton.
It was a memory created in the garden on a summer day, where I could hear the sound of grasshoppers chirping.
***
The morning after I walked through the garden at night with Na Yuri.
I was a little sleep-deprived, so I yawned and packed my bags.
Shin Baran and Na Yuri were already up and packing, yet Min Jaeyoon was still sleeping. But she, who had been sleeping like the dead, suddenly woke up screaming.
“Uaaagh—!”
“W-What’s going on?!”
“Are you okay?”
Min Jaeyoon, who had a pale face despite Shin Baran and Na Yuri’s words, finally calmed down after I handed her a paper cup filled with warm water.
“Did you have a nightmare?”
“Yeah…”
“Don’t think about it for no reason. It’ll stay in your memory.”
“Mm…”
Min Jaeyoon, who had been turning her eyes and looking around, calmed down noticeably whenever I spoke to her.
She soon completely calmed down, and although she looked a little unwell, she woke up anyway and started packing together.
“By the way, Nahyun, did you finally reveal your true personality to Miss, no, Yuri?”
“Yeah.”
“Finally…? Wait, am I the last one?”
“Mmm… We knew before vacation.”
At those words, Na Yuri looked at me with eyes full of betrayal, but I tried to avoid her gaze.
It just happened. Sorry.
While I was packing, my hair kept getting tangled, so I frowned. Just then, I saw a black hair tie nearby.
“Is this Baran’s hair tie? Can I borrow it for a moment?”
“Ah, yeah! It’s fine!”
While I was packing, I borrowed Shinbaran’s hair tie to tie up my hair that was getting tangled. That made it a little better.
Na Yuri’s eyes sparkled as she saw me tying my hair, and she looked around me as I finished packing.
“Miss Nahyun, are you thinking about tying your hair? It’s almost summer. It would be good to get one!”
“That’s right. Even during training, all I did was tie it up with a rubber band… It might be good to get one that’s sturdy.”
As soon as I said that, Na Yuri’s face brightened. She grabbed my hand tightly and dragged me to her dressing table.
“Then I’ll give you one as a gift!”
“Yuri, you?”
“Yes. As a souvenir of coming to my house…!”
I thought for a moment and nodded, thinking it wasn’t a particularly expensive gift since it was just a hair tie.
“How about this? It has a garnet as a substone and a diamond in the middle—”
“Wait.”
“Ah, you don’t like it? Then how about something a little simpler, with an emerald wrapped in gold thread—”
“Yuri?
I made a mistake.
I almost fainted when I saw the obviously expensive items coming out of Na Yuri’s dressing table.
I can’t wear this! If it gets even a scratch, I’ll cry tears of blood!
However, Na Yuri didn’t seem to want to give me something cheap.
In the end, I tightly closed my eyes and shouted at the excited Na Yuri.
“Yuri!”
“Yes!”
“Can I choose it?”
“Ah, yes! As you please!”
“Can I touch it?”
“Yes!”
Don’t let me touch them easily…
I sighed deeply and desperately searched for something that looked cheap with my eyes.
Something that could be used comfortably in real life! Easy to use!
…Damn, they all look expensive! What kind of eyes do I have to have!
As I was looking through the accessories with tears in my eyes, I caught a glimpse of a hair tie with a small scratch in the corner.
Huh?
I unconsciously grabbed it.
Then Na Yuri’s expression turned into confusion for a moment.
“Is that fine with you?”
“Yeah.”
I chose a hair tie with a tiny green gem set in the shape of a four-leaf clover.
“Hmm… if that’s Miss Nahyun’s choice!”
Na Yuri seemed to be thinking about it, but in the end she readily gave it to me.
I usually wore it on my wrist and decided to use it to tie my hair up.
Our pajama party ended with Na Yuri’s gift.
We chatted for no reason as we walked slowly to the front gate, then greeted each other at the gate.
“Take care!”
“Bye!”
“See you when school starts!”
I waved back to Na Yuri, Min Jaeyoon, and Shin Baran, then returned to the orphanage.
While I was getting on the bus to the orphanage, I checked my device, and there were a lot of messages from yesterday that I hadn’t checked for a while.
Choi Soojung[What are you doing, junior?]
[We were traveling, and I met a strange pseudo-fox. It’s annoying~]
[They kept talking nonsense like they were my kind, so I kicked them away.]
Lee Hana[I went on a trip with Soojung.]
[There’s a religion called Liberate the Tower.]
[Be careful of pseudo-cults.]
Na Yuhan[Hi]
[Have you been good?]
What does he mean by how are you. Like an ex-boyfriend. I smiled and replied to him.
[Yeah. What about you? You’re not being too hard on yourself again, are you?]
Na Yuhan[No, just… I’m at the item auction house.]
[Auction house? Wow, that’s amazing!]
The item auction house. Is that ‘that’ episode? I vaguely recalled the contents of the novel. It was definitely an episode where a new heroine appeared and Na Yuhan strengthened the Insight Eye.
…In the middle of that, Na Yuhan got hurt.
…Is he okay?
This kid pretends to be smart, but he’s really blind, so I keep worrying and it’s getting on my nerves.
I pressed the keys hard and sent a message for no reason.
[Yuhan]
[You need to stay healthy, okay?]
So that I can ride your bus!
Na Yuhan[Yeah. Don’t worry. Thanks.]
(Shy emoticon)
It’s unnecessarily cute and chaotic.
I tapped the emoticon and moved on to the messages from other people.
As soon as I answered several messages appropriately, a read mark appeared quickly and a reply came back.
I miss you, let’s meet again, I miss you…
The messages were filled with various longings.
I smiled faintly at the somehow soft feeling I felt from it.
I was already looking forward to the start of the school year.
***
[System Update: 80%]
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[System Update: 90%]
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.
[System Update: 100%]
[System Update Complete]
[‘Point Changer’ is activated.]
***
As soon as I returned to the orphanage, I checked the ‘Point Changer’ that had just been updated.
[Point Changer]
– You can change items into meta point.
– The amount of points converted varies depending on the value of the item.
Changing items into points?