How to Get on the Main Character’s Flower Path

 

I felt cold sweat running down my back. It’s dangerous.

 

I tried to deny it and asked back…

 

“The seventh key?”

 

“Yes. It’s the key you received from the nine-tailed fox when you returned the fox bead to her.”

 

I only got a confirmation shot.

 

I looked at him with a troubled expression. What should I do?

 

But Na Yuhan continued speaking as if he had gained courage after seeing my face.

 

“Keys are extremely important in this world. So the existence of a new key is a huge variable. You never know what might happen… Although that bastard told me not to worry, I’m worried about you. So if possible—”

 

And at that moment, something red and huge appeared behind Na Yuhan and shot towards him quickly.

 

“It’s dangerous!”

 

I shouted, throwing myself to knock him down.

 

Whoosh—!

 

A huge object passed by us and shook menacingly.

 

What is it? I slightly raised my head and looked up. The red thing tied with rope gradually narrowed its pendulum radius and soon stopped moving.

 

“That’s… a doll?”

 

It was a giant red cat doll with green eyes.

 

Why is a doll here all of a sudden?

 

I looked at the doll in confusion. It was a doll with an angry grin on its face.

 

At that moment, a small voice was heard from below me.

 

“Wait, can you, move aside…?”

 

“Ah.”

 

I lowered my head and saw Na Yuhan’s face lying beneath me.

 

I quickly covered my cheek with my hand, pretending to be embarrassed by his face that was burning red like a tomato, and stepped away from him.

 

“S-Sorry!”

 

“…It’s nothing.”

 

There was an awkward silence for a moment. Na Yuhan coughed as if to break the silence, looked up at the doll, and said.

 

“This looks like a trap set by someone?”

 

“A trap? But we’re the only ones here, and the two teams before us didn’t say anything about the trap?”

 

“…Then the culprit is obvious.”

 

No way. At that moment, Choi Soojung’s words flashed through my mind.

 

[Look forward to it!]

 

…Senior—!!!

 

No, but the other one didn’t even stop her?

 

Na Yuhan let out a deep sigh as if he knew that I had realized it after seeing my shocked expression.

 

“…Choi Soojung’s playfulness goes without saying, but Lee Hana is surprisingly playful too…”

 

“How shocking…”

 

“Over there. That side. If you look at where the trap started, it’s structured so that the doll falls when the ice melts.”

 

When I looked in the direction Na Yuhan pointed, it was true.

 

I felt a great sense of betrayal from Lee Hana, who had been my trustworthy senior.

 

While I was in shock, Na Yuhan muttered while looking at the corridor ahead.

 

“Do we have no choice but to be careful going forward…?”

 

And so, our arduous march began.

 

There were more than one or two traps that Choi Soojung and Lee Hana had set up. We were caught by all sorts of traps.

 

“UAGH!”

 

“Eugh!”

 

Suddenly, cat dolls fell from the sky.

 

“Still, the dolls are cute…”

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Right!”

 

“Hm? Who just said that?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Right!”

 

“…Cats?”

 

“Wait, it’s not just one or two! They’re coming this way!”

 

A legion of moving cat dolls lurking behind us attacked us. How on earth did she make them?

 

“What is this?”

 

“Blocking the road. A nuisance. Or both.”

 

Huge, solid, ice-puzzle cat dolls standing in the way of every possible path.

 

And so on.

 

We had to struggle to get through all those traps.

 

And when we finally got out of the mansion, we were greeted by Choi Soojung, who was cheering, and Lee Hana’s calm greetings.

 

“Welcome~”

 

“Congratulations on passing.”

 

“Senioooor—!! It’s a betrayal! It’s a betrayal!” 

 

As I was saying that, the two seniors laughed as they handed me small cat dolls as souvenirs while hitting them with my fists.

 

One was a brown rabbit doll with green eyes.

 

“It’s you~!”

 

“Me?”

 

“Mmhm. Yuhan’s is a cat.”

 

“Why is this…?”

 

Na Yuhan awkwardly received the black cat doll with red eyes and carefully put it in his inventory.

 

Looking around, it seemed like the other kids had also received a doll.

 

Lee Hana said with a faint smile.

 

“Actually, I prepared it as a gift, but I didn’t know the right time to give it to you.”

 

“It’s cute! Thank you.”

 

I smiled brightly and stroked the small doll I had received. I could feel the soft texture of the fabric on my fingertips.

 

It was an unexpected gift. It was as if I had received a gift from Santa Claus that I had given up on when I was young.

 

“Now, so is it our turn?”

 

“We’ll be back soon.” 

 

Soon, Na Yuri, who proudly held up a yellow cat doll with red eyes, and Park Siwoo, who held a black dog doll with blue eyes in one hand, entered.

 

Then Choi Soojung winked at me and whispered.

 

“Team 4 doesn’t know, but there are actually more traps left~”

 

Whether that was true or not, soon after, a loud clattering sound could be heard.

 

Uh… Cheer up, Team 4.

 

A long and noisy time passed.

 

Our test of courage ended with Na Yuri, who was furious, pulling Choi Soojung’s cheek.

 

I put the small and cute doll I had just gotten into my inventory and headed to the beach with everyone.

 

Before I knew it, the darkness that had deepened was making the stars in the night sky twinkle even brighter.

 

“Everyone, take one!”

 

And the last task for today was to briefly carve small sparks between those stars.

 

With Shin Baran urging his friends to hurry, we carefully planted the fireworks on the sandy beach. After all the fireworks were ready, everyone gathered in the small space we had seen during the day.

 

Some people slumped down, some crouched, and some just stood.

 

“Yuri, please!”

 

“As much as you want!”

 

The fireworks Nayuri shot out immediately lit the wicks of the firecrackers.

 

Krrrrr—

 

The sound of the wick burning was heard, and with a bang!—colorful fireworks began to decorate the sky.

 

“How pretty!”

 

“This is also pretty good—”

 

“Right!”

 

I watched the fireworks in silence while listening to Min Jaeyoon, Na Yuri, and Shin Baran talking.

 

I felt regretful for the moment when the light disappeared, drawing a gorgeous firework.

 

I wish this moment could last forever.

 

As I thought about that, I finally realized,

ah, I’m happy now.

 

“Nyahaha. Pretty, right?”

 

“Yes. Really.”

 

Those fireworks, this moment, and you guys are all really beautiful. I replied to Choi Soojung’s words and looked at the five-colored light disappearing into the darkness.

 

“I love it, even this kind of thing.”

 

It was the end of a trip.

 

After that, the girls and I parted ways with the guys and returned to our hotel room.

 

We took a half-body bath in the mysteriously colored bathtub, which had become filled with all the bath bombs we had brought, and chatted and played until late at night.

 

Then, we got sleepy and fell asleep one by one.

 

Although I was sad that this time was over, I couldn’t overcome the approaching tide.

 

In the end, I was the last one to fall asleep.

 

The next morning, we all rubbed our sleepy eyes, ate breakfast at the hotel, and got in the car Shin Baran called.

 

We had to go home now.

 

Shin Baran insisted that since Na Yuri had paid for the hotel, she should pay for the car.

 

I don’t know what the logic was, but I decided to accept it gratefully. Thanks to that, I was able to comfortably sleep all the way home. When it was time to go home, there was a separate car waiting for each of us to go home, which I thought was amazing in many ways.

 

That’s how I got back to the orphanage in the limousine.

 

“Sister came in a long car!”

 

“You’re rich! You’re rich!”

 

“No… Ah, thank you. You can go now.”

 

When I got out of the car, my siblings were surprised and circled around me. I smiled and carried them.

 

The children felt pitiful to see the car leaving, but I couldn’t keep the car, right?

 

I led the children who were now clinging to me into the orphanage. As I entered the orphanage, a comfortable and familiar air surrounded me.

 

Ah, it’s home.

 

That’s what I thought.

 

“Sister!”

 

Kangyoo, who happened to be outside, ran to me and hugged me.

 

I hugged him, lightly kissing him on the cheek.

 

“It’s been a while, Kangyoo!”

 

“Mmhm. To think that you were leaving me for a trip, that’s too much!” 

 

“Sorry. Let’s go together next time.”

 

“Promise me?”

 

“Mmhm.”

 

I smiled and kissed Kangyoo on the cheek again.

 

He seemed happy at those words, then soon he laughed and kissed me on the cheek.

 

I felt fortunate to see Kangyoo getting healthier these days, perhaps because he had changed his medicine to a good one.

 

And now, if I use the panacea ‘Elixir,’ Kangyoo will be able to achieve his dream.

 

I smiled brightly, thinking about the points I had accumulated a while ago.

 

“Kangyoo, is being a hunter still your dream?”

 

“Yeah! I’ll become a hunter, protect my family, and make a lot of money!”

 

“Me too.”

 

I knew that Kangyoo’s determination hadn’t changed.

 

Then, what I should do for him would be to broaden his options, wouldn’t it.

 

“Kangyoo, let’s talk to me and Teacher for a moment.”

 

So there was no hesitation.