How to get on the protagonist’s flower path

I absentmindedly said that and immediately regretted it.

Suddenly asking such a question. Saying such words.

I was making it obvious that I’m not kind or caring at all!

But regardless of my embarrassment, the question had already slipped out.

After hearing my words, Na-yuri paused for a moment and then let out a small laugh.

“So, you think you’re a bad person, Na-hyun?”

“……”

More than that, I couldn’t shake off the memory of you asking me to believe in you with a sorrowful tone.

I was afraid of losing you because I’m a coward, but more than that, I feared that you would continue to get hurt by my side.

Yeah. This was an impulse.

An impulse that arises because I’m a coward.

“Then…”

I made eye contact with you.

In that moment, I realized that I had already been caught.

I realized that it was like I had confessed I was acting.

Your crimson eyes, resembling a burning flame, were looking directly at me. In front of those eyes, which were focused solely on me, I could only avert my gaze, feeling unworthy.

As I lowered my head like a sinner awaiting punishment, I heard her gentle voice in my ear.

“…I really want to know the real you, Na-hyun.”

I couldn’t believe her words, so I lifted my head to look at her.

She was smiling softly, her eyes crinkling with warmth.

With her still kind tone and warm gaze, she was looking at me with admiration.

I felt a surge of emotions, biting my lip tightly.

“…You’ll be disappointed. I’m really just a worthless person. I approached you to use you.”

“Well, I can’t think badly of someone who has the courage to confess that.”

She hugged me tightly.

Was it because of her fire magic? Or was it just because she was a warm person? Her embrace felt warm.

“Thank you for believing in me. With just your little courage, I can give you everything.”

“…You’re really a fool. You wouldn’t even know if you got tricked.”

I briefly placed my hand, which had been wandering in the air, on her back.

It made me want to cry, realizing that the trust that supports me rather than depends on me could feel this warm, so I buried my face in her embrace.

“…Actually, I have a strange power.”

“I know.”

“Yeah. Thank you for not asking about it until now.”

“…Actually, I did some digging.”

Seeing Na-yuri looking as if she felt guilty made me smile slightly.

“It’s okay. Did you find out something?”

“No, not at all.”

“Then let me tell you about my power.”

I began to explain the metasystem to Na-yuri in a gentle manner.

Of course, I couldn’t reveal the fact that I had been reincarnated in this world, nor that I had read about this world as a novel. However, I shared everything else that I could.

…At least, I wanted to do that for Na-yuri.

As I explained the metasystem, Na-yuri finally seemed to realize something.

“So that’s why you were always sticking close to Na-yuhan!”

“Yeah. I don’t like her.”

“I’m glad! I was so worried thinking you liked that trash… Oh, anyway, I thought you liked someone who didn’t fit in my eyes!”

Seeing Na-yuri genuinely happy, I awkwardly smiled.

…It seemed that Na-yuri thought that Na-yuhan, in her current state, didn’t suit me either.

I gently took Na-yuri’s hand after finishing my explanation.

“This is all the secret I can reveal right now. But please believe that it doesn’t mean I don’t trust you.”

Na-yuri, looking at the hand I held, momentarily wore a dazed expression before softly smiling.

“Of course.”

“…Thank you.”

“But! Please answer one question!”

“What is it?”

A question? Is there more to talk about?

Seeing my puzzled expression, she smiled confidently and immediately asked.

“Am I your most precious friend, Na-hyun?”

“…….”

As soon as I heard that question, I burst out laughing as if I were about to cry.

“Of course. You’re my favorite friend in the world.”

“Well, that’s enough for me. I will definitely protect you.”

As I looked into her resolute eyes, I casually responded.

I felt embarrassed. But I wanted to make sure I conveyed this message.

“…I’ll protect you too.”

Upon hearing my words, her eyes widened in surprise, and she shyly smiled.

“I’m so happy. To have a connection with a friend like this is such a joyous thing.”

“I’m happy too.”

It was my first experience pouring such deep affection into words for someone other than family, making my face feel warm.

Yet, for some reason, my heart felt cozy, like it was wrapped in cotton.

It was a memory created in the garden where the sound of summer insects could be heard.

The morning after I walked through the night garden with Na-yuri, I was packing my things, feeling a bit sleep-deprived and yawning.

Sin Ba-ran and Na-yuri were already awake and packing, while Min Jae-yoon was still fast asleep.

But then, she suddenly screamed and woke up, looking like she was dead to the world.

“Ahhhhhh-!”

“What, what’s wrong?!”

“Are you okay?”

Even at Sin Ba-ran and Na-yuri’s questions, Min Jae-yoon’s pale face didn’t calm down until I handed her a paper cup filled with warm water.

“Did you have a nightmare?”

“Yeah…”

“Don’t think about it. You’ll remember it.”

“Ugh…”

As she rolled her eyes around the room, for some reason, she visibly calmed down every time I spoke to her.

Eventually, once she was completely calm, she still looked a bit unwell but at least got up and started packing her things.

“By the way, did you finally show your true personality to Na-hyun, Ms. Yu-ri, or should I say Yu-ri?”

“Yeah.”

“Finally…? Wait, am I the last one to know?”

“Uh-huh… We’ve known since before vacation.”

At that, there was a moment of Na-yuri looking at me with betrayal in her eyes, but I deliberately avoided her gaze. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Sorry.

As I was organizing my things, I frowned because my hair was getting in the way. Fortunately, I spotted a black hair tie nearby.

“Is this Ba-ran’s hair tie? Can I borrow it for a moment?”

“Ah, yeah! That’s fine!”

I used Sin Ba-ran’s hair tie to tie back my hair, which helped a lot.

Na-yuri’s eyes sparkled as she watched me tie my hair and then she peered around me after I finished organizing my things.

“Na-hyun, are you thinking of tying your hair? Summer is coming soon. It might be good to get one!”

“That’s true. During training, I just tied it back with a rubber band… It might be a good idea to get a sturdy one.”

As soon as I said that, Na-yuri’s expression brightened. She grabbed my hand tightly and pulled me towards her vanity.

“Then I’ll gift you one!”

“Really, Yu-ri?”

“Yes. To commemorate your visit to my house…!”

I hesitated for a moment but figured a hair tie wouldn’t be a big expense, so I nodded.

“How about this? It has a garnet as the main stone and a diamond in the middle—”

“Wait a second.”

“Oh, you don’t like it? How about something simpler, with an emerald wrapped in gold?”

“Yu-ri?”

That was my mistake.

Seeing what Na-yuri was pulling out from her vanity, which clearly looked like it cost a fortune, almost made me faint.

I couldn’t accept something like that! If it got scratched, I would shed tears of blood!

But it seemed like Na-yuri had no intention of offering me something inexpensive.

In the end, I closed my eyes tightly and shouted at the excited Na-yuri.

“Yu-ri!”

“Yes!”

“Can I choose something?”

“Ah, yes! Anything you want!”

“Is it okay to touch?”

“Yes!”

Don’t make it so easy to touch…

I sighed inwardly and desperately searched for the relatively cheap items with my eyes.

Something I can comfortably use in real life! Something I can comfortably use!

…Damn, everything looks expensive! I should have better judgment!

As I silently shed tears of blood while examining the accessories, I caught sight of a hair tie in the corner that had a few scratches on it.

Huh?

I unconsciously grabbed it.

Na-yuri’s expression turned momentarily to one of surprise.

“Is that okay with you?”

“Yeah.”

I chose a hair tie that had a tiny green gem shaped like a four-leaf clover set into it.

“Hmm… If that’s your choice, Na-hyun!”

Na-yuri seemed to hesitate, but in the end, she readily handed it to me.

I decided to wear it on my wrist when I wasn’t using it to tie my hair.

With Na-yuri’s gift, our pajama party came to an end.

We strolled slowly to the front gate, chatting, and then each said our goodbyes in front of the gate.

“Take care!”

“Goodbye!”

“I hope to see you safely when school starts again!”

Waving back at Na-yuri, Min Jae-yoon, and Sin Ba-ran, I returned to the orphanage.

While on the bus to the orphanage, I checked my device and found a bunch of messages piled up from the previous day when I hadn’t checked for a moment.

Choi Soo-jung Junior! What are you up to? We’re traveling and just met a weird cult fox. So annoying~ She kept rambling about being related or something, so I kicked her.

Lee Ha-na I went on a trip with Soo-jung. There’s a religion called Top Sinism. Be careful of cults.

Na-yu-han Hi! Are you doing well?

What does “doing well” even mean? It sounds like something an ex-boyfriend would say. I replied to him with a smile.

“Yeah. How about you, Yu-han? You’re not overdoing it alone again, are you?” Na-yu-han “No, I’m just… at the item auction house.” “Auction house? Wow, that’s interesting!”

An item auction house, huh? Is it that episode?

I vaguely recalled the content of the novel. It was certainly the episode where a new heroine appeared and strengthened Na-yu-han’s insight.

…During that time, Na-yu-han got hurt too.

…Is he going to be okay?

This guy pretends to be so smart, but he has some really clueless moments, so I keep worrying and being concerned.

I pressed the keyboard hard and sent a message.

“Yu-han, you have to stay healthy?”

“Because I need to ride your bus!”

Na-yu-han “Yeah. Don’t worry. Thank you.” (shy emoji)

So unnecessarily cute, what a fuss.

I tapped on the emoji for no reason and moved on to messages from others.

After responding to a few messages, a read receipt appeared quickly, and replies started coming back.

“I miss you. Let’s meet again. I want to see you…”

The messages were filled with various feelings of longing.

I smiled softly at the inexplicable, squishy sensation I felt from them.

I was already looking forward to the start of school.

***

[System update in progress: 80%] . . . [System update in progress: 90%] . . . [System update in progress: 100%] [System update complete] [‘Point Changer’ is activated.]

***

As soon as I returned to the orphanage, I checked the newly updated ‘Point Changer.’

[Point Changer] – You can convert items into meta points.

The amount of points you receive varies based on the value of the item.