How to get on the protagonist’s flower path

I stated the fact nonchalantly, as if it were nothing special.

“Because it benefits me.”

“Does it help him protect your family?”

I couldn’t understand the intent behind the question, so I glared at him. Then I spat out my response.

“Yeah.”

Finally, the door opened just wide enough for a person to pass through.

I quickly dashed past the tiger and ran toward my friends. I could feel his gaze on my back.

“Nahyun!”

I heard my group calling me from the front. Without hesitation, I headed toward them.

“Oh dear, this is troublesome.”

Shin Haewoon simply smiled awkwardly as he looked at our gathered group.

Beside Shin Haewoon, Park Siwoo was pointing a sword at him. It seemed that Shin Haewoon was overpowered by Park Siwoo.

If he couldn’t draw mana from the water, then his combat power must be lower than Park Siwoo’s.

The moment our group prepared to attack Tornito, a voice echoed through the cavern.

“I’m seriously going crazy here!”

Suddenly, Park Yulhan appeared from the air.

A pitch-black darkness gathered, revealing his figure completely. The cloak on his back was fluttering in the air.

“Didn’t I tell you not to move recklessly?”

“Oh, I see, I’ve been caught?”

Shin Haewoon was still smiling calmly even in that situation.

Tornito hesitated for a moment as he looked at Park Yulhan, then directed his gaze back at our group.

“No fighting! No fighting! And Mr. Shin Haewoon, what are you acting so relaxed for when you’ve already lost the fight and been captured!”

Despite Park Yulhan’s frantic words, he flinched at the sight of the water-element arrow that Shin Baran was aiming at him and raised both arms.

“Ah, we’ll be retreating today, so just ignore us.”

“Will I? Shin Baran, shoot that thing!”

“I know what to do without you saying it!”

As the con artist spoke irritably, Shin Baran shot the arrow. However, Park Yulhan effortlessly dodged all the arrows with his usual incredible speed.

Meanwhile, it seemed Tornito had made up his mind to attack us, summoning lightning around his body.

“Ah, I told you not to fight! Guess there’s no helping it!”

Park Yulhan waved what looked like a command baton in the air. Immediately, the figures of Shin Haewoon and Tornito vanished from this space.

“Then see you later!”

Just like that, Park Yulhan, who had swiftly extracted the two, was engulfed in darkness and disappeared as well.

We stood there for a moment, dumbfounded.

“…Did they escape?”

In response to Park Siwoo’s words, Min Jaeyoon stammered out an answer.

“It seems like they did…?”

“…Do they have some kind of teleportation item?”

“Yes. It seems so. That’s why they could boldly ambush us and whisk us away.”

The con artist nodded in agreement with Lee Hana’s words and added, “From now on, we should be cautious of ambushes.”

“I see~. But why did we suddenly move to this dungeon?”

“Well… I thought it would be better to move to another dungeon than to stay in that one filled with water mana, as it might increase our survival rate. So, I used an item to transport everyone.”

“You really know a lot of strange things.”

At the comments from Choi Sujeong and Shin Baran, the con artist simply chuckled awkwardly.

“Anyway, since we cleared the dungeon, we should be able to get some items. Let’s move to the altar up there.”

Following the con artist’s instructions, we went to the altar in the center of the space.

On that altar lay ten gold coins. Seeing exactly ten of them, it seemed like they had appeared based on the cleared quests.

“I’ll collect them first.”

“Okay!”

According to the rules of the Gate Treasure Exploration Team, the con artist decided to collect the gold coins first. He would probably distribute them appropriately when the time came to use them.

After gathering all the gold coins engraved with the scales emblem, the space warped, and we returned to the ocean dungeon where the con artist had created the dungeon before.

“Since everyone must be tired today, let’s go rest. We’ve gathered enough of the mermaid’s breath by now.”

Everyone agreed with the con artist’s words.

“I’ll dispose of and distribute the items after the trip.”

“Yes!”

I glanced at Nayuri, who would usually have something to say, but she seemed to be acting normally, not talking to the con artist at all.

The con artist also stole a glance at Nayuri before turning his gaze away.

Was it just my feeling?

I moved to the hotel with a strange sense of unease.

***

That strange anxiety peaked when Nayuri spoke to the con artist separately before heading to her room.

“You have something to say to me, don’t you?”

At those words, the con artist nodded silently.

“Come to the rooftop lounge at 8 PM.”

“Got it.”

Nayuri treated the con artist with an unusually calm demeanor. The con artist was the same way.

I was too concerned—what on earth was going on?

But I couldn’t follow them directly, so I had to quietly watch Nayuri head to the rooftop after dinner.

Feeling somehow tired, I turned down everyone’s suggestion to stay and play longer at the arcade and returned to my room.

Just as I was thinking about checking the fragments of the story that had been updated earlier,

[Fragments of the story have been added.]
An update notification rang.

Again? I checked the fragments of the story.

[Currently collected story fragments: 7]
– Genius Commander of the Academy: 3
– ???? ??? ???? ?? (Locked): 4

I pressed on ‘Genius Commander of the Academy.’ Then three fragments appeared.

Among the two newly created fragments, besides the ones I had seen before, were reflections of Nayuri and the con artist’s faces. I pressed the second fragment.

Then, a video started playing.

[Story Fragment]
empty
In the new dungeon arrived using the scales, Nayuhan briefly briefed Nayuri about the dungeon.

After that, they walked in silence.

Nayuhan seemed to be constantly thinking about something with a pale face, and Nayuri was the same.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a certain door.

“The first dungeon is your dungeon.”

Nayuhan read the letters engraved on the door and said that with a weary expression. Then he lay down in front of the door.

“Clear it on your own… I’m going to sleep. Wake me up before we go to the next dungeon.”

Nayuri sighed and said, “Is it a trial related to combat?”

At those words, Nayuhan fell silent for a moment.

“…No, but it is a trial I shouldn’t dare to interfere with.”

Then he looked up at the ceiling and said, “Go and do what you want. Just don’t come out and try to kill me.”

At those words, Nayuri looked puzzled but opened the door without saying anything.

And the scenery of the school appeared before her eyes.

“This place…”

Nayuri’s eyes widened. Her head turned toward a rooftop.

There stood a girl. The moment she saw her, Nayuri’s breath caught in her throat.

“No!”

Her legs moved.

And at that moment, the girl fell.

“No!”

She threw herself to catch the girl.

It seemed as if she took all the impact herself, but she examined the girl as if she had no regard for her own pain.

The girl was unharmed.

“Thank goodness…”

So Nayuri sighed in relief. Thick tears fell from her eyes.

“This time, I saved her.”

“This time?”

Then she heard a familiar voice. It was Nayuhan, looking like a middle schooler.

“Oh, I failed.”

Nayuhan, looking at the girl, said that, then turned to Nayuri.

“You know, little sister.”

The smug smile on his face was truly annoying.

“Could you not interfere with the proof of love?”

His nonsense made her want to kill him.

Maybe that was why Nayuri began to smile widely and hit Nayuhan without hesitation.

“Die, you bastard!”

Thud, thud, thud… The sound of her desperate punches echoed. Before long, Nayuhan was swaying, unconscious from her blows.

“Stop!”

The girl grabbed Nayuri’s rampaging arm.

“If you keep doing that, I’ll hate you!”

At those words, Nayuri laughed.

“You’ve always been like that.”

“What?”

“If you hurt Nayuhan, you did it to me.”

She laughed, as if about to cry.

“That’s why I didn’t want you to hate me, so I left you alone,”

Tears flowed down her face.

“Eventually, I ended up causing your death.”

Nayuri grabbed the girl’s shoulders.

“I shouldn’t have only thought about myself. I should have thought about you, about you.”

With a messed-up face, she smiled.

“I wanted to say this all along.”

And then she said,

“I’m sorry.”

The illusion blurred. Like her vision hazy with tears, the world became unclear.

“I’m sorry…”

She stood there until the illusion completely disappeared.

Then, silently wiping her tears, she went out through the door she had entered. There lay Nayuhan asleep.

Nayuri clenched her fists while looking at Nayuhan, then bowed her head.

“Wake up.”

In the end, the way Nayuri chose was a more moderate approach than she had expected. With a gentle tap of her foot, Nayuhan slowly opened her eyes.

“…Is it over?”

“Yes.”

“I could have hit you at least once.”

At those words, Nayuri looked at Nayuhan for a moment.

“To you?”

“…Yeah.”

“It’s fine. Let’s go.”

She turned her back and began to stride forward confidently. Nayuhan followed her silently.

Eventually, they stood in front of another door.

Nayuhan clenched her fists as if bracing for something.

Nayuri spoke at the doorway.

“I don’t think you are Nayuhan.”

“I thought so too.”

Nayuhan smiled bitterly.

“You said that only true memories become trials, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Let’s go.”

Nayuhan silently opened the door, revealing a small room.

“What is this…?”

The room was cluttered with game consoles and strategy guides. It definitely wasn’t the Nayuhan’s room that Nayuri knew.

Nayuhan said,

“This is my room.”

Then she opened the door to the small room.

“This is my house.”

Inside, a cold, empty house was visible.

There were stacks of boxes filled with various items. It didn’t seem too dirty, as if someone was managing it.

“The way to clear this is simple.”

Nayuhan spoke casually.

“Just go out and… greet someone.”

And they did just that.

They walked silently and passed through the trial.

185

The video cut off here.

I realized I had been holding my breath without knowing it and exhaled again.

This video…