Chapter 33

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Light green hair, whether you like it or not, stands out from a distance.

In that sense, it wasn't so strange that I spotted Lee Ye-Eun first, walking around with the rest of the student council in the distance.

Honestly, they were so unique that they could be recognized at a glance even from a distance.

“Ugh.”

At that moment, I felt a stiffness in my right arm, and then I felt a foreign sensation of something squirming through my skin.

I gently lifted my sleeve and looked at my wrist to see a branch of the World Tree sticking out a little.

I couldn't hide my confusion at the sudden reaction.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Han Soo-Young, who was next to me, asked me, but I lowered my arm as if it was nothing.

I then pointed to a suitable store with my hand, calling Choi Hyun-Woo, who was still absorbed in looking around.

“You're going to take all day like this. Why don't you just go somewhere and buy it?"

“Uh, yeah. I'm sorry."

Choi Hyun-Woo answered that way and opened the door of a nearby store and entered.

I and Han Soo-Young immediately followed him into the store.

As soon as I entered the store, the smell of iron and oil hit my nostrils, but I was all focused on what had just happened.

‘There was a setting that people with the power of the World Tree were attracted to each other…... .'

The problem was that Lee Ye-Eun only started to gain the power of the World Tree about halfway through the original story.

At this point, there was no way my World Tree branch could respond to her.

And since it didn't respond to her when I met in the club room the other day, my calculations lead to the conclusion that she had been gaining the power of the World Tree ever since.

‘That doesn’t make sense.’

The chances were too low.

Then, if you considered the elimination method, there was only one reason.

It reacted to beings with the power of World Tree other than her.

‘No way, the story is twisted like that…... .'

One of the biggest villains Lee Ye-Eun faces was the gimmick character, a traitor to the clan.

And, of course, the man also possessed the power of the World Tree.

That means the man and his minions were hiding somewhere here....... .

"Ha"

I let out a small sigh and shook my head.

There was no way he could move under the current circumstances.

It would be quite some time before they would even show themselves there.

Perhaps it was because so many unexpected things had happened, but and my thoughts kept flowing like that.

‘It’s not just that Lee Ye-Eun and that man are the only members of the World Tree clan.’

I was probably reacting to Lee Ye-Eun's bodyguard or someone else.

In fact, Lee Ye-Eun had a setting that at least three bodyguard followed her without her knowledge.

Having come to that conclusion, I let out a small sigh of relief.

‘Anyway, let's not get caught up in it and do our business and get out of here.’

With that in mind, I looked around the store.

The store embodied weaponry points that would have only been seen in fantasy games.

I immediately looked at the place where the long swords were placed and used emotion.

'Let's see..... .'

Sometimes, even if a weapon is created by the same craftsman in the same way, as long as it is handmade, it is normal for there to be differences in performance.

I was thinking of finding the one with the best performance among those weapons.

It didn't take long to find it.

It was when I was going to tell Choi Hyun-Woo right away.

"Where is…... .”

Choi Hyun-Woo, who picked up the exact sword that I had found, began to examine it meticulously.

And seeing him smile with satisfaction right away, I thought that the title of swordmaster was not given to him in the future for nothing.

‘Let’s just pick mine.’

I picked up some abrasives and a weapon maintenance kit roughly lying on the shelf.

When I glanced at Choi Hyun-Woo, I saw that he seemed to have picked up the right training band for practice.

“Thank you very much. Don't worry, your order will arrive soon and safely.”

Choi Hyun-woo and I paid the price and finished ordering the items to be delivered to our dorm in the academy.

There was no reason to refuse because the purchased items were heavier than we thought, and the price was quite high, so they gladly offered to deliver them.

“It feels better than I thought. The weight is fine.”

However, Choi Hyun-Woo decided to take the sword he had just purchased.

He gave a relieved look as he tapped the scabbard hanging from his side, but honestly, it was a feeling I couldn't understand.

'If you look at it that way, carrying weapons openly in the first place….. .'

Perhaps, in the original world, it would have made the news.

At the very least, there would be videos and photos floating around the internet.

While I was having these silly thoughts, we arrived at the bag street.

The end of the explanation was that it was one of the streets selling various miscellaneous goods, but to my eyes, it was filled with glamour, as if a department store had been cut into small pieces and laid out on the side of the road.

“There is nothing really missing… Seoul is amazing.”

“Don’t look around for nothing….... .”

And I guess it wasn't just me who had such a feeling, as the two of them were quietly chattering.

As there were a lot of shops that looked luxurious, just by looking the exterior and signboards.

“Let’s go buy an electronic dictionary first.”

Saying so, I entered the nearest store with the two of them.

The reason I wanted to buy an electronic dictionary was to look at the setting book without hesitation even in class, so I chose anything appropriately.

The floating window was still available but it was still difficult to maintain for a long time.

‘It's hard to watch it on my phone every day.’

Immediately after that, I purchased the cooking utensils, writing utensils, and large fish tank in order.

The last thing I was going to buy clothes for everyday use.

"Try this one."

"What?"

As I was looking at a simple T-shirt, Han Soo-Young suddenly came up to me and offered me something.

It was the kind of clothes I rarely wore, like a cardigan and a knitted vest.

“I don’t think this will suit me.”

“I know better than you.”

Han Soo-Young said so and secretly took the T-shirt I was holding.

“You'll look better in this one.”

Then she put a different T-shirt in my hand.

I looked at her a little dumbfounded, but she was muttering something while putting this and that on my body.

When I looked up, Choi Hyun-Woo was smiling softly while looking this way.

The look on his face made me think he had something on his mind.

Because the direction he was looking at in the first place wasn't me, but Han Soo-Young.

"Okay, try it on like this and come out."

Looking at Han Soo-Young, who had a somewhat proud look on her face, I quietly entered the changing room.

"Whoo."

It was probably just my imagination, but I had a feeling that I was going to be very tired.

* * *

“We seem to have been around a lot since morning, but it’s still 2 p.m.”

Choi Hyun-Woo drank the iced Americano like it was water, as usual.

Han Soo-Young ordered a green tea latte, and said, I like it as long as it's sweet, as usual.

“Did you buy everything you needed?”

"Probably?"

I can't think of anything I needed.

To be honest, I came out today just to catch my breath.

Even though that was the case, as the branches of the World Tree reacted, everything became useless.

'Please, I hope it's not a big deal...... .'

With that thought, I drank my coffee through a straw.

I hoped, it was just a overreaction on my part.

“Then, let’s go eat later. I have already found a good restaurant."

Choi Hyun-Woo still led the conversation with a good laugh.

Meanwhile, Han Soo-Young, who was looking at her cell phone, was startled and stood up.

When I looked at her wondering why she had an unusually excited expression on her face.

“I’m going somewhere for a minute.”

“Suddenly, where?”

In response to Choi Hyun-Woo's question, Han Soo-Young nodded her head and explained her situation.

In a nutshell, she had just received a call from a bookstore about the book she had reserved that she could not find even though she had stopped by several bookstores earlier.

“Then let’s go together.”

“No, you two just stay here. I'll be right back."

With those words, Han Soo-Young, in a real hurry and out of breath, headed towards the bookstore she had just stopped by.

As I stared blankly at the sudden occurrence, I heard a chuckle of laughter next to me.

It was Choi Hyun-Woo.

“Soo-Young has always had that side to her. I hadn't seen her like that in a long time, so it was funny."

The first thought that came to mind when I saw him with a really funny expression, was that he was really handsome.

'Indeed.'

Han Soo-Young must also look pretty.

Starting from that, I knew very well that they were a couple that fit well in many ways.

‘It was also my favorite combination.’

As I was thinking this, Choi Hyun-Woo took a leisurely look around the city.

“Come to think of it, I saw it while walking around, and the preparations for the festival are in full swing.”

“Oh, that?”

I knew very well what the festival Choi Hyun-Woo was talking about.

This was because the event that could be said to be the most important turning point in the original story takes place there.

In the past, the Seven Evils were a huge threat to mankind.

The festival Choi Hyeon-Woo spoke of was a festival to commemorate the fact that the Seven Evils had been defeated and sealed away.

In the original story, this commemorative festival was as widely known around the world as the Olympics or the World Cup.

“You’ve seen a lot, haven’t you? This festival, the commemoration, is held everywhere.”

Hearing my words, he smiled a little.

"Yes. That's true, but Soo-Young and I are a bit… we grew up in a remote place. So this is the first time I've seen it on such a large scale. And I've never seen so many people before, so I was a little flustered, to be honest."

“You look very natural considering it's your first time, her too.”

“I don’t know, but Soo-Young is probably overdoing it today? When she is upset or embarrassed, she always makes a nonchalant face, or suddenly interferes a lot with others.”

"Ah."

So that was why she did that to me earlier.

It is only when I come to know things like this that I didn't know that I realize once again that this is not the simple game I was playing.

This was when I felt an emotion that I could not describe.

“Can I tell you something a little boring?"

Choi Hyun-Woo even drank the little bit of coffee that was left as he began to talk like that.

“I don’t know if you know, but Soo-Young and I don't even remember the faces of our parents.”

“….... .”

It was a well-known fact.

I was well aware of the fact that both Choi Hyun-Woo and Han Soo-Young had been abandoned as babies, and the person they called their master had raised them both in an orphanage.

But why are you telling me a story that is like a paradox between the two now?

I listened to him as I straightened my posture from sitting.

“Of course, I have no complaints about the person who raised us until now, but perhaps that's why Soo-Young tends to push herself so hard.”

I know she doesn't want to disgrace the master's name, but sometimes she is a little too hard on herself, even for me.

Adding that, Choi Hyun-Woo picked up the empty cup once and put it down again.

“Perhaps it is because we had lived in an orphanage for so long, but Soo-Young and I have always been too conscious of what others thought of us.… Because of that, there were times when we were too vigilant with the people around us and got into trouble."

Choi Hyun-Woo then looked at me.

“But it’s really strange. Ji-Hyuk, you are the first other than me and the master, with whom Soo-Young is so relaxed about her boundaries. Of course, that's the same for me..... .”

"What?"

“Ah, so… I don't know how to explain this. I'm not very good at talking."

Choi Hyun-Woo smiled awkwardly and looked a little embarrassed.

“I'll just ask you openly. Have you ever felt uncomfortable because of me or Soo-Young?”

"Huh?"

This question was so unexpected that I couldn't help but look really surprised.

Seeing how serious Choi Hyun-Woo's expression was, I could tell he was sincere.

"No. I never thought of that. If you guys were uncomfortable in the first place, I wouldn't have asked you to come together like this.”

“That's a relief.”

He sighed softly.

“Actually, it is difficult for me and Soo-Young to get a sense of distance from someone a little different. So… Well. Soo-Young was worried if she made a mistake.”

"Mistake?"

"Yes."

Then he hesitated for a moment.

“It’s a very rude question, but Ji-Hyuk, you too… your family situation is complicated, right?"

"Ah."

I could now see why Han Soo-Young acted like that as she looked at me, and why Choi Hyun-Woo kept looking at Han Soo-Young like that.

"That's right. You can think of me as similar to you. The difference is that I didn't go to an orphanage, but I didn't have anyone to take care of me like you had."

First of all, it was not wrong.

Because in this world I seem to be without a guardian or anything.

“… Yeah. And Soo-Young is very careful with you and tries not to offend you. She even told me to be careful several times, and at times she even confessed that she seemed to have made a mistake.”

And he smiled a little.

“If you don't mind, please understand a little. Soo-Young is... She's not very good at it."

“Why don’t you two just get married?”

"Huh?"

Oh shit.

It seemed to come out of my mouth without me knowing.

However, despite my sarcastic remarks, he showed no signs of displeasure at all.

In fact, he even laughed as if he had heard a funny joke.

“Oh, do we look like that? The two of us grew up together in an orphanage since we had no memory, and we were the only two people of our age to spend time together as if we were brother and sister. So we're like family to each other. I'm sure Soo-Young thinks the same way."

“…… .”

Having confirmed their future in the original story many times over, I could only nod my head.

With a more refreshed expression, Choi Hyun-Woo drank the ice melted water that was left in the glass.

“Oh, can you please keep it a secret from Soo-Young that I said these things?”

If she finds out, she might actually try to kill me.

When Choi Hyun-woo said this with a laugh, I replied, "Don't worry."

Exactly, it was when I was going to answer that.

Kwaaang!

A loud explosion was heard in the distance, swallowing my words.

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