chapter 7
Episode 7. after party (1)
“Can’t you see the driftwood?”
Joint class is over.
After finishing all of Signal’s regular classes, I was on my way to the interview room with Tak Kwang-jun, the teacher in charge of class 3, according to the joint class notice.
“ah. Yurim left early due to personal circumstances.”
It also seemed to come. Even in the original work, things started to deteriorate from this point on.
Fortunately, I was worried that my existence would become a variable and the flow would change… … .
‘… … Is it okay to think so?’
I tried to shake off the awkward feeling.
There is a sure way for this world to be saved. Even knowing that, isn’t it rather foolish to change the future for just one person?
‘Kim Do-yoon, you decided to eat hard. Let’s not be shaken.’
He clenched his fists and made up his mind.
The interview with Tak Gwang-jun went as expected. It was a preliminary information about the special field practice, and there was nothing I needed to pay attention to.
The words are special field practice, but in reality it feels like a reward vacation for students who have achieved good grades. Although the external purpose was to go see active adults who are active in society.
A day passed just like that.
The signal that went to school today without fail.
Beyond the window of the classroom, rain is falling incessantly from the cloudy sky.
As the teacher teaches the class in front of the podium, students can be seen studying hard in anticipation of an unexpected grade. On the other hand, there were others who dozed off or did other things.
‘It’s so peaceful.’
If I let go of my mind even a little bit, I felt like I would melt into this laid-back atmosphere.
“Today’s class will end here. As I said earlier, I hope you do the assignment for page 34.”
Immediately after the major teacher left the classroom, the students began to chatter as if they had been waiting, starting with the sound of stretching all over the place.
It was lunchtime after all.
As I was organizing my textbooks, I inadvertently looked at the seat next to me.
Pyo Yoo-rim exchanged seats with an unknown male student. She has been absent for four days since the joint class so far.
‘I was wondering if things could go wrong because of my presence… … .’
A long time ago, a memory of watching a movie related to a time loop suddenly came to mind.
The future changes even in trivial things, but sometimes there are futures that never change. I remembered that it was a movie with a synopsis roughly like that.
Perhaps the future of the wild forest belongs to a future that never changes.
‘If so, maybe I was making a fuss.’
Of course, movies were movies, and reality was reality. You still don’t know what variables will happen, so you shouldn’t let go of the string of tension.
As always, after lunch quickly, I went to the Cheonseong Training Center to make use of my spare time. I was thinking of putting more spur on my natural temperament as well as digesting it.
“Whoa.”
Time passed in an instant.
Afternoon classes will start soon.
I hurriedly changed into my school uniform, wiping off my sweat with a towel.
“ah! It’s finally out!”
Just as I was about to leave the training ground with a languid body, I saw a female student sitting on a bench in the waiting room in the corridor of the training ground.
“you… … .”
“Uncle~ Can you spare some time after school?”
It was Nayeon Eom.
***
Nayeon Eom.
I took a hard look at her appearance. In the last class, I was distracted, so I didn’t look like I was going to look at it like this.
She is an impressive woman with a short bob cut that feels active, cute features, and reddish brown hair.
“Do you really know how many times I visited you?”
“ah… . huh.”
After the regular class, I was heading somewhere with her.
“Every time I set aside time to visit, I was in vain because I wasn’t in the classroom. Then I didn’t want to do it, so I asked the class 3 students, and they told me that I often go to the training ground.”
“So you were waiting in front of it.”
Last time during lunchtime, I stayed at the training ground too long and got back to class late. There was a time when the teacher asked why he was late, and he was honest about it.
“I was stalking you unintentionally, and I’m sorry if I made you feel bad. I really wanted to meet and talk.”
“What is it?”
“This time, in the joint class, we decided to get together with the students who got the A rank score. I wondered if my uncle would be willing to participate.”
“What are you doing together?”
I know the reason, but I decided to ask out of politeness.
“Chaehwa says it’s about promoting friendship? If you meet talented people and get to know each other, wouldn’t it be helpful later on in society?”
amity. When I heard that story, there was a problem that came to my mind.
I thought about how the development flow of the original story was.
‘Psychic Age’s unique advantage was determined by which heroine it attacked.’
In the case of Seol Chae-hwa, the economic advantage of being sponsored by a large company is given, and in the case of Min Seo-eun, the growth advantage of Yoo-seong’s physical specs is given.
This person in front of me, Eom Na-yeon, was given the advantage of being a reliable ally on the battlefield.
‘Honestly, I feel like I want to receive all three benefits… … .’
In order to receive benefits, you must take a route that targets the heroine. In other words, to get all three benefits meant to take the harem route with confidence.
Unfortunately, the harem route did not exist in the original work. I didn’t want to create a flow of history that didn’t exist in the first place.
Because the future could change drastically. It was impossible to gamble to get greedy benefits.
“It looks interesting.”
“Then your uncle is also participating?”
“I will.”
Anyway, now that I’ve confirmed that the meteor doesn’t exist, I have to fill his void. Yuseong had also participated in this meeting, so I decided to make the same choice for now.
“by the way. Why do you suddenly call me uncle?”
“hmm. Is it a nickname that shows friendliness in its own way? I liked it after the last class. Besides, I found out that he was so much older than me? So I’ll call you Uncle!”
“… … .”
You’re just making people sad again. Brother, where did you go? Maybe in this worldview, the word ‘oppa’ is really taboo.
“Oh, it’s me. How did it go?”
Meanwhile, Nayeon Eom received a call from someone.
“Don’t talk. You don’t even think about leaving your room for days, do you?”
“wow. It looks like it’s not too hard there.”
“I thought it would work if it was a three-and-a-half strategy, but the reality seems to be reality. Are you like that?”
“I barely met you. Fortunately, my uncle is participating.”
What makes you feel so good is smiling.
“really? phew, good luck If at least Mr. Kim Do-yoon comes, Chae-hwa will be less nagging.”
“Why don’t you just give up and come?”
“huh. I guess that’s what it should be… It’s a surprise!”
at that time. A young scream came through the phone.
“what?! what’s the matter?”
“… … huh? uh, uh maybe you’re right The person in the same class as you. Eh? will you come too? Then it’s me!”
“What is it? Has your voice brightened?”
“Nayeon-ah, it’s a great event! Yurim said she would participate too!”
“really? Didn’t you just say you weren’t interested?”
“I don’t know. I thought so too, but he must have changed his mind.”
After a few more chats, the call was disconnected.
“Phew~ Things are going well all of a sudden? It was a success even if only one of them was brought, but it’s fortunate~ hehehe.”
“… … .”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t at all happy.
stray forest. According to the original story, she was a person who did not participate in this meeting led by Seol Chae-hwa.
***
「Yurim. I heard the news.”
A call came in.
According to what was written on the tablet, it appeared to be ‘Mother’.
“You said you didn’t go to school these days? If you’re an adult, there’s no way you’re not feeling well, but what the hell is going on?”
“sorry.”
“Pyoyurim. You are a hero of Korea and a proud child of our family. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could see the hero swaying?”
“… sorry.”
Just repeating the same thing over and over again.
Because I said I should never go against my mother. Due to the information recorded on the tablet, Yurim Pyoyo only went out in a low-key position.
“There are many people who are looking forward to you. Don’t forget that thanks to them, we are able to live such affluent lives.”
“yes.”
If she shows insecurity, all the benefits her family enjoyed could be lost. Those who invested in the possibility of drifting forests will turn around.
Her mother feared the collapse of her current luxurious life. The purpose of the phone call now is an extension to continue that life.
“You mustn’t do anything that disappoints them or makes them worry. You know me well, right?」
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
That’s all, Pyo Yu-rim thought.
“Next time, please don’t make me call you for this reason.”
“… … .”
The call ended unilaterally.
Pyo Yu-rim brought her knees together in front of her chest with both hands. With her head buried, she leaned against the silence for a while.
Just a few days ago, the contents of Pyo Yu-rim’s record of what happened during the joint class caught my eye.
『Thank you, Yurim! Really thanks to you, I ate it on this joint class day?”
『Keuuu~ After all, it is a wild forest. I believed you!”
The current driftwood does not remember what happened then. I only knew it through the record of the tablet.
but.
<I hate this atmosphere. people who believe in me. People who expect from me. People who want to depend on me. I hate everyone.>
Although the memories of the past may be forgotten, the emotions she felt at that time leave scars in her heart and constantly torment her.
All the attention from someone she wasn’t familiar with, someone she was completely unfamiliar with, squeezed her heart.
Because we can’t get close to each other, knowing that it’s a fate we can’t get used to, the frustration only grew.
‘Do you think Kim Do-yoon doesn’t like me?’
He is the only consolation person in this situation. The only person I can remember. She wanted to talk to him some more. Then it seemed that this gloomy heart would go away a little.
“Yurim. I’m Chaerin I’m back to what I was talking about last time… … . Don’t you think?”
“!”
Someone speaks in front of the door of the dormitory where Pyo Yu-rim is staying. It was the first time I heard the voice, but I knew what the intention was through the records.
There is a meeting between students who have obtained scores of A rank or higher in joint classes. It seemed that the purpose was to promote friendship, but Pyo Yu-rim did not feel any interest.
If you were already friends, you were tired of it. The existence of ‘high-ranking people’ that her parents always talk about was enough.
She didn’t want to do such a meaningless act in Signal, where she had been hiding for a long time.
“… … really? phew, good luck If at least Mr. Kim Do-yoon comes, Chae-hwa will nag less.”
Just as she was about to surrender to her depression again without answering anything, a name she could not ignore awakened her spirit.
Doyoon Kim.
Living in a world of black and white, she is the only one with color. A man who has no expectations or interest in himself. Because of that, it was a name that was more comfortable to deal with.
“huh. I guess that’s what it should be… It’s a surprise!”
Pyoyurim suddenly opened the door.
“Did you just say Kim Do-yoon? Is this the person I know?”
“… … huh? uh, uh maybe you’re right That person in the same class as you.”
The only unforgettable existence. Someone who makes you realize that yesterday’s self and today’s self are the same person because you can remember them. A man who makes you feel alive.
A single exit that shines in the darkness where you can’t see an inch ahead.
“Then I will go too.”
Pyoyu-rim walked forward as if guided by the light.