Episode 47: The Exchange Program (5)
“Am I… not needed?”
Yu Hana suddenly asked, her voice trembling.
‘What’s going on?’
Her expression looked as if she was about to burst into tears.
Caught off guard by her unexpected reaction, I hurriedly added that it wasn’t that she wasn’t needed—just that she no longer required training.
At that, she blinked in surprise, then let out a small sigh of relief. However, she puffed out her cheeks slightly, pouting.
“But why are you suddenly quitting?”
Only then did I calmly explain.
I told her that she had improved tremendously and that it would be good for her to spend some time practicing alone to deepen her understanding of swordsmanship.
I also mentioned that I had just been selected as a mentor for the Exchange Program, meaning I might not have enough time.
“A mentor…?”
She narrowed her eyes for a moment.
After a few seconds of contemplation, she finally closed them slowly.
“Alright.”
She quietly nodded, then cautiously added,
“But… you have to come to morning training.”
I smiled and nodded. I had planned to continue that anyway.
But unexpectedly, I ended up making a promise to her that I would never miss a session.
Only then did Yu Hana seem satisfied as she turned away.
After seeing her off, I headed back to the dormitory.
***
On my way back, the cool night air seeped into my lungs.
Then, a strange thought crossed my mind.
‘…Wait a second.’
Yu Hana is a heroine.
Not just Yu Hana—there’s also Kang Arin and Cheon Yeoul.
That means they were originally characters the protagonist could pursue in the game.
Of course, as with any game, there were routes where he didn’t pursue them, but in most cases, they ended up with the protagonist.
But now that the protagonist is gone…?
I stopped in the middle of the road. The streetlights stretched my shadow long across the ground.
I hadn’t even considered this possibility before.
“…No way.”
Naturally, the one who’s been spending the most time with them, the one who’s unconsciously stepping in to replace Sung Siwoo—could that person be me?
A headache crept in.
Ever since he disappeared, I had been trying to get closer to them.
I thought it was necessary—to fill in the gaps in some way.
That was why I had been growing noticeably closer to them lately.
I pictured their faces.
Yu Hana, Kang Arin, Cheon Yeoul.
“…Ah.”
A small sigh escaped my lips.
Am I overthinking this?
For a moment, I had forgotten their sheer level of beauty.
I wasn’t unattractive, but I wasn’t anywhere near their league either.
And honestly—
I wasn’t planning to actively flirt with them or deliberately build romantic tension like a game protagonist.
I just—
Made sure they ate well.
Helped them when they needed it.
Saved their lives when they were in danger—or better yet, prevented them from facing such situations in the first place.
Guided them to grow stronger, and once I deemed them ready, let them stand on their own.
That was all.
For them to develop romantic feelings for me—it would be stranger if they did.
And even if, by some chance, that happened…
Accepting those feelings wouldn’t be easy.
Not because I wouldn’t like them.
But simply because this world is what it is.
Right now, we’re still in the early stages. The story is flowing at a relatively peaceful pace.
But when the real invasions and wars begin, when the true forces of the Evil Gods start moving—
People will die in droves.
That’s the kind of world this is.
I’m not the protagonist. I don’t have the luxury to juggle romance while fighting against the Evil Gods.
Unlike the protagonist, whose story is bound for a happy ending—
I just have to do my best.
That was what made me different from the original protagonist.
I resumed walking.
Before I knew it, the dormitory was in sight.
***
Ten Minutes Before 10 AM the Next Day
Yoon Chae-ha headed to the auditorium.
To be precise, she had already arrived by 9 AM.
She wasn’t sure what she was thinking—things had just turned out that way.
She spent the early morning sitting alone in a corner of the auditorium. She read a book, took deep breaths, and fidgeted with her fingers.
Yet, the peculiar sense of excitement refused to settle.
Her heart pounded.
Like a child waiting for a present.
She tried to analyze herself.
This is just simple curiosity. It’s hard to find anyone noteworthy in Kalos, so I’m just mildly interested.
Nothing more, nothing less.
However—
The fact that she even needed to justify it was already a contradiction.
As time passed, the students of Gaon began entering the auditorium one by one.
They were likely those selected as mentors.
Yoon Chae-ha scanned them slowly.
But the person she was looking for wasn’t there.
Then, at exactly 10 AM—
The doors opened. And he walked in.
Jung Haein naturally turned his head, scanning his surroundings.
Soon, his eyes met Yoon Chae-ha’s. He lifted the corners of his mouth slightly and walked toward her.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the auditorium.
Along with them came an uncanny presence.
—A presence akin to that of a saint.
Why?
There was something strange about him.
She hadn’t noticed from afar, but now that he was close, it was undeniable.
“Hey.”
He spoke.
She knew she had to respond instinctively,
But for some reason, she couldn’t meet his gaze.
‘What’s wrong with me…?’
Yoon Chae-ha was flustered by her own reaction.
An unfamiliar sensation she couldn’t comprehend.
Her mind attempted to analyze it,
But no conclusion was reached.
She had no way of knowing.
That the fragments he carried, combined with his Universal Perception were a perfect match with her A Priori—her truth-seeking ability.
Jung Haein’s smile deepened. He extended his hand toward her as if offering a handshake.
She stared at his hand for a moment.
Slowly, ever so slowly—
She, too, lifted her hand—
Thump.
“Ah.”
A short, involuntary sound escaped her lips.
His hand firmly, yet naturally, grasped hers.
And lightly shook it up and down.
‘…Big.’
That was the first impression that crossed her mind.
A massive hand.
Deep calluses and rough scars covering his palm.
Marks left behind by countless swings, relentless training, and the accumulation of effort to surpass his limits.
A hand no male mage could ever possess.
For some reason, as she held that hand—
Strangely, inexplicably—
She felt a sense of security.
At this point, she no longer understood what she was thinking.
***
Hall of Selflessness (Muwagwan — 無我館), Overlooking the Entirety of Gaon
This place, often visited by students for its panoramic view, was unusually quiet today.
Two women sat there.
A gentle breeze swept past.
“What do the others think?”
Cheon Yeoul was the first to break the silence, gazing into the distance.
Her eyes remained fixed on the empty air.
Ha Sion slowly turned her head.
“Kang Arin doesn’t care. And Yu Hana… as always, she’s all for it.”
“What about you?”
Cheon Yeoul asked once more.
Ha Sion closed her eyes, briefly deliberating.
Then, in a calm tone, she replied.
“If it were anyone else, I’d oppose it.”
Cheon Yeoul looked at her.
Ha Sion remained silent for a moment.
“But… maybe she’s a little different.”
If she were completely worthless,
She would have gritted her teeth and driven him away.
But she wasn’t that bad.
Cheon Yeoul slowly closed her eyes.
And then, as if trying to suppress her emotions, she spoke in a low voice.
“I… hate it.”
She quietly clenched her hands.
“I hate that he keeps sacrificing himself to take care of others, to help them grow. I hate that kind of thing itself.”
She took a deep breath.
“He’s done enough.”
Through countless moments in the past—
He had lived for others. What more was he supposed to do?
Cheon Yeoul bit her lip.
She tried to continue speaking, but her throat tightened.
As if unable to bear the sorrow, she suppressed her emotions and spoke.
“Now… even just receiving wouldn’t be enough.”
With that, she stood up and left.
—Thud.
Ha Sion blankly stared at her coffee can as it wobbled, spilling the remaining coffee.
A cold air lingered in the space.
Where Cheon Yeoul had left, only an unfinished can of coffee remained, sitting there all alone.
She took a deep breath.
Then, slowly, she lifted her head.
A scene flashed through her mind.
It was not the present.
A moment from the past.
However,
It was not Ha Sion’s memory.
It was merely someone else’s.
***
A massive conference hall adorned with dazzling magical engravings.
The heart of the Mage Tower, where books floated in the air.
Across the table sat a woman.
Golden hair—Yoon Chae-ha.
She smiled and extended her hand.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yoon Chae-ha, the Tower Master. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
She reached out for a handshake.
But the man did not take her hand. Instead, he gave a slight nod—polite, yet distant.
She hesitated for a moment, then withdrew her hand quietly and took her seat.
Then, she got straight to the point. Her eyes turned a shade of orange. She nodded.
“I’ll get right to it.”
Taking a breath, she spoke calmly.
“I know. That your authority is ‘death regression.’”
She watched his expression.
She expected him to be shaken.
But he showed no change in expression.
No reaction. A completely blank face.
If he would just lift the corners of his lips, he might not seem so unapproachable.
But he was utterly dry.
Suppressing the chill that threatened to run down her spine, she continued.
“That’s why the Mage Tower has prepared a strategy for you. And that is…”
With passion, Yoon Chae-ha began her explanation.
A meticulously structured and logical plan. A strategy so persuasive that anyone would be convinced.
It was a matter of humanity’s survival, yet she spoke as if discussing an exciting research topic, her voice full of enthusiasm.
But the man—Jung Haein—remained expressionless.
Even after she finished explaining, he did not say a single word.
Yoon Chae-ha grew frustrated.
“What do you think? Now that Sung Siwoo has betrayed us, do you have any thoughts on joining my plan?”
Her eyes sparkled.
An attitude of someone unfamiliar with failure. A confident tone.
She looked at him expectantly.
Jung Haein lifted his head slightly and spoke in a calm, brief tone.
“I knew it wouldn’t work.”
Was it a meaningless expectation? Saying so, he stood up from his seat.
“…What?”
For a moment, Yoon Chae-ha’s expression wavered slightly.
Jung Haein had wondered.
A faint hope. If it was Yoon Chae-ha, if it was her eyes—
Wouldn’t things be different? Wouldn’t she realize it someday?
Because telling her directly was impossible. The world’s restraints were not something she could withstand.
But in the end, it had been a futile hope.
He hoped this would be the last time he went through the trouble of answering the Tower’s summons.
Without a word, Jung Haein turned his back.
“…Wait!”
Yoon Chae-ha called out urgently.
A sharp voice rang from behind him.
“What are you—”
However,
He spoke first.
“Would you like to guess?”
The air in the room froze in an instant.
Though the temperature hadn’t dropped, a chilling sensation ran down her spine.
His voice was cold and dry.
“How many times do you think it has been?”
He turned his head and looked directly at Yoon Chae-ha, the Tower Master.
“The Tower summoning me, and you enthusiastically explaining that plan.”
His gaze bore into her, piercing through.
“How many times do you think this has repeated?”
Yoon Chae-ha’s eyes widened.
She tried to say something, but no words came out.
No way…
It wasn’t that she had never considered the possibility. But from her perspective, there had been no sign at all—
Yet Jung Haein didn’t give her the chance to reach an answer.
He spoke plainly.
“Unfortunately, this is not the first time. And it won’t be the last.”
“…”
“I hope next time, you’ll have a better plan.”
And with that,
He left the room.