Chapter 238 – The First Snowfall (2)
S4YywRyozo blinked.o48lLu
ZdUWHer mind and expression went blank.Frty
AuQCYgA second later, surprise washed over her.OYE1hgX
2LtwQi‘Did he say he wants to come with me to see my mother?’68jtC
UCYShe didn’t know how to react to such a sudden proposal.v88v
gvL0‘And here I was, already embarrassed enough for spilling all of that like it was some complaint!’j3N2
HW6PDOFBut Kang Geom-Ma’s gaze, as always, was full of sincerity. Yes, that’s how he was. Someone who never spoke empty words. That honesty gave weight to everything he said, making it even more persuasive.0qwt
dyOO1rd‘He never speaks just for the sake of speaking.’gZmoA7
2xBwhHIt wasn’t just a momentary comfort. He genuinely wanted to be with her in that moment.wm4
XYwcq‘He must’ve noticed that I was anxious.’q9yc
Z0AwIt was a kind offer. A simple “Let’s go together, if that’s okay.” Ryozo felt her cheeks burn. She was embarrassed. She felt ridiculous. And at the same time, overwhelmingly happy. So much that she couldn’t put it into words.8MxH4s
o6CYwShe glanced sideways.1C9
iAKXhke“It’s fine if we go together, but…”FJWRN8
dCkShe muttered, covering half her face with her scarf. The rough texture of the wool itched against her lips.HGBrs
Ou3P“…You said you were heading to the director’s office.”YCT6
TH6“Oh, that.”vF3p
ETJKang Geom-Ma scratched his forehead.G36ds5f
58yqNuIt was his habit when looking for the right words. Even that trivial gesture was enough to make Ryozo’s heart pound.8JQ
laeWhile her chest throbbed, Kang Geom-Ma smiled sheepishly.wuVp
ecxm“I go every week, so it’s no big deal if I skip once. I’ll let her know, of course. And you know, right? The director isn’t the type to get mad if I say I went out with a friend. She’d probably be happy. She always says it’s a shame I can’t enjoy the things people my age do, since I became one of the Seven Stars so young.”yyB5x
xd9“Ah…”lj9
KepIt was then that Ryozo looked at his face more closely. The shadows under his eyes, the pale complexion. She could imagine the kind of routine he’d been living through for the past month.8QUfXFH
Q0gcq‘You’ve been so busy.’pNBKJ
DDD0QIt couldn’t be helped. Kang Geom-Ma had a schedule so brutal that even twenty-four hours a day didn’t seem enough. Studying, official duties, countless assignments. Unlike her, who could at least focus solely on classes. That’s why the director pitied him.lnJq
pqyc‘And me…’8WtNQ
btzBxShe made a face like she was the most miserable person in the world.9mOVuk
WkkEveryone talked about Kang Geom-Ma like a star. The youngest Hero among the Seven Stars, the world’s strongest force, someone beyond human. All the different titles pointed to the same thing—he was at the top.Jz3wP
vaNNUThe top.tCbfz
0yrmA place everyone dreams of reaching. And Kang Geom-Ma had gotten there far too soon. That also meant he had been left alone far too early.JnnbsRr
5wCPE2d‘And yet, he doesn’t complain.’j5MhZ
lxOMRyozo knew his family history. That’s what made her chest ache even more.wXK5Cof
XRx8S‘Compared to him, I have no right to say my life’s been hard.’Ldg7
RRjShe felt a sting in her eyes. She convinced herself it was from the cold wind.Ugwci
NfVgg‘I’m such a coward.’2HpqPm
Gkn2Always acting tough, but in reality, all she knew was how to lean on others.EFY
WUyaS‘And he, the one who’s suffered the most, was the first to reach out to me.’hFZu
YGEAPWHe even gave her comfort without judging.QEOJ
UqjX6XRyozo discreetly wiped her eyes with her scarf. Then asked cautiously,hhh
Srgw“The destination’s Busan. We’ll need to set aside the whole day. Are you sure you can manage that?”dY1EHC
IblzQKang Geom-Ma didn’t hesitate. He simply nodded.S5kp
kUs“It’s Saturday. I’ve got plenty of time.”CoOsg
B5snmWY***gTp
cHVA moment later, in the director’s office.PIL7
aHQET3“Of course! Yes, yes. That’s fine. Have lots of fun~!”tpZ6
V8uxeMaClick.stmd
h7kMedia ended the call with Kang Geom-Ma and walked over to the window.IWZ0g
PpxOThe frost on the glass blurred the view outside, giving it a somewhat nostalgic look.axnUGzx
JCK“Well, well, our dear Geom-Ma. Going out on the weekend with a friend.”cujO
huM0vA smile appeared on her lips as she stretched and raised her arms.mmNO
nMqd“I was just about to tell him to take a break. He’s been pushing himself way too hard lately.”sCIw
2BsNot long ago, Kang Geom-Ma had called to ask if they could postpone today’s meeting.QICSaDI
kTi3ILDHe apologized several times, clearly embarrassed.JjK36
Vz1VMedia agreed without hesitation. In fact, she strongly encouraged him to rest. She didn’t even ask who he was going out with. She genuinely hoped Kang Geom-Ma could relax.MrXACzQ
RDS7Canceling a meeting? Insignificant.aBePJ1A
glKZNvMedia sipped her coffee. The steam rising from the cup turned to frost upon touching the glass.73KnU
Wzq0taP“I’ll talk to the Association. They need to lighten Geom-Ma’s workload.”S7rU2
JppTAs she enjoyed the moment of calm, the phone on her desk suddenly rang loudly.HonBrZ
TQBg— ♬♭♩♫♪wt7dxH
pMJ3XMedia frowned.npfO
E3woKV6“Who the hell calls on a weekend?”pNOc
BjQiUIAs a director, she worked office hours 9 to 6, five days a week.8h013
z2KP8H‘And yet.’t3L
zvdFZRThe reason she came to work on the weekend—besides her meeting with Geom-Ma—was that she couldn’t stand being at home. Chaos had reigned there ever since her twin sister, Meain, started living with her.4YGQw
NoxUnlike orderly Media, Meain was chaos incarnate. She ordered food three times a day and never cleaned up.G4B
qsSMedia had tried to scold her. Meain hadn’t flinched. She just gave hollow apologies with no intent of improvement.NVm
rRRLXpMedia no longer had expectations, so she didn’t feel disappointment anymore either.XKC
8ufa‘If you don’t like the temple, stop being a monk.’2T7XB
3P7FhzShe left the now-disastrous house and took refuge in her next least-worst option—the director’s office.jUeY
DodT4j‘I really can’t take this anymore.’upo
MkgdKlOne day she’d have to confront her. But for now, she had no choice but to endure.HYAT2i
U20lLWJ“My life is exhausting.”XUZ
oMoDHWhile sighing deeply, the phone continued to ring. Clicking her tongue, Media finally answered.BkxKB1Q
lcbp“Hello?”NX8q
4gdc— ……dUT161
6y2eNo one answered. Media pulled the phone away from her ear to check the number. Unknown.G4D
p2OShe frowned. Maybe it was her bad mood from having to work on the weekend, but suddenly a wave of irritation surged to her head.2i3
juuShe raised her voice into the receiver.Rhk
T8YX“Who is this? If you called, then say something!”O4vfw0
agj6UuE— ……DA2u
b7c“What, is this a scam call or something? Hey, do you know who you’re calling? Are you one of those bloodsuckers? You’ll see, I’m going to trace this number and—”HbPsiY
akYfry— My daughter.jwoesE
Soa0D3LA hoarse voice, aged and coarse like sandpaper against the ear. Media’s expression instantly changed.lft1zuC
LEXOnly one person in the world called her that.cpZ50
2cK— Forgive me. It’s my first time using a smartphone. I didn’t even know how to make a call. Seems like just yesterday we invented the pager, and look at us now.ZGCWr
wHLAn ancient survivor who had lived for over two centuries.CvY
4jBca— It’s been forty years since we spoke at your promotion ceremony to the Seven Stars. Your voice is still strong—like you swallowed a megaphone. You even sound healthier.0ht
j07HmLThe highest-ranking hero of them all.31v4NBu
297ov— I’m sorry for calling so suddenly with this unexpected request.qCZYLjN
OYnzThe president of the Association Victor Poison.GvO
NqEF— Could you arrange a meeting for me with that new member of the Seven Stars, the young man they call the Heavenly Sword?HVIAmD
9LV02fHe wanted to meet the rising star.z6X
2Vd***0YZa
1eDQGHDIf I had to pick just one benefit of attending Joaquin Academy, it’d definitely be the “subspace warp.”rul
FvjSsgcA flash of purple surrounds you, you close your eyes for a moment, feel a brief wave of nausea, and when you open them—you’re standing exactly where you wanted to go. Just like now.bEz
UvT“From Gangwon-do, Wonju, to Busan in just 30 seconds.”utFaI
PPZiThe scent of salty sea air. Ships lined up at the dock. Gulls circling and crying above the coast.C2Cg
JksH7“Heh…”WXpnm
sHDWA hollow laugh escaped me. The subspace warp—a method that completely ignores the laws of physics—still left me speechless, no matter how many times I used it.P9sS
uclU7‘Barriers, warps, dimensional pockets…’IhpH
WqzxTgGIt’s basically a cheat. I don’t even bother wondering why something this broken exists. In a fantasy world based on a game like Miracle Blessing M, it’s just a user-convenience system. No better way to skip the hassle of travel. One of this world’s perks.RUw5KDX
cy88‘But it’s so unfair.’Qjk
6DZf6AWhile some people take six hours on a congested highway to get to Busan, others do it in thirty seconds. Here, they call that a privilege.7YcT3
lRR9ZMtBack on Earth, adults always said time is the same for everyone.EkI3n
kNdNnLies. In this world, time is bought. It’s just another resource.E0x
ySIxWThe greatest of injustices. Before, I’d have shouted, “What an unbalanced game this is!” but…8fRap
Unlv9vP“……”A2tUy
D7fNow I stay silent. I’ve lost the right to say those things.AVUD
BsNI’m a Hero of the Seven Stars. I’m no longer one of the oppressed—I’m part of the elite. And not just that—I hold power comparable to a national president.4Lvu
U9EI can enjoy every privilege possible. Using the warp freely, something forbidden for regular students, like it’s a trip to the bathroom. I can no longer run from the contradictions I used to criticize.PToSV9
gcKER9O‘I can’t help it.’e9F25Vy
LPSAbSuddenly, I felt someone watching me. I turned. Ryozo was looking at me, her eyes shining. Maybe because of the cloudy sky, her light-blue irises stood out more than ever.XdeGM2q
2cYbv6‘Does seeing me use the warp make me seem different to her?’mAW
Td3I don’t blame her. Even I feel weird about it. Trying to play it off, I asked her,hekOxL
YHZ“How far is it to your place?”O4eU5
3RI“Oh, right.”YCV
iUOlStartled, Ryozo hurriedly took out her phone. She opened the map with the saved address and showed it to me.GYM
2pNiu2Z“We can take the bus. It’s a short ride.”0nm7R
MaiaWe started walking. We strolled along the coast, passed a quiet harbor. The sea breeze was cold, but not so much when you weren’t alone.0t5dJb
bxnThen we caught a local bus. Since it was the weekend, it was packed.9DN
fc6X‘If anyone recognizes me, I’m screwed.’mHaw
FXOouUCI worried, but luckily I had my hood. I pulled it all the way down. No one seemed to notice the “Heavenly Sword.” It felt like a low-key celebrity experience.sjH
HFDThe bus took off. One stop passed. Luckily, two seats opened up and we sat down.57GjohE
QbYbSecond, third, fourth stop. The port city of Busan slowly flowed past the window.gHW
J0LDI glanced to my side. Ryozo rested her forehead against the glass, her expression growing darker with each stop. Her hands on her lap were trembling slightly.Icf
P4ijOhRozz…bzkkFXT
s5eTmVSI took her hand firmly. It was cold, as expected after walking in the sea wind.eXJlZW
n1v“……”CBIRgG
V9vRyozo flinched, but said nothing. Her hand stopped shaking. The shadow over her face also lightened a bit.a8tEb
42kaCDkThe bus reached its final stop. We got off and walked for about five minutes. We entered an apartment complex.Mez
9fgQ“This is it.”oCu88EP
De005fIt wasn’t luxurious or rundown. Just plain, modest. For the ex-wife of the Supreme Leader, it seemed far too ordinary.yyhI
3KG9Dl‘I was expecting a mansion, at least.’g84cbV3
qJWRyozo looked around and took the lead. Only she knew the exact address, so I followed her in silence.LqO
eGnStep, step.AeGV
RJ0Finally, she stopped in the hallway of the building.I5RKNkO
GDkn‘Apartment 504.’SngK
OK921IShe confirmed the number matched. There was no room for doubt. She’d checked it countless times.HBFwM
0x1But when the moment came, Ryozo hesitated.SXjddL
0aPWf‘Do I ring the bell? Knock? Or just leave?’Zm8h
uwZShe stood still in the hallway, unsure what to do.CDGoO
99E3Tap.hi9S
xuydgDDThen, a large hand covered her clenched fist. Two hands joined into one.w43
ZgDAc“I’m glad I came with you.”ENb7h6f
fjdrYqwI gently guided her closed hand to the door. With some effort, I helped her knock.xzh
LI9JUKnock, knock. Two soft raps echoed down the hall.NzXu
nSjAnd then.OV9hJF2
YL2Creeeak.cSLiht
k3hkMThe sound of hinges. The door slowly began to open.DeSz
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementThey deserved an arc together
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaCan’t deny that.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaThis ship looks good.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaMy bro making progress.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaMedia father right if I’m not wrong.