Hyeonbyeol Kang was four years younger than me and my ex-girlfriend. She confessed it to me first while we were both struggling to find work, and we dated for about three years. Well, none of that was important now.
Deslick.
I looked up again and looked Hyeonbyeol in the face. For some reason, he had a cold look. The reason for that was probably...
«Are you really going to look down there in this situation?»
«Ejem ... »
It was a reflex action, what are you going to do?
I quickly came to my senses and hurried to set the record straight. «Do not misunderstand me. I was just checking».
«Checking?»
«The default clothing here is based on how you imagine».
«So... are you saying this is how I imagine myself?».
«Sí.»
If you wanted to wear other clothes, you had to buy them with GP. That's how I bought the sportswear and short-sleeved t-shirt I was wearing right now. The default clothes had been a little uncomfortable for me.
«And you? What was your basic outfit?»
«Eh…»
It had been a tight navy suit, clothes that my ex-girlfriend so, Hyeonbyeol-bought me.
«What I'm wearing now. This was my default outfit». It would be a little embarrassing to tell him the truth. If I told her I was wearing that suit even though we had broken up a long time ago, it would seem like I still had feelings for her.
«...Hmm, that's very much like you.» Fortunately, Hyeonbyeol did not doubt me and easily accepted my answer. But that raised more questions.
«Like me? What is like me?»
«Why are you so sensitive? I just wanted to say that you look comfortable».
«¿In series?»
Ugh, I can't relax near her. Is it because of my past sins?
«Anyway... Don't you have something to tell me?»
«...It's been a while, Hyeonbyeol!»
«That's all?»
«Uh. »
What else could there be? Oh wait, I didn't ask him about that.
«So how did you end up here?»
Hyeonbyeol looked silently at my question before sighing in resignation. «You haven't fixed your running away habit yet». I pretended not to hear that. «Nothing happens. None of that is important now...».
«Already. The past is not important. I think there is even a saying that the present is more valuable than gold...» The air in the room seemed to cool and I closed my mouth.
«Why have you stopped? Go on».
«It's just that... I think I should apologize first. I'm sorry about then. Really».
When I apologized, erasing all traces of humor from my tone, Hyeonbyeol seemed slightly surprised. «Has... changed a little».
«Well, yes... So, are you going to accept my apology?».
«I don't need an apology. As I said before, none of that is important now. It's also not something either of us needs to apologize for...»
«That's true... true».
After that brief exchange, there was an awkward silence between us. I mean, it made sense considering I had reunited with my ex-girlfriend, who I had broken up with over a year ago in the real world, in this faraway world.
«But I'm really surprised. I never dreamed of seeing you here».
«Really? I always thought we would meet one day».
«…¿Eh?»
«I've been thinking about it since I woke up here. That you too must be somewhere in this world. It was a bit of a relief».
«A relief...?»
«For the news about your disappearance. I was very surprised when I found out that you had disappeared. I wondered if you had gotten a bad idea into your head...»
Ah, I could see how it could have looked that way. But I was touched that he cared about me even though we had broken up more than a year ago.
«So... how did you end up here?» It was already the third time I had asked because the conversation kept going off the rails. «You are the furthest thing from a player...»
Fortunately, Hyeonbyeol responded correctly this time. «I started to get interested after we broke up. I was wondering how good this game could be for you to be so obsessed with it».
That was new. When we were dating, he used to scold me for using three monitors to play.
No wait.
«So... did you beat the original?»
«Come on, how could I beat that thing? After you disappeared, I found the modified version and played it».
«So... what version did you beat?»
«Thirty times.
«Thirty times...?» That was considered top notch. There were many people in this world who couldn't even get over that. «Looks like you worked really hard at it...»
«Oh no, I think I beat him after ten tries. Maybe because I switched from playing to the original version. I also learned a lot from watching you play in the past».
«Ah...» Come to think of it, I always bragged to her when I found a hidden feature. Since she was a smart girl, she would have remembered everything.
«Why did your face suddenly darken?»
«...Do you realize?»
«Of course. We were together a long time».
I thought about it for a moment before deciding to be honest. «It's nothing. It's just that now that I think about it, you constantly listened to me talk about something you wouldn't have been interested in and never complained about...» I stayed halfway.
Hyeonbyeol responded after a brief pause. «...You've really changed a lot».
«It's been a long time».
«That is... yes, true...»
There was another awkward silence, but it was short-lived. When I asked him if he knew what happened after my disappearance, Hyeonbyeol told me. To summarize it, it was like this: a month later, my company reported me missing and the police came to talk to her, which is how she found out.
«Did you know my mother?»
«Yeah. At the police station».
«What did that woman say...?».
«I didn't talk to her directly».
«But something happened. Okay, tell me.»
Hyeonbyeol seemed to consider his words carefully before opening his mouth hesitantly. «He talked about the inheritance for a while... then asked the police if there was any way to report someone dead before the missing person report expired.».
«Ha...» I expected it, but I still felt bad. Anyway, I didn't have that much money saved. It was probably my fault for getting my hopes up.
Guts.
As I tensed my jaw without realizing it, Hyeonbyeol offered me words of comfort. «Still, you're five years old. Since it was not an accident and there was no evidence of a crime, it was not classified as a special disappearance.»
«What's the difference?»
«In a case of special disappearance, the inheritance can be transferred after one year».
«I see.» That comforted me a little. And as soon as it occurred to me, I realized how funny it was.
Risita.
This kind of consolation was very typical of Hyeonbyeol. Come to think of it, she always comforted me by pointing out the concrete positive aspects of a situation instead of just expressing words of sympathy. She played an important role in shaping my current personality.
«And now what?»
«I don't know. After you disappeared, they brought me here three months later».
"¿Qué...?"
I was really surprised. Although the Records Stone Fragment had complicated things in my personal timeline, if you ignored that and looked only at the calendar, it had been four years and one month since I became Bjorn Yandel.
Since the time ratio is five to one... that means it's been almost ten Earth months since I disappeared.
In other words, Hyeonbyeol would have been summoned here around the New World year 154. That summer was hectic in many ways. On the one hand, it was around the time when those pillars of fire exploded in Dimension Square.
As I assimilated it, an idea occurred to me. «Why have you joined the community now? If you were summoned then, that means you've been in town for almost three years».
«I'm not an adventurer. I guess it wasn't noticeable to me».
«Are you not an adventurer...?»
«Yeah. How can I fight monsters like that in real life just because I beat a game? I found a job in a decent place to make money».
«If you say that, it must mean that you are human».
«I guess that means you're not?»
I was speechless by Hyeonbyeol's question. I was worried about sharing personal information like this.
It seemed like she sensed my brief hesitation. «So, you don't want to tell me».
Hyeonbyeol's eyes wrinkled. It was a look I had seen several times when we were dating. Every time he appeared, it meant that he had to do what he could to calm his anger, but there was no need for that anymore. Strictly speaking, we were strangers now. There was no way Hyeonbyeol, who had always been a logical person, wouldn't realize that.
«For the record, you drew the line first, okay?»
«Okay.»
«...Good. I won't ask you anything like that from now on. Okay?» Hyeonbyeol accepted my refusal with her usual coldness. But it seemed like she was still a little disappointed. «In return, don't even think about asking about me. I won't tell you anything».
Well, yes, it's fair.
I couldn't argue with it, so I nodded without hesitation. Hyeonbyeol pursed her lips. «I guess you're really not curious, then».
«If you tell me, I would have to tell you mine too». Instead of trying to avoid her, I gave her an honest explanation. The fact was that she knew my exact date of entry. If I told him, even just my race, I could drastically narrow down the list of people I could be with.
Silence spread between us as we stared at each other.
«...Let's sit for a while».
«...Yes, it's a good idea».
It was uncomfortable to still stand, so we sat on the nearby couch. Once seated, we had nothing to talk about, so I started with something light.
«It's your first time in the community, right?».
«Sí».
If you led a normal working life in this world, how had you received an invitation? I was curious, but I swallowed the urge to ask. «I can give you some GP if you need it. You can exchange it for money if you want».
«Alright. I can earn enough on my own. Plus, if I change it to cash, it will move real-world money. That runs the risk of my identity being revealed, right?».
«That's true... true». To be honest, I only said it to break the ice; If he had really agreed and expressed his desire to collect it, I would have stopped him immediately.
«You... must be an adventurer, then».
«I am». Although we decided not to say anything that would reveal our identities to each other, I confirmed it. If I refused even a vague question like that, we wouldn't be able to have a conversation at all. «But why are you smiling?»
«Just because. I... can't imagine you in a bloody fight against monsters».
«You get used to it».
«It must have been hard.»
«¿Y pour?»
«I'm fine. The job is easier here, actually.»
True, he was the smartest person I had ever met. He had to adapt quickly.
«Really. Since they are not well digitized, it was easy to raise capital at first». By «raising capital», did you mean embezzlement? «Maybe it's because the market itself is poorly designed, but when I officially started investing money, the rate of return was pretty good. Wait.»
«…¿Eh?»
«Come to think of it, why don't we stop beating around the bush and get together?»
«Haha, get together...? We already...»
«No, don't go back together, let's join forces. I can give you material and emotional support».
«Will you help me?»
«My next goal after securing my financial freedom was to gain power. And recently, I have established a connection with a powerful person. I can use that to support you».
«What do you want in return?»
«Isn't it obvious? When you figure out a way to get back, I want to participate. I'm sure your goal is to get home too, right?».
«Go back, huh...?»
When I interrupted myself, Hyeonbyeol's expression changed as he realized something was wrong. «...Do you plan to stay here?»
I saw no reason to deny it. «Even if I go through hell and come back to return, there is nothing waiting for me there».
«And your mother?», he asked.
« ¿Eh? ¿Mi madre? »
«If you stay here, all the money from your apartment deposit will go to her!».
Oh, that's what you meant.
«Woah, that's really motivating.»
When I laughed, Hyeonbyeol raised her voice. «Don't try to make a joke out of this! Are you really going to live here?»
«Why do you get like this? It's not that I can't live here. Do you know something? I have made more friends here than in that world».
I was just trying to relax the atmosphere, but Hyeonbyeol closed her mouth and stared at me in amazement. Then, after a long pause, he opened it again to shout: «Friends? You?»
That reaction is hurtful even to me.