novelraw Chapter 137 : Chapter 137
Chapter 137 : Chapter 137
Chapter 137: Burden
It was on the way back to the dormitory after leaving the training ground.
As I walked while making a clanking metallic sound, I saw a familiar silhouette under the streetlight.
Long silver hair swayed quietly, receiving the soft white light.
“Seol Hayun?”
Seol Hayun was standing there in comfortable casual clothes.
Spotting me, she approached in a single step.
“You took a long time. Training.”
“Were you waiting?”
“Yeah. Because I have something to give you.”
Something to give?
What is she talking about?
Seol Hayun unzipped the crossbody bag she was wearing and took something out.
“This.”
It was a string necklace crudely twisted together.
The design was simple, but the energy contained within was not ordinary.
[Handmade Unicorn Necklace]
[A necklace made by carefully twisting the hair of a young unicorn. The power of purification dwells within it.]
As it was reflected in the Eye of Deception, the item description popped up.
“Unicorn?”
When I muttered without realizing it, Seol Hayun opened her eyes wide as if it were unexpected.
“How did you know?”
Oops, I guessed the material right away without even listening to the explanation.
“Just, the energy felt a bit unique.”
“You have good intuition. You got it right. It was made by mixing in unicorn hair.”
Seol Hayun nodded as if interested.
Unicorn hair. Furthermore, it says ‘Handmade’.
In this case, it immediately comes to mind who made it.
“Did Do Haru give this to you?”
“Yeah.”
Seol Hayun nodded calmly.
I stared blankly at the necklace for a moment.
It is a public fact that Do Haru contracted with a unicorn.
However, that doesn't mean this is an object that can be easily made.
Unicorns are sensitive to the point of being mysophobic, so they are picky about people even touching their bodies, and they rarely allow their hair to be plucked.
“I don’t know much about it, but is that possible? Collecting it.”
“She said she suffered a lot. She said she barely obtained it after soothing it for a full hour as soon as she entered the dorm.”
“Aha.”
She made this by going that far?
My curiosity didn't end there.
‘Why?’
To put it bluntly, there is no reason for her to give this to me.
Rather, isn't Do Haru the one who suffered damage by being confined in the bathroom for an hour because of me?
If I were the party involved, I would have grabbed the other person by the collar; I wouldn't give a present like this.
Perhaps noticing the doubt I felt, Seol Hayun tossed out a remark.
“She said you taught her swordsmanship. It’s the tuition fee.”
Seol Hayun placed the necklace in my hand and continued.
“And she hopes there won't be a similar incident in the future. She said twice is enough. It’s a kind of insurance. It has a suppression effect.”
“……Ah.”
Only then did it make sense.
It’s an excuse just like her.
Unicorn hair has the effect of suppressing status abnormalities. The same goes for curses.
Indeed, it would be troublesome if the curse leaked out from the side again.
‘Of course, it wasn't that I couldn't control it, but that I used it by mistake.’
Strictly speaking, suppression isn't needed.
It is closer to a situation where learning is required.
Anyway, that is that, so I hung the necklace around my neck.
WHOOSH-
As soon as I put on the necklace, a refreshing energy hovered around my head.
DING-!
[Status abnormality resistance slightly increases.]
[Will stat slightly increases.]
‘Ooh.’
The energy of Pain swirling around my body became much calmer.
Beyond raising resistance against curses, it even had the effect of holding my mind clearly.
The pain that was scratching my nerves in trivial ways also decreased significantly.
“The effect is good. Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me, thank Haru.”
Seol Hayun made a gesture of making a phone call with her hand.
I nodded.
“I should. I’ll do it in person tomorrow. That would be better than a phone call, right?”
“You can do that too.”
The business was finished.
However, Seol Hayun didn't return and stood next to me.
An awkward silence flowed for a moment.
‘What did we talk about when it was just the two of us?’
Since there was no common denominator, there wasn't much to say.
At that moment, Seol Hayun looked at the bag on my shoulder and asked.
“Earlier, you were throwing daggers. Are you learning a new technique?”
“Uh-huh, yeah. I’m trying this and that. The range is a bit lacking if I only swing a sword.”
“You’re working hard.”
Seol Hayun took a handkerchief out of her pocket.
Holding it out toward me, she said.
“You should wipe your clothes a bit.”
“Since I rolled around a little.”
I accepted the handkerchief slightly embarrassed and brushed off the dust and iron filings moderately.
Since I threw cheap daggers so many times, the state of my clothes was a mess.
“Still, I’m glad you look okay today.”
“About what?”
“Since you collapse often.”
Seol Hayun watched me tidy up my clothes for a moment before continuing.
The gaze looking up at me was quite serious.
“Ah, collapsing.”
Due to the mechanism of my ability, collapsing is a daily routine.
To others' eyes, it probably doesn't look like a normal case.
Actually, it is far from normal too.
A human who converts pain into power.
“It’s just because my constitution is a bit prone to overexertion. Don’t worry.”
I tried to brush it off lightly and move my steps.
It was late, and I had a schedule tomorrow.
The moment I took a step.
“Ryu Jinwoo.”
Seol Hayun called me.
It was her usual calm voice, but somehow it carried weight.
“If there happens to be anything you need, or if things are hard…… tell me anything.”
“Huh?”
She looked straight into my eyes.
“Because I won’t know if you don’t say it.”
[Seol Hayun]
[Concern, Hesitation, Frustration]
The emotions were read clearly by the Eye of Deception. She is sincere.
Indeed, looking from the side, I must look precarious.
Swinging a sword every day then collapsing, and being carried to the nurse's office at the drop of a hat.
‘……It would be a lie to say it isn't hard.’
Honestly, it is burdensome.
But that doesn't mean I can stop, nor can I lean on anyone.
Because I never learned how to share a burden.
However, it was also awkward to just gloss over the current situation.
‘A hole is going to be drilled into my face.’
Seol Hayun’s eyes were firmly fixed on me.
A gaze so upright it was burdensome; there was nowhere to avoid it.
I scratched my head for a moment and then tossed out a few words.
“Then let me ask one favor.”
“Speak.”
“Hold this for a bit.”
I took the heavy bag off my shoulder and held it out to Seol Hayun.
CLANK-!
A brutal metallic sound.
Seol Hayun blinked.
“This, is it all daggers?”
“Yeah, I bought them for training. I thought my shoulder was going to dislocate carrying it the whole time. Please carry it just until the front of the dorm.”
Seol Hayun, who looked alternately at the bag and me, accepted the bag without a word of complaint.
Perhaps it was heavier than she thought, as she readjusted her posture.
“It’s heavy.”
“Should I just carry it?”
Before my hand could touch it, she twisted her body to dodge.
“It’s not that heavy.”
Then she began to walk in the lead.
CLANK, CLANK, the heavy sound rang out.
‘Is this a bit improper? The appearance…….’
This looks exactly like I'm making Seol Hayun run an errand.
But Seol Hayun herself didn't look particularly uncomfortable.
Rather, her steps became lighter.
‘Well, is it fine?’
My shoulder, which had been heavily pressed down until just now, felt empty.
‘It is refreshing.’
Is it because the physical weight disappeared, or is it because of another reason?
For the first time in a while, my steps felt light.
We walked straight like that.
Until the dormitory appeared.
***
“Ugh, why is this so terrible.”
Late in the evening, the door to the women's dormitory bathroom opened quietly.
Do Haru, who had fought a major war since the afternoon, fought trivial battles even after returning to the dorm.
Still, it is getting better slowly.
Phew, Do Haru caught her breath and headed to the lounge.
Her stomach wasn't completely comfortable, but the intervals between bathroom visits had increased a lot.
Thanks to that, she was able to make the necklace on time too.
‘I wonder if Hayun delivered it well.’
Having properly suffered through it, she knew for sure.
That curse, it was quite a nasty curse too.
It seemed likely that the strange sword Ryu Jinwoo obtained before was the cause.
‘He’s pitiable too. Getting stuck with a strange object.’
Still, if he wears the necklace, Ryu Jinwoo will become much more comfortable too.
Because unicorn hair has a definite suppression effect.
“……Ha, I should have given it sooner.”
I should have given it before I suffered.
Why do humans fix the barn only after losing the cow so dynamically?
Thanks to that, only one more dark history was added.
It was the kind of dark history that was embarrassing to even bring up anywhere.
‘Still, well.’
Ryu Jinwoo was apologizing more than anyone else.
The fact that it was an accident he didn't anticipate either was felt directly from his expression and gestures.
The appearance of being flustered and not knowing what to do.
Do Haru knew that emotion better than anyone.
The experience of hurting others with a power one cannot control.
That is truly, terribly depressing.
Suddenly, an old memory grazed her mind.
During the middle school academy days, the sight of blood droplets scattering.
- Aaaack!!
- I heard she raises that monster.
- They say phantasmal beasts resemble their owners; isn't she the problem?
- She’s thick-skinned. If it were me, I would drop out.
Since that day, she realized. Whispering sounds are heard loudest by the person involved.
Since that day, she has been living without contracting with a combat-type phantasmal beast, but Ryu Jinwoo probably couldn't even do that.
‘It must be scary.’
Ryu Jinwoo hadn't even contracted with a phantasmal beast.
It was as if the sword possessed by the curse had chosen its master on its own accord, like some legendary sword.
‘It would have been better if he said it was hard first.’
If he had, she might have been able to help a little earlier, like now.
She might not have suffered such a rough experience either, Do Haru thought.
Walking like that, she was soon in front of the dormitory lounge.
Do Haru familiarly pushed the door and entered.
In the middle of the lounge, a seat illuminated by the window light.
A silver-haired girl was moving a pen.
“Hayun, were you waiting?”
Seol Hayun only lifted her head slightly.
“I was studying.”
“What the. You should just say you waited. Let me be a little touched.”
Do Haru grumbled and plopped down on the chair opposite her.
And lightly asked Seol Hayun, who was writing.
“So? Did you give it to him?”
“Yeah. He seemed to like it.”
“He liked it totally? That’s a relief!”
“It wasn't to that extent.”
Seol Hayun reacted simply.
She only says exactly what is needed.
Do Haru buried her body in the sofa and spoke.
“I wish both you and Jinwoo talked a bit more.”
Seol Hayun’s pen stopped for a moment.
“Talk?”
“You guys only say what you need to say and end it. I’m more curious about what you’re thinking.”
Seol Hayun paused the hand holding the pen for a moment and lifted her gaze toward the ceiling.
An expression as if recalling something.
“Certainly, Jinwoo is on the side of sparing his words.”
Seol Hayun’s pen landed on the desk with a tap.
“Because he has a strong sense of responsibility, has his own firm path, and is always striving for something.”
She talks a lot when talking about Ryu Jinwoo.
Do Haru looked at her as if dumbfounded.
“Right, things like that. He does something immensely a lot, but don’t we not know exactly what he does? I mean, I’m curious.”
“Wouldn’t he tell us someday?”
Seol Hayun continued quietly.
“When he becomes someone who can trust and rely on us, he will say it naturally. Just like I did to you.”
“Ms. Seol Hayun, you aren't really saying much to me right now, you know?”
“I am communicating moderately. You talk too much. Most of it is idle chatter.”
“90% of conversation is originally idle chatter, you know?”
Do Haru leaned her body as if collapsing onto the table.
The grumbling sound lightly shook the quiet lounge air.
“……Or not? I think you two are good because you speak little.”
To Do Haru’s monologue brought up suddenly.
“That’s a relief.”
Seol Hayun accepted it quietly.
With those words as the end.
GURGLE-
A mysterious noise decorated the finale.
Do Haru crumpled her expression and stood up slowly.
“……I’ll be back.”
Thinking that Ryu Jinwoo was stuck with a truly nasty object, Do Haru headed to the bathroom.