Please, make sure to read today’s afterword.
The world of reversal.
The last time I met Yuhyeon-ah, the sacred queen of my world.
And the very first time we met.
After intervening in these three moments, I finally returned to my original world.
But the moment I came back, the first thing that greeted me was a searing pain in my forehead.
To be more precise, it felt like my skull was being split in two from the inside—a terrifying agony.
“Ugh!”
How should I put it?
In an instant, tens of thousands of memories flooded my mind all at once, as if they were being violently shoved into my brain.
Among the fleeting images passing through my mind, some were memories I recognized, but many were completely unfamiliar.
Damn it. I’d braced myself for this ever since I changed the future, but feeling it firsthand is no joke.
I thought I was immune to most pain, but this is beyond anything I could have imagined.
I wanted to curl up and scream at the top of my lungs.
I honestly thought I was going to die.
“Ughhh…”
When will this end?
It feels like at least ten minutes have passed, but there’s no sign of relief.
Is this the same pain my comrades experienced when they returned to the present?
Is this what happens if you keep headbanging nonstop?
Confusion can be agonizing when it goes too far…
My whole body feels drained of strength—I can’t even move a finger.
Opening my eyelids is a struggle.
Still, it’s a little better than before, so I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
As I repeated the deep breaths, I suddenly felt a warm hand resting on my forehead.
Without realizing it, I focused all my senses on the gentle touch.
If I lost this too, I felt like I’d completely lose my mind.
In this unbearable state, I clung to that hand like a lifeline, holding on and holding on.
How much time passed?
“Tsk tsk.”
Suddenly, I heard a sharp click of a tongue.
“Who told you to go and change the future? Twice, no less.”
That unmistakably sharp, slightly scolding voice could only be Hwajeong.
Startled, I slowly opened my bleary eyes.
Through the hazy vision, I saw the familiar ceiling of the lobby.
Below it, a woman with long, reddish hair was looking down at me.
I blinked several times, and Hwajeong’s face gradually came into focus.
She looked a little annoyed.
I forced my lips apart, trying to speak.
“Uh, how…?”
“How do I know? I’m a god of the ninth order, of course I know. I can’t break the laws of the world, but I can tell when something’s changed. Gehenna, Mercedes, and Suna probably know too.”
“…Huh?”
“Honestly, do you have any idea how shocked I was? Do you even know what you did in the first place?”
Well, considering she knows about the Zero Code, it’s no surprise those four know.
After all, gods exist in a realm so distant humans can’t even glimpse it.
“Ugh. Not only did you rewind time once, now you’re meddling directly…”
Listening to her nagging, the pain seemed to ease a little.
With Hwajeong’s help, I barely managed to sit up.
The surroundings were exactly as they were before I entered the multiverse—the Atlanta of my world and the interior of the castle.
I still couldn’t tell what had changed.
“So, what happened…?”
I asked weakly.
Hwajeong looked around, then shrugged.
“Well, I think it’s better if you see for yourself rather than me telling you.”
That’s true.
Seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times.
Though my mind was still storming with countless unfamiliar memories, I staggered to my feet.
“Humans are really hard to understand. You already have more than ten wives, and now you want to add another…”
“?”
“Seriously. Even with a beautiful main wife like me around, you still do this? You bastard, you stallion…”
“…”
I heard a strange noise behind me but kept walking forward blindly.
Yet, after barely twenty steps, I was already struggling.
Just before I collapsed from exhaustion, I spotted Im Hanna enjoying tea at a table in the lobby.
“Ha, Hanna.”
“Hm?”
She was about to bring a teacup to her lips but froze when she saw me.
The first thing that came to mind was—
“What about Nahyeon?”
“Nahyeon?”
“No way…”
“I just fed her and put her to sleep. She’s probably snoring away in the nap room right now… Why? What’s wrong?”
So she’s still here.
Thank goodness.
Really, thank goodness.
Im Hanna got up and hurried over to support me.
“You okay?”
“I’m so dizzy…”
“Then why don’t you sit down? I’ll make some herbal tea. It’ll help calm your head.”
“Please.”
As soon as I saw the chair, I collapsed into it like a rag doll.
My breathing was already quite heavy.
Anyway, it was a relief that Nahyeon was still safe.
But I couldn’t help but wonder.
Originally, I was supposed to have gone to the multiverse, and everyone was worried about me.
But Im Hanna didn’t seem to know I’d crossed into another world.
It felt like I’d returned in the middle of a peaceful everyday life.
I pressed my temples and looked away absentmindedly.
Outside the window, in the garden…
“Ugh.”
What the hell?
Why is Bandahee standing next to Anhyeon?
She and Cha Heeyoung were surrounding Anhyeon, raising their voices like they were fighting.
Anhyeon looked caught in the middle, awkward and uncomfortable.
“What’s going on…?”
“What?”
I heard Im Hanna’s voice from somewhere, as if she’d just arrived by car.
I forced my mouth shut and pointed toward the garden.
Leaning forward, Im Hanna watched carefully, then laughed lightly as if it was nothing.
“Oh, that? That love triangle’s famous by now.”
Good grief.
A love triangle around Anhyeon?
So that’s what Bandahee’s future looks like.
“Still, they never get tired of fighting~”
I expected a lot to have changed, but I never imagined this.
“That one, too…”
“Hm?”
“He should just pick one like a man. Being so wishy-washy…”
“What did you just say?”
Im Hanna’s voice suddenly sharpened.
She glared at me with half-lidded eyes.
I quickly grabbed the tea she’d made.
Just as I was about to savor the refreshing aroma and gulp it down—
“!”
The tea spilled over my tongue, scalding it, as two people walked in through the entrance, chatting quietly.
It was Yuhyeon-ah and Cha Seunghyun.
…They’re alive too?
So the future really has changed.
I couldn’t even swallow the tea as I stared at them.
Noticing my gaze, Yuhyeon-ah and Cha Seunghyun both turned toward me.
The moment our eyes met, Yuhyeon-ah suddenly stopped walking.
Her face stiffened, and she quickly looked away.
At the same time, her lips twitched slightly.
Seeing her on the verge of tears made my heart drop.
Why?
I had promised myself I’d smile when I saw her again…
“Ah, um…”
Then Yuhyeon-ah hesitated, as if afraid, and approached me timidly.
What on earth had happened since then?
As I tried to recall, the dull pain in my head flared up again.
I barely managed to keep my face from twisting as I faced her.
But Yuhyeon-ah wasn’t looking at me.
She avoided eye contact, staring at the ground and murmuring.
“I-I heard the news.”
News?
“Congratulations. Haha… S-Sol is really lucky.”
I didn’t understand what she meant, but she smiled.
Though it was a forced smile, full of strain.
“W-Well then!”
She bowed deeply at the waist, then turned and hurried away.
I watched her run off, her thick twin tails flying behind her, stunned.
At that moment, Cha Seunghyun sat down across from me a little roughly.
He looked at me expressionlessly, then glanced at Im Hanna.
“Hanna, sorry, but could I trouble you for a cup of tea as well?”
“Eh? Ah, sure.”
As Im Hanna quickly disappeared, Cha Seunghyun snorted and narrowed his eyes.
“I don’t beat around the bush, so I’ll get straight to the point.”
I blinked, unsure what to say.
“I’ve also heard about Ansol’s pregnancy. Yes, it’s something to be congratulated. Ansol has been by your side for a long time, so she deserves it.”
It’s true Ansol is the most recent to be pregnant…
But what does that have to do with this situation?
“That may be so, but Clan Lord… I mean, Hyun-ah. Until now, she’s been holding on by comforting Ansol. They’re in similar situations.”
“…”
“Our Hyun-ah, she smiles on the outside, but she always cries in front of me. She says she doesn’t belong, that she’s not enough, and keeps crying.”
“…”
“I know you have many beautiful wives around you, Clan Lord. But our Hyun-ah is no less than any of them. Didn’t you meet her first in Mule? Didn’t she save you from the bandit attack? She’s been with you all along. By merit alone, she’s just as worthy as anyone.”
“…”
“And yet, Clan Lord… Are you doing this knowingly? Or do you really not know? Honestly, it’s just too much.”
“…”
Hey, listen.
It’s fine not to sugarcoat things, but you need to understand before you can empathize.
I just got back from a multiverse.
And you want me to do what with that?
It’s so frustrating.
As I kept blinking in disbelief, Cha Seung-hyun sighed, looking like he was about to burst from the tension.
“So, what I’m saying is—”
Yeah?
“So, when exactly are you going to finally hold Hyun-ah?”
“Pfft!”
I was so shocked that I spat out the tea I’d been holding in my mouth.
Poor Cha Seung-hyun, drenched in tea, squeezed his eyes shut.
“Ah, no, wait—”
“…Judging by your reaction, it really seems like you had no idea.”
“W-wait a minute…”
Hooouuugh… I’d heard that old chronic grump was clueless, but now I finally get what that meant…
My coughing fit still hadn’t settled.
Hack hack! “W-wasn’t User Cha Seung-hyun supposed to be the sacred queen’s guardian?”
“Huh?”
That just slipped out.
Because, honestly, the god I remember was also Yuhyun-ah’s doting fool.
“I’ve told you plenty of times. There are plenty of wives more beautiful than you. You have no place to butt in now. I’ve said it over and over.”
Cha Seung-hyun sighed deeply again.
“But what can I do? He’s crazy about her, like he’s ready to die.”
Yuhyun-ah likes me?
“She’s a very affectionate girl, so she’s drawn to affection… Well, when a clan lord cherishes and cares for you that much, who wouldn’t fall for him?”
Me, Yuhyun-ah?
“Anyway, I’m not going to just stand by anymore.”
With a declaration like a battle cry, Cha Seung-hyun stood up from his chair with the same energy he’d sat down with.
“Since it’s come to this, I want a clear answer. No more dragging this out.”
Before I could say anything, he strode off somewhere.
At that moment, Im Hanna, carrying tea, passed by chuckling quietly.
In the end, I just slumped back into my chair, stuck in limbo.
Who the hell messed up the future this badly…?
“…It’s me.”
Ah, I just want to rest.
I want to close my eyes and fall asleep right now.
And when I wake up, I want everything to be like nothing ever happened.
But my hope was shattered in less than five minutes.
From the direction Cha Seung-hyun had gone, I suddenly heard rapid footsteps coming closer.
Like a stubborn colt, the woman approached in a flash—it was Yuhyun-ah.
Her eyes were swollen from crying somewhere along the way.
My head hurts.
Just let me rest.
“Su, Suhyun-nim!”
Suhyun-nim?
Why that honorific all of a sudden?
“Is it true?”
True what?
At this point, I felt like nothing could surprise me anymore.
“You really said you wanted to have dinner with me?”
“Huh? When did I say that?”
“Uh… Oppa Seung-hyun just said Suhyun-nim told him that…”
“No, I never said anything like that…”
Come to think of it, Cha Seung-hyun was secretly watching us from a distance.
He looked tense and desperate, like he was watching the most important match of his life.
“I didn’t say that… Well, actually, I did. Yeah, I did.”
Instinctively, I contradicted myself.
Yuhyun-ah’s mouth dropped open wide.
“J-just the two of us?”
“Yeah, well…”
“Eat together, and, um, then…”
“Yesss…?”
Did she take my silence as a yes?
Her eyes grew even wider.
“Really? For real?”
I nodded reluctantly.
“Wow!”
Yuhyun-ah jumped up, thrilled.
Her face lit up, she clapped her hands, and smiled brightly.
A genuinely happy expression.
The pure smile I’d longed to see.
As she bounced around, she suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky in a panic.
“W-wait! One hour! No, thirty minutes! No, fifteen minutes!”
The sun was still high in the sky.
Meaning, it was far from evening.
I was about to tell her that when she was already sprinting up the stairs like a flash of light.
A moment later, I heard her shout from above, “Yeonju unnie! Can I borrow Seung-bu’s clothes?” followed by a calm reply, “I don’t mind lending them, but the chest part might be loose.”
Seriously.
Right after I got back, this is what I have to deal with…
“Hey, I’m curious about something.”
A soft voice suddenly whispered in my ear.
Its calm tone was enough to quiet the noisy thoughts inside me.
I looked up to see Hwajeong giving me a sharp look.
“Why did you have to change the future twice?”
“Huh?”
“If you just wanted to add one more human female, wouldn’t it have been enough to go back to the first meeting?”
“…Why do you ask?”
Adding one more human female?
I told her my intentions were pure.
But I didn’t think she’d believe me if I said that, and honestly, I had nothing more to say, so I just stared out the window.
Looking at the sunlit garden, I spoke quietly.
“I didn’t want to just cover it up and move on. I really wanted to make things right.”
“To really make things right?”
“Yeah. That’s right. Rather than pretending it never happened, I wanted to face it properly at least once. At least I want to remember.”
“…Hmm. That’s something.”
Surprisingly, Hwajeong’s voice softened a little.
Then she came closer and gently rested her head against my chest.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but it felt like she was praising me for doing the right thing.
I carefully stroked the top of her head.
“So, how is it?”
Hwajeong closed her eyes softly and continued.
“How does it feel to have changed the future?”
“…I don’t know yet.”
How does it feel?
Honestly, I’m still not sure.
New memories keep swirling in my head, and the confusion hasn’t cleared.
But on the other hand, everything around me looks just like before.
Anhyeon still looks miserable, surrounded by two women.
Upstairs has been noisy ever since Yuhyun-ah ran up.
The everyday scene that’s returned is clear and peaceful.
Just like always.
“Well.”
Suddenly, I laughed for no reason.
A laugh with no cause.
I pulled Hwajeong close as she peeked up at me, then looked up at the sky.
The sun, shining brilliantly, poured down dazzling light.
“Not bad.”
Bathed in what felt like a blessing, I smiled quietly.
End of the epilogue side story.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
And so, the epilogue side story has safely come to an end.
Yes. It’s over. It really is.
I thought I’d be cheering now that it’s done…
But…
OTL.
I’m sorry.
About the Vivian side story.
To be blunt, I completely forgot.
Whenever Vivian side story came up in comments, I just thought readers were posting out of frustration because they hadn’t gotten the flag yet.
But yesterday, I saw a comment saying “You didn’t keep your promise,” and only then did it hit me.
At first, I was confused, but when I looked back at previous notes, I realized I had actually written about it before.
That the Vivian side story would come after the epilogue.
And although it might be a stretch, if readers are okay with it, I wanted to set it in the modern day.
That’s how it was.
I completely forgot about the Vivian side story around midterms.
Honestly, every time I thought about Memorize, I felt a kind of pressure to finish it quickly.
Because what I originally planned to finish by February dragged on until May, the e-book work was still pending, and above all, I was eager to start a new project.
Like some of you said, I didn’t want the Memorize side story to drag on unnecessarily, and I wanted to start the new work as soon as possible.
Plus, with a hectic college life on top of that, the Vivian side story was completely erased from my mind.
It’s a poor excuse, but I apologize again for forgetting and for causing any misunderstandings. (__)
After much thought, I’ve made a decision.
I know some readers don’t want Memorize to drag on any longer.
But since I promised to write it properly, I feel I have to keep that promise.
I once abruptly stopped posting without notice, which betrayed readers’ trust, and I can’t be a liar again.
I will finish the Vivian side story properly.
It won’t be as long as the Kim Suhyun omnibus; I think I can wrap it up in seven or eight chapters.
I’ll finish it as quickly as possible, so I ask for your understanding.
I’ll announce the remaining Vivian side story schedule later through notices or comments.
It’s a complicated feeling.
I’ll keep my head straight.