The Last Stronghold

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“Being here with just the two of us… it brings back memories.”

Yujeong murmured softly, almost as if she were talking to herself.

I watched her quietly. Her eyes, tinged red by the firelight, flickered as if a flame danced within them.

Suddenly, Yujeong smiled gently.

“Do you remember, oppa? That time I got bitten on the thigh by a wild dog?”

”…”

“I was still healing, but I stubbornly kept it to myself and walked around. Yet somehow, you noticed right away. You told me to take off my pants during the night watch… I was so shocked and embarrassed back then. Hehe.”

”…Yeah.”

My response was calm, but even to my own ears, my voice sounded flat. Yujeong’s smile faded as if she sensed it too.

A pang of regret hit me, and I found myself staring into the campfire.

That wasn’t how I meant to say it. I could have been kinder.

Why do I keep saying things I don’t mean?

Yujeong lifted her head from her knees and forced a smile, though it was more of an effort than genuine. She was trying to keep the conversation going.

“Heh. Lately, I’ve been feeling awkward. I always used dual daggers, but now that I’m using just one, I keep making mistakes. I guess I’m not used to it yet.”

“That makes sense. So during battles, don’t push yourself too hard. Stay back with Han-gyeol. You might get hurt otherwise.”

”…Yeah. But it’s a shame. I really cherished that Scurep.”

“I’ll get you something better next time. For now, use the Sunblade.”

Her smile vanished again. Yujeong stared at me blankly for a moment before lowering her eyes, looking hurt and disappointed.

I was taken aback. I had meant to comfort and encourage her. I told her to stay back to avoid getting hurt, and I genuinely planned to get her a better weapon.

”…I hate you, oppa.”

Yujeong mumbled, burying her face in her knees. Seeing her like that, I realized I might have missed the mark with my words.

After a moment, her voice, tinged with a sob, emerged from her bowed head.

“That… sniff… you gave it to me yourself… it means a lot to me…”

”…”

“Yeah. You probably don’t even remember, do you? You idiot… dummy… stupid… sea cucumber… sea anemone… sea squirt…”

”…”

‘What a string of words.’

I chuckled inwardly but didn’t show it.

I let her words wash over me. Yujeong continued to grumble for a while before finally falling silent.

After waiting a bit longer, I picked up another stick and poked the fire, speaking calmly.

“So, do you feel better after venting?”

“I wasn’t venting. You soccer-loving dummy.”

“Right.”

“Geez…”

Her words weren’t even close to insults. Remembering Yujeong’s usual sharp tongue, I nodded to myself.

Oddly enough, I felt relieved that her voice had softened compared to earlier.

Yujeong glanced up at me. I patted the spot next to me.

“Come here.”

Yujeong immediately lowered her head, hugging her knees tighter, clearly refusing to move. I chuckled lightly.

“Alright then.”

As I stood up, Yujeong flinched. Her head lifted slightly before she buried it again.

I slowly approached and sat beside her, gently wrapping an arm around her small shoulders, pulling her closer.

“No… don’t…”

Yujeong squirmed, resisting. Though her resistance was weak, I stopped pulling her in. After all, Yujeong was a woman, and I had hugged her without much thought, like a sibling. It was understandable if she felt uncomfortable.

Just as I was about to withdraw my hand, Yujeong suddenly leaned in, resting her face against my chest. She wriggled a bit before looking up, her lips pouting with dissatisfaction.

“Why are you doing this all of a sudden… I said I don’t like it…”

“Well, you…”

I barely stopped myself from finishing the sentence. Though I was still a bit confused, I placed my hand back on her head, gently stroking her hair. Yujeong began to nuzzle against me, as if making up for lost time.

“Mm… so?”

“Hm?”

“You were about to say something earlier… you said ‘you’… mm…”

”…I’m worried. About you, I’m worried.”

Not a bad ad-lib, if I do say so myself.

Yujeong seemed satisfied, rubbing her face against me with a contented sigh.

“Really? You’re really worried about me?”

”…Why do you like that?”

“Just because. I like it when you worry about me.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

Her cheeky response made me grip her hair playfully. Yujeong let out a playful growl, lifting her head. I soothed her, and she nestled back into my embrace. For a moment, I wondered if she had turned into a cat. I smiled wryly.

“Honestly… you and Ahnhyun are the same. Do you both really like it when I worry?”

“Huh? You think Ahnhyun and I are the same?”

“Yeah, you are.”

“No way… that’s not true.”

Yujeong pouted, her lips jutting out.

Suddenly, I thought of Seraph.

‘So, you want to see me worry, User Kim Suhyun?’

Yeah. I guess I’m not one to talk.

I chuckled softly.

“Not exactly. Just a bit different. One listens well but is unpredictable, and the other doesn’t listen at all.”

“Wha-what did I do…?”

“Do you really not know? You should check your user info sometime. I’m curious.”

“N-no way. That’s private.”

Yujeong refused firmly, though she seemed a bit guilty.

I watched her for a moment, then decided to act on a thought I’d been holding onto.

‘I should apologize.’

With that resolve, I slowly wrapped my arms around Yujeong.

“O-oppa?”

Her startled voice tickled my throat, but I spoke before she could continue.

“I’m sorry.”

I felt Yujeong’s breath catch.

“I’m sorry for what happened to the Scurep, and for doing it in front of everyone.”

“N-no, oppa! Don’t apologize! It’s not your fault… I was at fault too…”

Yujeong stammered, but I shook my head, indicating it was okay. I patted her back gently and continued.

“Yujeong, I want you to know that I really do worry about you.”

“Ah… geez…”

I slowly released her, lifting her chin to meet her eyes. Her face flushed red, she averted her gaze, unable to hold my stare.

I smiled warmly. Seeing this side of her, so different from her usual tomboyish demeanor, was endearing.

I spoke softly.

“Yujeong, think about it. The Hall Plain isn’t a place we’ll live forever. We’ll return to Earth someday, and until then, it’s just a temporary stop. Right?”

“Y-yeah…”

“Then imagine going back to Earth. Do you think you can adjust to a normal life again, as you are now?”

“A normal life… adjust…?”

The serious topic made Yujeong look up, meeting my gaze cautiously. I nodded slowly.

The truth was, this wasn’t just about Yujeong. It applied to me too. But for me, it was too late. I’d come too far to turn back.

Even so, I chose to return because I was prepared for it. And…

‘Yujeong still has time.’

Yujeong was only three years in. Compared to me, she still had a chance to go back.

Did my sincerity reach her? Yujeong hesitated, then spoke softly.

“Oppa…”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think… we can really go back to Earth?”

“Of course.”

Her voice was tinged with doubt, but I nodded confidently.

Yujeong’s eyes widened.

”…Really?”

“Yes. We can definitely go back. So don’t worry about that, just trust me. But you should also start preparing yourself for that day, okay?”

In response to the repeated questioning, I confidently replied. It wasn’t baseless confidence—I had actually seen the end of the whole plane.

Of course, Yujung didn’t know this, but I could see her face light up.

“Yeah… no, I mean yes!”

“Heh. You sure know how to answer.”

“No, really! I totally get what you’re saying.”

“Really?”

I squinted at her, and Yujung playfully winked.

“Yeah. I’ll be super careful from now on. Hehe.”

“Hahaha.”

We both burst into laughter. It was a genuine, hearty laugh we hadn’t shared in a while.

“Hehe… heh… …hmm.”

“Haha… ha… …ahem.”

But soon, an awkward silence fell between us. Our faces were so close, almost touching. We had locked eyes to share secrets, but now that the conversation was over, the awkwardness of the situation hit us.

For a moment, silence lingered.

“Um, so…”

“Oppa.”

Just as our breathing began to calm, Yujung whispered softly.

“I can really trust you, right? Now and always…”

”…Yeah. You can trust me.”

“Great… then…”

”…?”

Yujung quietly closed her eyes and slightly puckered her lips. My eyes widened in surprise. Unlike my brother, I was quick to catch on, and I realized what Yujung’s actions meant.

Suddenly feeling parched, I swallowed hard. At the same time, memories of various women flashed through my mind.

Jung Hayeon, Go Yeonju, Im Hanna, Nam Daeun…

Should I do it or not? If I do, I’ll feel guilty. But if I don’t, will she be hurt?

Just as my mind was about to spiral into chaos—

“Ah! Haha… hahaha!”

Yujung suddenly pulled back, laughing so hard she could barely breathe. Shaking her head, she exclaimed, “I don’t know, I don’t know.” I stared at her, feeling like I’d been hit with a hammer.

Yujung clutched her cheeks, gasping for air.

“Oh my gosh. This is so embarrassing!”

“Uh, what?”

“Come on! In movies and novels, when the mood is right and the heroine closes her eyes, the hero always kisses her. I wanted to try it, but it’s so embarrassing. I almost died of shame. Hahaha!”

”…Haha.”

A wave of relief washed over me, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Is she teasing me now?’

But watching Yujung wave her hands and laugh, my irritation faded.

‘Come to think of it… she’s twenty-five now, isn’t she?’

At twenty-five, she’s no longer a child. She’s at the age where a woman truly blossoms.

I placed a hand over my heart. The steady beat beneath my palm was unmistakable, yet…

‘…it’s not racing.’

I smiled gently at Yujung, who was still giggling. Despite her maturity, she still seemed like my little sister.

With a playful thought of returning her earlier prank, I calmly extended my left arm.

I ran my hand through Yujung’s hair, gently supporting the back of her head.

Then I leaned in slightly.

“Giggle… huh?”

Yujung opened her eyes wide, looking at me. But I said nothing.

Instead, I reached out with my right hand, softly covering her eyes. Her laughter stopped abruptly. She seemed to sense something was up.

“Oppa…? What’s going on?”

“Shh. Quiet.”

I whispered in a low voice, and Yujung swallowed nervously. Her eyelids fluttered against my palm, but I ignored it and slowly leaned closer.

As I brushed her bangs aside, her delicate eyebrows and smooth forehead came into view.

In the quiet night.

In the silent forest.

Amidst the countless stars pouring over the mountains.

“From now on…”

“Uh… uh…?”

I gently kissed Yujung’s exposed forehead.

I savored the smoothness of her skin for a moment before pulling back, revealing her frozen face, save for her covered eyes.

“…let’s do well.”

I finished my sentence with a soft smile.

It didn’t take long for her to thaw. Her tightly closed lips slowly began to part.

And soon… from her wide-open mouth.

“Huh… huh…?”

A high-pitched voice escaped, dazed and bewildered.

---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=

Haha. Sorry for the delay today. It seems my writing pace has slowed down. I used to finish a chapter by midnight if I started at 6 PM, but not anymore. :)

Ah, looking at the remaining plot, there are only a few chapters left in the dragon’s resting mountain range.

This chapter is a mix of resolution and setting up future events. We can’t enter the ruins with a gloomy atmosphere, can we? Haha.

As for Suhyun’s perspective, it’s clear in the story, but the characters’ interpretations can differ, especially for Yujung. Haha. Now that things are clear, I hope there won’t be any more comments like, “Weren’t you going to pair Yujung with Suhyun? Why are you trying to match him with Ahyeon?” :D