Tuesday, April 15, 2014.
Kim Soo-hyun had returned to Earth on Thursday, December 27, 2011. Time had flowed like a river, and nearly two years and four months had passed since then.
It wasn’t a period so brief as to be dismissed lightly—many things had happened during that time, as anyone could easily imagine.
But there was no need to go over them one by one.
With Seraph’s plan having succeeded, there was only one thing left for Kim Soo-hyun to do.
In truth, after fifteen years of being thoroughly crushed, five years felt barely enough to rekindle the dying embers into a roaring flame.
But that was okay.
If he had been alone, it would have been tough. But Kim Soo-hyun was not alone.
He had about forty comrades by his side, sharing the same memories and experiences.
Like a few drops of oil to revive a dying fire, and like the wind that helps it spread, these people gave him great strength.
Thanks to them, what had once been a faint spark, easily snuffed out by a single gust, had grown into a campfire that occasionally sent sparks flying.
“Yeon-ju unnie!”
Under the clear sky of late spring, An-sol raised her arm and called out.
Go Yeon-ju, who caught the eyes of many men in her black turtleneck with a straight neckline that revealed the hollow above her chest, stretched out her crossed legs and stood up from her chair.
“You’re a bit late.”
“Sorry. It’s because of that silly oppa.”
“Ah, well, I guess it was understandable.”
“He’s really stubborn. Anyway, let’s go.”
A moment later, the two women stood side by side and began walking down the street.
As they exchanged casual chatter, An-sol occasionally glanced at Go Yeon-ju.
Though they had returned to Earth two years ago, both had endured difficult times for several months.
Adapting to their newly awakened user abilities was hard enough, but accepting and processing memories and experiences from a world they barely knew was a nightmare they never wanted to relive.
Especially for Go Yeon-ju, it had been particularly severe.
Though not to the extent of Kim Soo-hyun, Go Yeon-ju had also been a user who operated in the shadows for a long time.
When An-sol heard that Go Yeon-ju had attempted suicide and was hospitalized just days after their return, the shock was indescribable.
At first, Go Yeon-ju was a wreck—hysterical from depression, lying in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling all day. It was hard to reconcile that broken figure with the proud “Shadow Queen” she had once been in the Hole Plain.
But somehow, she got better.
More precisely, she suddenly recovered about four months ago.
In fact, An-sol harbored some suspicion about Go Yeon-ju’s sudden turnaround.
After more than a year of teetering between life and death, one day Go Yeon-ju shyly blushed and apologized for her past outbursts, saying she’d found a new reason to live.
Then she started acting strangely.
She would gently rub her belly with a happy smile or frequently gag during meals.
There were more than a few odd signs, but An-sol, who lived by the motto “let’s just keep things positive,” quickly forgot them and focused on their conversation.
“So, what’s Ahn-hyun up to these days?”
“No idea. He says he’ll be a starter for Real Madrid—or some famous soccer team—within a year. But no matter how much we tell him to wake up and come back, he won’t listen.”
“Ha! Probably because of Jin Soo-hyun. He was the first to go to the States, right?”
“Yeah. Left with some warm nonsense about ‘going big.’ I don’t know much about Barcelona or the Champions League, but even if he succeeds, it’s just an abuse of his abilities.”
The two women sighed in unison.
“Well, look on the bright side. At least he’s better than Heo Jun-young, who went off to the war zone just to see if user powers work in the modern world.”
“Oh, that oppa went to Iraq?”
“Recently transferred to Syria. I guess he couldn’t stand seeing IS destroy historical sites.”
“Good intentions, but…”
As they chatted and joked, they soon arrived at their destination.
The front gate bore the engraved words: “Seoul So-Young Hospital.”
As the name suggested, this hospital was run by the corporation where Han So-young served as director, and her influence was considerable.
Though the route was complicated, they had been here thousands of times and confidently made their way to the building’s entrance.
The receptionist recognized them from afar and greeted them knowingly.
“Hello. You’re here to visit patient Claud Kim, right?”
“Yes. To see Claud Kim… uh—”
“?”
“Oh, nothing.”
While Go Yeon-ju tried to suppress a smile and completed the visitor registration, An-sol was watching the TV in the lobby.
An advertisement was playing for the rising synthetic female idol group “W.E.F,” promoting their cosmetics.
Each member held a lipstick and danced, flaunting stunning beauty and figures.
Thanks to their user powers and the magic’s influence, An-sol’s own blossoming beauty was on par with theirs.
“Aaah~ Aaah~ Aqua Lipstick~”
“Pfft!”
An-sol suddenly burst out laughing, twitching her lips as she watched.
Anyone unaware might have thought she had a flower stuck in her hair, but there was a good reason.
The members of “W.E.F” were named Haesol, Da-eun, So-rim, and Yoo-jung.
While Je-gal Haesol and Lee Yoo-jung’s involvement made some sense, An-sol wondered how Nam Da-eun and Cha So-rim even decided to become entertainers.
Je-gal Haesol only said, “We just wanted to try it together as four,” without revealing any clear purpose.
Because of that, An-sol truly believed it—and every time the four appeared on TV managing their image, she couldn’t help but cringe.
“Why are you laughing?”
Go Yeon-ju asked curiously as she returned from the reception desk.
An-sol covered her mouth tightly and pointed at the TV.
“Aqua Lipstick to keep your lips moist!”
When Je-gal Haesol winked at the camera, An-sol couldn’t hold back and doubled over laughing.
Go Yeon-ju’s eyes widened, then she slyly raised one eyebrow.
Being perceptive, she couldn’t just laugh it off like An-sol.
“W.E.F…”
Four months ago, after her miraculous recovery, Go Yeon-ju had received shocking news from Jung Ha-yeon.
Nam Da-eun had quit “S.F (Someday Foursome)” and fallen under Je-gal Haesol’s influence.
She was also tipped off that “W.E.F” actually stood for “We Even Foursome.”
In other words, while Go Yeon-ju wasn’t paying attention, a rival faction had emerged to challenge “S.F.”
Fortunately, Jung Ha-yeon quickly recruited Kim Han-byul to fill Nam Da-eun’s spot, but it was still an unwelcome development for “S.F.”
“S.F,” led by Go Yeon-ju along with Kim Han-byul and Lim Han-na.
“W.E.F,” led by Je-gal Haesol with Nam Da-eun, Lee Yoo-jung, and Cha So-rim.
A clash between these two groups surrounding Kim Soo-hyun was inevitable.
“Je-gal Haesol… pretending otherwise, but she’s finally showing her teeth.”
“Huh?”
“Stupid. Really stupid. We should be uniting our strength, not fighting each other…”
“Unnie?”
Clicking her tongue, Go Yeon-ju led the puzzled An-sol toward the elevator.
Claud Kim’s hospital room was on the top floor.
The top floor was a restricted area, accessible only to a select few.
Of course, Han So-young’s influence was strong here.
Officially, the excuse was that “Kim Soo-hyun might go berserk at any time, so he can’t be placed in a regular ward with civilians.”
But looking deeper, that wasn’t the whole story.
A moment later, the two women stopped in front of the door.
They could hear several voices chatting inside.
Calmly, they caught their breath and gently pushed the door open.
Beyond the slowly opening door, a surprisingly splendid view greeted them.
A young man lay in bed propped up on his elbows, gazing out the window.
He slowly turned toward the door and, upon seeing the two women standing there, smiled quietly.
“You’re here?”
His voice was low and gentle.
Suddenly, both Go Yeon-ju and An-sol felt a dazzling light burst from his face.
“Haahhh!”
An-sol turned her head away and let out a strange moan.
Placing her hand on her chest, she felt her heart pounding harder than ever.
This was unbelievable!
How could someone change so much just because the atmosphere shifted?
While An-sol was silently screaming with joy inside, Kim Soo-hyun merely tilted his head in curiosity.
But the current Kim Soo-hyun was definitely different from his user days.
The cold, cutting chill that once made him untouchable had vanished, replaced by a warm spring breeze that made anyone smile.
It was a surprising fact: human Kim Soo-hyun and user Kim Soo-hyun were very different.
But as he regained his lost humanity, his innate warmth surfaced, synergizing with his magic to radiate true charm.
Of course, the old aura wasn’t bad either, but if An-sol had to choose, she wouldn’t hesitate for a second to pick the present version.
“Really, Soo-hyun! Didn’t I tell you not to laugh so carelessly?”
Go Yeon-ju said, her voice slightly scolding.
“Yeah, you laugh at the most random times.”
Im Hanna, who had been slicing melon beside the bed, smiled softly in agreement.
Then, holding the neatly cut melon in her hand, she placed it on a plate next to the breasts, hesitated for a moment, blinked, and calmly set the plate down before continuing.
“Well, you came early this morning, and honestly, I thought you’d faint.”
Kim Soo-hyun awkwardly shook his head, but Go Yeon-ju crossed her arms, silently urging her to go on.
“Around nine o’clock, maybe? I saw you chatting and smiling with the attending female doctor.”
Im Hanna made a point of emphasizing “female doctor.”
“Of course, it’s normal to talk. But the way she was flirting was something else. Like, under the pretense of doing some test, she had you lie down and bent over your waist more than necessary, almost touching your chest…”
“Oh my, oh my. And then?”
“When I cleared my throat, she shot me a glare like she knew exactly what I was thinking. The funniest part? Even as she left, she kept batting her eyes at you.”
“That’s some serious foxiness. Did you just let that slide?”
“Not a chance. I called So-young right then and there.”
“And?”
Im Hanna smiled knowingly.
That was all she needed to say.
While Go Yeon-ju nodded in approval of how Im Hanna handled the situation, Kim Soo-hyun quietly stared out the window. (Honestly, this wasn’t the first time—it was more like he’d reached a state of zen.)
Perhaps because it was a VIP room, cherry blossoms drifted gently from the trees outside, creating a perfect scene.
As Go Yeon-ju checked the chart to see if the attending doctor had changed, Kim Han-byul propped her chin on both hands and looked at Kim Soo-hyun.
“Oppa, you’ve been staring out the window way too much lately.”
“Oh, really?”
“Han-byul’s right. People are even joking that you’re ‘the guy who only looks outside.’”
“Ha ha.”
When Jung Ha-yeon flung the window wide open and chimed in, Kim Soo-hyun smiled quietly.
An-sol stealthily crept onto Kim Soo-hyun’s bed and whispered,
“Oppa, are you just missing the whole plane?”
“…Yeah. That’s right.”
Kim Soo-hyun admitted it a little late.
An-sol pouted.
“I know it’s late to say this, but that angel was really too much, wasn’t she? How could she…”
“An-sol~?”
Jung Ha-yeon quickly cut her off, and An-sol flinched, covering her mouth.
Now that she thought about it, it wasn’t a topic worth bringing up.
“No, it’s not like that.”
Unexpectedly, Kim Soo-hyun shook his head without a care.
“Seraph just cared about me too much.”
He spoke calmly.
“Angels always make rational choices and act accordingly.”
“……”
“Yeah. It wasn’t something to overthink. Seraph valued the success of the plan more than me knowing it, and wanted me to live a human life rather than resent her. So she made a brutally rational choice for my sake… That’s how I want to see it. No, that’s how I see it.”
“……”
Just as Kim Soo-hyun finished speaking, a cool breeze blew in.
The air slipped through the window, gently lifting his bangs, and the young man closed his eyes softly.
The sunlight, now stronger, shone brightly on Kim Soo-hyun, causing the five women to quickly turn their heads away.
Then—
“Oh? Isn’t that brother-in-law over there?”
Kim Han-byul, who had been looking out the window, pointed toward the hospital entrance.
“Hyung? …Oh, it really is.”
Kim Soo-hyun opened his eyes and gazed beyond the glass.
He added,
“Yeah. Father and mother came too, didn’t they?”
“Without telling us? What’s going on?” someone muttered, just as a heavy silence settled.
More precisely, the five women stiffened as if frozen.
But the quiet lasted only a moment.
The first to react was Go Yeon-ju, dressed in an outfit that revealed her cleavage.
Without a word, she slipped silently into the shadows.
Kim Han-byul, An-sol, and Jung Ha-yeon followed suit, as if on cue, rushing out the door.
“What do we do, what do we do! I just threw on whatever today!”
“Me too! Is there a suit shop nearby?”
In a flash, Kim Soo-hyun felt the three women’s footsteps fade away, leaving him dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Im Hanna behaved with an oddly calm composure.
Humming a tune, she unbuttoned her clothes, took off her heater, and pulled a dress out of a shopping bag.
It was a neat, suit-style dress with a white top and blue skirt.
She slipped on pale green toe-open shoes, quickly touched up her makeup, but wasn’t done yet—she even pulled out a large lunchbox.
A huge five-tiered stacked container.
As she began unpacking each compartment, Kim Soo-hyun’s mouth dropped open.
“W-what is all this?”
“Oh? It’s a lunchbox. I made some seasoned vegetables.”
“Seasoned radish greens, bracken, spinach, bellflower root… all your parents’ favorites.”
“There’s shrimp tempura too~. Brother-in-law likes that, right?”
“That’s right… Wait a minute, Hanna, did you know about this?”
“Hehe.”
Im Hanna smiled meaningfully.
She had held onto the information, passing the precious record orb to Kim Yoo-hyun only at the last moment.
Though it was a shame not to see young Kim Soo-hyun peacefully sleeping in her arms in the Misty Forest, thanks to that, she was fully prepared for today’s surprise visit.
The opportunity was seized, and today, they would make a lasting impression.
“Honestly, you could have just stayed put…”
Kim Soo-hyun shook his head as he watched Im Hanna nervously rub her palms together.
Then he shrugged and smiled faintly, gazing out the window.
Like the clear sky without a single cloud, it was a peaceful moment, just like any other day.
---------------------------= Author’s Note =---------------------------
I’m sorry.
After finishing the finale, my body suddenly gave out completely.
I know I shouldn’t, but it keeps demanding rest.
I promise to complete the two promised side stories within this week. (__)