A sharp ray of sunlight pressed against his eyelids, causing Shin Sang-yong to squint one eye open.
“Ughhh…”
A heavy groan escaped his furrowed brow.
As he tried to muster strength in his head that felt completely clogged and a body weighed down like a thousand pounds, a sharp pain stabbed through both his temples.
He wanted nothing more than to clutch his head and roll around on the floor, but gritting his teeth, Shin Sang-yong realized he was struggling helplessly on the ground.
“W-where am I…?”
He took a shallow breath, and the faintly sour smell of food hit his nose.
Peeking around with one eye, the scene was too chaotic to look at directly.
Chairs overturned, bottles of all kinds scattered across the floor, dozens of tables piled high with half-eaten food, and people sprawled everywhere like discarded clothes.
As he took in the restaurant, memories submerged beneath the surface began to resurface one by one, making his just-awakened mind even more tangled.
Because last night had been nothing short of a wild frenzy.
They had reunited at the shrine, which sparked a grilling session starting with Lee Yoo-jung’s question, “Oppa, who’s that woman?” The intense interrogation ended, naturally flowing into a celebration of their reunion.
He’d been dragged around nonstop, and eventually, he’d passed out drunk.
Caught up in the excitement, he’d fallen asleep without asking a single thing he actually wanted to know.
Yet, despite his troubled expression, Shin Sang-yong’s lips curved into a pleased smile.
An Hyun lay face down on a table like he was dead, Jin Soo-hyun scratched his belly sprawled on the floor…
How to put it?
The everyday chaos before his eyes felt precious.
Or maybe it was just a pure smile born from relief that his comrades had returned safely.
But then—
“…”
The moment he spotted about eight women neatly lying on bedding in a corner of the restaurant, whatever pleasant feeling he’d had moments ago vanished.
It wasn’t as shocking as the first time they met yesterday, but no matter how he tried to see it positively, the sight was unfamiliar.
After all, even though five years was a considerable amount of time, seeing them lined up like fluffy cotton candy like that…
“Ugh…”
Someone stirred awake, letting out a short groan.
After tossing and turning for a while, the woman slowly lifted her upper body—it was none other than Kim Han-byul.
Her wide yawn and the way she rubbed her comfortably full belly was a sight that never got old.
While Shin Sang-yong was wondering how to greet her in the morning, Kim Han-byul turned her sleepy eyes away and spoke.
“…Honey…?”
‘Honey’ must mean Kim Soo-hyun.
“Honey… where are you…?”
But Kim Soo-hyun wasn’t in the restaurant, and Kim Han-byul kept glancing around.
After searching for a while, she finally seemed to realize he wasn’t there.
Suddenly, her lower lip trembled.
Her half-open eyes grew moist, then quickly welled up with tears.
“Honey… why aren’t you here… You promised you’d always be with me…”
Kim Han-byul, desperate to find Kim Soo-hyun, suddenly began to sob.
Shin Sang-yong, watching in disbelief, was hit with a sudden culture shock.
He couldn’t understand why she was crying so hard just because Kim Soo-hyun wasn’t around.
If it were Ahn Sol, maybe he could understand.
But Kim Han-byul? Known for her strict self-discipline and cold demeanor?
“Why are you crying…? This early in the morning…”
Hearing the pitiful sobs, Lee Yoo-jung, who had been sleeping right beside her, rubbed her eyes and woke up.
Kim Han-byul lifted her reddened eyes and spoke in a wet voice.
“Unni… Oppa’s not here…”
“What…? He’s probably in the office on the fourth floor. And you’re not a toddler, you know? Crying just because oppa’s not here…”
“I don’t want to hear that from you, who once cried your eyes out and even hit oppa’s head just because the delivery was late…”
“Huh? Hey, don’t talk about others when you’re the one who wanted to drink Boseong green tea at dawn!”
As their voices gradually rose, the noise naturally grew louder.
“What’s going on…?”
“Why so noisy…?”
As a result, the women who had been sound asleep began waking up one by one.
“Ugh… what’s wrong with them?”
“They say Soo-hyun’s missing…”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, he’s really not here…”
Still drowsy, they glanced between Kim Han-byul and Lee Yoo-jung.
“Honey!”
“Hubby~?”
“Oppa! Oppaaa!”
“Honey! Honeyyy!”
Soon, as if by unspoken agreement, they all raised their voices, calling out for Kim Soo-hyun.
The moment the women woke up and the previously quiet restaurant suddenly stirred happened almost simultaneously.
“My goodness…”
Meanwhile, Shin Sang-yong, who had been quietly observing, gaped in disbelief.
He could understand Kim Han-byul and Lee Yoo-jung, but the ‘Shadow Queen’ Ko Yeon-ju, the ‘Sword Empress’ Nam Da-eun, ‘Shin Chang’ Cha So-rim, and even the ‘Iron-Blooded Queen’ Han So-young—all of them were searching for Kim Soo-hyun.
It was utter chaos.
Still clueless, Shin Sang-yong was hit with a second culture shock as he opened his eyes.
Then—
“You don’t need to worry so much.”
A sudden whisper came as someone placed a hand on Shin Sang-yong’s shoulder.
Startled, he turned around to see a man with long purple hair looking at him indifferently.
It was Heo Jun-young.
“Are you the user, Shin Sang-yong?”
“Uh? Yes. I-I am. But, um…”
“Don’t worry. Kim Soo-hyun will be here soon. And it’s best if you don’t get involved here.”
“Huh…?”
Seeing Shin Sang-yong’s confused expression, Heo Jun-young quietly pointed ahead.
“Did you call?”
Just as he said, Kim Soo-hyun had arrived quietly, without anyone noticing.
But the reason Shin Sang-yong was so shocked was somewhat different.
Because—
“Honey… where have you been…? I get so anxious when you’re not by my side…”
“Sorry. Seraph was really sick, so I was just checking on her. There.”
Kim Soo-hyun embraced the sobbing Kim Han-byul.
“Oppa! I’ve been thinking about it, and I’m so upset. You wouldn’t even let me drink last night…!”
“Hey, what would happen if a pregnant woman drinks? You’re going to be a mom soon, you know?”
Kim Soo-hyun comforted the grumbling Lee Yoo-jung.
“Hubby~. Good morning kiss…”
“Smooch smooch.”
Kim Soo-hyun kissed the eyes-closed Ko Yeon-ju.
“Ugh… it’s too noisy to sleep…”
“Is that so? Then, Hanna, shall we go inside and rest?”
“Hold me…”
“Okay, okay.”
Kim Soo-hyun carried Im Hanna out of the restaurant.
“Hey~ Honey! I suddenly feel like something sour and sweet for breakfast.”
“Really? What do you want to eat?”
“Anything. But don’t just bring me something sour and sweet like last time.”
“Anything… got it.”
Kim Soo-hyun broke into a cold sweat at Je-gal Hae-sol’s ‘anything.’
“Um… So-rim wants meat dumplings…”
“Meat dumplings. Okay. Just wait a bit.”
“No, I don’t want to wait.”
“That’s because you’re cute, that’s why.”
Kim Soo-hyun pinched Cha So-rim’s cheek gently.
“…Sniff.”
“Huh? Why are you crying, Da-eun?”
“You always give Yeon-ju unni the first kiss…”
“Oh, is that so? Our Da-eun must be feeling really left out.”
Kim Soo-hyun comforted the tearful Nam Da-eun.
“You know, last night was cold… and lonely…”
“Hehe. Come here. I’ll keep you warm.”
Kim Soo-hyun hugged Han So-young, who was mumbling softly.
All of these Kim Soo-hyuns were gathered in one place.
In other words, there wasn’t just one Kim Soo-hyun in the restaurant—there were eight of them, all present at once.
It was truly astonishing.
“Wow… a monster, a monster.”
Even Heo Jun-young, rarely impressed, let out a sigh of admiration.
Shin Sang-yong, still unable to believe what he saw, remained speechless for a long moment.
“D-doppelganger?”
“No. That ability is an advanced form of the ‘Altered Manifestation.’ It goes beyond simple simultaneous appearances to synchronized actions. Each one is practically a real entity, so it’s on a whole different level from mere doppelgangers.”
“Is that even possible?”
“I don’t know. Even with my magic power rating over 90, I can barely manage a single manifestation without fail, let alone multiple simultaneous ones…”
“So, whatever it is, he’s gotten stronger.”
“Exactly. He’s become far stronger than me, who returned after extreme training on battlefields that straddle life and death. And he still looks so composed—it’s on a completely different level.”
Though he spoke calmly, there was an unmistakable bitterness in Heo Jun-young’s tone.
In fact, Kim Soo-hyun had fought only once during his time in the modern world.
Or rather, it was more like a sparring match.
Heo Jun-young, who had toured war zones in Libya, Somalia, Syria, and Iraq, returned and challenged Kim Soo-hyun.
He never expected to win, but figured that since Soo-hyun had been hospitalized for years, he wouldn’t lose easily either.
But when the match began, the outcome was shocking.
Heo Jun-young lost.
And not just a little—he was utterly defeated, far worse than when he was in the Hall Plain days.
‘Training doesn’t only come from fighting on battlefields.’
‘Of course, it’s relative, but if you look closely, there are plenty of life-or-death moments in everyday life too.’
‘Someone once said that the hurt you feel during pregnancy lasts a lifetime. That’s why I’m desperate too.’
‘Well… it’s not surprising if you don’t understand. You’ll know once you have a wife.’
It was a secret only they knew—that Heo Jun-young, who never quite understood Kim Soo-hyun’s words, had seriously considered marriage.
With a smacking sound of his lips, Heo Jun-young let out a long sigh and grabbed Shin Sang-yong by the arm.
“Anyway, that guy’s risking his life in his own way. The best thing for a third party is to back off just enough to help.”
The two men quietly slipped out of the restaurant, and under Heo Jun-young’s lead, they ended up sharing a table.
On the lobby table sat a steaming bowl of hangover soup, the broth sending up wisps of steam.
“Maybe I should’ve made more… Do you have some kind of germophobia or something?”
“Huh? No, not at all.”
“Then it’s fine to eat. Originally, Kim Soo-hyun wanted this to cure his hangover, but since things turned out this way, I think you should have it.”
“Ah, but—”
“It’s okay. He’s going to be tied up for at least three or four hours. Soo-hyun barely took a few spoonfuls, so it’s practically untouched.”
“The clan lord’s leftovers…”
Shin Sang-yong’s face flushed without him realizing it, but he quickly shook his head.
Then, picking up a spoon, he bowed slightly in thanks.
It would be rude to keep refusing when the other person was reaching out this much.
“Th-thank you. Now that I think about it, I believe this is our first meeting…”
“Hmm. I wanted to talk to you at least once.”
If Lee Yoo-jung or Ahn Sol had seen this, they’d have jumped in surprise.
It was rare for Heo Jun-young to show this much goodwill on a first meeting.
“I’ve heard a lot about you. User Shin Sang-yong.”
He was definitely a blunt type.
But Heo Jun-young wasn’t without close colleagues in the mercenary group.
To be precise, he kept his distance from those who acted foolishly or didn’t know their place, but he didn’t dislike users who were sincere and hardworking.
And Shin Sang-yong clearly belonged to the latter.
A moment later, Shin Sang-yong awkwardly smiled as he took a generous spoonful and put it in his mouth. His eyes widened.
“T-this tastes excellent. Are you skilled in cooking as well?”
“Kim Soo-hyun liked it too.”
“Oh, the clan lord as well…”
“Well, it’s not like I’m bragging just because Soo-hyun praised it.”
“…?”
“That guy doesn’t eat to enjoy the taste; he eats just to fill his stomach. Though he’s changed a lot, that habit remains.”
“I see…” Shin Sang-yong said with a worried tone, but inwardly, he couldn’t hide his happiness.
Not only was he glad to have made a new comrade, but more than anything, he felt an inexplicable relief that they were having a normal conversation.
There were plenty of things he was curious about.
“By the way, you looked pretty confused earlier.”
Sensing something, Heo Jun-young offered a timely comment.
Shin Sang-yong brightened and spoke up.
“Ah, well, the truth is, I still haven’t adjusted. What I just saw, for example… Of course, the flow of time is different, but still…”
Watching Shin Sang-yong trail off, Heo Jun-young nodded slightly.
In fact, aside from a slight time difference, Heo Jun-young was in a similar position.
When he returned from the battlefield, he was dumbfounded to find an old comrade pregnant.
And when he saw Kim Soo-hyun, who once ruled the mercenaries with terrifying charisma, reduced to a servant attending a princess, it was unbelievable.
So, he could understand Shin Sang-yong’s feelings better than anyone.
“Hmm… It must feel strange, thinking about the past—the Shadow Queen or the Sword Marquis. But I hear pregnancy changes a person’s personality.”
“Pregnancy?”
“Due to hormones, emotions swing wildly… According to Je-gal Hae-sol, it feels like you’re no longer yourself. Though honestly, I don’t really get it.”
“No longer myself… Oh, that sounds profound. I think I’ve read studies about pregnancy hormones affecting emotional control. …Anyway, clan lord, it must be tough.”
“It’s something you have to handle yourself. But still, he dotes on his own child like crazy.”
“Haha…”
Time passed as Shin Sang-yong asked questions and Heo Jun-young answered.
The atmosphere was quite pleasant, but one unfortunate thing was that Heo Jun-young didn’t know many details.
For example, when asked about the ‘journey,’ Heo Jun-young only knew it was a trip with Kim Soo-hyun and some women; beyond that, he had no information.
Since Heo Jun-young had spent a long time working solo in the modern world, it was understandable he didn’t know the finer points.
Shin Sang-yong understood this well and responded appropriately, continuing his questions.
After clearing up some of his curiosity and hearing some stories about the modern world,
“Thank you for the meal. Thanks to you, Heo Jun-young, I was able to cure my hangover and hear some objective stories.”
Shin Sang-yong finished every drop of broth and smiled comfortably.
Heo Jun-young shrugged.
“Just call me user Heo Jun-young. Oh, by the way, I think you’re older than me…”
“Oh, is that so? I don’t really mind. More than that, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to hear more.”
“Hmm. I don’t mind either. Then, how about some coffee to finish? Or do you prefer tea?”
“I’m fine… The clear broth already warmed my stomach.”
When Shin Sang-yong politely declined, Heo Jun-young slowly stood up from his chair but then stopped.
As he sat back down, a memory from last night suddenly flashed through Shin Sang-yong’s mind.
“Don’t underestimate me. You don’t know about the Baek Han-gyeol incident, do you?”
Yesterday, he’d been too distracted to pay much attention, but now curiosity suddenly stirred.
“By the way, do you know what the Baek Han-gyeol incident is?”
“!”
At that moment, Heo Jun-young, who had maintained a calm demeanor the entire time, flinched and trembled slightly.
---------------------------= Author’s Note ---------------------------=
I apologize.
It took me longer than expected to write this.
Having taken a considerable break, I feel my writing skills have dulled quite a bit.
Sentences that I used to complete effortlessly now feel awkward and keep bothering me.
Even when I manage to finish something, I’m dissatisfied with the content and keep revising.
I know I shouldn’t do this… ^^;
Still, I’m writing steadily every day, and I believe that with effort, I’ll regain my touch.
I’ll work hard to get back into the rhythm soon. :)
Mugeom-ui Iriya / I’ve planned a few fun episodes related to this. Personally, I’m most excited to see what kind of charm Kim Soo-hyun will exude after the TS transformation.
NovelIsTheFirstArt / You might get to see a different side of Seraph. Haha.
hohokoya1 / You’ve always supported me, and I’m sorry for going silent without a word. I’ll work harder and keep improving. :)
sougoim / You’ll be seeing a lot more of me from now on. :D
Iljunbe / The illustration is of Ko Yeon-ju, drawn by BrokenFan.
rlawlgus / I did check Namuwiki, but it was about someone named Ro Yumi, not me. I’m Ro Yujin, so I think you might be referring to someone else.
Meoshmang / I’ve decided on my next work. The basic framework is a modern magician, but I’ve completely overhauled the details.
HooniHooniJihooni / What? There’s no decision yet about webtoon or anime adaptations of Memorize. Are you perhaps talking about the visual novel?
Rabam / Please look forward to the meeting of Suna and Soo-hyun’s children!
Williams / Thanks for the advice. After the side story finishes, I might start a major revision of Memorize. I’ll review it first and fix any confirmed errors.
Optolove / It’s great to see you in the comments, OP. Glad you’re still around. ㅜ.ㅠ
Tuxicat / It’s okay. I appreciate your words, but honestly, I think I deserve any criticism for going silent without notice. I even take teasing from readers as a sign of affection. :)
Shatien / The side story will be wrapped up in about a month, or at most two. I’m more eager to revise Memorize and work on my next project.
DKKim / Nice to meet you. I’m Ro Yujin (some confuse me with Ro Yumi, a namesake). Eleven years is a long time—you’ve been here since the Yuzoa days. Haha.
万能の椅子 (万能의자) / Honestly, I was a bit scared finishing Memorize. It felt sad to say goodbye to characters I’d grown attached to. :) Anyway, thank you so much for sticking with me until the end.