Memorize

After setting out on our expedition, it took three days to reach our destination. We spent two days exploring the ruins of the laboratory. Then, it took another three days to return by Mule. In total, we completed our journey in eight days. By the time we arrived, the afternoon had just passed into evening.

Similarly, other players returning from their own expeditions around the city gave us curious glances as they walked by. Perhaps it was because our entire group looked like beggars, making them wonder where we had been.

Despite our ragged appearances, everyone's faces were bright. Maybe it was because we had gained so much from this expedition—our expressions were full of life, and we carried ourselves like victorious generals returning from battle.

Before long, the still-humble-looking North Gate came into view, and Yun-Jung, her face lighting up with excitement, spoke up.

"Ugh… we're finally back. I just want to get inside, eat a warm meal, take a bath, and collapse into bed."

"Hehe, me tooo…"

An-Sol responded with a grin, and upon hearing their conversation, An-Hyun put on a solemn expression. With his shoulders squared and his neck stiffly held high, I could tell he was lost in thought.

Feeling playful, I decided to tease him a little.

"An-Hyun, what's the first thing you'll do when we get back?"

As I casually walked up beside him and threw out the question, he answered with a serious face.

"Of course, I plan to begin training immediately. Just because we've returned from an expedition doesn't mean we should waste time eating, resting, and playing around. That would be a mistake."

"A very commendable attitude. As expected of someone with a rare class."

"Heh. Well, I suppose this is only natural for someone like me."

An-Hyun spoke with an air of absolute confidence, nodding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Meanwhile, Yun-Jung and An-Sol, standing beside him, were glaring at him with clear irritation.

After a moment of grumbling under her breath, Yun-Jung, unable to hold back any longer, finally snapped.

"Yeah, right. Like you're actually gonna train. You'll probably just stuff your face like a pig."

Despite the harsh insult, An-Hyun remained completely unfazed.

"Hmm. I think I smell something… ah, yes, the scent of an ordinary player. And not just that—an unpleasant stench of jealousy mixed in. Perhaps I should relocate myself to a more refined space, somewhere between my hyung and Vivienne."

An-Hyun's refined, almost aristocratic tone only served to further ignite Yun-Jung's fury. For a brief moment, I could practically see sparks flying in her eyes.

"You crazy bastard. You absolute idiot."

"Oh? I believe I just heard the cries of a jealous, wild animal. Hyung, by the way, isn't the weather quite lovely today? Hahaha."

"Alright, alright, that's enough from both of you." I sighed.

An-Hyun nodded leisurely at my words, while Yun-Jung clenched her lips, grinding her teeth in frustration. Since I only intended to provoke them lightly, I waved my hand between them, signaling for them to stop. Shin Sang-Yong and Vivienne, watching the exchange, chuckled quietly.

I shifted my gaze toward Jung Ha-Yeong. Ever since we left the ruined laboratory, she had been in a daze. No one in the group spoke to her, and she rarely initiated conversation herself. Even Yun-Jung, who had once been so close to her, now treated her as if she were barely there.

To be honest, the atmosphere wasn't great. Like it or not, she was already marked as one of my future clan members. Even if we couldn't act like family right away, at the very least, we needed to regain the camaraderie we had when we first set out from Mule. Besides, I planned to formally apply for clan registration soon, which meant that, in a way, she would be one of the founding members.

Still, today was a day for rest. I figured I would talk to her another time—maybe tomorrow or whenever the opportunity arose. Although we had just returned from an expedition, there were still countless tasks to complete before our next departure. But as long as we took things step by step, we could get everything done, and I had planned for an extended stay in the city to allow for proper preparation.

Stretching my sore body, I passed through the North Gate. The loud, disciplined voices of the guards greeting us echoed in my ears as I set my sights on my first destination—the inn.

In the small city of Mule, I always stayed at the same inn: The Modest Lady. It wasn't particularly luxurious, but it had a few key advantages. It wasn't overcrowded with players (except for those who pestered Go Yeon-Joo), and the food was excellent. Of course, many inns met those criteria, and those were just surface-level reasons.

The real reason I kept coming back was Go Yeon-Joo herself—either to recruit her or to eliminate her.

The time to deal with her was fast approaching.

In the worst-case scenario, I might have to face her alone in battle. I could only hope it wouldn't come to that.

With that thought lingering in my mind, I climbed the steps of the inn, which I had already reached before I knew it.

Pushing open the sturdy wooden door, I immediately spotted her—Go Yeon-Joo—cleaning a table with her back turned to me.

Gulp.

That was the sound of An-Hyun swallowing hard.

Go Yeon-Joo had clearly noticed our presence, as she casually wiped the table one last time before turning around with an effortless grace. The moment she saw my face, a warm, welcoming smile spread across hers.

"Oh my, it's been a while."

"It has been a while."

Stepping into The Modest Lady, I took a deep breath, glancing around at the few scattered players inside. Come to think of it, by the end of this month, a large-scale purge of vagrants was expected to take place. It was still in the planning stages, but those who had caught wind of it were already starting to flee northward to other cities.

Go Yeon-Joo was dressed as boldly as ever. A plunging V-neck top that left more than half of her chest exposed, and a bottom that barely covered anything, showcasing her smooth thighs. She clasped her hands together, her expression bright with delight at the sight of a familiar guest.

"Would you like to eat first? Or take a bath? Or maybe… me?"

Before she could get any further with her usual advances, I cut her off with a tired voice.

"I'll eat first, then wash up. Book three VIP rooms for two weeks. As for the meal, the usual."

"Tch."

I thought I heard her click her tongue in annoyance, but I decided to let it slide.

As we moved to a nearby table, I felt An-Hyun's silent, disapproving gaze on me. Ignoring it, we all took our seats. The moment we sat down—loudly enough for the chairs to creak under us—everyone let out a deep sigh, almost in unison.

"Phew… but Su-Hyeon."

"What?"

"Why did you book three rooms? Two would've been enough."

"One of them is for personal matters. The VIP rooms have enough space to handle certain tasks."

Vivienne tilted her head in curiosity at my response. One of the VIP rooms was reserved for my own use. There were many things I needed to take care of, but more importantly, I needed a proper workspace.

After seeing the elixir inside the wooden box, a new possibility had come to mind. If my theory was correct, I might be able to increase my Vitality stat by at least one point.

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. I had already decided to focus on rest and recovery today, yet here I was, already thinking about work again. I still hadn't broken the habit of pushing myself to the limit, a pattern ingrained from my first life.

By now, most of the others had slumped forward, resting their heads on the table. The accumulated fatigue from the battles and the grueling forced march back had finally caught up with them. Since we were within city limits, there was no need to stay on high alert, so I let them be without saying anything.

A little while later, I caught sight of Go Yeon-Joo emerging from the back, carrying trays of food.

"Oppa, can I have a drink?"

"...Just a little."

Since I figured a light drink wouldn't hurt, I accepted Yun-Jung's request. Hearing her ask for alcohol seemed to spark interest in the rest of the group, and soon, they each ordered something to suit their tastes. I joined in as well—it wasn't just them; I wanted something to soothe my dry throat too.

Dinner was finished quickly. No one spoke much, everyone simply focused on eating as fast as possible. It was clear that all they wanted was to fill their stomachs and head upstairs to rest.

After the meal, the female members of the group went to take a bath, while the male members went straight to their rooms. Watching them go, I paid Go Yeon-Joo for our food and decided to take a quick wash myself.

Once I had cleaned up, I left one of the rooms untouched and headed to the VIP room where An-Hyun and Shin Sang-Yong were staying.

Inside, the two were already fast asleep, their soft snores filling the air. An-Hyun, who had so confidently declared he would train, was sprawled out with his blanket kicked away, even drooling onto his pillow.

Clicking my tongue, I quietly pulled the blanket over him and then settled into the remaining bed, letting my body sink into its comfort.

*

Sigh.

Telling myself just a little longer, just a little more, I eventually gave up and sat up in bed.

A glance out the window showed that night had already fallen. I tried lying back down, forcing myself to sleep, but not even a minute passed before I was out of bed again.

Habits ingrained over years are terrifying. No matter how much I try to change, my body moves on its own. I had planned to take a long, deep rest for once instead of my usual one- to two-hour naps, but here I was, wide awake.

The worst part? Even as I acknowledged this as a problem, some part of me still considered it a necessary process.

By now, I had been lying down for about three to four hours. More sleep than usual, sure, but still nowhere near enough. If I kept this up, I knew it was only a matter of time before it came back to bite me.

Stats weren't a cure-all. Strength, agility, resistance—they all had limits. I could push myself when needed, but rest was just as crucial. If I didn't take care of myself, I'd end up unable to perform when it mattered most.

And yet, despite knowing all this, my hand still reached for the sword resting beside me.

I needed to move. Or meditate. Something to calm this restless energy inside me.

Shifting my gaze, I saw An-Hyun once again sprawled out, his blanket kicked away, his stomach exposed to the cold.

Shaking my head, I pulled his clothes back down and tucked the blanket over him again.

The bitter taste in my mouth lingered as I realized—at this point, I was basically his parent.

Glancing at the two, still fast asleep, I quietly turned the doorknob and stepped out.

For some reason, the door seemed louder than usual as it creaked open. Grimacing, I carefully shut it behind me before making my way toward the vacant VIP room.

The floor we were on was practically empty aside from our group. The reason was simple—there was no real need for other players to rent VIP rooms, and even those who could afford them weren't currently in Mul.

If I couldn't swing my sword, I at least planned to meditate. With that thought in mind, I opened the door to the extra VIP room I had rented. And then—

"Oh."

"I knew you'd come."

"…What exactly are you doing here?"

I blinked in surprise as Jung Ha-Yeong tilted her head slightly, meeting my gaze with an unreadable expression.

Inside the VIP room I had intended to use for work, Jung Ha-Yeong was already seated, looking as composed as ever.

She had brought her own food, it seemed. A bottle of alcohol sat on the table alongside a plate of stir-fried vegetables.

I stared at her in silence for a moment, and she simply shrugged before speaking.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Am I not allowed to do this?"

"…That's not really the issue here. But, well, I suppose there's no rule against it."

"Heh. Don't be so stiff. Sit down. Drinking alone feels pathetic, and you showed up at the perfect time."

At a glance, she didn't seem like her usual self.

Still, I decided to go along with it, pulling out the chair across from her and taking a seat.

As soon as I did, she casually took a sip from her drink before saying—

"I got kicked out."

"..."

"…I'm joking. You know they wouldn't do that. So don't make that face."

There was a slight slur in Jung Ha-Yeong's voice, the faint traces of intoxication evident.

When I immediately frowned at her words about being kicked out, she smiled and quickly corrected herself. Then, with a sigh, she continued speaking.

"Still, the atmosphere is a little uncomfortable. I guess I don't have much room to complain, considering it's my own fault."

…So I was right. There was tension.

She didn't go into detail, but it was clear enough. It seemed like I would need to talk to Yun-Jung about this sooner rather than later.

However, that wasn't the most pressing issue right now.

When I first entered the room, the first thing she said was, "I knew you'd come."

That meant she had expected me to be here.

I hadn't spent that much time with her, but I had a relatively consistent daily routine. Even so, predicting that I would come here tonight was still a gamble.

I remained silent, lost in thought. Ha-Yeong filled an empty glass to the brim with alcohol and handed it to me.

With a reluctant expression, I accepted the drink.

Before taking a sip, I asked in an even tone,

"And what if I hadn't come?"

"Well, I figured there was a good chance you would. But if you didn't, I'd just sleep alone. That's easy and comfortable too."

She smirked slightly before adding,

"Regardless of the outcome, it wouldn't have been a bad result. That's just how Hall Plain mages think."

Her voice, usually clear and composed, now carried a sultry undertone.

As I hesitated with the glass still in my hand, she subtly tilted her head, urging me to drink.

I activated my third eye to analyze the liquid's composition—just in case—before downing it in one go.

"Bold, aren't you? That wasn't exactly a weak drink…"

She trailed off, her words once again dancing in circles.

I exhaled lightly and cut her off in a low voice.

"For the record, I don't like people beating around the bush."

"…I must be getting sentimental from the alcohol." She murmured, swirling her drink.

"Just blame it on being drunk and let it slide."

Despite my curt response, she only responded with a graceful smile.

But my gaze remained indifferent.

She claimed to be drunk, but I knew better.

That wasn't the face of someone intoxicated.

Which meant she was putting on an act—for some reason.

It was she who broke the silence first.

"…Kim Su-Hyeon."

"I'm listening."

"Do you have time tonight…?"

Resting her chin on one hand, she gazed at me with half-lidded eyes, her voice carrying a soft, almost drowsy lilt.

A dimly lit room.

Just the two of us.

A single table separating us.

The sound of her slow, steady breaths.

The occasional sweet sigh escaping her lips.

Her eyes stayed locked onto mine for a long moment before her lips parted again.

"If you do… would you listen to my story tonight?"

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