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Chapter ss46: Side Story 46 – Chae Nayun (1)
Chapter ss46: Side Story 46 – Chae Nayun (1)
March 7th
The Tower of Miracle raid was successful.
I managed to obtain the Miracle Stone, but the crystal violently shook when I held it. It bounced in my hands like a slippery eel before falling to the ground.
A small portion of the crystal broke off and caused a huge shockwave.
March 8th
Tens of millions, including Rachel, fell asleep because of the shockwave. They became stuck in an unending dream and the Miracle Stone’s fragment was most likely in that dream.
March 15th
I decided to enter their dreams after deliberating about it for a long time.
…
June 13th
Rachel woke up from the dream and everything ended. She was praised as the hero who ended the long dream and was invited to various TV shows, press conferences, etc.
I can’t help but feel jealous. It’s not wrong since she was the one who stopped it.
…
June 20th
My regression.
Chae Nayun closed her diary after scribbling a few things. Keeping a diary helped her make sense of everything that happened, but not much made sense to her right now.
The regression happened in an instant. It happened so abruptly that her mind became jumbled.
“Ah… Did I put in the wrong date?”
It was currently 2:40 A.M. and she found herself in the penthouse given only to the top cadets at Cube. This proved that she had indeed traveled back in time.
Chae Nayun scratched her disheveled hair and checked the time on her smartwatch.
[First Period: Relativity of Mana and Magic (Beginner)]
She deduced from her schedule that she was currently halfway through her freshman year. They already finished their hectic midterm exam and a report written by Kim Hajin sat in front of her.
[Report on Chae Nayun]
Chae Nayun only shoots her arrows from obvious spots. In short, she lacks the common sense to be an archer.
…
A sharpshooter requires terrain knowledge and the ability to analyze. Chae Nayun lacks both and background knowledge on various monsters to fight one-on-one against them.
…
She is quite gifted with the ability to read her opponent’s movements, but lacks the ability to calculate an arrow’s speed.
…
To summarize, Chae Nayun is not suited to use the bow. It is a weapon that requires meticulous calculation every second in battle.
“This still irritates me…” Chae Nayun pouted and grumbled.
She recalled how angry, no, how enraged she felt when she first read this report. It didn’t anger her anymore though. In fact, she was happy this report existed because it was another link between them.
“Ack! Ah, damn it. My head hurts…” Chae Nayun groaned and grabbed her head while standing still.
A sharp pain struck her.
“This side effect is too painful…” she grumbled.
Her throbbing head made her realize that she had indeed regressed. She suppressed the sadness welling up inside her and switched on the TV.
— What are we going to do there? We need to know before going there…
— What are you talking about? Just go and do whatever they ask once you get there!
— We can just go to Seoul instead then, right? Why the hell did they choose Africa of all places…
A show she often used to watch and enjoy was playing.
All seven individuals on the show were ex-heroes. The show sent them to various local and foreign places to clear challenges. Everyone considered it the best Korean variety show until it was discontinued for some reason.
Chae Nayun smiled while watching the nostalgic show and reminisced about the past. Her head felt like a mess due to the regression, so she decided to distract herself by watching TV.
***
She finished watching the TV show in her penthouse living room.
“I’ll start the briefing now…” Chae Nayun said to her dolls lined up in front of her.
“First, we will prioritize every opportunity to coincidentally bump into each other. After all, people are bound to think coincidences are fate.”
The agenda of her briefing was, [Coincidental Meetings].
“Our first target is at the cafeteria. Kim Hajin always eats alone at the same time and hour.”
She figured that she would naturally end up talking to him if she went there.
“The second target is during workouts. Kim Hajin always works out alone at the same time every day.”
It was quite natural for someone to work out after eating. He wouldn’t think too much about it, right?
“Alright, the third target is during the final exam.”
The midterms had already finished, but they still had the final exam. Chae Nayun planned to maintain a friendly relationship with Kim Hajin until then.
“Oh right, there’s Evandel as well…”
She suddenly remembered, albeit a bit late.
Rachel had asked about Evandel, who likely wasn’t born yet in this timeline.
In the end, Chae Nayun decided that the best course of action was to ask Kim Hajin to give the seed to Rachel.
“Or… should I just raise her?”
Chae Nayun imagined how Evandel would turn out if Evandel took after her instead of Rachel…
— No! I don’t want to! I don’t like ham sandwiches! I’m not going to eat it if there’s no truffle! No! No! No! Truffle and shark fins! Gyaaaaaaah!
“That would be a disaster.”
A chill went down her spine when she imagined a smaller version of herself throwing tantrums. That made it much easier to decide that Evandel should take after Rachel just like in her original timeline.
“Also… the most important thing is…” Chae Nayun muttered with a serious look.
She picked up a family portrait on the table. Chae Jinyoon brightly smiled in it with his hand on her shoulder.
“I’ll have to wake up oppa…”
Of course, it would be difficult to wake Chae Jinyoon even though Baal had disappeared. That didn’t mean a solution didn’t exist.
“Haaa...” Chae Nayun sighed and looked at the time.
7:00 A.M.
It would be time for class soon.
Chae Nayun changed into her uniform. It had been ages since she last wore a Cube uniform, but she felt quite comfortable in it. The Cube uniform looked like a formal suit, but it felt like wearing comfortable trainers.
She put on her necktie without bothering to tie it nicely and left the penthouse unit.
Chae Nayun rode the elevator down to the dormitory lobby on the first floor[1].
A few cadets were already eating or just finished their breakfast in the lobby.
“Oh! Hi, Nayun.”
“You’re up early?”
Some of them greeted Chae Nayun.
“Yeah, yeah. Hi,” Chae Nayun lazily waved to them.
“Ah, Nayun! You woke up early! Do you want to eat with me?” Yi Jiyoon suddenly popped out of nowhere and asked.
She hadn’t changed at all in this regressed life compared to Chae Nayun’s previous life.
Chae Nayun smirked and replied, “No, I already ate.”
“Ah, is that so? Alright.”
Chae Nayun passed by them and went outside. The breeze carried a salty scent from the East Sea that could be seen in the horizon. The gentle waves under the bright sky felt calm and tranquil.
“Haaa…”
Chae Nayun inhaled the scent of this scenery that she dearly missed. It was good to be back… and the fact that she became younger was a bonus.
“Good… good…” she said with a smile.
Chae Nayun walked to the building where freshmen took their classes. She passed the café that cadets often went to, the library with its lights always on, the gym that smelled like sweat, and the training grounds where wooden swords resounded even early in the morning.
Chae Nayun arrived in front of her classroom.
[Class — Veritas]
She looked at the door plate and calmed her breathing.
That person will be in here… that person who I had nothing but bitter memories with…
Chae Nayun didn’t hesitate any longer and opened the classroom door.
Rachel sat in the second seat of the first row. Then she spotted Yoo Yeonha and finally Kim Hajin after looking around for a while.
Kim Hajin sat at the back and hunched over the table as if he was hiding.
Chae Nayun pondered where she should go first, but Yoo Yeonha found it strange that Chae Nayun came to class so early and interrupted her thoughts.
“Nayun?” Yoo Yeonha called out to her.
“Y-Yes?”
“Come sit here,” she pointed to the seat beside her.
“Y-Yeah…”
Chae Nayun sat next to Yoo Yeonha, but kept looking back and stealing glances at Kim Hajin.
“You’re up early today,” Yoo Yeonha asked with a curious expression.
“Hmm? Well, it happens,” Chae Nayun nonchalantly replied while stealing glances at Kim Hajin.
“Is today special or something?” Yoo Yeonha tilted her head in confusion.
“Hmm? No, it’s not. Why would it be?” Chae Nayun replied while continuing to steal glances at the back.
Glance… Glance…
She couldn’t help but steal glances at him. His face during his Cube days looked quite interesting.
Yoo Yeonha frowned at her, “What are you looking for like a meerkat?”
“Huh? No, when did I? I’m not looking for anything,” Chae Nayun awkwardly replied while faking a cough.
Her eyes kept trying to steal glances at Kim Hajin, but she did her best to suppress the urge.
A while passed and more cadets arrived to class one by one. Their chatting grew louder until the entire classroom became rowdy.
Chae Nayun found the atmosphere very familiar.
Their noisy chattering immediately died when their instructor, Kim Soohyuk, entered the room.
Kim Soohyuk made some announcements before their first period began. The Veritas cadets went to the magic hall on the fifth floor for their first class of the day.
A magician waited for them at the magic hall filled with various instruments for experiments.
“Welcome, everyone,” the magician greeted them.
Chae Nayun tried her best to recall the magician’s name, but she had completely forgotten. No, she had never been interested in this subject and always yawned in class without listening to a word.
“Our class today is… That’s right… outside. We’ll… Oh, also, we will be having an on-site lesson tomorrow. You will be forming pairs…” the magician informed them.
Kim Hajin frowned at the magician’s words. It seemed he didn’t want to pair up with anyone.
Chae Nayun saw the look on his face and smirked.
“However, you won’t be forming pairs or groups right now. You will be paired once you get there,” the magician added.
Hmm? Wait a minute? Was there such a class before? Chae Nayun wondered and felt that something was off for some reason.
Bzzt!
She felt a small vibration on her wrist.
[Hunting Club – Winter Cabin Trip]
[We’re going on a trip to the cabin this Wednesday.]
[All Hunting Club members are requested to attend.]
[Please inform us in advance if you won’t be attending.]
[Thank you.]
It came from the Hunting Club that Chae Nayun joined during her Cube days.
She read the message and instantly turned towards Kim Hajin, who also checked his smartwatch.
“Nice!” she exclaimed under her breath.
He probably saw the same message and she was certain Kim Hajin was also a Hunting Club member in her previous life.
Chae Nayun inwardly cheered in triumph.
***
Chae Nayun had a glass of mango juice at the café after their morning classes.
She wanted to follow Kim Hajin and identify his daily routine, but a bunch of kids caught her and forced her to sit with them.
Damn it…
Blurb! Blurb!
She played with her mango juice to quell her anger.
Yeah! That’s right! Keep boiling little mango juice! She gritted her teeth and blew on the straw as hard as she could.
“What’s wrong with her?” Yoo Yeonha muttered and sighed at the sight of Chae Nayun puffing her cheeks and blowing into a straw as hard as she could.
Chae Nayun suddenly glared at her.
Yoo Yeonha flinched and asked, “W-What?”
“Nothing… Don’t mind me…” Chae Nayun said with a shrug before looking around the table.
Kim Suho and Yi Yeonghan… Yoo Yeonha and Shin Jonghak…
They always hung out together during her Cube days. She was glad to see them again, but could always see them whenever she wanted.
“Hey, Chae Nayun. How are you with that guy Kim Hajin these days?” Shin Jonghak suddenly asked.
The other three at the table naturally shifted their gaze towards her.
“What?” Chae Nayun grumbled in response.
“You agreed to some bet with him, right? Was it archery? Why are you wasting your time with someone like him?” Shin Jonghak asked with a scoff before sipping his coffee and continuing, “Why would you let some peasant like him get near… Ack!”
Chae Nayun nudged the coffee cup that Shin Jonghak was about to drink from.
“W-Why?” Shin Jonghak stood and muttered with wide eyes.
The coffee spilled all over his face and pants. A coffee stain formed around his lips and looked like a beard.
Yoo Yeonha pulled out some tissues and gave them to him.
“Isn’t it hot?” she asked.
However, Shin Jonghak ignored her and still looked confused. He wanted an explanation from Chae Nayun, “Why?”
“Shut up. You’re annoying,” Chae Nayun frowned and grumbled.
“…”
Shin Jonghak quietly sat again.
An awkward silence descended at the table before Yi Yeonghan broke the silence, “Oh, right. Do you guys want to join the Board Game Club?”
What the hell is that guy saying all of a sudden? Chae Nayun inwardly grumbled while yawning.
“It’s a bit different from the established clubs since it’s more of a hobby club, but we can still get funding from the academy. Don’t you think it’ll be fun?” Yi Yeonghan continued his nonsense.
Chae Nayun yawned and ignored Yi Yeonghan when she suddenly remembered something.
“Ah!” she exclaimed and stood from her chair.
The others flinched in surprise at her sudden action.
“W-Why? What is it this time?”
Club… Club… Club…
This single word continued to ring in her mind.
“Should I make a club as well?” she asked.
“What kind of club? A board game club?” Yi Yeonghan asked in response.
“No, a pharmacy club or something like that?” Chae Nayun said with a shrug.
“Nayun… what are you saying all of a sudden?” Yoo Yeonha asked with a sigh.
“I want to make a medicine that can wake up my oppa,” Chae Nayun cut her off.
“…”
Everyone fell silent at her words. They glanced at each other, but no one dared to say anything.
“So, what do you think? Do you guys want to join? We just need five people to form a club, right?” Chae Nayun pressed on with sparkling eyes.
A standard club required a minimum number of members from each year, but a hobby club only required the bare minimum of members.
Kim Suho nodded and said, “I’m in…”
Yi Yeonghan seemed to be bitter about the fact that his Board Game Club was shot down. He mumbled something like, It’s not fair if you use a cheat like that. However, he also nodded after hesitating.
Chae Nayun smirked.
Alright, Yoo Yeonha will definitely agree. I just have to convince Kim Hajin to join! Chae Nayun excitedly thought.
“I’m in too.”
Shin Jonghak suddenly expressed his interest to join as well. He bitterly smiled as if he didn’t really want to join, but had no choice.
“You can get lost,” Chae Nayun replied.
“Huh?”
“You don’t even know what med in medicine stands for,” she grumbled.
“Hahaha…” Shin Jonghak burst into laughter. He waved while laughing and thought Chae Nayun was joking.
Does this idiot think I’m joking right now? Chae Nayun glared at him.
Yoo Yeonha carefully asked, “But Nayun… we need five people to form a club, right? Who are you going to bring if Jonghak isn’t joining?”
“Ah, I already have someone in mind,” Chae Nayun nonchalantly replied.
“Who?”
Kim Suho, Yoo Yeonha, and Yi Yeonghan asked at the same time.
Shin Jonghak began to nervously fidget after realizing Chae Nayun was dead serious.
She smirked when she saw all of them waiting in suspense at who she would mention.
“Kim Hajin,” she said with a grin.
Silence ensued after she said his name.
1. All buildings in Korea start on the first floor instead of the ground floor. The ground floor and Mezzanine concept are not that widespread in Korea. That’s why most novels refer to the ground floor as the first floor. ?