NOVPUBAfter finishing the afternoon class, Elia, who had left the classroom, realized that Ihayul was nearby.
Thanks to the information displayed on her smartwatch.
“I’ll stop by somewhere for a moment, so I’ll go ahead.”
“Ah~ Elia, you’re leaving again? That’s unfair! It’s always the places I want to go that you skip!”
“Hehe, sorry.”
“Is that really true?! Are you upset with me?!”
“Aha, you know that’s not what I mean.”
With her awkward laughter, the students walking alongside her suppressed their disappointment.
They had been friends with Elia since last year.
Elia, who had a wide circle of friends, had grown especially close to the students whose majors overlapped, since they often had classes together.
“Elia, you’re abandoning your friend for love! Wuuu!”
“Wuuu... I also want to be blinded by love...”
“What’s the real meaning behind that?”
So, they knew well why Elia would leave. She blushed, flustered, and waved her hand.
“Hahaha... I’ll be off now! See you tomorrow!”
Elia hurriedly left the spot. Meanwhile, Ihayul was nearby.
In a private room at a nearby café. These days, most new cafés have private rooms.
“Hmm.”
It was a private room she had entered with permission. Upon seeing Ihayul sitting with his back to her, Elia smiled, but blinked in surprise.
Across from him was a different atmosphere. In a warm-toned room, the vibrant greenlor stood out.
It was Ihayul.
‘Hmm...’
She wasn’t surprised since she had already been told about it.
It was easy to deduce.
A private room, although not for serious matters, was a place where youuld avoid the gaze of others when you didn’t want to be observed.
It wasn’t a space meant to be used alone unless necessary, and it had been told that Ihayul was with someone.
‘She’s pretty.’
Elia quickly assessed Ihayul.
The top student of class 122. That alone made her a celebrity within the academy.
Her beauty was not exaggerated in the rumors; it was, if anything, understated.
A gentle atmosphere that resembled a soft breeze over the fields. Her alertness increased.
Her ample chest... the alertness heightened further.
‘She’s beautiful.’
Similarly, Ihayul observed Elia.
Elia Slayde. She was equally famous.
A rare talent with healing abilities, a superhuman from the rvery-based powers.
Having been accepted into Shyoram with a bright future and top grades, her appearance was also eye-catching, and she had an impeccable, upright character.
That alone would draw attention, but Elia’s popularity had been largely affected by another element.
The rumor, nownsidered fact, that she was Ihayul’s lover.
Ihayul paid attention to that part of thenversation whilentinuing to observe Elia.
“Elia, did youme?”
“Yes, yes, I came. Huyul, you finished really early, huh? Did Professor Atra let you off early?”
“Yes, I asked and got him to finish early for me.”
The moment they briefly exchanged glances, Ihayul turned his head and opened his mouth. Elia responded with a smile.
...
“Hmm?”
Hearing theirnversation, Ihayul suddenly opened his eyes wide. It was because of the strange feeling that hit him out of nowhere.
“Huyul?”
[Yes?]
The reply came. Ihayul tilted his head and turned back to look at Elia.
[What’s wrong?]
“...Didn’t you just speak with your mouth?”
[Ah.]
The tone ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) was different from before. The certainty in the strangeness made Ihayul blink innfusion.
“Huyul, were you close with the top student from the freshman class?”
Elia, who had approached behind him, placed her hands on his shoulders, making Huyul lift his head slightly.
“Oh, I was about to explain.”
“Eh...”
His eyes widened, his pupils rising. In his blurry gaze, the focus suddenly became sharp.
“Hahsol is... from the same orphanage. I’ve received a lot of help from her since we were little...?”
Ihayul briefly summarized his explanation.
He had hidden the part about memory loss... not wanting to worry anyone. Since there was a way to restore it, he decided to keep it to himself for now.
[...?]
As hentinued to explain, he noticed that Ihayul’s expression had turned strange.
Her face was filled with astonishment. Her gaze was fixed on his eyes.
‘Ah...’
He realized he would have to explain that part too. But how should he explain it...
“Ah...! So you were the one who took care of Huyul!”
While Ihayul hesitated, trying to figure out how to explain it, Elia exclaimed from behind him.
“I’m so glad to meet you. I’m Elia Slayde. I’ve heard a lot about you, Hahsol. You’re the top student of class 122.”
Elia clasped her hands together and smiled brightly. At the sound of the clapping, Ihayul, who had been stunned, quickly gathered his wits.
“...Yes, I’m also happy to meet you, Slayde. My name is Hahsol.”
“Ah, please, call me Elia. I’m so glad I can greet the one who used to take care of Huyul!”
“......”
In the past.
Although there was no malice, a word still made Ihayul flinch.
...
Ihayul was about to get up from his seat when Elia entered, and thenversationntinued.
“Hahaha, you still like to hide inrners, huh? Back then, whenever you looked away, you’d quickly scurry into arner and sit next to the lamp.”
“It’s still the same now. I always look for a spot in arner... I don’t like giving up my back. But it’s much better now...”
Thenversation between Elia and Ihayulntinued smoothly.
At first, there was a strange atmosphere, but as they foundmmon ground in theirnversation, the mood lightened and became quite cheerful.
“Heh, you still hateld things, huh?”
“Yes, Huyul really hates theld. In the summer, he always wears thick clothing...”
“If youver him with a blanket or a duvet, he really likes it, right? Especially when you wrap him up tightly like a caterpillar, he’ll stay that way all day long.”
“That’s right. If I hold him andver him with a blanket, he falls asleep right away... heh heh.”
“...He was like that even back then.”
“Oh, he was like that even then? I guess that habit started from when he was little?”
A strange atmosphere crept up again in the middle of thenversation, but Ihayul didn’t seem to notice much.
“Huyul, you don’t have anything urgent to do, right? I’m just worried that you’re being held up here.”
“Hm, no, I’m done with today’s lectures.”
Elia, who had sat down next to him, gently patted his head.
With the tender gesture of brushing his hair behind his ear, a soft smile appeared on Huyul’s face.
“......”
They were sitting so close that their shoulders almost touched. With every small gesture, joy and happiness vividly bloomed.
This was different from the Ihayul he knew.
Not only that, but his soft voice and the way his eyes took in everything around him were also different.
“You still get startled when you get hit by snowballs in winter, don’t you? How cute it was...”
“Snowballs?”
“Oh, it was last winter. During the break, when it was snowing heavily, we had a snowball fight outside.”
Thenversation shifted to last winter.
With a smile, Elia operated her smartwatch.
Soon, a hologram appeared on the table. Excluding the photo with Iseo-ryul and the fairies, the pictures were from when Huyul played in the snow during the winter.
“...Is this... him?”
“Hahaha, Huyul’snstitution is so unique. He sometimes gets younger like this... but he quickly returns to normal, so it’s fine.”
“Is that so...”
Ihayul’s expression became a bit perplexed. He had heard rumors that Huyululd regress in age, but seeing it in photos was stillnfusing.
Moreover, in the photos, not only Huyul but also various spirits and a unrn were present.
...And Elia was in them too. Holding the young Huyul in her arms, smiling gently, it looked almost like a kind mother embracing her child.
“...How cute.”
Ihayul felt amplex mix of emotions, but more than that, his attention was on Huyul.
What moreuld he say? He just looked cute.
Unlike before, his expressions were lively. He was shaking his eyes while jingling a hat with pom-poms and running away from the spirits with his short legs (he was fast).
Ihayul thought this was a very precious piece of evidence.
‘Hmm...’
He had gained a lot of information from thisnversation. After a moment ofntemplation, Ihayul tapped his smartwatch.
Ding! A similar winter scene appeared, but this time it showed a young Huyul from the days when he had black hair.
“Ah...!”
Elia gasped in awe at the photo.
The emotionless face, the bandage wrapped around his right arm, and the overall impression of pain made everything feel heart-wrenching.
Yet, it was the real photo of a young Huyul. It wasn’t just one either. Elia’s eyes sparkled as she looked at them.
“...Would you like to exchange these?”
“Should we?”
[?]
The two of them exchanged glances and immediately entered into a transaction. Ihayul raised an eyebrow at the sudden exchange of his own photos.
“Elia?”
“Hehe, it’s always good to have more pictures, right?”
Elia laughed awkwardly as she reached out her hand holding the smartwatch. Ihayul organized the photos and extended his own hand to meet hers.
The files were exchanged as their smartwatches met.
“Would it be alright if we exchangentact information as well?”
“Yes, I was just about to ask the same.”
At the same time, theympleted the exchange of theirntact information. Elia, smiling happily, checked her smartwatch.
[Contact: Ihayul]
‘Hmm...’
Elia nodded as she looked at thentact information.
She didn’t know much yet. Sheuld roughly sense the other person’s feelings, but sheuldn’t be certain.
What was clear, though, was that Huyul’s happiness was important, but she didn’t expect anything to change.
‘But you never know.’
It was better to form smallnnections just in case, especially if the person might bme an ally.
With a small amplishment, Elia smiled brightly.
