Chapter 57: Chapter 57 - Finding it hard to bear

“Hmm? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, nothing. I just meant that since we’ll see each other often as neighbors, you won’t feel lonely.”

When I asked again, Jung Ha-Yeon quickly mumbled and clarified her words.

“We can meet in the morning before going to work together. Sometimes, we can have dinner together in the evening. Go shopping or chat together. Even though we’re neighbors, we can spend time together like we live together.”

“So, you’re saying we should do what I already do with Seo-Eun?”

“...I see you’re already spending time like that with Ms. Seo-Eun.”

That's obvious, but I’m so jealous... no, what am I saying?

Jung Ha-Yeon muttered to herself, shook her head, and spoke again.

“That’s right. Um, Ms. Hye-Rim, do you not like the thought of being close to me?”

“No way. I’d love that.”

“...!”

When I spoke sincerely, Jung Ha-Yeon’s eyes widened.

Jung Ha-Yeon is undeniably my favorite person in this world. She’s the main heroine I’ve supported and loved more than anyone. Becoming close to her is something I’d love.

“Still, you don’t have to worry too much. I’m not the type to feel lonely.”

Even if Jung Ha-Yeon and I don’t end up in such a relationship, I have no complaints. I’ve always supported Jung Ha-Yeon from afar as a fan.

The life of just watching and supporting from a distance is my ideal life.

As I finished washing the dishes and wiping my hands, I felt it was time to bring out something I had prepared for Jung Ha-Yeon.

“Ha-Yeon, aren’t you going on an expedition beyond the gate next week?”

“Huh? How did you know that?”

It’s about time for Episode 3 to start. In this episode, the heroes go on an expedition beyond the gate to deal with monsters directly.

And that time is next week.

“Since I work in the support division, I hear various things in passing. So, I know the heroes’ schedules.”

It’s a lie, but not entirely untrue. In reality, the support division employees often encounter Hero Association staff and hear various things.

“So I thought of you and prepared something.”

I said I went into my room and brought out a box.

Actually, I had been preparing for this for a long time ever since I joined the support division. I had promised myself, I would give this to Jung Ha-Yeon one day.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and see.”

Jung Ha-Yeon slowly opened the lid of the box she received. Inside was a silver, shining necklace.

“...Ms. Hye-Rim, what is this?”

“A necklace.”

“No, I mean, I know it’s a necklace, but why are you giving it to me...?”

It must have been quite confusing to receive a necklace out of the blue. Jung Ha-Yeon looked at me with a very flustered expression.

Not only Jung Ha-Yeon, but also Lee Yoon-Seo and Yoo Seo-Eun, who were relaxing and watching TV, turned their heads towards us.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“This is an ordinary necklace, but I’ve embedded my magic with it. It has a long-distance communication function, and you can talk to me even inside the magical realm.”

“With you, Ms. Hye-Rim?”

You can't use your phone since there’s no signal inside the gate. So, something like this would be very useful.

“I have an identical necklace. If anything happens inside the magical realm, just infuse magic into this necklace. It will send a signal to my necklace immediately.”

I said and showed the other identical necklace I had brought.

The necklaces are of the same design. I bought them cheap and modified them, so they aren’t particularly pretty.

“And you’ll be staying in the magical realm for a few days, right? Since it’s your first time there, I’ve written down some tips and things to keep in mind.”

I handed Jung Ha-Yeon the notes I had prepared earlier. She accepted them with a blank expression.

There’s a reason I’m being this considerate. While Jung Ha-Yeon is in the magical realm beyond the gate, I want to ensure no emergencies occur, deviating from the original plot.

The magical realm is an unpredictable place. As a fan, I wanted to give my precious Ha-Yeon a bit of favoritism.

...Though there are some genuinely concerning aspects as well.

“This should help you. I prepared it thinking of you.”

“Oh, um... Thank you.”

“Using this necklace on your expedition next week will be helpful.”

The notes I gave her contained all the practical, condensed tips I knew. Now, Ha-Yeon, you can become a survival master in the magical realm!

As I was feeling proud of myself, Jung Ha-Yeon, who had been staring at the necklace for a while, spoke cautiously.

“Um... Ms. Hye-Rim.”

“Yeah?”

“I’d like to try on this necklace now. Could you please put it on me?”

Ah, is it hard to put on the necklace by herself? I thought I had bought a convenient necklace, but I guess not. Since it’s not a big deal, I decided to put it on her myself.

When I stood behind her, Jung Ha-Yeon lifted her hair. I slowly moved my arm from the front to the back and fastened the clasp.

Jung Ha-Yeon’s pale skin had already turned a bright red. Wondering if something was wrong, I looked at her face and heard her muttering softly.

“This is difficult to bear...”

What does she mean by difficult to bear? Is the necklace tickling her neck?

“I can’t believe I’m seeing this right in front of my eyes.”

“Ms. Eun-Seo, you’re going through a tough time too...”

What are you two talking about?

Today was truly a wonderful day. Just being with Ms. Hye-Rim makes me happy, but to think she’d prepare something like this for me.

Thump, thump.

I didn’t take off the necklace Ms. Hye-Rim gave me, even after coming home. Even after arriving home, my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.

When Ms. Hye-Rim gave me the necklace personally. When she handed me the notes she had written herself. When she put the necklace on me with her own hands.

It was so hard to bear. Honestly, I almost hugged Ms. Hye-Rim right then.

I’m going insane. Why am I feeling this way? What kind of person is Ms. Hye-Rim to me?

Just someone I’m grateful to? A benefactor? My hero?

These feelings can’t be explained in such simple terms. I’ve never felt this way before in my life, so I don’t even know what to call it.

“...Haa. Seriously.”

Lying on my bed, I exhaled deeply.

Even without doing anything, my heart feels like it’s going to burst from beating so fast. Just staying still makes me feel breathless.

It’s a relief that Ms. Hye-Rim isn’t a hero. If she were, and I went on the expedition with her next week, I wouldn’t be able to perform my duties properly.

“By the time I return from the expedition, I’ll be moving next door to Ms. Hye-Rim.”

I can’t wait for that time to come. I want to finish off those monsters quickly and go to her side.

Honestly, I’m jealous of Ms. Eun-Seo. She got to live with Ms. Hye-Rim every day, leading a life that felt like that of a married couple.

I know I shouldn’t feel this way, but I’m envious.

“...Get a grip, Ha-Yeon. Don’t think strange thoughts.”

I hypnotized myself to avoid feeling jealous.

It doesn’t matter. I have the necklace Ms. Hye-Rim gave me herself. I’m closer to Ms. Hye-Rim than anyone else right now.

...Right?

“Stop thinking about Ms. Hye-Rim.”

If this continues, my thoughts of Ms. Hye-Rim will fill my head all day. That’s dangerous.

I decided to focus on work to avoid disrupting my daily life.

Recently, some gates haven’t been closed even after defeating monsters. So, there’s a schedule to enter the gate, defeat all the monsters, and forcibly seal the gate. It’s a dangerous task, so I need to be on my toes.

“Many people I know are participating in this mission.”

I received a list of heroes participating in the mission; My friend, Mina. As well as Baek Sin-Hwa and Shin Chul-Min, whom I often meet, are also participating.

“...Hmm?”

As I checked the list to see if there were any other familiar names, I found an unexpected one.

[Alice]

Magical girl idol Alice. She’s also participating in the expedition.

“This is the first time she’s engaging in hero combat activities, isn’t it?”

Alice has only been active as an idol and hasn’t engaged in hero activities before. So, I was curious.

How did she end up participating in this expedition?

"I don't know, but it would be nice to have one more."

Alice was tutored in magic by Ms. Hye-Rim herself. Perhaps she's here to use her experience to support us with the magic she learned from Ms. Hye-Rim.

She's also one of the people closest to Ms. Hye-Rim, so I'd like to take this opportunity to ask her some questions.

What does Alice think of Ms. Hye-Rim?