Chapter 136

Kang Yu-ri hadn’t been particularly active at school, so her absence wouldn’t make much difference. With vacation coming up soon, skipping for a few days wouldn’t likely cause significant problems.

“Why are you asking this?”

“Because it seems like you won’t be coming back to school.”

The reason for asking indirectly whether she’d still attend school was that her behaviors constantly indicated a lack of interest in it. When she was caught using a fake identity, she immediately left school. Even when she returned, she cared less about her own exams and more about helping others with theirs.

Not only that, but she didn’t bother befriending classmates to find reasons to stay.

I’d thought before that to become queen of the school, she must have started attending years earlier, which means she could be older than us. If so, her continuing attendance until the end of term could be interpreted as simply wanting to torment me.

Why else would the owner of this body have been so dismissive of others, that they would go out of their way to h*rass me despite my constant attempts to avoid them? Or was it that her preferences aligned with my appearance?

In any case, if she’d stayed here for my sake, leaving this house would signify giving up some time tormenting this body. And that would also explain her reasons for continuing her school life.

Which means, by my transcendent charm, I must’ve neutralized her resentment toward me.

“Hmm? Are you finally starting to show some interest in me? Yes, I’m thinking of leaving entirely. Why? Are you going to beg me to stay desperately now? If you get down on your knees and beg, I might stay.”

In response to my words, she slightly moved her eyebrow but confessed openly without excuses. Kang Yu-ri, the Queen of Lies, started gaining attention when H-Battle emerged.

Even after the mention of H-Battle faded, the incident where she kidnapped me showed her to be a dangerous individual, system warning or no system warning.

Since living together in my house, she hasn’t done anything particularly dangerous, but there were no noteworthy incidents to prove her trustworthy either.

We had both gone through the Haengundae attack, but we didn’t fight closely enough to develop camaraderie within the same area.

If she disappears entirely from my sight, she might become even more dangerous, far exceeding the final boss sister in my story.

The reality-changing supernatural ability she possesses is such a force. Keeping her near is dangerous, but letting her go might open another path to a bad ending.

While I considered these possibilities, I never felt inclined to hold her back.

It wasn’t because I liked her annoying remarks or wanted her around because she kept trying to subdue me.

Rather, it’s just that the woman who stayed here due to a lack of living options is now leaving because she doesn’t like the house. Even if being here causes more harm than good, how could I stop her?

I can’t.

“There’s no way. Even so, if you have nowhere to live, you can still come by sometimes. I’ll keep your room empty.”

“The room you’re talking about was yours. Are you saying you’ll keep your room empty? Sure, keep it empty. Since you said it, you’ll obviously keep that promise, right?”

As the woman, who seemed to want to provoke me until the end, smirked, a faint smile rose at the corner of my lips. I understood why I didn’t want to hold her back. Her behavior of seeking conflict with me, even while departing, signaled her desire to stay longer.

“If that’s true, I guess you should visit occasionally to check if I’m keeping my word. Keep in touch regularly.”

“Huh? The one who should contact first is you, not me.”

“Yes, it’s polite to contact seniors first. I’ll contact you first, so respond well.”

“Hey, I’m not a senior.”

Because her claim to being a senior vanished with a smile that was hard to tell if it was mocking or not, I simply nodded without replying.

Why does the denial of being a senior feel like the best proof that she is one?

“I’ll be going now. Don’t forget what we talked about earlier.”

“Something from earlier?”

If she was genuinely upset, she didn’t make any more jokes and moved to leave, but her parting words were incomprehensible.

After all, she hadn’t provided much context, and I couldn’t possibly know what she referred to when she said “last time.”

“Desperately beg me to help you. I’ll get you out of any difficult situation whenever you shout for help.”

“Ah, that time. I don’t think there’ll be a situation where I beg for help.”

With her power of reality manipulation, there will probably be times when I need her help, but calling out loudly and risking her refusing will be embarrassing.

Honestly, it’s more cost-effective to receive help from Yu In-na or the student council president, who provide only Favorability points.

“Sure. If you think you’ll live your whole life without needing my help, go ahead.”

Her confident boast, with her chest thrust out, made me want to ask how she was so sure I would seek her help someday, but I refrained.

Instead, something else caught my eye.

She had the permission to borrow the sister’s clothes but changed into a white t-shirt, complaining that the top was uncomfortable, without explaining where she’d gotten it.

Reflecting on how I didn’t even care about her daily routine or school outfits despite her proximity suggests that her presence here was mostly for observation.

“Oh, you’re saying I’m elderly? I almost forgot that I should tell you this because of that absurd claim.”

“Absurd? It’s only natural in a country of etiquette that an elder deserves respect.”

“You sound so serious. If it wasn’t a joke, I’d be dead.”

If it wasn’t a joke, wouldn’t she have been serious? I find it pitiful how she refuses the truth of her age by dismissing my words as teasing.

But perhaps revisiting our discussion reminded her of the impending short farewell, as former queen, breathing heavily, now offered unexpected advice.

“I don’t want to give such counsel to someone who calls me a senior, but…”

“Oh, my only friend. You always give me important advice.”

“Your voice doesn’t sound like you’re talking to a friend, so shut up and listen.”

She hates being called elderly, but being upset over calling her a friend is a bit too much.

If I reveal these thoughts, she might revoke her promise to help if I beg later. So I silently grumbled while paying attention to what she had to say.

“You should find Eun-gwang. That’s it.”

“Why should I find them? You should tell me.”

“Neither possible nor desirable to explain. It seems you should know not to tease me.”

But where is the rule that allows her to mock me but not the other way around? As I was about to retort, the pink-haired woman with her suitcase disappeared silently in the alley.

She must’ve fled immediately after finishing her statement to avoid hearing any retorts. Or maybe she thought staying longer would make it harder to leave.

In any case, my final remark was set.

“Goodbye.”

Whether she’s still listening or has already disappeared, I bid farewell to this person who stayed with me for a while.

I can’t guarantee if or when we’ll meet again, but having offered the maximum respect to the departing person, I should now go back inside where a friend waits for me.

[Hidden Event Completed. The protagonist, Kang Yu-ri, has moved toward her chosen path. Calculating the events that occurred in the house…]

…

…

…

Calculation complete.

The number of H-related events totaled merely 12, a rather small amount for a百合 (yuri) DLC. It is far too insufficient to register her as a heroine within the yuri DLC. Registration halted.

Before entering home, I glanced at the message that just popped up, and my head nodded in agreement.

Thinking about it, names can be faked, but how could she trick me with something she doesn’t know, like DLCs?

From the start, she was unable to falsify system messages related to DLCs, a fact I reaffirmed…

“…”

I had thought the content below would be similar but found strange letters while skimming through.

Could H stand for HOME? Why would it claim I did some weird H-stuff with Kang Yu-ri?

Or maybe the system miscounted. Would sleeping in the same bed count as an H-event?

Considering my bed wasn’t wet upon waking, it’s very plausible.

I estimated my thoughts were correct as I nodded, then suddenly exclaimed.

“…d*mn Kang Yu-ri, she escaped!”

Kang Yu-ri probably never expected me to realize her trickery upon departure,

though more so as going somewhere she needed to than actual escape. Yet, seeing the message, I couldn’t maintain a calm composure towards her.

Besides, if Kang Yu-ri usually behaves that way, why do system messages always show up so late?

Perhaps these messages represent the root of all evil. As I stared at it, the message changed.

[Many system messages obscured the view, so an order was given to display them only after events end.]

Whoever issued the order, it seems quite useful.

Certainly, the view mustn’t be cluttered while engaging in battle or conversations.

“Hmm…” I tried to accept it but still couldn’t fully understand.

Even though I mentioned this before, why couldn’t I realize these recent rigid messages stem from my past suggestions?

Has the recent decrease in messages been due to this?

Didn’t I ask to have more messages shown earlier?

Confusing…

What exactly did Kang Yu-ri do with the H-stuff?

[Regarding that…]

Enough.

It’s ancient history, and I don’t care to know.

If she really did something crazy, Inna would have been the first to notice and act upon it.

Shaking my head, I dismissed the message and opened the door, ready to enter the house where it would just be the two of us for now, with Kang Yu-ri gone.