Chapter 63

“Excuse me, could you follow me for a moment?”

Due to the Student Council President calling Kim Ha-neul away, the girl who was left alone with the meat quickly moved her chopsticks while simultaneously observing the numbers that appeared in the corner of her vision, deep in thought.

9.9%.

Apparently, conversing while eating meat had somewhat helped in raising the awakening rate, and now it was almost time to reach the goal of 10%.

Once she finished this meeting with Kim Ha-neul, it would roughly hit 10%. After that, the answers would come. Answers about what beneficial changes 10% would bring and if those changes would help with the current situation.

Based on the answers, it might give her an approximate idea of what to expect during the school trip and who to involve with.

“And where is he taking so long?”

She could understand why the Student Council President, who had once been her lover, might feel uncomfortable seeing Kim Ha-neul in a private setting with someone else and wanted to address it.

But was it really taking this long? Perhaps not.

Erica glanced toward the direction they’d gone while placing a new piece of meat on the grill.

The two, trusted and supported by the students, still formed a picturesque silhouette even from a distance.

“Hmn~. If no one’s going to cook the meat, shall I do it for you?”

As Erica was contemplating, a woman with blue hair approached, using her own pair of tongs to place a piece of meat onto Erica’s plate.

This was a world of romantic visual novels, where girls labeled as “heroines” are far from ordinary.

Even Erica, who’d spent two weeks figuring out how these girls were heroines, found this sudden approach a little perplexing.

“A—. Thank you.”

The girl, who had initially opened her mouth to refuse, noticed the attire the woman was wearing and altered her words.

Given the apron she wore, the red headband, and her abrupt offer to grill the meat, it didn’t seem as though she was just an ordinary part-timer at any typical meat restaurant.

[Mysterious Part-Time Worker at the Meat Restaurant: Ilia]

The system window confirmed Erica’s suspicions.

The use of the word “mysterious” — the same descriptor used for Kim Ha-neul’s sister — piqued Erica’s curiosity, prompting her to quickly read the additional information.

[Role: Extra Heroine]

[Ability: Purgatory]

“What exactly are you looking at? My beautiful face?”

Before Erica could inquire further about the unfamiliar ability or the term “Extra Heroine,” the woman’s face suddenly drew close.

While the beauty of a heroine was undeniable, having interacted with someone as stunning as Inna, Erica was unfazed, aside from a slight flutter in her chest.

“Just checking if you’re good at grilling…”

“Hehehe, being a part-time worker at a meat restaurant, of course I’m good at grilling. But what kind of person are you, really? Are you someone who grills well?”

The woman, seemingly amused at Erica’s four-dimensional reasoning, smiled kindly and redirected the conversation back to the grilling of brisket.

Unfamiliar with the art of physiognomy, Erica grew increasingly uncomfortable and glanced outside to see if the others were coming back, but they seemed engrossed in a serious conversation, their striking appearances still drawing attention from afar.

Realizing she couldn’t rely on their return for help, she turned her focus back to the mysterious text lingering in the corner of her vision to learn more about the term “Extra Heroine.”

[An Extra Heroine, unlike a Sub Heroine, refers to a heroine who does not share an “Ending” with the protagonist. In some cases, upon meeting specific conditions, they may transition into a role similar to that of a Sub Heroine.]

One of Inna’s friends had a similar vibe — she was also an Extra.

Is this woman closer to being a true heroine, thus treated as one?

Despite her prolonged observation, Erica couldn’t draw a conclusion before the woman gave her a quick wink.

“Okay, I’ll check on the other customers. Please wait here, alright?”

Only after the woman left did Erica realize a very valid question she should’ve asked: Why was that woman speaking casually to a customer?

*

“Kim Ha-neul, are you crazy?”

The Student Council President, who always addressed others formally except in private with her lover, immediately resorted to casual speech the moment they stepped away from the shop to a quiet corner. This wasn’t an indication of familiarity but rather of her extreme anger.

They had made a promise — she would lend her power, and in return, he would help her rekindle their connection.

Because of this deal, Kim Ha-neul had neglected everything — even his once-cherished school life with Erica — overusing his ability while chasing the woman he described, hoping to swiftly fulfill his promise and return to her side.

But if it turned out that he had manipulated the situation where she and Erica grew distant just to pursue this woman…

The golden intelligence in her eyes — once radiant with wisdom — now gleamed with the sinister intent of a killer ready to annihilate someone who dared to steal her lover.

Certainly, misuse of her wisdom could end lives easily, so her gaze was undeniably intimidating.

Of course, since Erica and Seo-ra weren’t currently lovers and weren’t expected to be, the word “steal” felt out of place, but still…

Even if one could say she and Erica were no longer related in any way, Kim Ha-neul didn’t voice these fleeting thoughts in his head. Such thoughts would breach the basic etiquette expected of humans.

Since he was human,

He knew it was the right call not to voice them.

“I know what I’m about to say might sound hard to believe, but I’m not crazy. This setup wasn’t my doing. It was Erica.”

Additionally, he had no interest in ruining his chances with someone who might help him locate the person he sought just because he had inadvertently caused a rift between Erica and this woman.

It was unfair to be criticized when he had merely responded to an unexpected message,

Especially when he had been with another woman when the message came.

The young man attempted clarification, knowing that if he didn’t, it would only worsen the situation.

“…If Erica likes meat, she wouldn’t choose to sit with you. As you know, ever since that day, both you and I have been disliked.”

After a few days of Erica’s memory loss, both of them noticed that while Erica harbored feelings akin to affection toward Student Council President Seo-ra, and only friendly feelings towards Kim Ha-neul, she rarely initiated contact anymore.

Currently, Erica revealed her goodwill only during direct encounters and rarely summoned anyone for no reason.

The young man, reverting to polite speech, voiced what could potentially anger the woman standing in front of him.

“The reason I mentioned earlier was that being with me may enhance her strength, right? But that sounds more like an excuse, doesn’t it?”

It almost implied that being with him brought emotional stability and thus more power.

“No, actually, that does make sense. I apologize for being rude earlier. I guess I was just over-sensitive.”

Instead of questioning his health, as Kim Ha-neul anticipated, Seo-ra nodded, accepting his reasoning.

Kim Ha-neul, who had encountered several unconventional people in this world, now found himself bewildered by the reasonable nature of her response, questioning himself if he had been unreasonable.

The woman, sensing his confusion, kindly explained.

“While I can’t share detailed information about Erica’s ability, I can disclose that she grows stronger when she interacts with others.”

Since strength in this world didn’t carry much significance and Erica had already shared some clues about her ability with Kim Ha-neul, this wasn’t much of a revelation.

However, it only added to his confusion as she seemed weaker now that she had embraced more friendships after her memory loss, compared to when she kept others at a distance.

When the boy raised this matter cautiously, the woman fixed him with an intense gaze.

Yes, she really looked at him.

With eyes imbued with the insight of the universe, she pierced through the boy to see his true nature.

“Ultimately, it means that the number of people she genuinely accepts as hers has decreased. Therefore, Kim Ha-neul, unless Erica expressly wishes to meet you, please avoid her as you had before.”

And with that, the conversation ended.

Realizing that continuing their discussion would leave the young woman waiting in the restaurant unattended, the Student Council President concluded the dialogue swiftly. In no time, she had used her insight into all matters to peer into Kim Ha-neul’s secrets but chose not to disclose them, respecting his privacy.

“If you use Erica’s memory loss to steal her heart, that would be too despicable…”

And just too…vile.

The Student Council President walked back into the shop with barely audible murmurs, even though the boy standing before her was practically superhuman.

Watching the girl happily chatting with the part-timer inside the shop, he chuckled softly upon glimpsing the girl-like statue the Student Council President had become.

“Indeed, I will need her help to find the true heroine…”

There’s no point hiding secrets from someone who embodies wisdom. The revelation of secrets wasn’t particularly troubling.

Since Student Council President’s priorities were entirely directed toward a certain girl, other people’s secrets held little significance. As long as her precious love wasn’t meddled with, there was no need to fear the exposure of secrets.

He quietly supported the love of these two women.

And yet, the boy, who was either unable or unwilling to promise he wouldn’t love Erica, entered the shop slowly, step by step.

[End]