Chapter 71 – Red String of Fate

At a certain apartment in Seoul, around 5 PM local time.

Hajin woke up with a pounding headache, disoriented and confused. "Ugh... what hit me?"

The last thing he remembered was Yeonha dragging him away, all flustered after the kiss in front of everyone. Then her saying that they might as well spend time together since classes had been cancelled. And after that-

A sudden puff of warm air, tickling his neck.

Hajin froze and slowly turned to his right side. When he did, he saw Yeonha sleeping there, her hair messy from sleep.

And when he did, the memories rushed back.

Yeonha insisting they share a drink since they were married. Grabbing some beers at first, then wine and vodka. And after...

Hajin felt a sudden surge of panic, wondering if he was actually stupid and reckless enough to cross the line.

But thankfully, after quickly moving the blanket aside, it seemed like he managed to retain at least a bit of reason to not cross 'that' line.

...Although from the hickies on Yeonha's neck and her ruffled clothes, it seemed like it was close.

And as if to confirm it...

> Luck activates! Your wife, Kim Yeonha's advances have been thwarted by her fatigue.

> Luck activates! By chance, no one witnessed you returning to Seoul with your wife!

> Luck activates! Due to Kim Suho attempting to one-up a certain cadet's record by having a gauntlet of duels, you and your wife have temporarily escaped public scrutiny!

...A series of delayed system notifications popped up in front of Hajin's eyes.

Seeing that, Hajin let out a soft sigh of relief. "Thank god- No, I guess thank the co-author?"

Maybe it was because The Returnee Hero wasn't 18+ when Hajin wrote it, but it seemed like things hadn't gone that far with Yeonha.

Although...

'Get it together, Hajin.'

Was it because he was a teenager again?

The fact that Yeonha was undeniably beautiful, and even more so when she was so bashful and in love with him?

Or was it that he was so lonely that he had completely folded the moment someone with genuine care and affection reached out to him?

Hajin didn't know what it was, but he DID know that it was a close call.

"If I had crossed the line with Yeonha-"

"Mm...?"

Hajin froze and looked over to see Yeonha slowly stir.

"Hajin...?"

"Yeonha?" Hajin felt his face heat up at the close proximity. Especially when he realized that she was hugging his arm close to... certain parts of her. All while they were still in a bed.

Together.

Alone.

Hajin swallowed, already feeling a certain part of him react.

Yeonha sleepily blinked and looked at Hajin. Then she blinked again, realizing where she was. And when she did, she froze.

Hajin froze too.

For a moment, the two of them just stared at each other, an immensely awkward tension filling the air.

But eventually, Hajin couldn't bear it and coughed. "G-Good morning?"

Yeonha blushed and nodded. "G-Good morning-" She coughed, rubbing her throat.

Hajin frowned. "Are you alright?"

Yeonha didn't respond, just turning even redder. "Y-Yes." Her voice came out in a rasp. "I'm fine. Just... tired."

Hajin blinked and then realized that Yeonha probably had a hangover from all the drinking they did. "Your voice is pretty raspy... Are you thirsty? Should I get you some water?"

Yeonha turned an even darker shade of red and then lightly slapped Hajin's arm. "My voice isn't raspy because I'm thirsty. Dummy."

"Huh? Then-"

Hajin froze.

Yeonha burrowed her face under the blankets in shame.

And then Hajin realized the implications.

While he didn't remember it...

Hajin reflexively glanced at Yeonha's crumpled blouse.

She was still wearing it, so they didn't go all the way.

But Hajin's vision, enhanced from his Gift, didn't let him miss the faint dried specs of white staining bits of it.

"..."

"..."

"..." Yeonha coughed and whispered, "We never speak of this again, Husband."

"Deal- Wait, Husband?"

Yeonha glared at Hajin.

Hajin blushed and said, "O-Okay. Deal, uh... Wife?"

Yeonha rolled her eyes. "...Just get me tea. Or warm water with honey. Something."

"Right. On it."

Hajin immediately got out of bed. And the moment he did, his pants fell down because the button and zipper were undone.

He froze.

Yeonha reflexively glanced down and swallowed. But then she froze too, turning a bright red again.

Hajin quickly pulled his pants up and said, "I-I'll be in the kitchen!" After that, he sprinted off.

'Stupid co-author setting up stupid drama tropes. Stupid me going along with my teenaged hormones. Stupid... ARGH!'

Hajin could already hear Lee roasting him in the near future. And Nayun. And Rachel. Even Suho and Jonghak.

So to ignore the fact that he had definitely done 'something' with Yeonha last night, Hajin went to the kitchen and started grabbing ingredients for tea.

The fancy triangle teabags of Earl Grey that Yeonha liked, some high grade honey, heating up water...

Hajin completely focused on his task to make tea and ignoring the swirling emotions inside of him. But as he did...

'Is it that bad though?'

...He couldn't help but have that thought.

It was a whirlwind romance, yes.

Honestly, it probably wasn't built on anything solid either. Yeonha was clearly only interested in him at first because he probably seemed a bit pathetic to her.

But even so...

'...We surprisingly get along well.'

It was something that Hajin didn't expect.

He had written Yoo Yeonha to be a woman who liked confident men, like Shin Jonghak. Not only that, but since she was the heir to the future... No, the current first-ranked guild in the world because the Co-author had changed things around.

Since she was the heir to such a prestigious guild, Yeonha was always moving to act the role of a refined lady that fit such a position.

And yet...

Hajin paused in the middle of turning on the kettle to heat up some water. "...We're both running away from things."

Thoughts of who Yeonha had been in The Returnee Hero that Hajin wrote came to mind.

Betrayed by those close to her, stuck in a position where one mistake could send everything crashing down... although she was a warm and loyal person to those she cared about, she hardened her heart and distrusted everyone else.

And in his story, she had become just that: a cold and calculating woman whose only objective was maintaining the Essence of Strait's position on top of the world.

But in this world...

Hajin reflexively glanced back towards the bedroom where Yeonha was undoubtedly stewing and freaking out about what she had let herself do last night. And what she had done in these past few weeks.

'...Is it so bad? If I love her?'

It was a thought that gave Hajin mixed feelings.

Setting aside the implications from the mental age gap aside... because he was still processing that can of worms.

But even without that...

Hajin knew what kind of person he was.

Like Lee kept teasing him, Hajin wasn't very smart. And he didn't have much perseverance either. Otherwise, he would have finished his novel on his own instead of running away and putting it on hiatus.

In contrast, Yeonha was brilliant.

Although she definitely had a goofy side, and although she had a few bad habits in being just a bit too quick to jump to conclusions, as well as being jealous and possessive towards what was hers...

When it came to being a Guild Leader and a Hero, Yeonha was undoubtedly one of the best in the world. And she WOULD be the best, if events moved along even anywhere close to The Returnee Hero.

A wonderful woman like that had been chained down by someone as incompetent as Hajin.

While Hajin had gone along with it... partially because he was still in disbelief, but also because he selfishly relished having someone like Yeonha into him...

He acknowledged that it wasn't right.

It wasn't like with Lee and Rachel.

Although Hajin still wasn't sure who Lee exactly was... Hajin knew that Lee was definitely someone qualified to stand beside Rachel.

Intelligence, appearance, skills... All of it was a perfect match. The only thing that Lee lacked was prestige, but that was easily gained on graduating from Cube or just from general accolades as a Cadet.

But for Hajin...

An average face. Average stats. No combat experience. Combat skills that only existed because he was cheating with his Gift. And even then, that cheat only went so far, a fact proven when he couldn't comprehend Nayun's new way of using her bow.

Hajin quietly steeped the tea for Yeonha and mulled things over.

'...If time is the same back at home, Mom and Dad are probably worried sick.'

Hajin silently added honey to the tea and considered that.

The Co-author had pulled him into this world. And Hajin knew for a fact it wasn't just a dream considering how much time had already passed.

Was the Co-author a god?

They had to be considering the system and everything else.

If that was the case...

Hajin remembered the redacted option in his menu. The ??? underneath everything else.

'...It's probably how I get home.'

When the story was cleared... if Hajin reached 'the ending' that the Co-author envisioned.

Hajin would probably get a choice. Either to go home or to stay.

That was obvious, wasn't it?

...Okay, maybe not.

Hajin was only realizing it now because he wasn't particularly pressed for survival anymore.

But if that was the case...

'...Could I even leave them now?'

Yeonha, Suho, Rachel, Lee, and Evandel.

The instructors who were fond of Hajin because they'd seen him go from struggling with using his gun to being competent at the mid-terms.

The random peers like Skid who joked around with him and teased him about his relationship with Yeonha...

Hajin's stomach twisted at the thought of saying goodbye to them all.

Because...

"...What's even waiting for me at home anyway?" Hajin murmured softly.

There were his friends, sure. His one-room apartment. And there were his parents too, who loved him dearly. But...

Compared to here...

Hajin let out a tired laugh. "...I was just an extra. But... now, I can be something. Someone."

A burden.

That was all that Hajin had ever been on Earth.

To his readers, who he abandoned when he put his novel on hiatus.

To his friends, who he always made excuses to not hang out because he lacked money.

To his parents, who he had always just let down, time and time again.

It was almost the same here.

Lacking any stats, not knowing how to fight, clinging to a gun like a safety blanket because he was afraid of monsters and real combat.

But...

*You're a gunman. Just stay perched and shoot when you can. Honestly, you should invest in a motorbike or something. Trying to run will only kill your aim when it comes down to it.*

...There was someone who believed in him.

At the time when he had been trying to sort out how to survive after being thrust into his own world... when everyone had been ridiculing Hajin for picking out a gun...

Lee had treated him fairly. Given him proper advice and feedback. And while he had constantly teased Hajin ever since then, making way too pointed remarks about being a NovelPhoenix author-

Hajin froze.

A thought came to mind.

A conclusion from the way Lee acted, and from the fact that the Co-author had affirmed that Lee wasn't him.

Not only that, but Hajin remembered that early message the Co-author had sent him in warning. About not probing too deeply into people with <Maverick> as a Gift.

And then Hajin remembered how Lee had reacted to when he asked if Lee was a fan.

*Of what? It's not like you're a NovelPhoenix author, are you?*

It suddenly clicked.

The way that Lee kept probing Hajin about being a NovelPhoenix author but never saying anything outright...

What if?

What if the Co-author made a mistake?

What if, when the Co-author pulled Hajin into this world, someone else who loved the world so dearly was pulled in by chance too?

What if there was someone who loved the world but hated the way Hajin had haphazardly written it, patching over plotholes again and again as he tried to figure out what to write next?

Hajin stood still, considering that.

The Returnee Hero had been popular. Not the most popular, but decently popular. It had a core audience. Loyal fans who continued to wait even through Hajin's hiatus.

What if there had been one who kept waiting...

...But never got a chance to see the ending?

Hajin started to shake at the thought.

Someone who loved the story. Whose life came to an end waiting for Hajin to write the rest.

Someone who managed to receive a miracle and enter this story when Hajin was pulled in, taking the place of an extra alongside him.

And someone who couldn't say the truth without unraveling everything about himself, but someone who wanted to see Hajin do better. Be better.

"...Dammit." Hajin let out a shaky laugh. "...Now I HAVE to be someone, don't I?"

===

Yeonha stood frozen behind the bedroom door, her heart pounding in her chest.

As she did, the words she had just heard Hajin say echoed in her mind.

*...What's even waiting for me at home anyway?*

*...I was just an extra. But... now, I can be something. Someone.*

*...Dammit. Now I HAVE to be someone, don't I?*

"Hajin..." Yeonha quietly whispered his name and placed her hands over her chest.

She had been scared.

Scared that Hajin was just using her.

Scared that she was wrong about him.

Scared that, even after all she did, it was just a contract.

Like how Nayun and Lee kept teasing her.

But...

Yeonha let out a soft smile. She couldn't help it.

The man that she had chosen to love. The one she handed her glass heart to and entrusted with everything, even while their peers and the world called her crazy for it.

After a night that almost became irreversible. That WOULD have become irreversible if Yeonha hadn't fallen asleep from the alcohol.

Instead of being afraid or running away...

Hajin was quietly firming his resolve. In a place where he thought Yeonha didn't see, the man she had chosen and made her husband was solidifying his heart and choice.

Realizing that...

Yeonha quietly opened the bedroom door and walked over to the kitchen.

Hajin paused and immediately looked over. He was clearly startled, but a concerned look immediately crossed his face when he saw Yeonha. "H-Hey. You don't have to get up. The tea's almost done, so-"

"I love you."

Hajin froze.

Yeonha quietly closed the distance and placed her hand over her heart, looking up at Hajin.

...It wasn't the sort of person she thought she would end up with.

Hajin wasn't handsome like Jonghak or Suho. He wasn't muscular like Lee either. And, if Yeonha was being honest, he didn't look all that dependable.

Yeonha had always thought she'd end up with someone tall. A confident, mature, tall husband who could properly protect her and stand beside her.

Hajin was a little taller than her. Just a few inches. But nothing like the ideal husband she'd always envisioned.

Even so...

Yeonha felt her heart race as she stared into Hajin's eyes. The ones she thought looked like a lost puppy at first. But the ones that now seemed like... well, not quite a wolf, but getting there.

"...Don't you have anything to say to that, Husband?"

Hajin was quiet. Then he pulled Yeonha into a tight hug and whispered, "Are you sure it's okay? I have secrets. A lot of them. And... I don't know if I can ever tell you."

Yeonha's breath hitched. But then she leaned her head against Hajin's shoulder and murmured, "It's okay. I trust you."

It was April now.

Cube had begun near the end of February.

The time that Yeonha had known Hajin was less than two months.

But despite that...

Yeonha shifted her hands around to hug Hajin back and murmured, "You could have ruined me ten times over by now. But you didn't. So..." Yeonha looked up, her eyes soft with love. "I trust you. With my everything."

Hajin stared at Yeonha. His eyes widened with shock, guilt, and countless emotions. But after a few moments, they narrowed with resolve and he let out a warm smile. "Okay. Then..." He leaned in close for a kiss.

Yeonha closed her eyes.

Hajin murmured, "I'll become someone deserving of that trust, Yeonha."

Words said like a vow and sealed with a kiss.

Tasting his lips against hers again, Yeonha eventually broke free for air and murmured, "You'd better. Nayun won't forgive you if you ruin me, you know? My father won't either."

Hajin chuckled and nipped her chin. "Don't worry. If anyone's being ruined here, it's clearly me."

Yeonha giggled.

And after that...

===

Back in England, around 9 AM local time.

Walking along the sidewalk while holding Evandel's hand, Lee suddenly sneezed.

Evandel looked up and giggled. "Daddy! Achoo!"

Lee chuckled. "Yeah. Achoo."

"Sicky?"

"Nah. It's probably just Uncle Hajin and Auntie Yeonha doing something funny."

Evandel tilted her head, confused.

Lee patted her head and said, "Don't worry about it, Eva. Now, to the realtor!"

"YAY! To Housies!"