Chapter 75 – If I were to go close to you, what would you think?

After Lee collected the bones of the monster that Rachel had absolutely obliterated, and also after making sure Evandel wasn't about to go exploring into the deep sea, he set up a campsite and then stared at Rachel. "So, Wifey. Like, what the heck did you just do?"

Rachel blushed and said, "I just did what I always did. I gathered the ambient mana like I usually did with the elements to store it in my attack, and then I swung it at the monster. But, um..." Her blue eyes shifted to the side, as if reading something. "...I suppose it unlocked a new Art? My status window is calling it Gáe Bulg, the Spear of Mortal Demise."

Lee gave Rachel a blank look.

Rachel fidgeted, turning a deeper red.

Nayun sighed and said, "So... Rachel just tried to attack like normal, but because this place is apparently SUPER cursed, she picked up the cursed spear in the form of magic or something?"

"I guess so?" Lee shrugged. "I mean, if you dig into the lore, the spear was technically just the sea monster's wrath emanating from the spear made of its bones. Rachel must have just like, synchronized with the ancient curse here or whatever and picked it up?" He looked at Rachel and said, "Can you just like use it whenever you want?"

Rachel narrowed her eyes, reading something. Then she said, "...It says I need to be near a body of water or have something from the depths?"

Lee slowly turned towards Evandel.

Evandel noticed and pointed her plushed Excalibur at Rachel. "Mommy, Gabul!"

Rachel blinked. Then she placed her hand on her chin. "...Eva has Excalibur. Excalibur is from the Lady of the Lake. If I'm near Eva, the qualifications are always met..." Rachel's eyes lit up and she dashed over to hug Evandel. "Eva! Mommy's invincible when she's with you~!"

"Mommmmy! Noooo squiiiiiiish!" Evandel giggled and tried squirming out of Rachel's hug, but to no avail.

Nayun rolled her eyes, but she kept an amused smile on. Glancing at Lee, she said, "So is that game over for your spearhunting, Lee?"

"Well, I wanted to get something for me. But this takes a load off my mind at least." Lee chuckled. "If Lancaster tries anything, it's pretty much over for him. Even if you have stupid amounts of magic power, defense, or speed, you can't escape from that thing."

Nayun nodded, watching as Rachel and Evandel played together by the shore. "Yeah..." She shifted her light brown eyes to the sea. Then they shimmered hazel as she gathered her magic power to look into the water. "...Considering that was definitely a high-grade monster that could have caused a calamity and it just blew up with Rachel's attack..." She laughed. "Well, good luck to anyone trying to bother your 'Wifey' right? Isn't England surrounded by water all the time?"

Lee paused. Then he burst out laughing at the realization. "Oh god. If 'near a body of water' just means 'not landlocked' then yes. She's invincible in her homeland... and on Cube, and any island pretty much."

Nayun stretched and said, "So what's the plan now then? You going to go diving again?"

"Well, I mostly wanted to get Gáe Bulg if I could, but since Wifey has that, the only other thing I'd try to find here is Lugh's spear. But I'm fairly sure something like that would be in a Dungeon, so I'll look for it some other time."

Nayun blinked. "Who's spear?"

"Mm... I think you would know it as Brionac?" Lee started setting up a campfire and said, "It's called that in a lot of JRPGs and stuff. That name is completely made up, but it's basically that. The real thing doesn't have a clear name, but it apparently makes it so that the wielder cannot lose a battle while wielding it."

Nayun slowly blinked. Then she said, "You mean like Excalibur? It's the sword of promised victory or whatever, right?"

Lee stopped in the middle of lighting the campfire and gave Nayun a blank stare. "...Nayun. Fate Stay Night isn't real life... Don't tell me you think King Arthur was a girl?"

Nayun turned a bright red and said, "W-What?! Psh. Of course not! I mean... it's possible, right?"

Lee sighed. "This is why you should study ancient myths... You probably think Muramasa is a cursed demonic blade, don't you?"

Nayun paused. "...It isn't?"

"No! Muramasa is the swordsmith! And there isn't just one Muramasa blade, there's a whole set! Because he was a swordsmith!"

Nayun rolled her eyes. "Well excuse me for not being a history nerd like you, sheesh."

Lee pointed at Nayun and said, "It's important to be one as a Hero. How else are you going to tell if you're being scammed or not?"

"Easy. I'll just have you look at it. If I can't tell, I just delegate it to someone who can, right?"

Lee paused. Then he sighed. "...Fair." He glanced over at Rachel and Evandel to check on them. But seeing that they were just having fun playing in the water, he looked at Nayun and said, "You in the mood to do some proper fishing for food?"

Nayun gave Lee a blank look. "...You want to fish? In this mana-seeped sea? Where a giant high-grade monster from the depths was just murdered?"

"Yeah. I heard that high mana density fish give lots of benefits and taste good. Aren't you curious?"

"...Alright, I'll bite. How are we gonna do this? You want me to just shoot into the water, or what?"

Lee rummaged into his bag and pulled out some fishing line. Then he grabbed one of the long ribs from the sea monster and made a makeshift fishing rod. After that, he carved a hook from one of the teeth he collected and put on a hunk of the sea monster's flesh. Then he handed it to Nayun. "Cheers."

"..."

"What?"

"Are you serious?"

"Got anything better to do?"

Nayun sighed. "Fiiine. But it'd better taste good."

===

Back at Cube, 7 PM, Friday April 4th.

Suho wiped the sweat off his forehead after spending the day training in the gravitation room. "...I finally get why those crazy guys do it, but ugh. My bones..." He glanced over at the other person who trained along with him. "How are you holding up, Jonghak?"

"...Shut up." Jonghak grumbled and dried his soaked white hair. "You're crazy for staying at Cube just to train."

"Says the one training with this crazy guy."

"...I'm only here because there's nothing to do at home anyway." Jonghak's ears turned a bright red. "Don't get mistaken."

Suho paused and gave Jonghak a side-eye. "...Just for the record, I like women..."

"OI!" Jonghak glared at Suho. "I DO TOO!"

Suho hummed. "Really...? Then name one that you like. And you can't say Nayun or Yeonha."

Jonghak turned a bright red and crossed his arms. "You first."

"Well, if I'm being honest, I think I like Miss Seung-Ah from Creator's Sacred Grace. She's been asking me out for lunch... I think because she wants to recruit me. But she's pretty and kind." Suho's eyes glimmered with mischief. "Now you."

"Grk."

"What? Don't tell me the esteemed Shin Jonghak isn't a man of his-"

"...Seo Youngji."

Suho blinked. Then he gasped. "SENIOR YOUNGJI!? The pretty senior with teal hair and glasses!? The one who graduated top of her class?!"

"Keep it down, you bastard!" Jonghak quickly glanced around, his face red.

But since pretty much every other Cube Cadet had left campus for the impromptu break, it was just Suho and Jonghak.

Seeing that, Jonghak relaxed a bit. But he glared at Suho and said, "You don't see me shouting the name of the woman you like from the heavens."

Suho coughed. "Sorry. It's just... surprising. To think the day would come when Shin Jonghak liked a girl other than Nayun... Wait." He paused, tilting his head to the side as if wracking his memories.

Jonghak froze.

Suho gasped and pointed at Jonghak. "So THAT'S why you kept sneaking out to look at the upperclassmen when we were at the Agent Military Academy!"

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!" Jonghak lunged, trying to smack Suho to make him be quiet.

But Suho just weaved around Jonghak's attacks and said, "I thought you were being serious when you said you wanted to see how our seniors fought so you could train, but to think you were just having a crush the entire time... Yeonha and Nayun are going to be sooo annoyed when they find out. Doesn't this mean you were just playing them both?"

"I SAID SHUT UP DAMMIT!"

===

At a certain apartment in Seoul. Still Friday evening.

Hajin sat at the kitchen table, typing in his laptop while Yeonha sat across from him, typing on her own laptop.

It was quiet, broken only by the sounds of keyboard clicks and sips from their beverages (coffee for Hajin and a soda for Yeonha).

But even though it was quiet, it wasn't uncomfortable.

Instead, it was the opposite.

After everything they'd done together in the past 24 hours, and after affirming their relationship in more ways than one, there weren't any needs for words.

The reason for that...

'So this is what it's like to love someone and to be loved, huh?'

Hajin sipped on his coffee, finding his eyes naturally drawn towards Yeonha-

No. Towards his wife.

Unlike her usual pristine appearance, Yeonha's hair was messy after waking up from an afternoon nap. She was also just wearing a t-shirt... and only a t-shirt.

Hajin's, of course.

But despite being completely unpresentable by an objective standard, she was completely at ease.

...Though that might be from Hajin's latest Gift that he made with his SP.

===

Dexterity - [Intermediate rank | Null attribute | Evolving | Grade 1]

You work wonders with your hands and limbs.

===

Hajin had felt a bit sorry for Yeonha after... 'that.' So he figured he would make something that would help relieve her pain.

...It might have been too effective though.

Yeonha was sitting with the languid air of a newlywed wife who had achieved everything in life, a permanent smug and content smile on her face, even as she worked at her laptop.

'Ah, my readers would be so jealous right now...'

It was a side of Yeonha that no one had ever seen or would even expect.

And it was a sight that Hajin could only be grateful for. Something that was completely for him and no one else.

Yeonha noticed Hajin staring and raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "What is it now, Husband? Don't tell me you're still not satisfied?" Her eyes flitted down for a split second before her cheeks turned red. "...Even if I won't say no, I think it's a bit much, don't you?"

Hajin felt his face burn and he quickly said, "N-Not that! I mean, if you want-" He coughed, forcibly cutting off his own thoughts before they could fall into the gutter again.

Yeonha chuckled and placed her right elbow on the table before leaning her head on it. "Shy now, Husband? After you did all that with me...?"

Hajin coughed. "I just wanted to say you looked beautiful..."

Yeonha's breath hitched and her eyes softened. "Oh." She smiled and then stood up. Walking around the table, she draped her arms around Hajin's back, embracing him from behind. "...You're awfully romantic when you want to be, aren't you, Hajin?"

Hajin froze for a brief moment when he felt Yeonha's warmth press against him. But then he immediately relaxed, leaning against her. "Mm. I'm trying."

"That's enough for me." Yeonha gently placed a kiss against Hajin's cheek and then looked at his laptop. "What are you working on?"

"I'm setting up that information network I told you about. I figured it'd help since you can stop being dependent on your uncle then for info."

Yeonha looked surprised and said, "I didn't know you were good with computers, Hajin."

Hajin felt a bit embarrassed and said, "I'm not really. I just... um. Can. It's one of those things that's hard to explain..."

Yeonha chuckled and rested her chin against Hajin's left shoulder, leaning her head against his. "It's fine. I've accepted that you might be a regressor or something like that, so nothing will surprise me, Husband. At the end of the day... it doesn't change the fact that you love me. Does it?"

Hajin paused to consider Yeonha's question. Just for a moment. But the answer came right away, surprising even him. "No. It doesn't. Even if I lose everything else..." Hajin reached up to place his left hand over Yeonha's own entwined hands and said, "If I have you, I can make it work."

Yeonha smiled and said, "That's good. Because..." She blew into Hajin's ear and murmured, "Someone got too enthusiastic. We didn't use any protection, so I hope you're prepared to take responsibility, Husband."

Hajin froze.

The events of the past 24 hours played back in his head in vivid detail.

And the truth of what Yeonha just said hit Hajin all at once.

Yeonha must have felt his tension as she tensed too. "...Hajin? Is it... no good?"

"No. It's fine. It's just, uh..."

For a second, panic welled up inside him.

But then it quickly faded, replaced with a warm calm. Like the last bit of weight he didn't know he was carrying had fallen off.

"...It's just hitting me," Hajin quietly said. "The fact that I'll have a family again."

It was a story he didn't write. Couldn't write.

And this was a trajectory he couldn't anticipate.

Yoo Yeonha was heavily involved in the story. A lot of things revolved around her.

The fact that Hajin had woven her life into his instead and pulled her away from the main story...

Hajin lightly squeezed Yeonha's hands and murmured, "Mine."

Yes.

Yeonha was his now. His responsibility, his wife, his family...

And if there was a child on the way, even if there was just a chance and not a certainty yet...

Hajin stood up and pulled Yeonha into a warm hug. "...I'll make sure our story has nothing but flowers along the way, Yeonha."

Yeonha's breath hitched. Then she laughed and gently kissed Hajin's chin. "You'd better. I deserve that much after all the trouble you've caused me."

Hajin kissed her chin right back and murmured, "Wasn't that an investment?"

Yeonha lightly pushed Hajin down onto the ground and crawled over him, looking down into his eyes. "Then... I want my return, Husband."

After that...

===

Lee paused in the middle of grilling a glittering golden fish.

Evandel look up, bits of smoked fish meat stuck around her lips. "Daddy? What wrong?"

"...I don't know if anything's *wrong*." Lee glanced back towards Korea, an amused look on his face. "...I just have the feeling that things are going to be interesting when we get back."

Rachel walked over, having purified a small pool of water with her magic. Then she tilted her head and said, "Korea?"

Nayun walked over too, holding a pile of magical potatoes she found growing in the area. "What do you mean interesting things in Korea- OH MY GOD!" She dropped the potatoes and burst out laughing. "HAJIN AND YEONHA!"

Rachel covered her mouth and said, "No way. You don't think...?"

Evandel copied her mother and said, "UNCLE HAJI AND RICH AUNTIE BIG LOVE?!"

Lee laughed. "Oh, I think Uncle Haji and Rich Auntie love each other veeeery much, Eva. So much that they haven't messaged us since the exams ended."

Nayun let out a scandalized gasp. "YOU'RE RIGHT!" She quickly pulled out her phone and called Yeonha, only to immediately hit the voice box. And the moment she realized that, she laughed. "Yeonha's phone is dead. She NEVER lets her phone die!"

Rachel looked amused and said, "Well... I suppose something must have preoccupied her."

Evandel giggled and then grabbed Richy and Kerny. "Richy, Kerny! Yay! Uncle Haji and Rich Auntie Big Loves!"

Lee chuckled. "Man..." He skewered the potatoes and started roasting them over the flames. "Best vacation ever... and it's only day two."

Evandel held her plushed toys up and said, "YEAH! BESTEST VACAYSHUN!"