If you had called me from down there, I would have come down.

Yoohyun-ssi, do you know youre not good at lying?

You were planning to leave without meeting me, I added. Ki Yoohyun smiled out of the corner of his eye, as if I had discovered his true intentions.

I grabbed his hand. The heat of his hand was evident even through the gloves.

Not again! Its because of that skill, isnt it?

I was about to pull off his gloves and check his condition, but he gently pushed my hand away.

Stop it. I bought gloves that couldnt be removed, just like what Rieul-ssi suggested.

Thats not what Im saying.

It was a joke that wasnt funny in the slightest. The countdown in the system window proceeded swiftly. My mouth went dry. I finally managed to get the words out.

Be careful.

He smiled softly in response, I told you briefly before, Rieul-ssi, that I failed once before the regression.

.

Without me noticing, little things started to go wrong, little by little it went wrong, wrong, wrong, until it ended in failure.

The vision I had seen in my grandmothers notebook flashed through my mind. Moments of stark despair, too raw to be summarised as failure.

He blinked slowly, as if trying to shake off the memories, But the future has changed, and its all because of you.

I-I didnt do anything.

Even if that were the case. Despite his words, he shook his head slightly, as if he didnt quite agree, Its still the same because I have changed after meeting Rieul-ssi.

.

Every time I drank coffee made by Rieul-ssi, every time we met, every time we talked . the feeling of disconnection that I wasnt aware of disappeared, and I changed. He whispered with clear sincerity, Thats why Im here now, so its all thanks to Rieul-ssi.

.

Sometimes I wonder, if I had met you in the past, would I have had a different ending? Or was it because I had that life that I was able to meet you in this one?

My heart skipped a beat. I, too, had wondered what it would have been like if I had met him earlier, what our relationship would have been like, though I would never be able to know the answer now.

Rieul-ssi.

.Yes.

Ill be right back, with a different future than the past.

The numbers in the system window dwindled rapidly. Knowing that time was running out, Ki Yoohyun explained hurriedly.

The timing of the Demon God Seal Quest has changed, as well as the members who are participating. I presume this is due to the disappearance of Aeon, and the changes in each persons experience level.

.

The monsters are mostly taken care of, so there shouldnt be any danger while Im gone.

.

You know, I go with trustworthy people this time. Its different from the past. Ki Yoohyun added sorrowfully, So, Rieul-ssi, please dont make such a face.

What kind of face am I making right now? I wanted to ask, but the moment my eyes locked with his, my words trailed off.

He reached out his hand. His hand gently brushed through my wind-tousled hair, trying to touch my cheek, but ultimately moving away without making contact.

The system said I was the key. If thats true, if thats the case, I wish it would let me know. What I can do now, what I can do for him?

But I cant take his place, nor can I join him.

There was no answer, and eventually.

[1, 0.

Quest participants are automatically moved into the gate.]

Fyaaa~

Ki Yoohyun, who was in front of me just a moment ago, disappeared. The red gate in the sky has closed.

Tiling tiling!

A void of nothingness. A new system window popped up with a cheerful sound.

[System ]

[

.]

[Quest has occurred.]

[Main Quest: Chasing the Starlight

The only key to unlock the Ultimate Gate.

Reach the door and save your loved ones.

The future will be waiting for you.

Reward: ???]

Youre late. I grumbled out loud, deliberately. As if the quest in front of me was an unimportant errand, a mere nuisance.

If I didnt do this at least, I felt like the trembling wouldnt subside. The words were written in a vague way, but I suspected they were asking me to enter the gate that Ki Yoohyun and the other Hunters had taken.

As always, Im too late.

Ki Yoohyun has already disappeared into the red glowing gate. The Great Dungeon had collapsed without a trace, and the Gate had closed. There is currently no way for me to enter the gate without being one of the quest participants.

If this was going to happen, you shouldve included me in the quest. Couldnt you have added one more person to the quest, like a back-up or something?

[We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the service delay.]

But all I got was an unhelpful message.

In the vague quest description, the words save your loved ones stood out. Does that mean someone I care about will be in danger if I dont go?

Whoa, haaa.

Lets calm down. If a quest like this popped up, it must mean I can do it. As quests have always suggested to me what to do.

!

I remembered something Id forgotten. Yes, there is a way. Maybe no, its definitely the only way to get inside the gate.

It was at that time when I was in a hurry to get down from the rooftop,

Bam! Someone yanked my arm from behind.

No.

What?

You cant go, Rieul.

It was Choi Yichan. Choi Yichan stopped me with a cold look on his face.

***

Choi Yichan appeared quite dishevelled. He drew in a shaky breath. His unruly hair was blowing in the breeze. He was clutching a dagger, as if hed been fighting a monster. Ah, that was the artefact dagger from the last Sephiroth Branch incident.

Choi Yichan grabbed my hand with his free hand. He gripped it so tightly that my whole hand ached.

I tried to pretend it wasnt a big deal.

Wha-what do you mean? I was just going to go back to the store.

Youre not good at lying.

.

It didnt work at all.

Choi Yichan spoke in an unprecedentedly heavy tone, Youre trying to get to the gate. Dont go. You cant go.

Why? What do you know? If you know something, tell me.

Choi Yichan still held my hand tightly, Its dangerous. They say the Demon God will be resurrected. You could die if you go.

Thats why! Yoohyun-ssi . Kwon Jiwoon, and the others are all people I know well. Its dangerous, and theres something I can do, so how can I just stay still?

Choi Yichan acted as if he believed this quest was going to end in failure regardless. That made me nervous. My heart thumped uneasily in my chest.

Yichan-ah, if you know something, tell me.

.

Despite my words, Choi Yichan only bit his lip. My chest tightened. I had a suspicion that he was hiding something. He must be, because the guy who always came to the store with a smile on his face had stopped visiting. Several times he opened his mouth to say something but then fell silent.

I thought he would tell me someday. I believed so.

I spoke, not bothering to hide my boiling anger, If youre telling me not to go simply because you think Ill be in danger, then let go of my hand.

.Rieul-ah.

Puck! I tapped Choi Yichan on the shoulder. But he didnt even flinch, and he didnt let go of my hand.

Then he looked me straight in the eye and spoke firmly, Even if I tell you that I like you?

!

My heart dropped at the unexpected words.

I wanted to say that of course I know that he likes me, but I couldnt. I knew too well that what Choi Yichan confessed wasnt that kind of like.

Yichan-ah. I sighed, the rest of my sentence drifting away.

I stayed still and looked up at Choi Yichan. He still clutched the dagger in one hand. He seemed to be torn between something. When I saw the anguish in his eyes, the words I had to say to him flowed naturally.

Im sorry.

Choi Yichans shoulders flinched.

You are an important person to me, but my feelings are different from what you hoped for.

If I would it have been different if I had told you how I felt earlier?

.

Or, if I had reunited with you earlier?

Only after I heard the questions, I recognised that the answers were within me all along. I shook my head, slowly but surely.

.No.

The look on his face was one of sadness. In the same moment, he also looked relieved. After letting out a shaky sigh, he spoke carefully, I just . I just want you to be okay, because youve been through a lot.

Thank you. I mean it, but . I want to do what I can.

I didnt want to add any more regrets to this life that I had been given.

I should have gone to see my grandmother more often, I should have talked to Kwon Jiwoon earlier, I should have done those things back then.

Life was too precious to be consumed by such thoughts.

All right.

Choi Yichan slowly let go of my hand and took a step back.

I sensed that at this moment, something inside him had ended. Something precious that he probably cherished for a long time.

I felt tears coming to my eyes. But I was not the one who should be crying right now. Crying here would be too much for him, so I bit my lip tightly.

He melted the sadness away in a forced smile, and he put on the face of a dear friend. The look in his eyes filled with determination.

Go, Rieul-ah. Next time Ill see you next time when you come back safely.

I nodded slightly and turned around. I opened the rooftop door and walked away. I didnt look back.

Translators Corner:

OH MY GOD I AM IKFDSLJFJLKJFDKLDFJJDSHFDH CHOI YICHAN ILL HUG YOU A LOT. Uh I want to say Ill go isekai and date you instead but I definitely will choose Kwon Jiwoon if that happened.

omg life update i submitted a job application some days ago (you know, a full time job with proper wage ones, not the usual random part-time job that ive been doing to live) and apparently they didnt even bother to tell me that i didnt even pass to the interview stage (the interview scheduled for yesterday). IT WAS REALLY EMBARRASSING T__T i guess me, too, should learn how to handle rejection lets form a heartbreak club, yichan..

Thank you Iomoon and Anonymous for the Coffees!

Im actually surprised theres still new readers coming in I will definitely survive and finish this story even before finishing my degree (WHY ITS SO HARD TO FINISH A DEGREE)..