Just One More Time

I saw Ma Hana flinching and floundering in confusion right before my eyes.

Her eyes were speaking.

Why do you know that information?

Her stature pleaded for an answer.

It was a suspicious and doubtful glance.

I knew it too.

It was all or nothing… rather, it felt closer to a bad move.

It was suspicious to anyone who thought about it.

‘But there’s no time to waste.’

Ma Hana’s personal story progressed to its worst route faster than I thought.

I never dreamed I would meet her in today’s mandatory subjugation order, nor did I know she was on the brink of collapse.

‘…No.’

I didn’t want to lose Ma Hana, not even in death.

“I know it’s suspicious. The distrust and disbelief you might feel. I understand.”

I’ll tell you honestly. Miss Ma Hana.

“I have no means to make you understand right now… I also have no way to clarify any doubts you might have now.”

“Why…?”

“What…?”

“…Why do you go to such lengths… to hold onto me…?”

Everything about this was making Ma Hana question me.

Why go to such lengths?

Didn’t we just connect today?

“With Mr. Yu Seha, you could find a better tanker than me. Not a dropout like me…”

I shook my head at those words.

“Because I can’t even think of it.”
“…Uh?”
“In the future, maybe so, but in my current life, I envision that you are always the tanker, no one else but you.”

That’s right.

It’s unimaginable.

No, I don’t want it.

A main tanker other than Meowi?

‘Tell them to get lost.’

To me, she was the most reliable tanker I could trust.

It was the same in the original world and here.

At that moment, I felt another gaze glaring at me fiercely.

Im Hyeja.

The look of liking me as if I were her boyfriend just moments ago had completely vanished from her eyes.

It was then that I seemed to see her, as I knew her in the game.

‘The typical Supervisor-rejecting NPC.’

The Supervisor in ‘GAL’ had no gender, no face, and nothing visible.

Probably an implicit element, considering the diverse ages and genders of the users logging in.

However, most characters were favorable towards the Supervisor, who was the most important protagonist and observer. But, naturally, there were a few who disliked the Supervisor.

One of them was Im Hyeja.

‘The reason is simple.’

Because she was the culprit who dragged Ma Hana, who was like her daughter, into the perilous world of hunters.

Yes, that expression made sense.

This, too, could just be my selfishness.

Perhaps living together, just the two of them, helping out in the forge here, might be a happier outcome.

Like before, without hearing harsh words, physical assaults, or insulting remarks and living by honestly earning money for the work done, perhaps such a future might suit Ma Hana.

‘It can be thought of that way.’

However, I asserted.

No.

It was just…

“A mere corpse that has given up on dreams.”
“…!!!”

At my words, Ma Hana’s eyes wavered.
I was certain as I looked her in the eyes.

Ma Hana would regret the path she planned to take for a long time.

Deep inside, even though she thought she had no choice.

The act of ignoring the true voice within her would turn into despair soon enough, spreading like a plague and engulfing her.

“…I cannot leave you like this. I do not want to give you a life that is merely about surviving.”

I looked at Ma Hana, frozen like a stone statue at my actions, and briefly reminisced about the past she had been through.

One hour ago.

I watched Ma Hana leave, and I didn’t stop her.

I pondered a lot about it.

And I had to persuade her.

‘…but how exactly do I convince her?’

What do I say?
It was our first meeting today.
Even though we’ve faced a ‘Break Out’ crisis together and shared life-threatening moments, our connection was merely a day old.

I simply didn’t have the bond to change her mind with just a few words.

‘…so I worried like an idiot.’

And stood there like a fool as she left.

No matter how much I thought, there was no clear answer to it.

Because I simply lacked any theory, philosophy, justification, plausibility, or validity to convince her to stop and continue.

‘So I gave up.’

That was… I stopped pondering.

There were times I ended up thinking.

I really am not very smart.

Sophisticated types might persuade her with their eloquent words, but I lacked such skills.

‘But…’

There was one thing I wouldn’t lose to anyone.

Heart.
The heart of a Supervisor.
The heart that loved a favorite character.

The heart to enter the Academy with her as Yu Seha and reach the pinnacle of hunters.

‘…No, this is also an excuse.’

In the end, I just wanted to see her smile.
I wanted to see Ma Hana, Meowi, smiling happily.

I wanted to see that strong, cheerful smile as she achieved her dreams.

“…What I have to offer… is only this heart and intention of mine.”

And I believed that this should be enough.

[The most important thing for a person is the heart. Do you understand? Not the kind of murderous intent you have, wielding branches and slashing everything, you fool.]

‘…I thought it was nonsense.’

Whenever I thought of the words of the man I called father, it seemed I must indeed be his child, though we shared no blood.

I clenched something fiercely burning within my chest.

“I swear.”

I would lift you up.
I would always be by your side.

“So please, take my hand.”

10 seconds.

The silent time when Ma Hana could not respond to Yu Seha’s words.

And it felt as if years had passed.

The reason in her head spoke.

‘It’s nonsense… How can you trust him, whom you met just today, and jump back into that dangerous industry?’

Yet a voice inside her—the presence that had grabbed her shoulders—was slowly pushing her back in.

‘Just once…’

It was screaming, just one more time…

‘…it feels warm.’

Warmth washed over her like a wave.
Ma Hana felt a blazing flame emanating from Yu Seha.

Something brightly shone in white.
What on earth could that be?
Why was it so beautiful?
She found herself unconsciously wanting to approach him.

Slowly, she reached out her hand to him.

Grab!

However, there was someone who discouraged her.

Im Hyeja. A sister-like figure, holding her hand and shaking her head.

Then, with a fierce look she had never seen before, she glared at Yu Seha.

“…Listening to you over and over…”

She frowned and gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with hate.

“You might not know this industry well because you’re a newbie to it… but this child is far more experienced than you. And she’s already been hurt enough! Don’t torment her anymore…!”

“……”

Yu Seha sighed deeply.

Manipulating something in the air, he then unfolded a spear of blue light.

“…Status window reveal?”
“I’m sorry. But this is all I can show you right now to trust me.”

There was nothing he could give.
There was nothing he could pledge as collateral.
But what does that matter?
What’s always important is the heart and intentions behind an act.

‘…There was a resolution I made when I first possessed this body.’

It was to fear the unfolding main story in the future and minimize my interventions in the main plot.

I won’t do that, though.

Now that I’ve appeared in ‘GAL’.
This is my future, and my story.

At least in my story, it’s impossible for Meowi to give up on her dreams and gradually die from heartache.

‘…I’ve done everything I could.’

Now, all he could do was wait for the result.

Silence lingered for a while.
Ma Hana, with her head deeply bowed, said nothing.

Soon, our eyes met.

She opened her eyes that had been shut and looked at Yu Seha. A faint light circled her once lifeless pupils and iris.

Her golden eyes, characteristic of the Myoin Tribe, began to hold vitality and vigor.

Of course, there was the shadowed darkness. She feared that she might fail this time too.

Yet, she felt the courage to try it once again.

Thanks to that, Yu Seha was able to know her answer a step earlier.

“I’ll trust you.”
“Meowi!”
“…Unnie. Thank you for helping me, and… for making such an offer, and… I’m sorry.”

Ma Hana clenched her fists tightly.

“…But, I, even if it’s the last time, I want to try again… I don’t want to give up like this.”

“…Ha, you are such a foolish kid.”

Im Hyeja tightly shut her eyes.

They often say that there’s no parent who could defeat their child.

‘…That’s exactly it.’

Really… nothing ever went her way.

10 minutes later.
Yu Seha and Ma Hana exchanged a conversation.

Having promised to meet again tomorrow as it was too late today, he scurried out as if fleeing from Im Hyeja’s fierce glare.

“Meowi.”
“…Yes?”
“What exactly makes you trust him?”
“……”
“The status window is certainly important information, but it’s meaningless to you, isn’t it?”

That’s true.

From Yu Seha’s perspective, it was merely revealing the status window, as Moon Bora had told them.

In fact, that act provided no assurance to Ma Hana at all for her future.

“Right. It’s meaningless.”
“Then…!”
“But he resembles him.”
“…Who?”
“Dad and–”
“Sorry, but that face leech [TL/N: One who lives off the face] is a million times more handsome than the senior–”
“No, no! Not his looks; I meant his eyes. His eyes!”
“…His eyes?”
“Yes…”

Ma Hana quietly nodded.

That gaze that had been watching her all this while.

His eyes resembled those of her father, always warm and trustable.

She felt that light.

“…So I’m trying to trust once more.”
“…Even if you get hurt by the axe you trust, you wouldn’t know unless you tried.”
“…Hehe.”

As the night deepened, Ma Hana thought it was time to head home.

Ding-dong!

With the ringing of the bell, Yu Seha reappeared.

He awkwardly scratched his cheek, facing the two people who were staring at him in astonishment.

“…Um, that… sorry…”

Then he showed them his shattered sword.

“…A-a knife… do you have a cheap one? A cheap one will do. Oh, and even if it’s cheap, just one consumable poison…”

“……”
“……”