I gradually became accustomed to returning to my original world and childhood. There was nothing different from the parallel world, whether it was family relationships or anything else. Including how when Grandmother occasionally called, she would happily talk about how my twin Baek Jeonghyeok was a genius before abruptly hanging up the phone.
Of course, it was convenient that it was the same. Even if they had suddenly shown interest, it would have just been awkward. I had abandoned that expectation long ago anyway. Though I would no longer see the very person who made me abandon that expectation.
Time flew by like an arrow. I who had returned to five years old became six, and a few months later, Grandmother passed away. What happened afterward was exactly the same as in the parallel world. I entered the house I never wanted to go to again.
“Mom, what’s with that beggar? Why is he calling you mom?”
And what Baek Jeonghyeok said while looking at me was exactly the same. Even in the parallel world, the young Baek Jeonghyeok had shown doubt with an inwardly anxious face. I had been hurt by that innocent question back then, but not now. Even if you give me attention, I won’t take it.
“Because he’s your twin brother.”
“Twin?”
“Yeah. What was his name…… Was it Baek Sihyeon? Is that right?”
It was amazing how exactly the same it was. Not a single word was different, to the point I doubted whether this was really my inherent world. At that time, the fact that she couldn’t even remember my name was so shocking that I clearly remembered only those words.
Unlike back then when I tightly closed my mouth and nodded, I put on an innocent face and tilted my head, asking.
“Yes. But ma’am, how old are you? They say when you get older your memory gets bad, I guess it’s true.”
“……What, what?”
At her extremely shocked face, it felt like ten years of built-up frustration was being released. I didn’t stop there and asked.
“Why? You have wrinkles here and here too, aren’t you old? Me and him don’t have any. Right?”
“Huh? Y-yeah.”
I deliberately included Baek Jeonghyeok, who had genius talent in music and was cherished by our parents. Even if she got angry, she wouldn’t only get angry at me. It was the so-called drowning ghost strategy.
My biological mother swayed with a dizzy expression, and Dad who took care of such a mom sent me to the bathroom. With words to wash myself. Since that was far more comfortable than having them insist on washing me, I washed myself. After that, I was guided to a prepared room and interrogated about whether I had any genius talents. I knew this would happen, but it felt dirty.
Time flowed again, neither too fast nor too slow, and I entered elementary school. It was when full spring had arrived.
When I entered the assigned classroom, I saw a familiar round back of a head. We’re in the same class here too. Carrying my book bag, I moved my steps tensely.
The place where I spent my school days wasn’t my world, it was the parallel world Baek Sihyeon’s world, so they couldn’t be considered the same people. Still, I couldn’t help being nervous. They were Park Sichan, Lee Rihyung, and Kim Minsik of my original world, and I had to adapt to the people of this world.
Just because I returned to my original inherent world didn’t mean I could even imagine hanging out with people other than Park Sichan, Lee Rihyung, and Kim Minsik. I put down my bag on the seat next to him. The back of the head changed to the side of the head, and soon a young face was visible.
“Huh? Baek Sihyeon? I remember you, do you remember me?”
“Yeah. You’re Park Sichan.”
“Whoa. You remember! We were neighbors until my family moved, so I remember seeing you coming and going a few times. Is that the same for you?”
That’s right. Until the very end of being four years old, Park Sichan’s family lived in the house right next to Grandmother’s. I felt glad to see Park Sichan talking energetically, but I soon became tired. A child’s stamina was difficult to handle.
“Let’s be close friends from now on!”
Park Sichan, who had been chattering away, held out his hand and smiled broadly showing his teeth. When I grasped the hand that was smaller than I remembered, he shook it up and down fiercely. As expected, this tension and stamina were difficult to handle. Even though I was planning to continue being friends and it was something I had to get used to.
Like that, 6 years of going around here and there with Park Sichan as if conquering elementary school. We also went to the same middle school and explored here and there like in elementary school for 3 years. Time flowed like fierce waves and it was time to enter high school as if being swept along.
Lee Rihyung and Kim Minsik were people I became close to in first year of high school. Precisely, it was thanks to Park Sichan’s friendliness. Since everything still flowed exactly the same as when I lived not knowing it was the parallel world Baek Sihyeon’s world, I thought it would be the same this time too.
And that thought was correct. Saying we became classmates, Park Sichan introduced Lee Rihyung and Kim Minsik.
“This terrible bastard is Lee Rihyung, this bad bastard is Kim Minsik.”
“Huh. Park Sichan explained it wrong. Rihyung isn’t terrible, he’s adorable.”
“Fuck, stop with the aegyo! Throw it away! Why are you acting cute to a guy, you crazy bastard!”
Kim Minsik hit Lee Rihyung’s back hard. The smacking sound rang out loudly in the hallway. Making a whining sound, Lee Rihyung clung to me.
“It’s better not to be friends with Kim Minsik. Look at me. My back won’t survive……”
He openly badmouths him in front of him, saying his temper is violent. Because it reminded me of Ruvlian, I unwrapped Lee Rihyung’s arm from my shoulder and transferred him to Park Sichan as is. The sound of getting hit again rang in the hallway.
Like that, the peaceful time ended and came the anticipated year of becoming a third-year high schooler. That day arrived. The day I was selected as the Hero and went to Ruvlian’s world.
Since I returned to my original world, it wouldn’t be the same God. I wouldn’t be able to meet Ruvlian either. I closed my eyes with the blanket pulled up to my chin. Soon they would come to me through a dream.
“Haa. Hello, Hero. I don’t know how many times I’m seeing you.”
“Is that so?”
As expected, the God was different. He seemed to have met me several times because the parallel world Ruvlian had turned back time dozens of times. Though I had no memory of it.
“Before, it was fine because I just repeated the same words, gave blessings and protection, and we parted, but these days the God who knew you before you turned back time keeps earnestly pleading with me to treat you well. Enough to make my eardrums bleed.”
His face clearly showed signs of fatigue. Since I knew how talkative and noisy the God was, I quietly kept my mouth shut. I was grateful for the care, but didn’t it rather build resentment? It was behavior like the intelligent anti-fan Park Sichan had talked about.
“Anyway, I’ll give them to you. Blessing and protection. I hope luck accompanies you this time. Please, let’s never turn back time again. Repeating the same words, giving blessings and protection, I feel like a game NPC.”
The God who shuddered moved his hands as if grasping thread in the air. Soon he grabbed my hand. Bright light blocked my vision, and the energy I had felt once before spread through my body. It was the blessing and protection.
“But I haven’t answered yet?”
“Ah. I forgot because you always accept. You’re not going to do it?”
“I will do it but…… I’d like you to give me compensation. Enough to live on for a lifetime.”
It wasn’t the God in front of me, but I had made the same request before. Since being a God was the same, I thought they might be able to grant it. Soon the God’s head moved up and down a couple times, and a voice flowed from his open mouth.
“Yeah, I can do that much. Then I’m sending you. And I don’t answer well, so call me in moderation.”
When I opened my eyes, I was lying in the round circle inside the place where Divine Oracles were received. When I raised my body, there were people identical to the three priests I had seen when I first woke up as the Hero.
“Hello?”
When I greeted them first, they came to their senses as if struck by lightning and moved in unison. Among the current high priests, the one who had held the position the longest bent at a 90-degree angle.
“Hello, Hero-nim. We received orders to treat well the Hero-nim who will come to save the world. Also, we heard that Hero-nim knows about the other companions…… Could you tell us in detail?”
It was an unchangingly polite voice.
Since I who had turned back time already knew who the Hero’s companions were, it seemed they didn’t give other explanations. I listed the names of a total of four people including Alli. Then one priest hurriedly left saying they would convey this fact to those selected as companions, and the remaining two priests guided me.
The guest room I was guided to was familiar enough that I now took it for granted. Except for the parallel world Ruvlian, everyone would come within the day. To think the people I had seen in the parallel world were originally my companions. I felt anew surprised. Since the memories remained, I couldn’t help wanting to see these people I could no longer call my companions.
A variable appeared. As predicted, Montrio, Alli, and Deadrian came to the temple the next day and showed their faces to me, but the parallel world Ruvlian missed expectations. I thought it would take a few more days, but he came to the temple in just one day.
“Hello, Hero-nim.”
Even my assumption that he would have no interest in me was wrong. The parallel world Ruvlian rather seemed to have great interest in me. The interest filling those clear eyes without madness that I couldn’t get used to supported my claim.
Something went wrong.
