Chapter 69
Chapter 69
Nari’s father’s expression hardened. Soon after, he looked dazed and dropped his arms.
“I can turn Kang Hana’s words and actions in life into a sermon whenever necessary. Because she gave permission for that while she was alive.”
When Nan spoke, a sobbing voice echoed through the room. Nari’s father nodded.
“…That’s right. That’s what she said. She asked me to take care of Nari, but I completely forgot. I only remembered it just now. What on earth have I done to Nari….”
As Nari tried to run out from behind the statue, Ihyun grabbed her tightly. Seeing Ihyun shake his head, Nari made up her mind and spoke with a resolute expression.
“It’s fine.”
The calmness in her voice was unexpected. Ihyun let her go.
“…Yes.”
She released her Perception Interference and walked out from behind the statue. Nan and Nari’s father blinked in surprise at the sight.
“Miss Nari?”
“Nari? How are you here…?”
Nari stepped forward toward her father. She wasn’t crying anymore, nor was she frowning. Her expression and her steps were firm with resolve. The aura she radiated made Nan step aside. Nari looked down at her father.
“Dad.”
“…Yes, Nari.”
“I needed you, not Mom.”
“Nari.”
“I didn’t hope for Mom to come back. I thought I could just live with you, overcoming this sorrow together. I needed a guardian.”
Nari suppressed the tremor in her voice, closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again. Clenching her fists, she stared at her father.
Nan worried that she might not control her emotions and strike him, but that didn’t happen. Nari was slowly, steadily mastering her emotions.
“You know how long you’ve hurt me and made me lose trust? Even if you say you’re sorry, I’ll never forgive you. Remember that.”
“Yes. Even so, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Nari. I’m so sorry….”
“I’m not going to care about you anymore.”
Her father, sitting slumped on the floor, looked up at her. Father and daughter, who looked almost identical, stared at each other across the room. Nari went on with a firm expression.
“I don’t need you anymore. There are plenty of people who’ll protect me besides you. And I can protect myself too. So I won’t care. No matter where you go or what you do, I’ll never care again.”
“Nari….”
Nari looked straight at him.
She thought hearing his apology would soften her heart. She thought she’d love him again. She thought they could go back to living together, even if things were still awkward.
But only then was she able to let go of her affection for her father. Through this whole process, Nari realized there were many people around her who cared for her.
She remembered the different forms of family she’d experienced.
Jeong Suho, who was more like a childhood friend than a sibling, though they lived like quasi-family. Kang Ihyun, who wasn’t treated well by his own family, but lived with Min Jaewon and Min Jaeyoon like a real family. And her mother, who had given her a godfather.
If one couldn’t expect love or protection from their original family, then it was possible to find people outside who would provide it.
When she let go of the desire for her father to protect her and take her side, she found herself pitying him. He was still trapped in the remnants of her mother and the past.
“All the money you’ve taken from me until now, I’ll pretend it never happened. But give back the money you got from Jeong Suho. That was given to me, not to you.”
“…Yes. I’m sorry, Nari. I’m sorry.”
“At least you took care of me when I was little. That’s why I only hate you this much. Understand?”
Her father only nodded repeatedly. Nari sighed and glanced at Nan. Seeing his slightly bewildered face, Nari furrowed her brows and spoke in her usual sharp tone.
“What are you doing? Let him be taken away.”
“…Ah, yes. Hey! It’s over. Take him away!!”
At that call, the people waiting outside the door came in and helped Nari’s father up. Nari blinked once as she watched her father being taken out of the room.
Nan looked at Nari with a flustered tone.
“We agreed to give twenty-four hours’ grace, didn’t we?”
“Grandma Nahan told me to verify. She said that’s the survival skill that saved me. That’s why I came to verify.”
“Wait, how did you even get in here?”
“I’m an Awakener, remember? I used illusion arts and hid behind that statue.”
When Nari pointed at the statue, Nan glanced at the enormous statue of Kang Hana he had created.
“…And who’s that?”
Oh no! Kang Ihyun crouched behind the statue.
‘I’ve been caught…!’
Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, Kang Ihyun awkwardly shuffled out from beside the statue. Nan’s eyes filled with curiosity.
“Kang Ihyun, Hunter? Don’t you live in Seoul?”
“Uh… Hello. Th-The, um, it’s nice… to meet you!”
“What are you doing here…?”
Nan’s eyes widened as he suddenly realized something.
“No, don’t tell me. Miss Nari, why are you dating Kang Ihyun of all people? Are you two like Romeo and Juliet?”
At the words Romeo and Juliet, both their faces froze in shock. Without needing any prompting, they both burst into frantic denials.
“Ro-Romeo and Juliet?! No way!”
“What are you talking about?! We’re not like that at all!”
Hearing that, Nan’s eyes narrowed again. He adjusted his glasses and pressed his forehead with one hand.
‘They claim they’re not like that, yet she dropped everything and hopped on a train to Busan the moment he called. That’s one hundred percent a fling.’
As a pounding headache came on, Nan sighed, then suddenly realized something odd and quickly looked up.
“Wait a second. Every train to Busan should be sold out right now. Even by car, you couldn’t have made it here this fast.”
Kang Ihyun avoided his gaze. Nari fidgeted with her fingers, looking hesitant.
“…Miss Nari, your class is Illusionist, right. Yes, it makes sense now. Come to think of it, there were moments when black mist briefly appeared. I thought I imagined it. But there’s only one person who wields black mist.”
“Ahem, hm… hm.”
“You’re strangely close with Kang Ihyun….”
“I could’ve hidden it if I wanted to. But I showed myself on purpose. Because now I understand how important Mom is to you!”
Nari cleared her throat and looked away. Nan’s mouth slowly fell open. Realizing the truth about her identity, his words tumbled out faster.
“No, but how’s that possible? Can it really be done? It’s impossible to perfectly replicate another person. Everyone says….”
Nari fiddled with her hair, then looked back at him with a sly grin. That expression was the same one often seen in internet news.
World Ranking No.1. The mischievous smile of the ‘Black Illusion’.
Nari spoke in a confident voice.
“Nope. I can do it.”
* * *
“So you’ve decided to trust, have you.”
They had returned again to the inside of the Stupa.
Nari looked down the jade-colored corridor. Frames were lined along the walls. Walking alongside Nahan, she glanced at an empty frame.
“Yes, for now. …Because you don’t seem like a bad person.”
Nahan smiled at her kindly. Embarrassed, Nari muttered back.
“…Um, thank you. For letting me face my dad.”
“I did nothing. You’re the one who made yourself grow, Nari.”
Nahan looked at her. In her gentle green eyes, Nari felt an unsettling sense of foreboding.
An Arhat, one who attained enlightenment and escaped reincarnation. Reincarnation meant to be reborn into the world.
Sensing her unease, Nahan smiled.
“Yes, I’ve attained enlightenment, so I’ll never be reborn.”
“Did you read my mind….”
“I saw it. Because I care about you, I can see what you’re thinking.”
Nari blinked and looked back at the empty frame. Because she cared, she could read her thoughts.
Turning the words over in her mind, she quietly tried to trace his thoughts, then spoke her uncertain guess aloud.
“I saw your skill. You summoned Mom’s memories and words from when she was alive.”
“Yes. Within the ‘permitted range’ Kang Hana gave, I can freely draw them out.”
“Then is this your work too?”
She looked at the frames, the memorial replaying her mother’s memories exactly as they had been. Surely this was tied to her skill.
Nahan nodded.
“Then… the reason you can’t leave this place. Is it because you are already dead?”
One empty frame. Nahan who could not leave this place. And the constant, faint emanation of soul energy from her body.
It wasn’t that she didn’t notice her energy leaking. It was leaking away.
No one could know what effect their power might have on others, so controlling it was only courteous.
There was no Hunter other than Nari who couldn’t control their energy from leaking.
Even for her, the only times her power seeped out were when she was emotionally overwhelmed under the influence of her spirit energy.
Nahan smiled gently. Nari bit her lip hard. She shook her head and spoke again.
“No, I haven’t died. I’ve already long surpassed the average lifespan. I stayed here because I had a reason, and my spirit energy has only ‘extended’ my life.”
Nari held back the question on her tongue, thinking it was about her. Nahan patted her head gently, as if she already knew, then pulled her into a firm embrace.
“Though we’ve only just met, thank you for calling me grandma. I’m glad I got to meet you before my limit arrived.”
“…Grandma.”
“I just wanted to see you one last time. To know if you’re living well. Until I saw you, it felt like I wasn’t truly alive. So I asked my son to let me linger this way. I’m so glad I met you like this, Nari.”
Hesitant, Nari hugged Nahan carefully. That unique clarity of soul energy filled her thoughts. The light radiating from Nahan grew brighter. Nari lowered her eyes against the soft glow.
Holding back tears, she hugged her tightly.
“Th-Thank you. For everything….”
“I only said a few words. You saved yourself.”
Her body was growing translucent. The green light of soul energy bloomed around her. Nari thought, even though we only met yesterday, I feel such attachment, such sorrow.
She closed her eyes tightly.
Somehow, she thought she could understand a little of the emotions Nan and Nahan had shown her since the beginning.
“…Thank you. Please rest in peace, Grandma.”
“Be happy, Nari. You can do it.”
Nahan’s soft laughter whispered in her ear. Slowly, her body turned into light.
Nari gazed endlessly down the corridor. The light lingered a long time, circling within, before it faded.
[Notice! A change has occurred in the Republic of Korea’s ranking!]
[Top 5 Rankings
And so, one of Korea’s stars fell.