Chapter 194 – Singer (4)
[Chapter 11 – Section 2] No Way…?
“This is why people regress!”
I could never say out loud which version of Song Sun-young I prefer—same age or younger—but one thing is certain: this was an unforgettable experience.
In just one day, we were linking arms like proper lovers, and we put the finishing touch with the aquarium she loved and the fast-paced Parnaru restaurant!
We were dating again.
“Son, what about skiing?”
“I just need to confirm whether Sun-young falls into the dream again.”
On weekdays, we’d go to a café after free swim; on weekends, we’d go on dates and end at the restaurant.
That became our routine.
In the meantime, the young Kang Moon-soo finally fell to the persistent courtship of the Ranuvel patient.
They went to a karaoke room near the convenience store, sang songs, ate ramen and kimbap…
It was cheap dating.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
In the movie theater, after watching the same film for the second time and standing up to leave, Song Sun-young clung to me like a fragile spirit leaning on my arm.
Is this the difference between same-age and younger?
The younger Song Sun-young had a strong tendency to call me “oppa” and rely on me.
‘Was this her original personality?’
Maybe the older Kang Moon-soo felt more reliable to her, but there’s also the possibility that after dying by suicide over 30 times in the dream, her personality and values had changed dramatically.
“Tomorrow… the results come out.”
“It’s already that time.”
It meant the day Song Sun-young would fall into the dream wasn’t far off.
“I’ve been so worried since yesterday that I couldn’t sleep.”
“It’ll be fine.”
“I’m scared that once you see my aptitude, you’ll hate me…”
“You’re worrying about me hating your aptitude when you don’t even know what I hate?”
“…Then what aptitude do you hate?”
“The one you hate.”
At my answer, Song Sun-young’s eyes widened in surprise, then realization dawned and her cheeks flushed red.
“You can’t lie about that.”
“Of course not.”
“I’ll hold you to it.”
“My face doesn’t wear out, so look as much as you want.”
“Oppa. Can you wait for me in front of school tomorrow?”
“I’m on vacation, so sure. What time does school end?”
I already knew when my old school let out, but I pretended not to.
“Around 4. If I don’t get tardy and end up on cleaning duty.”
“Then should I call to wake you up in the morning?”
“Ah—no! It’s okay! I can wake up by myself…!”
Song Sun-young was keeping our relationship a secret from her family.
This part was definitely different.
The Song Sun-young after experiencing the dream hardly cared about other people’s opinions—including family.
“See you tomorrow.”
“Yes, oppa!”
“……”
Now I think I understand why the youngest son of the Duke of Somaek in the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family> was so obsessed with being called “oppa.”
Oppa. Amolang-oppa.
I’m used to it now, so the initial shock is gone, but I never get tired of hearing it.
‘Alright… now…’
Let’s see whether Song Sun-young falls into the dream as fate originally intended.
***
I told Song Sun-young I’d wait at the school gate at dismissal time, but I had been wandering the hallways since morning like I was taking a stroll through my past.
“So this is your high school, son~”
Mother—who was naturally curious about my past—had followed along as if it were obvious.
“That bald man over there is the science teacher. He loved explaining random science trivia unrelated to exams. Some kids hated him for it, but he was my favorite teacher.”
“Ooh~”
“And the young woman on the right is my third-year homeroom teacher. All the teachers were passionate, but she really took special care of me since I lived alone.”
“She sounds like a grateful person.”
“Yeah.”
She cared so much that she even invited a “fake shaman” to school.
‘Ah… come to think of it…’
I should also check whether the young Kang Moon-soo’s aptitude had changed due to the Ranuvel patient’s interference.
Just a moment ago, the homeroom teacher had walked into the classroom holding P’s aptitude test result sheets.
Any moment now, the me from three years ago would scream—
“This can’t be real!”
“Moon-soo-ya. Show me.”
“What aptitude did Moon-soo get?”
“Hey, open it quick.”
The me from three years ago stared at the result sheet with an expression of utter disbelief.
Saying this feels a bit harsh, but from a third-party perspective, it looked pretty pathetic.
“My job is…”
“Hard to say?”
“…No. Shaman.”
Watching the me from back then reveal my aptitude with an expression like the world was collapsing… it felt like mental torture.
I didn’t know back then.
But now I can say it with confidence: it’s the best aptitude in the world.
“Looks like the shock was huge.”
Mother murmured while blankly watching the young Kang Moon-soo.
“Yes. The con artists pretending to be shamans ruined the reputation completely.”
I’m certain because I failed job interviews over 100 times just because of this aptitude.
“It’s a translation issue.”
“‘Chief priest’ was a term used only in West Asian religious states.”
Chief priest.
Confucianism—which placed utmost value on virtues like loyalty and filial piety—dominated East Asian countries, but because of the emphasis on loyalty to the ruler, religion never surpassed royal authority.
“So in this country, the closest equivalent word was ‘shaman’?”
“Yes.”
While being careful not to run into the young Kang Moon-soo, we headed toward Song Sun-young’s classroom.
“Hmm~ Just as expected~”
In front of me, she always kept her legs neatly together in a prim posture, but in the classroom, she was so defenseless that lowering head would reveal her underwear.
「Aptitude: Swimmer」
The result sheet included a scientific analysis of why this aptitude appeared, and you could view detailed information about aptitudes on the government website.
Song Sun-young’s aptitude: Swimmer.
There were no variables.
Her stamina was too weak, so she could only handle 100m freestyle. Against ordinary people she might manage a marathon, but among the monsters competing in the Olympics, her endurance was at the very bottom.
“She doesn’t look disappointed?”
“Hmm…”
Mother and I got the same impression watching Song Sun-young check her P aptitude test result sheet, but we couldn’t relax yet.
She decides to commit suicide a few days later.
“Shall we wait while learning a new technique from Mom?”
“Yes.”
I had already mastered most of the necessary techniques.
Mother called me a genius for being able to copy anything after seeing it once, but she gave me zero points for developing my own original techniques.
So we changed the approach…
“Spatial teleportation. If it’s within your own domain, you can move anywhere.”
Mother develops the techniques I need, and I copy them.
“Outside the domain doesn’t work?”
“The Wing Demons you mentioned are the same. Sword Demons and patients share a subtle resonance in how they use souls. We, on the other hand, are clearly intruders.”
“Hmm…”
As expected, I was weak on theory.
“Our relationship is similar to police and thieves. If you, chasing a fleeing thief, ask a passerby where he went, would they tell you? Or would they lie and say they didn’t see anything?”
“Uh… wouldn’t they tell me?”
“If they’re in cahoots?”
“Ah!”
“That’s exactly it.”
But I still hadn’t given up.
“Can we stretch the unique domain long in one direction?”
“You want to change the shape of your domain, son?”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“Hmm… It’s possible, but you’d have to sacrifice the other directions, making it dangerous. What if those Wing Demon things instantly teleport to your side and attack?”
“Then… we’ll need to secure at least a minimum safe distance while expanding the domain. Like the shape of a spoon.”
“Since my son wants it, I’ll give it a try~”
“Thank you.”
While we were devising ways to deal with the Wing Demons, school ended and high school students started pouring out.
“Moon-soo-ya~! Huh?”
The patient Lee Na-yeon approached, mistaking me for the young Kang Moon-soo.
But three years had changed me into a completely different person.
Back in school days, I always looked exhausted and worn out.
Plus, the natural maturity and confidence I had accumulated from traveling through various dreams were impressions the past me never had.
“You’ve mistaken me for someone else.”
“Uh… yes. I’m sorry.”
Flustered, Lee Na-yeon kept sneaking glances at my face as she walked away.
‘She probably thinks I look familiar from somewhere.’
But she had spent over seven years in the dream where she regressed to middle school.
There’s no way she clearly remembers the face of the real Kang Moon-soo she only saw on TV or in photos.
“Oppa!”
“Don’t run. I’m not going anywhere.”
The ‘cute Song Sun-young’ I could never see in reality came running toward me with lively steps.
“Want to see?”
She handed me the once-folded P aptitude test result sheet and asked.
“Sure.”
Ssk—
Even though I already knew, I pretended not to and unfolded the paper.
「Aptitude: Swimmer」
“Nice. They say swimming is great for maintaining a woman’s figure.”
“Oppa, you pervert.”
“Haha!”
The look Song Sun-young shot me was filled with relief and joy.
To her, what was “swimming”?
A hobby burdened with the pressure of having to win Olympic medals.
But with just one sentence from me, it seemed to have flipped 180 degrees.
“I’m honestly not confident.”
“About what?”
“My mom was a swimmer too. But she regrets not getting good results at the Olympics. Even now…”
This was the fault of the man who might become my father-in-law—Coach Jang Seo-yeon’s husband.
Instead of comforting his wife for not winning an Olympic medal, he tormented her!
Having grown up watching that, there was no way “swimmer” would look good to Song Sun-young.
“I want you to swim without caring about results, Sun-young-ah.”
“Why?”
“Because it’ll make your figure even prettier. It’s already pretty now, though.”
“Pervert.”
“Hahahaha!”
Being called a pervert so often in reality meant it didn’t hurt at all.
“…Is that really all it takes?”
“Of course!”
“Then… will you marry me?”
“…Of course!”
The development was so fast my brain couldn’t keep up for a second.
“Why did you hesitate just now?”
“Confessions are supposed to come from the guy. I’m just upset I got mine stolen.”
I’d been stolen from in reality recently too.
Am I not man enough?
A slight wave of self-loathing washed over me.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“I really, really like Amolang-oppa. If you leave me, I’ll die.”
“Don’t worry. I like you too!”
I know very well that those aren’t empty words or mere threats!
“Really? Can I believe you?”
“Of course!”
“I don’t believe you.”
“……”
Sun-young-ah, let’s not do this even in a dream.
“So stay still.”
“Okay.”
Ignoring the eyes around us, she stared straight at my face and closed the distance.
Close enough to feel her breath.
Chuu.
A light kiss.
The girls circling around us watching screamed “Kyaa kyaa!” while the boys let out sighs and curses.
“It’s my first time…”
The young Song Sun-young—face flushed bright red—spoke in a crawling voice.
Is this what high school first love is like?
“Yeah.”
“What about you, oppa?”
“Me too. First time.”
In this world, yes.
“Liar. Your expression is way too calm.”
“……”
I can’t help it—my progress in reality has been too advanced.
“But I’ll believe you.”
“If you tease oppa, you’ll get divine punishment.”
“What kind of punishment?”
“That’s for the god (神) to decide.”
I hope P attends our wedding and gives her blessing.
“Agreed.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll give birth to a child with stamina just like oppa. Good, right?”
“Geez…”
I will definitely make that future happen.
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