Chapter 177
"...?"
Meanwhile...
Mihyeon was momentarily caught off guard.
Why was this man suddenly hugging her?
And more importantly...
Who exactly was he?
...A pervert?
She quickly shook her head.
No.
That couldn't be it.
Even without her memories, she wasn't stupid.
She could still judge people and situations normally.
If he'd embraced her with some shady intention...
She would've felt hostility.
Her tentacles would've pierced straight through his body and torn him apart on the spot.
But right now...
She felt no hostility at all.
If anything...
She felt strangely comfortable.
The emptiness inside her seemed to soften with warmth.
...What is this?
Mihyeon couldn't understand what she was feeling.
And that made her even more curious.
Who was this man...
Looking at her with such painful longing in his eyes?
She pushed aside the confusion and tried to pull herself free from Suhyeok's arms.
Then...
She stopped.
Her shoulder twitched.
There was one reason she'd come here even after rejecting System's orders.
She wanted to know who she was.
She couldn't even be certain this body belonged to her.
Or whether the name Kim Mihyeon was truly hers.
If she pushed him away now...
Wouldn't she be throwing away her chance to find out?
That thought kept surfacing in her mind.
Countless emotions and questions tangled together...
Until one good idea finally came to her.
...Right.
I can fool him.
Mihyeon decided the situation was actually going well.
No.
It was going almost exactly as she'd planned.
She could first learn about the memories she'd lost from this man...
Then carry out System's orders afterward.
System had instructed her to absorb the Rank of Constellations.
And ultimately...
To absorb Lee Suhyeok's Rank as well.
But that was supposed to happen during the upcoming duel.
Not now.
Whatever happened before then...
Was up to her.
And for some reason...
These tentacles are temporarily hiding me from System's sight.
She was only doing it instinctively for now.
But someday...
She felt she might be able to control it deliberately.
With that thought...
Mihyeon lifted her head and stared at Suhyeok.
She hesitated for a moment.
Then finally answered.
"...Y-Yeah."
"Long time no see."
Silence.
Her tone was incredibly awkward.
Like someone reading from a textbook.
Mihyeon stiffly met Suhyeok's eyes.
Then forced out a smile.
"H-Haha...."
Anyone could tell how unnatural it was.
She awkwardly looked away.
Suhyeok gave a disbelieving laugh.
"I already know you don't remember me."
"You don't need to force yourself that much."
"Though judging by your tone..."
"You weren't really trying very hard to fool me in the first place."
He smiled faintly.
"Then again..."
"You were always terrible at lying."
"..."
That look again.
The way he stared at her...
As though he were looking at memories she couldn't remember.
Thud.
Mihyeon pushed against Suhyeok's chest and created some distance.
Then stared at him with a sullen expression.
"What am I to you?"
"My one and only comrade."
"I don't remember you."
"I don't even know who I am."
And yet...
Suhyeok simply smiled as though none of that mattered.
Mihyeon couldn't understand him at all.
But for some reason...
She didn't dislike it.
"...What if I'm trying to kill you?"
"You already know."
"I have to kill you."
"If I want to..."
"I can still do it right now."
All the tentacles pointed sharply toward Suhyeok's head.
"That's your choice."
Suhyeok remained calm.
"Of course it is."
"The person I remember isn't standing here right now."
"So it's only natural."
Again...
Words she couldn't understand.
Which only made her more curious.
What kind of person had she been inside this man's memories?
Whoosh.
The tentacles filling the surroundings slowly began disappearing.
"I'm curious."
"I want to know who I am."
"So tell me."
Suhyeok extended his hand.
"I can only give you the memories I have of you."
"But if that's enough..."
"I'll gladly give them to you."
Mihyeon took his hand without a moment of hesitation.
"I don't care."
"Whatever they are..."
"I just want to know myself."
[Trait ‘Memory Manipulation (A)’ transfers the user's memories to the target.]
The instant the message appeared...
Countless pieces of information surged into her mind like a flood.
Only an instant passed.
But it was enough for her to receive everything.
Afterward...
Mihyeon and Suhyeok talked for quite some time.
Though in truth...
It was mostly Mihyeon bombarding him with questions.
Things she'd wondered about in the memories.
Moments that made her smile.
Even small, trivial memories.
"So now I understand why you looked at me with those sad eyes."
"That's why...."
"Were my eyes really like that?"
Suhyeok gave a faint laugh.
"I didn't realize."
Mihyeon pointed at the corner of his mouth.
"You can smile too."
"You were always expressionless or cold in the memories."
"I was."
"I think I've changed a little since the regression."
"A smile like this isn't difficult anymore."
He glanced at her finger.
"Though I'd appreciate it if you moved that."
"Why?"
"You don't like it?"
"...That's not exactly it."
"It's just been a while since someone did something like this."
"So it's a little awkward."
"I see."
"For me, it's the first time."
The emptiness in her eyes had begun to fade.
Only slightly...
But there was life in them now.
Even her expression had started changing from the blankness she'd worn before.
"So..."
"Have you sorted out your thoughts?"
At Suhyeok's question...
Mihyeon thought about the version of herself she'd seen in his memories.
Bright.
Responsible.
A strong leader who cared for her comrades more than anyone else.
No... Mihyeon noona.
What the hell is that thing on your head?
It's been wriggling for a while.
During one raid...
Bong Taesu had suddenly pointed at something in her hair.
Mihyeon had pulled it off and looked at it.
What are you talking... KYAAAAAA!!
A-A bug... ngh.
M-Mihyeon noona!!
A-Are you okay?!
You fainted over this?!
Brother, d-do something about her...!
There were more memories like that.
When things were good...
When things were difficult...
