Even in my second life, I was bad at reading people. I found it hard to figure out what someone else was really thinking.

We were never particularly close to begin with. But he’d never stood me up like this before... Maybe that survey yesterday made him uncomfortable?

Not that I had any real feelings for him either.

Park Geonwoo was the second male lead in the original novel. Regardless of his looks, talent, or personality, he was someone I needed to keep my distance from.

As much as he kept a respectful distance, I’d also drawn a clear line.

No matter what the media said, I made it clear—again and again—that I had no romantic feelings. Still, maybe that in itself was too much for him. I never dismissed him like in the original work; in fact, I treated him politely, yet somehow I still ended up on his bad side.

Is this what they mean by the narrative pressure of the original story?

Maybe I wasn’t that upset because I already saw him as someone who could turn on me at any time.

If I hadn’t known the original storyline, would I have been hurt by what he did?

Who knows. It’s pointless to think about “what ifs” now.

I was trudging through the hotel lobby when I saw Joo Seunghyuk walking toward me.

Our eyes met directly. It felt strange to just pretend I didn’t see him, so I gave a small bow. But Seunghyuk walked right past me, ignoring me completely, his face stiff.

I guess today’s just a day of being ignored. Well, it would’ve been worse if he suddenly started talking to me anyway.

Still... I wonder if he got properly guided?

Around the time Seunghyuk graduated middle school, Kang Ok-eun retired. She also terminated her exclusive guiding contract with him. After that, he never signed with another guide.

But that’s not something I should concern myself with...

As soon as I got into the hotel room, I turned up the heat. Even though the tent had a heater, it had been freezing.

Especially since I’d come straight from school in my thin uniform, without even changing—it felt even colder.

I took off my jacket and started unbuttoning my shirt when the doorbell rang.

Who could it be?

When I opened the door, an unexpected visitor was standing there.

“Inho...”

Why had Kang Inho come to my room? It didn’t seem like he came to hang out. I was just about to ask what was up when he abruptly held out a shopping bag.

“Take it.”

“What is it?”

“No idea. One of your fans gave it to me.”

“Fan?”

“Yeah.”

“What kind of fan?”

“Dunno. Just someone standing outside the hotel.”

He said it indifferently.

“I passed it on, so I’m heading out.”

“Okay. Thanks, Inho. Good night.”

“You too.”

Kang Inho turned away the moment he delivered his message. Always the cool type, that one.

I closed the door and checked the gift. It was handmade chocolate. Each piece looked like a work of art—too pretty and luxurious to eat.

Who on earth would give me something like this? I glanced out the window.

Standing in the dark below... was a man I knew all too well.

It was Joo Seunghyuk.

No way. Did Seunghyuk give this to me?

I shook my head. That thought was stupid, even if it only lasted a second.

If it were from him, Kang Inho wouldn’t have gone out of his way to call it a fan’s gift. And there’s no reason Seunghyuk would give me Valentine’s Day chocolate in the first place.

I looked back down at the chocolates. Still beautiful. Too pretty to eat, so I took a photo with my phone.

Even after that, I just stared at them for a while before finally putting the heart-shaped one into my mouth.

A rich cacao aroma spread across my tongue.

***

I was definitely thinking about Geonwoo hyung earlier, and yet somehow, my thoughts had ended up on Joo Seunghyuk again. Lately, it always turns out like this. No matter what I’m thinking, it all circles back to him.

Why is this happening...?

I tossed the chocolate wrapper into the trash and started walking when someone called out to me.

“Yeonsu.”

The gentle voice made me turn my head—and there he was, someone I was glad to see.

“Geonwoo hyung!”

“Yeonsu, it’s been a while.”

Park Geonwoo greeted me with a bright smile.

It really had been a while. Not since the Horaitron Gate incident.

“Yeah, it has.”

“You’ve grown into a fine young man.”

“You’ve gotten even more handsome, hyung.”

He’d gone from a freshly graduated high school student to a real man.

His once-fair skin was now sun-kissed, and his frame had filled out. If he used to look like the perfect model student, now he radiated a rugged charm.

“Hearing that from you makes me a little shy.”

He laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

Even if his vibe had changed a bit, the gentle curve of his eyes and his kind expression were the same as ever.

The total opposite of Joo Seunghyuk. A warm, handsome presence that lit up the space around him.

Every time I saw him, I understood why he was so popular. He was textbook second male lead material.

“When did you arrive?”

“This afternoon.”

“So you came straight here after flying in?”

“Yeah.”

He must’ve flown in directly for the upcoming special lecture. He probably agreed to it before even boarding the plane. The guy was hardworking to an almost absurd degree.

“You must be tired.”

“Not at all. Seeing you took all the fatigue away.”

He gave a faint smile. Maybe because of all the time spent working with ability users from different countries in Africa, he seemed a little smoother than before.

“I’ve heard about your achievements.”

“What achievements?”

“You’re a global hero. You even succeeded in the Akar Gate raid.”

“That wasn’t just me. Everyone worked hard.”

“Still as humble as ever.”

He really did feel like a walking moral textbook. That hadn’t changed one bit.

That’s how he was in Swamp of the Guide too.

But in the novel, he didn’t suddenly return like this, so I couldn’t help but wonder—had something happened? The plot had deviated a lot. Maybe the ripple effect had reached him too.

But no—he was still the same. His expressions, personality... everything was just like before. Even compared to the original work, he hadn’t changed much.

“I’m not being humble—it’s just the truth. But I heard you’ve been doing pretty great yourself. You even saved Seunghyuk and Seonwoo hyung, didn’t you?”

“I was just lucky.”

“You’re still as modest as ever. You haven’t changed a bit.”

He smiled faintly.

“I ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) heard you went into mana depletion shock. And there was some other stuff too...”

He trailed off. Probably referring to the thing with Aaron.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Not a big deal? I heard you nearly died twice.”

His face was full of concern.

“It really wasn’t that serious.”

Well... to be fair, the second time, my back was in more danger than my mana reserves...

“I didn’t hear about it until after the Akar raid ended. I was stationed deep in the gate’s core zone from January onward. I’m sorry. I should’ve been there for you.”

The African continent had turned into a dead zone after the S-rank Gate Break incident. With no electricity or running water, communication was only possible through letters or couriers.

But around the Akar Gate—the epicenter—it wasn’t even possible to send letters. It made sense that he hadn’t heard anything.

“No, I’m already grateful that you worried about me.”

“Guiding is great and all, but from now on, I want you to put your health first. You’re a national treasure, Yeonsu.”

“Okay. But hyung, is your arm alright now...?”

“My arm?”

“Yeah. You got hurt because of me...”

Two years ago, during the Horaitron Gate incident, he’d gotten injured trying to protect me.

When I brought it up, his expression stiffened noticeably.

“Oh, that. It healed ages ago. I’d forgotten about it until you mentioned it.”

He smiled brightly again and waved his right arm. His expression hadn’t looked great earlier—was he putting on a brave face so I wouldn’t worry?

Still, his arm looked fine. I guess that’s how he was able to pull off the Akar raid.

“That’s good. Are you back in Korea for good now?”

“Yeah. Things over there have settled down, and I feel like I’ve done my part. Time to rest for a while.”

So he returned earlier than in the original because he wanted a break?

Everything was moving faster than the original. The Akar raid too. He must’ve been exhausted.

“I’m glad you’re back.”

“Having you say that makes me glad too.”

“I’m sure the whole country’s happy to have you home.”

“I just want you to be happy about it...”

“Huh?”

He mumbled something under his breath. When I asked again, he shook his head.

“Ah, nothing. I’m planning to go back to school next semester. Or I guess... start school?”

He laughed sheepishly and scratched his head. He’d left for Africa before even attending the entrance ceremony.

“You’re enrolling at the Academy?”

“Yeah. Why? You don’t want me to?”

“No! It’s just unexpected, that’s all.”

He’d spent two and a half years deployed in Africa. And with the success at the Akar Gate, there was no real need for him to attend the Academy.

Time spent on missions counted toward graduation, and operating in high-risk zones earned additional credits. He had more than enough.

Even in the original, he’d refused to attend the Academy because he didn’t want to waste time—and chose Africa instead.

After the Akar raid, he came back to Korea and was supposed to head straight to the Center. But he ended up stopping by the Academy and meeting Kim Jun by chance, which piqued his curiosity and made him enroll.

But he hadn’t met Kim Jun yet. So why choose the Academy now?

“I figured you’d want to be back on the front lines as soon as possible.”

“I just want to rest for a bit.”

Ah. So even he was taking a different path now...

Park Geonwoo was a kind person, but also a bulldozer—someone who charged forward without looking back.

But the expression he wore when saying he wanted to rest... seemed much more relaxed than in the original.

“I’ll be seeing you around next semester, then.”

“Exactly.”

“I’m looki—”

Bzzzt.

As he spoke, my phone vibrated. I looked at the screen.

A message from Joo Seunghyuk.

Where are you?

He must’ve finished his lecture. I replied:

< I’m heading to the library now. Want to meet out front?

Okay.

I’d better get going.

“Hyung, I have to head out. It was really nice seeing you today.”

As I turned to leave, Park Geonwoo stopped me suddenly.

“Yeonsu!”

“Yes?”

“This Friday, I’m giving a special lecture.”

“Oh, yeah. I heard.”

“Well, it’s not really a lecture. I’ll just be talking about what I went through in Africa.”

“But that’s something only you can share.”

“Uh...”

He hesitated, then continued.

“Will you come?”

“Huh?”

“I’d like you to be there.”