The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 3

The moment the weapon selection ended, so did today’s schedule.

Since it was the first day, students gathered in small groups, forming bonds and starting to enjoy their school life.

I wanted to blend in as well, but the problem was that I didn’t have the luxury of casually chatting.

“Sixth floor... Room 605...”

I muttered to myself as I walked toward the dormitory. Originally, I had planned to approach the protagonist and take additional actions, but first, I needed to organize the tangled thoughts that had accumulated in my mind throughout the day.

The dormitory building was exactly as I had seen in the game. Its grand and orderly exterior, as well as the strict separation between the male and female dormitories, were all as expected.

Without taking time to glance around, I headed straight to my room.

—Rustle.

The first thing I did ten years ago, after realizing I had been reincarnated into this game world, was to create a reference book.

Human memory is not limitless. Organizing major events, characters, and future developments in this world was a necessity.

And now, I was rummaging through the reference book I had written over the years.

“Found it.”

‘Easter Egg Collection’

Hidden mechanisms left by the game developers.

Rare events that only occur under specific conditions—sometimes once in tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of playthroughs. Those were Easter eggs.

This had to explain the ridiculous situation I was in—completely ignoring the protagonist and repeatedly getting involved with supporting characters I had never interacted with before.

“...Forget it.”

My hand, flipping through the pages, stopped.

There was nothing in the reference book to support the current situation.

I was supposed to know every element of the story. But this... this was something I didn’t know.

I closed the book and let out a sigh.

With my regression ability gone and now this unknown Easter egg interfering, the word "plan" was starting to lose its meaning.

I was royally screwing this up.

But wait a minute.

...Isn’t this actually a good thing?

To nurture the key figures, I would have had to approach them first anyway.

I didn’t know why, but if they took the initiative to approach me like today, things would actually become easier.

As long as I connected the protagonist with the heroines naturally, my role would be complete.

This strange turn of events made me uneasy, but good things were still good things.

I had to frame it as a victory for my own sanity.

Just then, the alarm on my watch interrupted my thoughts.

I slowly raised my wrist to check it.

[Ha Sion]

: Jeong Haein! I need to give you something from Grandpaㅠㅠ Where are you? Call me now!

It was Sion.

The granddaughter of the old man who had helped me for the past ten years.

We were the same age, but since she had lost her parents at a young age, she treated me like an older brother.

We weren’t family, but we were close enough to be.

She wasn’t directly connected to the main story, but she was quite skilled.

But why did this feel unsettling? That old man wouldn’t have given me something out of sheer goodwill...

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With a face full of suspicion, I pressed the call button on my watch.

—Ring, click.

“Hello~”

“Where are you?”

***

The first floor of the school building.

A café bustling with students filled with the excitement of a new semester.

“Be careful, it’s hot~”

I had only planned to pick up whatever she had for me and leave immediately, yet somehow, a cup of coffee had ended up in my hands.

The rich aroma tickled my nose. It looked like I wouldn’t be leaving this spot anytime soon.

Well... coffee is nice, anyway.

“So, what is it you’re supposed to give me?”

“I’ll tell you in a bit. If I hand it over now, you’ll just run away, won’t you?”

“...No way.”

How did she know? Damn it, blood really doesn’t lie.

Sion, who had been silent for a moment, tilted her head while stroking her coffee cup.

“But Haein.”

Her gaze lowered slightly.

“You don’t look too good. Are you sick?”

Sion placed her hand on my forehead, gently lifting my bangs. The warmth of her touch made me flinch before I even realized it.

I leaned back and answered vaguely.

“No, I’m just a bit tired.”

“Ah, yeah. You do look like it. I was watching from afar.”

So, she had seen that whole farce.

She continued talking in a casual, chattering tone.

“By the way, who were those people?”

“Just classmates. First time seeing them.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“First time meeting them, and they’re already clinging to you like that? That’s kinda weird.”

I nodded absentmindedly.

Well, she wasn’t wrong.

At that moment, a small smile appeared on her lips as she tilted her head slightly.

Her eyes curved faintly, giving off an expression of subtle satisfaction.

“Right? I thought so too.”

I was about to nod in agreement when I suddenly became aware of the soft sensation on the back of my hand.

Wait, she’s been doing this for a while now—

Her fingers lightly traced over the back of my hand.

Kneading, stroking, tickling—it was starting to get on my nerves.

She was naturally affectionate and liked skinship, but this was a bit much.

“...Do you really have to keep touching my hand?”

“Yeah. I do.”

Oh.

She answered so naturally, smiling all the while.

Something about the slight rise in her tone drained the energy out of me.

“It’s been a while~”

Been a while? I distinctly remember having lunch with her and the old man just yesterday.

“...Didn’t we have a meal together yesterday?”

“Did we? Hehe.”

Sion chuckled mischievously and emptied her coffee cup.

Her every action felt both familiar and strangely foreign.

I stared at her face for a moment before shaking my head.

“Anyway, what did your grandpa want you to give me?”

Sion reached into her bag and pulled out a small box, handing it to me.

It was wrapped in black silk and had a solid, heavy feel to it.

“Open it~”

Feeling slightly tense, I lifted the lid. Knowing that old man, I wouldn’t have been surprised if a snake jumped out.

However, to my surprise, inside was an obsidian bracelet.

The glossy black surface, the engraved patterns, the precise craftsmanship—it immediately caught my eye.

“What is this?”

“It’s an artifact. Supposed to help with vitality.”

Sion leaned back in her chair and peeked at my face, her lips curling into a playful smirk.

Vitality...?

Wait. Could this be the kind of vitality I’m thinking of? No, no way. He wouldn’t have sent something like that to his granddaughter to give me... right?

What was the old man thinking? He was always more of a snake-wine kind of guy than an artifact guy.

She giggled mischievously, taking my wrist and lifting the bracelet.

“I’ll put it on you. Give me your hand.”

“I can do it myself.”

“Oh, come on! Just hold still.”

Sion laughed playfully as she firmly grasped my wrist and carefully secured the obsidian bracelet.

Her touch was soft and delicate, yet there was something oddly unsettling about it.

The moment the bracelet clicked into place, I felt a faint warmth on my wrist.

A strange, tingling sensation spread through my veins, as if energy were seeping into me.

...It almost felt like my whole body was heating up.

“...How does it feel?”

She asked, eyes filled with anticipation.

“Well... It does feel warm.”

“Right? I told you Grandpa really put effort into it.”

Sion studied the bracelet for a while before nodding in satisfaction.

“But be careful. This thing is pretty valuable. If you lose it, I’m seriously going to be mad.”

I glanced at the bracelet and nodded.

“Got it.”

Sion grinned and stood up.

“When you start feeling the effects, don’t keep it to yourself—tell me, okay?”

She waved as she walked out of the café.

“...She’s way too excited about this.”

It seemed like she wasn’t the only one feeling giddy about the new semester.

Watching her retreating figure for a moment, I sighed and stood up as well.

It was time to head back.

***

Sion stepped out of the café and moved toward a dark corridor at the edge of the building.

The sweet, laughter-filled expression she had worn just moments ago was completely gone, leaving behind only a cold, unreadable gaze.

She raised her smartwatch and turned on the screen.

Several messages had already arrived.

[Sender: OnE]

[Did you seriously give it to him? Haha, you crazy bitch.]

[Sender: Rin]

[But isn’t this a good thing?]

Sion stared at the messages for a moment before letting out a short sigh.

Then, she moved her fingers and sent a brief reply.

[Fuck off.]

A few moments later, a new message popped up, and the corner of her lips curved faintly.

[Sender: Jeong Haein]

[Thanks for delivering it. You probably wanted to hang out with the others, sorry about that.]

This time, her smile carried that same playful mischief from earlier.

[No, it’s fineㅎㅎ You did well today!!]

Closing the message, Sion traced her fingers over the obsidian bracelet on her wrist—identical to the one she had just given him.

Lost in thought, she lowered her head and murmured in a voice so soft it was barely audible.

“...This time, you...”

Her voice was quiet, but the conviction behind it was anything but small.

***

The warm stream of water cascaded down my neck, easing the fatigue from my body little by little.

It had been a long day. From the weapon selection to all the strange incidents, my mind was a tangled mess, but at least in this moment, I just wanted to let everything go.

After finishing my shower, I stepped out of the bathroom.

Droplets of water dripped from my damp hair, running down my skin.

The obsidian bracelet on my wrist still carried a noticeable weight, exuding a solid presence.

I should at least say thanks.

This artifact didn’t seem ordinary in any way. That old man had always beaten into me the idea that relying on gear was pointless, so I had no idea what had suddenly changed his mind.

I raised my watch and scrolled through the call log.

[Old Man Geezer]

—Riiiing, riiiing...

—"What."

The call connected, and a dry, authoritative voice answered.

I already wanted to hang up, but I held back.

“It’s me. I received what you sent. Thank you.”

There was a brief silence.

Then finally, he spoke in a low, heavy voice.

—"What the hell are you talking about?"

“...Excuse me?”

—"What did I supposedly send you? Stop spouting nonsense and just go to sleep."

The moment I heard that, something twisted in my gut.

What?

“The bracelet. The artifact, remember?”

—"An artifact? Why the hell would I give you something like that?"

His voice sharpened.

I froze for a second before nearly laughing.

Ah, so that’s how it is.

I guess he’s the type who can’t openly admit to doing something nice.

A tsundere old man? That’s kind of cute, in a way.

“Ah, yes, my mistake. Must’ve misunderstood. Anyway, how have you been?”

—"We just saw each other yesterday, what the hell—just go the fuck to sleep."

“Yes, sleep well.”

I ended the call and sat at the edge of the bed, pressing my palm against the mattress. The plush yet firm texture beneath my fingertips was undeniable.

Is this a hotel?

Without a second thought, I lifted the covers and threw myself onto the bed.

This school was definitely high-class, judging by the dormitory’s facilities.

As I replayed the day’s events, I realized just how many strange things had happened.

...No, not many—every single thing had been weird.

But my exhausted body was no longer willing to let me think too deeply about it.

Slowly, I closed my eyes and let myself drift into the pull ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) of sleep.