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As I mentioned before, for an academy student to go out, they must adhere to very strict conditions.

If a supervising teacher is not accompanying them as part of a class, the student intending to go out must carry an outing pass.

If a student who goes out does not return to the academy by the curfew time of 10 PM, their current location is immediately sent to the academy.

So can’t they just throw away the outing pass right after leaving?

That’s not possible either.

If they move even slightly away from the outing pass, it detects the absence of their biometric signal and sends their location to the academy, dispatching a search team.

Some students complain that it’s excessive control.

However, the majority willingly accept it and refrain from going out.

Because each and every student in the academy understands that they are a precious hope for humanity to be protected from monsters.

Yet, I’m one of the few who does not accept this.

Thanks to this zealous control, even casually going out to commit suicide is fundamentally blocked, so isn’t it a natural reaction?

Anyway, due to these complicated circumstances, I am only looking forward to next Wednesday, the day of the practical training.

Because when a supervising teacher is accompanying us for educational purposes, there is no need to carry an outing pass.

“Here, take it.”

“…Thank you.”

I took the outing pass from the guard, who had a look on his face as if he had just bitten into a lemon.

Today is a sunny Saturday morning.

Originally, I was going to laze around in the dorm for the weekend, but, due to Kim Shinwoo’s scheme, I ended up going back to their hometown.

And that too, with Sophie.

“Hana, let’s hurry up.”

“Yeah…”

What is so great that they’re grinning? I barely managed to suppress a sigh of frustration that was trying to escape.

Just then, Sophie smiled at me and whispered.

“Don’t worry! I’ll help you!”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Once again, there’s only Sophie to rely on.

*

Their hometown is quite far from the academy.

So we need to take a bus for quite a while.

As we boarded the almost empty bus, where only the three of us were there, the two who had gotten seats ahead of time called out to me at the same time.

“Hana, sit here.”

“Come here!”

After briefly glancing back and forth between them, I went to sit next to Sophie.

Kim Shinwoo opened his mouth and stared at us for a moment before turning his head toward the window.

Hmm. Was that a bit much?

It’s true that I want to keep my distance from Kim Shinwoo, but would it cause more trouble if I ended up resenting him for this unnecessary behavior?

Eventually, after long deliberation, I proposed a compromise.

“Let’s all sit in the very back seat.”

“Yeah! Hana is so smart!”

“…Is that so?”

I didn’t think it was something to get praised for.

Anyway, I sat in the middle, with Kim Shinwoo and Sophie sitting on either side, and the bus set off.

The journey home was boring.

We had to be on the bus for several hours.

Of course, it was bound to be boring.

So, it wasn’t long after departing that I started dozing off.

Whisper, whisper.

I heard the sounds of conversation through the haze of sleep.

There were only the two of them to talk to on the bus.

What are they talking about?

Were they close enough to talk just the two of them, excluding me?

I wanted to eavesdrop out of curiosity, but the pull of sleep was too strong.

I ended up losing consciousness completely.

“So, Hana…”

“Really? What happened next…?”

“Then in the end…”

*

Finally, we arrived.

As soon as I got off the bus, I stretched to relieve my stiffness.

Ah, the countryside.

And I mean really backwoods.

To the point where you can barely feel any traces of civilization.

Looking around, it was just full of nature.

There were very few people, too.

“Wow. Is this where the two of you grew up?”

“Yeah. It’s been a really long time.”

Of course, nothing came to mind.

After all, this isn’t my hometown; it’s Yu Hana’s hometown.

As we walked down a narrow unpaved road, a middle-aged man working in a rice field spotted us and shouted.

“Hey, who’s there!”

“Uncle, it’s us!”

“…Is that Shinwoo and Hana? Oh my! What took you so long to come back!?”

“We told you last time that we entered the academy.”

“What? Did you? I guess I kind of remember… It’s all a bit blurry.”

He seems to be a familiar local.

Of course, he’s just a stranger A to me.

Kim Shinwoo smiled wryly and asked the uncle.

“Everyone is doing well, right? Has a monster shown up…?”

“All good! No monsters have come here. Why would a monster come to such a remote place? That was the unusual part back then.”

Saying that, the uncle clicked his tongue.

“Still, it’s a relief. We’re off now.”

“Really? Are you heading there?”

“Yeah. First, we should visit.”

“Tsk… It’s quite thoughtless of the heavens, isn’t it?”

After bidding farewell to the uncle, we continued on our way.

*

“Oh no…”

I was in big trouble.

I ended up separating from the two.

The reason was very simple.

I fell behind due to a lack of stamina.

But there was nothing I could do.

How exhausting it was to keep walking along such a rugged mountain path.

Especially for Yu Hana’s delicate frame; it was an extremely grueling task.

They were really being too much.

Can’t they just wait a little if I fall behind?

Of course, I did tell them to go ahead first since I felt sorry for them!

That way, I would end up alone, which I thought was a good thing!

But now that I’m really left behind, it feels quite disappointing…

This is just a human instinct I can’t help.

My stamina began to drain again.

I couldn’t move any longer…

I might truly collapse from exhaustion.

I plopped down on a flat stone to take a rest.

This was exactly my 32nd break time.

Just then, someone spoke to me from the side.

“Nuna!”

“Ugh! You scared me!”

I almost cursed out loud from being startled.

If I hadn’t realized it was a little boy, I might have done so.

When did this kid appear?

“Who…?”

“What’s this? Did you really forget about me!? Nuna, it’s me!”

I’m sorry.

I’m not in my right mind right now.

Honestly, it’s a bit awkward to call you nuna in this situation.

Anyway, this must be a kid who originally knew Hana.

This is troublesome.

I don’t think the original work revealed the names of such extras, and even if they did, the chance I would remember is zero.

After a moment of hesitation, I shouted.

“…Deokchun! It’s Deokchun, right?”

“It’s Hansol. Who’s Deokchun? What a quaint name.”

Is that so?

I thought it sounded quite nice, but is it a quaint name?

Anyway, I learned the name.

So this kid is Hansol.

“Of course, it was a joke. But Hansol, why are you here in this mountain?”

“I came to check since I heard Nuna and brother were coming. Where’s Shinwoo-hyung?”

“Oh, he went ahead without me.”

At that, Hansol’s expression turned slightly strange.

“He left you behind? Are you not on good terms with him?”

“…Well, it’s not bad. Just a bit complicated.”

In fact, it’s quite complicated.

But there’s no good reason for a kid to know about this.

“Well, come quickly! All the other kids are waiting for you!”

“Alright. Can you not rush me? It’s not an easy task… What?”

“I’m going ahead!”

Tap tap tap!

The little boy dashed up the mountain path without hesitation.

I tilted my head as I watched him run away.

Something feels off.

He said all the other kids are waiting for me?

That doesn’t make any sense.

Waiting for me up there? That can’t be.

“…Oh no. It can’t be.”

He probably just said that casually.

There’s no way it means what it literally says.

Shaking off the creepy feeling that lingered, I began to climb the mountain path with difficulty.

*

I’m in big trouble.

At this rate, I might actually die of exhaustion.

I might really die…

Anyway, I finally caught up to the two and reached our destination.

The two were happily chatting with each other.

Then Sophie spotted me coming up and waved her hand, shouting.

“Hana! Why are you so late? Did you fall asleep on the way?”

This girl.

Is she trying to mess with me?

She’s really a master at this.

“Puff… It’s… no big deal…”

“You don’t look like you’re fine at all.”

Only after I managed to catch my breath did I finally notice the scenery around us.

A huge stone monument standing halfway up the mountain.

Exactly ten years have passed since that day.

After a monster attacked this peaceful rural village, it caused countless casualties.

The place most directly affected by that incident was the Hope Orphanage.

The orphanage where Kim Shinwoo and Yu Hana lived.

Everyone except the two of them perished.

That’s why they vowed revenge against the monsters.

Kim Shinwoo got up and approached the monument.

He softly ran his hand over the various names engraved there, reminiscing the happy memories.

“I’m sorry… for arriving so late…”

“…”

What can I say?

In this space, I’m an unwelcome outsider.

Do they know that I’m an outsider wearing Yu Hana’s shell?

“Teacher. Yujung Nuna. Hajun-hyung. Yena. Hansol. Jiho. Soojung.”

“…Wait a minute. What did you just say?”

An absolute taboo name came through loud and clear.

I immediately ran over to stand next to Shinwoo, hurriedly scanning the monument.

And I confirmed the name engraved precisely in the center.

Bae Hansol.

“…”

How…

What is this…