After Kwon Jiwoon awakened a long time ago, we had always been on somewhat distant terms, but there was no particular ill will between us.
Although his way of expressing it might have been bad, perhaps Kwon Jiwoon also cared for me in his own way.
I can't even remember my childhood, but my parents passed away, then my grandmother, and my uncle disappeared. Kwon Jiwoon is the only family I have left.
If I put him in danger because of my regression, what should I do?
Maybe I shouldn't have regressed, shouldn't have come back to life. If this was going to happen, I should have just died back then.
No... It's too early to think like that.
I looked at the blinking system window again and reached out my hand toward the semi-transparent screen in front of me.
I felt my consciousness being sucked into somewhere, and my vision was enveloped in darkness. Soon, everything became distant, and I couldn't even tell where I was.
And then.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh...!"
I couldn't bear the nausea and vomited.
* * *
A completely dark space.
After a while, a faint light appeared, and the scene in front of me changed.
This is... our shop?
No, the interior is a bit different. There are no noisy cats or slimes, and there's no peculiar sign outside.
Most importantly, the voice that came from nearby.
"Rieul, do you want one more?"
"Mmm. I've finished it."
Ah, this is when my grandmother was still alive, and <Cafe Rieul> was still her cafe.
Inside the counter, my grandmother was knitting, and I, wearing my school uniform, was slouching and playing a game on my phone. The shop was empty; there were no other customers.
Judging by the level of the character on my phone screen, I must have been around 16.
At that time, I often came to see my grandmother after school. I hadn't met Choi Eichan and Shin Mira yet, and there was no one at home anyway.
"Rieul, that game looks fun."
"Mmm. It's just okay."
I answered with a sullen expression and pressed the gacha button on the screen. I frowned at the bad result.
"How is Jiwoon doing these days?"
"I don't know. Don't bring up Kwon Jiwoon to me. He'll do what he wants, I guess."
"Are you and Jiwoon not getting along?"
I pursed my lips with a complicated expression.
It was painful, but I found it hard to speak honestly. The next words sounded like tattling.
"It's not that... Kwon Jiwoon awakened, and he... he..."
Before I could finish, the door opened with a loud bang.
"Ah! You scared me. What's going on... Oh?"
Kwon Jiwoon, who still looked like a student, was standing at the door.
"Kwon Rieul, you're here?"
"Why? It's my choice whether I come to grandma's or not. What's it to you, big brother?"
"Hmm..."
The young Kwon Jiwoon, still inexperienced at hiding his emotions, showed them clearly on his face.
Rough concern and relief at seeing me.
Why didn't I notice it back then?
Several scenes flashed before me.
A thug trying to kidnap me for ransom.
Kwon Jiwoon deliberately keeping his distance from me.
Despite that, he tried to call me several times but couldn't bring himself to do it and put his phone down.
Darkness enveloped me again, and then silence.
This time, Kwon Jiwoon was in front of me.
It seemed to be a future point, but I couldn't tell exactly when. The surroundings were not clearly visible.
Kwon Jiwoon's expression was blank. His eyes, surprisingly dry, were cast downward.
What's on the floor? I couldn't see it because my field of vision was limited.
"Light of Healing..."
A white light appeared at the tips of his trembling fingers. The light, which should have been absorbed by the target, floated in the air.
He tried again.
And again...
But the 'Light of Healing' still didn't work properly. After repeating the skill for a while, Kwon Jiwoon's hand dropped.
A crack appeared in Kwon Jiwoon's blank expression. The intense emotion that poured out through the crack... Ah, it was despair.
"Why... Why isn't this working...?"
"It's strange. I've used this skill hundreds, thousands of times. It shouldn't fail. Please... I have to try again, again..."
The result was the same.
"Please, wake up... Did I come too late? Are you angry at me for making you wait? Please, open your eyes, okay?"
"Hunter Kwon Jiwoon, please... calm down..."
"Wake up. Wake up, please!"
"There was no time to act because the rift was too close. By the time I rescued you, it was already... I'm sorry."
Tears fell. They quickly turned into sobs.
The intense crying made even the listener feel sorrow.
Wait, could this be...
No way. I came back to the past three years ago, so this shouldn't happen.
My vision moved slightly downward.
I couldn't see the face, but the limp limbs and the clothes were strangely familiar.
Kwon Jiwoon, with a distorted face, burst into tears and murmured.
"Please, open your eyes. Wake up. Kwon Rieul...!"
Darkness again.
I felt my consciousness being pulled away.
"Ugh...!"
I felt nauseous.
The surroundings were completely dark. Even though I couldn't perceive my own body, the nausea was strangely clear.
It was painful.
This should be a non-existent time because I regressed.
It can't be real. There shouldn't be a future where I die and Kwon Jiwoon is left alone.
He deliberately kept his distance because he was worried about me, and we hardly ever had a proper conversation.
How could he be left alone while I was here, happy and carefree?
That's too much.
"Lie...!"
【Yes, it's a lie.】
"!"
Suddenly, light poured into the infinite darkness. A blonde saint stood there.
There was a more pressing question than how she got there. I shouted at her.
"Is it really a lie? All of it?"
【Yes, this world doesn't adopt the multiverse theory.】
"..."
【At the point of regression, everything is non-existent time and impossible possibilities. It's nothing more than a lie I created.】
"Really?"
【Don't worry. It's true.】
At first, I felt relieved.
Then I got angry.
If it's a complete lie, why show me this and scare me?
【It seemed you were regretting the regression. By regressing, you've already saved your blood relative.】
It didn't comfort me at all.
"Saint..."
【Saint?】
If I explain that she's a saint character who appears early in a fantasy RPG game and gives meaningful advice to the rookie protagonist, it would take too long.
【You still make interesting remarks.】
"What's going on? Is Kwon Jiwoon safe?"
【Don't worry. When you open your eyes, he will return too. I had to use a rough method to prevent him from dying here.】
I was relieved, but...
Something about her words bothered me.
I've met the saint three times in total.
Once when I tried to save the long-tailed phoenix that turned black.
The next time is right now.
The last time was...
Right before I regressed, when I died in my previous life.
* * *
After being killed by a monster, my vision was completely enveloped in darkness.
Suddenly, a blonde saint appeared and spoke to me.
【This is a problem. It would be troublesome if you died here.】
‘Huh, huh?’
【This isn't a good situation to talk. Come here.】
A hazy light poured out, and the surroundings changed. The soft wind, blue sky, and grass field felt unreal.
I had just been hit by a monster and fell, so I muttered in confusion.
‘Could this be heaven?’
To die after working every day and end up in such a beautiful afterlife?
A beautiful afterlife, free from labor?
【Unfortunately, that's not the case. You're not dead yet.】
‘What... really?’
I was sure I saw my life flash before my eyes and felt the end.
【To be precise, I severed the cause and effect at the moment of death and wrapped this timeline in an independent loop.】
‘Oh, oh... I see!’
I nodded, not understanding what it meant.
【Do you understand?】
‘No, not at all.’
The saint with flowing, sparkling blonde hair burst into a cheerful laugh and spoke again.
【I want to save you.】
‘Why?’
I looked at the saint with suspicion.
I instinctively knew she was a transcendent being. Anyone would realize that if they suddenly saw a sparkling blonde woman in a white dress after dying.
However, there are many people who meet unfortunate deaths due to rifts. Why is this saint trying to save me specifically?
The golden rule for single-person households in the city: be suspicious of anything too good to be true.
【Because I have to.】
She smiled. It was clear she was avoiding the question.
【But due to the limitations of causality, I can only intervene with Awakened individuals. So, I will save you on the condition that you Awaken.】
‘...’
Of course, living is better than dying.
But the idea of Awakened seemed too unrealistic, especially when I couldn't even believe I was dead.
【I will grant you the power you desire. Do you have any specific Awakening ability in mind?】
I have a consistent personality. I don't remember this day, but my actions were consistent.
‘Ability? Not really...’
Moreover, I was in a slightly mentally unstable state after a long night shift.
‘I just want to sleep a lot.’
【That's not an ability.】
Then, I suddenly remembered a game I used to play enthusiastically. I thought, I want to live a life like that game.
‘Then... a cafe? I want to open a cafe.’
【A cafe? This is a rare opportunity... You could become a great hero if you wanted.】
‘No, I'm not interested in that.’
【A warrior, a mage, or any class with the potential to reach the pinnacle of the world.】
‘I just want to be an innkeeper who sees off the protagonist in the beginner village of an RPG game.’
【You make interesting remarks. ...Alright, if that's what you wish.】
* * *
...
...
Darkness enveloped me again, and when I opened my eyes, I was on my bed in my room from three years ago.
I had completely forgotten this memory.
How could it be so thoroughly erased?
I awakened through a psychological test on TV and, as promised, opened a cafe...
‘So many unexpected events happened.’
In the darkness, I looked at the saint, who was shining brightly. She was smiling as she did that day.