Holding the ring that she had intended to give me tightly in both hands, Sylvia started to cry, her face contorted like a child who didnāt even know how to cry out loud.
Pacing back and forth, unsure of what to do, I finally took the ring from her hands.
A ring with a red gemstone.
When I saw the inscription inside, a wave of guilt washed over me.
I had desperately maintained a false relationship to survive, doing nothing.
I no longer wanted to be a mere observer, so I didnāt need to pretend to be friends with Sylvia anymore.
However, it seemed I couldnāt just erase this relationship as if it never existed.
Friends were my pillars in life, the ones who could comfort me in my sorrows.
I loved academy stories because they reminded me of the precious times I spent with such friends during my school days.
The word "friend" meant so much to me that I couldnāt consider the false relationship I had with Sylvia as a real friendship.
Even if Sylvia thought of me in a certain way, our relationship could never truly be real unless I told her about my hidden purpose.
Still, I knew that the truth could sometimes cause great pain to others, so as I slipped the ring onto my right ring finger, I said,
"Thank you for the gift. Is the inscription on your ring the same?"
Sylvia slowly nodded.
"Iām glad you think so."
I was the one who had deceived her, and I was the one who had done wrong.
So, I had to bear the weight of the ring on my right ring finger.
Despite the pain, I managed to express only joy.
Seeing me smile, Sylvia stopped crying.
Sylviaās ring was on her left ring finger, symbolizing friendship.
My ring was on my right ring finger, symbolizing desire and goals.
Still, the word "friend" was engraved on both rings.
*
"...I kind of knew from that guy, but... itās still troubling."
After class ended, I told the classmates that I was fine and they didnāt need to worry, and then I was on my way to the cafeteria with Mei for the cooking club activity when I ran into Leonor.
Seeing me, Leonor sighed, patted my shoulder, and started walking towards the stairs.
The cafeteria was in the opposite direction, right?
As I stood there confused, Leonor turned her head slightly and I saw her raise her index and middle fingers to her mouth.
...Ah!
I was just thinking about it, so I quickly followed her, and Mei, looking bewildered, trailed behind us.
On the rooftop, Leonor and I each put a magic cigarette in our mouths.
"Do you want one too?"
"No, Iāll pass."
Mei refused the magic cigarette Leonor offered, looking quite uneasy.
Itās not like itās bad for you, so why not have one together?
Well, I guess itās hard to imagine Mei smoking a magic cigarette.
I took the ring off my right ring finger and lit the magic cigarette.
When I extended my hand, Leonor leaned down to light her cigarette, which was a bit amusing.
This is only the third time weāve smoked together, but it feels so natural.
With the magic cigarette in my mouth, I inhaled the smoke and saw Leonor making a donut with the smoke.
"Puff... Kell... Kehm... How did you do that?"
"Hehe, I donāt know? I guess I just naturally started doing it at some point?"
"How long have you been smoking, senpai...?"
Leonor laughed at my failed attempt to mimic her.
Mei, sensing the depth of her experience, asked in a probing tone.
Honestly, if Leonor had been smoking since she was a toddler, I wouldnāt be surprised.
"I started smoking when my mother passed away, so itās been about six years."
"Ah... Ah......"
Mei seemed to sink into a deep silence at Leonorās answer.
Her face turned pale, as if she had stepped on a landmine. While trying to calm her down, Leonor said,
"Well, donāt worry about it. Itās an old story. Smoking these has a direct effect, though. I still do it out of habit."
I stared at Leonor.
What kind of habit is that? If youāre not okay, why tell me not to worry?
She was truly a hopelessly kind person.
If the magic cigarette had the effect of clouding the mind and making one forget painful memories, I would have thought she was dependent on it.
But the effect of the magic cigarette is to calm the mind.
If Leonor wasnāt suffering from hallucinations, she might actually feel a bit worse after smoking.
The reason people often say time is a healer is that, over time, one realizes thereās no other way but to accept what has happened.
When the mind is calmed by the magic cigarette, one is forced to accept this.
Being fully awake is a form of violence to someone who wants to escape reality.
Itās like being forced to accept it, or else what will you do?
But she has been smoking for six years and still hasnāt accepted her motherās death, continuing to strive tirelessly.
It must be tough, but sheās really strong.
Knowing how difficult it is to accept the death of a loved one, I gently reached out and patted Leonorās back.
She chuckled, placed her hand on my head, and patted it.
"I was thinking of offering you some counseling if you looked depressed, but it seems you donāt need it."
"Well, Iām prepared, so itās not a big deal."
Hearing my words, Leonor slowly started stroking my head.
"Sure, if youāre having a hard time, just contact me. You can come to the cooking club just to eat, so donāt skip it. Iāll make whatever you want when you come."
I nodded.
Mei, standing beside me, looked a bit pouty.
"By the way, Mei, do you want to exchange phone numbers?"
"Huh? Oh, sure!"
Not anymore.
*
After our rooftop session, or rather, magic cigarette time, the official cooking club activities began.
"I want to make homemade chocolate for dessert. What do you think would be good to eat before that?"
"Of course, something spicy and salty!"
Hearing Meiās desire to make chocolate, Leonor shouted.
Is spicy and salty a universal truth in this world too?
Mei and Leonor, who seemed a bit more energetic, started cooking and took out a pot.
The spicy-looking tteokbokki with a bright red broth that had reduced by half was ready.
The melted cheese on top was a clear sign that this couldnāt be anything but delicious.
Still, the intensity in Leonor and Meiās eyes today was particularly fiery.
It seems many women especially love tteokbokki.
Itās almost as if it contains some ingredient that drives women crazy.
While I slowly ate the fish cakes instead of the tteok, the two of them worked quickly and quietly.
Judging by the lack of sound when Mei moved, she was definitely using her powers.
I was so absorbed in the chicken earlier that I didnāt notice, but eating tteokbokki today made me realize that even heroes eat combatively.
The final battle over the last egg between the two was more thrilling than the sparring between Yun Siwoo and Sylvia.
In the end, Leonor was the winner.
Indeed, the one who cooks is always the boss.
Mei took out the homemade chocolate from the refrigerator, which had hardened and cooled.
When I took a bite of the chocolate Mei had cut, I had to admit that homemade chocolate really did taste different.
I nodded, and Mei, looking pleased, smiled.
Both the tteokbokki and the chocolate were in large quantities, but they were all gone in no time.
I didnāt feel like I ate that much today, but it seems women have separate stomachs for meals and desserts.
After the enjoyable meal and the cleanup, I said goodbye to the two of them at the school entrance.
Once they were out of sight, I wiped the smile from my face.
The streets were still quiet.
I checked the time on my phone.
It was 7:30 PM.
It was a Friday evening, but it was a bit ambiguous to jump to conclusions.
According to the original story, the incident at the gymnasium happened on a Friday evening.
A protest would take place in District 15.
Citizens who had lost family and friends would express their anger towards the heroes.
However, if that protest was prevented, the demons would take advantage of the absence of heroes from other districts to invade the city.
I didnāt know exactly which districts or who would die, but I knew something like that would happen.
Since no one had died, the protest naturally didnāt occur.
Without heroes being dispatched, the demons wouldnāt have invaded either.
The future I knew had changed because of my actions.
Now, I couldnāt be certain about what would happen next.
The events I knew might not occur, and new, unknown events could happen.
In the midst of all this, I might even die.
But rather than doing nothing and waiting for destruction,
I decided to struggle desperately to save more people.
It might seem like a weak breeze now, but I hope it will turn into a storm.
The butterfly started to flap its remaining wing.
Author's Note
It took a while, but Iāve finished the practice and am going to bed...
If I were to give a subtitle to Episode 49, it would be "The Butterfly."
The wind caused by the butterflyās sacrifice of one wing has started to create a butterfly effect.
If the original story had a bad ending, the protagonist would have to strive to see the true ending.