Black Star (4)

Kang Hyun-byeol.

She was my ex-girlfriend, four years younger than me.

While we were both preparing for jobs, she confessed first, and we dated for about three years.

Well, that’s not really important right now.

Swish.

I lift my gaze and meet Hyun-byeol’s eyes.

For some reason, her stare is cold.

Perhaps the reason is…

“Is that where your eyes go in this situation?”

“Ahem….”

Well, what can I do if my eyes just go there?

I hurriedly pulled myself together and tried to explain.

“Don’t get the wrong idea. I was just checking.”

“Checking?”

“Yeah. The default outfit here reflects how you perceive yourself.”

“So… you’re saying this is how I think of myself?”

“Pretty much.”

If you want different clothes, you have to buy them with GP.

The tracksuit and t-shirt I’m wearing now were also obtained that way.

It’s just that the default outfit feels a bit uncomfortable—

“So, what about you?”

“…?”

“What was your default outfit?”

“Uh…”

It was a tight-fitting navy suit.

A suit that my ex—in other words, she had bought for me as a gift when I got a job.

But…

“This, what I’m wearing now. This was the default outfit.”

For some reason, it felt embarrassing to admit that.

Wearing something that my ex gave me after we’d already broken up makes it seem like I still have feelings for her.

“…Well, that’s just like you, Oppa.”

Thankfully, Hyun-byeol didn’t seem too suspicious and accepted it easily.

But now, I had a question.

“Just like me? What do you mean by that?”

“Why are you being so sensitive? I just meant you look comfortable.”

“Oh, really?”

Ah, I can’t seem to stand up to her.

Is it because I feel guilty about everything?

“By the way… don’t you have something to say to me?”

“…It’s been a while, Hyun-byeol!”

“That’s it?”

“Uh…”

Is there something more I should say?

Oh, I didn’t ask her that.

“So, how did you end up here?”

At my question, Hyun-byeol glared at me quietly, then sighed as if resigning herself.

“You still haven’t gotten over that habit of dodging.”

Okay, let’s pretend I didn’t hear that.

“Whatever. I guess it doesn’t matter anymore…”

“That’s true. The past doesn’t matter. There’s even a saying that the present is more valuable than gold…”

Suddenly, I felt a chill from somewhere.

“Why stop? Keep going.”

“Just… I thought I should apologize first.”

“…”

“I’m sorry for what happened back then. I mean it.”

When I apologized without any hint of joking, Hyun-byeol looked at me with slightly surprised eyes.

“You’ve… changed a bit. Haven’t you?”

“I guess I had to… But are you accepting my apology?”

“I guess the apology is fine. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t really matter now, does it? Besides, it’s not really something that needs an apology.”

“That’s… true.”

After a few more exchanges, an awkward silence settled between us.

Well, it’s understandable.

It’s been a year in the real world since we broke up, and now we’re meeting in a completely different world.

“Still, I’m really surprised. I never expected to see you here.”

“Really? I thought we’d meet again eventually.”

“…Huh?”

“Ever since I woke up in this world, I’ve been thinking that you must be here somewhere too. I actually felt a bit relieved.”

“Relieved…?”

“I heard you went missing. It really shocked me. I wondered if something bad had happened…”

This was the third time I asked, as our conversation kept veering off course.

“You don’t seem like the type who’s into games…”

Luckily, this time, Hyun-byeol answered properly.

“Well… after we broke up, I got a little curious. I wondered just what was so fun about games that you were so hooked on them.”

That’s kind of nostalgic.

When we were dating, she used to scold me, saying, “Why do you need three computers just to play a game?”

Wait a second.

“So… did you finish the original game?”

“No way. How could I do that? After you disappeared, I found out there was a cheat version, and I played that.”

“So… what mod did you use?”

“30x.”

“30x…?”

Thirty times is a pretty high mod.

Especially in a world where there are plenty of people who move on after playing high mods without even clearing them.

“Seems like you worked pretty hard…”

“No, it only took me about ten rounds. It was easier after playing the original. Plus, I learned a lot from watching you, Oppa.”

Come to think of it, whenever I discovered hidden pieces in games, I used to explain them to Hyun-byeol and brag a bit.

She was so smart; she probably remembered everything.

“Why do you look so down all of a sudden?”

“…You can tell?”

“Of course. We’ve spent so much time together.”

After hesitating for a moment, I decided to be honest.

“It’s nothing. I just feel like, looking back, you listened to all those things you didn’t care about without ever complaining…”

I trailed off, feeling awkward.

There was a brief pause before Hyun-byeol responded.

“…You really have changed a lot.”

“Well, a lot of time has passed.”

“That’s true…”

An awkward atmosphere almost settled again, but it was brief. When I asked if she knew what happened after I went missing, she shared what she knew.

To summarize:

After a month, her company filed a missing person report, and the police came to notify her.

And then…

“You met my mom?”

“Yes. At the police station.”

“What did she say…?”

“We didn’t talk directly.”

“But something must’ve happened.”

“…”

“It’s okay, just tell me.”

After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously spoke up.

“She spent a long time talking about inheritance… and asked if there was any way to declare you dead before the official missing period expired.”

“Hah…”

I had a rough idea, but it still feels really nasty.

How much money could I have possibly saved up?

I was an idiot for even hoping that.

Grit.

Without realizing it, I clenched my jaw, and Hyun-byeol tried to offer some comfort.

“Well, there’s still five years. Since there was no accident or evidence of a crime, it wasn’t treated as a special missing person case.”

“What’s the difference?”

“With a special missing case, they can claim inheritance after just one year.”

“I see.”

That was a bit of a relief.

Funny, though.

I chuckled quietly.

Should I say it’s a typical Hyun-byeol-style comfort?

Come to think of it, she used to comfort me by logically finding positive aspects rather than offering mere words of empathy.

She played a significant role in shaping my current personality.

“So, what happened next?”

“I don’t know. Three months after you disappeared, I was also dragged here.”

“What…?”

I was genuinely surprised.

Although time was distorted due to the Fragment of Records, simply calculating, it’s already been three years and nine months since I became Bjorn Jandel.

And given the 5:1 time ratio…

‘It’s been nine months since I went missing in the real world.’

In other words, Hyun-byeol had survived in this world for over two and a half years.

Realizing that, I grew curious about something.

“Why did it take you so long to join the community?”

“I’m not an explorer. I guess I wasn’t really on their radar.”

“Not an explorer…?”

“No. Just because I played some games doesn’t mean I’m cut out to fight monsters in real life, right? I just got a decent job and started making money.”

“Judging by what you’re saying, you must be human.”

“So you’re not, oppa?”

At her retort, I was at a loss for words.

I wondered if it was okay to share such personal information.

But did she notice my hesitation in that brief moment?

“So, you don’t want to tell me.”

Her eyes narrowed.

***

I had seen this look many times when we were dating.

In the past, I would have fretted and tried to soothe her mood, but now there was no need.

To be blunt, we’re practically strangers now, right?

There’s no way the ever-rational Hyun-byeol doesn’t know that.

“So, you’re the one drawing the line first?”

“Yeah.”

“Fine. I won’t ask about such things from now on. Okay?”

True to her nature, she accepted it coolly.

But perhaps she was still a bit hurt?

“But don’t think about prying into my business either. I won’t tell you a thing, even if I die.”

Well, that’s fair.

I couldn’t argue with that, so I nodded without feeling any regret.

Seeing this, she bit her lip.

“Are you really not curious at all?”

“If I ask, then I’ll have to answer too.”

Rather than making something up, I gave her an honest answer.

After all, she knew exactly when I entered this world. Just revealing my race would narrow down the possibilities too much.

“…”

“…”

We fell into silence again, just staring at each other.

“…Let’s sit down, at least.”

“…Yeah, that might be better.”

Standing around felt awkward, so we sat on the nearby sofa.

But once we sat down, I realized I didn’t have much else to say.

So I decided to start with something light.

“This is your first time in the community, right?”

“Yes.”

If she had been living a regular work life in this world, how did she get an invitation? That made me curious, but I swallowed my curiosity.

“If you need it, I can give you some GP. You can exchange it for cash or something at the marketplace.”

“No, thanks. I can earn that much myself. Besides, when converting to cash, actual goods have to move, so that would reveal my identity, right??”

To be honest, I only mentioned it to start a conversation; I would have tried to stop her if she wanted to cash out GP.

“Oppa… you became an explorer, right?”

“Yeah.”

Even though we agreed not to reveal our identities, I admitted it easily.

If I refused even this level of topic, we wouldn’t be able to talk at all.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Just… I can’t imagine you fighting monsters and getting all bloody.”

“I got used to it.”

“That must’ve been tough.”

“What about you?”

“I’ve been doing okay. Actually, working here is easier than in the real world.”

Considering how smart she is, she probably adapted quickly to this world too—

“Really. Since the market system here is so basic, it was easy to make my initial capital.”

Capital? Wait, is she saying she embezzled funds?

“Because the market itself is so rudimentary, I’ve been making quite a profit.”

“…”

“Oppa.”

“…Yeah?”

“In that sense, why don’t we stop beating around the bush and just team up?”

“Ha, team up? We already—”

“I’m not saying we should start over. I mean we should pool our resources. I’ll support you from behind.”

“You’ll support me?”

“Yeah. After I became financially independent, my next goal was to gain power. And I recently got close to someone pretty high up. I can use that connection to help you.”

“What’s in it for you?”

“Isn’t it obvious? When we return to the real world, you’ll take me with you. You want to go back too, right?”

“Return…”

When I trailed off, Hyun-byeol’s expression shifted again, as if she sensed something.

“Oppa… you’re not planning to stay here, are you?”

I didn’t see any reason to deny it.

“After all the hell I’ve been through, there’s nothing waiting for me back there.”

“…What about your mom!”

“Huh? My mom?”

“If you stay here, all the deposit money will go to her!”

Ah, so that’s what she meant.

“Oh, that’s definitely a good motivator.”

I chuckled, but Hyun-byeol raised her voice.

“Don’t just laugh it off! Are you really planning to stay here?”

“Why are you getting so worked up? Honestly, it’s not like I can’t live here. You know what? I have more friends here.”

At my attempt to lighten the mood, her expression hardened.

And after a long pause.

“…Friends? You?”

“……”

Uh…

Even for me, that reaction stings a bit.