The gifts clearly reflected each person’s taste so well that you could tell who had brought what just by looking.
“This is my gift!”
Yeon Ha-yeon was the first to hand me a paper bag containing a gift.
Inside the large paper bag were five smaller ones, each seemingly wrapped separately to share with friends.
I distributed the contents among the Four Heavenly Kings and then took out my own.
“A potion? But the scent is definitely…”
“You recognized it right away? I specially requested a yogurt-flavored potion from the potion maker.”
Usually, potions are bought ready-made, but she had personally asked for one with a customized flavor. I knew she liked yogurt a lot, but wasn’t this level of obsession bordering on madness?
“Wow, someone must have awakened the skill to change potion flavors! I tried requesting a flavor when I made potions, but they refused me.”
Ban Eun-hyeol, Ji Gang-han, and Eun Bada were all looking at the potion with similar expressions, when Han Ji-bin cheerfully spoke up.
“You tried requesting? What flavor did you ask for?”
“Chocolate! If I’m going to drink it anyway, I want it to be sweet and tasty. But they said they couldn’t change the flavor back then.”
Ji-bin pouted her lips as she spoke, her eyes sparkling with curiosity while staring at the potion.
‘Ah, so changing the flavor was something only possible after awakening the skill.’
Before or after the possession, I just drank whatever was given without ever thinking about wanting a specific flavor.
“Wow, there really is everything under the sun.”
Eun-hyeol looked fascinated as he examined the yogurt-colored potion, then opened the cap and took a sip.
He raised the corners of his mouth and, as if amazed, took another sip.
“This really tastes like yogurt. Hey, thanks.”
“Maybe I should have brought something like this too? I picked the gift thinking about you guys.”
Seeing that, Eun Bada smiled awkwardly and brought over a bag that looked heavy just by the way she carried it.
“What’s the gift?”
Han Ji-bin asked, confused as she looked at what Eun Bada had taken out.
Then, staring into the empty bag, she asked with a shocked expression.
“Oh, so this is the gift! So typical of Bada. Wow…”
Usually quick with her reactions, Ji-bin awkwardly accepted the gift from Bada, her mouth open.
A heavy workbook made its presence known in Ji-bin’s hands.
The cover read: ‘Includes Past CSAT Questions for Grade 12 Students.’
“Oh my, how did you think of this? Mom likes this gift the best.”
My mother, watching the gift-opening ceremony from nearby, smiled brightly and praised Bada.
From a parent’s perspective, this was indeed the best present.
“Since it’s from Bada, I have to work hard on it, right?”
“Ahaha… of course.”
I stared at the thick workbook, which could have served as a brick, with a complicated expression.
Just thinking about having to solve all of this gave me a headache.
“I picked different gifts for each person.”
Ji Gang-han handed us paper bags one by one.
When I opened mine, there was a neck pillow inside.
“Huh? A neck pillow?”
“Yeah, you often doze off in class.”
I smiled as I took it, but only my eyes shifted to check my parents’ expressions.
Just a moment ago, Mom had been smiling contentedly, saying how much she liked the gifts, but now her lips had stiffened.
“Hey, I’m not that sleepy to begin with… haha…”
I hurriedly put the neck pillow back into the paper bag.
I never imagined Ji Gang-han would pick such a thoughtful personalized gift, let alone a neck pillow.
“I’ll use it well. Thanks.”
As I promised to use it, I glanced at my parents again.
Then Han Ji-bin came over with a proud smile carrying a huge teddy bear.
This gift had already caught everyone’s eyes the moment it was brought in.
Until now, the only stuffed toys I’d received were small ones made by fan clubs before the possession, so this was my first time seeing such a large teddy bear.
“Isn’t this so cute?! I bought it the moment I thought of our Dana.”
Come to think of it, the bear’s fur color was similar to my hair color.
I felt thankful that she had picked the gift so thoughtfully and brought the bear into my room.
“Where are ours?”
After giving me the bear and sitting back down, Han Ji-bin asked, looking around.
“Ah, since the bear was so big, I sent your gifts to each of your homes. Didn’t I do well?”
“It’s my first stuffed toy at home. Good job.”
When she asked ‘Didn’t I do well?’ it was like a puppy wagging its tail, begging for praise.
Yeon Ha-yeon gently ruffled Ji-bin’s hair as if petting a dog and complimented her.
“What about Eun-hyeol? What’s our gift?”
Then Ji-bin, smiling brightly, grabbed Eun-hyeol and asked.
“I sent yours to each house too. It’s too bulky to bring all of them here.”
No wonder he had come in empty-handed.
He must have sent the gifts to our homes beforehand.
But as I was about to accept it and move on, something nagged at me.
“Wait, what about me? I haven’t received a gift at my house.”
This is my home, but I hadn’t gotten any gifts.
Eun-hyeol leaned back on the sofa and said calmly.
“Oh, really? Wait a moment.”
I thought maybe a delivery had come and said okay, then we all ate fruit while chatting.
“There’s never been a more spectacular year in my life.”
“I’ll never forget this year. Who would have thought I’d form a guild with these guys?”
Peeling a tangerine, Yeon Ha-yeon was the first to speak, and Eun-hyeol nodded enthusiastically in agreement.
“I think I’ll never forget this year either.”
For me, the year would be unforgettable in a different way.
The gates opening and killing monsters was now ordinary, but possession into another dimension was a monumental event that no one else had experienced.
What’s more, I had grown attached to that dimension and stopped longing for my original one.
Early on, I never imagined I would change this much.
I thought I might just go to school for a bit, find a way back, and return to my original dimension.
But now, I naturally envision a future with these friends.
Even when I mistakenly thought I had returned briefly to my previous dimension, I found myself missing this world.
After chatting about all sorts of things, I went into my room to get the gifts I planned to give my friends.
I originally planned to give them as I saw them off, but it felt better to give them before the year ended.
Knock-knock—
I was looking for the gifts with the door slightly open when someone knocked.
Turning my head, I saw Eun-hyeol leaning against the doorframe.
“Why?”
As I was about to take the gift and leave, Eun-hyeol glanced at the living room and handed me something.
“A gift.”
“Huh? I thought you sent it by delivery.”
“I brought it myself. Try it on once.”
I examined the gift Eun-hyeol gave me.
It was a mask covering half my face, black as night, with gold patterns engraved on it, giving off a moderately fancy vibe.
Following Eun-hyeol’s words, I tried on the mask and looked at him.
“How is it?”
“Wow, I really can’t tell who you are.”
He circled around me and said, amazed.
“It’s an item that dropped by chance after defeating a boss monster. Its effect is something like cognitive dissonance? Anyway, no one can identify the wearer when they put this on.”
“Are you really giving this to me? It sounds like a really good item.”
It was exactly the kind of gift I needed right now.
If it was truly a coincidence, it was too perfect.
If I were Eun-hyeol, I’d be constantly stared at wherever I went, so he’d probably use this mask well.
Compared to that, I wasn’t someone people really stared at much, so was it okay for him to give me something like this?
“Well, I have no use for it.”
“No use? Weren’t you tired of all the attention you got?”
I was sure Eun-hyeol disliked excessive attention as much as I did.
That was why, while the other guys just ignored the girls screaming and fangirling, Eun-hyeol was the only one who got angry and told them to stop.
Eun-hyeol hesitated, as if at a loss for words, and then suddenly put the mask back on my hand and whispered.
“Ah, you get recognized a lot too. You should cover up your ugly face sometimes.”
“Ah… so my face needs covering, but yours is fine to show?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking?”
When I gave him a bewildered glare, he smugly raised one side of his mouth and tilted his chin arrogantly, but then his grin slowly faded.
“Do you really think I’m serious? Anyway, it’s a gift, so use it well.”
I’m pretty sure he wasn’t being completely sincere.
With a brusque tone, Eun-hyeol headed back to the living room.
I stared at the mask in my palm for a long time.
Just looking at it made me smile involuntarily.
If no one could recognize me while wearing the mask, how lucky was I to get such a great item!
Lately, I had been more cautious because so many people were trying to find out who I really was, but now I could go out freely with peace of mind.
Apparently, the mask couldn’t be removed by accident; only the wearer could take it off. It was truly a perfect item made for me.
‘Maybe because of the video, people recognized me, so I got a gift like this. Not bad at all.’
Thanks to the video going viral, I could summon my spirits anywhere, and though anti-cafes popped up, fan clubs were formed too, and I even received this mask as a gift.
I carefully put the mask into my inventory and hummed a happy tune as I stepped out into the living room.
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