A day later, at the villa where those who enjoyed the party until dawn had all left.
We woke up late and, while eating lunch, busily made plans to go outside and have fun.
“Remember the pension where we stayed during our school trip?”
“Ah, that place. Of course I remember.”
“It’s nearby. Want to stop by and have a look?”
At Han Jibin’s suggestion, Ban Eunhyeol asked in a puzzled voice.
“Why go there? It’s not even a tourist spot, just a pension.”
I thought the same.
Since we were in Jeju Island, I felt it would be better to visit tourist spots, so the sudden mention of the pension was odd to me.
Seeing our reactions, Han Jibin put on a wounded expression.
“There are so many memories there. That’s also where we first found out Dana could use necromancy, remember?”
“Oh, right.”
Come to think of it, it was during the school trip that my friends first discovered my necromancy.
I recalled how troubled I’d been when a Japanese Awakener targeting Yeon Hayeon had approached me back then.
At the same time, I also remembered how everyone said my necromancy was cool.
“Then how about we stop by for a bit, then head to the tourist spots?”
When I was the first to accept Han Jibin’s suggestion, he nodded enthusiastically, looking touched.
After finishing lunch and getting ready to go out, we headed to the nearby pension.
It only took ten minutes by car, so we arrived quickly.
“I didn’t know your villa was so close by. Why didn’t you mention it during the school trip?”
“There was no need—everyone was already staying at the pension. I would’ve said something if we didn’t have a place to stay.”
“Remember, because of that monster popping up at the airport, we had to stay an extra day.”
Listening to Yeon Hayeon and Han Jibin’s conversation, the memories from that time came flooding back.
When we arrived at the airport, a dungeon break happened, so the planes couldn’t take off.
The Four Heavenly Kings and Yeon Hayeon quickly handled the situation and returned to cheers.
Since we had to stay an extra day in Jeju Island, Ban Eunhyeol offered his family’s hotel so we had somewhere to stay.
‘That was when Eunhyeol being a chaebol third generation really hit me.’
I also remembered all of us playing Truth Game in the hotel afterward.
I think it was Ban Eunhyeol’s turn when someone asked if he liked anyone.
The girls seemed to be hoping he’d say no, but his answer was yes.
I was so surprised when I heard that. And now, somehow, I’m actually dating Ban Eunhyeol.
On top of that, it was the winter break of our senior year, and soon, we’d be attending our Graduation Ceremony.
‘Time really flies.’
Lost in memories, I must’ve started smiling without realizing it.
Ban Eunhyeol, walking beside me, glanced over and said,
“You’re remembering when I sang here, aren’t you?”
“Huh? Sang?”
Suddenly wondering why he mentioned singing, I looked around and recognized the familiar scenery.
Right in front of us was the pension where our class had stayed.
It was in front of this pension where Ban Eunhyeol, who lost a bet, had to sing.
“Oh! The singing!”
Clapping my hands as I finally remembered, Ban Eunhyeol covered his face with one hand.
He seemed to regret bringing it up, thinking he shouldn’t have reminded someone who’d completely forgotten.
Hearing his words, the others must have remembered too, as everyone burst out laughing and teased him.
“Oh, that beach. Wasn’t that where Dana got kidnapped?”
At that moment, Eunbada pointed to the beach in front of the pension. Seeing the beach, the events of that time came vividly back to me.
At the same time, I heard someone beside me grind their teeth.
“Still makes me mad just thinking about it. Should’ve given them a proper beating back then.”
Ban Eunhyeol clenched and unclenched his fists, looking frustrated. I thought we’d punished them enough, but apparently Ban Eunhyeol didn’t think so.
As the mood around Ban Eunhyeol turned tense, everyone seemed to think it best to change the topic, so we hurried our steps.
The next place we reached was the spot where the stage for the talent show had been set up.
“Oh, I remember Bada singing there. You were really good—I was surprised.”
“No way, I wasn’t that good.”
Having sung well back then, Eunbada now looked embarrassed, his ears turning red.
We teased him about it, laughing together, and before we knew it, we’d reached the end of the pension grounds.
“We’ve already seen everything. Kind of a shame.”
“Then how about we retrace our school trip route for the rest of the day?”
And so, we spent the day visiting each place we’d gone during our school trip, reminiscing about old memories.
Before long, our last night in Jeju Island crept up on us.
Ban Eunhyeol and I exchanged tense glances, focusing on the conversation happening right now.
“I was so nervous, wondering if it’d come up at the movie theater. Seriously freaked me out.”
They were talking about when they started planning the birthday party.
Han Jibin recounted how startled he’d been when he saw a familiar face appear during the movie, mentioning ‘that topic.’
There was only one reason for Han Jibin to be nervous at that point.
With Baek Jiwoo and Eunhasu sitting behind us, Eunbada might’ve blurted out that I was Nada.
Unless it was that, he was probably nervous the surprise would be spoiled.
I had guessed something was up since hearing that Eunbada had changed her mind, but hearing it directly still made me tense.
Just then, Ji Kanghan spoke with his usual calm expression.
“So that’s why you suddenly insisted we watch a different movie.”
Just as Eunbada was about to speak, Han Jibin had jumped up and blocked the whole screen, interrupting the conversation.
At the time, I’d glared at him without even realizing, but now I finally understood why he’d done it.
“It would’ve been a disaster if you talked about Dana being Nada in front of the others. That’s supposed to be our secret.”
At last, the topic I’d been waiting for came up.
Now that I knew my friends were aware of my true identity, the tension in my body finally eased.
Ban Eunhyeol seemed to feel the same way.
Both of us slumped back onto the sofa behind us in relief.
‘So, they really do remember. And since only we know, it means Kang Yedam’s regression is gone for good.’
If only the memories of the S-class Gate had disappeared, more people would’ve known my secret.
And my friends would’ve noticed that too.
But judging by how everyone agreed with Han Jibin, it seemed they believed only they knew about my identity.
‘So all that hardship really never happened, huh.’
Kang Yedam’s regression, the quest where I had to switch bodies with Lee Dana, and the moment the Gate vanished—all of it had disappeared from everyone’s memories.
Then how was the disappearance of the Gate explained?
‘Originally, the Gate vanished because I swapped bodies with Lee Dana.’
Since we were already on the subject of my identity, I subtly brought up the Gate out of curiosity.
“At least with the Gate gone, there’s no risk of our identities being exposed anymore.”
“Yeah, I’m glad the possession by the extra-dimensional being was canceled. Now there’s no one looking for Nada.”
“Since the possession was canceled, people probably think she returned to her original dimension, right?”
“No one will know that Dana has been accepted as a person of this dimension.”
Once the topic of the Gate came up, all the information I’d been curious about came pouring out.
I no longer needed to probe my friends, worrying about how much I could say or what they remembered.
‘So the cancellation of possession remains. Only memories about the regression are gone.’
Things I’d been wondering about but couldn’t ask were solved all at once. I hadn’t expected so much to come from just one comment.
I’d planned to fish for more information about the Gate, but there was no need now.
The conversation soon shifted to a different topic.
“Don’t you miss your powers sometimes?”
The one who asked was Yeon Hayeon.
She said she was glad the world had returned to normal and those who’d died or been hurt were back, but sometimes she missed those days.
It was definitely not a topic you could bring up outside.
While everyone was enjoying the peace, you couldn’t exactly show you missed those confusing and dangerous times.
I felt the same way she did.
Especially since my power was necromancy, I thought of the spirits I could no longer see almost every day.
“Well, sometimes.”
Surprisingly, the first to answer was Ji Kanghan.
“You miss those days too?”
Ban Eunhyeol, surprised that Ji Kanghan had answered first, asked with wide eyes.
Seeing this, Eunbada gave a sly smile and asked a question.
“Then when did you miss having your powers the most?”
Everyone looked at Ji Kanghan, curious about his answer.
Receiving all our attention, he took his time thinking, and finally spoke.
What Ji Kanghan said sent us all into shock.