Chapter 83: Truths and Tensions

“Did you pack your pajamas? Goodness, I can’t believe you’re going to visit that enormous house. I have to say, our daughter really knows how to make good friends.”

It was the day we were all gathering at Ban Eun-hyeol’s house for a sleepover, and somehow Mom seemed even more excited than I was as we quickly packed up the things I would take.

Toiletries, pyjamas, a change of clothes, and all sorts of miscellaneous things filled up my pink bag in no time.

“Have fun while you’re there. Since you’re hanging out with those friends, I don’t have to worry.”

Dad, who had recently lost weight and was hula-hooping in the living room, waved his hand as he spoke.

“Even if a sudden Gate appeared at that kid’s house, I don’t think I’d be worried, you know?”

“Exactly. It’s not like it’s a group of amateurs. If a sudden Gate pops up, they’ll close it in no time and come right back out.”

“By the way, when are you starting your Guild activities? I don’t think I’ve seen you go even once yet.”

We were tossing around ominous jokes about not even worrying if a sudden Gate appeared at Ban Eun-hyeol’s house, when Mom suddenly remembered and asked about Guild activities.

“We’re starting next week. Once vacation begins, we’re going to get into it in earnest.”

I slung the now-heavy bag over my shoulder and simply relayed the vacation schedule Yeon Ha-yeon had told me.

Since I’ll be a senior next year, the plan was to close as many Gates as possible during the vacation.

Even after becoming a senior, I’ll probably keep getting Gate assignments, but Yeon Ha-yeon said she’d be cutting back on activities herself.

I told her to decide what to do when the time came, but honestly, there was no need to wait until then.

‘Closing Gates suits me much better than studying.’

I really felt that in my bones as I prepared for the end-of-term exams this semester.

Thankfully, I had managed to raise my grades to the middle tier, but I had no confidence I could keep that up through my senior year.

It felt awkward to keep asking Ban Eun-hyeol for help, and I really wasn’t interested in that kind of Spartan study routine.

Fighting monsters and closing Gates was definitely more my style.

“I’m off!”

I said goodbye to my parents and headed out the door.

Then I hurriedly made my way down to the first floor.

Yeon Ha-yeon, who had come to pick me up, waved both hands in greeting.

“Dan-ah, it’s been a while.”

“Doki Ajussi! How have you been?”

As soon as I got into Yeon Ha-yeon’s car, I saw a familiar face.

It was Doki Ajussi, who had once been my bodyguard.

We exchanged cheerful greetings and set off for Ban Eun-hyeol’s house.

It was Yeon Ha-yeon’s first time at Ban Eun-hyeol’s house, so I was curious how she’d react. Unlike me, who had walked around with my jaw dropped, staring at everything in awe, Yeon Ha-yeon didn’t seem particularly impressed by the sheer scale of the place.

“Isn’t Ban Eun-hyeol’s house really incredible?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty big.”

Seeing her dull voice and hazy eyes, it was obvious she wasn’t thinking much of it.

Maybe for someone who grew up in an extraordinary home, a place like this just isn’t all that shocking.

When we went inside, we saw the housekeeper and staff I’d seen on my previous visit.

It looked like we were the last to arrive.

The Four Heavenly Kings were already there, playing games together.

Still, for Yeon Ha-yeon, who was visiting for the first time, and for me, who hadn’t had a proper look around before, we took some time to tour the house.

As expected from such a spacious home, there was nothing it didn’t have.

Gym, movie theater, swimming pool, game room, karaoke—you name it, it was spread out from the basement to the upper floors, and even out into the yard.

“Is this really a house?”

“Look at Dan-ah being so amazed—so cute!”

“Yeah, Eun-hyeol’s place is really huge, isn’t it? We were all shocked the first time we came too.”

“They’ve got everything here.”

Han Ji-bin, Eun Ba-da, and Ji Gang-han each chimed in after seeing my stunned reaction.

Just as Ji Gang-han said, it really felt like there was nothing missing.

“So… what should we do for fun?”

At that, Ban Eun-hyeol, looking a bit awkward and scratching the back of his head, quickly changed the subject.

We debated whether to play games or go swimming, but in the end, we settled on watching a movie—an idea I had pushed for, since I wanted to experience watching a film in a home theater.

The movie we picked was a typical superhero flick.

Before my transmigration, I had seen all the superhero movies, but this world’s take on the genre was new to me, so I was excited.

Maybe it’s universal for Awakened to love superhero movies, because my friends were soon drawn in, watching with serious, focused expressions.

Once the environment quieted down for movie watching, I leaned back comfortably in my seat as well.

But that peaceful moment didn’t last long.

“He shouldn’t do that there. The villain could attack from behind, so why try a frontal assault?”

“Why are they waiting for the villain to recover?”

“If they’d attacked instead of talking, the bad guy would be dead already.”

“Oh, that’s actually pretty clever. I should try that next time we go into a Dungeon.”

Totally absorbed in the superhero movie, my friends started giving commentary, recalling their own combat experiences.

Even though the heroes on screen couldn’t hear us, my friends’ mouths never stopped moving.

Once the big fight with the villain began, their chatter continued right up to the movie’s climax.

‘So this is what happens when Awakened watch superhero movies together…’

It was something I’d never realized before my transmigration. I’d never watched a movie with other Awakened before.

Usually, I just paid for a movie at home and talked to myself, but with multiple voices coming from both sides, it was impossible to concentrate.

Just when my focus was really starting to fade, a scene came up that instantly drew me back in.

“Oh… he got found out.”

Yeon Ha-yeon, who had been quietly watching the critical scene with a furrowed brow, let out a sigh.

I couldn’t even sigh. I was completely drawn into the hero’s point of view on screen.

Just like me, the hero was someone who, through no fault of his own, had put the world in danger.

So he hid his true identity and used his powers to save people and remove threats, always working in secret so even his family wouldn’t know.

But in the end, near the movie’s conclusion, the hero’s secret is revealed to his friend.

Seeing the betrayed look on the friend’s face in the movie felt like being stabbed in the chest with a sharp needle.

I snuck a glance at my friends to see their reactions.

So far, no one had voiced their opinion.

They were just watching the movie with serious expressions.

“How could you hide something so important from me?”

The friend’s line, spoken with a face full of disappointment, pierced my heart.

Just imagining someone saying that to me made me feel anxious.

Once the scene was over, my friends finally began sharing their thoughts.

“That’s not something he could help. You should understand. What’s there to feel betrayed about? It’s not like the main character wanted to put the world in danger.”

With his arms crossed and a dissatisfied look at the screen, Ban Eun-hyeol took the hero’s side.

Even though he wasn’t speaking to me, it felt like he was, and it was oddly comforting.

“Still, I think I’d be disappointed…”

At that, Han Ji-bin, glancing at Ban Eun-hyeol who had firmly taken the hero’s side, shared his own opinion.

“We thought we were close, but he didn’t even rely on me and went through it all alone? If it were my friend, I’d feel like maybe I hadn’t given him enough trust, and I’d be disappointed he kept it from me.”

Han Ji-bin, uncharacteristically serious, spoke in a voice full of disappointment.

He was probably way too absorbed in the movie.

“Well, with a secret that big, I can see why he couldn’t say anything. I get where the hero’s coming from.”

Yeon Ha-yeon said she understood the hero’s position, that sometimes you just can’t talk about something that huge.

Her understanding made my uncomfortable feelings ease up a bit.

“Still, wouldn’t it be hard to go back to being close? He did lie all this time, and he’s the one who put the world in danger, after all.”

And then, just as my heart was starting to recover, a single comment dragged it right back down.

The one who said it—surprisingly—was Eun Ba-da.

‘I thought if anyone would understand the main character, it’d be Eun Ba-da…’

But to say that you could never be close again with someone who had endangered the world—that made me want to argue back before I realized it.

“But it’s not like the main character meant to put the world at risk. With circumstances like that, isn’t it understandable that he couldn’t say anything?”

“Maybe… Even if it wasn’t intentional, there were still a lot of victims, so I don’t think you can say he’s completely blameless.”

I felt a surge of irritation at Eun Ba-da’s reply, but I couldn’t think of anything to argue back with.

After all, a lot of people had suffered when the Gates opened because of someone like me.

“No, you shouldn’t blame the main character. You should go after the one who made the world that way. Whether it’s a god or whatever.”

At that, Ban Eun-hyeol spoke up, giving words that were oddly satisfying.

Even if it was a god who opened the Gates in this dimension, just like Ban Eun-hyeol said, I’d want to drag them down and make them pay.

“Well… I get both sides. But if it were me, I’d still help my friend—because they’re my friend.”

At that moment, Ji Gang-han, who had been listening quietly the whole time, finally spoke.

“Isn’t there always at least one friend in superhero movies who helps out on the side?”

Just as talk about being the cause of the world’s danger was flying around, Ji Gang-han shifted the topic in an instant.

He watched the screen with a calm expression, as if nothing had happened.

Thanks to Ji Gang-han, who had skillfully cooled things down just as the conversation was about to get too heated, the atmosphere settled back down.

Then, Ban Eun-hyeol looked at me and said.