NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5 - Twins.
Chapter 5 Twins.
“Brother.”
That meant he was Lee Shinwoo’s sibling.
‘Did Lee Shinwoo have a sibling?’
He didn’t.
At least, according to the novel, he didn’t have any family.
Lee Shinwoo was an orphan who lived alone, having lost not only his sister but also his parents.
He had no sister.
At least, not one named Lee Se-ah.
“How do you know my brother?”
“I just heard it through the grapevine. I asked because your name sounded similar.”
So, how old was Lee Shinwoo now?
Was he the same age as in the original story, a first-year at the academy?
Or had some time passed, and he was older?
No, if that were the case, why was Sung Harim the same age?
“…Could they be twins?”
No way.
I spoke those words on a hunch.
But it made the most sense and was the best reason for me if it were true.
If they were twins, it would just mean the original scenario had an additional sibling.
Of course, even that would bring changes.
But it was better than having the story completely altered.
“Hey. What do you need from my sister?”
At that moment, another voice came from the side.
Turning my head, I saw someone with the same dark hair as Lee Se-ah.
Jet-black hair, as dark as it could be.
A familiar and often-seen face.
Although I’d never seen him in reality, I knew him for sure.
‘Lee Shinwoo?’
He was Lee Shinwoo.
His tone was slightly different from the original, but he was the protagonist of this world.
He resembled the face I had seen in illustrations many times.
He also resembled the Lee Se-ah standing before me now.
[The Constellation, ‘Guardian of Black Flame,’ is looking at you.]
[The Constellation, ‘Usurper of Black Flame,’ is looking at you.]
Moreover, the presence of the Constellation ‘Usurper of Black Flame’ confirmed it.
That guy was indeed Lee Shinwoo.
“Hey, I asked what you needed from my sister.”
“It’s nothing. Your sister approached me first.”
“…Really?”
Lee Shinwoo turned his gaze to Lee Se-ah as if asking if it was true.
She nodded expressionlessly.
Satisfied, he nodded and then bowed his head towards me.
“Um, sorry about that.”
It was Lee Shinwoo.
His tone was slightly more age-appropriate, but his actions and personality were unchanged.
I decided to check a bit more.
“I have a question. How old are you?”
“Age? 17. I’m about to enter the academy’s Class C.”
17 years old. And Class C.
It was the same age and class as in the original story.
There was no need to be agitated.
There wouldn’t be any different events from the original.
There was one last thing I needed to check.
Once this was settled, I could be completely at ease.
“Imubaek, are you watching this?”
[The Constellation, ‘Usurper of Black Flame,’ is surprised and looks at you.]
[The Constellation, ‘Guardian of Black Flame,’ is wary of you.]
At that moment, a heavy pressure enveloped my body.
It was the weight of the ‘gaze’ from the Constellations observing me.
Even though the mythic era had ended and they couldn’t directly affect this world, they exuded this kind of presence.
But for me, this was sufficient and a satisfactory result.
This world was a bit different from the original, but the main framework hadn’t changed.
The history of the Constellations that existed only in the original.
The history that progressed only in the latter part of the original.
It had changed a bit, but that was all.
‘I just gained a twin sister.’
And that alone didn’t change much.
Probably.
[The Constellation, ‘Nine Heavens Mysterious Girl,’ is deterring other Constellations’ interference.]
[The Constellation, ‘Guardian of Black Flame,’ looks away from you.]
Moreover, I had a solid Constellation backing me.
I felt reassured.
“Then, I’ll be going. I promised to have a meal with her.”
“Huh? Ah… Yes! Jinwoo is going to eat with me!”
“Sparring?”
“You’re a first-year, right? I’ll spar with you once you enter the academy.”
If my body were in perfect condition, I could spar, but since I had used up all my mana earlier, my mana hadn’t gathered enough to use the Incomplete Nine Heavens Sword.
If I fought Lee Se-ah in this condition, I’d lose before doing anything.
“Then see you when you enter the academy.”
With those words, Sung Harim and I left the place.
#
“…That’s a shame.”
In the spot where Yoo Jinwoo and Sung Harim had left.
Lee Se-ah muttered to herself.
She felt disappointed.
She wanted to spar with him once.
His movements still lingered in her mind.
‘His movements were fascinating.’
Lee Se-ah recalled Yoo Jinwoo’s sparring earlier.
A strange swordsmanship that seemed to float like a cloud.
An incredible speed unfitting for Class C.
Yoo Jinwoo, who combined both, moved lightly as if he were a cloud himself.
‘I wanted to fight him.’
That’s why Lee Se-ah wanted to spar.
She wanted to face that mysterious swordsmanship with her own sword.
She wanted to chase after those fast movements.
It wasn’t well-known due to her quiet nature and lack of interest in those around her, but Lee Se-ah had an immense competitive spirit and desire for growth that no one could match.
[The Constellation, ‘Guardian of Black Flame,’ is looking at the contractor.]
Lee Se-ah thought of the Constellation watching over her.
The Constellations she had contracted with alongside her brother recently.
According to the records, they were ancient ancestors of their family.
Well, nothing else was known about them.
How they died, what achievements they made, why they had such titles.
She knew nothing.
But it didn’t matter now.
The Constellation acted as if it protected them more than anyone.
“Se-ah, who were those two just now?”
“I don’t know.”
“…You don’t know?”
“Yeah. I just wanted to fight.”
Lee Shinwoo looked briefly stunned at her words.
Then he smiled faintly and took something out of his pocket and handed it to her.
It was a wallet.
“Eat by yourself today.”
“Where are you going?”
“Well, I missed a week’s worth of practice. I’m going to make it up.”
With those words, Lee Shinwoo walked away.
His steps were as light and fast as when he had come.
After watching him for a moment, Lee Se-ah also moved.
Her steps were also headed not towards home but towards the practice hall.
‘I need to practice too.’
That day, no card was swiped.
#
After the brief encounter with Lee Se-ah and Lee Shinwoo, we headed straight to Sung Harim’s house.
Her house was neat.
The design was good, and it didn’t lack anything for a person living alone.
Was she truly the precious daughter of a large Constellation?
Most of the furniture in her room looked top-quality.
‘There wasn’t even any trash.’
It was a house like mine, but there was no trash.
Had she thrown it out this morning?
More than that, how did she throw out such a quantity of trash?
“Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go change my clothes.”
Sung Harim said that and went into her room, returning about ten minutes later.
She had changed into comfortable clothes and tied her long hair back, presumably to keep it out of the way while cooking.
As expected of the main character.
She looked more beautiful than I had imagined.
“Is there anything specific you’d like to eat?”
“Chef’s recommendation.”
“Then, fried rice and pasta it is!”
Once the menu was decided, Sung Harim’s hands moved without hesitation.
She wasn’t just cooking at a self-sustaining level.
Her movements were natural and skilled, as if she had been professionally trained.
It was fascinating to watch.
Sung Harim’s cooking skills were not detailed in the original story.
The novel
“Did you learn to cook?”
“Cooking? Yes, I learned from a chef when I was in the Constellation.”
“I thought you were a chef.”
“…Thank you for the compliment.”
Watching her cook for a while, a thought occurred to me.
Was it okay just to watch?
Even though I was a guest, I felt a pang of conscience doing nothing while she worked.
I felt like I should help with something.
Especially since it was Sung Harim.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“Help…? Hmm… Ah! Could you taste this for me?”
Sung Harim said as she handed me a spoonful of pasta sauce.
It was a thick white sauce, presumably for cream pasta.
I tasted it, and it was surprisingly delicious.
It was evident she had learned from a chef.
It was as good as, if not better than, what you might get in a restaurant.
“How is it?”
“It’s really good. I’ve never tasted such a good cream sauce before.”
“I’m glad. It’s been a while since I made cream pasta.”
After that, the cooking was finished before I could offer more help.
Fried rice and pasta aren’t particularly time-consuming dishes.
And Sung Harim’s swift hands meant the food was ready quickly.
“Thanks for the meal.”
The food was incredibly delicious.
It was so good that I thought it might have been made by an angel.
Her cooking was superb.
Should I occasionally ask her to cook for me?
…That would be a nuisance.
‘I’ll eat a lot today.’
While we ate quietly without saying anything special
, I asked her something I had been thinking about for a while.
“Have you decided which circle you’ll join?”
“Circle?”
“Yeah. You have to choose one when you enter, so it’s better to decide in advance.”
The academy’s circles.
In simple terms, they were like clubs at other schools, but circles were more student-driven.
The advising professors were nominal, barely interfering.
Moreover, being a part of a prestigious circle could have a significant impact after graduation.
If you came from a famous large circle, it added to your credentials.
Circles had a considerable influence on academy life.
‘That’s not why I asked, though.’
Of course, I knew which circle Sung Harim would join.
She was going to join a religious circle called
It wasn’t prominent in the original story but was known as a large circle in the academy.
“I pre-applied, so I’m already a member of the
“Really? Then can I visit?”
“A visit?”
“Yeah. I want to look around once.”
I had no intention of joining.
It focused on healing magic, so there was no benefit for me.
The reason I wanted to visit was simple.
‘There’s a sacred artifact there.’
Another sacred artifact was located there.
It was the medium to connect with my second Constellation.