LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 83
Tears plopped down from the girl’s eyes.
Staring blankly at Shin Woo as he approached, she finally snapped back to reality, shaking her head vigorously and forced herself to shout.
“Don’t come any closer!”
No way.
She didn’t want to accept Yu Hana’s life.
She liked her current life. She had already decided to live as White Lamb.
Why?
It was just a brief encounter.
Why was her heart racing and emotions in turmoil?
If this was the will of Yu Hana and not the White Lamb…
She would ignore and deny it, no matter what.
Rather than going back, she would choose not to regain her memories.
She had no longing for those days filled with pain and despair.
“We finally meet again.”
“Can’t you hear me?! I said stay away…!”
“I’ll never let you go again.”
Despite the girl’s desperate cry, Shin Woo showed no sign of stopping.
He simply kept his gaze fixed ahead and continued to step forward.
In the end, all the girl could do was back away in fear.
Even with such overwhelming power, she couldn’t muster the will to resist.
“Yu Hana.”
“No! I am White Lamb! The enemy of humanity! Kill me!”
Her meaningless voice echoed inside the cathedral, scattering into the air.
Eventually, the girl covered her face with her hands and murmured weakly.
“…Please don’t look at me with such sad eyes. Just kill me.”
In that moment, Shin Woo’s face contorted.
The request for him to kill her rang in his ears, overlapping with the last goodbye he once heard.
His childhood friend, tired of living, choosing death out of fear.
Here was the girl he had longed for before his eyes, yet her wounds were still unhealed.
Only pretending to ignore the wounds and forcibly forgetting them, they had only festered and rotted further.
He couldn’t even fathom how painful it must have been.
Was she ever going to heal those wounds? He couldn’t be sure about that either.
All he could do was be there for her.
But maybe that was enough. After all, the girl had lived without even enjoying that.
Finally, Shin Woo stood before Hana.
The girl he had searched for so desperately was finally right in front of him.
The boy embraced the girl tightly.
So tightly that it nearly took her breath away.
“Ah…”
The girl let out a faint gasp but showed no other reaction.
She accepted the warm sensation enveloping her entire body, all the boy’s earnest feelings melting into her.
The sensation that someone was looking at her with such fervor.
It was a very unfamiliar experience for the girl.
She knew it shouldn’t be this way, yet she stood still, intoxicated by the warmth.
She recognized that the boy was an enemy, but she couldn’t push him away.
All thoughts of everything else faded away; she couldn’t comprehend it all.
“Why…? Why are you doing this?”
The girl couldn’t understand at all.
What did she mean to warrant such treatment?
She was already the evil being who had betrayed humanity and sided with the Mana.
To see someone trying to reclaim her at the cost of sacrifice was hard to grasp.
Was it because of her abilities?
No, it didn’t seem like that was the boy’s intent.
He was focusing solely on her and coming closer.
Why?
Shin Woo’s answer was very simple.
“Because I like you.”
Caught off guard by the unexpected response, the girl momentarily froze.
Was it romantic love between individuals?
Or was it friendship?
With her lost memories, she had no way to fully comprehend the boy’s feelings.
That’s right.
No matter how deep and affectionate the boy’s feelings were,
she couldn’t resonate with them. She was simply bewildered and confused.
Having barely regained her senses in Shin Woo’s embrace, she realized she shouldn’t be like this.
Gaining strength in her arms, she forcibly pushed him away and managed to maintain a calm demeanor as she said,
“No matter what you say, it’s too late. I will live as White Lamb. So…”
“Is that really what you think?”
“Huh?”
When the girl, not grasping the intent behind the question, asked back, Shin Woo glared at her and asked again.
“Is your current answer merely the response of White Lamb who has lost her original memories?”
The girl frowned at his words and retorted.
“Are you serious? …Are you envisioning someone else from my memories instead of the one right in front of you?”
“I’ll reverse the question. Right now, aren’t you entirely denying your life as Yu Hana and solely accepting your identity as White Lamb?”
She couldn’t deny Shin Woo’s words.
After all, it was a complete fact that couldn’t be refuted.
Even claiming she wanted to regain her lost memories, each time an opportunity arose, she had been too busy running away.
How could others accept both as equals if she herself wouldn’t acknowledge that fact?
However, recognizing the problem didn’t fix it.
She wasn’t ready to acknowledge Yu Hana and accept her own mistakes.
“…Then what am I supposed to do?”
“Regain your memories and accept who you were as Yu Hana. Then you can choose what kind of life you want to lead.”
Words were easy to say.
She was already completely stuck before the first step.
How was she supposed to regain her memories? The whirlwind of memories that had been swirling and confusing her until just now was fragmented and couldn’t be recalled perfectly.
“How am I supposed to find my memories? Are you going to look for them for me?”
“Yes. I’ll help you.”
“…How will you do that?”
Instead of answering, the boy extended his hand directly.
As he did, a gentle glow filled the inside of the cathedral.
The moment she saw the light, she realized what kind of power it was.
It possessed roots remarkably similar to the light she used, entirely separate from ordinary abilities.
It was the power of the Holy Grail.
She thought this might just be possible.
Yet, the girl hesitated even more.
What if she regained her memories just like this? What would happen to her afterward?
Shin Woo spoke.
“You can do it.”
“…”
Looking at the light spread across his palm, the girl continued to hesitate.
Her life, which she had thought was so short, unfolded like a panorama.
The first moment she met her teacher.
Days of training under the red sky inside the Gate.
Lunches in the rural village she used to visit occasionally.
Seeing her comrade apostles in the sanctuary.
The view beyond the window overlooking the coast where the waves crashed.
Memories inhabited with a certain kind of happiness even in stillness.
She had thought she’d live like this for the rest of her life.
Until she met this boy at the shrine in Japan.
After that, her world had completely changed.
A war with humanity had begun outside, while inside, she had always struggled with her lingering feelings about her past.
All because of Kim Shin Woo.
Because of this boy standing in front of her.
He liked her instead of blaming her.
Suddenly, she grew curious. Had Yu Hana liked this boy?
If so…
If Yu Hana—
No, if I hadn’t lost my memory—
Would they have lived happily together?
Just as she was about to voice her decision after a long struggle…
Bang!
The cathedral’s roof shattered, revealing a gigantic hand.
The sudden spectacle made both of them stop what they were doing and stare at the hand.
Red eyes glowed ominously from beyond the broken roof in the sky.
The form of a colossal demon, appearing like something from a myth, evoked a sense of awe.
Perched atop the demon’s hand was someone they both recognized.
A man with a familiar face.
“I finally found you.”
At the sight of the Black Goat, Shin Woo gritted his teeth.
To him, this was the man who had twisted Hana to darkness.
A presence that could elicit zero friendly feelings.
On the other hand, the girl’s expression was ambiguous.
She appeared agitated upon confirming the Black Goat, but it was hard to guess which way her feelings leaned.
“I won’t hand over Hana!”
At the boy’s daring declaration, the Black Goat merely chuckled.
“Do you think I’m forcibly holding her captive?”
“Is that even a question? You erased her memories and made her your slave!”
“You’ve got it quite wrong. First of all, it was not I, but the side effect of her own ability that erased her memories. Secondly, I have treated her as a colleague, not a slave.”
He calmly refuted each point, adding his last words.
“And originally, the White Lamb came to our shrine voluntarily.”
“Do you think I’m going to fall for such a lie!?”
“Believing is your choice, but that is the truth. Six months ago, Yu Hana made the decision to leave the Academy and head to the shrine herself. It was only due to you humans who obstructed her that led her to her demise.”
Naturally, Shin Woo did not easily believe his words.
“Don’t joke around. There’s no way I would trust what you’re saying with no evidence.”
“Then there’s no helping it.”
The Black Goat’s red eyes glinted.
“I have no choice but to show you evidence.”
“…What?”
“White Lamb.”
When he called the girl, her response came swiftly.
“Yes, sir.”
“Continue what you were about to do.”
“Yes…?”
“Regain your memories with the Holy Grail.”