SIDE STORY 18

“N-No. That is… Uh, first of all. D-Don’t misunderstand.”

“Misunderstand?”

“Yes, misunderstand. You’re misunderstanding me now, okay? Natasha is… not my ex-girlfriend.”

Jude was embarrassed at the words ‘ex-girlfriend’ and stuttered again. Cordelia snorted and said with a face full of dissatisfaction.

“No, I don’t care if she’s your ex-girlfriend. I only have you in my past and present lives. Yes, only you. The only man I have is Jude.”

Her gaze and voice were overflowing with dissatisfaction.

Therefore, Jude made eye contact with the sulking Cordelia and said.

“No, I’m really, really serious. Natasha is like Maja to me…. Yes, she’s like Maja.”

“Maja?”

“Yes, Maja.”

You understand now?

Was what Jude thought, but it was not over.

Cordelia was quite surprised as her eyes widened and she shouted.

“You and Maja were like that?!”

“No! That’s not what I meant!”

The relationship I have with Maja!

You know the best the relationship I have with Maja!

Jude pounded his chest in frustration, and said while looking at the blue eyes of Cordelia who was still doubting him.

“Cordelia, you know, Maja is mine…”

It was then.

The words of Jude trailed off as he thought about Maja.

Maja Tantalotte.

She was his most precious woman in the world, second to Cordelia, and was five years older than him, being there since he was born.

Even now when he closed his eyes, he could vividly remember his countless memories with her.

“If I think about it…. Maja is… my mother, my older sister, and my best friend. I was sick and always stayed at home, but my kind, pretty, and generous older sister took care of everything. She soothes me when I’m hurt and reads me fairy tales at bedtime. Of course, I also thought ‘Ah, I want to marry Maja when I grow up’ when I was young.”

The pouting Cordelia nodded as Jude spoke slowly.

Because she knew what Maja was like to Jude.

But when she heard the last part, that he wanted to marry Maja, her eyes widened again and she shouted.

“What? You also thought of marrying Natasha?!”

Natasha was like Maja.

The young Jude had thought about marrying Maja when he became an adult.

In other words, Kang Jin-ho thought about marrying Natasha.

At the extremely logical (?) reasoning of Cordelia, Jude almost pulled his hair out in frustration.

“No! Ah, seriously. Didn’t I tell you earlier? Natasha is like Maja to me? Okay? Maja!”

Jude’s mother. Jude’s older sister. Jude’s best friend.

But Cordelia was still not convinced. She crossed her arms, squinted, and began to let out strange sounds.

“Hnnnn…. Hnnnnn…”

Signs that she was still doubtful of it.

So Jude explained again.

“Natasha really helped me a lot since I was young. It’s no exaggeration to say that it was Alexei and Natasha who raised me.”

“Hnnnn…. Hnnnnn…”

“Hey, are you going to keep doing that? You know that I only have you, right? I find you more important to me than my own self, okay?”

“Hmph, you’re just all talk.”

Cordelia snorted again, but the corners of her lips were strangely raised.

Jude regained his confidence at that appearance and said as he pounded his chest again.

“If you don’t believe me, you can peek inside my memories.”

“Hnnnn…”

“You can see it through magic, right? I won’t resist. It would be easier for me to explain in that way.”

Jude said as he spread out his arms, and Cordelia pursed her lips inward and nodded.

“Okay, let’s see it then.”

“Eh? Wait. You’re seriously going to see it?”

“I want to see if it’s real or fake. Sit there. Why? Are you scared?”

As the eyes of Cordelia narrowed, Jude immediately shook his head.

“I’m not scared. Ahem. It’s fine. It’s because I’m confident. Rather, don’t feel embarrassed after seeing it.”

“Embarrassed? Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why me?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

“Hey, why do you think I would be embarrassed?”

“Well, my lewd thoughts?”

Cordelia turned red for a moment when Jude shamelessly answered, but it was only for a short while.

She then said with a snort.

“Hmph, that won’t work on me. It won’t work. Are you afraid that I’ll see it? Sit down quickly.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll sit down.”

Jude unhesitatingly sat down and Cordelia momentarily paused, but she had already drawn the knife.

Now that she had drawn it, she had to use it to cut.

“Okay, let’s begin then. Think about Natasha.”

“Yes.”

After giving a brief reply, Jude closed his eyes and began to think of Natasha. Cordelia shut her eyes as her hands held the head of Jude.

***

“You are Gino. My name is Natasha.”

A beautiful girl.

She was probably in her mid-teens.

Contrary to her young face, her mysterious blue eyes had an adult-like maturity.

“Gino! Don’t give up!”

The memory changed.

He was now crawling on the ground on a rainy day.

Natasha wore a poncho and shouted words of encouragement from behind him, and Alexei stood next to her, staring at him with a cold gaze.

“It’s Christmas. Would this be okay?”

An artificial tree made up of small wood pieces.

But Natasha had a bright smile in front of the candles, and Kang Jin-ho who saw that smile also smiled.

“Gino, I’m impressed.”

“You’re really doing well now. Aren’t you better than me now?”

“Gino, I’m proud of you.”

It was as Jude had said.

Natasha was like Maja to Kang Jin-ho.

Alexei had taught Kang Jin-ho on how to fight and survive.

But it was Natasha who cared for and protected Kang Jin-ho.

‘Hnnnn… Hnnnn…’

Cordelia could feel the feelings of Jude, or Kang Jin-ho, towards Natasha to some extent.

She was really like Maja.

She was close to a mother or older sister rather than a member of the opposite sex.

‘Eh, wait.’

But at some point.

Cordelia paused the memories of Jude that were flowing quickly.

The night pool in question.

At the time when he finished his work and was allowed to rest all day at the villa of a millionaire who was their security target.

“Gino, you pervert.”

The swimsuit of Natasha had slipped off, whether by chance or inevitability, and Kang Jin-ho had seen her.

She had said those words and smiled at Kang Jin-ho who was speechless with a red face.

And his memories continued.

It was not something that actually happened in reality, but there was still the memory of the dream that Kang Jin-ho had when he saw a naked woman for the first time that night.

‘Hnnnnnnnnnn.’

The dream was not that lewd.

The naked Natasha came out and approached him with a strange atmosphere, caressing his cheek.

‘Hnnnn.’

When Cordelia made a strange noise with a displeased expression, the scene before her eyes changed again.

Instead of a continuation of his memories with Natasha, the lewd dreams of Kang Jin-ho played like a panorama.

Unlike his dream with Natasha, the succeeding ones were seriously lewd dreams.

Cordelia blushed and tried to skip the memories, but could not.

But she unconsciously stopped as her eyes widened and blinked.

“Me?”

There was a woman with reddish pink hair who appeared in the lewd dreams of Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho would have never guessed who it was, but Cordelia knew.

That woman was clearly Cordelia herself.

Moreover, unlike Natasha, the content of the dreams were not just soft and light.

It was like a dream that came out of nowhere.

Cordelia covered her face with both hands, and as she opened her fingers to peek at the dream, she heard the voice of Jude.

“Ahem, ahem.”

Cordelia was peeking into the memories of Jude through a virtual space created from magic, and Jude appeared next to her.

Jude was also good at magic, though not as good as Cordelia, so he could do something like this too.

Therefore, instead of asking him on what happened, Cordelia asked the question befitting this situation.

“Hey.”

“Yeah.”

“You didn’t even know me back then.”

It was after Kang Jin-ho came to South Korea that he learned about Legend of Heroes 2.

In other words, the 14-year-old Kang Jin-ho did not know anything about Legend of Heroes 2.

But Kang Jin-ho had dreams of Cordelia.

After he dreamt of Natasha, which was the first trigger, he only dreamed of Cordelia.

At the question of Cordelia, Jude smiled and spoke with the sly face that Cordelia both liked and disliked.

“Well… we’re the two people of destiny.”

Because for me, Cordelia is the only one.

Kang Jin-ho was the reincarnation of Jude.

So no matter how many times Jude repeated his life, he always loved Cordelia.

“Hmph.”

Cordelia pouted and turned her head away, and Jude grinned.

He bit the ear of Cordelia that had turned red up to her earlobe, and gently hugged her from behind.

“Again. You’re doing it again…”

Jude no longer listened to Cordelia, and Cordelia was no longer able to speak.

Because the lips and tongue of Jude blocked the mouth of Cordelia.

‘I love you.’

Jude spoke with his eyes and Cordelia hugged him back.

They deeply shared their affection in his mind.

***

At the same time.

When Jude and Cordelia were completely unaware of their surroundings.

Kang Jin-ho was still looking at the communication device.

[I’ll see you soon. Your Natasha.]

One short sentence.

However, many thoughts passed through the mind of Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho was not Jude.

He did not have Cordelia yet.

Or rather, apart from that, Natasha was a very precious person to Kang Jin-ho.

“Natasha.”

It had been almost 6 years since he last met her.

After avenging Alexei and retiring from his work, he never met or contacted her once.

Unlike Kang Jin-ho, she did not retire.

He did not know if she was active.

No, she was clearly active.

“Natasha.”

Why are you suddenly appearing?

Are you doing well?

How have you been living for the past 6 years?

Many questions came and disappeared in his mind one by one. In the end, all that remained was one emotion.

‘I miss you.’

Natasha.

You.

My precious person who is my older sister and best friend.

Ting!

At that moment.

Kang Jin-ho came to his senses at the notification sound and looked at his cellphone, but soon had a strange expression.

Hong Yoo Hee: Oppa, oppa. What are you doing now?

Hong Yoo Hee: Can I go and play games with you now?

Even though it was just text, he felt like he could hear her lively voice.

Kang Jin-ho looked at the clock on the lower right corner of the computer, and unknowingly smiled as he typed on the cellphone screen.

Kang Jin-ho: You can come. But won’t your parents say anything?

Hong Yoo Hee: It’s okay. It will be fine.

Is that really okay?

Are you going to lie and say that you’re going to an internet café?

Should I stop this behavior as the oppa next door?

Several thoughts came to his mind, but he soon shook his head.

It was only 3 pm now, and Hong Yoo Hee was an adult.

Besides, they would only really play games when they meet.

Kang Jin-ho: Okay, I’ll avenge myself for what happened last time.

Hong Yoo Hee: Hehe, isn’t that too early for you? Anyway, I’m going now!

And his doorbell rang.

It seemed like she had been in front of his door from the very beginning when she sent the messages.

Kang Jin-ho checked the intercom and hurriedly opened the front door.

“Hehe.”

As he expected, Hong Yoo Hee was standing there.

She appeared almost the same as their offline meeting, but with a slightly different outfit.

A light pink blouse and a slightly short black skirt.

Her hair was tied together by a large black ribbon.

What should he say at a time like this?

He actually knew.

It was a light compliment.

Natasha had taught him that.

But the embarrassed Kang Jin-ho missed the timing to compliment her and coughed several times.

“Come in.”

“Yes, oppa.”

Hong Yoo Hee answered with a smile, but Kang Jin-ho noticed at that moment.

A slight disappointment.

A state of being a bit sad.

He wondered if he should compliment her now for being pretty.

Because it was true that she was pretty, cute, and lovely.

But at the moment when Kang Jin-ho was about to open his mouth.

A small sound.

Kang Jin-ho caught that sound.

To be exact, a sense that one would call as sixth sense and not hearing was what sensed it, and led to him hearing it.

Inside his bedroom.

He wondered what it was.

It did not seem dangerous to him.

It did not feel threatening, so he did not thought that it was dangerous.

‘Am I imagining things?’

Because his senses had dulled over the past 6 years.

But he could not just let it go.

The teachings of Alexei ordered Kang Jin-ho to act.

“Please wait. I’ll get something from my room.”

Kang Jin-ho said to Hong Yoo Hee who was standing at the front door and looking at the living room. He entered his bedroom, and Hong Yoo Hee blinked her eyes and tilted a bit towards him.

Because she was curious about the ‘I’ll get something’ excuse that Kang Jin-ho unknowingly uttered.

What is it?

What is he bringing?

In addition, the bedroom was the room of Kang Jin-ho.

She could not help but be curious.

So Hong Yoo Hee leaned a little more, but it was impossible to look inside the bedroom due to the layout of the apartment.

Therefore, Kang Jin-ho raised his senses instead of distracting Hong Yoo Hee.

He slowly opened the bedroom door as he thought of the situation.

And right after that.

What caught the gaze of Kang Jin-ho.

Or rather, what he had heard earlier.

“It’s been a while, Gino. Don’t you miss me?”

The beautiful voice that spoke Korean was a bit awkward but not difficult to understand.

And the source of that sound.

A half-naked woman was lying on the bed in a red scanty dress.

“N-Natasha?!”

“Hey, Gino. Your senses have dulled a lot. You didn’t realize that someone was hiding in your room?”

Kang Jin-ho was surprised at the Russian language he had not heard in a long time, or rather, at the situation in front of him. But he remembered one fact, so before Natasha could continue speaking, he quickly entered the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

“Gino?”

The voice of his precious person whom he met for the first time in 6 years.

A mischievous and strange person who deliberately lay on his bed in a half-naked outfit just to see him flustered. Yet she was precious to him.

But there was something more important now.

“Oppa?”

Hearing the voice of Hong Yoo Hee beyond the door, Kang Jin-ho felt a nervousness and fear that was difficult to explain with logic, while the eyes of Natasha widened. She soon smiled and looked towards the door.