Chapter 26
“This Time, Remember It”
“What is?”
Suddenly, what wasn’t working?
But he didn’t give a clear answer.
He simply kept covering his face, casting his gaze into the distance.
As I guessed at possibilities in my head, he peeked at me through his fingers.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“Just running through some guesses.”
“Whatever you’re thinking, it’s probably wrong. So just stop.”
Roitz stared at me for a moment before brushing his hair back and sighing softly.
“…Hiding things. Lying.
That’s what I’m not good at.”
“Lying?”
“Yeah. I can’t do it well.”
Lying? Roitz?
“What kind of lie?”
“Not telling you that.
At least not to you.”
Well, from the context, it seemed like it was a lie he was trying to tell me, so it made sense he wouldn’t explain it.
Even if I didn’t know exactly what it was, I could understand.
After all, the always-confident Roitz Belkyrente and ‘lying’ didn’t quite go together.
Given his personality, lying must have been difficult.
As I nodded as if I understood, Roitz reached out and gently placed his hand on my head.
“Let’s go.”
He said with a lifted corner of his mouth, but his smile looked somehow bitter.
We talked about various things as we walked for quite a while.
Our shoes became damp from the snowy path, and the sun began to dip lower in the sky before we finally stopped.
By then, Roitz had regained a playful calm on his face.
Before we knew it, we were near the dorms.
At the path leading to the dormitory, I said goodbye to Roitz.
“See you next time, senior.”
Roitz didn’t respond verbally—just waved his hand.
‘He must be really busy these days.’
Still, once he graduated, maybe he’d have more time.
I’d just meet him then.
I turned and began walking toward the dormitory.
I heard footsteps fading behind me.
But after just a few steps, those fading footsteps began to grow closer again.
“Serdin.”
He grabbed my arm and pulled me back.
Turning around so suddenly, I bumped right into Roitz’s chest.
Rubbing my nose, I looked up.
He hesitated slightly, then asked:
“You’ll come to the graduation ceremony, right?”
He looked a little nervous as he waited for my answer.
“You’re the one who needs to come to your own graduation, aren’t you?”
It was a joke, but really—he had been too busy to appear for months.
Roitz let out a soft chuckle, smiling as he nodded.
“Yeah. I guess I should graduate properly.”
“I’ll come watch.”
“Good. That’s a relief.”
His face visibly relaxed.
“Get home safe. I’ll see you that day.”
His voice sounded calm, maybe even relieved.
Once inside the dorm, I threw myself onto the bed.
Lying there in silence, I reflected quietly.
On the strange feelings I’d had recently, and the comfort I’d felt today.
‘Next time, I should visit the Belkyrente mansion too… maybe train together sometimes.’
Roitz should have more free time now that he’d graduated, right?
And it was a good thing he graduated safely without needing to repeat a year.
We wouldn’t be at the same school anymore, and probably not in the same knight order either.
‘But we can still meet up as friends, right?’
Thinking that, I drifted into sleep.
When I opened my eyes again, night had fallen outside.
As a few more nights passed, a warmer season was approaching.
Yudelln was bustling.
In the town square, where warmth had just begun to blossom, countless people chatted excitedly.
It was the graduation day for Yudelln’s 4th-year students.
Under the clear blue sky, cheerful chatter echoed all around.
“Serdin, did you say hi to him yet?”
Mina asked, pointing in a direction.
Among the crowd, one person stood out clearly.
The person who looked better in the graduation uniform than anyone else, someone who drew everyone’s gaze.
“No, not yet.”
“Why not? When are you going to?”
I wanted to, but there were just too many people around Roitz.
‘Should I just squeeze through and say hello?’
Just as I was thinking that, Roitz met my eyes.
“He’s coming! He’s coming this way,”
Mina murmured dramatically beside me.
“Wait here, Serdin. I’m going to see someone real quick!”
And then she darted away.
But Mina had been wrong. Roitz wasn’t coming over.
Even after we made eye contact, he was too busy greeting others.
We made eye contact a few more times, but he never came over.
‘Famous people are different, I guess.’
Well, it was his and the other seniors’ day, so I could wait.
“Serdin!”
As I fidgeted with a leaf near the flowerbeds, Enia and Simon approached.
“Congratulations on graduating, seniors.”
“Hey, Serdin Bibi. You’d better graduate soon too.”
“I just became a sophomore.”
The three of us chatted happily.
Enia, who had been sentimental for days, seemed more excited than anyone today.
“Have you said hi to Roitz?”
“No. He’s too busy.”
“You haven’t? I’ll go get him for you.”
She turned toward his direction, then stopped and looked back at me.
“Oh, and—”
She suddenly hugged me tightly.
“It was fun sharing a room with you, Serdin.”
Her voice was full of warmth.
I was a little surprised, but that kind of warmth wasn’t bad.
“Thank you too, Senior Enia.”
“I’m headed to Elche. Hope to see you there someday.”
Enia smiled brightly.
And then, I saw Roitz walking through the crowd.
He looked just like the first day I saw him.
Always the same Roitz, really.
In his graduation uniform, walking under the spring sun, I was reminded of the first time we met.
That unmistakable aura that made everyone else invisible.
Deep eyes that looked cold but drew attention all the same.
“You came, Serdin.”
He stopped in front of me.
Under the bright spring skies of the graduation ceremony, Roitz stood shining like the sun.
“Congratulations on graduating, senior.”
Before I could exchange more words, people started gathering around him again.
While he chatted with others, I quietly slipped away.
‘Guess I didn’t get to say goodbye properly…’
We’d meet again soon—I could do it then.
I looked back once, then walked on.
The mood of places like this had a way of getting to you.
Just watching others say goodbye was making me feel strangely emotional.
‘Guess we won’t see scenes like this around campus anymore…’
‘Where did Mina run off to, anyway?’
As I left the plaza, I heard footsteps behind me.
I paused.
“Serdin.”
Roitz.
He stepped closer to me.
I looked up at him, my face slightly sulky under the sunlight.
“What’s with that face?”
“What face?”
Roitz reached toward my head—then stopped.
Frozen for a second, he suddenly ruffled my hair.
“What was that for?!”
Frowning, I saw Roitz smirk mischievously.
I pushed his hand away and reached up to mess with his perfectly styled hair.
If it weren’t his graduation day, I’d have messed it up for real.
But thinking of the events still to come, I just pouted.
“Why’d you come back?”
“Didn’t get to say goodbye properly.”
So he had noticed.
“Okay, let’s do it right.”
I held out my hand.
Roitz took it—lightly, but firmly.
When I tried to pull away, he didn’t let go.
After a moment of silence, he said:
“Take care of the capital while I’m gone.”
“You make it sound like you’re really leaving.”
Jokingly, I responded, but Roitz nodded.
“…Yeah. I signed up for the monster subjugation in the north after graduation.”
Unlike his calm tone, his words caught me off guard.
“What?”
Monster subjugation?
“How long?”
“Not sure. Two or three years, maybe.”
Not even a short period.
“Why? All of a sudden?”
My voice clearly betrayed my surprise.
That wasn’t in the original story.
Roitz was supposed to stay at the Elche headquarters and become commander a few years later.
“I’ve been thinking about it since the subjugation talk first came up.”
His casual tone only deepened my confusion.
I had assumed we’d keep seeing each other after graduation.
But I hadn’t known he’d been planning this.
“What’s with your face?”
I had no idea what expression I was making.
But clearly, it wasn’t a happy one.
Roitz reached out and lifted the corners of my mouth with two fingers.
“That’s why you’ve got to hold down the fort.”
He looked cheerful, unlike me.
Then, he took something out and placed it in my hand.
I opened it.
It was a Yudelln 4th-year insignia and a medal for honors.
“Why are you giving me this?”
“This time, remember it.”
“Remember what?”
“That I gave you this.
To you, standing right here in front of me.”
Then he added,
“It might be better to remember only this—
and forget everything else.”
Ahhh pain