#25
“Kyaaaah!”
Roni let out a scream and began running away from the illusion in panic. The experience Allen had chosen wasn’t some cutesy moon-themed exhibit.
He had picked the horror theme—the hardest and scariest one in the entire illusion club. It was clear he was trying to kill her.
Of course, Allen felt a bit wronged. He had only chosen that page because she’d been looking at it.
Even the club members had expressed concern, saying it might be too intense for a noble lady. But Allen had completely ignored them. He thought this level of horror was nothing for Roni.
Roni, who had been waiting behind him with a bright and innocent smile, had no idea what was coming. She had been expecting a whimsical trip to the moon and instead ran headfirst into a terrifying monster.
She should’ve run the moment she noticed something was off.
“Allen, I’m really not going to forgive youuuu!”
Allen casually took care of the monsters conjured by the illusion magic. After all, it was just an illusion—he simply had to slash through them.
But Roni was different. She had no combat ability and was suffering mentally from the shock. Her body stayed put, but her mind had entered that strange space, where she was being chased by monsters.
It was like a hyper-realistic VR experience on Earth, only much more intense. Roni had to keep running so the monsters wouldn’t catch her.
“I hate this sooo much! Kyaaaah!”
The experience ended. Roni, in tears and sniffling, couldn’t calm down for a long time. The student who had cast the illusion magic was flustered and didn’t know what to do.
That’s how terrified Roni had been. It was genuinely horrifying. Sohee had always had a weak stomach—she couldn’t even watch horror films, and the slightest violence would show up in her dreams.
Now, she was sobbing uncontrollably. Damn Allen. He’d gone too far this time.
Allen was just as flustered. Wasn’t she someone who didn’t mind a little blood and gore?
He’d thought this level of horror would be totally fine with her. But clearly, he’d been wrong—she looked genuinely traumatized.
Allen grabbed Roni’s shoulders. She was trembling all over. He suddenly felt like he’d done something terribly wrong.
“Calm down, Roni. It’s over now.”
“H-Hnnng… I hated it… I got eaten by a monster…”
Roni’s illusion had ended with her being eaten by a monster and dying.
In other words, it was a game over. Allen had already exited the illusion and had been waiting, but when Roni didn’t show, he was about to ignore protocol and enter the illusion chamber himself.
Right then, Roni had “died” in the illusion and returned to reality in her current state. Allen was at a loss. Nothing he said could reach her.
Was Roni always this fragile?
Allen realized he couldn’t just let her stand there like that and gently lifted the terrified Roni into his arms. She didn’t resist and simply wept into his chest.
He had never seen her cry this hard before and didn’t know what to do.
He’d thought she would enjoy it… But once again, he’d unintentionally tormented her.
Allen hugged the still-trembling Roni tightly. She was so small and light.
Avoiding others’ eyes, Allen quickly carried her to an empty classroom. Even after arriving, Roni remained scared.
To be fair, she had just been decapitated by a monster. Even though the illusion spell didn’t include pain, the sheer realism had made her lose consciousness.
Roni continued sniffling. Allen, feeling guilty, held her close and gently patted her back.
Seriously. Give her trauma and then comfort her?
Even as she mentally cursed Allen, Roni slowly began to calm down under his steady pats. Allen stayed silent, holding her and patting her back until she fully calmed.
Watching Roni settle down, Allen let out a deep breath. He made a mental note never to suggest illusion magic to her again. He was blaming himself for having brought it up in the first place.
They met Biana at the agreed-upon spot. Biana immediately sensed something strange between the two—Roni looked disheveled, and Allen was unusually gloomy.
What happened between them?
Something was definitely off. Roni greeted Biana with a tired face.
“Welcome.”
“Are you feeling okay, my lady?”
It wasn’t Roni but Allen who flinched at the question. He looked like a guilty puppy who had destroyed the living room and was now waiting for punishment.
Biana had never seen Allen like this. Something must have happened between them.
“I just went through something I really didn’t want to experience… so I’m exhausted.”
As Roni began to explain, her emotions flared again and she shot a glare at Allen. Allen wilted under her glare.
“Did you enjoy the festival?”
“Well… I’m not sure if enjoy is the right word…”
Roni’s piercing stare once again turned toward Allen. Allen couldn’t even meet her eyes—he just looked guilty. At least he looked sorry.
Biana decided the atmosphere needed to be lightened, so she took out a flyer for the illusion magic booth—the most popular event at the festival.
“There’s an illusion magic experience over there—would you two like to—huh?”
Right at that moment, Allen used his magic to snatch the flyer from her and toss it away. Biana turned toward him in disbelief.
Allen shook his head firmly. A clear signal to stop.
Unfortunately, Biana didn’t understand what he meant.
“Oh, the paper’s gone. My lady, shall we go try the illusion magic—”
But this time, it was Roni who cut her off.
“Biana, please. Don’t even say the word illusion. I feel like I might throw up.”
Seeing Roni turn pale, Biana immediately realized she’d already gone through an illusion experience and quickly changed the subject.
“Then how about some stargazing? There’s a constellation club nearby.”
“Sounds good!”
Roni beamed. As long as it wasn’t more illusion magic, she was open to anything. Allen followed the two silently.
The constellation club’s event was held in a garden enchanted with dark magic to make the stars more visible.
A lot of people had already gathered. Biana, Roni, and Allen found a nice spot and lay down to watch the stars.
In Korea, due to all the neon signs, you could barely see anything besides the North Star. But here, it felt like stars were pouring from the sky.
A line from a poet about counting stars under the night sky came to mind. It was that romantic, melancholic, and beautiful.
For Roni, this was her first time seeing such a spectacle. Her earlier nightmare was already fading as she admired the stars in awe.
Allen watched her. If her black hair was the night sky, then her eyes were the stars. He feared those stars might disappear someday.
The three of them lay silently, staring at the sky. A cool night breeze swept by, easing the heat.
“The brightest star in the sky isn’t the North Star. It’s Sirius,” Biana said, pointing it out.
Roni looked at Sirius and felt that it was true.
So bright, yet overshadowed by the North Star and not widely known. She herself had thought the North Star was the brightest.
Maybe being Sohee living as Roni was like living as the North Star. The one truly shining was Sirius… but everyone believed the North Star was the brightest.
Roni felt a sudden weight in her chest. Maybe this life she’d been living for over five years wasn’t truly hers.
“Is it really that important who shines the brightest?”
Allen questioned Biana’s words. Roni turned to look at him, surprised. He was still staring at the sky, unreadable as always. Biana answered.
“Still, wouldn’t Sirius feel a bit wronged?”
“I don’t think I’d care if I were Sirius.”
“Why not?”
“Because from the star’s perspective, who’s the brightest isn’t what matters. They’re both shining stars, that’s all.”
“I guess you’re right.”
“If it were me, I’d actually feel better. Thinking I was the only one shining, but then finding out there’s someone else out there shining too… that would be comforting. Being alone is kind of lonely.”
Allen spoke carelessly, but his words made Biana nod.
“That makes sense. It’d be hard to drive out the darkness alone.”
Roni listened quietly, staring at Sirius and the North Star glowing above.
Allen had said Sirius wasn’t lonely because of the North Star. His words resonated with her deeply.
Whether Sirius or the North Star, they were both shining stars…
Being the brightest wasn’t what mattered. Every star revealed itself in its own way.
She was Sohee, but also Roni. And this Roni of the new world was no longer the same character from the comic she used to know.
She didn’t know where Sohee ended and Roni began—they resembled each other too much. Like wondering if she was dreaming of a butterfly, or if the butterfly was dreaming of being her. They had become inseparable. Outwardly Roni, inwardly Sohee.
Even though Allen didn’t know her truth, his words felt like he was acknowledging Sohee, and that brought her comfort.
Smiling softly, Roni said,
“The stars are so beautiful… I wish I could take them with me.”
