Infinite Regressor, Chapter 457 - I’m an Infinite Regressor, But I’ve Got Stories to Tell

6. ――The Saintess. Jeong Ye-ji was filled with doubt. Who? The Undertaker. About what? The question of whether she was truly the only one who could move within the halted time. Doubt. Doubt. Relentless doubt. 'Could he actually know about it?' Lately, the Saintess found herself utterly unable to escape this vortex of suspicion. Even in her everyday life, her mind was so preoccupied with these thoughts that she found it difficult to engage in any task at hand. '...The Undertaker is a regressor. He achieves feats that surpass everyone's expectations with such ease.' 'Even if he theoretically had resistance to [Time Stop], it wouldn't be strange in any way.' 'So if he really, truly, knows everything but is just pretending not to...' Take for instance, a fortnight ago. If the Undertaker knowingly drank from the coffee cup the Saintess had secretly touched with her lips. If he didn't refuse it. Then, what would that mean? 'What would it possibly mean...?' "Saintess." Jeong Ye-ji flinched in surprise. "Ah." Lifting her head, unsure when she had let it hang, she saw her colleagues around the table looking at her curiously. The one who had just called her was Yu Ji-won. Her face, so beautiful it always evoked admiration from the depths of Jeong Ye-ji's heart, stared at her impassively. "Um. Yes, Ji-won. I'm sorry. I got lost in some thoughts for a moment." "No problem. I'm aware of your tireless efforts for the security of the Korean Peninsula." "......" It was a thought she had every time they conversed, but such words and expressions seemed unfitting coming from such a face. 'I'm aware'? It was so strange. "Anyway, if you're troubled, please share it with us, or rather, with me. Even though we are united under the leadership of the Undertaker, we are still one team, aren't we?" The "we" here referred to Seo Gyu, Jeong Ye-ji, Cheon Yo-hwa, Yu Ji-won, Lee Ha-yul, Sim Ah-ryeon, and Noh Do-hwa. As always, the regression alliance gathered for a meal at least once every six months. It's long been known that emotional distance is inversely related to physical distance. Whether the Undertaker was present or not, regular gatherings were essential to maintain trust among the comrades. Or rather, the undertaker’s absence was mandatory at such gatherings. "Weeee are one team, aren't weee-." Thud. Cheon Yo-hwa slumped over the table and teased in a highly sarcastic tone. A plastic straw was precariously balanced on her nose like a tightrope walker at a circus. It was a remarkable display of physical agility. Yu Ji-won tilted her head slightly. "Student Council President, do you have something to say?" "Yes! I have a lot to say! What 'one team'? It's just us pretending to be fine for show, saying 'Everything's okay with us- running smoothly-' to the teacher!" "The act of showing is important." Yu Ji-won replied calmly. "No one demands true friendship from us. Cooperation. Trust. The deployment of predictable forces. If we can establish these virtues, that should be sufficient, right?" "Ah, yes, yes. Wise words, wise words. But before that, can't we do something about that artist clinging to the teacher like a parasite?" "Eek." Sim Ah-ryeon, seated in the corner, flinched. Interestingly enough, despite the table being tightly crowded, there was a one-meter gap on either side of Sim Ah-ryeon. "A, a parasite... Treating a human like they're an insect..." "Hey. Damn, was it you who uploaded that cursed image of strangling the teacher at 3:23 AM yesterday? Huh?" "In community activities, I think anonymity should be assured..." "Why does the teacher tolerate such a lunatic?!" Cheon Yo-hwa slammed the table. Everyone thought simultaneously, indeed she had a point. "Friendship or whatever, right? A person must be somewhat normal to establish any trust! That green-haired is just plain strange, I tell you! Strange!" "Th-That’s too harsh..." Except for one person at this gathering, everyone seemed to agree that Cheon Yo-hwa’s assertion was undeniably valid. 'I don't really know, but whenever I see Sim Ah-ryeon, my mind gets strangely troubled.' It was indeed peculiar. Jeong Ye-ji didn’t deem Sim Ah-ryeon as a particularly incompetent human being. She had the habit of reflecting on herself before criticizing others and identified her own flaws during such self-reflections. She knew, despite it being for the sake of the peninsula's security, she collected information on people's every move. 'Compared to that, Sim Ah-ryeon's antics on SG Net are mere child's play... So why am I so angry about it?' That wasn’t the end of it. Briefly, Jeong Ye-ji glanced at the person who hadn't spoken a word since the gathering began. 'Noh Do-hwa, too.' Her heart fluttered. 'A respectable person. As admirable as the Undertaker, perhaps even more so for her righteous nature...' Yet inexplicably. Something seemed off. '...It's my own lack of virtue.' Jeong Ye-ji thought. 'I can't protect people on my own. Everyone is performing their roles from their positions, and they are indeed doing so. Yet, having dissatisfaction... What is causing my heart to act so pettily and lack something?' "By the way." Cheon Yo-hwa idly asked, sucking on lemonades. "What is the teacher doing today?" "Sir is dining with the guild master of Samcheon World," Yu Ji-won answered. ――Zap. As Jeong Ye-ji was struggling to calm her heart, her heart again grew uneasy. "Dinner, huh?... Ah, that. What was it? That ridiculous gastronome journey or whatever?" "Yes. Every fortnight, Sir deliberately sets aside time to enjoy hobbies with the guild master of Samcheon World. Of course, it is also a means for them to personally observe the market, connect with the livelihood of the people, and reaffirm citizen support." "As if. It’s obvious she’s just dating the teacher as a pretense for something else." "Cheon Yo-hwa tends to oversimplify people. Human emotions are made up of multiple layers." "Wow, that's the last thing I want to hear from a psychopath..." Cheon Yo-hwa chuckled incredulously. "Care to make a bet? Whether or not that witch is secretly mocking us while going on gourmet dates with the teacher?" "I respect the personality of the Samcheon World Guild Master. Though I might agree if you're suggesting she thinks of you as a fool." "Do you have a death wish?" "......" Zap. Tingling, zap. Jeong Ye-ji lowered her head. Why, she wondered. Until the gathering came to an end, her heart never once found peace. At least the one comfort for her conscience was that she hadn’t employed [Time Stop] during these exchanges. 7. The moment the meeting concluded, Jeong Ye-ji swiftly made her exit. Even when Cheon Yo-hwa linked arms and suggested, "Saintess, do you want to join us for some drinks for the second round?" she declined. "I'm sorry. There are some terrorists I need to keep a close eye on today." "Oh." Cheon Yo-hwa smiled wistfully. "Then it can't be helped! It's because of you that we could comfortably leave our base empty." Jeong Ye-ji was the only one among the group who maintained a composed demeanor with everyone at this gathering. There was a reason for it. The regression alliance members were aware that Jeong Ye-ji monitored them round the clock. Though they initially shuddered at the harsh truth, over time they couldn’t help but feel an emotional closeness to Jeong Ye-ji. Someone who knows all their secrets yet doesn’t betray them, remains unchanged in her demeanor towards them, and is always willing to hear their troubles. Such was the essence of the Saintess. Thus, it was only natural that Jeong Ye-ji enjoyed absolute respect and esteem within the regression alliance. Even someone as picky about friendships as Cheon Yo-hwa was open in her affections toward the Saintess. "See you next time, Sister!" "…Yes, Cheon Yo-hwa." "Hey, Lee Ha-yul. You're old enough to drink now, right? Let's go." [They were just waiting for that invitation.] The regression alliance members dispersed in small groups. There was even a remarkable sight of Lee Ha-yul dragging a grudging Noh Do-hwa, who looked like she'd rather do anything else. "......" Jeong Ye-ji walked alone towards somewhere. She walked, passed through Inunaki Tunnel, returned home to Yongsan――and stopped time. Then she retraced the path she’d walked. Once arriving in Busan, she wandered around, and wandered some more. In front of a certain restaurant. As if by coincidence leading her, she stepped inside. In a corner of the restaurant, seated by the window, was Dang Seo-rin, with the Undertaker frozen like a statue across from her. "......" Jolting, her heart throbbed. Buzzing. Seeing the two sitting at the same table worsened her emotional turmoil. But it wasn’t just distress. Throb. Buzz, throb. A rhythm, not of pain but closer to the opposite emotion, steadily spread from the edges of her heart. 'Ah.' The Saintess was clever. Too smart to feign ignorance of her own feelings, she was capable of crafting words for the reason behind her joy. "Did you pause...the moment, Undertaker?” But she wasn’t wise. Unable to contain emotions she sculpted into language, she expressed them aloud in the world where everything spoken becomes a monologue. "Even while you're on a date you've conducted almost ritually with Dang Seo-rin for years, since you first met..." "......" "You've paused it, haven't you?" Softly, gently. "You shouldn't have stopped, Undertaker." Cautiously, gently. "It makes me misinterpret things, you know? Dang Seo-rin and you have feelings for each other. It’s not right for someone like me to intrude on that." Who was she speaking to now? "...I am a wretched being." What did she hope to be true? Did she wish the Undertaker had the ability to move within [Time Stop], secretly listening to her monologues as the lone theatergoer of this one-man play? Or did she wish the [Time Stop] remained absolute, that she still appeared as an unsullied being to the Undertaker? Not wanting her foolish games to be exposed? She didn’t know. She couldn’t tell if she wanted him to hear her or not; it was difficult for Jeong Ye-ji to discern. This was her first time experiencing such emotions. “Dang Seo-rin is, really unfair.” And murmuring such words too. “I could have expressed my affection too. I held it back. Because it's just not the time, is it? The world is on the brink of ruin." “......” "Dang Seo-rin is unaware of the regression. Therefore, she displays her affection freely, not realizing such moments might later become emotional scars for you, Undertaker." Ah? In an unguarded moment, Jeong Ye-ji realized she said too much. It was an act of lunacy, difficult even for herself to believe. "...No, that's not it. Please forget it." She shook her head, hurriedly. "Dang Seo-rin has sacrificed intentionally, so you, Undertaker, can utilize her abilities with utmost efficiency." “......” "To call such noble intentions unfair... The one truly cowardly was me. It’s embarrassing." Yes. It’s best to stop here. Though she revealed such an ugly facet, she hadn’t crossed a critical line yet. The Saintess could feel it. Today, coming here, deliberately, to the private time of Dang Seo-rin and the Undertaker, to lay bare her ‘feelings,’ had hit the limit. '...Here lies the deepest point of my soul.' To discover such a cloying quagmire within her heart, the Saintess found herself quite disgusted with her own self. Naturally, the Undertaker must also be fed up. 'If the Undertaker heard, she wouldn't entertain my antics any longer.' 'If she couldn't hear, well, that’s fine too. It would just mean it was all my own fantasy.' 'So.' This was the end of it. The Saintess, leaving her regrets behind, turned away without hesitation. Returning home, she released [Time Stop]. '...I should refrain from using clairvoyance on the Undertaker from now on.' She brewed chamomile tea. She monitored the awakened individuals classified as potential threats. She fed her fish. She documented key details on her computer. She cleaned the aquarium. Based on the evaluation form she created, she recalculated their danger scores. Just as she was about to conclude her day— ―Knock, knock. "...?" The Saintess’s fingers, wandering over the keyboard, froze. ‘A knock?’ She instinctively checked her clock. Living in a timeline different from others, a clock was an essential item for her. 1 AM. ‘At this hour...? Could it be something strange?’ The Saintess lightly activated [Time Stop]. Grabbing a small axe, she opened the door, fully prepared to crack the skull of any mere anomaly that dared knock. The Undertaker stood outside. "...?!" Clunk! The Saintess quickly shut the door. "What? What? What?" Was it really the Undertaker? At such an hour? Could it be a doppelgänger instead? It was a rational deduction. Leaning against the inside of her door, she swiftly activated [Clairvoyance]. Sharing the Undertaker's vision. She saw the scene right outside the very door she was leaning against. It was proof of an awakened being, not a monster. "Oh." Next, she shared Dang Seo-rin's vision. It was dark. Likely, she had returned to Samcheon World’s hideout near Busan Station and fallen asleep. Given that the Undertaker and Dang Seo-rin usually drank until late night, the situation was somewhat unexpected. "..." It was understandable, though. People don’t crave alcohol every day. Sometimes, it was just about having a meal and parting cleanly. However, the issue was... 'Why... at my house?' Her heart skipped. ‘Perhaps, she has something urgent to say to me... Ah. I wasn't using clairvoyance today. The Undertaker might have tried to contact me, but I missed it...’ That must be the correct answer. She had only set aside [Clairvoyance] out of consideration for the Undertaker, and by coincidence, something happened on her end. Unable to reach her through [Telepathy], the Undertaker came personally. It was a perfectly logical analysis. 'If.' However. 'If she heard the things I said today...' Her heart raced. 'And thus, she's here to... respond to the things I believed were mere monologues...?' Thud. Thud. Thud. "......" She released [Time Stop]. "Who is it?" "Saintess. It's the Undertaker." Creak. "Oh, Undertaker." "Apologies for calling so late." "No, it's fine. Sleep hours don’t mean much to me." Her heart fluttered. "Please come in. So..." Thud, thud, thud, thud. "What brings you here?" ――Thud.