## Chapter 151 – Distance (7)
Unlike yesterday, bright light filled the room, where I ran into I-ran, sitting with her back to the sun.
I should be relieved; the expression on her face after hearing about my condition didn’t seem too serious.
But while there’s good news, there’s also bad news…? I swallowed hard.
“…Whatever it is, just tell me.”
“Alright, I’ll start with the good news then.”
She swept her wet bangs back and dabbed at the moisture with a towel.
Her casual attitude was starting to confuse me. Was it not as serious as I thought?
No, if that were the case, she wouldn’t have bothered mentioning the bad news.
My heart was torn between hope and despair, leaving me feeling drained.
I almost wished she was just joking around because of what happened yesterday,
but unfortunately, the atmosphere wasn’t right for jokes.
“…First, the good news is about the symptoms of your body heating up and your head feeling hazy.
You don’t need to worry too much about that. You might think something’s wrong with your body,
but thankfully, it’s not a terminal illness. And it’s definitely not because of the flower petals.”
“Then what is it…?”
“Remember the King of Roots’ power I mentioned before? ‘Blessing.’ The power to heal the body and mind of living beings.
It’s a temporary symptom experienced by humans who gained new life through his power, so don’t worry.
The reason you felt your body heating up is because that power was circulating throughout your body.
As far as I know, no human has ever had any problems with their body due to the Blessing, so rest assured.”
The King of Roots’ power flowing through my body, that’s why my body was heating up.
Now that I think about it, I suddenly got a fever whenever I was too exhausted or severely injured.
And after that, my condition would improve at an abnormal rate.
So, thanks to that ‘Blessing,’ I was able to move even after suffering near-fatal injuries?
The fever is a result of the Blessing healing my body? Then there’s no reason to worry…
“Now for the bad news.”
…Oh, right. Come to think of it, I have a lot of other strange symptoms besides that.
Like how I can’t control myself when my body heats up, or how I become… overstimulated…
I know it’s an incredible power that can heal injuries and even revive humans on the verge of death.
But for such a great power to turn a person into a horny monkey…
I had been thinking something was off. Even in the ‘good news’ she just told me, there was no detailed explanation of my current state.
It must be related to the bad news she’s about to tell me.
“…I’m okay. Tell me.”
It can’t be that serious if she’s saying it like this.
The uneasy thoughts I had since the beach vanished with her light tone.
I straightened my back and waited for the bad news with a relatively light heart.
“Hmm? This is the bad news.”
“…Huh?”
“This is the bad news, there’s nothing else to say.”
…
What I-ran said before she started talking flashed through my mind.
She clearly said, ‘I know half of it and don’t know the other half.’ Then…
“…You mean you don’t know why I’m like this either?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s right. I’ve seen a lot of ‘Blessed Humans,’ but I’ve only heard stories of their bodies heating up as a side effect…
I’ve never seen anyone get so, so horny like you.”
As she continued, she seemed to remember what happened last night, her face flushed,
and she lowered her head and stammered as she finished her story.
“…Ha… Haha… This is ridiculous.”
All I can do is laugh at my current state. At this rate, I’m just a human with a dog-like heat cycle.
I thought something serious had happened, but it turns out I’m just going through heat. This is hilarious. My situation.
Startled by my vacant, deranged laughter, she hesitated.
Not knowing what to do, she bit her lip, as if having made a decision, and slowly opened her mouth.
“…Also, there’s a slight difference between ordinary humans after receiving his Blessing and you…”
“…Is there something more?”
“…I feel sorry for bringing it up.”
“It’s not your fault. So, what’s the difference?”
I don’t think I’ll be shocked by anything I hear. I’ve reached enlightenment, I guess…
It feels like everything in my head has burned away, leaving only a handful of white ashes.
She clicked her tongue with a look that said, ‘Should I not have said that…’ then cleared her throat and opened her mouth.
“So… usually, when a human receives his Blessing, the effect lasts for about a month,
but you received the Blessing when you were so young that you don’t even remember it, and it’s still there.
I don’t know how that’s even possible. It’s as if he gave you almost all of his power.”
“….”
When I was so young that I don’t even remember…
“…And there are probably many humans in modern times who have received his power.
They haven’t had the chance to come into contact with flower petals, so they don’t even know they’ve been Blessed,
and they simply live their lives thinking they’re more physically capable than others.
On the other hand, there are humans like you and that woman you met at the research lab who have awakened their power.”
I think I know what she’s trying to say.
She’s asking if Yuri and I had anything in common.
“…That woman… So, you’re asking if there was anything strange about Yuri?”
“I know that Pieldes, my old colleague, was inside that child.
I’m asking if you noticed any other differences.”
I quietly shook my head. It’s true that her speech suddenly changed and she became violent,
but that wasn’t the same state as me, she was just having her body taken over by the being inside her.
Other than that, I don’t think there was anything particularly strange about her.
After confirming that I didn’t know anything else, she got up from the bed.
Then, she patted my shoulder and walked to the sink, turning on the hair dryer to dry her hair.
Her voice could be heard over the fierce wind noise created by the machine.
“…Actually, when I was almost at the research lab, I felt a familiar warmth,
and I thought he had returned. When I saw you then, the Blessing inside you had become incredibly strong.
Almost as strong as the King of Roots, his prime, I thought. But it wasn’t.
I guess I mistook something else. It’s a little frustrating that I don’t know what that something is…”
The Blessing inside me has become stronger. What do I even have in common with others?
And what’s different? It’s just a paper-thin difference, but I have no way of knowing.
Am I special, or am I ordinary? She’s right. It’s frustrating.
This situation is so frustrating that I feel like I’m going to die.
If only I could meet that King of Roots in person, as she said,
I could at least ask why I’ve become like this, but he’s no longer in this world.
Did I even really meet him in the first place?
…Sigh, it’s so long ago that I can’t even remember…
‘…We’re sorry.’
‘…At the place where you met him…’
When I was young. I don’t even remember, but I definitely met the King of Roots.
The voice I heard in my head. The woman I saw in my dream when I collapsed from exhaustion at the research lab.
Chae-yoon, Seo-hee, Seo-rin, Hee-joo, Soo-ah, I-ran, So-yul. The woman who looked like the women I had met.
The sensation of a gentle breeze and the smell of grass that were so vivid that I mistook them for reality.
The woman with beautiful silver hair fluttering in the middle of that wide field.
“…Iria.”
“Huh? What did you say?”
She turned around at my mumbling. She probably didn’t hear me properly because of the hair dryer.
Iria. The woman I saw in the old memories she showed me when I first met I-ran and Lapus.
The first being to gain the same power as the 10 ancient humans through the first flower petals created.
And Iria, who promised the King of Roots eternity, but ultimately couldn’t keep her promise.
She called me. She said she would be waiting where I was born.
————————————
“Seo-hee Unni, cheer up. Are you at an age where you should be worried about that?”
“Hey, 21 is still young and an age where I should be worried about my popularity.”
I was sitting on the stairs with Nabi, who was covered in dirt from playing,
and our gazes were fixed on Chae-yoon, who was arguing with a man.
“Hello! Did you come alone? If you don’t mind…”
“I do mind.”
Chae-yoon coldly rejected the man before he could even finish speaking, and didn’t even look at him.
Wow, how many guys has that been now… One five minutes ago, and one about ten minutes ago…
Well… even as another woman, I have to admit that Chae-yoon’s style is really good.
Even though it’s still afternoon and the sun hasn’t set yet, men are constantly trying to get her number.
“…But why don’t they ever come to me?”
“Is that what you’re worried about? You’re not even interested in guys like that in the first place, are you?”
“That’s true, but it’s a matter of pride… And she doesn’t look bored at all.”
When I stared blankly at Chae-yoon, Nabi patted my back.
I felt even worse and my pride was hurt.
“…Are you comforting me?”
“It’s because you make faces like that that guys don’t come to you.
To be honest, you look like a complete thug right now.”
“…..What can I do, I was born like this?”
Chae-yoon’s expression, who was receiving advances from men every minute, was gradually turning scary.
…Maybe it’s better to be like I am now than to become like that…
Anyway, when is Im Chan-woo coming? It’s been an hour already.
If I had known it would take this long, I should have gone with him…
Then… we could have been alone together on the way…
Ugh, seriously! Why did I act so cool and tell him to go and come back?
I should have just gone with him instead of pretending to be cool!
“…Unni, what are you doing?”
“…Shut up, I’m airing out my cigarette…”
“What are you guys doing?”
Just as I was watching another man approach Chae-yoon while scratching his head,
I couldn’t help but feel excited at the sound of Chan-woo’s voice from behind. Am I smiling right now?
No, I have to control my expression and get angry at him for being late like I always do…
“…Where have you been…”
When I turned around, my eyes met those of a woman I had never seen before standing next to Chan-woo.
…Who the hell is this?
