Chapter 84

Chapter 84 – I am a Noble #2

“By the way, since you're accepted into university now, what are you going to do in school now? In the meantime, we will be studying for the entrance exams."

“Yes. I want to finish one year of studies in advance."

“Huh?"

An Eun-young nodded and explained.

For example, medical school was two years long. There were subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology etc. Once she entered this course, there would be no room for liberal arts subjects due to the tight schedule. General chemistry, organic chemistry, general biology, cell biology, molecular biology, genetics and so on… After two years of preliminary study, she would enter the main course and start studying to become a full-fledged doctor.

Tae-hyuk groaned.

Study for studying…

He instantly imagined dozens of student doctors sitting in white robes with dark circles under their eyes. It was a great feeling.

"T-That isn't it. Anyway, I like it."

An Eun-young replied with an embarrassed face. 

As promised in the morning, Tae-hyuk would go to the downtown general hospital to meet An Eun-young's mother. Her father was the director there.

“Then you will go there to work after graduating?"

"Uhh. Perhaps not? I'm just studying hard so that I can follow in my father's footsteps."

An Eun-young had a definite plan for her future. Tae-hyuk dropped his gaze with a sullen expression.

"I'm envious, as I still haven't decided what university to go to yet."

“W-Would you like to take a field trip to my university on the weekend? There aren't any undergraduates there yet because it's still winter vacation, but the professors and research students will be there. You will surely find something!"

“Can I go?"

"Yes, I talked to my department head. S University also has campus tours, so it'll be a good experience."

Tae-hyuk was careful not to let An Eun-young see his smirk. It was subtle, but it wouldn't be good if she saw it. This allowed him to enter her school very naturally.

As Tae-hyuk rejoiced, An Eun-young also smiled happily.

'Anyway, we really have become quite close if I can talk to Class President like this.'

As for An Eun-young, she wanted to be more than friends with Tae-hyuk; unfortunately, he didn't think that far yet. 

‘Then the problem of access is solved. First of all, I need to gather information from the robotics department.'

As An Eun-young agonized on whether she should hold his hand, Tae-hyuk was plotting a crime.

@

“Sorry, would you like to go first?  The weather is cold these days and I'm just going to buy a blanket for my mother. I should've prepared it in advance but I forgot. If you go to the room then Unni should be there. Ah right, didn't you meet her the other day?"

An Eun-young cautiously said once she was in front of the hospital. A few days ago, her sister had come back to visit. Tae-hyuk nodded as he looked at the hospital room number.

“Eun-jeong noona? It's been a long time since I last saw her."

"Huh? Wasn't a few days ago the first time you saw her?”

Tae-hyuk said nothing. There was an event with Eun-jeong but they had decided to keep it a secret from Eun-young.

'Is it okay when she reacted to me like a rat seeing a cat?'

Tae-hyuk scratched his head and entered the hospital. He was moving to an area where the patients had significantly low immune levels. In order to go there, he had to remove the germs from his body and wear a cotton garment provided by the hospital.

“Was it F floor?"

Tae-hyuk got on the elevator and pressed the floor that Eun-mi, An Eun-jeong's mother was hospitalized on. He arrived on the fourth floor with a loud ding. The air was strangely changed, and felt similar to the Death Circus or T Medical Centre.

[Spying has found an image of intense death.]

‘You shut up.’

Tae-hyuk waved his hand in the air and made the Demon Revealing Mirror disappear.

But the atmosphere was unusual. Doctors and nurses were running around holding charts.

Tae-hyuk went to the reception and informed the nurse about his visit. She handed him a pass with a nice smile and told him to go to the room at the end of the corridor.

At that moment, Tae-hyuk got a bad feeling. After going through several controlled doors, he entered a sealed, clean room. The nurse guarding the door looked at Tae-hyuk's pass and opened the door without saying anything.

There was a large room with a glass door that made it possible to see inside. It was a sterile room so that visitors could see the patient inside. However, people were doing something around the bed.

“Vitals check?"

“Quickly get the defibrillator ready!"

“Her heart is stopping!"

An Eun-jeong was sitting next to the bed and whispering to the middle-aged woman lying down.

“Eun-young is coming now to visit… Mama… Please… Just hold on for a little longer…"

Tae-hyuk realized what was happening. It was a situation where death could no longer be held back.

And the pulse on the graph became flat 一.

The doctors saw her condition and covered her body with the white bed sheet.

“Time of death is 4:10 p.m on the 6th of January."

Eun-jeong buried her face in the bed sheets. Tae-hyuk opened the door and silently went inside. The the doctor spoke in a slightly shaky voice,

"Did you come to visit? I'm sorry. If I knew this would happen, then I would have given permission one hour earlier…"

The doctor said before leaving. The nurse at the side said,

“At least someone was with her at the last moments."

Tae-hyuk inwardly screamed. An Eun-young wasn't here right now. Just knowing this fact made him feel terrible. Then how would An Eun-young, a family member, feel? She was a little late because she was buying a gift. Meanwhile, her mother passed away.

What would Eun-young feel after realizing this? An Eun-young had studied hard in the hope of making her mother feel better. She just got into the university that she wanted. What could he say to her, who would be rushing in to share the good news?

The remaining nurses quietly disappeared in consideration of the family members.

The crying An Eun-jeong slowly lifted her head. Then she moaned as she saw Tae-hyuk.

“What happened to Eun-young…?"

“She is a little late because she was buying a present."

"…I see."

"……"

After a moment, Eun-jeong started talking.

"Mama… A few days ago, I was very healthy. I ate well… I said sorry for what happened and was forgiven… I laughed so much… I thought I could be a good daughter from now on, but it seems I was a little late."

Eun-jeong's voice was shaky.

'Could I have changed the ending if I was aware of it?'

Tae-hyuk had memories of the future but he didn't know everything.

–I wanted to tell her directly that I got into university, not through the phone.Won't she compliment me then?

Eun-young's smiling face popped into his head. An Eun-young had put forth an incredible effort in order to hear those words, but now it would be for nothing.

Tae-hyuk felt some incredibly complicated emotions. He didn't like this ending.

An Eun-young had helped Tae-hyuk become a model student. Due to her existence, he was able to know the existence of An Eun-jeong, Seo Ha-ran's friend. He didn't want it to just end like this.

'At the very least, I want her to tell her mother that she got into university. Is there some way?’

Tae-hyuk checked the crime skills using the Demon Revealing Mirror. He had knowledge of the future, but it wasn't possible to animate the dead. The only way…

'Yes. I can do that.'

Tae-hyuk slowly nodded.

He decided to distort reality and present a false memory. But to do that, he had to get Eun-mi's voice.

“Eun-jeong noona. Do you have your mother's voice recorded anywhere?"

"Uh…yes? Mother's voice is on the home answering machine."

He had never done it this way before. By default, he had to meet the person directly in order to imitate the voice. However, it was impossible to have a conversation with someone who was dead. What would happen if he heard her recorded voice?

Tae-hyuk nodded and called Eun-young's house. About 30 seconds, it switched to the answering machine.

-This is An Jeong-hun, Lee Eun-mi, An Eun-jeong and An Eun-young's house.I'm sorry but no one is at home because everyone is working hard.Please leave your phone number and we will call you back.

[Lee Eun-mi's voice has been registered.]

[The Voice Modulation skill can imitate Lee Eun-mi's voice.]

Fortunately, the voice was successfully registered. An Eun-jeong, who was listening beside Tae-hyuk, started to cry again. She was still part of the family message despite living away from home for several years.

“M-Mother…”

The sheet cover Lee Eun-mi flowed down to reveal her face. Her eyes were closed like she was sleeping in a relaxed manner. Was she happy because her daughter, who had left home, had returned at the last moment?

"Noona. I’ll be outside for a while.”

"……"

Tae-hyuk went out of the room and saw An Jeong-hun, whom he had met a week ago, coming with tearful eyes.

“H-Honey…!"

Tae-hyuk didn't want to disturb the family members so he quietly headed to the waiting room. He used the phone there to call Eun-young. He manipulated the Demon Revealing Mirror to gain the voice of Lee Eun-mi.

“Our daughter! Why are you so late?"

-M-Mama?

“I  have been waiting for you. How long does it take to buy a good gift?"

–I-I'm sorry.I’ll go up right now.

"Mother heard from Tae-hyuk. What's the good news?"

Then An Eun-young's voice brightened.

–Yes.I got into S University!I will study hard to make Mother better.

"…Great, our daughter. Congratulations! Look, isn't that a hard task? So don't study too much! Go eat delicious things and play around. I'm sorry that I couldn't make breakfast for you before you took the exam. Still, our daughter is doing so well that Mother is happy."

–Hehehe…Mama, there is no need.

“Eun-young. I will always be behind you so live well."

-M-Mama?W-What are you saying so suddenly.M-Mama…!

Eun-young started to call out for her mother as she got a bad feeling.

“Eun-young, our daughter, I love you.”

Tae-hyuk hung up.

He was sure that Lee Eun-mi would've said something like this. Then he hid in the hallway and looked at the room where Eun-mi was.

Eun-young ran inside holding two lap blankets. She hadn't been able to decide which was better.

Was this really okay? Tae-hyuk wondered if what he did was helpful to Eun-young. The last conversation with her mother was a false reality made by Tae-hyuk. Eun-young had been deeply happy to hear the congratulations. It seemed like all the efforts she had gone through had been rewarded.

Tae-hyuk sat on the floor and sighed.

It was a lie. A despicable crime. But at least she had the memory of a last conversation with her mother. If Lee Eun-mi knew…

Then an amazing thing happened.

[You have assimilated with Lee Eun-mi and conveyed her heart.]

[You have succeeded in distorting reality and making a soft miracle.]

There was a notification that he acquired a new skill.

[The top skill Disguise has been acquired.]

-You can disguise yourself with the face of someone you have met.

The new crime skill, Disguise!

It was on a completely different realm from Voice Modulation where he could only change his voice. Now he would be able to turn his face into someone else's, along with their voice.

It was a skill that Tae-hyuk needed. However, Tae-hyuk was more concerned about the message that said he had assimilated with Lee Eun-mi. It was clear that…

“Eun-young. It is like this. I'm sure that your mother is proud of you too. Congrats on your acceptance into university."

Tae-hyuk closed his eyes as he spoke Lee Eun-mi's heart.