22 Chapter 21: The Passage of Time, Part 1

**Seol Jihu's POV**

Several months have passed since aunt Seonmi woke up. A few days after that, she was discharged from the hospital, and we brought her home. Since then, she has been in a period of recovery and adaptation to all the changes, especially the fact that she is paralyzed from the waist down.

We had to hire several maids to attend to all her needs, and we bought her an electric wheelchair so she can move around without assistance or effort. Then we looked for things to keep her entertained. Fortunately, money is not a problem and we were able to buy her a laptop. With that and internet access, she can engage in various activities while Seonhwa and Seunghae are at school and not at home to accompany her.

My routine has not changed much during these months and my progress has been slow. I am at a point where I make minimal advancements in anything. Essentially, I feel like I'm stuck in a bottleneck. But I refuse to let that discourage me. I still have nine more years to overcome this bottleneck and surpass human limits.

Finally, as I wandered in my mind whilst keeping my [Physical Reinforcement], [Self-Healing], and [Continuous Mana Flow] active for training, the bell signaling the end of class rang. With that, I officially completed my last day of high school.

Now I can bid farewell to high school, and I only have the preparatory school left to finish the mandatory education that every Korean citizen must complete. After that, I will only have the mandatory military service, which is two years, but I already have plans in my favor.

I gathered my school supplies and headed to the female section of the school to meet Seonhwa. She said she had something to tell me today before we went home, and I can already guess that today will be a long and challenging day. I hope things don't go terribly wrong.

As I walked, I noticed many girls—some happy, some sad, and some nervous. The common point among them was that when they saw me, they got excited and shouted, "Oppa this" and "Oppa that." Not that I have anything against artists, actors, singers, or athletes having fans, but I am none of those.

Having irrational fans is uncomfortable, and I could only smile awkwardly as I returned their greetings and hurried along. I learned the hard way never to let a group of crazy fangirls surround me.

I found Seonhwa, who was also coming to meet me, and we quickly escaped the scene where excited and jealous fangirls were making a fuss. Definitely best to keep our distance from them. I fear that one day either Seonhwa or I might end up with a knife on our backs. So, I always keep my [Nine Eyes] active whenever I see a fangirl.

We headed to the parking lot, but instead of asking the driver to take us home, I requested that they take us to a nearby café.

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When we arrived, we requested a secluded spot for privacy, and the waiter led us to a back section of the café with a small garden, complete with tables and chairs. We are the only ones here, and we have not spoken much while waiting for our orders. I can see how nervous Seonhwa is. When our orders finally arrived, we each took a sip of our respective drinks, and the atmosphere shifted.

Seonhwa began to speak, trying to remain as calm as possible. She said, "Oppa, I love you. Will you go out with me?"

I took a deep breath. It is not that I'm dense, I have been aware of Seonhwa's feelings for me all this time. I don't need my [Nine Eyes] or even my regular sight to see her affection.

Still, her confession caught me off guard, even though I was 99% sure she would confess when she asked to have a private talk with me on our last day of school.

I watched her grow nervous due to my silence and surprise. It wasn't like I took long to respond—maybe not even three seconds—but in a high-tension moment, the shortest time can feel eternal. So, I didn't make her wait any longer.

"Seonhwa, I love you too, but I'm sorry. I—" I could not finish my sentence. As soon as I started the first part, her face lit up as if she were the happiest person in the world. But when she heard the continuation, her expression turned pale, and she abruptly stood up.

She spun around and was about to run toward the exit. I did not allow her to do that. Quickly, I stood up and held onto her arm.

"Please let go, Oppa. I know what you're going to say. I don't need to hear it, please," she said, her voice almost trembling.

"Please listen to me, Seonhwa. Let me finish," I tried to tell her, but she was struggling, attempting to break free with force, and her tone was rising.

"Let go, please! I don't want to hear it!" she practically shouted.

I didn't want to use force, but I had to. I felt that if I let her go now, the damage would be irreversible. I held her tightly and embraced her, whispering gently in her ear.

"I love you Seonhwa, I really do, but please let me finish. The decision to be together is not mine; it's yours. I can't say 'yes' for both of us. You're the one who needs to accept it," I told her, and finally, she relaxed a little.

Seonhwa's confusion was evident as she exclaimed, "I don't understand. I'm obviously the one that confessed you, so why do you say the decision is mine? It doesn't make sense because obviously that is what I want. Otherwise, I would not have asked dummy."

"That is precisely why I want you to listen," I replied. "When I finish explaining, you can make your decision. I love you, but I'm not a good person Seonhwa. I am selfish, greedy, and not boyfriend material. I'm flawed, and even though I love you, you won't be the only girl I will ever love. I can promise to love you for my entire life, but I cannot promise exclusivity. I can't tell you how many other girls I might love—whether it is one, ten, or a hundred. That is how flawed I am."

"That is why I can't accept your confession. Only you can decide if you're okay with what I'm saying. But regardless of your decision, I will always love you," I explained.

Since my rebirth in this world, I had already decided I would date multiple girls. However, I would not manipulate or force any of them. Am I scum for wanting multiple relationships? Yes.

But I'm not scum enough to manipulate or coerce them into accepting. If that were the case, I would have instilled that idea in Seonhwa from a young age. If I had done that, instead of this conflict, she'd be helping me find other girlfriends.

Seonhwa looked bewildered, completely surprised by my words. She pulled away from our embrace and sank into one of the chairs.

"Why? I don't understand. Am I not good enough for you? Why do you need more? Please explain. I want to understand, but I can't," she said, clearly affected.

"Seonhwa, you are an incredible girl. Don't ever doubt that. The problem isn't you. But as I said, I'm greedy, selfish, and flawed. I know myself better than anyone, and I can't be exclusively with one girl, no matter how much I love her. In your case, I can't say 'yes' because that would be deceiving both of us. Eventually, I'd betray your trust. So, I can only tell you the truth and not accept your feelings, hoping you will be the one to make the decision," I said seriously.

"At this moment, not just now but in the past up to this point, has there been another girl you've loved?" she asked, her tone serious.

Without hesitation, I answered, "From as far back as I can remember until now, you're the only girl I have fallen in love with and truly loved. But I can't guarantee it will stay that way in the future. What I can promise is that no matter what happens, no matter how many other girls I may come to love, you will always be the first, and I will never stop loving you." I held her gaze unblinking, my heart laid bare before her.

"I... I don't know what to say. I don't know what to feel. I can't respond. I need time to think," she said, her tone defeated.

"You have all the time in the world. I will wait, no matter how much time passes or what happens. If you want our relationship to continue as it has been, or if you want to change something, I will support you until you make your decision," I told her. I know it might be uncomfortable to maintain the relationship as it was, but if that is what she wants, I will do it. And if she wants to change things, I will accept that too.

"Let's go home. I need some rest," she said, hesitating a little before continuing, "And let's just keep things as they are until I have made up my mind." Her voice was soft.

She tried to stand up, but her legs wavered. The situation had clearly affected her deeply. I hurried to assist her, supporting her as we walked out and returned to the parking lot. We got into the car, and the driver took us home. She fell asleep, leaning against my shoulder, just as she always does during the entire journey.

It pained me to see her like this, but it is necessary. I can't gently deceive her now only to cause her greater harm later. It is better to be clear from the start and let her decide. I will wait as long as it takes, and I will respect her decision, no matter what it is.