Chapter 167
It was my first time going to the airport since debuting as an idol.
Since there are no overseas concerts or other schedules yet, I haven't had a chance to go to the airport.
I never imagined that filming our own content would lead to an airport schedule like this.
"Isn't there anyone here?"
Kang Si-yoon looked around as he got out of the car.
I roughly understood what he was saying.
Usually, when idols go to the airport, reporters and fans are waiting at the entrance.
That's why the entrance to Incheon Airport's terminal often turns into a runway.
This schedule was something that even we, the parties involved, didn't know about, so the fans wouldn't be able to get to the airport on time either.
"Since we're leaving without notice, I think there probably won't be anyone there."
"Well, who would have thought we would leave so soon like this?"
Kang Si-yoon also listened to what I said and agreed.
But things always unfold before our eyes that exceed our expectations.
"Oh, right in front of us... ?"
Yoo Minha pointed towards the gate entrance.
Across the crosswalk, I noticed a few people dressed in black.
It wasn't unusual to see everyone holding cameras in their hands.
'Did you really come here knowing we were leaving today? How on earth?'
Based on their attire, it was possible to infer that they were not journalists.
So those people are Seleves who came all the way to Incheon Airport to see us.
I don't know how they knew we would be flying out this time today.
"Guys―!"
"Karis!"
"Hyungbin, are you feeling okay today?"
As we walked toward the gate entrance, the Seleves who had been waiting all thrust their phones and cameras into our faces and barraged us with questions.
Everyone was a little flustered by the unexpected situation, but soon regained their composure and returned to their main business mode.
"Yes, it's okay."
"Thank goodness! Did you have a good breakfast?"
Even after entering the airport, fans' questions continued to pour in.
I was so out of it that I couldn't answer properly, but as if they had anticipated this situation, the security guards following the members quickly moved and formed a large circle.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way!"
Fans blocked by the security guards' barricade could not approach any further, but some people tried to push their way in while grabbing their arms.
"Honey, your clothes look great on you today!"
"Did you buy new earphones?"
"Your hair is pretty today!"
There was a bit of a chaotic time due to the scuffle between fans and security guards.
We couldn't answer the questions and could only wave our hands.
'I've only seen situations like this in pictures....'
I think I understand why airport horror stories are so prevalent online.
For defenseless idols, fans who continue to follow them like this can feel like a very scary presence.
Having a system that boosts my composure and equanimity, I was able to get to the ticket office with some indifference, but my younger siblings' lines seemed to have taken a bit of a hit.
"... Is it okay to do it like this?"
Ji Yoon-chul, whose facial expression usually shows little change, looked quite flustered by the barrage of questions and the sound of the cameras filming.
At least Ji Yoon-chul's hands weren't shaking.
Heo Yu-bin seemed to be on the verge of reactivating the abnormal state of 'corner hikikomori' that had been inactive for a long time.
"Oh, it's scary. I can't come to my senses because I hear voices from all directions... I can't get used to the cameras getting so close."
Until now, the canon cameras filming us were quite far away.
The closest the camera got was during a fan signing event.
Even during fan signing events, we were filmed from our designated seats, so we never got too close.
I spoke softly while firmly rubbing Heo Yu-bin's shoulder.
"Don't worry, Yubin. Once you receive our ticket and go through the check-in process, they won't be able to follow."
"Wha, what if they follow us inside?"
"Don't think like that. It'll just make you more anxious."
Actually, I wasn't sure whether the fans would be able to follow us into the airport or not.
As a brother, all I can do now is to ease Heo Yu-bin's anxiety as much as possible.
Kang Si-yoon spoke in a playful tone, as if he had somehow recognized this situation.
"Hey, Yubin. More than that, we have something else that's really important."
"Important?"
"We can finally confirm Karis' passport."
"Ah!"
Identification is required to obtain a boarding pass.
In this process, I have no choice but to show my passport.
Kang Si-yoon, who had been strangely attached to my passport since
I shook my head and searched inside my pockets.
"Is this what you wanted to see so badly?"
"Of course! I was so curious that I couldn't sleep at night."
"You're really weird, Siyoon."
"Why are you being so cruel?"
Kang Si-yoon looked at the passport in my hand with sparkling eyes.
I unfolded my red-covered passport and showed it the page with my personal information.
"Now, look."
"Wow, your nationality is really Estonian."
"What on earth were you thinking?"
"I was expecting a pleasant twist, like finding out that your real nationality was Korean."
"I wish you could say something that makes sense."
Kang Si-yoon stared intently at my passport photo.
"Hey, Yubin. How old do you think Karis was when he took this picture that year?"
"Well? His face is almost the same as it is now...."
"I'm going 18."
"You're wrong. It's 17."
"Tteing~."
While Kang Si-yoon and Heo Yu-bin continued to be preoccupied with my passport, I let out a sigh of relief.
'It's fortunate that I had already prepared the necessary documents before participating in
While manipulating the world line, I created all the documents absolutely necessary for life on Earth.
I can now feel the reward for paying such close attention to personal documents, including my passport and ID card.
But there were so many things I hadn't thought of at the time that it was a bit difficult.
'It was the same with Estonian. I was so busy creating the background that I didn't think of those extra details.'
Numerous overseas fans have been created while participating in the
In order to further increase the firepower of overseas fandoms, I had to use the secret weapon of foreign language comments, and in order to do so, I had to threaten the system... no, I had to interview the system.
After many twists and turns, I acquired a new skill and became able to use a foreign language freely.
If, indeed, we ever go to Estonia in the future, I will need to prepare for even more than this.
Before entering the airport where the boarding gates are located, we had to go through check-in procedures.
I mentally sorted through the items as I moved toward the foreigner-only security checkpoint.
'The first things that come to mind are Estonian background knowledge, culture, and family relationships.'
In the case of family relationships, I already created them when I manipulated the world line.
The von Walden family, a noble family from Sweden. Father Frederick von Walden, mother Freya von Walden, and their only child, Karis von Walden.
Since the world line itself was moved by the power of the system in accordance with the original game's settings of Karis von Walden, there will be no problems for Frederick and Freya von Walden.
Of course, they know that they suddenly had a son named Karis. They would have known from the beginning that the son born between the two was me.
But from my perspective, it's a completely different matter.
'Because I didn't grow up under those two.'
Existence can be created.
But the memories and experiences are not there.
Even though everyone knows that I have Estonian parents, I don't have a single memory of them.
When I meet you two, will I be able to act as if we have been together our whole lives?
Knowledge and culture about Estonia is also a problem.
Knowledge is something I can study from now on, but it would be a joke if I grew up in Estonia my whole life and didn't know much about the country's culture.
'I wish I had paid attention to these things from the beginning.'
I wanted to blame the system for being 2% lacking somewhere, but I couldn't just do that.
Because I found out that the system had been handed over to me with permanent damage due to the Demon King Seir. And since I found out about that after it had already been handed over, there was nothing I could do.
The fact that I get a penalty for failing a mission and that I can't get 100% of the things that are friendly to me is all because the system is broken.
'But that doesn't mean I can just sit still.'
If there's one thing I've figured out, it's that within this god-given system of Grand Quest Saga, there is a 'will to help' me.
If I didn't have the will, it wouldn't have given me the 'Foreign Language Magician' skill.
That means, of course, that we have to use threats, no, negotiation.
"Hyung-nim, that's a relief! I guess not everyone was able to get in here."
"Ah."
I briefly returned to the real world at Heo Yu-bin's words.
The situation is that we have entered the airport, where there are duty-free shops and boarding gates.
The Seleves who had been following us around so relentlessly were nowhere to be seen.
Fortunately, as I said, they didn't seem to get that far inside.
"Didn't I tell you? It'll be okay."
"I will only trust you, hyung-nim!"
There's still some time left before boarding the plane.
Song Hyung-bin and Chae Eun-gyu went with our manager, saying they wanted to look around the duty-free shop.
Yoo Minha uses the break to go to the bathroom.
Kang Si-yoon and Heo Yu-bin went out to look for food, accompanied by bodyguards, saying they were hungry.
And Ji Yoon-chul.
"...."
He was dozing off next to me with a very sleepy look on his face.
I looked around at the surrounding atmosphere that had suddenly become quiet.
'There is no better opportunity than this.'
Now is the perfect time to talk to the system.
After I called up the system window and spoke in my head, the golden text of the system appeared for the first time in a long time.
[Hello, possessor-nim. How have you been?]
'I'm doing pretty well. But I kept thinking about something carefully.'
[Are there any problems?]
I crossed my arms and glared solemnly at the system's golden window.
'I think there are still many things that need to be taken care of even though the world line has been touched. For example, settings like parents.'
[Parents, the setup of Frederick von Walden and Freya von Walden has now been successfully completed.]
'Yes, I think you've successfully established my existence. However, I have no memories of spending time with them. If I ever get the chance to visit Estonia, I'll have to act in front of everyone.'
[I think you can do it well enough, possessor-nim―.]
'I think it will be very difficult. There is no greater hardship than this.'
I sighed dramatically, deliberately exaggerating my words.
'You said the same thing when you gave me language-related skills before. The items that were included when setting the world line do not have a direct effect on the physical body.'
[Yes, possessor-nim.]
'But you still successfully gave me the skill. Considering that, I guess you're not completely ineffective.'
The system seemed momentarily speechless.
Then it slowly sent the message in a hesitant tone.
[It's true that I gave you the skill, but there are complicated conditions here too―.]
'I guess you should give me a quest.'
[... Yes. That's right.]
When I spoke, predicting the system's behavior, the system seemed to lose its power.
[Since it is structured with quests and rewards, if you complete the quest, you can receive the skill you need as a reward.]
'Then it's simple.'
I leaned forward and smiled.
'Please take good care of me this time too.'
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