Please pay attention to the timeline of this chapter ^^

Astrape Palace, Astreaia

Tuesday, May 12th, 2020

“Stop pouting. I'll be back to my room after walking around a bit. I need fresh air.” Yujin held out her hand, asking Wonyoung to follow her.

“You passed out for two days, and now you've asked me to trust you if you're okay?! It doesn’t make sense.” Wonyoung complained but didn't ignore Yujin's hand. She held the older girl's hand tightly and walked beside her.

“I'm just tired, Wonie. It's my first time expending that much energy creating a protective dome, and I don't think my body is used to it.” Yujin smiled broadly and sat down on a park bench. Yujin's eyes lit up and made Wonyoung smile, understanding why the older girl who had worried her a few days ago seemed to be enjoying the sight in front of them.

“Are you so happy because you completed your first solo mission?”

Yujin turned her head and nodded with a satisfied smile at Wonyoung's question.

“I know what I did was not much. I even passed out once I returned to Gallia. But this is the first time I've completed my mission without the help of others. It makes me even more confident that I can complete the other missions without the others.”

“I'm sorry, but after this, I won't let you go on a solo mission before you turn 20 and have completed the Odyssey,” Wonyoung stated firmly.

“Why?! You don't trust me?!” Yujin frowned. “If you don't believe my ability because I collapsed on my first mission, so will the others. I wasn't the only one who got injured after completing the first solo mission. But if what I do is nothing to you and only bothers you, I will train harder so I won't bother you anymore.”

Wonyoung took a deep breath and looked annoyed at Yujin.

“I hope you stop thinking that what you did was nothing because you almost lost your life, Unnie.” Wonyoung's eye looks furious, remembering what happened when Yujin completed her mission. “Stop saying you're okay because you're not. You will die if we are late in bringing you to Astreaia. Why didn't you tell us the Necromancer attacked you?! Do you think just because you don't have any visible injuries, I wouldn't know what happened to you?!”

“Do you know how worried I was when you suddenly fainted? You're not breathing, and your energy is messed up. You died clinically, and later I realized your condition was like that because you repeatedly clashed with the dark energy. You are obligated to tell us exactly what happened on your mission. If you behave like this on any other mission, you will endanger yourself and your team.”

“I'm sorry.” Yujin looked down and played with her fingers. “I thought the attack was meaningless, and I didn't need to report it to you guys. I want to be useful and not become a follower who is always being protected just because I am the youngest warrior and Pillar. I'm a Pillar. No matter how old I am, I must be able to prove that I deserve to be called a Pillar.”

Wonyoung's gaze softened at Yujin's words.

“It's okay to be failed for your first solo mission, you know. Even for other missions too. I'm not saying that to make you think I don't appreciate your efforts. I want you to prioritize your safety. After all, safety comes first.” Wonyoung took Yujin's hand and took it in her lap, holding it tightly. “We can try again if we fail. But I won't be able to scold another An Yujin if I lose you on a mission, Unnie. You are the one and only, and I can't lose you.”

Wonyoung smiled as she heard Yujin chuckle at her words.

“You are a pure-blood warrior and also a Pillar. Stop thinking that you are useless. You have plenty of time to prove that. You have many opportunities to improve yourself. You're not going to fail forever just because you couldn't complete one of your missions.” Wonyoung patted the back of Yujin's hand in her grip.

“Honestly, what happened yesterday made me realize that I am far from worthy to be your Pillar.” Yujin smiled weakly with sad eyes. “What if they attack you unexpectedly, and I'm the only one with you? With my current abilities, I might fail to protect you.”

Yujin sighed in desperation and stared at the sky, trying to hide her teary eyes.

“I don't deserve to be alive if that happens. I'll ask Unnies to kill me if I fail to protect you.” Yujin laughed bitterly at the thought.

“How can you die without getting revenge for what they did to me?” Wonyoung shook her head at Yujin's words.

“I'll kill them for you and kill myself then,” Yujin responded without hesitation, making Wonyoung take a deep breath.

“Is that hard for you to keep alive for the sake of me?” One of Wonyoung's eyebrows raised when she asked this, and Yujin nodded quickly in answer to the question.

“I'd rather die than live but without you beside me. I don't think I can live with feeling sorry for you. How can I live when you’re not here?” Yujin pouted.

“Why do you keep thinking about dying if you fail to protect me? Do you think I can't protect myself? I'm the one who should protect you, not the other way around. I'm the Ruler here.” Wonyoung assured in a soft voice. “I don't want to die fast, you know? I will live a long life with you. I will do whatever it takes to stay alive and be with you. We promised to travel around Gaia together when we grew up, and I would never let you leave me. I never even thought about leaving you.”

Wonyoung beamed when she saw Yujin's smile return when she talked about their promise.

“You want to go around Gaia with me because only me who is willing to be your driver, right?” Yujin chuckled when Wonyoung nodded without hesitation.

“You will be my driver after you get your license, Unnie.” Wonyoung once again reminded Yujin of her promise. “You will be my driver for the rest of my life. Yay!! We will be traveling around Gaia!!”

“Do you only have a traveling plan in your head huh?”

Wonyoung shook her head.

“I'm going to buy a house in Hawaii. Imagine you will stay with me, and we'll spend the afternoon watching the sunset, every day. You can even swim and surf whenever you want. Isn't that fun?”

“You have to work and save the money before you travel, let alone buy a house in Hawaii.” Wonyoung sneered when she heard Yujin's tone. She sounded like a parent who scolded the daughter.

“I am a Ruler and have great investments in Astreaia. You have your assets as a Pillar in Astreaia too. I guess it's fine for me to sell a few gold chunks to make our dream come true.” Wonyoung's cocky smile made Yujin laugh.

“Don't you feel sorry for Gyuri Unnie? She will be overwhelmed taking care of the company alone. You need to study properly and help Gyuri Unnie to handle Victory.”

“As a human being, Jang Gyuri is extraordinary. I can't believe that there are normal humans who have abilities like her. She is a genius and cool. She is already successful without me. She can handle everything on her own. She didn’t need me, and she won't let her beloved little sister be burdened by company matters. She didn't even protest when I said I needed a personal driver because I didn't want to drive.”

“Why don't you drive your car? You can also get your license once you grow up. Do you have the heart to let me be the only one who always drives when we travel?”

“I told you I'm afraid to drive a car. I never thought of holding the steering wheel. Even imagining me sitting in the passenger's seat makes my body tremble.” Wonyoung puffed her cheeks.

“Then are you going to sit in the back seat and let me drive alone in the front? Isn't that too much?”

Wonyoung giggled at Yujin's reaction.

“I trust you Unnie, of course, I will sit next to you in the passenger seat. You will be a reliable driver and make me forget my fears.” Wonyoung wrapped her arms around Yujin's waist and rested her head on the older girl's shoulder. “I'll hold your drink when you're thirsty and feed you with snacks when you're hungry. We will play songs and sing together along the way on our journey. We can rest every time you are tired. You can sleep as long as you want, and I promise I won't complain or wake you up.”

“You look like you're convincing a child into school.”

“I'm serious!!”

“That's not enough, Wonie.”

“I'll cuddle you every night, and I'll kiss you every time we get to a new place.”

“Sounds promising.”

“Of course! Jang Wonyoung will never make a bad offer.” Wonyoung let go of their little cuddle and patted her chest with a proud smile. She held out her pinky. “Now your turn to make a promise to me.”

Yujin smiled a little and linked her pinky with Wonyoung.

“I will be the best driver you have ever had. I promise I will always be by your side and follow you wherever you go.”

***

Sunflower Art & Culture Foundation, Seoul

Saturday, November 15th, 2025 

“You should have woken me up and didn't have gone back to Gaia without me,” Wonyoung complained in a soft voice. She used one hand to turn the steering wheel and the other to grasp the coffee cup and drink from the straw. She briefly caught sight of another vehicle following them as they left one of Sunflower studios in the rearview mirror.

“I'm not by myself. Shadow guards are with me. You must have told them to stalk me.” Wonyoung laughed as Yujin made a grumpy expression.

“They're not stalking you, dear. They look after you, to protect you.” Wonyoung took Yujin's hand and kissed the back of her hand. She chuckled when Yujin pulled her hand with a still frowning face. Sulk. “I swear, I'll let them go once you get better. However, they will remain by your side while you recover, and I will be your driver at the time being.”

“Until when you forbid me to drive?” Yujin turned her body to give Wonyoung a better look. Her hand stretched out to feed the jelly to the younger, and Wonyoung gives her immediately responded by opened mouth. “You know, the car accident never happened to me, and I didn't experience any trauma because of that. Not me; they did that. I wasn't even in the car when the collision happened. They only want to destroy my precious car.” Yujin pouted, remembering the car gift from her siblings that was destroyed in the accident.

“I know. I just want to spoil my girl.” Wonyoung answered casually. She steers the car toward the highway with deft movements of her hands as she glances at Yujin. “Before becoming your lover, I drove alone and was always followed by shadow guards. If not alone, Unnies will drive for me. It feels like a child who is being watched by their parents. However, I don't give a damn. That's their duty and part of Astreaia protocol. But I deliberately have all the licenses so I can travel everywhere without bothering anybody. I wondered what it would be like to travel without the Astreaia protocol with my lover. Wouldn't it be lovely to travel with you and take in the sights along the way? We can use a car, yacht, chopper, or horseback. Once we start traveling by ourselves, I'll do everything for you.”

Wonyoung glanced over and smiled at Yujin who admired her with sparkling eyes without responding to her words. “Don't stare at me in that way. If you want to kiss me, you need to wait since I'm driving.”

Yujin chuckled before turning her body back to face forward with blushing cheeks. “So, when can we leave? What place are you taking me to? After completing my final assignment, I'm just waiting for the graduation ceremony because I have no classes after the fall.”

“What are you going to do after graduation? Are you going to work in the entertainment industry? You have a stable career from your channel, and you are also a popular DJ.”

“I don't know what I'm going to do. I don't need anything, and I'm not greedy enough to have many dreams.” You living, breathed, alive, and being by my side is enough for me. Yujin left the last part for herself. She tried to get rid of the sentimental feeling and turned her body back to facing Wonyoung. “What if I become a parasite that keeps clinging to you? I will follow you wherever you go. Ah! I also have so many interesting places that I will show you, my dear. It will be like a date for life.”

When Yujin noticed how Wonyoung's eyes shifted in response to her remarks, she grinned broadly.

“Why are you such a cutie, Unnie? I would have pulled over this car and kissed you if we weren't traveling along a busy road.” When Wonyoung realized her car didn't have an automatic driving option, she groaned in annoyance. “I shouldn't have used this car so I can-”

Soft, moist lips pecked Wonyoung's lips, stopping her in mid-sentence.

“Yah! Do you know what you just did was dangerous? What if I let go of my hands on the wheel?! We're doomed!” Even realizing that Yujin's hand had been gripped around her to keep her firmly attached to the wheel while they were kissing, Wonyoung complained after being surprised by what Yujin had done to her.

“Sorry, I can't wait until we exit the highway.” The older girl grinned and pulled the seatbelt back on her seat. “I believe in your driving skill. You can even quickly get back on track after I kiss you. You're amazing, Wonie.” Yujin grinned as she went for her phone to check her email.

“You're lucky because I have good reflexes. I'm the healer with the best reflexes in Astreaia.” Wonyoung's fingers tapped the steering wheel lightly. “You must be clueless about whether I am more skilled in combat than Eunbi Unnie.”

This time Yujin looked up with a frown. “You- what?”

“I'm not sure how my skills stack up against those of pure-blood warrior pillars, but I can guarantee that in the last year of our sparring, Eunbi Unnie has never won against me.” Wonyoung happily grinned as she recalled her fights with Eunbi.

“Didn't you win because Eunbi Unnie gave in to you?”

Wonyoung pouted at the question. “I will prove it to you during the sparring later. Not now. Later when your condition gets better.”

“If that's the case, I will become your sparring opponent.”

“Don't whine if I kick your later, Unnie.”

“Try me then.” Yujin shrugged and made Wonyoung laugh.

“I asked Gyuri Unnie to start officially employing me as a member of Victory yesterday. As a Victory representative, I have to attend a gala dinner tonight. After this, we'll head back to Astreaia for lunch, and then I'll be back to Gaia for the gala.”

Yujin chuckled in response to the details. She gave Wonyoung a warm smile before patting her head with her hand.

“You are an adult now, Jang Wonyoung. I'm so proud of you.”

“You're only a year older than me, and now you're acting like a parent raising a child.”

“That's not how it is,” Yujin beamed. “I must be proud that I have such a wonderful sweetheart.”

“Hiiishhhh…” Despite trying to cover her flushed cheeks, Wonyoung shook her head in response to Yujin's words. “I'll put in a lot of effort at Victory until I can afford a house in Hawaii.”

Hearing Wonyoung's comments, Yujin clenched her fists. Fortunately, Wonyoung was unaware of it since the girl was still focusing on the street in front of her.

“At first, I wanted to stay and spend my life there. But I think it's more realistic if I use it for homestay and run away with my girlfriend