What followed the harsh coughing was neither a soothing it's okay nor a worried are you okay.
"AAAAAH!"
A scream full of pain shot upward. Han Yoojin's body curled tightly in on itself and shook violently. His teeth clacking together, he shouted at the two men, who had frozen solid.
"Back off! Ngh, mana, agh, ngh!"
Kkadeudeuk, his molars ground together, and the scream was forcibly swallowed down. As though burned by fire, Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon rose and stepped back. As the distance widened, Han Yoojin's groans gradually eased. In the dark ruins, his pale back rose and fell rapidly before he finally let out a huge breath.
"Farther…."
As the two of them widened the distance even more, Han Yoojin, still curled up, spoke with difficulty.
"I can feel mana too clearly. Even now my skin still stings… enough to hurt."
"…There's no other problem?"
"Sung Hyunjae-ssi."
Between the silences came the sound of water dripping. Han Yoojin pressed his forehead against Silekia's wings. Maybe because it really was worthy of being SS-rank equipment, it did not feel cold.
"Yerim… is still young."
Han Yoojin's voice continued slowly.
"To be honest, Hyuna-ssi feels more dependable than you, Sung Hyunjae-ssi, but Hyuna-ssi's going to be busy for a while. So if you've got the spare time, could you look out for her a bit?"
"Shouldn't that be Han Yoojin-ssi's job?"
Sung Hyunjae replied calmly. Han Yoojin laughed quietly.
"Yeah. Still. And the rearing facility too. If the kids can't grow, they might try to dispose of them, you know. Their food costs aren't exactly cheap. But to you it wouldn't amount to much, so could I ask that of you?"
"…Fine. That wouldn't be difficult."
"Thank you. As for the building side… there's probably nothing there for me to worry about."
As far as the forge was concerned, Yoo Myeongwoo alone made it reassuring enough. The research team had already established themselves by producing results. And Do Hamin had been capable even before the regression, so there likely would not be a problem this time either.
"Noah-ssi should be all right now too. I think he's only going to get stronger from here on out."
He would go on changing his relationship with the Riette outside the dungeon. He could even found a guild again, or it would be fine if he stayed on the building's side. In many ways, it would become a special team.
"But Yoohyun…"
Han Yoojin's eyes blinked slowly.
"…I don't want to leave my younger brother alone again. But that… won't be possible, right."
Still, the living had to go on living. Normally, people said things like that. Most people would probably think that was right. But how could he do that again?
"Take him with you."
"..."
"You know that very well yourself, don't you. That Han Yoohyun can only live beside Han Yoojin."
"…That kid is… a bit like that. Yeah."
"Even if he were to force his breath to keep going, he would surely be unhappy. Han Yoohyun could never be happy anywhere but by Han Yoojin's side."
Forcing them apart would be the crueler, harsher act. If one truly cared for Han Yoohyun and thought of him properly, then one could not do such a thing. So the right thing would be to take him along, and Han Yoohyun would no doubt follow without hesitation.
"You're not supposed to give up on living so easily. Even if it's hard right now, you don't know what might happen. I didn't exactly know I'd end up regressing either."
"That would be true for an ordinary person. Many things change as you go on living. But for Han Yoohyun, Han Yoojin is absolute, isn't he. At least from what I've seen, it will never change. Until the moment the fire goes out."
That death would not be a choice, but a natural result. Just as a fire dies when everything it has burned is gone, Han Yoohyun's end after losing the world called Han Yoojin would only be the natural course.
"…I should look after my younger brother myself."
Han Yoojin muttered that softly. He had to look after everything. All of it.
"I'm going to tell him myself if I can, but if that becomes impossible, please tell him for me instead. …Tell him he can follow Hyung."
"I will. He'll definitely be happy."
Can it really be okay like this? Han Yoojin bit his lip a little, then turned his head.
"And Chief Secretary Song."
Song Taewon, who had been standing stiffly on the opposite side of Sung Hyunjae, blinked abruptly.
"…Yes."
"You're taking the lamb kid, right? Yerim was calling it Song, but Chief Secretary Song, what was it again."
"It's fine if you call it Song too."
His heavy low voice rang over the water.
"But I can't take responsibility for it."
After a slight hesitation, Song Taewon said it. Even if it was a final request, he could not accept it carelessly. He could have lied to ease Han Yoojin's heart, but because it was the end, he wanted even less to deceive him.
At that stiffly honest answer, the corner of Han Yoojin's mouth lifted slightly.
"I'm sorry."
"No, it's okay. If you'd answered yes right away, I would've been suspicious."
Because you're not the kind of person who would.
"Chief Secretary Song, if I'm gone, the lamb kid will always stay just a lamb kid. As a kiseungsu, it won't have much value."
Like me before the regression.
But Han Yoojin did not say that aloud.
"So please take it."
"Han Yoojin-ssi."
"I'll cover the kid's food expenses. I mean, don't they say overseas some people even leave inheritances to dogs and cats?"
"There's no need for that."
"It's not bad, is it? It's fine, isn't it? It's really cute."
"It's because I do not have the confidence to take responsibility to the end."
As Han Yoojin had said, the lamb kid would probably be adorable. Song Taewon could imagine himself honestly becoming fond of it, and the lamb kid leaning against his side. That certainly would not be bad.
But Song Taewon had always been prepared to throw his life away at any moment. Which also meant he was prepared to leave the lamb kid's side at any moment. A person like that should not take responsibility for a life.
"What does it matter if you don't take responsibility to the end?"
"…Excuse me?"
The uncharacteristic words made Song Taewon's brow tighten slightly.
"It's a high-rank monster, so it'll probably live a long time, right? It'd be nice if someone stayed with it to the end, but even if they don't, Chief Secretary Song, there are people around you who'd take care of it, aren't there?"
"No, I can't just foist it off on—"
"Why do you think of it as foisting it off? It might be the other way around. People might line up and compete for it."
Han Yoojin laughed out loud.
"I'd do that too. Because you're a good person, Chief Secretary Song. So everyone will definitely want to remember you. And since I'll be leaving the raising expenses from my own money, the burden would be small too. Picking who'd take the best care of it would probably be the harder part. And if it comes down to it, there's Sung Hyunjae-ssi too. Or maybe everyone will take responsibility together."
"That…"
All of a sudden, Song Taewon remembered the Awakening Management Office inside the dungeon. Those people who had said it was good because the grave they needed to visit was nearby. It was not difficult to imagine the lamb kid wandering between the two of them as well. If instead of a mound of earth without even a corpse beneath it, a small black lamb remained by their side.
It felt strange.
Song Taewon had never particularly thought about what would come after his own death. He had been alone, and there had been nothing he wished to leave behind.
"In this dungeon, the area I dealt with was the Awakening Management Office. And I killed the people there."
Familiar faces, and strangers who must have been companions of people he knew.
"Because they were monsters."
Monsters.
"But that wasn't the only reason, was it. I didn't see your colleagues often, Chief Secretary Song, but I'm sure they have things in common with you. They're people who kept staying by your side, after all."
"…Even after I died. They did."
Song Taewon's eyes twisted in a way that looked neither like smiling nor crying.
"I could have tried talking to them. But in the end, the result would have been the same. The people who would run away… no."
If he had been able to explain that they were monsters, then some of them might still not have understood and would have attacked him to the end. But some might have accepted death with relief.
So you were alive. That's a relief. Don't die.
And beyond that relief, they would inevitably have also felt anguish over becoming monsters unable to leave the dungeon. Song Taewon, after all, was still a human who could leave and keep living. But they…
"They were monsters, but they were still human, weren't they. Chief Secretary Song. Those people probably died thinking of themselves as human. And Chief Secretary Song, the only one who sees and remembers them, won't be able to think of them as just monsters either."
"That is… yes."
Song Taewon answered honestly.
"Then isn't that enough? And you too, Chief Secretary Song. People probably aren't made all alone. I think my younger brother and I would both have ended up very different if we hadn't had each other."
The people around you were countless mirrors. Distorted mirrors, tinted ones, mirrors of all different sizes. Looking at them, and being looked at by them, people had no choice but to be influenced a little bit at a time.
"Of course, there are also people who hold on firmly to themselves. But Chief Secretary Song, just a little… please entrust yourself to others. To the people who see you as a person, cherish you, and will remember you."
"..."
"They probably already have part of you in them, Chief Secretary Song. They must have changed at least a little, maybe a lot, because they saw Song Taewon and experienced him."
Song Taewon could not easily open his mouth. At this point, to stretch even his fingertips out beyond the box he had buried himself in would be difficult. The roots that had sunk in were too broad and too deep. On top of that, he had learned here that he himself might not truly be human.
It was difficult enough just to force down the revulsion that made him want to tighten the reins even further and bind his own hands and feet.
And yet—
"I'll take the lamb kid with me."
Now that he knew about the people left behind.
Now that he had accepted Song Taewon's memory and traces into his whole body through combat.
He could not refuse to the very end the temptation that a harmless young lamb might remain behind as his fragment. Was it not all right to be greedy, just for a peaceful scene after death? At least that much?
"You promised."
"Yes."
"Even if I turn out completely fine, I mean."
"…Excuse me?"
Han Yoojin unfolded his curled-up body and lay down, covering his face with both hands. The tips of his ears had gone red.
"Uh, well. I'm fine now."
Han Yoojin's voice was full of embarrassment.
"So, I mean, I'm fine. Uh, you can come close now. Yeah."
The moment the words fell, both men moved toward Han Yoojin.
Apparently today wasn't the day after all. Suddenly it felt too embarrassing to look Sung Hyunjae and Chief Secretary Song in the face.
'No, seriously, it really felt like it was over.'
The mana imprint had gone wild, it had hurt like crazy, and it had really felt like I was about to say goodbye to this world. But then, as if none of that had happened, the imprint quieted down. Other than being weak, my condition wasn't even bad.
"You really are all right?"
Sung Hyunjae bent over him. Still covering his face, Han Yoojin gave a vague nod.
"And, also, my memory's a little fuzzy."
"If you want, I'll let it be that way, but it's far too obvious."
"Ah, damn it, how am I supposed to look Yoohyun in the face..."
The moment the memory surfaced, he wanted to die. Yerim and Noah-ssi too. Sung Hyunjae and Chief Secretary Song too. Ah, this is driving me crazy...
"Well, with Yoohyun, it was because the crescent moon is really obsessed with you, right? To me, my younger brother is basically what you are to that thing. So because of that influence, I also, damn it."
I thought at most I'd just quietly go after Chief Secretary Song. How was I supposed to know it would go that far? …Though even if I had known, it's not like there would've been any better solution. Me at S-rank was still better than L-rank Han Yoohyun, or Bak Yerim, or Noah-ssi, or Sung Hyunjae, but still, but still, aaaargh.
"What I said… that, well, Sung Hyunjae-ssi, Chief Secretary Song, I'm sorry."
"It wasn't all untrue, was it. I'll apologize for what happened before as well."
"I'm sorry too for treating you roughly, Han Yoojin-ssi."
"No, no, it's…"
"And I'll decline the kiseungsu."
"You can't change your mind now!"
"If Han Yoojin-ssi is safe, then the conditions change. It'll grow."
"I should've made you sign a contract!"
Or should I just give up on making it an adult form? But then I'd feel sorry for Song too. Looking at Peace, it felt like it might prefer staying young, but I couldn't exactly ask.
Sung Hyunjae wrapped Han Yoojin in his coat and lifted him up. The moment Han Yoojin thought about going back to the hotel, the back of his neck heated up all over again. On top of that, his stomach hurt. Just how many points had he used today? He really should've shut the point shop sooner. The Newcomer had said before that it couldn't interfere because it hadn't made the shop itself, so he'd given up then. Not that something like this would happen again, but maybe he should just spend everything.
As he absentmindedly tried to open the point shop, wondering what the most expensive thing he could buy was—
[◐▼◐∥Welcome! Point Shop!∥◑△◑]
The shop window popped up. What, sunrise was still a long way off.
'No way, Newcomer?!'
Had it pretended to close it even though it couldn't? Well… good job. The kid's gotten a lot better at thinking on its feet.
Chief Secretary Song took the lead, and Sung Hyunjae followed behind. Beneath their feet came the sound of water splashing.
"That damned crescent moon made me spend points like water… I'm completely in the red now."
"But didn't you gain an SS-rank item?"
"Huh?"
"Silekia's Wings."
What, what was he talking about? Han Yoojin lowered the hands covering his face and stared at Sung Hyunjae. The golden eyes curved into a smile.
"We'll go to the aquarium outside the dungeon, and I'll give it to you in advance."
"R-really?"
Really?
You're giving it to me?
Unconsciously, Han Yoojin swallowed. Good grief, Silekia? Well, even if he got it, it wasn't like he'd personally have much use for it, but it was still a precious SS-rank coat. There were plenty of people who could use it. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be especially useful for Yoohyun. It might as well have no flame resistance, and the options suited Yejang far better. But it would be useful for Yerim or Noah-ssi.
Yerim would need to grow some more first, though. Even if it was a dungeon item, the size wouldn't adjust infinitely, and since Sung Hyunjae wore it, even shrunk down it would still be too bulky. Still, it'd be a good item even a few years from now.
'It'd suit her.'
Our Yerim. Of course, Noah-ssi would look great in it too.
"However, no one except Han Yoojin-ssi is allowed to wear it."
"Why not!"
"You'd already started planning who to give it to, but no."
"That's so petty!"
"The condition is that only Han Yoojin-ssi wears it."
And just like that, the excitement vanished. Right. No way would Sung Hyunjae let another S-rank use an SS-rank coat. Someone like Han Yoojin, just an F-rank, wouldn't be much of a threat.
"Then it's way too much of a waste. Just use it yourself, Sung Hyunjae-ssi."
"Are you returning it?"
"Yes, no, I mean. I'm leasing it, leasing it. This is mine now, and I'll lend it to you."
Return it, my ass. First things first, it was his now.
"I'll waive the rental fee just this once. But when the ranking matches come, I'm confiscating it."
"My thanks."
"…Can you really say that? No, before that, are you seriously giving it to me? It's SS-rank."
"I have others, so don't worry."
"You do? What do you mean, you do?"
SS-rank ones? Right, worrying about Sung Hyunjae was pointless. Other people struggled to get even one! Then again, even Shishio had said he had another one besides Yejang.
"I wasn't worried about you."
Worried, sure. Outside the department store it was dark now, with the moonlight nearly gone. When they ran down the road and arrived at the hotel, it was the only place where a faint light was still leaking out. Light slipped through the curtains, but the place looked intact, as if nothing had happened.
The kids probably got back safely, right?
The moment he thought of seeing their faces, Han Yoojin's mouth went dry.
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