Chapter 423: Sleep Well
'The back of his hand looks fine.'
In the bright light, the back of Yoohyun's hand looked clean. Then the contract should be fine too. Sung Hyunjae had said his breathing had stopped for a moment—was it because it hadn't been caused by the side effects of the mana imprint, that is, by another person's attack?
That was fortunate, and at the same time, a part of me thought it might have been better if this had broken the contract after all.
"Just in case, let me say this—if it ever looks like I've died, don't give up right away. I might not really be dead, and there might be a way to bring me back."
"Like in the dungeon in Japan?"
"Yeah. All kinds of things happen in the world now."
"Okay. But I won't be able to last long."
"Right, not too long, just a day—"
"About an hour?"
"…Hey."
That's way too short. What do you mean an hour? I had already shortened it a lot when I said a day.
"If Bak Yerim and Peace aren't nearby, I might last a little longer, since I'd have to tell them."
"R-right. It's admirable enough that you'd at least inform them."
Sigh, but still, wasn't even that better than nothing. Though should I tell Yerim and Peace in advance too? If I held on well enough it would be fine, but still. I had to live a long life for Yerim's sake too… and I had no idea how I'd explain it to Peace.
Really, the best option seemed to be for me to live a long time. Unless you were enemies, there was no such thing as a parting that didn't leave regret behind, but still, enough time to part with a little less regret.
I went to the next room and woke Mr. Noah the same way I had woken Yoohyun. Noah shot upright and examined the color of my eyes with wide, round eyes. Then he smiled brightly in relief.
"It's you, Mr. Yoojin, right?"
"Yes. You really worked hard."
"I'm glad you came back safely."
"You must have been in a lot of pain. I'm sorry."
"It's okay. We were in combat."
Noah spoke as though that was simply an everyday occurrence. Mr. Noah was an experienced Hunter, but in things like this, Riette's influence really must have been strong.
At some point, Yerim must have returned, because the me from before the regression came up carrying the clothes.
"…Still, hyung is hyung."
The me from before the regression glanced at the back of my neck and spoke.
"A younger brother shouldn't do that. Especially when that bastard's already so frail."
Was he taking my side, or insulting me?
"Sorry, hyung."
"It's fine. Just hand over Eunhye."
Ppiik.
The blue bird fluttered over to me. I took Eunhye from me and fastened it onto my arm. After washing up quickly and changing clothes, we headed back downstairs, and I saw Yerim, Yoon Yoon, and Young Chaos sitting at the table off to the side of the lobby. Thankfully, they didn't seem hurt.
But that. The things placed on the table.
"…Isn't that alcohol?"
"It looked like the kind of alcohol that works even on Hunters! We thought it'd be hard to find clothes that fit, so on the way back to the hotel we stopped by a place that sells Hunter goods!"
Yerim laughed brightly and shook a luxurious-looking bottle. Right, around this time, there really were things like that. There were, sure, but why bring that back?
"Yerim."
I really should say something before letting this pass. At the seriousness in my voice, Yerim opened her eyes wide and tilted her head. Cute, but I wasn't letting it slide today.
"This is a dungeon."
"Yes, I know."
"I acknowledge that you're strong. I also know perfectly well that, since you have a teleportation skill, there's little that can put you in danger. But even so, a dungeon is still a dungeon."
"Uh… is it because we went out without saying anything?"
Yerim straightened her posture as she spoke. She looked a little tense.
"That's not the only reason. Of course it's a problem that you went out without saying anything, but more than that, I'm worried that you might be taking dungeon raids too lightly. They said it was safe before sunset, so that was still fine. But after being told to be careful once the sun went down, going out to bring back things you don't even need is too careless."
"…I just saw it on the way back."
"Right. But inside a dungeon, that momentary hesitation can lead to a major accident. I'm saying this not as your guardian, but as a fellow Hunter."
"As a Hunter?"
"Yeah. It's a pretty common thing too. Upper-rank Hunters who, right after Awakening, join a good guild without much hardship and rise smoothly under solid support often go through a period where their vigilance loosens. There's even a term for it—Hunter Spring."
Yerim repeated the words Hunter Spring under her breath, then nodded.
"Okay, I'll be careful!"
Her answer was crisp and cheerful, but no matter how I looked at it, she didn't seem to be taking it all that seriously. Which was only natural. Advice made of just a few words often goes in one ear and out the other even for adults who've been through the wringer plenty in society. Even when lives are on the line. Back when dungeons first started appearing and bursting out, there had been more than one or two accidents caused by people failing to follow safety precautions.
There was nothing for it but for me to pay more attention and prepare more thoroughly. At that moment, Yoon Yoon looked at me with sullen eyes and said,
"Captain Kim Seobang is such a nag."
"…What?"
I mean, yes, it was nagging if you want to call it that. And that brat was looking at me like I was some stiff, old ajussi in my forties or fifties.
For the record, this body is twenty-five.
"And the alcohol too! Yeah, it was because it looked interesting, but! We brought it because if Captain Kim Seobang felt embarrassed, you could drink it!"
"…Really?"
"Really!"
It was probably ninety percent because Yoon Yoon wanted to try it themself, but it did seem true that Yerim had been thinking of me. That made me feel a little bad, so when I looked back, Yerim gave a huge shrug.
"Well, you're right, ahjussi. So do you remember everything?"
"Uh, yeah? No…."
"You do remember."
"Uh, mm, a little. It's been a while since I had Hunter alcohol!"
"You drank it in the Japan dungeon too."
That was embarrassing. Still, thankfully I hadn't said anything too seriously weird to Yerim.
It wasn't really a situation where we could get drunk, but I sat down at an empty table anyway. Once again, Yoohyun positioned me and me on either side of him and wore a satisfied smile. He definitely seemed to be in a better mood. Not long after, Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon came downstairs too. Both of them were clean and dressed in light clothes. And neither of them had dried their hair properly.
"A light drink should be alright, shouldn't it?"
I rose from my seat and picked up the bottle. The writing on the label had all been erased, but judging by the pattern, it was for mid-rank Hunters. To the people here, it wouldn't even be the equivalent of beer. Alcohol for mid-rank Hunters and above generally tasted good too. Since it was hard to actually get drunk, at least the tongue ought to enjoy itself.
Before I could even speak, Yerim and Yoon Yoon vanished and came back with cups. From mugs to glass goblets, they were all mixed together.
"Well then, everyone, you all worked hard. We've crossed one hurdle for the time being, after all. Isn't that right?"
Young Chaos nodded.
"The moon is gone, so the dungeon itself has weakened. The first one's nightmares should weaken too."
"And once the sun rises, it'll weaken even more?"
"It's a nightmare, after all."
Then once morning came, we would kill the dragon, deal with the remaining Association zone, and… head back to Haeyeon? I stopped Yoohyun when he tried to get up to help me and filled the cups instead. Manager Song got up too, but I made him sit back down.
"I said I'd pour for you."
Even if they were pretty little teacups. Then I poured alcohol into Sung Hyunjae's coffee cup as well.
"It may not suit your refined palate, but have a glass."
"If it is a cup recommended by my partner, would even half-brewed barley wine in a one-room shack not taste sweet?"
"Ah, yes. Then pick a day and get gloriously drunk beneath the flowers and full moon."
"With a friend beside me, of course."
"Manager Song, work hard."
Song Taewon's fingertips twitched. I did feel a little sorry for subtly shoving Manager Song into the role of Sung Hyunjae's friend.
"Ahjussi, me too!"
"You get juice."
"But you said it's for mid-ranks! Then I won't get drunk!"
"Even if you don't, no. Regular alcohol isn't allowed either."
"Captain Kim Seobang, I'm over a hundred years old!"
"Three is a bit much, but I'll count ten years for you and recognize you as thirteen."
Come back when both of you are adults.
After Mr. Noah, I poured a drink for the me from before the regression too. I had never dreamed I would hand a drink to myself. Lastly, Yoohyun filled my own glass for me. It was sweet and faintly sharp, and pretty tasty. Naturally, no drunkenness came over me.
"You said two doorkeepers are necessary, right? What time should we switch?"
"There's no need to switch."
Young Chaos looked at Sung Hyunjae.
"You come. The rest sleep."
"Hm? But Elder, I feel a little guilty about not even taking turns."
They were also the two oldest people here. At the same time, the two strongest, but still, it felt a bit awkward making the eldest stay up all night.
"I will stay, Elder."
Manager Song rose from his seat as he spoke. Despite the fact that Young Chaos looked like a teenage boy and was a transcendent, his attitude was respectful, as though he had decided to treat them like an elder.
"With those dark circles under your eyes? Go sleep."
"I am alright."
"The first one always has to bring someone like you with him. Go right now."
Young Chaos said firmly, raising their brows. After hesitating, Manager Song answered, "Yes." He didn't look pleased about it, but Manager Song really did need to rest.
I turned back to Sung Hyunjae, who had quietly emptied not a wine cup but a coffee cup.
"Mr. Sung Hyunjae, aren't you tired?"
"In my present mood, I doubt sleep would come anyway. Unless Han Yoojin-gun intends to put me to sleep?"
"My skill won't work on you, so I'll decline."
Well, it hadn't been that long since all that chaos. Sung Hyunjae especially had, for all intents and purposes, just fought an equal of his own kind with blood flying. He wouldn't calm down easily.
After telling Young Chaos and Sung Hyunjae that I was counting on them, I headed toward the elevators for the guest rooms.
"Little Kim Seobang! Let's have a pillow fight! I've always wanted to try it!"
Yoon Yoon said excitedly. They looked less like they were in a dungeon and more like they were on some school trip. Given the environment, that made sense.
"You'll end up breaking a wall or a window doing that."
"I can control my strength really well!"
Yoon Yoon crossed their arms and answered confidently. Yerim looked tempted too. She didn't speak up first, probably because of what I had said a little while ago. Fine. Inside the hotel, playing a little before bed should be okay.
"You can't play for too long. Just a little, then sleep, alright?"
"Okay!"
"Ah, then ahjussi, do you want to join too?"
"No. Hyung has to go to bed early."
"Angel-nim, you too!"
"Pardon?"
Yoon Yoon grabbed Noah's arm and tugged him along. He looked flustered, but he didn't seem to dislike it. Right, if Mr. Noah was there too, I could worry a little less. Still, would it be alright?
"I'll supervise. If it's the inner room of the largest guest suite, it should be fine even if a little gets broken."
Manager Song said that. I was about to tell him to go rest, but rather than seeming bothered, he actually seemed faintly willing, so I only thanked him. Well, with Manager Song's personality, it would probably be difficult for him to rest comfortably here anyway. Besides, he'd basically be in the position of a teacher watching over the kids during a pillow fight.
'He might actually suit that role.'
Before Awakening—police work suited him, yes, but wouldn't being a teacher have fit him perfectly too? A place where he protected children, guided them, taught them. He surely would have been popular too. If Manager Song hadn't had those negative feelings about himself, maybe he might have turned toward teaching instead.
"Don't play too long before sleeping. They said there's probably no big danger, but still, don't get too noisy."
"Should I freeze the windows so it'll be soundproof?"
"No, not that far. Freeze the curtains instead, not the windows. So if a pillow flies the wrong way, the glass will stay safe. And if it does break, take Mr. Noah and Manager Song and evacuate quickly."
Hotel windows were often entire walls, after all. Part of me wanted to just say sleep quietly, but they were at the age where you played like this. Yerim in particular probably hadn't been able to play with non-Awakened friends like that after Awakening. Even if she controlled her strength, from the perspective of teachers or parents, they'd naturally be uneasy.
And when you thought about it, Yoon Yoon was still a child too. They'd gone around startling people, sure, but this dungeon might actually be the first time they had ever played with friends.
The pillow-fight crew headed for the biggest suite, loaded down with all sorts of snacks. My little brother, the me from before the regression, and I went looking for a spacious room on one of the middle floors.
"There was a time when we had a movement to stop using disposable products, you know."
I said that while squeezing toothpaste onto a disposable toothbrush. I nodded along with myself.
"Now we just shove the trash into dungeons."
There had even been talk that environmental issues had gone beyond serious and become dangerous, but now all of that had vanished. It really was ironic that dungeons, which had appeared to bring about destruction, had ended up playing a role in saving the world instead.
"Staring into the mirror side by side like this feels weird."
The me from before the regression said. And since we were even brushing our teeth in exactly the same way, as if we had practiced with the same hand, it really did feel strange. If this situation kept continuing, honestly, it wouldn't be pleasant. Was that why most stories about doppelgängers were negative?
To be more hoooonest, even though I was the one who had suggested it first, it was true that I didn't want myself taking my place. Right, I hated it.
"I want to hit you."
"Look who's talking."
"Hyung, let's sleep already."
We both rinsed our mouths at the same time, and as the two of us glared at each other at the exact same moment, Yoohyun grabbed both our arms and pulled us along. I was only putting up with this and going to sleep because of my little brother. That bastard was probably thinking the exact same thing.
Yeah, this really feels awful.
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