Chapter 158

"You came."

"I said I might not come."

"But you're here now. If you hadn't come, I would have just cleaned up."

"..."

Soram made an expression that was hard to tell if he was smiling or frowning as he looked at the snacks and sodas laid out on the living room table. Then he walked very slowly to the spot next to Tae-un.

He sometimes made that face. It wasn't because he was sleepy or bothered. For reasons unknown, he hesitated, and despite that hesitation, he chose to come, resulting in an uncomfortable expression. He had shown a similar reaction when Tae-un had asked him to train together for a while, and when he suggested eating dinner together every day.

"Want something to drink?"

"There's nothing but sweet stuff."

"That's how snacks are. Is there anything else you want to eat?"

"Potatoes."

"Are you possessed by a potato ghost?"

"The ones I ate at your house, it was a taste I'd never had before in my life."

While Tae-un was thinking he should contact his parents to send some potatoes, Soram crunched on a rice cracker that was at least less sweet than the others. Despite his hesitation every time, the fact that he ultimately came to his side with that characteristic 'I guess I have no choice...' face and granted his requests made Tae-un extremely pleased.

On TV, idols who had appeared on the year-end stage all came out to announce that the new year was just around the corner.

"You're turning twenty."

Soram, looking at the screen, opened his mouth.

"There's still a lot left."

"What?"

"Until twenty-seven, ...no, twenty-six."

"Why? Do you want to become an adult quickly?"

When you've just turned twenty, it's common to believe that your mid-to-late twenties self will have achieved great progress. Tae-un was no different. By then, he would be much stronger than now, and would have established his position as a hunter.

"I wonder. Do I wish for it to come quickly?"

Soram answered, showing almost no sign of that kind of expectation, as he hugged his knees. Even when sleeping, he curled up, and when sitting, he often rolled up his body like that, as if minimizing his space.

Straighten your back. Lift your head, and stretch your legs.

He wanted to say that, but Soram like this always seemed to be wary of something. So unlike usual, he couldn't casually poke at him.

He couldn't understand what had made Soram like this. He had too many elements absent from a normal life: his growth environment, the timing and origin of his awakening, the time he came to the headquarters alone. So it was difficult to ask him openly.

―Now we'll start the countdown to the new year. Dear viewers, may you receive many blessings in the new year.

"They're doing what you wanted to see."

"...Yeah."

5, 4, 3, 2, 1! After the shout, the screen switched to the Bosingak Bell. The bell rang with the final count.

The heavy metallic sound echoed in the room. As the third bell sound rang, Soram called out to Tae-un.

"Congratulations on turning twenty."

"Congratulations to you too."

Tae-un held out his cola can. Soram, like an old man in a young body, said, "Where did a little one like you learn such things?" and clinked his glass against it. Tae-un rubbed the moist surface of the can and then tilted his head back to drink all the cola. Still too shy to say it while looking at his face, he spoke while watching TV.

"Next year, I'll work harder watching you."

"..."

"I'll soon be good enough to stand beside you, so next year, let's solve dungeons together, build up a lot of achievements, and escape from being the last-place team. I'm counting on you."

Tae-un also anticipated the response. There's no need to work hard. Take it easy. He would probably give such an answer again.

Deng, deng. The bell continued to ring. He hadn't paid attention before, so he didn't know, but as the people ringing the bell were replaced, they rang it more times than he had expected.

"Don't count on me. I'm already doing my best."

It was a slightly different response than expected, but it was so like Jin Soram that Tae-un smiled. And he protested on behalf of the not-so-few people who would be infuriated by those words.

"When have you ever done your best?"

"Still, I'd like you to acknowledge it. I've really tried hard."

...Based on what I've seen so far, I'd be the last to know that. Noticing that gaze, Soram smiled back with a smirk.

"Knowing it will get tough, I've already chosen several times, even now, to soothe your hurt feelings rather than my future self's. I have."

"What... are you saying? I've never felt hurt. Did you have something you felt bad about?"

Even while knowing that if there had been such a thing, he wouldn't have come to sit beside him, Tae-un felt a sinking feeling. Soram stared at Tae-un blankly for a while. It was a plain expression with little movement in his eyes, nose, or mouth, but Tae-un felt he couldn't imitate the face Soram was making now.

Then both corners of his mouth turned up.

"I meant stop nagging so much. That was my best effort earlier."

With a sensation of his heart dropping, Tae-un felt deflated. What the...

"That won't do. Increase your best effort. Vacuum and do laundry at least once every three days."

"How can you increase best effort? It's the best because that's the limit."

Soram finally stretched out his curled-up legs and leaned back against the backrest.

"I don't know. ...I'll think about it later. It's fine for now, since we still have a lot of time."

***

As the year changed, Team 7's nineteen-year-old members became twenty-year-old adults.

As Tae-un and Soram spent more time together, the gap in their eye levels narrowed a bit more. Tae-un had stopped growing as he had already grown as much as anyone could see, while the top of Soram's head rose from Tae-un's chin towards his lips and nose.

Tae-un, pretending not to, was anxiously watching to see if Soram might catch up to him. Soram knew he should stop growing soon as he had already passed 180cm, but he gave no hint to Tae-un, who was very conscious of his height.

Besides that, there was one more change in Team 7.

"I was originally planning to take it on after a few more years..."

In the office where the three of them were together for once, Park Jae-seon opened his mouth with a different atmosphere than usual.

"If Soram had remained the only member of Team 7, I absolutely couldn't have gone. Because Tae-un came, I was able to make the decision."

Another change that had occurred in the Flight Team was that Park Jae-seon had become the director overseeing all hunters in the Field Operations Bureau, from being Team 7's leader.

He placed his hands on the shoulders of the two children who couldn't say anything.

"You seem very surprised. Especially you, Soram."

"...No, it's not..."

Park Jae-seon becoming the director while promoting Soram to Team 7 leader. This was something that had happened without fail in every life.

But for this to happen right after turning twenty... had never happened even once.

"I'm sorry it's become like this, almost like an announcement, when we've hardly had proper days together in the office. I would have liked to stay here at least until one of you could sit in the team leader's seat."

"May I ask why the decision was made so suddenly?"

"Recently, as rift phenomena have become increasingly serious, there's a need for a focal point for the headquarters' hunters. ...And currently, I'm the most suitable person to take on that role."

He had vaguely felt that the rifts and dungeons occurring were stronger compared to past lives. They had probably grown stronger to balance Han Tae-un's early 1st-grade awakening. This life's Tae-un also had one of the strongest abilities he had seen.

"Don't worry too much. Until another team member joins, I'll be serving as both Team 7 leader and Field Operations Bureau director. When a new member comes, then one of you two will take the team leader position."

"Whenever that is, it's right for you to give it to Soram. Of course."

"I'm not asking you to compete, but being a team leader isn't just about experience, skill, or age. You two will be together from now on, so discuss it slowly."

"...Yes."

Is this also a ripple effect of going to find Han Tae-un in Guncheon?

When the results of that brief impulse appeared not only in Han Tae-un but also unexpectedly from other directions, Soram felt an inexplicable uneasiness.

Beep― Beebeebeep―

Beebeebeep―

Calls rang simultaneously on Soram's and Tae-un's wrists. Until now, they had more tasks assigned together, and this time too, it was a call assigned to the same place.

"Go on then. We'll continue talking when you get back. It'll be at least March before I move up anyway."

"Yes."

"...We'll be going."

Soram, lost in thought, stiffly bowed his head and stood up. But as he passed through the window, he noisily banged his ankle on the window frame.

The team leader is already becoming the director.

One of the fixed points firmly embedded in the repeating time had been shaken.

"Are you upset?"

Tae-un asked as they were heading to the dispatch location.

"About what?"

"I'm asking if you're upset about the team leader leaving. You suddenly went quiet."

"No, it's not that. I knew the team leader would have to take the director position someday. But because I know the team leader that well, I was expecting it wouldn't be yet..."

This emotion was certainly different from feeling upset. Rather, it was closer to bewilderment at an unexpected event. But as he spoke, even to his own ears, it sounded like he was whining about being upset. Moreover, Han Tae-un's expression was gradually changing to 'There, there... don't cry and tell me.'

This young brat, really. Does he really think I'm the same age as him?

"As with all human affairs, how could you not feel a bit upset? I understand, especially since you have a special relationship with the team leader."

Well, well.

"Han Tae-un, you've become all grown up."

"I'm 20 now too."

"Then you be the team leader."

"You should do it."

"I'm not mature yet and I won't be in the future either."

"I expected that. I'll deal with it."

This wet-behind-the-ears kid really doesn't back down at all. Thanks to this, Soram thought the office wouldn't feel too empty even with one team member gone.

It was also true that his complicated feelings had eased a bit.