Chapter 162

"Yes. I'm begging you like this."

"..."

Soram was desperate, and he also thought Tae-un wouldn't be able to refuse his request. Because he was a soft-hearted person.

But the answer was different from what he expected.

"Sorry. I can't tell you. And it's useless. You can't eliminate my awakening origin."

"..."

"Rather than that, finding a way for us to survive here together... Ugh!"

Tae-un's body fell backward. Soram pressed down on his upper body and pounced on top of him.

"The trigger for your early awakening this time might be me, but that's probably not the real origin you harbored. Because even when you didn't meet me, you awakened just fine with a similar ability."

Tae-un tensed up so much that Soram could feel it in his palm.

"Let's make this the last time we meet as hunters. It's better for you to live as an ordinary person."

"I, won't tell you even if you do this."

"I guess not. But you're recalling what your awakening origin is right now, aren't you?"

In Soram's hand was the white magic stone he had taken out earlier.

Tae-un's eyes widened and he struggled. However, blue mist rose up even more, completely pinning down his limbs. Even so, Soram sat on his squirming body.

"Don't do it! Don't!"

"I'm sorry."

The white magic stone approached his forehead.

Soram was reflected in Tae-un's struggling eyes. He was lifting the corners of his mouth while constantly apologizing, but his face was contorted as if he might cry at any moment.

"Please save me just this once, Tae-un-ah. I'm sorry."

The white magic stone finally touched Tae-un's forehead.

Han Tae-un would probably have had a noble goal like 'saving the world.' He couldn't do anything about his innate personality, but there must be a clear point where that wish became concrete. Soram planned to completely eliminate that crisis, block broadcasts and news, or if necessary, create incidents around Han Tae-un at the right time.

[No, don't read, I won't think about it. No.]

Tae-un, with his eyes tightly shut, was desperate. He would probably be angry. Because memories he didn't want to show were being forcibly exposed. Soram planned to apologize until his anger subsided for the entire remaining time. After all, he had decided to spend this entire life for Han Tae-un.

Soram's image appeared in Tae-un's mind. Even in this situation, the guy was worrying about the other person. It was the first, and probably the last, existence that had appeared. Someone who looked at him with such eyes and treated him like this.

Really for the first time...

"...Huh?"

Soram blinked.

"Uh..."

His brown eyes rolled aimlessly like late autumn chestnuts.

Hmm, hmm...

Soram removed the magic stone and hurriedly backed off from on top of Tae-un. As soon as the ability binding his body was released, Tae-un sprang up.

"You, what did you see?!"

"I didn't see anything. You kept chanting 'don't read, don't read' like a mantra, didn't you?"

Soram answered with his back turned.

"Jin Soram, you!"

"I said I didn't see anything."

"Don't lie! If you didn't see anything, why can't you even look at me!"

"Well, because I committed a sin..."

"..."

"Ugh."

Soram, who had backed away, tried to flee to his room but stubbed his toe on the sofa leg. Even as he crouched down, holding his foot, he still couldn't bring himself to look back.

Footsteps like those from a chase movie approached menacingly. He put his arm under Soram's shoulder and lifted him up forcefully, as if restraining him.

"What did you see? Spit it out truthfully."

Even his words were exactly like in that situation.

"I didn't see anything. I said I didn't!"

"..."

"I don't know, I didn't see anything!"

His two legs dangling in the air flailed. But Tae-un just held Soram without saying anything, not letting go. Finally, Soram gave up and went limp on Tae-un's arm.

"Haah."

Tae-un lowered the resigned Soram to the floor. Soram plopped down and dropped his head heavily between his knees.

"Ah, I really messed up. How am I supposed to live? How can I face you who awakened because of me from now on..."

Tae-un stood in front of him for a moment, then sat down on the floor with a thud in the same way.

"What do you mean you didn't see anything when you've already seen it all? You said you knew I awakened early this life because of you."

"That's about this life where I treated you well in my own way, but if you knew how terribly I've treated you..."

Han Tae-un, who had awakened wishing to fight together with him, to be helpful by his side. And himself, who had rejected him and pushed him away, unnecessarily being sharp.

Ah, something suddenly occurred to him. The fact that the abilities of the hunters he knew were the same no matter how many times he returned, but only Han Tae-un's was different. And the person who created changes with each new life was only himself.

So. Your ability changed because you awakened seeing me living differently each time.

"Ha..."

Perhaps because he had really messed up big time, even the feeling of despair didn't come as he couldn't comprehend the situation. Only a hollow laugh came out.

How am I really going to live now? It's really impossible to escape this guilt now.

"I was really curious about the meaning of 'you must live.' Ah, this was your last words. Every time you died in my place, you said 'Jin Soram, you must live.'... You were fulfilling your origin. So..."

"Hey, you keep treating me like a dead person, but I'm not dead yet."

Tae-un turned Soram around.

"You've solved the 3rd Great Rift before, right? Then for now, we can just try to survive. You said there are many firsts in this life. Then there might be big differences too."

"Haha."

Soram laughed emptily. Then he faced Tae-un.

"...Right, I'll struggle again, but you don't die saving me. All the scenes of you dying to save me in the past 19 lives are traumatic."

Soram opened his mouth once more while looking at Tae-un's face.

"Don't like me too much. I'm not a person worth that."

***

The drizzle that had started from dawn showed no sign of stopping even as it passed into the afternoon, instead growing heavier. It was the weather most hated by Field Operations Bureau hunters who couldn't carry umbrellas because of their weapons.

Perhaps because it had been cloudy all day, the sun seemed to set quickly. It had just passed 9 o'clock, but it felt like night had fallen long ago. Tae-un was sitting deeply buried in the sofa. There had been many dispatches, and it had been a tiring day.

After the 1st-grade dungeon on Bukhansan, the number of rift occurrences had increased steeply. To the point where the headquarters could no longer deploy Tae-un and Soram together to the field.

Is the world really going to end like this?

Since hearing Soram's story, this kind of helplessness sometimes came over him. It happened to be on this same sofa where he had heard his secret.

From the beginning, Soram felt like he wasn't the same age, even though he was. Like a faded wall, or a fallen leaf that seemed like it would crumble if gripped tightly. That's the feeling he gave off.

He said this life was the worst situation among them all.

While feeling helpless, he also felt a bit of stubbornness. That worst situation he talked about, maybe it could be turned around.

If I could solve your problem, if I could save you from your suffering, then would you...

Bang, bang!

At that moment, a strange sound mixed with the rain came from outside the window. When he got up and looked out, a human shadow was flickering.

"Jin Soram?"

Soram was knocking on his own room's window with both hands. It seemed like he was trying to open the door from outside. But given the window structure, that shouldn't be possible.

At the same time, some sound came from the entrance of the next room.

"The pager shows he's inside the dormitory, isn't that just speculation?"

"That's why we're checking now. Whether he's inside, or if he left his pager and left his assigned area as witnessed."

Beep. The sound of the door lock being released was heard. Tae-un's eyes widened.

"We're within earshot, so the fact that he's not coming out now is practically confirmation, isn't it?"

Tae-un flung open his room's window. He leaned out and called in a low voice.

"Jin Soram, come in here. Quickly!"

"Huh?"

"There's no time!"

White light clusters pulled Soram. Soram reflexively put his foot on Tae-un's windowsill. Water streamed mercilessly from his soaked clothes.

"Han..."

"Shh."

Tae-un covered Soram's mouth. And Soram also heard the presence in Tae-un's room. Sounds like "He's really not here," "Only his pager is here," and so on.

"Is it really a case of leaving the assigned area? Looking so pretty but causing such trouble."

"Well, we've got evidence now, so we can leave it to the higher-ups to handle. We'll just rack up one audit achievement."

"This isn't something to be happy about, man. The Field Operations Bureau will suffer the most."

Soram nodded at Tae-un. It meant he understood the situation.

"Ha shit, looks like I've been caught."

"Was it something you couldn't be caught not being in your room?"

"Uh..."

Tae-un placed the blanket from the sofa over Soram's body and pushed him towards the bedroom.

"Hide. I'll make up an excuse."

Then he went to the broken door and pushed it aside.

"Who is it?"

Tae-un asked the intruders.

"Why are you entering someone else's room without permission?"

"Oh. Ah, the next room..."

"Chief Han Tae-un, do you perhaps know where Chief Jin Soram went?"

The group of people in suits who had gathered approached Tae-un. They were people Tae-un had never seen before, even after spending about a year here.

Jin Soram, what have you done this time?

"He's in my room. We ate dinner together and hung out."

"He's in that room?"

The voice asking back was full of doubt.

"Yes."

Everyone glanced at Tae-un's room, but it was impossible to see inside because Tae-un was blocking the way.

The twenty-year-old Han Tae-un had no expression on his face. He had sharp features and was much taller than most people. His stiff Seoul dialect with traces of a regional accent remaining seemed to have a bit of rebelliousness in it, even though the tone was polite.

Of course, unlike the owner of this room, his personality was meticulous about work, so they couldn't find fault with him based on such feelings.

"Can we check for ourselves?"

"Please tell me the reason first. Including why you forcibly opened Chief Jin Soram's room and entered."

"It's difficult to explain the circumstances, but there's a situation. The Capital Defense Command made a request to the headquarters."

"..."

"If we can confirm his face, we'll formally apologize and leave."

"Right now, it's an awkward situation for him to come out."

Though he had gravitas, a kid was still a kid. A gap immediately appeared, and the other side didn't miss it.

"What awkward situation could there be in a friend's room?"

Tae-un was at a loss for words. There was no more justification for refusal, but he still held onto the door, standing there.