Chapter 91

"...I see."

As expected, his prediction was correct.

There would be no one who knew the phenomena related to the Great Rift better than Soram. However, the reason he didn't notice it quickly, no, the reason he had been turning his head away, was because it was too different from the memories of the past dates. It wasn't just a few months' difference like the Bukhansan dungeon, and he thought it was impossible for it to occur more than a year earlier.

"Rifts appeared in strange places like that for about three or four months, and eventually led to the Great Rift."

"That's why you came to the headquarters now, right?"

Soram looked at him with his hands tightly clasped together. Although he tried to hide it, the director's gaze was now on the thumb pressed white and the back of the hand with strong force.

"I don't know how you found out, but yes, that's right."

"..."

His hand touched Soram's knee.

"Are you scared too?"

"A little. No, quite a lot."

Soram bit and released his lips while smiling.

"It's just that lately, I've been thinking a lot about wanting to live longer."

Soram, who had been looking at his overlapping thumbs for a moment, raised his head.

"Director-nim. I have something to tell you."

* * *

Tae-un headed to the director's office with a detailed report on the rift that occurred in Guncheon and his second statement in his life―the first was when he trespassed into the guard floor without permission.

"This is Han Tae-un."

"Ah, come in."

In the room he opened, Soram and Director Park Jae-seon were sitting facing each other. It seemed like some conversation had just ended, and Soram smiled at the director.

"Then I'll leave it to you."

"...Alright. Since you want it, I'll take measures. But think about it carefully again."

"Yes. Thank you."

"Go in and finish resting, it's a holiday. Tae-un, you worked hard taking care of Soram too."

"Yes."

"Why is that hard work! I played with the friendless Han Tae-un!"

"Okay, you two friends deliver this downstairs together and go."

The director took out one sheet from the file Tae-un submitted, and inserted a new one. It was the director's approval that the action was a legitimate judgment of a hunter from the Field Operations Bureau.

And what he took out was the statement Tae-un had written. Reflection was necessary, but there was no need for it to circulate to other departments, and it was enough if it only reached his line. He also knew that one of the two guys would never reflect.

Soram and Tae-un went down to the Reconnaissance Bureau office and placed the file on the desk. While walking through the quiet corridor with only the minimum number of people on duty, they discovered something on the wall. It was a trace of filling a cracked wall and painting it white again.

"Wow, this is where he threw it while shouting 'Jin Soram!'"

"..."

"Ah, just thinking about that time, it still hurts here, and tears come out."

Soram pretended to groan while hugging both arms. The mark left on the wall was a trace of the day when sharp words first burst out between the two.

Tae-un, who had stopped walking and stared at the scratch for a while, asked in a low voice.

"At that time, were you scared?"

"Huh?"

"You said you're afraid of low sounds coming out loudly."

Low sounds... what? Unable to understand the context, he recalled the conversation he had when he heard the cow's mooing in the countryside. But what does that have to do with it?

"My voice is also on the low side, and I shouted quite loudly at that time."

"What are you... Ah? Oh, no way. Huh?"

Unlike his voice thick with guilt, Soram's expression became that of someone facing an absurd self-consciousness.

"Hey, Han Tae-un... Even if people say you have a good physique and a cave voice, it doesn't really sound like, uh, majestic or roaring when you speak..."

"Ah, I know."

"Wow, he thinks he's like a beast. Ugh, I hate excessive self-consciousness."

"I said that's not it. It just came to mind when we talked about that time...!"

By this point of teasing, even Tae-un's ears turned red. But Soram wasn't one to care about that.

"Ahhh, I'm embarrassed, I won't play with you!"

If he went a step further, who knows?

With a shout, Soram left Tae-un behind and ran down the corridor. The redness that had crept into Tae-un's ears gradually spread further forward. He immediately started chasing after Soram, who had run away. He walked quickly with all his reason until the front of the Reconnaissance Bureau office, and as soon as the office ended, he kicked the floor and ran.

As he started running in earnest, a speed befitting his long legs began to pick up.

"Eek! The footsteps are echoing, it's scary!"

"Jin Soram!"

"Your voice is scary too!"

Soram, who had been caught, kept babbling and running forward.

"Gasp."

Then he arrived at a dead end in front of the elevator. Behind him, Tae-un was catching up at a terrifying speed. With the quick situational judgment of a 1st-grade, Soram opened the emergency exit door next to him and ran up the stairs. The door he had opened and entered closed almost immediately with a bang.

Tae-un jumped up the stairs three steps at a time with his long legs. Oh, oh. The height difference was cheating.

"Eek, the beast man is chasing me! Save Soram!"

"I told you not to!"

Tae-un's face was now completely flushed. He rarely had the experience of being teased by someone in his life. Even during his school days, who would tease someone with an indifferent reaction and a physique that never missed the last number in the height order? The only one who invaded his world with no immunity was Soram, who could be cheeky in front of anyone in this world.

Even apart from that, it was inevitable to be angry when the person he liked misunderstood his intention in a ridiculous way and teased him. He was the person he wanted to look good to the most.

As the distance narrowed with a thud, Soram's eyes narrowed. Then, smiling at Tae-un, blue mist gathered around his legs. Even if he didn't know the physical condition, the speed when using the ability was superior on this side.

However, Soram overlooked one thing.

"Ah."

Right. The moment he realized it, his body was pulled back with a whoosh.

That guy Han Tae-un's ability can pull people.

"..."

Soram drew out his ability even more. The blue mist became visibly clearer, and the momentum of being pulled was broken.

Then, suddenly stopping his escape, he looked down at his feet while floating in the air for a moment, and then slightly lowered the intensity of his power. The body, which seemed to resist for a moment, was enveloped in a white glow and was sucked back as it was. His ability was also released regardless of Soram's will.

Thud.

A hard chest touched his back, and arms stretched out from both sides of his shoulders, holding his body. Tae-un's palm abruptly blocked Soram's mouth that was about to say something.

"Please, just be quiet for a moment..."

"Mmph."

"You're not even an elementary school student,"

Soon, Tae-un let out a low groan and removed his palm. Because something soft and damp had touched his palm. Soram, who had found his freedom of speech, shouted vigorously.

"That's cheating! Using your ability!"

"You used it first."

"I used it on myself, and you used it on others like a coward."

Tae-un let out a long sigh. Soram, who was still trapped in his other arm, tapped his arm, telling him to let go now. But instead, he hugged Soram's chest tightly with both arms.

"Anyway... I won't ever shout at you again."

"Indeed. It won't work well."

Soram's words were more in the tone of not knowing what he himself would do rather than doubting Tae-un's patience.

Soram, who had been looking at the two arms that firmly wrapped around him for a moment, raised his head while being held by him.

"Han Tae-un."

"Yeah."

Just above his forehead, there was a black gaze looking down at Soram.

"I don't think your special ability is attraction and repulsion. I misjudged it."

Tae-un showed a puzzled look, wondering what he was suddenly talking about in this situation.

"It seems to have a similar effect, but don't limit it physically. There must be something more beyond that."

The arms that had been binding Soram loosened.

"Why are you suddenly talking about my ability?"

"You... No, no. I think it's better not to say it because it's from my perspective. It's not good to have preconceptions when you don't know the true nature at all."

Soram waved his hands. The traces of ability that had been flying between the two had already disappeared without a trace.

"Anyway, I've witnessed you controlling something other than physical elements with your ability several times. So try researching it again. It would be good to think about it together with Ayoung. Ayoung is a complete close-range attacker, so there will be no confusion even if your abilities mix."

"...Okay."

"Fighting, diligent Han Tae-un ssi. Take good care of Ayoung. Ayoung lacks a lot of practical experience compared to her proficiency in handling summons, so be mindful of that and control her. She's also a typical vanguard type, so I'm scared of what will happen after she officially becomes a chief."

Tae-un, who had been staring blankly at the shoulder Soram had tapped and left, said,

"Won't you help?"

"Me?"

When he asked back as if he didn't understand, Tae-un's lips pressed slightly in dissatisfaction.

"Not just Ayoung, but I'm also a team member who needs your care."

"Huh?"

"...Forget it."

Tae-un mumbled his words and went up the stairs. While the two were playing tag and running up, they had already gotten close to the dormitory floor. Soram, who had been quiet for a moment, called out to him again.

"Hey, Han Tae-un."

"What?"