Vol 5 Chapter 62

Kapros needed to call his parents and master to let them know he had arrived safely, and check if there had been any changes in THE MIST during the three days he was away, but as soon as he returned home, both his body and mind were so exhausted that he couldn't muster the energy to do anything.

"Hah..."

The last crimson sunlight streaming through the window he was looking up at from the sofa scratched his face as it disappeared. The sun was slowly setting, and darkness was approaching. As always in a house where one lives alone, if he just kept his mouth shut, it became as quiet as a mouse. At times like this, Kapros thought that the whole house felt like his coffin. Being in this daze reminded him of the time before he started THE MIST a year ago. Days that were quiet and desolate every day.

'But now it's different from back then...'

Why was each new step forward so difficult?

He couldn't remember clearly how his past self had dealt with friends and people. It seemed like he had lived well back then without having to worry about such things, but now he couldn't understand why it was so hard.

"So... I mean nothing to you?"

As he was about to turn over, he hesitated again because of the voice that resurfaced in his mind. Right. This was what had irritated him. Why did Jin Je-hwan keep repeating the question about having nothing to do with him?

What Kapros had meant to say was to ask Je-hwan to pretend he hadn't seen anything and not show interest in order to avoid him knowing about the matter with Jeong Seung-jo, but Je-hwan seemed to have misunderstood his words strangely.

Who had said that he and Je-hwan were completely unrelated strangers? Didn't he know that it wasn't referring to that kind of relationship between people?

Even if there was something in the way Kapros had spoken that could lead to misunderstanding, about half of the cause must have been due to that guy. As soon as Kapros asked if Jeong Seung-jo was the one who had caused his injury, Je-hwan tried to rush out without thinking. With his body that couldn't follow, the only answer was to shout to stop him. What if it hadn't been Jeong Seung-jo?

But no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. To escape from the memory of the back view that kept coming to mind, he forced his drooping body to sit up. Had they really fought? Was it his fault? What should he do from now on?

'My head hurts...'

Kapros felt that it would be difficult to sort out this situation properly on his own. It would be nice if he could solve everything by working hard with perseverance like in training, but the world wasn't that simple.

He had realized before, when his thinking changed after receiving advice from Ju-yeol hyung, that there were limits to what one could see alone. Hyung had taught him that everyone hits a wall when they're alone, and that it's not shameful and it's perfectly fine to receive advice and help. And he felt that now was such a time.

'I need someone.'

Looking at the dark space beyond his fingers covering his eyes, for the first time in his life, he thought about asking for help first. More precisely, he needed someone who could see points he hadn't thought of and give advice. But who could he talk to about this situation?

The first person he thought of, Ju-yeol hyung, was the most comfortable to talk to since he had already received help once, but he remembered that in a recent voice message, hyung had grumbled about it being a busy season at work. His master was like a parent figure, so it felt awkward to talk about such personal concerns.

'But then again...'

In fact, what Kapros needed now was not someone with more life experience than him, but a friend who could talk to him on equal terms. But how many friends had there been in his life with whom he could have such conversations?

He had thought he had changed a lot, but when he suddenly realized that he still had a narrow circle of relationships, one face suddenly came to mind vividly. Unlike him, that guy was bright and comfortable to be around, but would it be okay to contact him about something like this? However, contrary to his questioning mind, his mouth was already calling the computer phone.

"Computer, voice call mode. The receiving number is..."

"Kap, no, Mu-heon? Is it really you calling?"

A moment later, an incredulous voice echoed throughout the room. Hearing the gentle voice after a long time seemed to ease his tension.

"Yeah."

It was fortunate that the call was answered right away. If not, he would have given up immediately and worried alone until dawn.

"What's up? There's no way you've already solved the riddle I gave you..."

"Riddle?"

When Kapros asked back, puzzled by the sudden mention, the guy on the other end remained silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

"Don't you remember? What I said before I left. Ah, I'm disappointed. I put my best effort into saying it, but even though I expected this, you shouldn't do that."

"..."

The unusually dejected tone made Kapros feel a subtle sense of guilt, wondering if he shouldn't have called. Trying to remember when the guy had said such a thing, he vaguely recalled something he had said before leaving for Torelit. Had he forgotten because of too much work lately?

"...Right. I'm sorry about that."

"Keck? Keck, cough! Khack, keck!"

Kapros wondered why he was like this today of all days. As soon as he apologized first, the other end of the phone made a noisy choking sound as if unexpected, and after a while, the sound of catching breath was heard.

"...You, you must have something going on! Tell me quickly!"

"Kran..."

Because of the unchanged tone, Kapros unconsciously called the familiar name before quickly closing his mouth. The attitude of treating him as if they had never parted contrasted with someone else's completely changed attitude earlier, making his mood sink even more.

"Why does your voice sound like when you were digging yourself into a hole thinking I had died because of you? Come on, tell me."

Kran, Jung Min-hoo's voice was loud as he jumped up and down, but for now, it didn't feel irritating or amusing. Rather, it felt strangely calming. At first, he had called to find someone to talk to, but now much of the churning anxiety and uneasiness had disappeared to the point where it seemed he might not need to do so anymore.