Chapter 21
Seo Won was about to answer when he saw Han Seong Hyeon looking at him with curiosity and closed his mouth. He was viewing peace as something ‘unknown.’ In his own world, it was something taken for granted…
Perhaps that’s why he felt himself shrinking.
Was this how a naive child who grew up without fear in a safe place would feel? When Baek Rak had pointed it out, he had only felt wronged, but now it seemed like he had spoken too thoughtlessly.
“We not only protect the children, but we also teach them to protect themselves. Not just hunters, but ordinary people sometimes have to go outside too.”
“……”
“It’s natural that you’d find it awkward since it’s different from where you lived. But they’re also doing their part properly, so don’t worry too much.”
“I was being short-sighted… Sorry.”
“It’s okay. But you’ll have to work hard too if you don’t want to fall behind the kids.”
Only then did Seo Won chuckle and shake his head.
“Oh, by the way, Yu Sol doesn’t need to go outside. She’s a rare healing-type hunter, so she’s the top priority for protection even within the shelter.”
“Healing… does that mean treating injured people?”
“Right. In a way, you can think of her as a doctor. However, she can’t treat all illnesses, only external injuries.”
Yu Sol was a healing-type, and Baek Rak was a physical enhancement-type, wasn’t that what they said? Seo Won thought for a moment before opening his mouth.
“By any chance……”
Just as he was about to ask a question, the sound of knocking on the door was heard.
Knock knock.
Han Seong Hyeon glanced at the door and gestured to Seo Won to stay quiet. When Seo Won nodded, he answered toward the door.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Captain, there’s a problem in the power room.”
“Power room? There was no problem when I was just there?”
“I don’t know what the problem is, but it hasn’t been charging since you left, Captain.”
The smile disappeared from Han Seong Hyeon’s face, which had been smiling continuously. Was it a serious matter? Seo Won stared at the deep wrinkles that formed between Han Seong Hyeon’s brows. He let out a long sigh and rubbed his face.
“I’ll be right there. Go ahead first.”
“Got it.”
After finishing his conversation with the person outside, Han Seong Hyeon immediately stood up. Then he hurriedly went to the bookshelf and took out various displayed parts while saying:
“Something urgent suddenly came up, so I think I need to go first. Ask Baek Rak and Yu Sol about the rest. If you tell Sol that you’re my responsibility, she’ll understand.”
Han Seong Hyeon laid out mysterious machine parts on the desk. Watching him examine and sort through them one by one, Seo Won awkwardly stood up.
He looked too busy to ask any more questions. Thinking he could just find Yu Sol and ask her as he suggested, Seo Won said he understood. As he moved to grab the door handle, he heard a voice calling him back.
“Oh, right.”
When he turned his head, his eyes met Han Seong Hyeon’s. He stared at Seo Won silently for a moment before speaking quietly.
“The fact that you’re awakening as a hunter, and that Baek Rak is a chaser – you absolutely must not tell anyone about these things. Don’t forget that only the three of us should know this.”
Weren’t humans scarier than creatures? Seo Won nodded, recalling Baek Rak’s warning.
At that moment, a sudden thought occurred to him.
“Come to think of it.”
“Hm?”
“What should I say about myself? That I came from another world? Or that I came from the past?”
It was an unrealistic thing to say, even coming from his own mouth. Somehow, if he told Yu Sol the truth as it was, it seemed like this time he’d be called a lunatic rather than just a strange person.
Or not? Would she know it was true just by looking at his face? Seeing how easily Baek Rak and Han Seong Hyeon had accepted it, it seemed like it would be fine, but somehow he wasn’t quite confident. There was also the burden of having to explain everything at length again.
“Ah……”
Han Seong Hyeon also seemed to realize this oversight and groaned lowly. He stopped his busy hands completely and thought for a moment, then spoke as if there was no choice.
“In times like this, there’s only one answer.”
“What’s that?”
Was this a problem with an answer? Seo Won looked at Han Seong Hyeon with an interested expression. However, the answer that came back was not very trustworthy.
“Memory loss.”
“……Are you serious?”
When Seo Won looked displeased, Han Seong Hyeon burst into quiet laughter.
“I’m kidding. Say you came from a very far place. It would be good to make up that the culture there is different from here.”
“That’s not wrong, but… would that be enough?”
“We have a limited range of activity, so we don’t know much about how people live in other regions. If we use that, it should be fine. If it seems insufficient, just add some seasoning as needed.”
Seeing Han Seong Hyeon act so nonchalantly, Seo Won sighed.
Easy to say… I’ll have to be careful when talking to other people from now on. In the end, watching his words was unavoidable.
Seo Won waved his hand appropriately, thinking of the troublesome future ahead. Anyway, this was enough of bothering a busy person. Tactfully leaving would be helping Han Seong Hyeon.
“Good luck.”
“Yeah. You too, take care.”
After exchanging final greetings like that, just as he was about to leave, Han Seong Hyeon called him back again.
“Yoon Seo Won.”
“Huh?”
His body was already outside. He turned his head to look at him.
“It’s late, but welcome to Yeongdeungpo Station Shelter.”
At the first welcome greeting he’d heard since coming to this place, Seo Won froze for a moment.
No matter how positive a person might be, they couldn’t remain indifferent to the negative gazes directed at them.
Although he had tried to hide the accumulated wounds and anxiety by adding a layer of composure, that was no different from a very thin piece of paper.
You could tell by how easily the latch he had placed with just one positive gesture came undone. Just from receiving one kind word and one gentle smile.
‘I’m not usually such an easy person.’
Seo Won smiled without realizing it. He felt much more at ease. Somehow, the daunting situation seemed to have become a little lighter. When he nodded to Han Seong Hyeon with gratitude, he responded lightly as well.
Seo Won quietly closed the door and left the office.
The clicking sound of the lock was more cheerful than ever before.
As soon as Seo Won came outside and turned around, he was startled. It was because his eyes met with Baek Rak, who was standing in front of the door.
‘He left first, so why is he here?’
Although it was awkward, thanks to Han Seong Hyeon, the knot in his heart had loosened a bit, so it wasn’t entirely uncomfortable. Still, there was no particular reason to talk to him, so he averted his gaze.
As he started walking to find Yu Sol, Baek Rak followed him. Was he monitoring him?
“……”
Everything’s fine, but stop staring at me. At this rate, he’ll bore a hole through the back of my head.
Carrying the persistent gaze with him, he went down the same path he had taken earlier. When he went outside, people’s gazes poured down on him fiercely again. Among them, Yu Sol inevitably popped out.
“Baek Rak!”
Of course, the one she was running toward was Baek Rak.
Yu Sol, with the Jindo dog Poong by her side, seemed conscious of Seo Won standing in front of Baek Rak and ran to him while maintaining a certain distance. Seo Won stared at this scene, then spoke to her first before Yu Sol could reach Baek Rak.
“Yu Sol?”
“What, all of a sudden. Do you know me?”
Her sharply raised eyes flinched. Did she still think he was a strange person? To avoid making the same mistake as before, Seo Won maintained an expressionless face and spoke.
“Han Seong Hyeon told me to go see you.”
“Me?”
Yu Sol pointed at herself with her finger, making a surprised face. It was an expression asking why she was suddenly being mentioned.
“He said you’re my supervisor.”
“That…!”
For a moment, Yu Sol’s body jerked as if she was about to jump, then she became restless. When he looked closely, wondering why she was acting that way, both her cheeks were flushed red. Perhaps because her skin was pale, her heated face stood out particularly.
“……Really?”
When Seo Won nodded, Yu Sol took a step closer as if she had never been wary. She couldn’t hide her excitement.
He was curious about why Yu Sol had suddenly changed her attitude, but thinking it was better than her disliking him, Seo Won nodded once more.
“Ha, of course. Then that makes sense.”
Yu Sol put her hands on her hips and shook her head from side to side. What was she thinking now? Yu Sol was acting pompous as if to show off. It was amazing how her mood could fluctuate so much in such a short time.
Was it because she was still young? Seo Won secretly smiled to himself.
“Follow me.”
As he followed the triumphant Yu Sol, she who had been walking ahead gradually slowed down and came alongside him.
“Where did you come from?”
“Um… a very far place?”
“How far?”
“Probably farther than you can imagine.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Yu Sol’s reaction was what he had expected. Her eyes were full of disbelief.
“It’s true. This place is very different from where I lived. In our area, smiling and greeting people you meet for the first time was a natural thing to do.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Even after being confirmed again, Yu Sol asked Baek Rak once more if it was really true. She seemed smart, but it was a bit disappointing that she didn’t believe his words.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
