# Chapter 21
Jaeha still didn’t believe in Jaeyoon’s time travel.
He just went along with his story to some extent, but he was too old to be swept up in such nonsense. Still, he didn’t ignore Jaeyoon’s warnings out of brotherly loyalty. Moreover, while he didn’t believe in time travel, he was beginning to believe somewhat in the magic-like superpowers that Jaeyoon and Haeil had mentioned or shown.
Because of this, even though the “outlet accident” Jaeyoon mentioned was supposedly six months away, it still made Jaeha uneasy. As soon as he met Dojoon, Jaeha made a new suggestion.
“Hey, should we go somewhere closer today instead of the outlet?”
“We need to buy clothes for Dorim. Is there somewhere good nearby?”
“Yes, I’ve found a place. Dorim, want to go eat something pretty?”
“I like pretty things!”
After first enticing Dorim with pretty things, Jaeha headed to a store he had already checked out with Dojoon.
When they arrived at a small shopping alley just a 20-minute walk away, rather than taking a car to somewhere far, Dorim didn’t look happy.
“Dorim, do you want to eat rabbit ice cream?”
“Rabbit? I like!”
Holding both Dojoon and Jaeha’s hands while pouting, Dorim’s mood quickly improved when she received an ice cream shaped like an animal.
“Is it delicious, Dorim?”
“Yes, it’s delicious. It’s cute.”
By the time she finished her ice cream while humming, they arrived at a cutely decorated clothing store. Fortunately, Dorim was excited by the cute interior, stomping her feet with excitement.
“Oppa, this looks like a doll house. Can I go in?”
“Sure. Just don’t touch things too roughly.”
With Dojoon’s permission, Dorim entered the clothing store and became even more excited when she saw the owner dressed in a flowing dress.
“Unnie, are you a princess?”
“Of course. Welcome to our store, little princess.”
Dorim became more excited by the owner’s skilled way of dealing with children. Dorim’s already big eyes sparkled at the variety of clothes and accessories inside, more than she could see from outside.
“The clothes are pretty. I want to try them all on, unnie.”
“Take your time, little princess.”
Excited by the kind owner’s response, Dorim wandered around the small store. It was reassuring since the entire store was visible at a glance, making it impossible to lose the child, and there were no other customers. The owner, making eye contact with them, also nodded as if it was fine.
Dojoon, feeling more comfortable than in a crowded outlet, watched Dorim with relief.
“I’m glad Dorim likes it. I didn’t know there was a place like this in the neighborhood. How did you know?”
“I thought going far would be tiring, so I looked around and found this place.”
The reason he hurriedly found a neighborhood clothing store instead of the new outlet was because Jaeyoon’s warning bothered him. Fortunately, Dojoon and Dorim were happy as it matched their taste. Jaeha also felt relieved, proud of accepting Jaeyoon’s ominous warning.
‘Oh right. Hourly contact.’
As he was happily watching Dorim and Dojoon having a light argument over a bright dress and sturdy overalls, Jaeha took out his phone.
The fact that he faithfully kept in touch with Jaeyoon as requested showed that Jaeha trusted his brother’s words quite a bit. However, it was still difficult to accept the completely nonsensical things within common sense.
Recently, whenever they met or ate together, Jaeyoon would say things like “Anyone can become an Esper,” “They are everywhere,” or “Even ordinary people can suddenly awaken as Espers.”
Jaeha inevitably took note of his brother’s seriousness, who seemed obsessed with Espers following time travel.
Additionally, Jaeyoon had told him to contact him immediately if he noticed any unusual phenomena, no matter how trivial.
“…Why is the air rippling?”
Thinking this must be exactly the kind of phenomenon he was supposed to report, Jaeha’s hand automatically tapped Jaeyoon’s name repeatedly.
It had already been over an hour. Normally, Jaeyoon would be constantly sending messages asking for a response, but it was quiet. He hadn’t even checked the messages Jaeha had sent.
As the rippling in the air gradually intensified, anxiety swept over him. Could it be a passage like the one Haeil and Jaeyoon had passed through the wall that day? If so, did it mean that such phenomena actually existed, not just like magic? If that was a passage to cross into a dungeon, did it mean something could come and go through the air?
“Were Jaeyoon’s words true?”
If that was a dungeon and a passage, it meant the existence of monsters was also real.
“Oppa, I really like it here!”
Jaeha came to his senses at the sound of Dorim’s laughter coming from inside the store.
Looking inside from the threshold of the store, Jaeha noticed a pile of clothes accumulating on one side.
Dorim looked so cute trying on shoes with rounded toes of different colors and looking in the mirror. Jaeha approached Dojoon, who was watching with satisfaction, and discreetly poked his side.
“Can you see that too?”
“Huh? What?”
When Jaeha pointed to the empty space, Dojoon’s eyes narrowed. Not seeing it well, he moved closer to the entrance, past Jaeha, before noticing.
“Heat haze?”
“Hey, what kind of heat haze appears only in midair?”
“Then what is that… huh?”
An exclamation inappropriate for a peaceful space came out. When Jaeha turned around, following the surprised Dojoon, he saw the rippling air starting to split.
His body moved faster than his mind. As the crack appeared between the store entrance and the alley, Jaeha pulled Dojoon inside. Only after closing the open store door did Jaeha step back. He wasn’t sure if a single glass door could block the situation, but he had no intention of getting close to that crack when he didn’t even know what it was.
“Jaeha?”
“You take care of Dorim. That thing is growing.”
Seeing the tense Jaeha, Dojoon also quickly backed away.
When Dojoon pulled Dorim, who was happily trying on clothes, into his arms and retreated to a corner, Dorim was displeased.
“I still need to try on more clothes.”
“Dorim, just a moment. Let’s rest with oppa for a bit.”
“I’m not tired. I want to try on more.”
As Dorim insisted, Dojoon became troubled. Jaeha looked around and found boxes and a mop to block the entrance.
Additionally, thinking Jaeyoon would know about this situation, he sent a message. He could only hope that Jaeyoon would check the message quickly since he wasn’t answering calls.
“Please check it quickly.”
Seeing Jaeha and Dojoon becoming serious, the store owner cautiously approached the entrance area.
“What’s wrong? Is there something outside?”
Jaeha was busy blocking the entrance while urgently speaking.
“Ma’am, could you call the police, 119, or anywhere?”
“Why, why? What’s really out there?”
“Since you probably won’t believe this situation if I just tell you, try taking a picture and sending it.”
“What? Take a picture of… what?”
Jaeha was frustrated by the bewildered store owner’s response. Even now, the ominously widening crack that was growing its rippling was frightening just to look at.
“There, the air. It’s torn, isn’t it?”
“Pardon? The air is torn?”
Looking back in disbelief at the owner who was just repeating like a parrot, Jaeha noticed that Dorim was also just looking in their direction, swinging her feet with boredom. As if she couldn’t see that crack.
“Dorim, can you see this too?”
“Wall. Sunflower picture!”
From Dorim’s cheerful answer, Jaeha realized that the yellow color, which appeared blurred to his eyes due to the rippling air, was actually a sunflower picture.
‘Could it be that only men can see this?’
Dojoon seemed to have similar thoughts as he became even more serious.
Whatever it was, if not everyone could see it, it seemed like something not of this world. Such guesses brought fear of the unknown.
As Jaeha and Dojoon froze, the owner backed away anxiously.
“If you two are joking, please leave now. If you continue like this, I’ll really call the police.”
The owner’s eyes, which had shown a small amount of goodwill toward the college boys who came with a young girl, now trembled with anxiety.
Seeing the owner who had retreated to a corner and Dorim who had started whining in Dojoon’s arms, Jaeha wasn’t sure how to convince them.
Keeeeee.
As the crack twisted and made a strange sound, Jaeha looked at Dojoon. Dojoon also nodded as if he had heard the sound. However, the owner and Dorim showed no reaction.
Ding.
It was a sound that didn’t match the tension, but it was the news Jaeha had been waiting for.
Stay as far away as possible. Don’t touch it. It’s like a time bomb. It will explode when time passes.
After checking his phone, Jaeha hurriedly ran inside.
“Is there a storage room or somewhere to hide? We need to take shelter further inside.”
“Eek! Don’t do this!”
Seeing Jaeha rushing toward her, the surprised owner went behind a curtain between clothes racks. Relieved that there was a space there, Jaeha heard the sound of a door being locked from inside.
“No, this is crazy.”
From the owner’s perspective, it might have been like college student customers turning into robbers, but from Jaeha’s standpoint, it was maddening. He thought about forcing it open but gave up immediately when he saw it was an iron door.
With no suitable place to hide, Jaeha frantically gathered clothes and covered Dorim with them.
“Jaeha, what’s wrong? Do you know what that is?”
“It might explode. Don’t touch it, and don’t go near it.”
“Who said that? What is it?”
“Cover your face at least. Move further into the corner.”
Following Jaeha’s words, Dojoon didn’t doubt but wrapped Dorim with the falling clothes and turned his back. Jaeha even brought clothes racks and mannequins to somehow create a barricade between the crack and them.
It looked so flimsy that it seemed difficult to survive if it really exploded. Especially the walls and doors made of glass felt terrifying.
He wished the escaped owner would report to the police or somewhere so someone would come.
Keeeeeeee.
The eerie sound, like scratching glass or metal, grew louder. While Dojoon and Jaeha’s faces turned pale, Dorim, held in Dojoon’s arms, whined that it was hot.
At any other time, Dojoon would have made Dorim comfortable, but now he gritted his teeth and wrapped her tightly with clothes and his body.
Whatever it was, as if not much time remained before it “exploded,” the vertically torn crack began to split in all directions.
“Jaeha.”
“What? Oh man, there’s nothing useful.”
“I think something bad will happen when that explodes.”
“Damn it, I’m deliberately not looking, do you have to honestly say that?”
With nothing more useful in sight, Jaeha turned to look where Dojoon was watching. He saw the crack that had formed at the entrance widening to the size of a human torso, revealing a reddish inside.
The inside, which had been alternating between glowing red and turning dark black, gradually heated up to a bright red, and the scratching sound grew louder.
Keeeeeeeeee. Keeeeeeeeee.
Jaeha gave up on meaningless piling and ran to Dorim and Dojoon. He embraced them from the opposite side of Dojoon, who was already holding Dorim wrapped in plenty of clothes.
It was instinct rather than a spirit of sacrifice. The instinct to protect the smallest and weakest, Dorim, made him embrace them with his back exposed to the crack.
Even Dorim, who couldn’t hear any sound, stopped whining and became quiet at the serious expressions of the oppas.
The painful noise, loud enough to make one want to cover their ears, sounded without gaps as if announcing the end.
“Shit, it’s fortunate that Dorim can’t hear this.”
Dojoon’s stiff face relaxed slightly at Jaeha’s words, which he had blurted out to hide his trembling. Then, over Jaeha’s shoulder, Dojoon saw a circular space that had fully revealed its reddish inside, swelling.
Dojoon’s hands, which had been holding Dorim, now wrapped around Jaeha’s head and shoulders, pulling him closer.
It was an action born from an instinct Dojoon himself didn’t know he had, in a moment ready for death.
The day of the great change was just beginning.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
