#216
Yoon Pa-ran’s gaze felt like it was physically piercing through his chest. Dan Joo-hyuk unconsciously covered his mouth with his hand, flustered by this entire situation.
He didn’t even have the presence of mind to manage his expression. Without a doubt, this was the most bewildering moment of his life, where he had no idea what to do.
He had certainly thought he would need to resolve this matter someday. He had wanted to take responsibility for it.
However, he never expected it to be revealed in this manner.
“You should say it’s not true.”
Yoon Pa-ran, who had been gradually hardening his expression, spoke in an increasingly cold tone.
Even while receiving that piercingly blue gaze, Dan Joo-hyuk couldn’t bring himself to open his mouth.
“……”
He simply couldn’t say it wasn’t true.
This was a secret he had been hiding all along, together with his skill [Stealthy Extorter S] that absorbed others’ abilities.
He also knew that thanks to this immunity skill, he was free from all [Blessing Contracts].
“You……”
It would have been easy to lie here and get out of this situation. He could say that letter of unknown origin was trying to drive a wedge between them with just one piece of information about him visiting the underground auction house.
Certainly, that would have been the rational judgment.
“……”
But Dan Joo-hyuk simply couldn’t lie in front of Yoon Pa-ran.
The situation had already become twisted due to past mistakes. Even if he covered it up with another lie, nothing would be resolved.
His desire to be with Yoon Pa-ran wasn’t something so shallow.
“How……”
Yoon Pa-ran’s expression gradually changed. From shock to bewilderment, and then to doubt.
Throughout witnessing his clear emotional changes, Dan Joo-hyuk’s mind only turned white. Stupid regret quickly overwhelmed him, thinking he should have gotten out of this situation with lies, even if they were false.
“Is it real?”
“Yoon Pa-ran, that’s……”
Then what filled that pale face was intense anger.
“Is it fun playing with people?”
Dan Joo-hyuk saw those sharply pointed eyes for the first time in a very long while.
The fact that he had made Yoon Pa-ran make that expression again was as painful as having his heart torn out raw.
<Chapter: 14. Subtle B-Grade Awareness>
The next day.
The weather had become unusually warm for winter. The younger siblings had long since run outside as if they had been waiting for this.
In the quiet orphanage, Yoon Pa-ran quietly prepared to receive guests. Though it felt a bit awkward to call them guests since they were all family who had lived here and moved on.
Occasionally, he repeated the action of quietly looking up at the sky.
“……”
Regardless of his complicated feelings, the weather remained clear. Since it was already past mid-January, spring would come if he endured just a little longer.
The work of opening safe zones was also going smoothly. The sanctuary that would probably be obtained today was decided to be used right here at the orphanage.
Now they could open safe zones without saint items, so perhaps this should be considered fortunate timing.
“Hah……”
Yoon Pa-ran, who had unconsciously thought of Dan Joo-hyuk again, let out another sigh.
He had been avoiding the situation by busying himself with preparing for guests, but yesterday’s events came to mind from time to time like this.
He had heard an absurd truth. The more he thought about it, the angrier Yoon Pa-ran became.
Sometimes his anger was so uncontrollable it felt like blood was flowing backward.
He had driven Dan Joo-hyuk away in that state of mind.
‘Get out. I never want to see your face again.’
However, Dan Joo-hyuk’s face as he turned away from his harsh words strangely lingered in his mind. Why did he make such an expression after pulling such a scam?
How annoying.
He continued to be angry. He was furious at the fact that the Blessing Contract he had believed in until now was worth less than a scrap of paper to Dan Joo-hyuk.
How could he do that to me.
“……”
Yoon Pa-ran, who had been thinking in this flow, suddenly paused.
Now he was angry about how Dan Joo-hyuk could do such a thing, but what about at the beginning?
Though he had considered that contract a safety measure, he didn’t seem to have trusted it this much.
But then why did Dan Joo-hyuk do that?
“Hah……”
Strangely, his energy drained away and sighs kept escaping. It was so bad that Min-woong, who slept with him, whined in his sleep because it was noisy.
His anger repeatedly soared to the sky and then crashed to the ground. In moments when his emotions hit rock bottom like that, a strange sense of emptiness would envelop Yoon Pa-ran.
What was so frustrating about this?
“Pa-ran!”
“Is today your day off?”
Just then, cheerful voices cut through Yoon Pa-ran’s gloomy thoughts.
“Ah, you’re here?”
“Wow, what’s with our orphanage’s security? It’s like a complete fortress, a fortress!”
“This neighborhood was always unsafe anyway. It’s good, I guess.”
It was Park Min-soo and Kim Hee-jin, who had graduated from this orphanage and were now proper members of society. A few days ago, Kim Hee-jin had called saying they would drop by, and today was that day.
She had also brought Park Min-soo, the closest friend among her orphanage peers. Park Min-soo was the civil servant brother that Yoon Pa-ran had called about the safe zone issue last year.
Since Park Min-soo also hadn’t visited the orphanage in quite a while, he had actively adjusted his schedule. It wasn’t easy for either Park Min-soo, who was a civil servant, or Kim Hee-jin, who got a job at an accounting firm, to make time.
“Where’s the director?”
“She and the other staff went grocery shopping to make dinner for you two. They’ll be back soon.”
“Mom really didn’t need to do that.”
The two people headed toward the dining area with familiar steps, like people who knew full well that Yoon Pa-ran had stocked up on drinks and snacks over there.
Following behind his older brother and sister, Yoon Pa-ran was able to push his complicated thoughts to the back of his mind for a while.
“This place has gotten so much bigger.”
“Did they replace all the window frames too? The mothers won’t get cold hands while making breakfast.”
Even though it had only been a few years since they left the orphanage, the two made a fuss about how everything had changed dramatically. Knowing this was meant to praise what Yoon Pa-ran had accomplished, he felt embarrassed but remained silent.
The three people who naturally gathered around the dining table began chatting in earnest.
“Phew, I feel like I can live now that I’m resting. Coming to my old home too.”
“You live close to here though.”
“I get home at midnight after work, should I wake up the kids?”
Yoon Pa-ran, who had brought drinks from the refrigerator, smoothly placed cups in front of them.
Since they knew each other’s tastes well, the two people happily gulped down their drinks with pleased expressions.
“Did all the other little ones go out to play?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, the weather is warm today.”
“Is everyone healthy?”
“Yes. I’m taking care of them.”
Yoon Pa-ran nodded and spoke proudly.
Then the two people smiled faintly and ruffled Yoon Pa-ran’s hair.
“The one who used to fit in the palm of my hand is now taking care of younger siblings.”
“Ah, when was I ever like that!”
“Still, don’t suffer too much alone. Your own well-being comes first, didn’t your sister tell you?”
“Right. You should also have your own time, date someone, and things like that.”
The two people sounded exactly like the director.
Normally, Yoon Pa-ran would have ignored such words from these two as nagging. But this time, for some reason, his words got stuck and no sound came out.
Was it because he thought he wasn’t taking care of his own well-being right now?
Or was it because the word “dating” stuck in his ears unnecessarily?
“……”
“Pa-ran. Is something wrong?”
Finding it strange that he had suddenly lost his words, the two people immediately became serious.
Yoon Pa-ran, who had ultimately failed to manage his expression and act as if nothing was wrong, only scratched the back of his neck uselessly. He hadn’t called them to have counseling, so how did it end up like this?
“You didn’t get scammed, did you?”
“What? Did you sign some investment contract or something?”
If he left it as is, the two people seemed likely to seriously misunderstand. Having no choice, Yoon Pa-ran began to explain what was going on appropriately.
“Well……”
He thought that if he confided in trustworthy people, his heart might feel more at ease.
“Ahem, I have this contract related to Gate work.”
“Oh my, look at this kid. Does the director know too?”
“Ah, it’s not a strange contract.”
At the mention of a contract, Kim Hee-jin was already making a fuss as if something was wrong. Since that wasn’t his purpose, Yoon Pa-ran quickly waved his hands.
Actually, it was a strange contract.
Anyway, he absolutely couldn’t tell them the detailed facts.
“When making that contract, I used a [Blessing Contract].”
“Oh.”
“Wow…… That expensive contract? Was it with the government?”
“Min-soo, shut your mouth for a bit.”
“Why are you only picking on me…… Fine.”
When he deliberately changed the topic quickly, both people’s eyes widened. Items like [Blessing Contracts] were certainly fascinating to civilians.
The price was fascinating too.
“It turned out to have no effect.”
“They must have brought a fake one?”
“Well, anyway…… So…… I got angry.”
Throughout his words, some kind of emotion kept surging up from a corner of his chest. Yoon Pa-ran, thinking this was anger, ground his teeth hard inwardly.
How could he possibly do that?
“What did that person violate? Is it serious?”
“You didn’t lose all your saved money, did you? Did you buy the [Blessing Contract] together?”
“No…… It’s not like that. The contract too, he prepared everything and brought it……”
Perhaps because it involved a 1 billion won contract, both people’s expressions became more serious. But Yoon Pa-ran became blank-faced for a moment while continuing his words.
Come to think of it, what did Dan Joo-hyuk violate?
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
