Chapter 73
As he was about to leave that spot, he discovered something out of place. Jody moved toward one corner. Unlike other places, that spot was extremely clean. He slowly crouched down and swept the floor with his fingertips, but as expected, nothing came off. Moreover, though faint, there was still warmth remaining.
Jody gently rubbed his fingertips together and stood up from his position.
“…Hmm.”
Then he brought dust from the surroundings to that clean spot and covered it over. As if trying to erase traces of someone having been there.
After repeating this several times, the spot that had been clean was once again covered with dust. Jody dusted off his hands with satisfaction and left that place.
Watching Jody’s actions from afar, Seo Won couldn’t shake off his puzzled feelings. Looking with suspicion, each of his actions was full of questions.
From a fragmentary view, it seemed like he was trying to help, but could he really accept it at face value? It had become a strange situation where accepting kindness felt uncomfortable, yet he couldn’t not trust him either.
Seo Won slowly caught his breath and asked Baek Rak.
“How do you think he found us?”
“Who knows.”
“…Will it be okay?”
“I can’t tell. Since we don’t know how he’ll act, we’ll have to exclude the power room for a while.”
Seo Won nodded. He hadn’t expected Jody to pop out of here, so he was a little—no, very—flustered.
Half of him wanted to quickly find a fire-type hunter, awaken, and return, while the other half wanted to find Jody and ask what he was thinking. The two sides fiercely opposed each other. But as expected, there was no winner.
For now, getting out of this place was the priority.
Seo Won retraced the path he had taken with Baek Rak. They almost encountered several people along the way, but Baek Rak skillfully avoided them, so they weren’t discovered.
Coming up to the first basement level, Seo Won couldn’t bring himself to return to where they had originally been and headed elsewhere with Baek Rak.
For now, there was no choice but to watch how Jody would act. Or quickly find a hunter before that and return to Yeongdeungpo Station. Since an exception had occurred, staying long wouldn’t be good.
The second night that came after the lights went out somehow felt bitter.
Seo Won let out a long sigh with his eyes closed.
The image of Jody approaching to persuade him wouldn’t disappear and kept floating around in his head.
***
“Was that the guy from earlier?”
In the darkness where not a single point of light was visible, Baek Rak’s voice quietly echoed.
Seo Won was half-lying on top of a pile of boxes, covering his eyes with his arm. He seemed half-asleep from fatigue. He replied in an utterly exhausted voice.
“…What?”
“That man. The guy who approached you saying he’d help you, right?”
Seo Won nodded while lying down.
“Right. I didn’t expect to meet him there…”
“He was spouting strange words.”
Even to Baek Rak’s ears, what Jody had said seemed strange, so his assessment was quite harsh.
“He said he’d help, that he’d keep it secret.”
“How long have you known him?”
“…That’s right.”
While watching Jody, he had thought he was a good person, but he hadn’t felt he was foolish enough to not weigh the importance of things. He wondered if there was some reason he had approached after all.
Feeling slightly hollow, he couldn’t help but look at himself.
‘Was I trying too hard to see only the good?’
In his original world, that was natural and normal, but this place wasn’t such an easy world.
Though he got along well with Yu Sol and Haru now, they had definitely been wary of him at first too. They were able to develop their current relationship only after going through situations where they had to rely on each other while being attacked by creatures.
But Jody was different. He had suddenly approached, extended his hand, and tried to offer help. To him, an outsider who only knew his name.
A hunter from another shelter who had brought a horde of creatures, and who had gotten into an argument with the person in charge here as soon as entering the shelter—to understand and support such people. Thinking about it now, it was truly preposterous.
Even though his eyes were covered, you could tell Seo Won’s complexion wasn’t good. Baek Rak sat on the opposite box and spoke indifferently.
“I was wondering when you’d come to your senses, but it’s faster than I thought.”
“…Don’t pick a fight today. I’m tired.”
“Pick a fight? That was a compliment.”
Seo Won raised his arm and glared at Baek Rak. That was a compliment? In what way? He thought he had gotten used to that guy’s way of speaking, but apparently not yet. It was ridiculous.
However, his sharp mood was only momentary. Expressing emotions was quite exhausting too, so it quickly subsided. Seo Won covered his eyes again.
“…Whether it’s a compliment or picking a fight, just don’t do anything.”
“Nothing, huh.”
Baek Rak muttered quietly and closed his mouth. Then silence descended on the dark space. Though he had wanted quiet, Seo Won somehow felt uncomfortable and frowned.
“……”
“……”
After breathing with his eyes closed for a while, Seo Won couldn’t bear it anymore and sat up abruptly. Looking at Baek Rak, who was quietly watching him with his arms crossed, he let out a long sigh and dropped his head.
“Am I a bit… stupid?”
“What about?”
“From your perspective, don’t I… look frustrating?”
Baek Rak had advised him from the beginning not to trust people. He always emphasized safety and protected him as a priority. All the times he had rolled around and gotten hurt until now were because he hadn’t listened to Baek Rak and acted on his own.
From Baek Rak’s standpoint, it was reasonable to think he had no learning ability. How frustrating it must have been. Even if he called him foolish, there was nothing to say.
“I think I was too optimistic.”
“……”
“I shouldn’t have trusted someone I didn’t know.”
There was no strength in his quietly muttering voice. Baek Rak, who had been quietly watching the drooping Seo Won, turned his head and asked.
“Do you think there are trustworthy people in this world?”
“…Are you angry?”
“No, I’m just asking.”
Seo Won slowly raised his head. Baek Rak’s face, looking elsewhere, was hidden by his hair and not visible. He didn’t know what he was thinking, but he could tell his mood wasn’t good.
“Of course I trust you.”
“……”
“Han Seong Hyeon, Sol, and Haru too. As for Nora…, I haven’t talked with him much so I don’t know well, but anyway, he’s someone I’ll be living with from now on, so shouldn’t I trust him? You don’t really guard against them either.”
“Are you confident you won’t trust them if I tell you not to?”
“…Huh?”
“If I tell you not to trust anyone, including me?”
Seo Won tilted his head, unable to understand. Not only Baek Rak himself but also telling him not to trust anyone from Yeongdeungpo Station. What kind of nonsense was he saying?
“…Why? What does that mean?”
“Answer me. If I tell you not to trust them, won’t you trust them?”
“Why are you like this? It’s scary…”
Baek Rak’s head slowly turned toward Seo Won. In his eyes was perfectly reflected the face of Seo Won staring blankly at him. Soon, watching Seo Won’s face turn pale, Baek Rak chuckled.
“I mean that trusting or not is your judgment.”
“……”
“Since when have you listened to what I say? Even when I tell you not to do something, you’re not the type to listen.”
“…You told me to do as you say.”
“Have you ever actually followed that?”
“Well…”
As Seo Won trailed off, Baek Rak crossed his arms and said.
“I won’t force you to do things that won’t work anymore. You judge with your own eyes after seeing directly. Don’t be swayed by what other people say.”
“…Does that include you too?”
“That’s also your judgment.”
Baek Rak’s words came heavily. Unlike when he had felt rebellious at being told to just do as he was told, now he felt like a heavy burden had been placed on his shoulders.
He didn’t know why this suddenly gained free will felt burdensome.
“What if I fall into danger?”
“Saving you from that is my job.”
“…I make the choice but you handle the consequences?”
Seo Won could now properly face something he had vaguely felt until now. Until now, he hadn’t known because Baek Rak had been carrying much of the burden for him.
It was… responsibility.
From the beginning, countless lives had been placed on his shoulders, but he hadn’t properly felt it until now. Behind Baek Rak’s forceful actions was hidden such enormous responsibility.
Why the Guardian was important, why he had to be the priority. Even knowing the reason, he had stupidly failed to realize the weight of it. Only now did his mind become crystal clear.
“…Shit.”
He had been too complacent. Beyond complacent—he had done something stupid.
All he had done was feel relieved. He had simply been happy, thinking he had become a useful person, that he had found a place to belong. The Guardian was too heavy and important a position to face with such feelings.
It wasn’t simply becoming a hunter, but becoming a ‘true Guardian’ who protects people’s lives and livelihoods. That was what he had to do.
Han Seong Hyeon’s desperate plea, saying there was no one to trust but him now, belatedly pierced his heart.
“What are you doing?”
Watching Seo Won crawling behind the boxes, Baek Rak asked. Instead of answering, Seo Won flinched and shook his shoulders, then hurriedly hid his body.
“Why are you going in there?”
“…Damn it, don’t come this way.”
Hearing approaching footsteps, Seo Won buried his face in his hands. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Baek Rak’s face.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
