#120
“Everyone already knows we’ve visited Korea, so we can’t go back without any results.”
“So you’re determined to make this a big issue.”
When Liam spoke with a troubled face, Dowoon’s expression became even colder.
Just as he was about to make a threat, the small woman in the corner trembled and muttered.
“You… you won’t do that, right?”
Her voice was shaky and lacking confidence. She couldn’t look directly at Dowoon and glanced sideways, but her intention was clear. She had understood the Korean.
Dowoon guessed she was the person Ray and Liam had brought as an interpreter to communicate with Jaeha. Judging by the complete lack of Esper-specific wavelengths, she seemed to be either a Guide or an ordinary person, but having participated in this kidnapping, she didn’t look good in his eyes.
“Um… Dowoon. She just did the interpretation. She was even against the kidnapping.”
“If she really opposed it, she shouldn’t have been here at all.”
Despite Jaeha’s attempt to mediate, Dowoon didn’t stop glaring at the three people with disgust. No matter what, they all looked like people trying to harm Jaeha to him.
“Well… you’re not wrong.”
Jaeha muttered with a troubled face. Dowoon was more worried about Jaeha being concerned for his kidnappers, but he decided to let it be for now.
The important thing was to resolve this situation. Not only Jaeha, who had been suddenly kidnapped, but he too was very tired.
Moreover, knowing that this situation was the emoticon’s doing, he didn’t even feel tense.
‘Because of unnecessary meddling… he looks even more confused.’
It was clearly a performance for Jaeha alone, but the person in question looked bewildered, unable to grasp the situation.
It seemed that once the situation was resolved, it would be best to take measures to prevent the emoticon from acting on its own again.
“Nikki, what did he say?”
“Ah… Jaeha Guide doesn’t want to make this a big issue. Maybe we should… back down a bit here?”
At Ray’s question, the woman glanced this way and carefully suggested. She seemed to be desperately trying not to go against Dowoon’s mood, which was exuding a chilly aura.
After that, the three of them whispered quietly so only they could hear. Of course, Dowoon, being an Esper, could hear everything.
They tediously repeated that they couldn’t leave like this, but they shouldn’t antagonize Jaeha, and that there seemed to be no solution for now.
“What are they saying? I can’t hear well because they’re speaking too softly…”
“It seems they’re discussing among themselves what to do.”
“Can’t we leave now? If there’s anything to protest, we can convey it later, right?”
Jaeha seemed to want to get out of this situation. It looked like he didn’t like the idea of having an argument, probably because he hadn’t really suffered any significant harm.
Dowoon had intended to take a strong stance to prevent them from approaching Jaeha again, but he had to hesitate when Jaeha repeatedly tried to stop him.
It seemed that rather than struggling with opponents who couldn’t communicate, the easiest thing would be to shake off the root cause of the problem and make them forget all suggestions and return to America.
“Let’s go. Your opinion is the top priority, Jaeha.”
Dowoon lifted Jaeha up. And when Jaeha, who was surprised for a moment, nestled into him softly, he felt satisfaction in his heart.
It was thanks to often carrying him like this at home that they had become used to it. He felt a very faint sense of relief from the anxiety of not knowing when Jaeha might disappear.
He didn’t want to blame Jaeha, but if he didn’t think about leaving this world without him in the first place, such anxiety or happenings wouldn’t occur.
Dowoon thought that for a moment, then immediately regretted it, realizing that even though he didn’t want to blame Jaeha, he had unconsciously had such thoughts due to his hurt feelings.
“Wait… mmph!”
“Shh, let them go and think about it later!”
Ray opened his mouth as if to try and stop them, but soon he was muffled by the woman’s hand. With the mindset of catching the main culprit rather than the small fry, Dowoon used his skill to move to the underground parking lot in one breath while holding Jaeha.
***
“Dowoon, you said you stopped by the house earlier, right? Did you… not see my phone?”
‘Let’s change the phone.’ While Dowoon was carefully choosing his words and pondering how to convey this simple message, he saw Jaeha immediately searching for his phone as soon as they arrived home, and his nerves became frayed.
“I didn’t see it.”
“Oh…”
He didn’t want to add more lies and was planning to somehow make an excuse and suggest changing the phone. However, the lie that it wasn’t there came out instinctively.
Dowoon immediately regretted it. But seeing Jaeha searching the living room for the phone, it was difficult to tell the truth right away.
Originally, Dowoon was a person who didn’t need to lie. He was a powerful person whose wishes would eventually become reality.
However, he kept lying to Jaeha. About what truths he was hiding, how this world had changed, and that Shin Haejun had never once liked him and was just enduring it.
He thought it was best to make sure these big lies were never discovered, but when he started lying about small issues like the phone, his feelings became complicated.
‘This is all because of that emoticon.’
Dowoon unconsciously gripped the phone in his pants pocket tightly over his clothes.
It was frustrating that Jaeha trusted the emoticon so much that he was desperately searching for it like this.
He wanted to squeeze and burst it, but he couldn’t do that because he didn’t know if this world would continue to exist afterward.
“Jaeha, it seems like you’ve already looked everywhere.”
Since he couldn’t take back the words he had already said, he decided to change the subject instead. He approached Jaeha, who was rummaging even under the sofa.
“This can’t be… Um. Do you think those people from earlier took it? Can’t we meet them again and ask?”
“You want to meet the kidnappers again? Jaeha, is there important data in your phone?”
“It’s really important to me. I can’t lose it. I can’t…”
Feeling at a loss, tears started to fall from Jaeha’s eyes. His wandering gaze looked confused to an extent that couldn’t be explained by mere attachment.
Dowoon realized how much Jaeha was struggling not to lose his connection with reality, and felt even more frustrated.
Jaeha can use his abilities as a Guide without relying on the phone. While it was a good ability to be able to perform like an Esper in dungeons, it wasn’t to the extent of looking like the world had collapsed.
The emoticon and the game itself felt like a bridge to the real world for Jaeha. If not for that, his crying as if having a fit wouldn’t make sense.
“Jaeha, Jaeha… Lee Jaeha. Please. Don’t cry.”
Dowoon almost wished for the reckless Shin Haejun to appear. If only to dispel this atmosphere, he could tolerate Shin Haejun, even if he didn’t like him. But Shin Haejun, who had entered dungeon conquest, wouldn’t appear, and Jaeha was just sobbing loudly in his arms.
Even so, Jaeha somehow wanted to prove to him that his emotions were justified.
“So… hic, hu… hiccup… that phone… I must have it… because… you see…”
Even while hiccupping, he tried to explain haltingly, but his mind seemed blank and he couldn’t give a proper explanation. In the end, Jaeha clung to Dowoon’s chest and pleaded.
“It’s, hic, hiccup, absolutely necessary. I must have it…!”
He was crying so pitifully that Dowoon wanted to just give up too.
However, because he couldn’t believe that the emoticon was really helping Jaeha, he couldn’t give it back so easily.
At the very least, it should be after questioning the emoticon and hearing it promise never to do such a thing again.
He wanted to just keep it hidden and use it only as a power to maintain the world, but it didn’t seem like it would be resolved so easily. At this moment, Dowoon desperately wished that Jaeha would fall asleep for just 10 minutes. Because he couldn’t call the emoticon while Jaeha was awake.
‘He’s already in this state… If he finds out that Shin Haejun or I met the emoticon, he might really faint.’
He bit his lip hard, then placed his hand on Jaeha’s shoulder and pressed gently.
“Why…”
Jaeha, who had been sniffling, felt the pressure and looked up. The area under his eyes was already swollen red, which was pitiful, but resolving this situation was the priority for now.
“Jaeha, you rest here. I’ll go and come back. I’ll check if they have it and return.”
“I… I’ll go with…!”
“Since it’s a place I’ve been to before, I’ll go by teleportation without a car. And I don’t think it’s good for you to be exposed to them unnecessarily.”
Hearing Dowoon’s words, Jaeha slowly nodded. He realized it was right when told so rationally.
In the end, Dowoon left Jaeha at home, looking at him longingly, and went outside. Then, to make sure Jaeha couldn’t hear, he moved with a whoosh and took out the phone in a place where no one was around.
Hey, what are you doing! Why are you making Yeonsoo cry!
“The one who made Jaeha cry today wasn’t me, but you.”
Dowoon glared at the emoticon that appeared with an expressionless face. The emoticon seemed to be aware of its mistake, as it flickered with a slightly deflated look.
“Your plan was a miserable mess. You didn’t achieve your goal, and Jaeha became unstable again.”
I didn’t want that to happen…
The emoticon that said so turned into a huge crying face and spun round and round.
I made Yeonsoo cry! Nine was bad, Yeonsoo!
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
