บท 12: Tiny Ripples
A vision. Like what happened with Jinhee and my father.
The middle of the night. There, in a dark room on a bed, Yun Seora was surrounded by three men. Two restrained her arms while the other sat on top of her.
A scene that I didn't need to guess to know the outcome... But I saw it anyway.
A forced encounter. Screams that went unheard, and then Yun Seora's broken heart. And at the end of it all... a maiden lying on the ground like a puppet with cut strings, blood pouring down her neck while obscene fluids covered her naked body.
The vision shattered.
I jumped to my feet. Without a word, I ran out of my room, not even caring to close the door beside me.
Mana surged into my eyes and I forcibly activated the Nine Eyes.
Gritting my teeth, I forced my insight to give me the necessary information.
When I did...
[Fifth floor. Far corner.]
I was on the tenth floor. There wasn't enough time. I didn't know how long in the future that vision was, but I knew I didn't have enough to waste.
So...
A few people nearby noticed me and stared.
I ignored them and vaulted off the railway.
Gasps echoed, but I didn't care.
Gathering wind at my feet, I kicked down to go faster and aimed towards the fifth floor. In a few seconds, I reached it.
When I did, a shrill scream echoed before being cut off.
I kicked the air and changed direction, launching myself again.
A glass slide door, dimly lit. Figures in the corner moving, the others in the room ignoring it.
But most importantly, blue light shining in the far left corner.
I kicked off again and charged, shattering the glass slide door.
"W-What?!"
Everyone scrambled in a panic.
I stepped onto the floor and looked around.
Shady individuals. People who couldn't live any other way.
And then in the far corner... Yun Seora and the men who were speeding up their efforts.
[Focused Killing Intent reacts to ?? Insight and Future Vision.]
[Focused Killing Intent has evolved to Innate Ability - Imminent Demise.]
The decree of death.
I was furious. At myself. At the world. At 'Fate' that allowed such an outcome.
The result of my rage turned into crystallized killing intent, locking everyone in the room in place.
As if time itself was frozen still out of fear.
I made my way over to the corner of the room.
The people in the way quickly scattered like rats.
As I did, I took in the condition of the area.
Dirty tiles. Run down furniture. Ratty blankets and covers.
And... Yun Seora was living like this?
The tiles cracked, shattering with my fury and outpouring of killing intent.
The men standing around Yun Seora stepped back. "W-Who the fuck are you?!" The glanced down at her and said, "Are you this bitch's-"
Without hesitation, I drew my Retractable Blade.
It had been a while since I used it, but it was perfect for situations like this.
I stepped forward and overcharged it with mana.
Was because it hadn't been used for a while, or because of my rage?
The Retractable Blade screamed and started cracking. At the same time, I swung it.
Sparks flew through the room as it cleaved through the area.
People screamed and blood splashed. In particular, the men standing over Yun Seora turned into corpses, their bodies slowly tipping over. But before they could, I reached out my hands and deconstructed them, forcibly ripping apart their bodies and draining their existence.
A deathly silence.
I walked forward, light footsteps echoing on the floor.
Yun Seora shakily raised her body, pulling her sheets close to herself.
"...Miss Yun Seora?"
She froze, turning her gaze to me.
When I saw her gaze, that desperate, disbelieving, and haunted gaze, I was even more furious with myself. Even so, I didn't let that show. Instead, I walked closer and then knelt down beside her.
For a few moments, she simply stared at me. Then... "Mis...ter Seol...?"
I forced a smile on my face and said, "Everything will be alright now. Just close your eyes and then when you wake up, you'll be in a safe place."
As if a lullaby, hearing my words, she started to close her eyes. But then she forcibly opened them, shuddering like a leaf. "N-No. I... I don't want to."
A terrified and fragile voice.
I fought back the rage welling in my chest and then nodded. "That's fine. Then... just relax. Let's get you out of here."
I wrapped up Yun Seora's body with the blanket, making sure to cover her body, and then lifted her in a princess hold.
When I did, her body, shivering and tense until that point, relaxed. Then, up close, I could see her features clearly.
Her former beauty was nowhere to be seen- No. That wasn't true. Traces of it could still be seen, but they were marred by malnutrition and sickness.
For a split second, I tensed in rage. But I calmed myself and then carefully spun around.
Was it because they saw me just vaporize three men in cold blood? The other people in the room averted their gazes or pretended to be asleep.
I scoffed. "Motherfucking bastards." Muttering that under my breath, I left the place and then headed back upstairs. At least, I tried to.
As I walked up the stairs, a familiar face appeared before me. "...Claire."
"Mister Jihu." She paused and then her eyes fell on the girl in my arms. Seeing that, her eyes widened in realization. "I see. And I was wondering why you suddenly charged out in such a rush. But how-"
"Talk later." I walked up the stairs, Yun Seora clinging onto me for dear life, hugging my neck.
"...I suppose there are more important matters at hand." She sighed and then looked at me. "Should I call a healer?"
"I'd appreciate that."
Claire nodded and then walked off.
xxx
I gently laid Yun Seora on the sofa. At least, I tried to. But she wouldn't let go.
"...Miss Yun Seora. You can't sleep if you're like that."
She shook her head, unwilling to let go.
I sighed. "Are you worried that I'll leave you? No, that this just an illusion?"
She paused and then slowly nodded her head.
"Well... I suppose there's one thing I can do about that. But first, you'll have to let go of me. You need rest."
"...Okay." With great reluctance, she did.
After I set her in the bed, she quickly sat up, staring at me like she was going to pounce the moment I tried to walk away.
Seeing that, I reached out to the side and pulled a chair close to me. With that, I sat down and stared at Yun Seora.
She stared back.
"Let's talk. If this was a dream or an illusion, it wouldn't be able to respond properly, right?"
"...Mmhm."
Was it because of her fatigue or my voice? Either way, she went along with my nonsensical reasoning.
"Hm... I don't want you to spend your energy, so I'm just going to have to apologize for rambling on. Let's see... I suppose I could talk about my life before this. You see..."
xxx
I watched Yun Seora's sleeping form with mixed emotions.
...It had changed. No, it stayed the same.
Despite me healing her arm ahead of time and granting her the ability to fend for herself, Yun Seora still ended up in this shape.
Arguably, it was better than in the story... But that was only because I intervened.
Had I not, I was certain that tomorrow morning I would have arrived to find a corpse instead of a shuddering Yun Seora like Seol had.
A knock on the door.
I waved my hand, causing it to unlock.
"Pardon the intrusion." Claire walked in with another familiar face in tow. Maria, the blonde maid.
Maria looked at me and smiled. "I knew I said to keep me in mind when you needed something, but this late at night... Well, I'll make an exception since it's you." She walked over and said, "Is this the girl?"
I nodded. "It is."
"Hm..." She leaned over Yun Seora and held out her hands. A white light formed and she started muttering, no doubt causing diagnostic spells.
As she was doing that, Claire looked at me and frowned. "...You killed people today."
I nodded. "I did."
"Does it not bother you?"
I shrugged, focusing my attention on Yun Seora. "It wouldn't be the first. And..." I remembered the vision I saw, as well as the one I saw of Jinhee. "...Bastards like that don't deserve to live. Whether in this world or on Earth."
Claire stared at me and then sighed. "This will be a problem for you later."
"Hm?"
Claire stared at me and said, "In this world, injustices like those happen all the time. Furthermore, they happen to the extent that you cannot hope to save everyone. If you continually act like this, then your future-"
"Will be one I can be proud of." I cut her off.
"Mister Jihu-"
"This is my bottom line, Claire- No. My reason to live." I stared at Yun Seora's unconscious form and said, "I don't care if I can't save everyone, but the people in front of my eyes... the ones I know. If I can't even save them, then I'm not a person anymore."
Claire stared at me for a long while. Just as she opened her mouth, Maria spat out a sigh.
"Hah..." The blonde maid leaned back and scowled. "What kind of fucker did this to her?"
I frowned. "What do you mean? Is something wrong with her arm?"
"Hm? How'd you know that?" Maria looked at me.
"I was the one who healed it originally, so-"
"Really?" Maria hummed and said, "That explains it. If you hadn't, this would be much worse. Much much worse."
"What's wrong?"
Maria sighed and sat on the table nearby. "She's malnourished, suffering from a severe cold, and her right arm has permanent nerve damage. Not only that, but some bastards fractured her arms and ribs."
I clenched my fists.
"Fortunately," Maria said. "It's nothing life threatening. At least, not now. I healed up her fractured arms and ribs."
"And the nerve damage?"
Maria paused and gave me a look. When she did, she said, "The original damage... How bad was it?"
"Bad." I remembered the injury and said, "Someone jabbed a knife into her arm, twisted it, and ran the blade up and down."
"...And you healed that?" Maria frowned. "Why the fuck- Ah. Why the hell aren't you a priest instead?"
"The injury?"
"Oh. Right." Maria sighed and said, "Since it was like that... You did a good job patching her up. Miraculous, even. But she didn't let it heal." Maria frowned and said, "Even though the flesh was mended correctly, there still were small tears and nerve damage that needed time. But this girl didn't give it that time... Although I suppose that was because of a certain someone forcing such a short deadline." She glared at Claire.
Claire flinched and lowered her gaze.
I ignored her and said, "Then... is there a way to heal it?"
Maria shook her head. "The arm is as good as dead. If it was a few weeks ago, maybe. But now... it's past simple 'healing' and requires something on the level of 'Revival' now. She can still get some use out of it, but enough to wield a weapon? Impossible. We aren't in Paradise and you won't find a Priest better skilled than me within the Neutral Zone, and I can't fix this arm."
I stared at Yun Seora's body, clenching my fists.
"There is one way."
I raised my head.
Claire stared at me and then looked at Maria.
Maria froze and then shook her head. "No. HELL NO. I am not about to use a fucking Ceremony on this shit."
"A Ceremony?"
Claire nodded and said, "A High Priest like Miss Maria is given a special privilege. Like she said, it would be impossible to heal that girl's arm... but the Ceremony would allow such a miracle. A request from the gods to use one high-level spell."
Maria squeezed her eyes shut and gnashed her teeth.
I looked to Maria and said, "Miss Maria-"
"No. I won't do it." Maria shook her head. "That's-"
"You know how I've done throughout the Tutorial." I spoke up and walked towards her.
Maria flinched and slowly nodded. "Yes, but-"
"You've also seen my actions here. My achievements. People have been comparing me to Sung Shihyun... But I'll say it first. I'm better than that guy."
"Hah?" Maria blinked in disbelief. "...So what? Even if you are-"
"Show Physical Level to Maria."
[3. Physical Level]
Strength: Intermediate (High)
Endurance: Intermediate (High)
Agility: Intermediate (High)
Stamina: Intermediate (High)
Magic: High (High)
Luck: High (Low)
"...What the fuck?" Maria mumbled as she looked at me. "You... Are you really a level one?"
"Mister Jihu?"
I nodded and said, "I am. So you know what this means, right? If you help her out, I'll owe you a favor. Not only that, but barring murdering someone I'm acquainted with, I'll grant any request."
Maria scoffed. "What, even if I tell you to go kill the Queen of Scheherazade?"
Claire glared at Maria and opened her mouth.
Before she could speak, I nodded. "In a heartbeat."
Both of the maids looked at me.
Did they sense how serious I was?
Maria's expression changed, turning into shock, ridicule, disbelief, and then contemplation. After a few moments... "Fuuuuck." She shook her head and then said, "Fine. FINE. But!" She pointed at me and said, "120,000 points. No less."
Claire gasped. "M-Maria?"
Maria shook her head and said, "You're lucky I like you, Kid. Let's see, your tally of survival points is..." She trailed off and then froze.
"...Just enough, right?"
Maria looked to me and then spat out a breath. "The fucking kind of monster are you? How the fuck do you have these many fucking points already? 120,000 points?!"
"Well I wanted to clear out the VIP shop?"
"Fuck. You're fucking crazy." Maria shook her head and sighed. "Fine. I'll get the ceremony ready. But it's still going to take a week or two, and the girl will need to be in top shape. I'll see you again then... And until that time, don't come fucking looking for me, got it?" Leaving those words, Maria started walking out. "Fuck. Can't believe I agreed to this shit."
When she was gone, Claire looked at me, surprise in her eyes. "That... I'm surprised you managed to make her agree."
"I'm not." I stared at the door and said, "After all, I'm sure she realized it. How much she stands to gain in the future by me owing her a favor."
"Even so, as exceptional as you are..." Claire paused and then said, "Your Status Window seemed to have changed her mind. I don't suppose...?"
"Hm? Curious? Here."
I let Claire see it as well and she froze. After a few moments, she muttered, "Well, I suppose that is definitely convincing."
xxx
Claire left again, leaving me alone with Yun Seora.
I sighed and sat down in a sofa across from her. As I did, regret and anger went through my heart.
Regret that I never checked up on her. Anger that I thought fate would be so easily changed... And that it didn't change, only worsened.
I checked my point total. Seeing the remaining count, I sighed. "Nothing left huh? I guess it's a good thing I get free food and housing. Though the VIP shop is a pipe dream now..."
It would have been nice to grab a few more things from there like the elixirs, but it wasn't necessary.
I already had plenty of ways to improve myself later.
I sighed and then plopped onto the sofa across from Yun Seora. "Oh well. That's the way life turns, I guess." I could worry about it in the morning. Now... I should get some rest.
Closing my eyes, I didn't notice Yun Seora staring at me from beneath her covers.
xxx
I stood in front of the noticeboard, staring at the available missions.
As I did, pointed gazes from behind me stared at me.
I could sense it. Although they didn't have anything to say right now, they would if I started taking missions.
Since I was bankrupt, I needed to clear some missions. It would have been fine if it was just for myself, but I needed to care for Yun Seora as well.
In that case, I was in a dilemma.
I could do some Very Hard missions, but...
A polite female voice echoed from behind. "Pardon me."
I turned around.
Odelette Delphine stood there, a bright smile on her face. "Would you spare some time for a cup of tea today?"
A wry smile crossed my face. "I would... but I'm a bit broke at the moment."
Surprise flitted across her face, but she quickly wiped it away with another smile. "That's fine! It's on me."
"In that case... I'm all ears."
"Great! The let's head to that café over there. Everyone's waiting for you."
With that, Odelette lead me to a table, where four people were already seated.
Three I already knew, Hao Win, Leorda, and Tong Chai. As for the last... "Huh. So you didn't die either?"
The last member of the group who was announced in the auditorium and given the choice to enter Paradise directly or the neutral grounds.
The man smiled. "Though I wished it at times, it seems karma held better fates."
Odelette sat down and then pumped her fist in the air. "Finally! My dream is about to become a reality!"
xxx
In short, Odelette Delphine wanted me to join her team.
Judging from her description, the team composition was pretty well thought out.
Hao Win was the Warrior of the group, Leorda and Tong Chai were the Archers, Odelette was the Magician, and the last guy, Karna something or another, was the Priest.
Considering that the max cap on hard and above were six participants, it was as if they left the last spot deliberately open for me.
"So?" Odelette looked at me with her bright hazel eyes and said, "What do you think? Wanna be part of our group?"
I looked at everybody and then let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I really do want to, but I can't for now."
Odelette frowned. "Why not?"
I sighed. "If you had asked me just yesterday, it would be fine. But now... Well..."
Hao Win frowned. "I don't believe it. You were able to clear the easiest Very Hard mission by yourself. And judging from your lack of equipment, it wasn't like you spent it on gear... Did you spend them all on Abilities?"
"No. The truth is... There's a situation. I had been saving up to spend it in the VIP store, but then..."
Was it because I wanted to vent? Either way, I ended up telling the story of what happened to Yun Seora to everyone there and poured my heart out.
After listening, everyone blinked and stared at me. Especially Hao Win, who looked totally dazed.
"So you had something like that..." Odelette muttered.
"Mm." Tong Chai nodded. "I understand your situation..." He tilted his head and said, "But is there a reason for you to help that person out in the first place? Unless she was your family member, a sibling, perhaps. But to spend 120000 points for someone from the same area... that is a bit drastic, no?"
"...It's complicated." I sighed and said, "She did help me out in the tutorial. But it isn't that. More like..." I paused and said, "I can't stop thinking about it."
Hao Win's ears perked up. "You can't?"
I nodded. "If I knew what was going on sooner... If I realized it, then maybe things wouldn't have gotten this bad."
Hao Win looked at me and said, "Who is this person you're trying to help?"
"Her name is Yun Seora."
Hao Win nodded. "Yun Seora... Definitely a girl then?"
I nodded.
"I see... That was why." Hao Win groaned and then sat up, taking a good look at me. "I don't think I've heard your name yet."
"It's Seol. Seol Jihu... Ah, my family name is Seol."
"Jihu then." Hao Win smiled and said, "I think we'll be best pals. You see, back in the past, I had a girl myself that I couldn't stop thinking about. If only I did this instead..."
xxx
"C-Crazy..." Leorda stared at Seol with wide eyes, as if looking at a monster.
Hao Win laughed and said, "That's the power of a man working to provide for his woman, you see?"
Tong Chai shook his head. "I... do not think that is the case, Hao Win."
Odelette was simply speechless, just staring at Seol.
After hashing out the details, they brought Seol to test out his abilities. To do that, they picked a hard mission to prove himself.
As for the results...
"What?" Seol blinked and said, "Did I do bad?"
"No." Leorda shook his head. "Instead of bad... Honestly, Jihu. Are you human?"
"Of course."
"Then-"
Suddenly Odelette grabbed Seol's shirt and said, "Teach me!"
"...What?"
"You can use magic while being a Warrior! Magic sword! Lightning slash! Teeeaaaachhhh me!"
Hao Win laughed and pulled Odelette away. "That's enough, Missy. Our friend Jihu already has a girl, remember?"
"I'm fine with being a mistress!"
Seol sighed.
Leorda still seemed dazed and muttered, "I never thought I'd pity the monsters. But that guy..." He looked at Seol and said, "To think that there are people like that out there. Truly, the world is a vast place."
Tong Chai nodded and then called out to Seol. "I'm curious. Have you been to the army, Jihu?"
"Army?" Seol paused and then said, "A couple of years? I think?"
Tong Chai frowned. "You think?"
"...Things happened and I was discharged early. Lawfully, of course."
"And you're this skilled?"
"...Yes?"
Tong Chai sighed.
xxx
Yun Seora opened her eyes in a daze. When she did, she froze, unable to decipher what she was seeing.
The last thing that she remembered was being pinned down by those three foreigners and struggling against them. But it was futile.
As she started to accept her fate...
"...Was it not a dream?"
She could remember it. The young man that came in like a god of war. The one who picked her up and took her away from that dark place.
But...
Yun Seora sat up, slowly looking around. It was a pure and spacious room, almost like a palace. A place that didn't seem to fit into the setting of the Neutral Grounds. It was far too luxurious.
"Did I... die?"
It was the only logical explanation.
Glancing down, while she was covered with a luxurious silk blanket, her clothes were still gone, her body bare. Not only that, her wounds had been healed, the places where those men struck her wiped away like it never occurred.
Yun Seora was quiet and then held her head in her hands.
Of course. There was no way this was reality. Then... After all of that-
"Hm? Miss Yun Seora?" A kind female voice called out.
Yun Seora looked over to see Yi Seol-Ah enter through a door, carrying a tray of food.
Yi Seol-Ah's eyes glanced at Yun Seora's bare body and then her eyes widened. Without hesitation, she kicked the door shut behind her.
"Ow! Noona! What are you doing!?" A young male voice called out from behind the door.
"Just wait a bit, Sungjin!" Yi Seol-Ah said those words and then quickly walked forward. Setting the tray onto the table by the sofa where Yun Seora had been sleeping, she quickly leaned over and placed a hand on Yun Seora's forehead.
Yun Seora blinked and then said, "You are... Miss Yi Seol-Ah?"
"Just Seol-Ah is fine, Miss Yun Seora." She let out a bright smile and then lowered her hand. "Mm... you don't have a fever. That's good. Mister Seol was worried about that, but it seems that the room's recovery functions are working properly."
Yun Seora blinked again. "Mister Seol? Recovery?"
Yi Seol-Ah shook her head and said, "I'll explain in a bit. For now..." She reached into the bag she carried under her arms and pulled out some clothes. "Here, let me help you change first."
Yun Seora was still confused, so she simply followed what Yi Seol-Ah did and allowed herself to get dressed.
Yi Seol-Ah stared at Yun Seora and then nodded. After that, she walked back to the door and opened it.
A long sigh echoed and then Yi Sungjin entered. "Come on, Noona. You could have given me a bit of warning."
"I had to be considerate to Miss Yun Seora!"
"...Right. Hyung did say that..."
Yun Seora blinked when she saw the young male teen walk in.
It hadn't been long since she last saw the two. After all, despite her turning them away, the two still visited her every few days to forcibly loan her points.
Yi Sungjin bowed his head a bit in greeting and said, "We brought you some food, Miss Seora!" He paused and said, "Well, Noona did. I just brought some other things just in case." Saying that, he lifted up a grocery bag.
"...What's going on?" Seeing the two siblings, Yun Seora shook her head and said, "Where am I? Where is this?"
Yi Seol-Ah shook her head. "We can talk about this later. For now, let's eat." Saying that, she picked up the tray again and gently placed it on Yun Seora's lap.
The injured girl stared at Yi Seol-Ah for a bit and then slowly nodded before reaching out with her left hand.
The food was a simple soup. Even so, it smelled delicious, filled with the fragrant odor of meat and herbs.
Yun Seora's stomach grumbled at the thought of it and she quickly started eating, using her left hand to pick up the spoon and eat.
Seol-Ah and Sungjin sat at the sofa across from Yun Seora and ate as well, pulling out some sandwiches from their bags.
For a few moments, the three ate in silence. But then, Yi Seol-Ah let out a sigh.
"Is it fine to be here?"
Yun Seora paused mid-bite.
Yi Sungjin frowned and said, "What do you mean, Noona?"
Yi Seol-Ah lowered her sandwich and placed it on a napkin over her lap. "It's just... we still haven't paid Mister Seol back and then he let us stay in his room and even gave up items to become stronger. Sure, he said we could pay him back by keeping an eye on Miss Seora, but isn't it our fault too that Mister Seol is-"
"Noona!" Sungjin looked at Yun Seora and then shook his head.
"A-Ah. Right." Yi Seol-Ah flinched, suddenly remembering that they weren't alone.
Yun Seora took another spoonful from her soup and then set her spoon down. After that, she stared at the siblings and said, "What are you talking about?" She frowned and said, "What happened to Mister Seol?"
"N-Nothing!" Yi Seol-Ah quickly shook her head and said, "Everything's fine! You don't need to worry about him at all!"
"Noona. That's only going to make her worry more if you react like that."
Yun Seora frowned, a faint memory coming to mind. She thought it had been a dream at the time, but... "120,000 points... Was it?"
The siblings froze.
Seeing their reaction, Yun Seora knew that it was the truth. "Mister Seol... He used 120,000 points on me, didn't he? And now he has to go do more missions alone to make up for it?"
"Th-That's..." Yi Seol-Ah averted her gaze. "Um..."
Sungjin sighed. "We might as well tell her, Noona."
"But Mister Seol said-!"
"I'm sure Hyung would be fine with it. He told us to focus on helping Miss Yun Seora recover, didn't he? Not telling her will only make her more concerned."
Seol-Ah sighed.
With that, Sungjin looked to Yun Seora and gave a brief summary of what happened.
Seol Jihu had a premonition the other night and charged into the fifth floor accommodations. When he did, he rescued Yun Seora and then brought her back. After getting a priest to heal her, he also convinced that priest to perform a Ceremony to fully restore Yun Seora's arm by paying her 120,000 points. But before that could happen, Yun Seora had to be back in normal health.
But that wasn't all. Since he had charged into the fifth floor and damaged the accommodations, he also was in debt since he had to pay for the damages. Not to mention the fact that there would be people who would be mad at him for murdering some other survivors in the Neutral Zone...
After hearing all of that, Yun Seora leaned back against the sofa, her eyes dazed.
Her questions had been answered, but it left her even more confused.
Why?
The two had barely interacted. Even back at the Tutorial, the most that they interacted was when she chased after him to stop him from collecting all the coins.
Even then, he should have been upset at the competition. But he hadn't been.
Not only that, but when those men ambushed her and damaged her arm, he used something valuable to heal it.
That was already enough to put her in his debt. And as a result, she worked hard to try and earn enough to pay him back.
But she couldn't. Because she rushed, her arm degraded and became unusable. Because she turned away the help of the Yi siblings and stubbornly tried to perform missions on her own, her health slowly deteriorated. And because she was weak, she almost suffered the worst fate possible.
But then he arrived. Mister Seol... Seol Jihu. The top ranked survivor who could clear a Very Hard mission by himself. The young man whose every action showed conviction and ease. Who seemed capable of solving every problem by himself.
She couldn't understand it.
Compared to a bright sun like him, she was nothing. No, even calling him a sun was insufficient. He was like the heavens themselves, and she was but a speck of dirt. And yet, it was like the stars turned over to pulled her out from the Earth.
It didn't make sense.
It didn't make sense.
It didn't make sense... but the thought of it made her body warm.
Subconsciously, Yun Seora raised her left hand to her chest, placing it over her heart. Because of it, she could feel the steady beat there, the sign that she was alive.
[...Miss Yun Seora?]
The face of the youth as he called out to her, barely concealing his rage with concern.
[Everything will be alright now.]
The calm voice and the strong arms that pulled her out of the depths of despair.
'...I want to see him.'
A stray thought, flickering through her mind. Realizing it, Yun Seora blinked. 'What... What did I think about just now?'
Yi Seol-Ah sighed and looked at Yun Seora. "Miss Seora. I have to apologize to you. If I knew how bad of a situation you were in..."
"It's fine." A cold and detached response.
Yi Seol-Ah shook her head. "It's not fine! You're our benefactor too! Without you finding the elixir of resurrection, I-"
Footsteps down the corridor outside.
Hearing them, the trio fell silent.
And then, the door opened.
xxx
I walked inside my room and swept my eyes around. The first thing I noticed was that Yun Seora was up, so I waved. "Good morning, Miss Yun Seora- Or well, I suppose it would be afternoon now."
"Hyung, you're back already?" Yi Sungjin stood up and raised a hand in greeting.
I glanced over to them and waved back. "Heya, Sungjin. Seol-Ah."
"Mister Seol." Yi Seol-Ah bowed her head.
I sighed and said, "It's just Jihu."
"...Then, Mister Jihu."
I shook my head at seeing her adamant denial and shifted my attention back to Yun Seora. "How are you feeling? Does it hurt anywhere?" I noticed her left hand was over her chest and frowned. "Are your ribs still hurting?"
Yun Seora quickly lowered her hand and shook her head. "I'm fine. Thank you."
I tossed my bag on the ground and said, "No need. It was something I had to do."
"Something you had to do...?" Yun Seora muttered.
"Anyway... I'm guessing you guys already ate, huh?" I glanced at the food remnants on the table.
"Sorry, Hyung." Sungjin shook his head and said, "We thought you'd be out longer."
"I was planning to. In fact, my new party is waiting for me outside. But I wanted to stop by to drop this off first and let you guys know." I dug inside my bag and then handed a bottle over to Yun Seora.
She took it with a confused look. "What is this?"
"It's... Mm. I guess you could call it medicine to help you get better?"
You could technically call a Divine Elixir medicine, right?
"Medicine?" Yun Seora looked doubtful.
I didn't blame her. After all, the contents of the clear bottle were shining with every color of the rainbow.
I picked up my bag again and said, "Don't worry about it and just take it." I glanced at the Yi siblings and said, "As for you guys... I'm sorry, but it looks like I'm going to be busy for the next few days. Keep an eye on Miss Yun Seora for me, will you? You don't have to be here all the time, but make sure she gets proper food, rest, maybe walk around, etc."
"Don't worry, Hyung!" Sungjin patted his chest and said, "Leave it to us!"
Yi Seol-Ah nodded and said, "We'll make sure Miss Seora gets back on her feet!"
"Thanks. Ah, and here's a salary." I transferred 1000 points to each of the siblings and then to Yun Seora.
The former were used to it and simply gave a wry smile in response, but Yun Seora tensed. "T-This..."
Before she could finish her words, I waved and walked off. "See you in a couple of days! And rest up well, Miss Yun Seora! I won't forgive you if you're not healthy again when I see you next!"
xxx
The door closed with light thud.
Yun Seora blinked, staring at where the man left before shifting her gaze to the bottle in her hands.
Sungjin sighed and said, "Hyung is still a force of nature."
"And still too generous." Seol-Ah frowned while staring into space, no doubt looking at her points total.
Sungjin stood up and stretched. "Well, that means we just have to work harder, right? We can't pay him back now, but as long as we can in the future, it'll be worth it."
"...That's right." Seol-Ah nodded. "That's the only thing we can do, really."
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