Cough!
Trapped in the sea, Sihyun gasped for breath while struggling with the tentacles. Air bubbles from his exhale floated upward. Trying to break free with all his might, Sihyun soaked his head and wore a determined expression.
I had no idea what Titan's intentions were. It could be to take him away and devour him, or simply to kill him. One thing was certain – before this creature could do anything, Sihyun felt like he would suffocate to death.
As Titan descended as slowly as it rose, Sihyun looked up with blurry eyes. The bottom of a massive ship came into view.
I really hate this.
Doing something grand for someone else.
He wasn't a chosen savior of the world or a hero risking his life to save people. In fact, he belonged to the category that despised heroics. But it was even more unbearable to have innocent people die in his place. Who had stepped up and asked someone to protect them, even at the cost of their life?
Chewing on his lips, Sihyun recalled the memory that surfaced.
Damn it.
Sihyun, who had cursed, twisted his body. It was hard to breathe, and his body ached. He struggled to escape, but his captured body wouldn't budge.
The lack of breath was painfully evident. There was no air left to exhale.
As his strength left his body, his eyes gradually closed. In Sihyun's fading vision, the last thing he saw was the blurry figure of someone.
***
Tsk, a man with a short tongue quickly swam towards Titan's hand. The giant hand was holding the boy. Fortunately, the man extended his hand just before Titan returned to its original position. If Titan had been faster, he wouldn't have dared to chase and retrieve him.
Fortunately, before Titan completely returned to its position, the man stuck to Titan's hand and reached out. Touching Titan's hand with a swift movement, the man narrowed his eyes as Titan reacted.
Flash!
A golden lightning bolt, similar to the color of the man's hair, struck the sea. Simultaneously, a shockwave emanated from the man's hand.
-Zap!
Titan's hand trembled. The massive arm tightened its blood vessels. The man, who seemed to be suffocating, muttered a curse inwardly and used the skill once again before Titan could react. After the lightning struck and the sea flashed, it hit Titan's hand.
Boom!
Feeling the pain, Titan opened its hand. As the boy's body fell out, the man who quickly grabbed him swam away.
When he was alone, it was manageable, but with the boy in tow, his speed drastically slowed. Only when he reached his limit did the man manage to emerge above the surface. Gasping for breath, he struggled to breathe. Rough breathing continued. The man, confirming that his breathing had somewhat returned to normal, looked to the side and saw the wet boy leaning against him.
Water droplets clung to the end of his long eyelashes. Seeing the boy seemingly unconscious with closed eyes, the man furrowed his brow.
He probably didn't die.
I deliberately controlled the strength.
The man, who was worried about the risk of electrocution due to the boy being held, had only given a gentle shock. Feeling a faint movement from Sihyun, the man, including the other kids, stared wide-eyed. At that moment, teachers and awakened individuals from the association surrounded the man, forming a circle. Looking at the encircling awakened individuals, the man raised both hands in surrender.
"Do you greet with such gratitude in Korea?"
"...While we appreciate you saving the student, we cannot entrust someone of unknown identity."
One of the teachers spoke, and the man, in a surrendering posture, shrugged his shoulders. Even though A-class rankers surrounded him, he appeared nonchalant. When the man didn't seem to have any intention of responding, one teacher stepped forward towards him.
"Titan, a catastrophe-class irregular, emerged three years ago, and even with twenty A-class rankers, we couldn't defeat it. How did you bring Sihyun here?"
"I grabbed him and brought him. How else?"
The man's words were rough. To the man who casually uttered words that were suitable for correctional facility delinquents, the teacher, known for his strict etiquette, frowned. After threatening to contact the association for the unknown person's arrest, the teacher made his final warning. Only then did the man lower his hands and open his mouth.
...
"What did you say?"
A surprised voice echoed. Startled by the sound coming from his ears, which had been filled with a damp and muffled sensation, Sihyun's fingertips moved involuntarily.
Cough, cough!
After a while, he coughed. The taste of salty seawater lingered in his mouth, and his whole body seemed to emit a fishy smell. Coughing again, expelling seawater once more, Sihyun, who had stopped convulsing, heard voices from all around.
"Sihyun! Hey!"
Voices calling out to him overlapped. Sihyun, slowly opening his eyes, captured the sight coming into his vision. The night sky was still dimly lit. Faces of people partially blocking the sky appeared. Sihyun, who was about to say something to the faces in front of him, coughed again. Splashes of seawater mixed with blood flowed out of his mouth. The metallic taste intensified.
Ugh, Sihyun, who had an expression on his face, was held down by several hands as he tried to rise. Thump. They laid him back on the ground. Sihyun blinked, looking at the faces of those who laid him down. It was Class A.
Nevertheless, seeing familiar faces, even if it was in this near-death situation, was somewhat comforting.
"What happened again after just waking up? Lie down quietly."
It was a forceful command. Sihyun glanced at Daun, who said she would faint him if he didn't stay still. Down, who had a dark expression, twitched his eyebrows when their eyes met. Sihyun wondered what had happened while he was submerged in the sea, contemplating the faces around him.
"Sihyun, are you awake?"
"Do you know what happened just now?"
In response to the teachers' various questions, Sihyun gave vague answers and glanced at the mysterious man. He was drenched from head to toe. Looking at the man who shared the same fate, Sihyun slowly spoke.
"Did you save me?"
"You're quick-witted."
"How?"
In response to the man's cryptic words, Sihyun expressed doubt. The question was genuine. The man, laughing as if teasing him, hadn't even made eye contact.
Eye contact.
At the mention of it, Sihyun frowned.
No way.
"Short-haired male employee?"
"Good eyes."
He complimented Sihyun. Although he remembered him as having black hair, now he wondered why he appeared with blonde hair. Looking at him, Sihyun's attention was drawn to the voices of the teachers. They were asking about his condition. Sihyun raised his hand to answer, feeling a tremor in his fingertips. Placing his hand on his chest, he activated healing.
Hwaak!
Light emerged. The pain that he felt every time he spoke disappeared. After finishing the healing, Sihyun nodded.
"I'm okay now."
It was a quite indifferent statement.
Ridiculous.
In response to Sihyun's reaction, Haru's curse seemed audible, and Suwoo's sigh seemed noticeable. Sihyun, who didn't understand why he was scolded for offering to heal himself, looked at the unfamiliar man. He was dripping wet. Looking at him from head to toe, Sihyun slowly spoke.
"You saved me?"
"Keen observation."
"How?"
The man's words were evasive, but Sihyun was genuinely curious. He, a disaster-level irregular, couldn't believe that an ordinary employee could rescue him.
Now that his body was probably fine, he stood up and asked the man. Haru and Suwoo supported him like bodyguards.
The question from the teacher to the disciple seems the same, really.
The man, who mixed laughter into his words, looked at the teachers. In response, the teachers, surprised, faced the man and extended their palms.
"This person is..."
This person?
As the teacher tilted his head at the title, the teacher, who seemed to be suppressing laughter, swallowed his saliva. Then he slowly spoke.
"This is... Mr. Ruth, Sihyun. When Sihyun was captured by Titan, he jumped into the sea to save him."
Ruth.
It sounded familiar.
Sifting through his memories, Sihyun recalled a community post he had seen at the beginning of the semester.
'Ruth, the Possessor of the Country'
It was a phrase used in a community post related to him. Since he was a counterpart to Quadruple, he was confident that he must be at least S-Class. The person universally recognized as the top Awakening ranker on various sites. He was known for never appearing in front of people in the same appearance, as disguises were his hobby.
Tsk, Sihyun, who clicked his tongue, belatedly opened his mouth.
"What did you say?"
His voice rose a tone. It was only now that Sihyun could understand the identity of the sound he heard just before he woke up.
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