Sihyun, who had been groaning with cold sweat, gasped and opened his eyes. Even after opening his eyes, it seemed like screams and cries lingered in his ears. After realizing that there was no sound in his muffled ears, he slowly got up and looked around to see where he was. It was Sihyun's familiar room that he had become accustomed to after sleeping several times. His rough breathing gradually calmed down. Leaning against the wall, Sihyun recalled the dream that had filled his mind.
The dream where his bone marrow tingled.
The gap he saw in the dream was different from what is commonly known as a rift. If a rift is a phenomenon where space distorts and irregulars emerge, the gap he had just seen felt shattered, as if a crack had formed in a thick membrane and it had broken. Remembering the eyes he saw in the open space, Sihyun shivered. It didn't bode well. He had felt this sensation once before.
The nightmare he had before the school trip.
The feeling he had now, upon waking up from that dream, was exactly the same. With an uneasy heart, Sihyun bit his lip and pondered the contents of the dream.
After the giant eyes opened, pitch-black darkness followed. Soon, screams erupted from various places, and the sounds of a child crying were heard. When Sihyun's eyes adapted to the darkness, he saw irregulars, unlike any he had seen before, appearing and indiscriminately killing people. When the gruesome scene became unbearable and he lifted his head, Sihyun met the gaze of the giant eyes. That was the last scene of the dream.
A premonition dream, perhaps.
If that's the case, the situation seemed more serious than the last time, and Sihyun, with a darkened expression, quickly dismissed the idea that it might just be a simple nightmare. It was an unsettling feeling that could not be dismissed as just a nightmare. Just as a boy entered the room at a good timing, Sihyun, who had just woken up, saw him and lightly smiled. Only after seeing that smile did a subtle sense of reality come to him.
"Did you wake up?"
"How long were you unconscious? What happened?"
"You're asking that right after waking up?"
Thinking there was nothing else to ask, Sihyun raised his eyebrows, and Seowoo, who was sitting on the bed, muttered as if he misunderstood, "You must hate me," and sighed. Wondering if he was going to pick a fight as soon as he saw him, Sihyun lightly sighed as he watched Seowoo slowly open his mouth.
"You woke up after about 30 hours. I took you to Iha Hyuk's place for a day."
"What?"
"It was under the pretext of securing your identity and protection, and we didn't do anything useless, so don't worry. Since no one knows your home, for now, you'll be staying at our place for a while."
"…."
Sihyun casually looked at Seowoo, who greeted him. The mention of a day sounded strange. When he asked, "What's the problem?" as if saying, 'Is there anything else to ask?' Seowoo, looking at him, sighed lightly, as if saying, 'I misunderstood that you hated me,' and mumbled. Seeing him pick a fight as soon as he saw him, Sihyun's eyes widened with a subtle sense of reality.
"It's almost time for school to start. I can't keep calling you my partner forever."
"But…"
Until now, even if he talked about it a hundred times, he was stubborn, and now he suddenly changed his mind?
They say people change when they're about to die. Sihyun thought that Seowoo might die soon and pushed away the doubt with a subtle look. It wasn't that he completely lost his suspicion, but anyway, it was a good thing that Seowoo started calling him by his name instead of 'that guy'.
It would be perfect if they could become friends like this.
Somehow, it felt like mixing water and oil, and with that thought, he turned his stiff neck and got off the bed.
"Where are you going?"
"The bathroom."
When he answered briefly, Seowoo didn't say anything more, and Sihyun went to the bathroom. After finishing washing up in the white bathroom, he took out his toothbrush from the wall and squeezed toothpaste onto it. As he was rinsing his mouth, Seowoo, who always left the dishes on the table, came into view. His blue eyes checked the clock on the wall. It was the ambiguous time between morning and lunch.
"I… brushed my teeth."
"Then, cover it and eat it for lunch. Aren't you hungry?"
"Uh."
With the toothbrush in his mouth, an unclear pronunciation flowed out. When he returned to the room and took out his phone, Sihyun searched for Ha Ru's contact and sent a message to him. 'If the Redem Guild leader bothers you, let me know.' As he read the message he had sent, a sudden question occurred to him.
Where did Seowoo get the phone?
Clothes were so scarce that Haru hardly had a few personal items. He pondered how he ended up with a phone and concluded that it was likely sent by Han Seohu for communication. He naturally recalled the time when he used to call him father. Suddenly, worries crept in.
Although he was someone I despised, he was a father to Haru. I killed that person and turned the research facility he had lived in into a sea of water; I'm not sure if it's okay. What if he hated it? Sihyun, who was pondering this while unconscious, looked at Seowoo, who had witnessed the situation, after waking up.
"Haru, did he seem okay?"
"Huh?"
"Aren't you shocked by what I did at the research facility?"
"Ah... I just liked it."
Liked it?
Sihyun raised his eyebrows at the perplexing answer. Seowoo looked at him with an affectionate gaze, like a puppy, and added.
You liked someone I despised to the point of death?
Sihyun was bewildered. Even thinking about it, he wasn't sure how Haru felt at the time. After vaguely accepting it positively, he checked his messages. There was a message from Kang Sihyun's parents, asking when he would visit again. After responding to the message, an unread notification appeared with a single message.
[It's my number. Save it.]
Sihyun, who had a somewhat serious expression as he read the message, tapped the keyboard, and his own sent message appeared.
[Haru, please buy me a phone.]
He saw his own message. Sihyun, who felt satisfied, went back to the bathroom to rinse out the foam in his mouth. Since there was about a week left until the end of vacation, he planned to take Haru around and buy various things. To prevent any traces of the research facility from being visible.
He must have signed the contract; Sihyun, who was planning to shop with Haru under the name of Hahyeok, remembered something and tapped on the keyboard.
[Haru, buy me a phone.]
He must have signed the contract; Sihyun, who was planning to shop with Haru under the name of Hahyeok, remembered something and tapped on the keyboard.
[Haru, buy me a phone.]
His own message appeared. Satisfied, Sihyun wiped his mouth and returned to the bed. In this house, there were only the bed and dining table chairs to sit comfortably, so if he wanted to rest, he had to go into the room.
"Get a sofa or something."
Sihyun, who thought it was inconvenient to come into the room every time, spoke up. Seowoo, who was reading a book, closed it and looked at Sihyun.
"You won't use it much. Why bother getting one?"
"It's uncomfortable."
"I'll think about it if you come often."
I don't think I'll come often. Sihyun, who swallowed his words, turned away. When Seowoo's gaze persistently fell on him, Sihyun, feeling annoyed, tapped the keyboard.
[If the period is over, I'll just take you to my house. Anyway, I'll be taking care of it for a while.]
"Are you crazy?"
Muttered Sihyun, who received the message. When did I ever call him hyung, and he answered himself. He was so bewildered that he stopped his hand, and then another message arrived.
[Were you surprised because it was a joke? I'll be taking care of it for a while.]
[Stop kidding. What about when that period is over?]
[Well, we'll have to get you a house.]
It seemed like he was going to make him independent. Sihyun imagined Haru living alone for a moment and narrowed his eyes. Above all, he was uneasy about living alone. Most importantly, Sihyun, who thought Haru wouldn't want to live alone, pondered while tapping on the keyboard.
[When that period is over, I'll just bring you to our house. You'll mostly be staying in the guild-provided accommodation when you start the guild experience in the second year, more than in the dorms. The time at home will be short, so this should work.]
Except for a few vacant rooms on the second floor, not counting the first-year rooms on the third floor, there was often an empty space. The reason he hadn't seen upperclassmen while living at school was also because of that. If he could find a place to stay for his first year, he sent a message thinking about it, and quickly received a reply from Hahyeok.
"Is he busy?"
Well, he said he was the guild leader, so he couldn't keep holding his phone forever. At that moment, a message arrived from someone other than Hahyeok.
[Aren't you insane? Just let me take care of it, so turn off your mind.]
"Lee Hamin?"
Flustered by the unexpected text from Hamin, Sihyun stared at his phone blankly. Seowoo approached, checked the message, and asked what was going on. Sihyun explained the situation, and the boy smiled brightly.
"Well, that's good. Hamin can stay at my place."
"But Haru might find it uncomfortable."
"He'll be there for a few days. He'll get used to it. After all, you can't take care of him forever. You're not his guardian."
Well, Haru seemed to be thinking of him that way already.
Without realizing it, I found myself nodding in agreement. Despite appearing younger, I was 18. Due to spending time in the research facility, I showed symptoms of affection deficiency and had a high dependence on myself, but still, I was 18. I decided I needed to teach Haru to stand alone bit by bit. Convinced by Seowoo's words, I sent a reply, understanding. The first text from Haru came shortly after.
[ㅠㅠ.]
"…?"
Doubt flickered across Sihyun's face. He reviewed his messages with Haru and, with a puzzled expression, opened Hahyeok's message box.
[Haru hyung, don't bother him.]
A prompt reply came.
[I'm receiving more than enough attention; what's this talk about?]
Wasn't he bothering him?
Sihyun had sent crying emoticons in response to a message asking him to speak up if he was bothering him, interpreting it as he had bothered him to the point of tears. Seeing this, he grinned. Not sure what happened, he wrinkled his forehead, and Seowoo, who happened to be nearby, burst into laughter. Suddenly, the room was filled with refreshing laughter.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Just because."
"Just because what?"
"It's cute."
Who? Lee Hamin?
Thinking his taste was peculiar, Sihyun sent a bemused look, and Seowoo tapped his forehead with his fingers.
"That's not it."
"What is it, then?"
"I don't know what it is, but it's not what you're thinking. So, how do you plan to spend today? Eat and go straight home? It's been a while since you've been there."
Thinking of Pia and Kang Sihyun's parents, Sihyun nodded. He had nightmares, and he needed to check on Pia's condition.
"I'll keep your stuff separate."
"Why bother?"
"You might come again next time."
"Do as you wish."
With a shrug, Sihyun replied. It was when the phone rang, and a message from Hahyeok filled the screen.
[It's summer. How about going to the beach?]
At the provoking message, Sihyun's blue eyes narrowed.
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