Under the sudden influx of light, his eyes grew warm. Having been trapped in the Shadow World for so long, Sihyun realized that this light was burdensome, so he closed his eyes. As the bright light poured down, a cool autumn breeze swept over Sihyun. His hair fluttered in the wind, and the cool air seeped into his body through his nostrils.
All of it meant one thing.
"Ah...."
It was a low sound, part sigh, part gasp, part groan. His eyelashes trembled beneath his eyelids. Tears, long restrained through all perils and hardships, now finally welled up, streaming down his cheeks.
Along with the tears, a torrent of emotions surged forth—gratitude mixed with bitterness. Quietly, holding back his tears and breath, Sihyun encapsulated the world in his narrow vision. He saw shades of blue and green. The world, once colorless, now revived with hues. Familiar sights, the sight of grass sprouting, the blue sky, the view of the sea. Overwhelmed by this moment, Sihyun, filled with emotion, contorted his face.
He felt guilty for having witnessed this sight alone. Without even considering wiping away his tears, Sihyun clenched his fists and closed his eyes. That's when it happened.
In the distance, faint murmurs were heard. Initially resembling the sound of an airplane, the noise gradually grew louder. It seemed like the distance had shortened.
Sihyun, as his ears filled with the deafening sound, looked up at the sky. The sunlight was dazzling, making his expression grimace. Gradually, what reflected in his blue eyes was a helicopter.
"....?"
Could a helicopter fly to Geoje Island? Squinting his eyes to observe the helicopter with difficulty, Sihyun realized that the red helicopter was gradually approaching the island.
"Sihyun!"
As the helicopter approached close enough to land on the island, the helicopter door opened, revealing the figure of the school principal. Subsequently, other teachers and Awakeners also appeared. Understanding that the support he had longed for had arrived, Sihyun widened his eyes and then bit his lips.
"Why..., why...."
Why now?
Even though it wasn't the teachers' fault for arriving late, resentment poured out. Suppressing it and waiting quietly, Sihyun suddenly felt dizzy. His body relaxed as tension drained away. Seeing the teachers who had come down from the helicopter urgently running towards him, Sihyun straightened up.
"....Hamin!"
Despite opposition, he forced out his voice, calling out Hamin's name. He needed to let them know that Hamin was trapped in the Shadow World. As he reached out roughly to remove the blindfold, a hand from somewhere restrained his movement.
"Hamin is being sought by the teachers. They divided the manpower immediately after finding you and went into the Shadow World. So, calm down. What can you do with that body of yours?"
This voice, too, was familiar. However, unlike other times when it was affectionate and gentle, today's voice felt so cold that it seemed chilly. With a coolness that made Sihyun feel as if the situation was being assessed and reality was being pointed out, Suhwoo remained silent as Sihyun furrowed his brow.
He admitted that he had been hasty. However, no matter how bad his physical condition was, he couldn't just stay still here. Although his body felt exhausted and heavy, the feeling of being trapped and the guilt tormented Sihyun.
"....I have to go."
After some time passed, although the pronunciation was slow, clear articulation began to flow. With a firm resolve, Sihyun tried to remove Suhwoo's hand from his wrist. But this time, another hand grabbed Sihyun and laid him back down on the bed. Despite struggling to resist, he found it impossible to resist. Helplessly pinned down, Sihyun squirmed, but the person holding him down slowly spoke.
"Rest."
You're tired.
Although it was gentle, the voice filled with strength. Realizing that the owner of the voice was Gwonwoo, Sihyun could easily sense that all the Class A students were here. Once again, he realized that they were all together. Trying to muster the strength to escape once more, Sihyun strained his wrists. But strangely, there was no change, even though it felt like someone was there by his side. Despite the feeling of numerous gazes upon him, Hangu's voice did not reach him. It was as if they were keeping him here. Struggling with all his might, Sihyun, his strength drained, closed his eyes and collapsed into a deep slumber.
"...Just rest for now."
With the somber voice of the health teacher fading away, the once bustling health room fell silent. Kang Sihyun, who hadn't heard the words, continued to breathe evenly as he dreamed. It was a dream of someone he hadn't seen in a long time, someone both missed and familiar.
"Hey there, long time no see."
A boy who seemed like he hadn't been seen in months waved energetically with a strange expression on his face. For Kang Sihyun, who had almost forgotten his existence, he stood still, staring blankly at the boy urging him to come over.
"Kang Sihyun?"
"What's up? Why are you looking at me like you've seen a ghost?"
Technically, wasn't he similar to a ghost? At least he could be considered as a soul. Kang Sihyun, who had momentarily entertained unnecessary thoughts, finally regained his senses and moved towards the boy. His steps, initially slow and hesitant, gradually accelerated. From a leisurely pace, it turned into a brisk walk, then a full-on sprint towards the end. Kang Sihyun reached out and grabbed Kang Sihyun's arm.
He must know something.
He might be able to help in some way.
Something to salvage this situation.
"You know."
"What?"
"Where is Lee Hamin?"
You know?
The question, initially thrown out recklessly, regained composure after a slight modification. With a glimmer of hope, Kang Sihyun didn't let go of the boy's hand as he asked, only to have the boy shrug his shoulders.
"I don't know."
"What?"
"Logically, how would I know his whereabouts? I don't know a lot of things, and I can get confused depending on the situation, you know?"
"...?"
"Someone probably thinks I have the answer."
Each word uttered with a pouting lip was precise. Therefore, it pierced through like a dagger. Despite the casual tone, he was reproaching himself for relying too much on him.
Taking a moment to calm down from his excitement, Kang Sihyun took a deep breath. He felt uncharacteristically agitated and overly sensitive. Despite trying to numb himself to all the emotions accompanying loss, he couldn't help but feel them.
Kang Sihyun hesitated as he settled into the familiar yet unfamiliar space. Sitting beside Kang Sihyun, he closed his eyes and then opened them. His lips slowly parted.
"Sorry."
"What's done is done. It's just how much I wanted to save you."
"...Yeah."
"Lee Yeol, Kang Sihyun, true loyalty."
Though the boy's words seemed like an attempt to change the slightly gloomy atmosphere, they didn't ease the tension with just one phrase. Kang Sihyun couldn't help but imagine Lee Hamin, emaciated from hunger, lurking in the shadows. What would he be thinking right now? Would he regret letting me go? It would be better if he did, but strangely, Lee Hamin, who was straightforward even in strange situations, didn't seem to entertain such thoughts. That exacerbated his guilt.
With each exhale, he felt as if Lee Hamin's breath was fading away. Trying to push away the thoughts of remorse, worry, anxiety, and self-blame that engulfed his mind, Kang Sihyun took a deep breath and settled his mind. The boy, noticing Kang Sihyun's expression, shuddered slightly.
"It's been a while since I saw you, so you must have a lot of questions, but you seem distracted."
"...?"
"Look at this, you're not even listening properly. Why do you always seem so anxious whenever you see me?"
Before, even when I was asleep, you kept talking nonsense, so I...
The following words didn't register properly. With a grimace, Kang Sihyun just repeated what he had said about Lee Hamin. The boy stopped muttering to himself and chuckled.
"See, this! You treat me like I'm completely invisible."
"...?"
"...You're considerate."
After licking his lips and saying this, the boy tucked his hand into the dark space. Kang Sihyun looked at him with a bewildered expression as the boy, after checking that Kang Sihyun had regained his composure, waved his hand in the space and then handed something to Kang Sihyun.
"I kept crying every time I saw you, so I said it's not my turn this time."
"...?"
"But with you coming out like this, what can I do? I'll make an exception."
It'll help you find the person you're looking for.
With this added statement, the boy smiled faintly. Kang Sihyun blinked as he confirmed what was placed on his hand.
It was a familiar-looking small creature.
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