"Stop for a moment, Sihyun."
"Right! You still need to rest!"
"How can you be so strong? Someone call Geonu."
"Geonu went to get Sihyun's meal!"
"Haru hyung! Please help!"
As soon as Sihyun attempted to rise from his sickbed to fetch Pia from the dormitory, claiming she was necessary to save Hamin, the Class A students clung to him, dissuading him from leaving. Their grip was firm as they dragged him back to bed, a testament to the extraordinary strength he exhibited, which seemed impossible for someone who had been bedridden just moments before. It's said that when humans are consumed by determination, they can exhibit strength beyond the average, and Sihyun seemed to embody that adage perfectly.
After much coaxing and dragging, the students finally managed to get Sihyun back onto his bed, heaving sighs of relief. Confined to his bed, Sihyun looked at them with furrowed brows.
"Don't you want to save Hamin?"
Their expressions darkened at his unexpectedly icy question, as if they had touched a nerve.
"Who says we don't want to save him? We're angry because you're recklessly straining yourself. Why act so foolishly?"
Daun took the lead in scolding Sihyun, her thin brown eyes reproaching him as if to say he should act his age. Sihyun, intending to argue that he wasn't so ill that he couldn't recover with a bit of rest, eventually closed his mouth. The people before him would surely just tell him to rest if he tried to argue.
After more bickering, Sihyun shared what he had experienced in his dream. The story grew longer as he tried to convince the skeptical students. Eventually, they agreed to wait until the nurse returned and Geonu came back with the meal, deciding that Sihyun should remain in bed until then.
Sihyun, watching Haru get up to fetch Pia from the dormitory, answered Seowoo's inquiry about his condition with an "I'm fine." He felt better than before, but the effort to leave had drained him of his reserved strength.
Feeling his energy sapped, Sihyun straightened his back and leaned against the wall. Soon after, Geonu and Haru returned, both carrying the meal and Pia.
"Ah, you're awake."
Geonu, who had gone to get the meal, entered the room quietly, surprised to see Sihyun awake. The silence was broken by his voice as Sihyun looked at the steaming white porridge, feeling an increased appetite due to his long hunger.
The boy holding the tray with the porridge bowl sat on the bed where Sihyun was lying, placing the tray on a bedside table. Just as Sihyun wondered what to do with the porridge kept out of his reach, Geonu suddenly spooned up the thin porridge and offered it to Sihyun. The naturalness of his caregiving left Sihyun speechless, soon revealing a bewildered expression as he reached for the porridge bowl.
"I'll eat."
"It's hot."
"I can blow on it."
"Want me to blow on it?"
Why did the conversation turn out this way?
Even after being trapped in the Shadow World for a long time, Geonu's awkward manner of speaking remained unchanged. Sihyun forcefully took the porridge bowl from him, ready to eat. Geonu looked disappointed, and Seowoo shook his head. Amidst this, Haru seemed only concerned about Sihyun eating the porridge, his actions almost urging Sihyun on.
Reluctantly blowing on the porridge before eating, Sihyun grimaced at its heat, then smiled faintly. The thought of whether this was the time to be eating porridge crossed his mind, fading his expression. The desire to check on Hamin's condition grew within him, but the Class A students showed no signs of yielding. Sihyun quietly finished the meal, feeling the rice soothingly fill his empty stomach.
The meal, being the first in a long while, tasted especially good.
For some reason, the students watched Sihyun eat with a sense of nostalgia, and once he finished, Geonu efficiently cleared away the empty bowl and tray. Just as Sihyun was about to ask if he could move around now, the door to the infirmary opened, and the nurse and principal entered. Sihyun, who had partly covered himself with a blanket, stared directly at the principal.
"Sihyun, you're awake. How do you feel?"
"I've gotten better. Have you found Hamin?"
His words were simple but carried weight. The principal blinked at the question about Hamin's whereabouts and hesitated before responding.
"Unfortunately, we haven't found him yet..."
"If you haven't found him yet
, please let me go and search."
"What?"
"Sihyun!"
Despite the principal's presence, Haeun called out to Sihyun as if screaming, but Sihyun, with his eyes firmly open, turned to look at Haru. Recognizing the signal from Sihyun, Haru handed Pia over to him.
"Pia, pia."
The docile Pia blinked its eyes. Sihyun, petting the fantastical creature silently, then looked at the principal. Like the others, the principal seemed to have many questions, but finding Hamin was Sihyun's priority.
"When I first took charge of Pia, you said that discovering the fantastical creature's ability was a condition."
"That's right."
"I'm not sure if all fantastical creatures can do this, but Pia can interfere with human dreams. It might show something through dreams or intervene in them. At least, it's certain that it can intervene."
"It can show something?"
"Yes. For example, the future or someone's location."
Even without mentioning who, everyone present could guess who he was talking about. The principal, asking if that was true, received a firm nod from Sihyun, who continued to pet Pia. The young fantastical creature nuzzled against his fingers, showing affection. Sihyun, petting it gently, continued with confidence.
"I saw Hamin in a dream shown by Pia. You might not trust what happens in a dream, but in that dream, I went to the Shadow World following Pia's guidance and found where Hamin was. I even talked to Hamin through the dream. So, if I take Pia with me, I can find him. I need to see it with my own eyes, and Pia won't follow strangers."
The principal's eyebrows furrowed at the firm voice, seemingly doubtful of Sihyun's words. Though frustrating, Sihyun couldn't blame him for the skepticism; he wouldn't have believed it himself if he were in their shoes.
But how could he say, "My dream involved a deal with a god who said Pia would be helpful"?
Swallowing a sigh, Sihyun spoke up, preferring to avoid mentioning it but left with no choice by the circumstances.
"Even if my dream was just a dream, the school has nothing to lose. You haven't found us while we were trapped in the Shadow World, and there's been no news of finding Hamin since I woke up. It seems like you should grasp at straws."
"..."
"If you think it's too risky, I'll return immediately with the search team. Please let me go."
Sihyun wanted to maintain politeness, but if they delayed with excuses of him being a student or it being too dangerous, his situation would change. As they argued, Hamin's life hung in a delicate balance between life and death. Sihyun was ready to secretly teleport out at night if further obstructed when the principal sighed.
"Follow the search team's instructions in dangerous situations. And if you think it's too much for your body, stop the search immediately. I don't want to lose two students while trying to save one."
"I will."
"I have many questions about how you ended up in the Shadow World and what happened, but let's postpone that. I'll escort you to the teleportation zone."
"Thank you."
Finally, permission was granted. Sihyun's face brightened momentarily as he nodded and got up from the bed. Haru expressed a desire to go as well, but the principal firmly refused.
"It's enough to include just Sihyun in this search. Taking one student is already a big risk. We can't add more risk factors."
Haru seemed to understand, not insisting further, though his longing gaze suggested he still wanted to go.
Ignoring Haru's desperate look, Sihyun followed the principal, who provided him with irregular extermination gear for protection against potential threats. The lightweight black gear, supposedly bulletproof, felt surprisingly light. After changing in the bathroom, Sihyun was ready. Standing in front of the teleportation circle, he tightly hugged Pia.
"The teleportation will take you to an area not yet consumed by shadows. Other search team members will be waiting there, so join them in the search. We hope for your safe return."
Otherwise, how could we face your friends?
The principal's half-joking words seemed intended to ease the tension as he nodded.
"Let's go, Pia."
"Pia, pia!"
With Pia's spirited response, the principal activated the teleportation circle. Bright light poured out.
'I'm coming to save you.'
It was time to keep the promise made then.
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