"Hello?"
[Hey, how have you been, kiddo?]
No sooner had I answered the call than I was greeted with the unwelcome nickname. It had been a long time since I last heard someone call me 'kiddo', and Sihyun slightly scrunched his nose before nonchalantly replying that he had been doing okay. Ruth chided him for his lack of enthusiasm in his voice. His Korean was improving by leaps and bounds.
"What's the call for?"
[Before that, tell me how you're feeling first.]
"My health?"
[Heard you were dragged into the Shadow World?]
"Ah..."
Now that he mentioned it, it was strange that Ruth hadn't contacted him about that matter. Considering he had sought his power for tracing the mastermind behind it at school, Ruth must have been too busy.
Wondering why he was asking about something that happened so long ago, Sihyun casually mentioned he was fine. He truly wasn't hurt, but Ruth seemed skeptical.
[When have you ever said you were fine and actually meant it?]
"What have I done?"
[You'd say you were fine even if you almost died at sea, got your palm sliced by a knife, fainted from PTSD, and even when you told me about the mana collision, you claimed to be fine, right?]
"......"
[Look at this kid, only silent when it's disadvantageous for him.]
Sharp only when it suited him.
Unable to argue back, Sihyun sighed deeply. After insisting he really was okay this time, the man scoffed, threatening to see for himself when he visited Korea.
He had to make sure to appear healthy by any means necessary.
If he were to fall sick or catch a cold and whine about it, Ruth would surely nag him to death, questioning what part of him was fine.
Not to mention, every time they met, he would lecture him till his ears fell off about taking care of his health because as a Quadruple, he should value his body more, and his life wasn't just his own but also belonged to the hundreds, if not thousands, he could save.
The mere thought was already tiresome. However, knowing these words were for his sake, Sihyun swallowed any complaints and inquired about the reason for the call.
[Let's go to the Orc Stronghold.]
"Ah."
With all the confessions following the incident in the Shadow World, he had been too distracted to remember that visiting the Orc Stronghold was on his to-do list for the vacation. Ruth, having remembered something even he had forgotten, seemed remarkably different. It was one of those moments when the usually mature Ruth appeared truly adult-like.
[Let's meet up around the end of the year.]
"The end of the year?"
Sihyun's voice rose.
He knew that S-class awakeners in the US gathered for a party around the end of the year. Ruth was obviously expected to attend, so his surprise was evident when Ruth's response was nonchalant.
[Yeah, the end of the year.]
"Aren't you supposed to be in the US then?"
[Why would I be?]
"For the party and..."
[Attending that boring and uninteresting party versus seeing your face one more time? The latter sounds better. It's not like I'm the only one not attending.]
"It's boring?"
[Curious? Want to come?]
He teased, subtly implying an invitation to join IRS, which could be interpreted from his words. Sihyun declined and asked for a specific date. Ruth seemed slightly disappointed when he said he'd be in Korea on December 31st. So, the end of the year really meant the very last day.
"Then let's meet then. But where?"
Teleportation required him to have visited the location at least once. Since he didn't know Sihyun's home, asking led Ruth to suggest the school as a meeting place. Sihyun frowned. Since he wanted to go without the school or other students knowing, he hoped to avoid any chance of being discovered.
"I'd prefer a different location."
[Got a problem with that?]
"I want to go to the school secretly. I don’t want to risk getting caught."
After calmly explaining, Ruth shouted, questioning Sihyun's trust in him. Sihyun countered, stating that trusting him and eliminating risks were different matters. Amid their pointless argument, Ruth suddenly burst into laughter, his hearty laughter echoing in Sihyun's ear.
[Why are you so heatedly arguing, kiddo? We'll do as you wish.]
He was coming to Korea just to fulfill one of Sihyun's requests, after all.
Sihyun realized Ruth had been teasing him all along and his expression soured. Ruth seemed to age backward, always ready with a mischievous prank.
"Do you find it amusing to tease me like this every time?"
[Yes.]
His answer was so straightforward that Sihyun didn’t know
what to say. Muttering about Ruth's peculiar character under his breath, which Ruth claimed to hear every word of, they decided to meet near a café close to the school on December 31st. Ruth knew the school's location, so teleporting there and finding the café afterward would work.
"Is this another illegal entry?"
[What else?]
"You’re really going to end up in jail one day."
[Just a fine, at most. Imagine the loss if they detained me. How many more would die in the time it took to lock me up?]
His voice was laden with confidence, a brazen assertion of his own importance. While Sihyun was responding to Ruth's inquiry about any issues since emerging from the Shadow World, he hesitated before denying any significant problems.
There had been issues, but none of the sort Ruth was probably thinking—most were related to personal relationships rather than Irregular-related incidents.
[Looks like the kid from Redem is doing a good job.]
"The kid from Redem?"
[You know, the snake.]
"Are you talking about the Guild Master of Redem?"
[You know your stuff.]
Does anyone being younger automatically make them a 'kiddo'?
To Ruth, who was twenty-nine, Hahyuk, at twenty, must have seemed just that, a kiddo, if it weren't for his unique aura.
Unknowingly, Hahyuk carried an aristocratic air about him. He was sophisticated and somewhat intimidating, a figure only Ruth could dare call a kiddo.
As the conversation shifted unexpectedly to Hahyuk, Sihyun expressed his curiosity.
"Why are we talking about him all of a sudden?"
[That kiddo has been working hard to protect you.]
"What did you say?"
It was a rather unfamiliar statement. Asking again who was protecting whom, Ruth lowered his voice.
[From the Irregulars, you, kiddo. Did you forget that Irregulars have been targeting you?]
"Ah…"
Right, that incident with Venom had slipped his mind only to resurface now, making Sihyun sigh. His energy and attention had been so consumed by Hamin and the others that nothing was left for himself.
[Ah, repeating myself here. Kiddo, planning to live without heed?]
Ruth launched into a lecture over the phone. Eventually, Sihyun promised to be more cautious, though Ruth was hardly convinced by his half-hearted response.
[Be more vigilant, kiddo. I don't want to be attending your funeral when I visit Korea.]
"Understood."
After berating Sihyun for another five minutes, Ruth offered one last piece of advice before ending the call. Sihyun, looking down at his phone, thought if they had been talking face to face, this wouldn’t be the end of it. To anyone else, it might seem Ruth was practically his guardian.
Just about a week left, huh?
Checking how many days were left until December 31st, Sihyun recalled his trip to the Orc Stronghold with Hamin. The strange murals they saw there still lingered in his vision, vivid as photographs, including the mysterious altar and the giant door they reached together. And there, his memory halted.
It felt like he had seen something significant, but it was as if ink had been spilled over that part of his memory, obscuring it.
He was determined to revisit the Orc Stronghold to uncover whatever was blocked out, but a headache surged as he stubbornly tried to remember.
"Pya pya!"
While groaning, Pia, who had been sleeping in the room, flew over to Sihyun. Petting the fantasy creature, Sihyun gave up trying to recall the forgotten details.
There was no need to force it.
Everything would become clear once December 31st came around.
Comforting himself with that thought, Sihyun found solace as he played with Pia’s horns, the presence of this, now not-so-small, fantasy creature being a small consolation.
Time had passed since Kang Sihyun’s parents returned from their trip. Having spent what felt like the calm before a storm, Sihyun prepared to leave at the crack of dawn on the 31st.
He had told his parents he would be going out to play in advance.
"Pya pya pya pya!"
"Take care, Pia."
"Pya pya!"
"No."
Sihyun firmly shook his head at Pia, who seemed to be pleading to come along, flapping its wings. The fantasy creature persisted, causing Sihyun a moment of unease, but he quickly regained his composure.
Pia could get hurt in the Orc Stronghold.
"Sorry, Pia. You need to stay home this time."
"Pya!"
Trying to soothe it with gentle words, Pia pecked angrily at Sihyun’s hand, its usually gentle pecks stronger than usual, clearly upset. Sihyun, troubled by the intensity, massaged Pia’s head vigorously.
"I’m worried you might get hurt."
Despite his pleading tone, Pia didn’t seem to listen, turning away to show him its round back in anger. Sihyun sighed and gently stroked Pia’s tail.
"I'll be back."
"Pii…"
After a few more comforting strokes to the sorrowfully crying Pia, Sihyun left the house. With an unsettling feeling due to Pia’s behavior, he locked the door behind him and, narrowing his eyes, called Ruth.
The phone rang a few times before Ruth answered.
"Be careful today, both of us."
[What's with the sudden caution?]
"I have a bad feeling."
Discussing Pia and urging caution to avoid any dangerous situations, Ruth, after a few moments of puzzlement, agreed. Only after receiving a solid confirmation from him did Sihyun hang up, looking back at his home before setting off.
It was almost half a year since their last exploration began.
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