Upon Kang Sihyun's sudden confession, the students of Class A stared at the crying boy with faces full of confusion. Beneath his thick black hair, his distinct blue eyes held moisture as tears continuously fell. The scene was surreal in its beauty. Despite having been asleep for months, he did not look emaciated.
Kang Sihyun simply let the tears fall from his innocent, almost saintly face. His clear tears shook the rational minds of the students in Class A. Each time his sobbing voice was heard, the moisture created by Sihyun's tears seemed to fill their lungs, and the back of the hand wiping away tears squeezed their hearts as if grasping them tightly. It was Sihyun who was crying, but watching him, their own eyes seemed to redden.
Sihyun rarely cried.
Considering what he had been through, he should have been the one to cry the most. Yet, he was always composed and calm. Even when recounting a past that would make others weep profusely, or speaking of memories from Eden, or even when his stomach was pierced, and he coughed up all the blood in his body, he remained tranquil. He was always like that, trying not to be disturbed by anything and carrying on indifferently with what needed to be done.
As if he knew he was the center.
As if he realized that if he was shaken, so would be others.
Despite the heavy burden too great for one person to bear, Sihyun, without showing any signs of difficulty, did what the world expected of him. He cleared dungeons, saved people, and became strong enough to reassure the citizens. He never paused, constantly pushing himself. This attitude of ignoring his own body and emotions led to rumors throughout the Redem Guild and among hunters nationwide that Sihyun was tough.
Despite the difficulties, he fought without complaining. When seen charging forward, bleeding, he seemed like a fierce demon in battle. He was respected but also feared.
Such rumors were acknowledged by the kids, but they also made them uncomfortable. They had all seen Sihyun asleep, sometimes crying out from nightmares.
It was heart-wrenching to see him only show weakness when asleep, letting out soft moans. Witnessing this, the kids couldn't help but think more deeply and feel their hearts ache when he weakly called out their names. This became the driving force behind the students in Class A becoming stronger.
They all wanted to be someone on whom Sihyun could rely, someone who could share his burdens.
While other awakeners regarded him almost as a divine being, unaware that he was a demi-god. He was considered the last hope of humanity, and exhausted people began to view Sihyun as a religion to endure their trials.
This added immense pressure on him. As Sihyun became stronger, the kids deliberately ignored the growing distance this created, choosing not to show it to him. They couldn’t afford to treat him as a stranger in a situation where everyone’s attitude towards him was changing.
This was the best way they could cheer him on.
But, mocking their support, the enemies humanity had to face became increasingly powerful, causing Sihyun to overexert himself more frequently. Bleeding and getting injured had become common occurrences; it was almost fortunate he wasn’t more seriously hurt. He had grown stronger, but with that strength came more injuries and sacrifices. Watching this was unbearable for the kids of Class A.
They worked hard and followed closely behind him, but the realization that they couldn’t be as much help as they wanted was a source of despair. There was no room to feel inferior. Who could feel inferior when the best among them was constantly fighting and dying at the forefront?
The students of Class A simply felt powerless. While others might think Sihyun was thriving, those who had been watching him closely could never agree with that sentiment. Sihyun was literally sacrificing his life to save others.
How could he do that?
Sometimes it was awe-inspiring; other times, it was worrisome.
Though they admired his ability to never complain, they knew the reasons he had no choice but to be that way.
The students of Class A reluctantly came to pity Sihyun.
They all remembered the first time Sihyun cried. It was a moment they could never forget, still vivid in their minds. The first time Sihyun cried while sober was when he revealed the truth about the possessions. That's when they realized:
Sihyun wasn't someone who cried when things fell apart. He was someone who cried when he could no longer bear the unbearable truths he had been carrying, and finally let them go.
The students of Class A knew this better than anyone. So, they also understood why Sihyun was crying now—it was a mix of the relief and liberation from having unburdened himself. Realizing this, each of the students in Class A remained silent. More accurately, they gritted their teeth.
Because they had clearly heard
what Sihyun had been carrying just moments before.
He said he was sorry, and he was thankful.
Then, expressing his love, he burst into tears. That meant he had been holding onto that feeling for the longest time.
"I love you all…"
Normally, even a simple thank you was hard for him, but he spoke of love without any hesitation. The weight of his words was profound. No couple they saw, no movie they watched, could match the heaviness of his declaration of love. It was so intensely felt that Sihyun’s confession seemed to resonate deeply.
Even a stranger seeing Sihyun cry and confess would be moved to grasp their heart and burst into tears.
Because of its profound impact, the students of Class A watched Sihyun with blurred vision. As their eyes began to heat up, their sight gradually fogged as if covered in mist.
What exactly had he seen?
Everyone harbored the same question. Sihyun had been asleep for a lengthy three months and three weeks. During that time, the kids had worried he might be dead and feared he might never return, feeling anxious every day as Sihyun lay motionless like a corpse.
For the first month, they were forewarned it would take a long time, which they managed to endure. The creeping anxiety was suppressed and ignored. But as two months approached, they reached their limit. The repressed poison spread throughout their bodies, and everyone was engulfed by the fear that Sihyun might never wake up. From then on, people visibly began to look worn out. The situation worsened when a dungeon opened, causing everyone to lose their sanity.
Some went to Sihyun daily to speak to him, others angrily demanded he wake up, some prayed by touching his fingers, and some stayed by his side day and night for three days.
Haehyuk, known as a top-tier healer, was sought out by everyone to apply his skills, but Sihyun did not awaken. Then Ruth sought skilled doctors from the U.S., but even they couldn’t determine why he wouldn’t wake up. However, the fact that Sihyun’s body maintained its best condition, as if frozen, without consuming anything for three months alleviated people's concerns somewhat.
But that only eased their worries, not their anxiety. Everyone was unable to lead normal lives. By the time three months had passed, some had collapsed from abstaining from food and drink. Up to two months, people openly expressed their concerns about him not waking up, but beyond three months, no one dared to utter such ominous words.
Lest it actually become reality.
It was a time filled with constant anxiety.
During the more than three months Sihyun was asleep, a lot happened. Two weeks after he fell asleep, Ruth woke up and, having regained his health, filled in for Sihyun. Although his companions hoped he would rest a bit more, dungeons appeared, leaving them no choice.
The Quadtus and Lientarius dungeons appeared simultaneously, and his companions, including some of the top-ranked hunters in the world, enlisted the help of Armus to form teams and clear each dungeon. When Sihyun was with them, the longest a dungeon clear attempt took was two weeks, but without him, the awakened took a total of six weeks in the dungeons. Out of twenty who went in, eight died, and twelve survived. Fortunately, none of Sihyun’s close companions died, but many awakeners from other countries perished, putting their nations at risk of a power shortage.
People were thrown into chaos, and the overwork of the awakeners began anew. It was as if they were reliving the situation immediately following the return of Gula.
That was when the kids first intensely felt the absence of Sihyun. Without him, clearing dungeons and confronting Gula was impossible. At that moment, Class A students, along with everyone else, realized this profoundly.
Humanity without Sihyun was ridiculously weak. Alternatively, it meant that Gula’s offspring were unbelievably strong.
Only then did the kids truly understand why Sihyun was considered a savior. Other awakeners felt the same.
Only he could grasp peace from the apocalypse brought on by the return of Gula.
Upon this realization, Haehyuk and Sihyun’s other companions fell silent before repeatedly washing their faces.
Because they felt the weight of the burden Sihyun carried.
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