"Kid, why does your face look so good? I thought you'd be more worn out."
Upon hearing that the two had woken up, I headed to their room, and there was Ruth, greeting Kang Sihyun with his hearty voice from the bed. Seeing that his complexion was good, Sihyun chuckled and said, "Look who's talking, Mr. Ruth. Your face has gotten much better after eating up my divine power."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. It looks like you've rejuvenated. You seem to have returned to your twenties. You should be thanking me, shouldn't you?"
Ruth laughed heartily as Sihyun spoke playfully. Sihyun felt relieved seeing that unshadowed laughter.
If asked who bore the heaviest burden during his absence, Sihyun could mention Ruth without hesitation. Although Hahyuk must have struggled too, the expectations and pressure on Ruth, who had been the strongest before his appearance, were surely not light.
So, he was worried.
He worried about the burden of expectations Ruth carried as he entered the dungeon raid, which resulted in the highest number of casualties and left him unconscious due to injuries. Maybe he was blaming himself.
Or perhaps he was despairing over his own helplessness, but it turned out all his concerns were unfounded, as Ruth's expression was so worry-free it seemed completely clean. Sihyun was relieved.
"I heard you treated three people at once, wasn’t that too much?"
As Ruth chuckled carelessly, a calm voice responded. Turning, Sihyun saw a man with a light smile at the corner of his mouth.
"Guild leader."
Whether he had fully recovered or not, unlike Ruth, who was lying down, this man was sitting up against the bed. Hahyuk's purple eyes gently curved as he observed Sihyun's condition. The observing gaze traveled all over his face and body. Not avoiding his gaze, Sihyun only touched his neck once. Soon after, Hahyuk spoke.
"You seem fine."
"Thanks for believing what you see. These kids just won’t believe it."
Although Sihyun had to lie down for half a day due to expending divine power on Ruth and Hahyuk, it was a necessary rest, not due to a serious injury. He could swear to that.
It was simply a lack of divine power, not any serious health issue or damage to his soul, but Class A kids wouldn't believe that. No matter how much he explained, if Sihyun staggered, they made a fuss, and if using his divine power for the first time in a long while caused him to vomit blood, their faces turned pale, and they searched for a healer. Despite the world's best healer being right in front of them, they still looked for another, which was absurd.
Then, hearing the news, Jihae and Daun also came, and Sihyun felt like he was surrounded by a flock of pecking penguins. Seeing Daun for the first time in a while, she pecked at people fiercely. Daun was scary when angry, but Jihae, who was always by his side and usually calmed Daun down when she was furious, did not soothe her this time, which made Sihyun feel betrayed. He looked at her with eyes asking how she could do this, and a girl who had grown her hair down to her chest since he last saw her smiled brightly at him.
'Daun was worried about you. Sometimes, you need to be completely reassured.'
She seemed like a skilled trainer.
Afterward, Sihyun was harassed by Class A kids until news that Ruth and Hahyuk had woken up reached him. Their concern always followed the same pattern; at first, they were happy to see him and listened to whatever he said with a smile, but as the worry and nagging passed an hour, they began to tire of it. Normally, Class A kids would have stopped by then, but that was when Daun wasn’t there. Having screamed so much on the battlefield, Daun used her strengthened voice on Sihyun without reserve.
For about three hours.
He had been harassed so much that news of Ruth and Hahyuk’s awakening sounded almost like a voice of salvation.
Just recalling that incident, a sharp gaze poked his skin. Even without looking, he could guess who it was, and he awkwardly smiled while desperately looking at Hahyuk, who then glanced at the Class A kids and lightly laughed.
“Kang Sihyun is the worrying type, isn’t he?”
“That’s right?”
“It’s good that the guild leader recognizes it.”
Class A kids immediately agreed. Realizing that Hahyuk was on their side, Sihyun’s face crumpled with betrayal for the second time today.
The man, enjoying the sight of his contorted face, got up from the bed.
“You should lie down a
bit more.”
“I’ve rested enough. There’s a lot of work piled up, I need to handle urgent matters first.”
Despite the careful advice, as the man shook his head and got out of the bed, his movement of straightening the messy blanket was impressive. Just a moment ago, he had been lying unconscious, and now his calm and ordinary demeanor made it hard to speak as Class A kids sighed.
From behind, Hamin muttered in a disgruntled tone.
“Like he wouldn’t be Kang Sihyun’s role model.”
What?
It was the most absurd thing he had ever heard.
Who was making who a role model?
It wasn’t something to just ignore and pass by, so as he turned around, the boy asked why. When pressed about the role model issue, Hamin blinked once and gazed at Sihyun before twisting one corner of his mouth up. Ah, please. Sihyun caught the playful smile’s meaning and covered his ears. He was quick, but unfortunately, Hamin was quicker.
“Sorry, I should have called you doppelgangers if you're this similar.”
Sounding sincerely apologetic, the low voice came. Knowing Sihyun disliked hearing that he resembled Hahyuk, he teasingly said so, and Sihyun’s gaze sharpened. Hahyuk, with whom he supposedly shared blood, talked too much.
“Your brother.”
“I know. But seeing you like this, it feels like you’re our brother’s younger brother. Will you give up the younger brother spot?”
It was unnecessary talk. Yet he couldn’t deny that he and Hahyuk looked alike, so he answered 'not needed' while wearing a troubled expression.
The aspects of overdoing it, pretending calmness, and making efficient decisions in crisis situations, Hahyuk was indeed similar to him. If someone asked if he was Hahyuk’s brother, he couldn’t outright deny it because their behaviors were so alike.
He had lived several lives through reincarnations and possessions, but Hahyuk wasn’t like that, so why did he have such a disposition?
Maybe he was a reincarnator too.
Sihyun harbored this plausible thought and nodded, then walked to the door during his brief conversation with Hamin, capturing Hahyuk's movement.
“What?”
Thinking Hahyuk had something to say to him, he slightly tilted his head and asked what it was about.
“Catch.”
Sihyun commanded softly.
“Catch him from both sides!”
At times like this, the well-coordinated Daun supported with a bit more delicate request. Then, Class A kids split in half and grabbed Hahyuk’s arms and shoulders. The guild leader’s eyes widened. Sihyun, understanding his bewilderment, sent a sympathetic look before mercilessly speaking.
“Lay him down.”
Soon, Hahyuk was dragged by the kids and forced to lie down on the bed. Sihyun felt satisfied seeing his puzzled face. A bit later, guessing the situation, Hahyuk sent a baffled look.
“What are you trying to do?”
Hmm. That phrase sounded familiar.
Sihyun didn’t answer but looked at Ruth. Already sitting cross-legged on the bed, the man giggled, mocking Hahyuk. Quick to grasp the situation, he seemed to have no intention of leaving the bed.
“Kang Sihyun?”
Hahyuk called him again, apparently realizing who held the upper hand in this situation. Sihyun put on what people often call a ‘business smile.’
“Just lie down, guild leader.”
“There’s a lot of work piled up.”
“Don’t worry. Others are looking after it.”
“I was trying to go because there are matters they can’t handle.”
Hahyuk narrowed his brows and retorted. Sihyun subtly signaled the kids again as Hahyuk tried to get up. The kids, whose movements were perfectly synchronized, laid Hahyuk down again, and Geonu brought out porridge that had just finished in the microwave.
“When did you run that?”
“Just as we came in.”
Sihyun calmly answered and handed the porridge to Hahyuk.
“I’ve already informed the association. It’s urgent, but let’s all rest for a day.”
He wasn’t cruel enough to push the two people who had suffered in his absence right back to work. Sihyun inserted a spoon into the steaming porridge and curved his eyes just like Hahyuk had done.
It’d be unfair if I were the only one to suffer.
Finally, he also had the opportunity to inflict on others the worry, fuss, care, and confinement that Class A kids had subjected him to.
Neither of them would take a step out of this space.
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