By Zephyria As soon as he regained consciousness, Sa-young cursed, then grabbed his head and frowned. His complexion was pale, as if a headache still lingered.
“…Where is this? Why…”
“…W-Well, you see.”
Eui-jae was about to speak hesitantly. Sa-young slightly lifted the apron he was wearing with his thumb and forefinger. The sky-blue toad was pathetically squashed.
“And what’s with this apron?”
What is the real identity of this apron? Eui-jae didn’t know either, so he couldn’t answer. He just put his hands behind his back and subtly rolled his eyes.
“…I don’t know about that either.”
“…Haa.”
Sa-young rested his arms and forehead on the sink and sighed deeply. Eui-jae cautiously approached him and squatted beside him. A curt voice flowed out.
“Go away.”
“No.”
“…Annoying.”
Eui-jae leaned against the white bathtub and glanced at Sa-young. Fortunately, that annoyed remark was the last of his reactions. He listened to the slowly subsiding breaths, as if he was catching his breath, and thought.
‘When Student Ga-eul’s Soul was transferred, he said he collapsed as if he had fainted.’
Then, did Cha Eui-jae’s body in reality and Lee Sa-young’s body also collapse as if they had fainted? His mouth felt parched. What if Lee Sa-young had been in some Dungeon right before being dragged here? That would be a disaster.
‘Damn System, why did you bring me here right away?’
Eui-jae, who had been wiggling his toes, carefully asked.
“What were you doing, by any chance?”
“…What was I doing?”
Sa-young, who had slightly raised his head, glanced at Eui-jae. He twisted his lips.
“I was in a meeting, with the Guild members…”
‘Shit.’
“We were talking about Invasion Dungeons, a lot.”
Eui-jae solemnly lowered his head. In a way, this was worse than a Dungeon. No wonder he had asked what I had done as soon as he saw me! He must have been seeing the faces of the Guild members in a wide conference room, and then he was dragged into a narrow bathroom to face Cha Eui-jae, so it was understandable that he would say that.
Sa-young, who had tilted his head back and covered his face with his hand, muttered.
“…Are you okay?”
“Huh?”
“Are you okay, Hyung.”
“Me? Yeah. I’m fine.”
Perhaps because the Cha Eui-jae in his memory had Awakened, his body itself was not much different from reality. But what about Lee Sa-young? He was still sweating coldly. Eui-jae swept Sa-young’s hair back.
“Are you okay, more importantly? Does anything hurt?”
“I have a headache, but… never mind that. It’ll probably go away soon.”
Sa-young, who had slightly removed his fingers, narrowed his purple eyes.
“What is this place.”
“……”
“Why are you here, Hyung, how did you get here, and why the hell was I dragged here?”
“……”
“Explain it, now.”
The sweet and languid atmosphere that had filled the house had long since disappeared, and an ominous aura soared. I knew it would be like this. Eui-jae tightly closed his eyes. It was a result that had been foreseen since those eyes turned purple. But it was also an unavoidable story.
“…It’s a long story, so listen carefully.”
This place is a Memorial Dungeon, and Memorial Dungeons are Dungeons created based on someone’s memories, and we don’t know how to clear them. And it’s also somewhere in the Destroyed world, and we’ve crossed over here as Souls.
I recklessly tried to save Yoon Ga-eul, so my body is lying in the middle of the Hanover Soup Restaurant wearing a J mask, and your body must have collapsed in the middle of the conference room.
Throughout Eui-jae’s three-line summary, Lee Sa-young’s expression remained unchanged. And what kind of expression was that? It was an expression of glaring at Cha Eui-jae as if he would devour him.
Eui-jae, who had excellently completed the first summary, asked.
“Do you have any questions so far?”
“…Do I have any questions?”
Sa-young scoffed and muttered fiercely.
“Too many.”
This is bad. Eui-jae hurriedly drew a line.
“Let me say first that I don’t know much either. It hasn’t been long since I came to my senses.”
“Ah…, then I’ll ask you just one thing.”
“……”
“Are you really crazy?”
‘Damn it.’
But since it was true that he had nothing to say, Eui-jae just pouted instead of refuting. Was he really captivated by the light emitted by the fragment? Sa-young leaned his temple against the sink and muttered.
“I’ll be collapsed in the Hanover Soup Restaurant. Wearing a mask. And I’ll be collapsed too.”
“…Yeah.”
“…Well, that’s better. Seo Min-gi will take care of it.”
“What? How?”
“I told him to check on Hyung first if anything happened to me.”
“Me? No, you should take care of yourself first? What about you?”
“I wonder.”
Sa-young, who had twisted the corner of his lips, supported himself on the sink and slowly got up. The soju brand apron, which had found the wrong Master, fluttered. No, why did that apron come along anyway? It should be hanging on the wall of the Hanover Soup Restaurant. He still looked down at Cha Eui-jae, who was leaning against the bathtub and squatting.
“Get up.”
“Huh?”
“Weren’t you preparing a meal?”
“That’s true, but… shouldn’t we check the Dungeon clear conditions first?”
At that moment, the sound of an empty stomach rumbling loudly echoed in the bathroom. It was the sound coming from Eui-jae’s stomach. Eui-jae frowned.
‘Damn it, since when have I been feeling hunger so consistently?’
Lee Sa-young raised his chin slightly as if to say, “See?” and sneered.
“Someone somewhere seems to be very hungry.”
“……”
“Let’s talk while we eat.”
Lee Sa-young stepped aside as if telling him to go out first. Eui-jae awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck and slipped out into the hallway. Only after he had taken a few steps did Sa-young follow.
However, the footsteps following behind soon stopped. Puzzled, he turned around and saw Sa-young standing there as if nailed to the spot, staring intently at the sea picture hanging in the hallway. The sight was like a painting.
Not in a good way, but in a bad way. As if….
Like a person petrified in that spot.
“…Lee Sa-young.”
Eui-jae abruptly called out to Sa-young. Sa-young slowly turned his gaze to Eui-jae. His face was indifferent and languid as usual. He shrugged his shoulders.
“What are you doing, not going?”
“……”
“You’re hungry, aren’t you.”
Sa-young gestured for him to go quickly. Eui-jae moved his feet, which wouldn’t fall, and headed to the kitchen.
The neatly organized kitchen was nowhere to be found; it was a mess. The bread that had popped out of the toaster was half-burnt, the rolled omelet was half-rolled and lukewarm, and only two empty plates were placed on the table. And the spatula that Lee Sa-young had left behind was….
“…Ladle?”
It had turned into a ladle. Not just any ladle, but a dented ladle. Sa-young, who had been looking around the kitchen with his hands behind his back, tilted his head slightly.
“That seems to be a set with this apron.”
“……”
“Shall I take it off for you?”
“No, it’s okay….”
Eui-jae turned on the sink water and washed his hands thoroughly. The bread that had been baked for too long could be replaced with newly baked bread, and the half-rolled omelet could be re-rolled from the middle. There is a way to continue anything, even if it is interrupted in the middle.
Lee Sa-young, who had been looking around the house, turned on the radio on the table next to the living room sofa. Crackle…. It was a radio that was doubtful even if it was working properly, but a soft music flowed from the speaker. It was music he was hearing for the first time, but it was pleasant enough to listen to.
Eui-jae took out two slices of bread from the bread bag and put them in the toaster, then called out to Sa-young, who was standing with his back to him.
“Lee Sa-young, come here and finish making the rolled omelet.”
“I don’t know how to make rolled omelets.”
His back replied indifferently. Eui-jae, who had widened his eyes, rolled his eyes. Right, the Lee Sa-young who skillfully made rolled omelets was the Lee Sa-young in this memory. Similarly, didn’t the Cha Eui-jae in this memory not know how to cook?
Then he should do what he can do now. According to each person’s method. Eui-jae turned on the induction stove and grabbed the frying pan. Sa-young, who heard the sound, turned his body halfway.
“Then I’ll do this. Take out the bread when it’s all baked.”
“…There are no gloves.”
“What?”
“Are there tongs?”
“……”
“I can’t have Poison on it, can I?”
Eui-jae slightly opened his mouth and looked at Sa-young. Lee Sa-young was still standing with his hands behind his back. As if his hands were some kind of weapon. Even in this memory where everything is peaceful and safe.
Suddenly, something surged up into his throat. Eui-jae put the frying pan down with a thud and strode towards him. Sa-young, who had widened his eyes, tried to step back, but Eui-jae was much faster. As soon as he snatched the hands behind his back, Sa-young frowned.
“What are you doing.”
“Stay still.”
Lee Sa-young’s hands, which were not stained with Poison, were straight and large, and above all, clean without any black stains. If Cha Eui-jae had continued to stay by Lee Sa-young’s side. It was the hand he could have had. The hand he should have had.
Already, eight years had passed since the promise. He knows that regretting it now is meaningless. He doesn’t regret going into the West Sea Rift to save people either. However,
“I have no responsibility to you.”
Thinking of Lee Sa-young, who had been left alone and had gone through everything, keeping the promise.
Cha Eui-jae bit down on the clean, unstained finger as if to show it off. Lee Sa-young inhaled sharply. As if trying to push him away, the uncaptured hand hovered near his shoulder.
“What are you…!”
However, Cha Eui-jae paid no attention and put strength into the teeth that bit his finger. With enough force to not cut it off, but enough to easily inflict an injury.
Soon, with a crunching sound, a bitter taste of blood spread in his mouth. Eui-jae, who had licked the finger stained with blood, looked up and glared at Lee Sa-young.
“Don’t talk nonsense.”