By Zephyria Soon, the glass door opened, and the person Yohan had longed for so desperately just moments before strode inside. Yohan sprang up from his seat and rushed over. Then, with a wide smile, he pulled the person, who had obligingly leaned forward to make hugging easier, into a tight embrace.
“…I missed you.”
He was embarrassed that he missed the person so much after only a few days apart, and his voice mumbled and trailed off. But Lee Hyun-muk held Yohan tightly in return and replied,
“Me too, Yohan-ah.”
He was so glad to be able to see him like this, having wanted to see his face at least once before leaving the facility. Lee Hyun-muk cupped Yohan’s face, gazing down at him, and asked,
“Yohan-ah, did you cry? Why? Come to think of it, did you have an interview with Team leader Kim Jong-seok…?”
His voice was soft as he asked, but there was a hint of coldness to it. However, Yohan, simply overjoyed to see Lee Hyun-muk, didn’t notice. He sheepishly rubbed his eyes, still red from crying.
“Even though I refused, he kept asking me to sign the contract. So I just cried like a spoiled child. It’s a bit embarrassing, but it worked well. I did good, right?”
Then, he leaned his cheek against Lee Hyun-muk’s chest and let out a sigh. Perhaps it was because it felt like they had been apart for a long time, or perhaps because the other person was so much older, but he felt an urge to be pampered. Gently stroking Yohan’s back, Lee Hyun-muk said,
“You did good. Shall we get discharged quickly then?”
Yohan’s head shot up, his face beaming. Though he hadn’t said it aloud, he was utterly sick of being in isolation. As he nudged Lee Hyun-muk with his body, urging him to leave quickly, Lee Hyun-muk looked around the room and asked,
“Do you have any luggage to pack?”
“Yes!”
All he had to do was grab his returned mobile phone and leave. As Yohan exited the isolation room, something suddenly occurred to him, and he said urgently,
“Ah, they confiscated my weapon…!”
During the initial contamination test, he had been stripped and all his belongings taken away. He had no attachment to his clothes, but his weapon worried him. Every night, he worried about when it would be returned, if it would be returned at all, his anxieties piling up.
“Don’t worry. I took care of it. Shall we go now?”
At those words, Yohan’s face lit up, and he followed Lee Hyun-muk out with a spring in his step. Surprisingly, for the discharge procedures, it wasn’t a regular Special Unit member but Captain Jeong Si-young who accompanied them. Yohan subtly placed himself between Lee Hyun-muk and Jeong Si-young, half out of nervousness and half to suppress his instinct to purify the contamination. Jeong Si-young’s gaze followed Yohan with interest.
In fact, Jeong Si-young wasn’t the only one showing such interest. Special Unit members who had accumulated a certain level of contamination also frequently stared intently at Yohan. Even though he tried his best to hide his abilities, they seemed to instinctively sense a being who could resolve their contamination. Yohan’s feet felt heavy.
“Strength Enhancement Type…”
Just then, Jeong Si-young muttered softly, making Yohan flinch. Lee Hyun-muk, seeing Yohan’s reaction, gave a faint smile and shielded him a little better. Jeong Si-young, raising an eyebrow, stopped. They had arrived at the entrance of the Rift Management Agency’s Special Containment Headquarters. Only after stepping outside the building did Yohan realize that the place resembled a prison.
“When will you return to duty?”
Jeong Si-young asked abruptly, but everyone knew she was asking when Lee Hyun-muk would return to fighting monsters. Yohan couldn’t even think of questioning her right to ask, given her bloodshot eyes from severe overwork. Jeong Si-young was a hero as respected in Korea as Lee Hyun-muk.
“For now, I plan to rest well.”
“How well is ‘well’…?”
“Well, at least for a month?”
Jeong Si-young’s face, which had darkened at the mention of resting well, turned ashen at the word ‘month’. She glanced at the military vehicle waiting nearby and replied,
“I’ll assume you’re joking. Please return as soon as possible and earn a lot of money.”
With a slight nod, she strode back into the Special Containment Headquarters and disappeared. Only then did Yohan realize that Jeong Si-young, who was heavily contaminated, must reside within the Special Containment Headquarters. He still wanted to purify her… As he followed Jeong Si-young with a look of regret, Lee Hyun-muk tapped his cheek, bringing him back to his senses.
“Everyone is waiting, so shall we go?”
“Ah, yes!”
He quickly opened the door of the waiting vehicle, where Lee Chan-ha and the other members of their party were already seated. Yohan hopped in excitedly. Being alone in isolation and then reuniting with his companions made him incredibly happy. Seo Yakrin, her eyes sparkling, patted Yohan’s head vigorously and said,
“Shall we have a celebratory dinner for escaping the Abyss and being discharged?”
“We’re having dinner?”
“Come to think of it, have you ever been to a company dinner, Yohan? You haven’t started working yet, have you? Or had a part-time job?”
Yohan, who had neither worked nor had a part-time job, smiled sheepishly at Yoon Seung-ryong’s question. Joo Ho-young, who seemed just as excited as Yohan, exclaimed gleefully,
“Let’s have dinner! I want to go to karaoke too!”
“Oh, karaoke sounds great! It’s been ages since I heard any decent songs. I’ve completely forgotten all the songs I used to listen to.”
Seo Yakrin chimed in. As they chattered noisily, the vehicle arrived at the entrance of the Rift Management Agency. As the barrier lifted and the heavy iron gate opened, allowing the vehicle to pass, a swarm of black figures descended upon them. Yohan’s jaw dropped in surprise. Reporters, swarming like a hive, clung to the vehicle, making thudding sounds and shouting.
“Lee Hyun-muk! Lee Hyun-muk! Are you inside?!”
“Is it true that you are severely contaminated and can no longer operate?!”
“Please lower the window just a bit! Just one word, please!”
“Just one word! Just say one word!”
Even though the windows were tinted black, they could clearly see the blinding flashes of light erupting from beyond. While Yohan was stunned, the others burst into laughter.
“This is quite nostalgic.”
“Wow, I never thought I’d be happy to see reporters.”
“Look at Yohan’s face. He’s so surprised. This is your first time, isn’t it?”
Yohan, dumbfounded, nodded. Since the car couldn’t move forward, the guards at the Rift Management Agency entrance began pushing the reporters away with practiced ease. The reporters, pushed back without a chance to resist because they were Awakened, yelled and pointed fingers, but the guards paid no attention.
“Yohan-gun will get used to this too, eventually.”
Yohan was so lost in watching the crowd of reporters with wide eyes that he didn’t properly hear Lee Chan-ha’s words, letting them go in one ear and out the other. One thing was certain: seeing this crowd meant they wouldn’t be having dinner or going to karaoke outside today.
Yohan eagerly gazed out the car window as if he were seeing Korea for the first time. Watching the ordinary street scenes of people living their daily lives brought tears to his eyes. Lost in the emotions of his return, he was jolted when the vehicle arrived at the entrance of a mansion.
The reporters, who had persistently followed them, were blocked at the mansion entrance. Yohan, feeling light as a feather, passed through the entrance and descended into the underground parking lot, looking bewildered.
“Where is this?”
Joo Ho-young replied cheerfully, his steps as light as if he were flying.
“Our Team leader’s house!”
Yohan’s eyes widened at the mention of Lee Hyun-muk’s home. He felt a flutter of excitement already. Yoon Seung-ryong thanked the Special Unit member who had driven them there. The Special Unit member, with a nod, didn’t turn back but stopped at the mansion entrance, standing sentinel. Yohan sensed several other presences around the mansion, likely other guards.
“To be precise, it’s a building provided for guild members to use freely when coming and going. The top floor is the Team leader’s residence, and below that are spaces for the employees. I didn’t live here, but my previous residence disappeared in the meantime. Ho-young’s did too.”
Yoon Seung-ryong said casually as they boarded the elevator. He had seen it on the news. When people went missing in the Abyss or Rifts, they were often presumed dead, and their families would handle their assets. It seemed both of them were in such a situation. After all, three years had already passed since their disappearance.
However, both of them appeared unfazed. Whether it was because they were skilled at hiding their emotions or because they had spent too long in the Abyss compared to Yohan, they showed no sign of wanting to see their families. As they reached the top floor and the elevator doors opened, someone exclaimed,
“Hyun-muk!”
A middle-aged woman, who had been pacing anxiously, called out Lee Hyun-muk’s name and rushed towards him. The woman, panting, stopped and then collapsed in sobs, but Lee Hyun-muk quickly supported her.
“Thank goodness, thank goodness, thank goodness… Are you hurt? Are you contaminated…?”
“I’m fine. See? My limbs are all intact. I’m perfectly normal everywhere.”
“Why is your hair so gray? No, it’s okay! As long as you’re alive, that’s all that matters. You just had to come back… How much I prayed… Oh, my. Thank you, thank you for coming back alive…”
“Yes. You must have worried a lot. …I’m sorry.”
Yohan’s eyes widened as he watched the two of them. Lee Hyun-muk’s voice was gentle as he comforted the woman writhing with intense emotion. In the midst of their seemingly intimate exchange, Yohan’s questioning gaze wandered and landed on Yoon Seung-ryong, who mouthed silently,
“The Team leader’s older sister.”
“Ah…!”
He had thought she looked familiar. It turned out she bore a strong resemblance to Lee Hyun-muk. He seemed to recall seeing her on the news a few times, making media announcements about the condition of Awakened patients hospitalized in a certain hospital. Yohan finally recalled her name. Lee Hyeon-myeong. A name that, by all appearances, suggested she was Lee Hyun-muk’s sibling.