By Zephyria It was the night after the day he persuaded everyone. Ki Jae-eon got up late to relieve the night watch. Unlike his past life, where he always stood guard alone, a life where he had learned to rely on others allowed him to sleep soundly even in the middle of the battlefield.
‘It’s quiet.’
When he turned his gaze slightly, an empty bed came into view.
He must have gone out earlier to guard another area.
‘I should hurry too.’
Rubbing his tired eyes, he put on a thick coat and went out. The sound of a bonfire burning could be heard in the distance. When he got closer, the remaining firewood was crackling, absorbing the moisture unique to the night air. “Oh, Exorcist-nim! Why are you here so early?” As soon as their eyes met, the person on guard greeted him brightly. His face, frozen from the cold, was red in places.
“Go and rest.”
When Ki Jae-eon pointed to the back, the other person waved his hand.
“No, I can do more. Oh, that’s right. While we’re at it, I’ll stand guard for Exorcist Ki Jae-eon too. Please give me even this kind of work!”
His heart was grateful, but if he did that, he would die before he even faced the Fatal Spirit. Knowing one’s own condition is also part of the fight.
“It’s okay.”
Ki Jae-eon shook his head with a gentle smile.
“It’s time for everyone to return, equally. Go and replenish your strength.”
“Exorcist-nim……. You must have a lot of work to do.”
“Everyone else is the same. Go and warm up. Your eyes and nose are red.”
After repeated refusals, the other person finally turned around. Even so, he looked back several times and clenched his fists, saying, “Good luck!” Seeing his bright appearance, Ki Jae-eon ended up smiling.
That’s how he was left alone.
Ki Jae-eon rubbed his hands together, which were losing sensation, and lowered his buttocks onto the hard chair. Haa, ha-. How long has it been since I came out, but my fingertips froze too quickly. He kept breathing on them, but he knew it wouldn’t work.
‘It’s cold.’
Thinking blankly, he raised his head and looked at the sky. The night sky filled his vision. Especially the stars, there were so many it was crazy. It was like a scene where silver glitter was generously poured onto a black cloth.
Had the sky ever been this clear before? He pondered, but……. He came to the conclusion that it hadn’t been this clear.
Then why was it so clear that he could pick one up if he reached out his hand?
He tried to ignore it, but he knew.
What made the difference were the things that had disappeared.
For example, fine dust, exhaust fumes, carbon dioxide, all kinds of organic matter, etc.
The air had become clear in the meantime, while people were away due to the Fatal Spirit.
Well, would substances that are toxic to humans be good for the Earth?
‘At times like this, I agree with the saying that humans are harmful to the Earth.’
He didn’t want to admit it, but the simple and cruel logic that
‘But…….’
Even so, Ki Jae-eon thought.
That the being who enjoys a moment of leisure while melting his frozen hands in the bonfire, feels reassured by the light, and sheds tears at being alive is ultimately human.
‘Well, these kinds of thoughts themselves can be seen as interpreting the world only from a human perspective, though.’
Ki Jae-eon took his eyes off the sky with a bitter smile. His slowly lowered gaze fixed on the bonfire.
It was at that moment.
At the same time as the wind blew briefly, a long shadow was cast.
Without a single footstep, it had somehow entered Ki Jae-eon’s boundary.
It was like a ghost.
Ki Jae-eon silently stared at the presence.
“Standing guard too?”
While fixing his gaze and throwing dry branches into the bonfire without much effort, a sarcastic voice followed.
“Then, did you think only I would stretch my legs and sleep well?”
It was Shin Yoon.
“Why, are you unhappy with me? Should I call someone else?”
“Hmm, there’s someone I want to call, but…….”
“Is that so. You’ve become quite the fox.”
The two of them gave a bland laugh at the same time.
Shin Yoon soon settled down on the opposite side of Ki Jae-eon with a “Heave-ho.” He also stared blankly at the sky, as if he had nothing to do.
“Wow, it’s disgustingly clear.”
“…….”
“Jae-eon, you can see it too, right? Look at that, the stars are so clear when there are no humans.”
Ki Jae-eon’s shoulders twitched very briefly at Shin Yoon’s remark.
‘Had the sky ever been this clear before?’
It was the very thought that had been running through his head just now. Even though the words were slightly different, they had clearly come to the same conclusion.
Ki Jae-eon stared intently at Shin Yoon with a strange gaze. He had felt it before, but he was a kindred spirit.
It meant that they were seeing the same things and understanding them in the same way.
Instead of answering, Ki Jae-eon slightly raised the corners of his lips.
“What?”
“……Oh, nothing.”
“What do you mean, oh, nothing?”
“I was just thinking that after all, only humans would look at the stars and say they’re good.”
“Heo-igo? Geez, yeah, yeah. You’re so~ great.”
“I didn’t say it to make you feel bad.”
“Do you know you’re extremely annoying?”
“To some extent…….”
Shin Yoon shook his head with a disgusted expression, then called out to Ki Jae-eon, “Hey.”
“Is that story true?”
“……?”
“That you’re taking on the whole burden.”
“The whole burden…….”
“Wow, looking at your expression, you really are.”
“It’s not really the whole burden…….”
“Let me ask you something this time. Do you have some kind of good kid syndrome or something? Why, you’re trying to die on your own.”
Shin Yoon clicked his tongue and broke a dry branch, throwing it towards the blazing bonfire.
“Frankly speaking, what if you fail? Don’t you still know? It’s just a dog’s death, a dog’s death! Aish, really frustrating. You and Yun-i, why are you guys like that? You could just live a good life, why are you rushing your lifespans like that?”
Shin Yoon continued to mutter to himself as if he were talking to himself.
But it wasn’t really a tone that expected anyone to answer, it was just a way of letting out what was bubbling inside him.
Ki Jae-eon listened to all the nagging without refuting it separately. He just quietly watched Shin Yoon breaking the wood.
Then, after adding interjections like “Yeah” and “Okay” a few times in between, there were no more branches to throw into the bonfire.
“Do you want me to die?”
Ki Jae-eon asked lightly, as if it were a passing question.
There was no sarcasm or anger in his voice.
Rather, there was even a hint of enjoyment.
“I’m just curious.”
At that moment, Shin Yoon’s gaze fixed on Ki Jae-eon.
Completely.
The bonfire light flickered and reflected in his unwavering, fixed black pupils.
The two were silent.
Shin Yoon and Ki Jae-eon didn’t speak.
But they didn’t avoid it either.
Only quiet breaths passed between them.
It was Shin Yoon who broke the long silence first.
He turned his head sharply and frowned.
“No.”
Then he immediately added, “Are you a psychopath?” Ki Jae-eon laughed at the scathing insult.
“You know you have a worse personality than you think.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re annoying.”
“Yeah.”
“You’re not like Yun-i at all. Yun-i is much better. Don’t even compare.”
“Yeah.”
“Still, you’re…… what was it.”
“……….”
“Make sure you come back alive.”
“Yeah.”
“……Okay, that’s enough then.”
There’s nothing more to say. Shin Yoon said, raising one corner of his mouth crookedly.
“Let’s stop, I’m sleepy.”
Then he got up from his seat and turned around unsteadily. At his action as if he was going back, Ki Jae-eon’s face was filled with question marks.
“Hey, the guard duty isn’t over yet.”
“Aigo…… are you innocent, or are you stupid?”
“Huh?”
“You idiot, who would entrust guard duty to a criminal? I sneaked out of here too. I have to go quickly so that Kim Ju-won, that little punk, doesn’t make a fuss.”
“……?!”
No, just now you clearly said, ‘Did you think only I would stretch my legs and sleep well!’
“Are you getting tricked again, you idiot.”
Shin Yoon smiled, winking one eye at the stiffened Ki Jae-eon.
“S, scammer……!”
“Call me a trust extortionist instead. It sounds professional, and it’s good.”
“…….”
“Ah, Jae-eon. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
Shin Yoon walked over casually. As he approached, the sound of the bonfire burning seemed to grow louder.
“Don’t forget. I definitely handed it over.”
Shin Yoon said, tapping his lips as he came right in front of him. At the nonchalant gesture, Ki Jae-eon’s pupils widened momentarily. His face showed that he knew what he was talking about.
Shin Yoon didn’t miss that fleeting agitation.
He tilted his head slightly and added a word.
“Well, if you’re disappointed, we can do it again.”
It was a lighthearted remark, but not entirely a joke.
Whether Ki Jae-eon knew it or not, he remained silent.
“……That, uh.”
Then, he slowly opened his lips.
“Ah, no. There’s someone else I, I want to do it with.”
The voice, barely escaping as if embarrassed, was small enough to be drowned out by the bonfire, but it clearly reached Shin Yoon.
“……”
Shin Yoon stared silently at Ki Jae-eon, whose face was flushed red, and then muttered lowly.
“What are you? I didn’t know you could make that kind of face.”
It sounded like mockery, but there was a faint surprise mixed in.
“……”
Ki Jae-eon still seemed embarrassed, biting his lip tightly.
“Wow… am I jealous?”
Shin Yoon chuckled and shook his head.
Then, he turned around with a swish.
“Forget it. I’m leaving.”
What’s the point of clinging now? He said it as if throwing it away and slowly retreated from the bonfire, one step at a time. With the same pace as when he came.
A silent figure disappearing without a sound or presence.
Ki Jae-eon only followed his back, which was becoming a dot, with his eyes. Knowing that if he called, he would stop, but he didn’t call out.
It was natural.
Because that was the right distance between the two of them.