By Zephyria The cleanup finished quickly. The blood spilled on the floor disappeared after a few swipes with a mop, and the broken and scratched walls were covered with white cloth. The S-rank Hunters, who had been huddled together, were dragged off to the infirmary, and only Jung-bin was treated. It was because a dark bruise had risen on the back of his neck where Eui-jae had grabbed him. Eui-jae muttered awkwardly.
“…I’m sorry. It looks like that bruise will last a while.”
“Haha, it’s okay. A bruise is better than getting hit in the face or bitten.”
Jung-bin tried to make light of it, but no one laughed. Not funny at all. Eui-jae, who had hit Jung-bin’s face, even if unintentionally, lowered his head. Honeybee, who was spraying a patch on her wrist, asked cautiously.
“Was that not supposed to be funny?”
“Yes? Why do you ask?”
“Well, if it was a joke, I was going to laugh along….”
“Ah…. No, you don’t have to be so careful around me. I’m fine.”
A heavy silence fell. Even the S-ranks, who didn’t care about others and acted as they pleased, couldn’t help but be mindful of Jung-bin at this moment. After all, they had lost a teammate right before their eyes. And he had mutated into a Monster. Jung-bin touched the back of his neck and smiled.
“I’m really okay.”
Jung-bin’s gentle gaze turned to Eui-jae. Eui-jae, feeling guilty, turned his head away, avoiding his gaze.
“Thank you for coming. Um, according to the report…. Honeybee, you said you would take responsibility.”
“Huh? Oh, right. Well, it’s better to bring this guy along than to be alone.”
Honeybee brushed her hair behind her ear, looking around cautiously.
“…Is there a problem?”
“Haha…. No, I was going to send J back after writing a report anyway. I’ll handle the report, so don’t worry. All three of you can go back.”
Jung-bin picked up his crumpled suit jacket and stood up. Honeybee’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“What, you’re not going to rest and go straight to work?”
“There’s no time to rest. There’s a lot to clean up. Well…, I’ll be going now.”
Jung-bin bowed politely and left the infirmary. Gyu-Gyu, propping his chin up with a crooked expression, muttered.
“Trying to act tough~ when he’s not okay at all.”
Honeybee stretched and retorted.
“I understand him perfectly? He needs to work to think less.”
“You know that’s a form of self-harm, right~?”
“Shut up, you’re like a useless con artist.”
Honeybee slammed the door shut and left.
And then, there were two. Cha Eui-jae and Gyu-Gyu. The pungent smell of the patch lingered in the air. Gyu-Gyu was staring intently at the mask, not even trying to hide it. Eui-jae tried to ignore the gaze on his cheek.
‘This guy is a bit unsettling….’
He had received all kinds of gazes, but this was the first time someone had stared so openly, probing and observing. Let’s get out of here quickly. Eui-jae got up from the chair and headed for the door. A sly voice followed.
“About your hair~….”
“…….”
“It looks like you need to dye it soon. Or not?”
Eui-jae didn’t answer, didn’t slow his pace, and left the infirmary. His brisk steps stopped in front of the glass window. His disheveled gray hair looked almost white at first glance. Eui-jae rolled up his sleeve. Fortunately, there were no scales, fur, or Monster skin.
Not yet.
‘…Did he notice something?’
No, he might have been testing me. Eui-jae dragged his feet towards the emergency stairs. He felt strangely suffocated. He wanted to go somewhere high. Tap, tap, tap, he climbed the stairs.
He had to hide the fact that he was mutating. Why? If he told them, he could get treatment.
“…….”
He was afraid of their gazes. Afraid of being looked at with fear.
The news that J had mutated would plunge everyone into despair.
I don’t want to mutate.
His feet, which had been heading upwards without a thought, stopped. The rooftop door was slightly open. Had someone used a helicopter? Eui-jae grabbed the doorknob and cautiously opened the door. A cloudy gray sky, white ash scattering around the pure white Whitehole. And, the acrid smell of cigarette smoke wafted in.
“…….”
Jung-bin, with his jacket slung over his arm, was standing in front of the railing. Eui-jae slowly walked towards him. A cigarette was burning between his fingers, stained with dirt. Jung-bin opened his mouth only after exhaling a cloud of gray smoke.
“Um, was someone looking for me?”
“No.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Not that either.”
“Then… why did you come?”
“I felt suffocated.”
“…Is that so.”
Jung-bin put the cigarette in his mouth and rummaged through his cigarette pack, offering it to him. Eui-jae didn’t refuse and took a cigarette. Jung-bin asked, his pronunciation slightly slurred because of the cigarette.
“Want a light?”
“No, I decided to quit smoking. I’ll just borrow it.”
“Haha, quitting smoking is good.”
Jung-bin chuckled softly. Eui-jae leaned against the railing. He rubbed the white ash that had accumulated on the rooftop floor with his foot. It didn’t do much. Jung-bin stared down at the cityscape below the railing and muttered.
“Do you remember? We met like this before…. Um, a long time ago. It was a while ago, though.”
“The emergency stairs?”
“Yes. The emergency stairs. You remember.”
“Of course, I remember.”
Eui-jae twirled the cigarette between his fingers like a pen.
“You still go to similar places now as you did then. You still don’t go to the break room?”
“If the team leader shows up in the break room, it’s an emergency. How can people relax?”
Eui-jae chuckled, and Jung-bin followed suit. However, the smile soon disappeared from his face. Not even a trace of the soft smile he always wore remained. Expressionless. Eui-jae wasn’t surprised. It was hard to maintain the same expression all the time. That’s why Eui-jae hid his face behind a mask, behind a poker face skill.
“The teammate who was attacked this time…. Was a colleague who had worked with me for a long time. Um, he joined after the West Sea Rift, so I don’t think J knows him.”
A cloud of gray cigarette smoke scattered. Eui-jae didn’t answer and waited for him to continue.
“Even though the pay was low, and he worked overtime like it was nothing…. He stubbornly stayed. The saying that civil servants have job security is a thing of the past.”
“…….”
“He was a diligent and trustworthy friend, so I cherished him a lot.”
The wind blew. His brown hair was a mess. His deeply sunken eyes hid behind his hair. A desolate voice muttered.
“I wish there had been some kind of sign….”
It was obvious what Jung-bin was thinking. He was replaying countless possibilities. If this had happened, if that had happened. Replaying things that wouldn’t happen, regretting. Eui-jae had learned thanks to Lee Sa-young. Regretting what had already happened wouldn’t change anything.
“Don’t think too deeply about it.”
“…….”
“It’s better to think about what you’re going to do in the future…. In that time.”
“Is that based on experience?”
“Yes.”
Eui-jae stared at the dark blue bruise on the back of Jung-bin’s neck. If Honeybee and Eui-jae hadn’t gone, if he hadn’t kept Gyu-Gyu by his side. Jung-bin would have died a long time ago. While suppressing him, while evacuating others, or while trying to talk to the Monster. Whatever it was, he would have died trying to protect others.
‘Being too nice is a problem.’
Eui-jae turned his body and rested his arms on the railing. And he patted Jung-bin’s shoulder with one hand. Jung-bin’s eyes widened, then he laughed with a deflated sound.
“Are you comforting me?”
“Yes.”
“…Thank you.”
Jung-bin closed his eyes and lowered his head. He was breathing softly. Eui-jae pretended not to hear and turned his head the other way. He never got used to comforting someone.
‘It would be nice if there was never a need to comfort anyone.’
In fact, he didn’t want to get used to it. Because as much as he got used to comforting, someone would have to be sad.
How much time had passed? His rough breathing gradually returned to its normal pace. Jung-bin took a deep breath, then took out a makeshift ashtray from his Inventory and crushed the cigarette. He straightened his disheveled hair and opened his mouth.
“J.”
“Yes.”
“Have you thought about what you’re going to do in the future….?
“…….”
“I think you must have felt similar to me. Especially right after coming out of the Memorial Dungeon….”
…How did he know? Eui-jae, feeling like he had been hit right on the mark, stared at Jung-bin awkwardly. Jung-bin covered his mouth with his fist and chuckled.
“It would be strange if I didn’t know, seeing J’s attitude. Are you thinking of going back in?”
“…Yes.”
Jung-bin, who had been rubbing his chin, smiled.
“Then I think this will be helpful.”
He handed over a stiff, coated piece of paper. It had a familiar shape and texture. Like a ticket to the Artisan Exhibition….
Huh? A ticket?
Eui-jae raised his head sharply.
“Currently, Yoon Ga-eul is in a Shield created by Hong Ye-seong. To block Prometheus’s access.”
Jung-bin winked slightly.
“Yoon Ga-eul wants to meet J.”